Disney, Day 1…..

If you hadn’t seen the previous post, our granddaughter was eight last month and we had let the kids know back at Christmas we could do the Disney trip for their Spring Break or summer. They opted for now and even with me trying to book in February, the better resorts we’ve stayed in in the past were already full. We are in the Pop Century which has two drawbacks from my perspective. None of the parks are within walking distance and there is no sit-down restaurant. The other issue is we have to now make reservations in advance for dinner and again, even trying to book in Feb I could only get later seatings. We’ll see how this goes.

Okay, we encountered a delay where the turnpike was closed near Fort Pierce and it took a while to shunt traffic off, through a stretch to get back on 95, then back to the Turnpike. We still made it to the resort about an 1.5 hours ahead of the kids. It’s a sprawling place although once you walk around a bit and see a few unmissable landmarks, it makes more sense. As planned, we oriented ourselves that included walking out back to see the SkyTram; like a ski lift that will take us to Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios (today and tomorrow). We’ll have to do bus for Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom (Thursday and Friday)

The food here is food court. Granddaughter went for pizza, but didn’t care for the sauce. All us opted for burgers and they were quite generous with the fries, so she had enough between us. Then there was the Rice Krispy treat in the shape of Mickey that the three of them shared. Since we drove, we did haul up lots of beverages and snacks, to include those of the adult type. All food and beverage here is – and always has been – really expensive. It isn’t that we’re cutting any corners; we do this whenever we drive somewhere.

And off we go shortly for the first of our theme park days.

Modifying a Classic Casserole…

This isn’t quite a “duh” moment although it may be a bit close. Going back to some previous posts, I embrace the classic green bean casserole for holidays and we are big on using leftovers. So, the heavy cream I had from the last time we did steak au poivre was about to expire. Then I remembered I used only half a bag of frozen greens beans at Thanksgiving for the casserole. The remaining Durkees fried onions were in the pantry. Hubby prefers bone-in chicken breasts for grilling, but they are large and we always have a second meal – usually chicken Alfredo or cacciatore.  The classic casserole is actually high in carbs because of the amount of onions used and the cream soup. There weren’t that many onions left in the container and the cream itself is not high in carbs. Adding cheese to it would give extra body and also no carbs. Yes, I know calories and fat are in both ingredients, but that wasn’t my objective.

So, oven at 350; cut the chicken into bite-size pieces; added salt and pepper. Hubby had bought some extra shallots for some reason. Diced two of those. I was a little pressed for time since I promised to set the casserole up before I left for an afternoon event, or I would have sauteed the shallots to give them extra flavor. As it was, I put them in with the frozen green beans, used chicken broth instead of water, and cooked them in the microwave. I used a Pyrex covered dish which would then go into the oven. I used the cooking time on the bag for the green beans. Added salt and pepper, stirred everything around. Put the chicken in, poured the cream over everything – it was a little over a cup left in the box and there was some liquid in the beans from cooking, and I added shredded cheese. This was the four-cheese Italian blend I had in the fridge. I used 2/3 thirds of the bag. Since there was some extra liquid, I told Hubby to bake it uncovered for 30 minutes, then add the Durkee onions as a topping and bake for about 10 more minutes. I got home in time to manage the last part and it all worked well.

Another Semi-Leftovers Meal…

We don’t go out for Valentine’s Day, Mother or Father’s Day, Easter Brunch, etc,., because it’s generally really crowded at places and we do enjoy making nice meals at home. Hubby was going to pick up filets for Valentine’s Day, but it was one of the times when the Publix butcher (very helpful Australian guy) recommended the bone-in rib-eye instead. They were indeed delicious and as is often the case we had leftovers. Not enough for a full second meal, however, there was plenty if we added a first course, and I opted to do steak Bordelaise. This is a stove top prep, is fairly simple, and doesn’t take long. In fact, the plan was to mince the shallots (two in this case) beforehand and liberally grind black pepper over the slices of steak, and set both aside.

