Carrabba’s has the same dark, romantic feel of Bonefish Grill next door. Both of these chain restaurants are owned by Outback Steak House, but the similarity ends with the ambiance. The lighting is arranged so well that only the tables are lit, just as in Bonefish. The bar in Bonefish is very cool -- and I forgot to notice it in Carrabba's. WELL-- I'm not a pro at this, you know. Carrabba’s is decorated with old, black-and-white, presumably Italian, family photos on the walls.
We went to Carrabba’s with friends who eat in one of this chain of restaurants often when they vacation in Florida. We met at our semi-functioning house to share a glass of vino and to show off our kitchen demolition. Our friends and The Man Who Occasionally Drinks A Glass Of White Wine enjoyed a bottle of Chateau St Michelle Indian Wells Reisling while sipped a glass of Clos du Bois red zinfandel – drinkable. Their Reisling was more interesting, with an exceptionally long finish for a white wine, in my opinion (and that’s the only one you’re going to get). At Carrabba’s our friends were pleased to see that the Brookfield branch of this restaurant had a Reisling on their menu. He sampled that and found it drinkable, while she had a glass of very tasty Blue Moon Belgian Wheat Beer ($4.75) that was served with a slice of orange.
With our drinks some nice, hot bread was served with olive oil and a mixture of herbs to mix in. The herbs are peppery and tasty, but there were not enough of them. The four of us dipped them away and had to order more. I believe I enjoyed the pesto in the olive oil at Bonefish more than these dried herbs. I guess I’ll just have to go back and try it again to refresh my memory...
The Man Who Enjoys, And Even Remembers, Every Bite Of Italian Food He Has Eaten (which is more than you can say for most of his wife’s cooking) ordered something he remembered eating often when we visited Italy – Quatro Fromagio Pizza ($9.49)(I’ll tell you that means Four Cheese Pizza, but I don’t’ mean to insult your translating ability. Not all schools were as good as yours, you know.). The Man was so pleased to see it on a menu here, and then so disappointed that it wasn’t better. Crust too thick, not enough cheese, no tomato sauce, just a few sun-dried tomatoes, and the cheeses weren’t quite the combination he rememebered from Italy.
I ordered a caprese salad with my dinner of Spiedino di Mare - supposedly shrimp and sea scallops grilled and topped with lemon butter ($16.75), but mine was all scallops - which was fine with me. They were fabulous. Slightly breaded and grilled to perfection. For my side dish I had broccoli, also a good-sized, well-cooked portion. The caprese salad was a meal-sized portion, however, so I could have been happy just with that. There must have been a whole, large ball of fresh mozzerella in the salad. I actually like my own caprese salad better, however. Carrabba’s serves theirs with pesto as the dressing and very little basil on the salad. I prefer lots of fresh basil and just olive oil on my tomatoes, basil and cheese. Picky, picky...
One of our friends ordered Chicken Bryan ($14.99), which is a rich, delicious whole grilled chicken breast topped with two huge scoops of soft goat cheese and grilled, with a basil lemon butter sauce. It is outstanding, if way too much food. And she had the Pasta Weesie ($13.99), made of shrimp, mushrooms and scallions on fettucine alfredo – and talk about rich! Even The Man Who Is Cooking Averse could create food that tasted good by using THAT much butter. Both of them had a Caesar salad with their meals. And all of us, except The Italian-Eating Pizza Man brought home doggy styro containers.
The ambiance is lovely, the seating is gracious, but I’d put Bonefish Grill above Carrabba’s as a more-or-less regular dining spot, because the food at Carrabba’s is too rich, too calorie-laden. Of course, I could just order less of it... And, though you could never beat the service we had at Bonefish, the company at Carrabba’s was more entertaining (which is not the fault of the restaurant, but of all of you who have not yet joined us for dinner on Bluemound).
Kitchenless in Brookfield
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
It’s Monsoon Season on Bluemound
Actually we haven’t had enough rain in Brookfield to keep my garden happy. I should be out there comforting the chrysanthemums, but I have all this eating and writing to do.
I fell behind on this blog-writing, because I had to get out the newsletter for the Waukesha County Land Conservancy. And do so without ending up in divorce court. The Man Who Loves Weird And Difficult Computer Programs Like The Printer’s Program, Quark, is also The Man Who Cannot Spell or Punctuate. I, on the other hand, would rather shoot myself in the head than sit and watch The Man move a title over .1 millimeter or create a vertical block in which to write a photo caption and check out what it will look like in 62 different fonts. But if I don’t watch, The Man would never put a period at the end of a sentence. I am not making that up. He actually glares at me when I tell him that the caption, “Tom touches Tina’s tush,” is a complete sentence and must have a period at the end. (This sentence does not actually appear in this newsletter.)
