Category: Quotes and Thoughts

When Is a Restaurant is More Than a Restaurant?

When it reminds you of how much people and friends and gathering together can be.

I hit a new restaurant with a large group of parents while our middle schoolers enjoyed their last school dance of the year. I was able to sit with people that I see practically every day, and really enjoy them for a short while. Some I have known for several years, but we never seem to make the time to get together- even though we all think the world of each other. I met parents with a daughter one year younger and a son at the high school The Boy will attend next year. Two of the most enjoyable people I have met all year, and I have only just made their acquaintance.

What wonderful people we connect with when we set aside our shyness or anxiety and put ourselves out there to meet with the people we see all around us, every day! I have GOT to do this more often.

What is holding you back?

Peruanos for Refried Beans, Because Eva Said So… Delish!

I’ve tried to make refried beans before, and mine are nowhere near as good as our favorite Mexican restaurant. I’ve followed The Mom-In-Law’s recipe and still, no better. I decided to try a different kind of bean as suggested by a phenomenal woman I met when we moved back to California. Eva suggested trying Peruano beans, she liked their texture.

I’d do just about any suggestion that Eva offers. She is one of the first people we met at our kids new school six years ago, and she treated us like family. What a wonderful gift that is when coming to a new city and school! I will never forget when Southern California had a massive power outage four years ago right when I was to pick up my son for the day. The school principal and I wisely decided to wait out the traffic jam, saving ourselves HOURS of traffic misery (HA! A wise decision, in hindsight, see yesterday’s post!). Eva made a fried chicken dinner for the four of us, and this is typical of her kindness.

So, peruanos it is!

Cooked beans on left, uncooked, right...
Cooked beans on left, uncooked, right…

Once the beans were cooked, I poured them into my cast iron skillet that had about a tablespoon of melted bacon grease and another tablespoon of corn oil. Next step is to mush away with a potato masher- I prefer the masher as pictured…

Voilà! Refried beans!
Voilà! Refried beans!

If you want to make these a more decadent dish, stir in about a half cup (or more!) grated cheddar, or even better/worse, crushed chicharrones. NOT the kind you get in the snack food aisle at the quickymart. Get real, freshly made chicharrones from a Mexican grocer, or don’t try it at all- there is no substitution. Curious? Here’s a link to a home made chicharron recipe:  SeriousEats.comTheNastyBits:HowToMakeChicharrones

Rx for Grief: Family and Friends

One of the PHENOMENAL views from Mary's home
One of the PHENOMENAL views from Mary’s home

Sometimes, extended family comes along at just the right time, in ways that you never would have expected. Take advantage of these people when you really need it- in times of stress, grief, loss.

My grandmother passed away on my daughter’s 18th birthday. I learned of her passing within the hour, as we were getting ready to attend our church’s Easter service. Even though we knew her hour was near, it was still devastating. In an interesting way, just the week before, we had received an invitation to come for Easter dinner to my sister-in-law’s friend’s mother’s house (did you follow that?)… not just my immediate family, but my parents and brother, too. It turns out, this was an enormous relief. We spent time with extended family and friends and were able to focus on happier times, past and present.

My parents watching all the kids participate in Mary's Amazing and Lucrative Egg Hunt
My parents watching all the kids participate in Mary’s Amazing and Lucrative Egg Hunt

I am very thankful for the ever generous Mary and her Easter dinner and festivities. Very thankful! We are social creatures, we humans. We must allow our friends and family to help redirect our sad thoughts when the time is right. We need each other!

Today, I created an account on BloomNation.com, a flower service that hooks you up with local florists who create some pretty gorgeous arrangements. They will be sending Mary a nice bouquet form all of us, and hopefully our thank you note will arrive at close to the same time.

The Girl and her Grandma
The Girl and her Grandma

The only thing I wish I could include in this post is a few photos of my sis-in-law, her husband and kids, her friend, husband and kids, her sister, and of course, Mary! I wasn’t in the picture taking frame of mind that Easter Sunday and am kicking myself now…

“A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

Our $20K Coffee Mugs

Home again, and nothing tastes like your own coffee on your own couch with your pets in your laps and CBS Sunday Morning. Today’s coffee is brought to you by our new mugs from The Official College Bookstore of The Girl’s First Choice.

It has been an overwhelming past 10 days or so. This is all I can manage today- sharing a photo of our new coffee mugs.

Earlier today I posted on Facebook, “The last ten days have been a blur. There was no ‘break’ in my Spring Break. I want a do over. Wait. No, I don’t.”

Life never slows down, not for anything or anyone. I’m ready to Carpe me some Diem tomorrow.

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I actually do have a couple posts to fill in the missing days on this here blog thing… some photography and a new read that was surprisingly funny. For now, I’m taking the rest of this weekend off (I’ve sunk to using my dad’s jokes, time to catch some Zs).