eG Foodblog: Lori in PA - These ARE the Good Old Days

[mizducky]

That cherry salsa sounds terrific. And this is the first time I've seen your cherry-pitting gizmo--very cool!

I'm also eager to hear more about those baked cucumbers--I've long wanted to find more uses for the darn things, and that sounds really intriguing.

[Lori in PA]

Here I am again, about to reply with quotes -- the trepidation is fierce! Aarrgghh -- I'm back to using color to differentiate my comments.

Lori, how do you divy up other kitchen chores, like scrubbing the sink and sweeping and mopping the floor?  Do your cooking classes take care of this stuff as they mess it up?

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I have my classes clean the kitchen until it is back in the state in which it was when we started the day. That means it is quite clean. They usually just volunteer to do the different jobs -- some like to wash, some dry, some do the floor, and so on.

Lori, you are truely amazing putting up with all of us during the challenges of this past week. Will the hammock see use this weekend?

Anyting planned for the fourth?

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I'm one of the least amazing people I know, but thanks for saying so. I spied The Husband out in the hammock for a spell this afternoon -- I'm glad he did it, because he's had a hectic week, too.

I haven't thought far enough ahead to the fourth. We're supposed to hold Wed's cooking class that day because one of my dear friends is scheduled to have her fifth C-section on the fifth and I get to go play Junior Midwife, but I'm thinking of doing some class shifting next week because of several students' plans, so I'm not sure. The Husband has the day off, which still feels like a huge treat and novelty to us, because until last Feb. he was a 911 dispatcher and almost never had holidays off.

Lori,

That sounds like a "perfect" meal to me.  I read every word you wrote because it was not in the least pretentious.  I rarely read many meal reviews as I find them boring!  We have a gift certificate for a restaurant to celebrate our 44th anniversay and the one year anniversary of hubby's cancer surgery.  I only hope it comes close to the experience that you and your hubby enjoyed.

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Oh, Anna, I hope you and your husband enjoy your meal with gusto and thankfulness for your marriage and your husband's health.

Lori, that's a perfect dining out experience in my book, too.  And like you said, so many factors go into making a meal wonderful.  I'm so glad you had such a fine evening. 

I agree with Anna, and feel the same way... what a good write-up.  Some restaurant reviews bore me, even though I am very interested in restaurants and read about them all the time.  I was glued to this one.

There are a few things from your dinner that you described which I would love to make, namely a chilled onion soup (I don't know why I never thought of that), the orange-vanilla vinaigrette, and a pairing of lamb chop and braised lamb shank.  If you have some clues on the chilled onion soup or the vinaigrette, please let me know.  What was the hazelnut milk, a "cream sauce"?

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I don't have clues about the food, much. The hazelnut cream seemed to be foamed cream or milk, somehow infused with the nut flavor? The onion soup would be fairly simple, I think -- a highly seasoned pureed cream soup, with 5 alliums -- what might they be? White and yellow onions, leeks, garlic, shallots, perhaps? The vanilla vinaigrette -- I'm really hoping SOMEBODY out there can give us a recipe -- I want to make this at home!

After this post, and those pictures, don't be surprised if you get PMs from some of those "knowledgeable and serious restaurant foodies" asking you for recommendations for charming B&Bs in the Gettysburg area.

mizducky and I share our college experiences (we were at Harvard at the same time) and our love of Steely Dan, but prior to this, I imagined that you and I didn't share that much besides the same home state.  But--as Chufi noted before--reading a blog like this reveals how even people who live lives as different as yours and mine nonetheless can share many things in common: Besides a love of good food and cooking, in this case, there's also a love of British sitcoms--I don't know how many times I've seen that episode of "Are You Being Served?" in the photo upthread.  I hope you have many episodes of "Keeping Up Appearances" in your collection as well--I don't think there's been a funnier sitcom, ever, on British or American TV.

(Something tells me that your sense of humor isn't warped enough to go all the way to Monty Python.  But I may be wrong about that.  It wouldn't be the first time.)

I don't think I've enjoyed reading a blog as much as I have this one.  Thanks a bunch for sharing what looks to me like an absolutely wonderful life with us.

Edited to clarify a pronoun reference.

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Wow, high praise I'm sure I don't deserve -- I immediately think of my all-time favorite blogs and know your memory must be failing, Sandy. But thank you anyway. I do like Keeping Up Appearances, but I laugh with a self-conscious edge because I can't help but remember times when I've been too interested in impressing other people, when just being myself would have been a better plan.