This issue of the Land Letter is now in the hands of Lithoprint. There was no divorce this time, but yesterday chose to go out to lunch with our attorney – just to keep him at the ready...
We lunched at the oh-so-classy Monsoon. I got there early to check out the ladies facilities. Wow! This one is way nicer than either of my facilities at home. I even noticed the beveled edge on the granite countertop and the gorgeous earth-toned floor tile. I’m SO hip about the latest trends in decorating. If you go to Monsoon, use the bathroom. You might want to bring your camera for future remodeling ideas. No... maybe not...
What a great place to go for lunch. The reddish wood tables, gold walls, the wall-mounted waterfalls, the really cool, oriental-styled cloth covers on the light fixtures, all add up to a stunning, modern atmosphere. Though the Emperor’s Kitchen may be more authentic-ly Chinese, both in style and menu, it is one big, characterless room, while Monsoon is beautiful.
Though not quite as exciting as Bonefish’s menu, it is fun just to read Monsoon’s menu. “Orange beef: Stir-fried beef with a succulent orange sauce over julienne vegetables.” That one is $13. Some of the meals have a price for lunch and one for dinner. The Grilled Salmon Salad, which I’ve eaten here before, and love, has goat cheese (yum), pecans and mandarin oranges, is $8 for lunch and $11 for dinner. I’ve also previously ordered the appetizer of Crab Rangoons, wontons filled with crab, cream cheese and spices and served with a mango dipping sauce for $8. Are these actually Chinese foods? Perhaps the wontons... So if you care about authenticity in your ethnic food, Monsoon isn’t for you. It reminds me of PF Chang’s menu.
I ordered the Chicken, Cabbage, Onion and Cilantro Spring Rolls with a Black Bean sauce ($8). It was to die for! Three large spring rolls, crisp and hot, with a delicious sauce and served on a chopped salad. The Attorney Man I Was With had barbeque shrimp, a ample portion of shrimp in a somewhat spicy barbeque sauce that he said was exceptionally good, served on rice. I think it was $10, but, I’m a lousy reviewer. I was so busy sucking up my Spring Rolls, I failed to notice.
Meanwhile, back in my kitchenless house, my bamboo flooring was just delivered. (By the cutest, curly-haired young guy - gee, this remodeling stuff is fun. Tubeworm, he reminded me of your eldest son.) The dry-wall guys will finish their work today – I have walls! And the flooring will be installed on Monday and Tuesday.
If you remodel your kitchen, call Cabinet Werks. They see to it that there is always someone ‘werking’.
I am having so much fun going out to eat every day, I almost wish the project would slow down. (I didn’t say that, Mike.) Tonight we will dine with good friends at Carrabba’s. Maybe that’s why I’m so pleased with this remodeling project right now. This reviewer is at a classy part of Bluemound Road's restaurant scene.
Kitchenless in Brookfield
I fell behind on this blog-writing, because I had to get out the newsletter for the Waukesha County Land Conservancy. And do so without ending up in divorce court. The Man Who Loves Weird And Difficult Computer Programs Like The Printer’s Program, Quark, is also The Man Who Cannot Spell or Punctuate. I, on the other hand, would rather shoot myself in the head than sit and watch The Man move a title over .1 millimeter or create a vertical block in which to write a photo caption and check out what it will look like in 62 different fonts. But if I don’t watch, The Man would never put a period at the end of a sentence. I am not making that up. He actually glares at me when I tell him that the caption, “Tom touches Tina’s tush,” is a complete sentence and must have a period at the end. (This sentence does not actually appear in this newsletter.)
This issue of the Land Letter is now in the hands of Lithoprint. There was no divorce this time, but yesterday chose to go out to lunch with our attorney – just to keep him at the ready...
We lunched at the oh-so-classy Monsoon. I got there early to check out the ladies facilities. Wow! This one is way nicer than either of my facilities at home. I even noticed the beveled edge on the granite countertop and the gorgeous earth-toned floor tile. I’m SO hip about the latest trends in decorating. If you go to Monsoon, use the bathroom. You might want to bring your camera for future remodeling ideas. No... maybe not...
What a great place to go for lunch. The reddish wood tables, gold walls, the wall-mounted waterfalls, the really cool, oriental-styled cloth covers on the light fixtures, all add up to a stunning, modern atmosphere. Though the Emperor’s Kitchen may be more authentic-ly Chinese, both in style and menu, it is one big, characterless room, while Monsoon is beautiful.
Though not quite as exciting as Bonefish’s menu, it is fun just to read Monsoon’s menu. “Orange beef: Stir-fried beef with a succulent orange sauce over julienne vegetables.” That one is $13. Some of the meals have a price for lunch and one for dinner. The Grilled Salmon Salad, which I’ve eaten here before, and love, has goat cheese (yum), pecans and mandarin oranges, is $8 for lunch and $11 for dinner. I’ve also previously ordered the appetizer of Crab Rangoons, wontons filled with crab, cream cheese and spices and served with a mango dipping sauce for $8. Are these actually Chinese foods? Perhaps the wontons... So if you care about authenticity in your ethnic food, Monsoon isn’t for you. It reminds me of PF Chang’s menu.
