Dessert Reconstruction!

I made two pound cakes earlier this week and with only one child on the premise, right now, I had one that wasn't going to get eaten any time soon. Since it was a lemon pound cake and we like lemon around here, I decided to reconstruct it for dessert tonight. I made a lemon pudding and while it was cooling down to lukewarm, I slice up the pound cake into relatively thin slices and arranged them in the bottom of a glass pie pan. I spooned over half of the lemon pudding. I repeated the cake layer and pour on the rest of the pudding and let it spread out to cover all the cake pieces. I save a slice of the pound cake and turned it into crumbs and sauteed them in a bit of butter and orange zest to crisp a bit and sprinkled them over the top layer of pudding. Reconstructed pound cake!

I like leftovers of most anything as it gets our creative juices going when you have to prepare a meal yet want to save a bit of money. I also like the fact that no one can tell you how it should look or taste because it is a new 'invention' and never seen before in the kitchen near you!

And then they eat it?

Every holiday, a neighbor behind us fires up his barbecue using coals instead of the usual propane grills so popular these days. I'm with him on this because it doesn't seem like cooking outdoors if all you have to do it turn a knob and instant heat. I do, however, have to wonder how he can eat what he grills because it always smells like he dumped a couple cans of gas on the coals to make them burn. It fools me every time it happens because it creeps in through the windows and I panic thinking we have a break in a gas main. It is just his over abundance of starter fuel.

My husband long ago discovered a way to start a charcoal barbecue with a 'chimney'. It looks like a large tin can with a grating on one side and a handle. You stuff in some paper and plain charcoal, light it up and within 20 minutes, you have enough hot coals to get your outdoor cooking going. AND, it dosen't taste like you are nibbling at a gasoline hose.

Given how many years this neighbor has been doing this, I'm thinking he has grown to love the taste of fuel on his hamburgers and might be disappointed if it wasn't part of the final outcome in his meals.

Passing on a clue to pain-free travel . . .

When I booked my recent flights for a vacation, I was careful to insure I had more than an hour between flights in order to have sufficient time to get from one terminal gate to the next. This morning, I got my final flight confirmation in my in-box. Since we had just worked on it, yesterday, I copied it off and was putting it with my travel papers when I suddenly felt a need to go over it, again.

Wow! I immediately noticed that the previously hour and a half layover before my trans Atlantic flight had been reduced down to 51 minutes. Since the layover airport is HUGE, I worried that we might not make the connecting flight if there were the slightest delays. My husband checked the flights going out from that airport on our travel day, and the flight we had to catch, was the last flight for the day. We miss it, and we wouldn't make our tour connection.

We studied the times more closely to see what happened and without notification, our first flight was being delayed 30 minutes. I have to admit that I was VERY impressed with Continental Airlines. We contacted them on line about possible ways to recitify the situation and they called us immediately. For no further charge they not only got us on an earlier initial flight but found another flight overseas that would leave in line with the new schedule and get us to our final destination two hours early. When thanked the clerk for all his help, I asked if we could go ahead and reserve our seating on-line. There was about two minutes silence and he gave me the seating reservations for both flights. My panic headache is now down to the dull roar or a happy headache!

I knew about confirming flights prior to the departure day and am so glad I stopped and checked the confirmation sent and noticed the change. Just a head's up to everyone about anything scheduled - never take it for granted that the system will stay in line with what you need or thought you had set in cement!

Oh, oh?

What happens if a big asteroid hits Earth? Judging from realistic simulations involving a sledge hammer and a common laboratory frog, we can assume it will be pretty bad.

Dave Barry

Is it excitement or fear . . .

Up until now, our proposed vacation has been sort of an academic project. Since we have been saving and planning for it for almost two years, it took on the aspect of a process. Suddenly, there is luggage sitting around, frantic moments on the computer lining up flights, confirming reservations, etc. I think it is turning 'real' on me.

I mentioned to my husband that I was starting to get a little worried/scared/concerned about the trip. He asked WHY? I said it was because I felt such a responsibility in taking our baby boy (he is 17 years old!) so far away from home on my own. I mean, I would be the one who would have to take care of him.

My husband turned to my son and asked, "Are YOU worried abut the trip?" My son calmly replied, "Nope . . .cause Mom is taking care of ME!" Sigh . . .All responsibility is back in my court, again!

I haven't been overseas in over 28 years so it IS a bit exciting to see how things have changed. I'm sad because some of my family over there is no longer of this world and I will miss stopping by to see them. Although I am retracing some of my overseas visiting tracks, we are going on a tour that is entirely different for me. My son is excited at his first trip, ever. I'm looking forward (after I calm down my nerves!) to enjoying the vacation through his eyes. My husband? He says his treat is NOT having to travel!

Happy Mother's Day to ALL the Mothers in the World!

Mother's Day already! The various holidays are sneaking up on us more quickly every year. Unfortunately, my husband has to work today but I can't complain as his extra hours are what have kept me at home to raise our children over the years. Sure, flowers and cards are nice but a relatively steady income because he approves of me keeping house and home for our family goes a lot further in the betterment of all our lives.

I hope everyone is being spoiled and pampered and given a day off from their usual motherly chores today!

Happy Mother's Day!

Good Quotes for Mother's Day . . .

Although thise quotes do not addressed the actual Mother's Day holiday, the first one credits us with multi-tasking genes (!) and the other three are good thought to pass on to our children in the hopes that they grow up with more smarts than the people in 'power' who THINK they have it all figured out!

"You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you're down there."
-- George Burns

"Love is the difficult realization that something other than oneself is real."
-- Iris Murdoch

"Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand."
-- Putt's Law

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
-- Will Rogers