Monty Python? I like it much on an occasional basis. The Husband can quote sections, though!

Not only was that celebratory dinner totally yummy-looking, but I absolutely adore the building that houses Restaurant Sydney. Do you happen to know anything about the building's history?

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East Berlin is one of the oldest communities in Adams County. As I remember it, it was one of the last settled communities the pioneers passed on their way west -- at least the ones who were making the trip in Conestoga wagons they'd bought from the Lancaster, PA company who made them. Here is a bit of info from the historical society's website:

http://www.eastberlinhistoricsociety.org/d...t.aspx?p=114244

The building which houses the restaurant looks like it would have been one of the early, finer houses -- it is located on a corner of the main intersection. Its sprawling nature indicates it was added onto several times. It may have been the local inn, but I'm unsure.

(Note: fixed the quote codes -- JAZ)

[ruthcooks]

No cherry pitter? From farming days, take an old fashioned hair pin, the one that looks like a piece of wire bent into a long skinny "U" shape, and poke both ends into a cork. Use cork as handle and hook the pit with the round end of the pin. My mother, age 88, told me that she just told this tip to her home health care person this morning.

About ham loaf... Among my Northern Illinois recipe notes from my grandmother and great aunt, there are more recipes for Ham Loaf than for anything else. I tried the half ham and half fresh pork mix and found it fairly tasteless. Evidently they used home cured hams which were much more salty then the supermarket stuff. I would suggest using 3/4 ham and 1/4 pork, or using a country ham with the original proportions.

Lori, you and your husband look so nice in your anniversary picture at the restaurant. No sign you ever weighed more. Did you have any trouble with loose skin, and how did you deal with it?

I'm enjoying your blog immensely.

[Lori in PA]

Dinner -- Samuel lit the grill for me because Kevin was changing the oil in the van and giving it various other nurturing treatment. (If you look behind the grill, you can see a sliver of the view from the north side of the house. )

I guess confession time has come -- I must tell you that I'm afraid of the grill. I hate the thought of getting burned. Our grill's trigger starter thing stopped working about 30 minutes after the warranty ran out, so we have to turn on the gas and light it from the top with a match or an Aim 'n Flame. I mostly avoid using it at all. Tonight, I had to put the chicken on myself. I sort of tossed it on the grate -- standing as far back as I could.

I had turned the burners to low, thinking I wanted to grill this long and slow to mimic the great chicken barbecue done around here for fundraisers -- they do it very slowly in pits. I covered the grill and this is what happened:

The Husband recommended opening the cover, turning off one burner, and pushing all the legs to the other side. By the time I got this advice, the legs were already pretty dark, but we like it like that:

Getting everything on the table:

I rather like this photo -- buttering that hot corn:

Fresh green beans, done the Julia Child way: blanched, shocked, and chilled; then reheated to evaporate water and tossed with butter, salt, pepper, and "drops of lemon juice." Mmm -- thank you, Madame Child.

Ready to pray:

The first corn of the year, from the Eastern Shore until ours comes in a few weeks from now:

[Lori in PA]

I have questions:

1. Please, please, somebody tell us how we could make an orange-vanilla vinaigrette.

2. This one is for the Atlantans: The Husband was on a business trip in Atlanta during the week. He was taken to dinner at a place called Canoe. He said it was terrific, but they do not serve dessert. So, what is the opinion of the locals on this place? And what's up with no dessert?

3. Tell your food frugality tips -- I always appreciate good ideas.

[MargyB]

Lori,

I'm enjoying this blog so much! I just love the diversity in the food blogs....everyone is so different!

I was especially interested to hear about your DS surgery....I also have had the same surgery....about 4 1/2 years ago. It's always interesting to me to hear how the surgery has impacted others and especially because you had surgery around the same time that I did.

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this blog.

Margy

[Swisskaese]

I have questions:

This one is for the Atlantans:  The Husband was on a business trip in Atlanta during the week.  He was taken to dinner at a place called Canoe.  He said it was terrific, but they do not serve dessert.  So, what is the opinion of the locals on this place?  And what's up with no dessert?

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That is strange because Canoe's website includes their dessert menu.

[suzilightning]

Lori, that's a perfect dining out experience in my book, too.  And like you said, so many factors go into making a meal wonderful.  I'm so glad you had such a fine evening. 