I ordered the Chicken, Cabbage, Onion and Cilantro Spring Rolls with a Black Bean sauce ($8). It was to die for! Three large spring rolls, crisp and hot, with a delicious sauce and served on a chopped salad. The Attorney Man I Was With had barbeque shrimp, a ample portion of shrimp in a somewhat spicy barbeque sauce that he said was exceptionally good, served on rice. I think it was $10, but, I’m a lousy reviewer. I was so busy sucking up my Spring Rolls, I failed to notice.
Meanwhile, back in my kitchenless house, my bamboo flooring was just delivered. (By the cutest, curly-haired young guy - gee, this remodeling stuff is fun. Tubeworm, he reminded me of your eldest son.) The dry-wall guys will finish their work today – I have walls! And the flooring will be installed on Monday and Tuesday.
If you remodel your kitchen, call Cabinet Werks. They see to it that there is always someone ‘werking’.
I am having so much fun going out to eat every day, I almost wish the project would slow down. (I didn’t say that, Mike.) Tonight we will dine with good friends at Carrabba’s. Maybe that’s why I’m so pleased with this remodeling project right now. This reviewer is at a classy part of Bluemound Road's restaurant scene.
Kitchenless in Brookfield
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Bonefish Grill Now Leads the Pack
I’ve found another GREAT spot to dine on Bluemound! Bonefish Grill. Let’s start with the wine list. The first thing I noticed on the lengthy list was Caymus cabernet sauvignon. The best wine I’ve ever drunk was a bottle of Caymus at a restaurant meal to which a lighting fixture salesman treated us – back in the days when salesmen would take their clients and spouses (that would be me) out occasionally. And here it was again, on Bluemound Road at the Bonefish Grill for a mere $94 a bottle. I price Caymus when I see it at liquor stores. It’s always over $75.
We didn’t order it.
But the Man Who Is Seafood Averse suggested – HE actually suggested! – that we split an order of the crab cakes appetizer ($9.90). Does he love me, or WHAT? After sampling his portion, The Man said this crab cake was as good as any he’s ever eaten (he has limited experience in this category of food, but he has tried crab cakes occasionally when I make frozen ones at home). These came with two sauces, both of which were beyond my spice tolerance. But there was so much tasty crab in the cakes that who needs sauce?
Another appetizer at Bonefish that sounds tempting is the bacon-wrapped sea scallops with mango salsa ($9.90). But these I can make at home (in a kitchen with appliances, of course).
I had a glass of Bridgeview “Blue Moon” pinot noir ($8.50) with the crab cakes, while The Man had a glass of beer. (I forgot to ask what kind – I’m a lousy reviewer. I can only do a couple of things at a time, and sip wine and eat crab cakes about takes care of that.) There were 11 beers on the menu – and 44 wines – by the glass! This is an amazing number of bottles to have open. Bonefish must be serving many wine-drinkers to keep that many open bottles fresh. And my pinot was perky and delicious – obviously just opened and a perfect choice with my appetizer and my dinner.
While we studied the menu, our waiter, Omar, brought us a basket of hot, crisp crusted bread and some great pesto that he mixed at our table with olive oil for dipping. I make a mighty fine pesto (my recipe follows – and this one was deliciously heavy on the basil. Omar mentioned that in addition to the usual Parmesan cheese and pine nuts, Bonefish’s pesto is made with Kalamata olives, another of my favorite foods (besides all kinds of cheese).
After a lengthy conversation with Omar about the many delicious-sounding menu items, I decided on grilled Arctic Charr with a side of vegetables-do-die-for in a butter sauce ($16.40). Charr, Omar explained, is a mild salmon. Doesn’t that sound interesting? There are many interesting choices on the menu, including ten kinds of grilled fish, each with four possible sauces. This is another menu that a foodie, like me, would just like to take home and browse through while soaking in a hot bath. While I tried to decide between two of the sauces, Omar suggested that he would bring two sauces for me on the side – the Mediterranean sauce and the lemon butter sauce. The lemon butter sauce was perfect. I wanted to taste this mild fish and even the herb-laden Mediterranean sauce hid the flavor of the perfectly cooked fish filet.
Bonefish has a pleasantly dark, glamorous atmosphere, with tables far enough apart and the acoustics such that you cannot hear the conversations of the neighboring tables. What added to the gracious feeling of the restaurant was the charming Omar. Bonefish must have a policy requiring the wait staff to sample all menu items. Omar could tell us which herbs were in which recipes, how large were the portions, etc. When The Man Who Loves His Cow Meat ordered a 6 oz. tenderloin filet and said he wanted it to have a hot center, it was cooked perfectly. Omar also brought us a small sample of the soup of the day, a Crab and Corn Chowder with potatoes. It tasted mostly of fresh corn and was light and lovely.