I gave Hubby a choice for first course of seafood or French onion soup and he opted for the soup. If we hadn’t been doing Bordelaise, I would have used shallots along with the sweet and red onions for the soup. Anyway, Hubby also prepped the salads while I made the soup. We enjoyed it and then I made the steak dish while he managed the microwave with the potato dish and whatever vegetable it was.

For the sauce, put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet on medium-low heat. Saute the shallots, adding more cracked pepper and some salt. It takes about 8-9 minutes to get them to the limp stage. Remove from the skillet onto a plate. Add two tablespoons of butter to the skillet, increase the heat to medium and add the steak slices when the butter is melted. Cook for about two minutes on each side. Remove steak to a plate, put in oven to keep warm. Return the shallots to the skillet, add one TBS of cognac (or a little more) and quarter cup of red wine (maybe a little more). Stir thoroughly and cook another three minutes, adding a bit more liquid if needed. Place the steak on the plates and spoon the sauce on top of the slices. (No, this is not a low-cal dish although it is low carb).

And yes, we still had leftover dark chocolate flourless torte to finish off the meal.

Rodeo Weekend Again….

The expression of, “This ain’t my first rodeo,” is of course only applicable to people who understand that rodeo really is a way of life. Not ours, yet I’ve lived in a couple of places where you can learn about it. There have been lots of different movies depicting the mindset; some of which have at least accurate segments. And so this is the weekend for Homestead with the 74th rodeo founded back in 1949. There have only been three years of interruption; one relatively early in the history; the year Hurricane Andrew destroyed the grounds; and 2021 due to COVID. Apparently it is a sell-out crowd for part of the time. It kicked off Friday night, was held yesterday afternoon, and concludes this afternoon, Jan 29th. I’m not attending this year, but Hubby will be there to shoot the event. He does get some amazing photos, even though he is definitely not a fan of horses. We did go for a while to the Blue Jean Ball last night. That’s one of the traditions and is the main fundraiser for whichever woman’s group holds it. The Homestead Soroptomists took it over a few years back and it’s always a fun time. Who provides the food also changes out periodically and when you’re serving a couple of hundred (or more) people, it can be tricky. It is buffet and there is the dinner option or just come after for music and dancing. Texas Roadhouse had it this year and they did include a chicken option. I was glad to see that as I’m not a big prime rib fan. I like it from a flavor perspective, but I generally find it too fatty to want to deal with. Anyway, the food was good and the band was too. We don’t stay long and the crowd was pretty much at capacity as we left.

Announcement of the Rodeo Queen took place on Friday although I didn’t catch who it was. Unlike some contests, the Rodeo Queen is determined by who brings in the most ticket sales. A couple of months before the event, posters go up around town and on social media and the contestant often make the rounds of other events to garner support. All are accomplished riders and carry on a long tradition.

I know there are people who object to rodeos, but in reality the animals are well cared for because there is a very special bond between owners even though the horses and bulls for riding aren’t what one can call “cuddly”. They do each have their own spirit.

Of Rahm Schnitzel and Other……

One of the things about travel, whether living somewhere else or as a tourist, is learning about new food. As I’ve mentioned before, I grew up in small towns in North Louisiana and we didn’t travel far for vacations. Our cooking was basic and we certainly didn’t have access to different cuisines, although there was Mexican due to agriculture, and some Cajun. When we went to the big city, we were far more likely to go to the Picadilly Cafeteria than any thought of say one of the few Italian restaurants. I’m sure there probably was a Chinese restaurant somewhere, but again, not anything we would have known about.

My first airplane ride and foreign encounter was the summer session in Canada followed closely by the year I spent in France. I detailed the French part in previous posts. While I was wasn’t overly adventuresome in what I was willingly to try, there was a definite expansion of my tastes and I did become accustomed to more seasonings/herbs, and cooking techniques. Later, my initial Army training was at Fort McCellan, AL, so no great culinary changes there from where I grew up. Going to Maryland though included lots of fresh seafood. (Being in North Louisiana with limited truck transportation back then meant mostly freshwater fish and little shellfish).