I agree with Anna, and feel the same way... what a good write-up.  Some restaurant reviews bore me, even though I am very interested in restaurants and read about them all the time.  I was glued to this one.

There are a few things from your dinner that you described which I would love to make, namely a chilled onion soup (I don't know why I never thought of that), the orange-vanilla vinaigrette, and a pairing of lamb chop and braised lamb shank.  If you have some clues on the chilled onion soup or the vinaigrette, please let me know.  What was the hazelnut milk, a "cream sauce"?

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just as i read this i turned the page in Southern Living's 1994 Annual Recipe book(to page 242 if anyone has it) and the first recipe is Vanilla Vinaigrette. since this is copyrighted material i'lm pming you the recipe - and if anyone else wants it please pm me.

[mizducky]

3.  Tell your food frugality tips -- I always appreciate good ideas.

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Here's a few of mine, though I'm not sure how applicable they might be to your situation:

1. I shop a lot of bargain joints. Actually, I think you've already got this well-covered, what with BB's and all. For me, I shop at a bunch of local ethnic markets not only because I've nuts for the cuisines and the ingredients, but also because the prices are so low. When I need mainstream supermarket products, I go to the local Food-4-Less rather than Von's.

2. I go meatless for a significant number of my meals. Tofu is cheap; and I'm getting better and better at my bean cookery. (I'm not totally sure how this strategy would play with your specific nutritional requirements ... )

3. Fierce price-comparing. One reason why it takes me forever to get out of the local Food-4-Less is that I spend a lot of time poring over the unit pricing, doggedly calculating out price per unit even when the store makes it difficult by using different units for different brands of the same dang item. I have been known to go all the way back to the other end of the store to put an item back on the shelf when I find a lower-priced version that just happens to be hiding in an entirely different department--heh, or sometimes I just abandon the first item right there, as sort of a penalty on the store for trying to "hide" the cheaper item from me. I too have no qualms whatsoever about buying store brands, or even generics, when the quality is similar enough to the national brands to make little difference for everyday cooking.

[Catew]

Ham Loaf is my husband's family's traditional meal for February 2nd (think about it....). We are continuing the tradition with our family too. We don't use a sweet and sour glaze, however, and we serve it with mustard sauce, as follows.

Mustard Sauce

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup yellow mustard -- (French's)

1 cup vinegar

1 cup water

2 eggs

Make this in a double boiler if you have one; if not, improvise. In top part of double boiler, over simmering water, melt butter. When it is melted, take it off the heat for a moment and whisk in flour, sugar, mustard, vinegar and water.

Return to heat, and stir frequently until it thickens. Break eggs into a cup, beat them with a fork, and add a spoonful of the hot sauce while stirring. Add a few more spoonfuls, stirring while you add them, then pour the mixture into the rest of the sauce. The gradual addition of the hot sauce to the eggs prevents lumps and curdling, so don't skip the step. Cook the sauce a minute or so longer and serve with ham loaf etc.

I am loving your blog, Lori!. I just looked up where you are on the map, and your area is really close to Wilmington, where I am. I might just have to check out some of your fine markets!

[percyn]

...

I cooked along with a British comedy this morning.  My mil tapes them for me sometimes and they are one of my guilty (because sometimes I watch when I should be doing something else) pleasures:

Lori, was that "Are you being served?" that you were watching? That is my second favorite British comedy...right after "Mind your language".

[Lori in PA]

Sunday mornings are hectic around here. We leave for Bible class and worship services at nine, so everybody is eating and showering and gathering things together. I'm currently teaching a Bible class for ladies about the time of the Israelites' exodus and the wandering in the wilderness, so I ask everyone to leave me alone as much as possible so I can go over all of my notes and lesson plans again and feel prepared. This morning, I realized I hadn't made a dessert for our meal. I don't make desserts all the time, but somehow today I felt like I wanted one, so I tried to think of what I had on hand and could do quickly. Shoofly pie was the answer, even though this is something I tend to make most often in the cool months because during the growing season I want to use as much fresh produce as I can. Shoofly Pie is molasses-based. The filling is somewhat like pecan pie filling without the nuts, but not exactly. In fact, I don't know any other recipe that compares to it really well -- it is itself, which is to say it is quick, made with staple ingredients, gooey (if you make the wet bottom kind like I do), and tooth-achingly sweet. It can be an acquired taste, but once people learn to like it, they go on to love it, it seems to me.