I know I’m going on and on about this restaurant. But I was SO impressed, so pleased with everything here. I don’t think I need to tell you that the bathroom was as lovely as the restaurant. It was. Bonefish Grill now ranks as #1 on my list so far, replacing Louise’s by a hair. Or maybe it’s a tie for the #1 spot. Perhaps if I had just come here for dinner one night, I would not be so enthused, but after all the mediocre meals we’ve eaten in the last few weeks and the less-than-stunning ambiance of many establishments, Bonefish was such a treat. We did spend $69.31, and we would not do that every night.
But would that we could!
Kitchenless in Brookfield
My Pesto Recipe:
3-4 packed cups of basil leaves (I have some to share in my garden, if you need it)
4-5 good-sized garlic cloves, peeled and cut in pieces
1 cup pine nuts (can use walnuts, if pine nuts are out of your budget this year)
1 cup best-quality olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
salt and freshly grated pepper to taste (I like lots of both)
Combine basil, garlic and nuts in food processor. With motor running, slowly add olive oil. Shut off motor. Add cheeses, salt and pepper. Process briefly to combine. Cover and store in refrigerator. It can be frozen. Makes 2 cups, or enough to sauce 2 lbs of pasta. When using on pasta, heat and thin with heavy cream.
We didn’t order it.
But the Man Who Is Seafood Averse suggested – HE actually suggested! – that we split an order of the crab cakes appetizer ($9.90). Does he love me, or WHAT? After sampling his portion, The Man said this crab cake was as good as any he’s ever eaten (he has limited experience in this category of food, but he has tried crab cakes occasionally when I make frozen ones at home). These came with two sauces, both of which were beyond my spice tolerance. But there was so much tasty crab in the cakes that who needs sauce?
Another appetizer at Bonefish that sounds tempting is the bacon-wrapped sea scallops with mango salsa ($9.90). But these I can make at home (in a kitchen with appliances, of course).
I had a glass of Bridgeview “Blue Moon” pinot noir ($8.50) with the crab cakes, while The Man had a glass of beer. (I forgot to ask what kind – I’m a lousy reviewer. I can only do a couple of things at a time, and sip wine and eat crab cakes about takes care of that.) There were 11 beers on the menu – and 44 wines – by the glass! This is an amazing number of bottles to have open. Bonefish must be serving many wine-drinkers to keep that many open bottles fresh. And my pinot was perky and delicious – obviously just opened and a perfect choice with my appetizer and my dinner.
While we studied the menu, our waiter, Omar, brought us a basket of hot, crisp crusted bread and some great pesto that he mixed at our table with olive oil for dipping. I make a mighty fine pesto (my recipe follows – and this one was deliciously heavy on the basil. Omar mentioned that in addition to the usual Parmesan cheese and pine nuts, Bonefish’s pesto is made with Kalamata olives, another of my favorite foods (besides all kinds of cheese).
After a lengthy conversation with Omar about the many delicious-sounding menu items, I decided on grilled Arctic Charr with a side of vegetables-do-die-for in a butter sauce ($16.40). Charr, Omar explained, is a mild salmon. Doesn’t that sound interesting? There are many interesting choices on the menu, including ten kinds of grilled fish, each with four possible sauces. This is another menu that a foodie, like me, would just like to take home and browse through while soaking in a hot bath. While I tried to decide between two of the sauces, Omar suggested that he would bring two sauces for me on the side – the Mediterranean sauce and the lemon butter sauce. The lemon butter sauce was perfect. I wanted to taste this mild fish and even the herb-laden Mediterranean sauce hid the flavor of the perfectly cooked fish filet.
Bonefish has a pleasantly dark, glamorous atmosphere, with tables far enough apart and the acoustics such that you cannot hear the conversations of the neighboring tables. What added to the gracious feeling of the restaurant was the charming Omar. Bonefish must have a policy requiring the wait staff to sample all menu items. Omar could tell us which herbs were in which recipes, how large were the portions, etc. When The Man Who Loves His Cow Meat ordered a 6 oz. tenderloin filet and said he wanted it to have a hot center, it was cooked perfectly. Omar also brought us a small sample of the soup of the day, a Crab and Corn Chowder with potatoes. It tasted mostly of fresh corn and was light and lovely.
I know I’m going on and on about this restaurant. But I was SO impressed, so pleased with everything here. I don’t think I need to tell you that the bathroom was as lovely as the restaurant. It was. Bonefish Grill now ranks as #1 on my list so far, replacing Louise’s by a hair. Or maybe it’s a tie for the #1 spot. Perhaps if I had just come here for dinner one night, I would not be so enthused, but after all the mediocre meals we’ve eaten in the last few weeks and the less-than-stunning ambiance of many establishments, Bonefish was such a treat. We did spend $69.31, and we would not do that every night.