My assignment after training to Germany is where I broaden my preferences in both food and wine – well, beer, too. German food has quite a range and Italian, Chinese, and other cuisines were commonplace, although I didn’t venture into the Middle Eastern ones. Anyone who has lived in Germany is aware of how many ways schnitzel is prepared. The basic meat is pork or veal and one of those is Rahm which is similar to country fried steak. In fact, the large German population in Texas introduced the meal with it changing from pork to cubed steak due to that cut of beef being more available. Our Publix doesn’t always have cubed pork and I noticed it the other day. I picked some up and that’s why Rahm Schnitzel is what we’re having for dinner. I admit I’m not making the sausage gravy from scratch and am using the prepared version instead.

Delays and Recovering…..

Air travel during the holidays is always subject to frustration and this year was no exception. Unfortunately, once again, what should have been the kids departing at 5:45 yesterday turned into much later with extra “airport time” because the exact departure time was a bit uncertain and better to be at the airport just in case. Anyway, it was after midnight when they managed to get to their condo and I’m assuming they were able to sleep in. That was part of the reason to fly them back Jan 1st; it allowed for one down day (today) in case of issues and trying to re-establish routine. It was a great visit though with perfect weather. Not as much pool time this trip due to other “adventures” and that was okay, too.

Hubby always laughs at me for buying too much food for the holidays although it doesn’t change that ingrained habit of mine. I’ll be distributing items among friends and neighbors over the next couple of days to get things back in order plus we will be creative with leftovers for most of the week. The only culinary disappointments for the kids was something really odd happened when they were supposed to have lunch at Chefs on the Run and they weren’t open. Also, Exit One didn’t work out schedule-wise, but we did go on to Capri which they were very happy with. Amelia and I still don’t eat sushi and Suvi has enough other choices so the kids got their “fix” the first night they were here. White Lion was the usual hit and with four people to share we were able to have the big brownie dessert. We would have had five sharing except granddaughter wanted a Sprinkles cookie which might also have been part of her breakfast the next morning. And there was the slice – well, slab really – of chocolate peanut butter cake that came home to be consumed the following afternoon.

Gap During the “Whirl”….

The good new is the kids were not delayed by much this year with their flight. It does tend to be “a whirl” of activity when they’re here. Part of that though is to allow “Mom and Dad” to sleep in as granddaughter is the other “early bird” in the family. She usually gets up around 7:00 and joins me to give them an extra hour or so. Then it’s a real breakfast and off for an adventure. The kicker is trying to make sure the day’s adventure gets them back in time for a pool session, then manage whatever dinner plans we have. Yesterday was extra tricky as they decided to go a greater distance than usual to Shark Valley, one of the parts of the Everglades to the west. One of our neighbors was coming to dinner and Hubby had to go get my new computer. It did all work out without much time to spare. The pool conditions weren’t the most comfortable – water is at 84 with the heater on – it’s the air when you get out that makes it less than ideal. With granddaughter’s latest growth spurt and the max depth of the pool at five feet, she can now go one-third the length and it isn’t over her head. She still doesn’t want to put her face in the water, but is good with dog paddle and can make the length in that way. Mom and Dad provide the audience and we did set a 30-minute limit which went just a little longer.

Suvi for sushi and Thai food was Tuesday night and we did pork tenderloin and chicken with sides here last night. Today is date day for the kids and if they get stirring in time, we’ll drop them off at the movies where they will catch as early show and then have a leisurely lunch at Chefs on the Run. Granddaughter and I have our own adventure planned. Hubby is of course working although he will be home in the afternoon. He’ll make the run to Publix to finish provisioning for Saturday’s party as I once again will do pool time. He has been in the cold water for days now teaching so I want to give him this break.

Planning Adventures…..

I have grocery list from daughter-in-law now and granddaughter’s favorites haven’t changed much, so will do the rest of the provisioning Monday. Am still keeping fingers crossed they have no significant flight delays as last year was really bad and we lost almost two days of visiting. With the horse/farm experience locked into place, that leaves them with two days for adventure as a three-some and one “date day” which they usually choose for a movie. Traffic is so bad going into the Keys this time of year, they might pass on doing anything down there. On the other hand, if they can be on the road by a little before 11:00, it can be more manageable.