Here is the recipe:

Wet Bottom Shoofly Pie

1 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 T. shortening

Cut ingredients together until it resembles crumbs. Take out 3/4 c. and set aside for topping.

Add to remaining topping in order listed and stir well after each addition:

1 egg

3/4 c. King Syrup

1/4 c. molasses

1 t. baking soda

1 c. boiling water

(This mixture will look like it can't possibly be right, but it is fine.) Pour into an unbaked 10" pie shell. Spoon reserved crumbs evenly over the top. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 20 minutes longer (for glass pie plate) or add 5-10 minutes (for metal pie plate). Serve plain or warm with vanilla ice cream.

I know someone is going to ask about King Syrup. I don't know if it is available everywhere. You can try substituting dark Karo corn syrup or Lyle's Golden Syrup or something similar, but of course the flavor probably will be different. The person who gave me the recipe specifies Brer Rabbit molasses for the 1/4 c. molasses, but it is even better made with a really good southern molasses.

I don't have good pictures of the process, because I was alone and FLYING through it:

You didn't see that refrigerated pie crust, did you? Let's just pretend it's a yummy homemade one. Actually, I told my mom I would say I knew she was coming for lunch and since my pie crust, good as it may be, will never approach hers, I just decided to not even try.

Into the oven:

And, cooled and ready to serve:

Many of the ladies in our congregation draw names each year at a slumber party we have at my mom's house. For the following year, we get each other little surprises as secret pals. I recycled a little patriotic pail I received at some point from someone to fix up a Fourth of July gift for my current pal. Dark cherries would have "matched" better, but somebody (could it have been me???) ate them last night:

[therese]

2.  This one is for the Atlantans:  The Husband was on a business trip in Atlanta during the week.  He was taken to dinner at a place called Canoe.  He said it was terrific, but they do not serve dessert.  So, what is the opinion of the locals on this place?  And what's up with no dessert?

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No dessert? I've not been in several years (it's on the other side of town) but seriously doubt that the "no dessert" thing is the norm. Most likely an issue with staffing due to summer holidays or something.

It is a cool space, located right on the Chattahoochee. The space was originally a sort of social hall/dance club from way, way back.

Generally a very good reputation and a popular option for business entertaining, though I recall it being a bit loud. The present chef's been there a couple of years, taking over for a guy who'd been there for quite a while and left to open his place. One of the few upmarket restaurant kitchens in Atlanta to be run by a female.

[Lori in PA]

Sunday dinner just feels like it should be a little bit special to me. We often have company and periodically we host what we call Open House. We worship with many families who travel long distances (more than an hour), so some of the more local families take turns inviting those folks to come to their homes for the afternoon. Everyone brings food, so it makes for a nice afternoon. Today, we invited my mom and dad to be with us. Mom brought her homemade French bread, which is one of my favorite tastes. It isn't like the artisinal bread so popular now; rather it is yeasty and closer-grained and, oh, I know you'd like it. And, I know you'd like her (and Dad) too:

On this day, we often give up the pleasure of eating over a map in favor of a real tablecloth. This one was a gift from Provence from Mom and Dad after one of their trips:

The menu:

Starter: Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Goat Cheeese and Fresh Thyme in Tomato Basil Sauce

Grilled Salmon Steaks

Baked Cucumbers (Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I) with Cream

French-style Green Beans

French Bread

Dessert: Shoofly Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

We got started immediately on the squash blossoms. The ones I harvested yesterday weren't too great today, so Mom brought some fresh ones. She had to bring them into the church building to keep them out of the hot car, which caused a few funny looks -- not the most beautiful bouquet in the world. They are washed, de-stemmed and de-pistil-ed, and stuffed with a mix of goat cheese, chopped thyme, a smidge of salt, and pepper. They are arranged on a bed of thick tomato sauce, which I think is more properly called a concasse?, and baked until heated through. This is a great favorite of The Husband's, so he was thrilled to see it in the works.

The salmon was done simply -- oiled with olive oil and salted and peppered:

The green beans were prepped and blanched yesterday and just needed re-heating with some butter, which became browned butter while I was distracted, so we simply changed the name to Green Beans with Browned Butter.

The plate:

Dessert:

[purplewiz]

3.  Tell your food frugality tips -- I always appreciate good ideas.

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You've already hit on many of my strategies, but no one's yet mentioned coupons. I do the majority of my shopping at grocery stores that double coupons, and I save a minimum of $5 a week. That alone pays for both newspaper subscriptions plus extra. (And since once newspaper subscription comes with a year's worth of Food And Wine magazine free if you pay for a year, it pays for that, too!)