But would that we could!
Kitchenless in Brookfield
My Pesto Recipe:
3-4 packed cups of basil leaves (I have some to share in my garden, if you need it)
4-5 good-sized garlic cloves, peeled and cut in pieces
1 cup pine nuts (can use walnuts, if pine nuts are out of your budget this year)
1 cup best-quality olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
salt and freshly grated pepper to taste (I like lots of both)
Combine basil, garlic and nuts in food processor. With motor running, slowly add olive oil. Shut off motor. Add cheeses, salt and pepper. Process briefly to combine. Cover and store in refrigerator. It can be frozen. Makes 2 cups, or enough to sauce 2 lbs of pasta. When using on pasta, heat and thin with heavy cream.
Boston Market -- 50's Food
Boston Market would be one of the places at which The Man Who Considers All Herbs “Funky” should be able to eat happily. A 50's sort of place. A Macaroni and Cheese, Meatloaf, Green Bean Casserole sort of place.
The way it works it that you choose an entre and then, right in the compartments of your divided plastic plate are plopped two side dishes of your choice, plus cornbread. The main dish selection is not huge: chicken, sirloin, turkey, meatloaf, and chicken pot pie, ranging in price from $5 to $11, depending on the size of the portion you order. There are 14 side dishes to choose from. The clientele, which included many families with small children, are taking advantage of the children’s portions of the entres for $3.49.
The Man Who Married Me To Be Closer To My Mother’s Meatloaf ordered – tada! -- meatloaf, with sweet potatoes and green bean casserole ($6.49). I ordered 5 oz. of Roast Turkey with sweet potatoes and creamed spinach ($7.29). These items are all on display in a chrome steam table, at which the waiters scoop up your choices and slap them on your plate. It reminded me of lunches at Liz Waters dormitory when I was in college. Same food, even.
The first thing The Man said after taking a bite of his sweet potatoes was, “Well, we won’t have to order dessert.” There was as much sugar in those sweet potatoes as there would be in sweet potato pie. The next thing he said was, “Whoa. This meat isn’t warm.” “Is it cold?” I asked. “No, it’s just slightly above room temperature.” I tasted my turkey with gravy. It was the same tepid temperature. YIKES! This is the scarey part about eating in restaurants of all kinds every night. Somewhere there could be food poisoning or some bacteria lurking in your salad or gravy. I ate a small amount of my main dish and left the rest. We did not get sick – praise be to the gods of cafeterias everywhere. I ate all of the spinach, which was hot and rich and delicious. Did your mother make creamed vegetables, like creamed peas and creamed broccoli? Mine did. This creamed spinach started with onions sauteed in butter – lots of it. That butter was the main ingredient in the white sauce that smothered the chopped spinach. I consumed ample fats and calories just eating the creamed spinach. The cornbread was a disappointment -- a dry concoction of too much flour and not enough cornmeal.
A final note: the bathroom was clean, but they could wash the outside of the waste container sometime.
If Boston Market would be more careful of the temperature at which their food is served (and his parents would allow it), our 4-year-old grandson would love this food. His tastes tend to run in line with his grandpa’s, though the little one is far more adventurous. He’ll even eat scallops, praise be!
Kitchenless in Brookfield
The way it works it that you choose an entre and then, right in the compartments of your divided plastic plate are plopped two side dishes of your choice, plus cornbread. The main dish selection is not huge: chicken, sirloin, turkey, meatloaf, and chicken pot pie, ranging in price from $5 to $11, depending on the size of the portion you order. There are 14 side dishes to choose from. The clientele, which included many families with small children, are taking advantage of the children’s portions of the entres for $3.49.
The Man Who Married Me To Be Closer To My Mother’s Meatloaf ordered – tada! -- meatloaf, with sweet potatoes and green bean casserole ($6.49). I ordered 5 oz. of Roast Turkey with sweet potatoes and creamed spinach ($7.29). These items are all on display in a chrome steam table, at which the waiters scoop up your choices and slap them on your plate. It reminded me of lunches at Liz Waters dormitory when I was in college. Same food, even.
