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.
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).
We’ve been visiting a university, taking the tours and walking the downtown area. Checking out the dorms on a personal tour with a family friend who is an R.A. Was a great bonus, gotta say, thanks Anna!
I am looking at this university through completely different eyes than my daughter- How safe are you in the library back in the stacks by yourself? Is there plenty of lighting along the pathways, and how much security is on campus? How dry are the dry dorms! In all honesty, come on…? Is the food glorified junk food or is there real nutrition available for my kid? AND MY GOSH, IS THERE DECENT COFFEE AVAILABLE?!!?
I met Richard when we lived in Indianapolis, when he was on a business trip to work with The Husband. A Chinese native, he said we should just use his American name, “Richard.” I remember joking, “Richard, huh. If that is your real name…” and this is how we have referred to him ever since.
Richard (if that is his real name) has a loquat tree, like just about every Chinese person in my neighborhood. They grow like weeds in the San Diego area. I didn’t know these were loquat trees until last week, when he sent some home for us to try, with me saying “So THAT’S what all those trees are.”
Does one even peel a loquat?Big, honkin’, deadly, seeds, one to four per fruit
We were brave enough to try these tonight, after looking up a little info online. I stumbled onto Lisa Rawlinson’s blog Full and Content, where she has a boatload of information and recipes about loquats. Some of it is pretty funny… I like her sense of humor. That’s where I read about arsenic in the seeds. I’m surprised The Boy tried a loquat after learning this fact. A little further investigation on the Purdue Extension website, explained the amount is not enough to cause concern. But I didn’t tell him… a mom gets to have fun scaring her kid occasionally, and he’s getting harder to bluff. Teens can be pretty skeptical, sheesh.
Made The Boy try one, too.Photo from blog Full and Content- click to go to the post about Loquats…
This usually never happens, but all three of us liked these. We decided to peel them- no blanching, no problem, the peel slipped right off. We decided that loquats taste almost exactly like pears, with similar texture even. I wonder if they would be good in smoothies? That’s what I’m making everyone eat for breakfast tomorrow since I have too many over ripe bananas occupying valuable space in the freezer. No loquat seeds will be added, I promise.
I spent the morning poring over college websites to prepare for the visits we will make for The Girl’s upcoming Big Decision. Although I knew that this talented, intelligent and witty, Chip off the Ol’ Block (HA! See what I did there?) would be making her choice soon, it still feels like a punch in the gut. This is my first-born to whom I frequently refer as my sense of humor. This will not be easy.
Enough with sobering topics- time to try something new to cheer me up. Today, I went with two new things- my birthday Japanese dinner ware and a new tempura shrimp I picked up from Costco. Yes, I am easily cheered.
Hamachi (Yellowtail) Sashimi, caught that morning- click the pic for a great poke recipe!
I finally used my birthday gift certificates in November that I received from The Mom- and Sister-in-Law way back in April last year. This new set of Japanese dishes has sat in the china cabinet, waiting for when The Sis-in-law comes with her family for one of our sashimi-fests we’ve enjoyed when the men have caught yellowtail or ahi. Thank you Husband and his Brother-in-law for braving what I won’t- sea sickness! Holy yum, it has been fabulous every time they have caught anything.
Tiger Thai brand Tempura Shrimp, click the pick for the link!Close-up of yum…
No one has been out fishing lately, but I did have that tempura shrimp and edamame in the freezer, and rice leftovers. It was Game On because I wanted to use that dishware. Tiger Thai’s Tempura Shrimp came in four plastic wrapped styrofoam trays, five per tray with dipping sauce packs. The shrimp crisped nicely in the toaster oven in about 10 minutes while the rest of lunch got thrown together. You know how a lot of frozen foods are often poor versions of what is available from a restaurant? I thought that was going to be the case here but, surprise, surprise- I can honestly say, this frozen Shrimp Tempura was definitely tasty. Great texture, great flavor, not greasy, which is always The Husband’s complaint with tempura. I’d get it again, for sure.
‘Twas dee-lish!
And I love my birthday plates, tea cups, leetle-bitty sauce dishes, rice/soup bowls and tea kettle. I picked up everything from Cost Plus World Market, and if you are interested, I believe they are still available.
Fuji Blossom Dinnerware from Cost Plus World Market. Click the Pic for the link…
This hip image as well as the Firestone Walker logo above are from the Firestone Walker site- clic this pic for the link
Is there something like a sommelier for beer- a beer steward? That’s The Husband’s job. He’s my beer steward. The kids are working the all-consuming Tech Week for the high school’s musical, so we took off for a beer this evening. And between him and the bartender, they found a good beer for me to try- the loser was Guinness Blond, which was also good. I’ll save the Guinness for Saint Patrick’s Day tomorrow.
Firestone 805- click the pic for more info on this nice brew…
I have no idea how to describe beers, except to say that it wasn’t watery or weak, and not overpoweringly citrusy or floral (I really don’t care for hops!). I’m not well versed enough to know how to match beer with foods, but can say this non-hoppy happy brew went well with my fries!
Firestone Walker Brewing Company is located up in Paso Robles, California, an area well known for its wines. I’m a BIG fan of wine, but with places like Firestone Walker putting out something other than quadruple IPAs, thankyouverymuch, they finally give me something of a choice- and a FAR tastier option than the basic Mega Corporate American Beer Companies.
branching out... on a limb 