Anyway, granddaughter has never been to Monkey Jungle or Coral Castle, both great places the kids haven’t been to for a while either. They did Everglades Outpost Wildlife Refugee last year and the regular Alligator Farm the year prior so those probably aren’t on the list. Granddaughter may want some repeats though and we can play everything by ear. We have not yet checked out Heritage Market now they have their main building open and their new menu looks terrific. Their coffee is allegedly some of the best around as is the reputation of their ice cream and sorbet. It may make it onto the list for something. The threatened cold front is arriving and all we can do is hope the short duration followed by sun and the normal 80 degree weather does follow while they are here. As I have mentioned, it will mostly impact pool time. We have laid in hot chocolate which tends to be needed post-pool even when the temperature is better.

I’m still chipping away at the multiple domestic house-prep tasks to do. Linens are all swapped out and only a few things left to clean.

Thanksgiving Leftovers…..

 I suppose it is as much “Turkey Part 2” as anything. In having the meal, sending food/leftovers with friends and having turkey sandwiches Thursday night, there was a brief discussion yesterday as to if we had enough turkey for the traditional heat up leftovers. Hubby was concerned and I double-checked to reassure him. There was some ham although we are planning some of that for pasta matriciana next week. Anyway, it did work and in the gap I had late afternoon I retrieved the turkey carcass and put it on the simmer away to have the stock and get the last meat off for turkey soup which I will finish tomorrow to have ready for lunch. I am not a fan of dark meat, although I can do it in the soup as there are plenty other flavors to blend. Back before I was more careful with carbs usually did a turkey with wild and brown rice, corn, and some veggies or went more veggie heavy with potatoes. I think I’ve posted here before about finding the new line of “riced cauliflower” that works well in soups to provide body, plus extra veggies in a low carb way. That’s how I’m leaning at the moment as soon as I make a quick trip to the store for just a couple of things to hold us over. Regular grocery shopping is Monday or Tuesday, but we have some errands we really have to deal with Monday and Hubby’s wreck diving class he’s teaching (one of his favorites to teach) was rescheduled for Tues & Wed. He might take care of it Wed afternoon; we’ll see how long the errands take on Monday and work it from there.

Oh, and there is enough apple pie for him to have another three nights; another important part of the holiday meal.

Anniversary Time….

Thirty-four years; we chose a long weekend because back then, it could work well for the attendees and it so happened to be Veterans Day weekend. We did do the military wedding with the arch of swords as we exited the church and it was a beautiful afternoon. A slight chill, but lovely sunshine. Over the years we’ve had some memorable anniversary celebrations, but an ironic situation was in 1990. Saddam Hussein had invaded Kuwait in August and the initial response was the forward forces who went to Saudi Arabia to hold the line in Desert Shield as then Top Secret plans were being drawn up for Desert Storm part. We were in Germany with 2d Corps Support Command (2d COSCOM) with VII Corps set to add to their forces and deploy at a time yet to be determined. Hubby and his boss had been chosen by our one-star general to be the Forward Liaison for 2d COSCOM although we didn’t know the exact day they would leave. We were all working extra hours of course in different preparations and on the Saturday evening before our anniversary we decided to go out to dinner just in case. This was also in the days before cell phones. Our wonderful live-in sitter was at home with son as we walked up the street to go to the restaurant. The call for Hubby to be ready to depart Monday morning came as we were in fact close enough for us to walk back to the house, but the sitter said she would take the message instead. She wanted us to have that evening to ourselves.

Okay,  in a coincidence of timing, this year the Rum Renaissance Festival is our anniversary weekend (https://www.rumrenaissance.com/). We have a lot going on and decided not to try and do anything else big, but did have a lovely meal last night. I had the butcher at Publix cut us some filets and I have a great au poivre sauce recipe. There was some lovely asparagus as well and we did have a glass of champagne for “chef time”, then a nice Zinfendal with the steaks. The reason we had only one glass of champagne is because we had another one a few minutes ago when we did brunch. The Rum Festival is this afternoon.