The first thing The Man said after taking a bite of his sweet potatoes was, “Well, we won’t have to order dessert.” There was as much sugar in those sweet potatoes as there would be in sweet potato pie. The next thing he said was, “Whoa. This meat isn’t warm.” “Is it cold?” I asked. “No, it’s just slightly above room temperature.” I tasted my turkey with gravy. It was the same tepid temperature. YIKES! This is the scarey part about eating in restaurants of all kinds every night. Somewhere there could be food poisoning or some bacteria lurking in your salad or gravy. I ate a small amount of my main dish and left the rest. We did not get sick – praise be to the gods of cafeterias everywhere. I ate all of the spinach, which was hot and rich and delicious. Did your mother make creamed vegetables, like creamed peas and creamed broccoli? Mine did. This creamed spinach started with onions sauteed in butter – lots of it. That butter was the main ingredient in the white sauce that smothered the chopped spinach. I consumed ample fats and calories just eating the creamed spinach. The cornbread was a disappointment -- a dry concoction of too much flour and not enough cornmeal.
A final note: the bathroom was clean, but they could wash the outside of the waste container sometime.
If Boston Market would be more careful of the temperature at which their food is served (and his parents would allow it), our 4-year-old grandson would love this food. His tastes tend to run in line with his grandpa’s, though the little one is far more adventurous. He’ll even eat scallops, praise be!
Kitchenless in Brookfield
Monday, September 24, 2007
The Fastest Fast Food - and plumbing
I almost forgot to tell you all about the plumbing disaster of the weekend. Okay. “Disaster” is a bit over-the-top.
I used the bathroom at about 6 AM one morning. In my bare feet, I couldn’t help but notice that the floor was not dry. Actually, it was not damp either. It was very wet. After some serious thought, I decided that I had not, indeed, had an accident earlier in the evening and therefore this was probably related to the plumbing. In the still of the night, I could hear a steady, but rapid drip, drip, drip... I awoke The Man Who Hates Plumbing. He muttered, went to the basement and shut off the water, and went back to bed, “till Ace opens”.
I cannot tell you what the problem was, actually, but it was hours and hours which The Man Had Not Planned To Spend This Way and several trips to Ace Hardware, interspersed with some colorful language, much bending and reaching behind the toilet bowl with a variety of tools (have you noticed how inaccessible toilets are?) and something about replacing something with a flexible something.
When The Man was done, I put a bowl under that valve thingy, just in case... This afternoon I noticed there is a small puddle in the bowl. What do you think? Should I tell him?
Then last night we had another fast food meal on Bluemound. Did you realize that some of the fast food joints are the cleanest places in town? Okay, not KFC. But McDonald’s! Yes, McDonald’s on Bluemound and Brookfield Road is immaculate. Floors scrubbed, bathroom positively shiny. Someone was scrubbing the napkin dispensers and the soda machine while we ate dinner there at 9:30 PM last night.
The Man’s food was just what he’s come to expect at this dependable establishment. A 740-calorie double quarter-pounder with cheese meal ($5.40). With large fries, of course. And diet soda (for the calorie conscious). When I eat food from McDonald’s (when traveling with The Man Who Doesn’t Waste Time Eating While On The Road), I usually order the Asian grilled chicken salad with Paul Newman’s Sesame Ginger dressing. It’s 390 calories, if you eat the whole packet of dressing, which you won’t. I know what to expect there too – mandarin oranges, almond slivers, greens, grilled chicken – good stuff. But someone, some friend who’s name I can’t recall, but when I do, will no longer be my friend, recommended that I try her favorite menu item at McDonald’s - the Southwest chicken salad ($4.40). I decided to expand my horizons. I ordered it. With Newman’s Southwest dressing and a cup of decaf ($.50).
What is wrong with my memory retention? (Do not answer that.) Why can’t I recall that within the last couple of weeks I have complained (that’s the polite word for it) of the spicy salsa at a Mexican restaurant, and have wondered what I was thinking when I ordered something that said it was “Cajun?” A Southwest salad dressing? What was I thinking? I scraped the dressing off as well as I could and ate the grilled chicken.
My brain failure is not the fault of the restaurant. Actually, through the smoke emitting from my nose and ears, I still was able to detect McDonald’s nice, dark woodwork and the classy, navy, plaid wallpaper. This McDonald’s is a nice place for a quick, cheap meal (our total was $10.83).
Avoid regrets. Have the Asian Grilled Chicken Salad.
Kitchenless in Brookfield
I used the bathroom at about 6 AM one morning. In my bare feet, I couldn’t help but notice that the floor was not dry. Actually, it was not damp either. It was very wet. After some serious thought, I decided that I had not, indeed, had an accident earlier in the evening and therefore this was probably related to the plumbing. In the still of the night, I could hear a steady, but rapid drip, drip, drip... I awoke The Man Who Hates Plumbing. He muttered, went to the basement and shut off the water, and went back to bed, “till Ace opens”.
I cannot tell you what the problem was, actually, but it was hours and hours which The Man Had Not Planned To Spend This Way and several trips to Ace Hardware, interspersed with some colorful language, much bending and reaching behind the toilet bowl with a variety of tools (have you noticed how inaccessible toilets are?) and something about replacing something with a flexible something.