I am careful about which coupons I use - I tend to use the ones for stuff I was going to buy anyway, but once in awhile I'll use one for something I'd wanted to try. Hey, I won't know if I like it or not if I don't try it!

Your shoo fly pie looks just wonderful - it's been way too many years since I've tasted one!

Marcia.

[Lori in PA]

No cherry pitter? From farming days, take an old fashioned hair pin, the one that looks like a piece of wire bent into a long skinny "U" shape, and poke both ends into a cork. Use cork as handle and hook the pit with the round end of the pin. My mother, age 88, told me that she just told this tip to her home health care person this morning.

About ham loaf... Among my Northern Illinois recipe notes from my grandmother and great aunt, there are more recipes for Ham Loaf than for anything else. I tried the half ham and half fresh pork mix and found it fairly tasteless. Evidently they used home cured hams which were much more salty then the supermarket stuff. I would suggest using 3/4 ham and 1/4 pork, or using a country ham with the original proportions.

Lori, you and your husband look so nice in your anniversary picture at the restaurant. No sign you ever weighed more. Did you have any trouble with loose skin, and how did you deal with it?

I'm enjoying your blog immensely.

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Great idea about the hairpin, Ruth! I think ham loaf is one of those forgiving recipes where most anything goes, don't you?

About loose skin: Well, I look better dressed than undressed, but then, don't most of us? Some people have severe, health-threatening problems with excess skin after losing large amounts of weight, but both of us were fortunate that way. I didn't have surgery in order to look good in a bikini, and The Husband is happy, so it's fine.

I have questions:

  And what's up with no dessert?

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That is strange because Canoe's website includes their dessert menu.

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So I guess maybe the pastry chef quit in a rage?

just as i read this i turned the page in Southern Living's 1994 Annual Recipe book(to page 242 if anyone has it) and the first recipe is Vanilla Vinaigrette. since this is copyrighted material i'lm pming you the recipe - and if anyone else wants it please pm me.

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Let me say thanks publicly to you for sending that recipe. I loved how the vanilla flavor sort of waltzed in at the end of each taste.

I have been known to go all the way back to the other end of the store to put an item back on the shelf when I find a lower-priced version that just happens to be hiding in an entirely different department--heh, or sometimes I just abandon the first item right there, as sort of a penalty on the store for trying to "hide" the cheaper item from me.

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Edited July 3, 2006 by Lori in PA (log)

[Lori in PA]

Well, the week is winding down. I think we are "open" until sometime tomorrow, but I'll finish my thoughts shortly.

Edited to add: I'm eating some cold salmon with leftover cherry salsa for my supper. It tastes great together, but, um, let's just say the cherry salsa suffers in its presentation if made too far ahead.

Edited July 3, 2006 by Lori in PA (log)

[Shaya]

Lori, your blog gives such a sense of family and community, and you are filled with amazing amounts of energy. I am very impressed!

[Lori in PA]

Before I go to bed, let me tell all of you who have interacted with me this week via this blog or private message how much I thank you -- for encouragement, technical help, sharing your own stories and recipes and the things you find similar and different in my life and yours, and most of all for the kind words.

The week ends. I have enjoyed myself so much -- everyone should carry a camera around with them for several days and write about what they see and do because it opens one's eyes to the small beauties, treasures, and important people they are blessed to have in their surroundings. Now I will go back to doing less talking and more listening on eGullet for awhile. I'll say goodnight with a little piece that's been rolling around in my head for the last few days:

The Big Orange Bowl: an appreciation

I’ve been looking at an awful lot of pictures of my kitchen this week. I noticed something that recurred again and again in those photos, whether we were having a cooking class or making ham loaf or even in my folks’ kitchen when I snapped the photo of the squash blossoms: our big orange bowl. I got mine as a wedding shower gift twenty-one years ago, although then it was all glossy newness and the day-glo color was hip and happening. In the intervening years, it has been filled with cookie dough, just-made applesauce, marinating meat, watermelon wedges, and cooling chicken stock. I make granola in it and it can double as a dishpan. Paired with a wooden spoon, it has entertained all of my babies and some visiting ones, too. When the children were a bit older, it became a pool, a lake, or an ocean on our front porch – many a toy figure was “rescued” from its vast depths. When I run out to the vegetable garden to get lettuce or asparagus or tomatoes, I don’t reach for a fancy “harvesting” basket like the ones seen in women’s magazine photo essays – no, I grab the big orange bowl, because no harm comes to it from being set down in the wet grass or on the garden soil – a quick wash and it’s as good as new. It has even been lined with plastic grocery bags and kept by the bed of a queasy child, just in case. It accompanies us to nearly every pot-luck we attend, filled with potato or rice or pasta salad, but like a less-attractive sister it hangs out in the background while a more beautiful pottery bowl receives its bounties and takes a place on the food table for serving. The same thing happens at home: I toss the lettuce salad in the big orange bowl because its generous size makes that job easy, but then I transfer the dressed salad to my gorgeous hand-painted bowl from Greece before heading to the table. It is such a part of my life in the kitchen that, in spite of its outdated hue and dull-with-age looks, I’m fairly sure I couldn’t cook without it.

Everybody should have a Big Orange Bowl if they can possibly manage it. If you’ve been limping along without one, making do with a stainless steel Williams Sonoma mixing bowl or a gasp-at-the-price Polish pottery number, it isn’t too late. Find a Tupperware party lady and get the biggest plastic bowl in the catalog. Take whatever is the color of the season. In only twenty years or so, you too will have your very own Big Lime Green (or Lilac or Screamin’ Magenta) Bowl, filled with memories and none the worse for wear.

Edited July 3, 2006 by Lori in PA (log)

[suzilightning]

you made the vinaigrette already??!!

as far as frugality - i am frugal in some ways but could be considered extravagant in others.

like you i have a mini grocery in my basement. i buy on sale and with coupons. not to excess but i do have a several month stock of some things, a bit more on others. i use coupons for the things i always use - paper towels, toilet paper, pasta, john's favorite roobis tea, etc. sometimes i will use a coupon to try a new product(alexa potatoes, dole frozen fruit). the one thing i do do is pay into one of our joint accounts monthly the amount of money i saved on couponing. i do work part-time(25 hours per week) outside the home unlike you but this way i feel i can help even more for our emergency and/or fun funds. where my extravagance comes into play is paying more

local, organic fruits and vegetables and buying johnnybird a pie once a week when the local farmers market is around. unlike my mom i cannot make a decent pie crust - i have decided for crusts and biscuits i definitely have warm hands and are definitly ham handed. i buy good grades of things like cheeses since a bit can go a long way - except in mac and cheese and i try to buy organic, free range meats. funny the best value i have ever gotten is from a 4Her. Kimmy sells the eggs from her prize winning chickens for 1.75 a dozen- 1.50 if you return the carton.

[KatieLoeb]

Lori, I want to thank you personally for showing me a part of our glorious state I knew not of. And for a peek into your wonderful, bountiful and glorious life that I can only hope to emulate in some small way, in a completely different way, over yonder here in the big city. It's really been a pleasure to watch in wonder.

You're a lucky lady, and so are the people in your orbit.

[snowangel]

Ah, Lori! Your blog really out to have the subtitle "The Big Orange Bowl." I also have two. When we moved from a house that had a huge kitchen with more storage space than a person really needs to a tiny ktichen with no storage space, I decided that the Bitg Orange Bowls should live in the tons of space I have in the laundry room. It wasn't long before one of them became permanent fixture in the kithcn. And, not longer, the second Big Orange Bowl also took up residence in the kitchen. I could give up m any things in my kitchen, but not my Big Orange Bowls. They have been part and party to many, many memories, none glamorous, but all very memorable.

[mizducky]

I don't have a Big Orange Bowl, but I do have a Big White Bowl. It's totally cheapo plastic, and ugly as sin, but man does that thing ever get a workout.

Many thanks, Lori, for this glimpse into your life.

[Chufi]

Thanks, Lori, for convincing me there's another kithcen item I simply must buy..

Thank you for this week, it has been educational in more than one way.

I loved how happy you and your husband looked at the restaurant and I am so glad that this blog was the inspiration to go out and have that wonderful dinner!

[appreciator]

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Lori, I have very much enjoyed your blog.... it has been extremely fascinating to get a glimpse of your daily life. You have described your days so eloquently.

I have one quick question.... what is going on, on the wall behind everyone at your dinner table? It looks like a chart of some kind and I am most curious to know what it represents.