When The Man was done, I put a bowl under that valve thingy, just in case... This afternoon I noticed there is a small puddle in the bowl. What do you think? Should I tell him?
Then last night we had another fast food meal on Bluemound. Did you realize that some of the fast food joints are the cleanest places in town? Okay, not KFC. But McDonald’s! Yes, McDonald’s on Bluemound and Brookfield Road is immaculate. Floors scrubbed, bathroom positively shiny. Someone was scrubbing the napkin dispensers and the soda machine while we ate dinner there at 9:30 PM last night.
The Man’s food was just what he’s come to expect at this dependable establishment. A 740-calorie double quarter-pounder with cheese meal ($5.40). With large fries, of course. And diet soda (for the calorie conscious). When I eat food from McDonald’s (when traveling with The Man Who Doesn’t Waste Time Eating While On The Road), I usually order the Asian grilled chicken salad with Paul Newman’s Sesame Ginger dressing. It’s 390 calories, if you eat the whole packet of dressing, which you won’t. I know what to expect there too – mandarin oranges, almond slivers, greens, grilled chicken – good stuff. But someone, some friend who’s name I can’t recall, but when I do, will no longer be my friend, recommended that I try her favorite menu item at McDonald’s - the Southwest chicken salad ($4.40). I decided to expand my horizons. I ordered it. With Newman’s Southwest dressing and a cup of decaf ($.50).
What is wrong with my memory retention? (Do not answer that.) Why can’t I recall that within the last couple of weeks I have complained (that’s the polite word for it) of the spicy salsa at a Mexican restaurant, and have wondered what I was thinking when I ordered something that said it was “Cajun?” A Southwest salad dressing? What was I thinking? I scraped the dressing off as well as I could and ate the grilled chicken.
My brain failure is not the fault of the restaurant. Actually, through the smoke emitting from my nose and ears, I still was able to detect McDonald’s nice, dark woodwork and the classy, navy, plaid wallpaper. This McDonald’s is a nice place for a quick, cheap meal (our total was $10.83).
Avoid regrets. Have the Asian Grilled Chicken Salad.
Kitchenless in Brookfield
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Emperor's Kitchen and "our" garage
The kitchen/basement sorting is a seriously contagious disease. Today it spread to the garage. The Frugal Man saved some of the old kitchen cabinets for slightly more organized storage in the basement and in the garage. The Man Who Never Leaves Till Tomorrow What He Could Do Today has already installed the basement ones under a hunk of old countertop in my storage, giftwrap and Christmas decoration dump. This weekend he installed three wall cabinets in the garage – which he immediately started to fill with car wash equipment (he hasn’t washed a car in 15 years, I’d guess) and open cans of driveway sealer (he’s hired someone to seal the driveway for probably the last 20 years). This would not do. I need the best, most convenient storage space for MY gardening supplies, which I actually do use almost daily during our extensive gardening season here in Wisconsin. There was a bit of a tiff in the garage. I always win. The Man Who Was An Only Child was raised to treat his mother with respect (thank you, Isabel Gennrich) and is a wuss.
The Man Who Makes Neat Piles doesn’t throw stuff out (he would dispute that claim, but he is not writing this). I love to throw things away. So as The Pile-Maker would stack stuff on a shelf in the garage and turn his back, I would grab the stuff he stacked and say, “We don’t need this, you haven’t used this for years, I hate this sprinkler, etc. etc.” and pitch it all in the garbage cans. I really must have pruners, plant stakes, gloves and a trowel in a convenient spot. That’s all I insisted on – and – of course – I got that. After all, HE has two lawn mowers (he says he needs a spare in case one needs repair), a generator, a power washer, four gas cans, a chain saw and many other tools that I can’t even name. (This is in addition to the Milwaukee Tool Company that is his basement workshop.) Never mind. The garage looks spectacular. I hope the garbage men will not be TOO picky about what they’ll take.
Last night's dinner was an al fresco, stand-up affair in Madison before the Badger football game. Beer and brats and barbequed pork chop sandwiches do not need reviewing. You all know that’s The Best. Besides, the Badgers won, and the company was a blast.
So my most recent dinner on Bluemound was at the Emperor’s Kitchen. Good food, not expensive for what you get, but nothing to speak of in the way of ambiance -- Just one big room with simple tables and paper placemats. That seems to be the common decor of Chinese restaurants in this country. But the Emperor’s Kitchen is located on the second floor with lots of windows, so even though the room is bare and the view is not of the snow-capped Himalayas, it is not unpleasant.
Next time I eat at the Emperor’s Kitchen, I will try to remember that the portions are ridiculously enormous. Even if The Man and I had been agreeable enough to share one order of food, we could not have eaten it all. I probably ate no more than 1/4 of my Cantonese chow mein, which is served with delicious fried noodles, lots of medium-sized shrimp, bamboo shoots, those tiny corn cobs, water chestnuts, pea pods and whole mushrooms in a bland sauce that improved with a sprinkle of soy sauce. The Man Who Has Still Not Had His Fill Of Fried Food ordered Orange Chicken, and I must admit it was yummy. Again, it is a mountainous portion of small, deep fried chicken pieces in a sweet sauce, served with orange slices and rice enough for the Vietnamese army. For an extra dollar, our meals came with really tasty, vegetable-laden egg rolls (deep fried, of course), tea and dessert of an almond cookie. Our total bill was $23.12, for enough food to last for three days. But don't despair; we ate the leftovers for weekend lunches, so we wouldn’t have to delay tonight’s meal at McDonald’s. Oh, goody...
Kitchenless in Brookfield
The Man Who Makes Neat Piles doesn’t throw stuff out (he would dispute that claim, but he is not writing this). I love to throw things away. So as The Pile-Maker would stack stuff on a shelf in the garage and turn his back, I would grab the stuff he stacked and say, “We don’t need this, you haven’t used this for years, I hate this sprinkler, etc. etc.” and pitch it all in the garbage cans. I really must have pruners, plant stakes, gloves and a trowel in a convenient spot. That’s all I insisted on – and – of course – I got that. After all, HE has two lawn mowers (he says he needs a spare in case one needs repair), a generator, a power washer, four gas cans, a chain saw and many other tools that I can’t even name. (This is in addition to the Milwaukee Tool Company that is his basement workshop.) Never mind. The garage looks spectacular. I hope the garbage men will not be TOO picky about what they’ll take.
Last night's dinner was an al fresco, stand-up affair in Madison before the Badger football game. Beer and brats and barbequed pork chop sandwiches do not need reviewing. You all know that’s The Best. Besides, the Badgers won, and the company was a blast.
So my most recent dinner on Bluemound was at the Emperor’s Kitchen. Good food, not expensive for what you get, but nothing to speak of in the way of ambiance -- Just one big room with simple tables and paper placemats. That seems to be the common decor of Chinese restaurants in this country. But the Emperor’s Kitchen is located on the second floor with lots of windows, so even though the room is bare and the view is not of the snow-capped Himalayas, it is not unpleasant.
Next time I eat at the Emperor’s Kitchen, I will try to remember that the portions are ridiculously enormous. Even if The Man and I had been agreeable enough to share one order of food, we could not have eaten it all. I probably ate no more than 1/4 of my Cantonese chow mein, which is served with delicious fried noodles, lots of medium-sized shrimp, bamboo shoots, those tiny corn cobs, water chestnuts, pea pods and whole mushrooms in a bland sauce that improved with a sprinkle of soy sauce. The Man Who Has Still Not Had His Fill Of Fried Food ordered Orange Chicken, and I must admit it was yummy. Again, it is a mountainous portion of small, deep fried chicken pieces in a sweet sauce, served with orange slices and rice enough for the Vietnamese army. For an extra dollar, our meals came with really tasty, vegetable-laden egg rolls (deep fried, of course), tea and dessert of an almond cookie. Our total bill was $23.12, for enough food to last for three days. But don't despair; we ate the leftovers for weekend lunches, so we wouldn’t have to delay tonight’s meal at McDonald’s. Oh, goody...
Kitchenless in Brookfield
Friday, September 21, 2007
Africa -- or Bust
So I thought it was just a simple plane crash I had to worry about. There are SO many ways to screw up a perfectly lovely vacation trip. Once I forgot my driver’s license and the airline wouldn’t let me on the plane. Fortunately, I was traveling with The Man Who Is Obsessed With Being The First One At The Airport, so we actually had time to drive back to Brookfield and get the driver’s license and still make the plane. Which was probably going to be late anyhow. And how often have you missed connecting flights? I don’t even consider that as an inconvenience anymore, though I much prefer it happen on the way home. Lost luggage? Pretty common. Again, no big deal if it’s on the way home. If not, consider it a great excuse for a totally new wardrobe of clothes from a foreign place. We’ve traveled a LOT. We’ve been to Antarctica – not a good place for shopping, actually. We’ve been to Japan, New Zealand, Finland, Costa Rica, Trinidad, etc, etc... Yet I almost pulled an entirely new fiasco for our upcoming trip to South Africa. I failed to notice on the printed airline confirmation, dated June 3, 2007, that it said, “You must have a paper ticket. You will not be allowed to board this flight without a paper ticket. Your tickets will be delivered via Fed Ex within two days. If they are not, call our help desk immediately.” Our trip leaves in 2 ½ weeks. YIKES! Even The Man With The Stellar Memory did not remember seeing paper tickets, though he is not actually in charge of anything when we travel, except his underwear, prescription drugs (or any recreational ones he wishes to try to get on board), and video equipment. I didn’t remember seeing paper tickets either. I had two folders labeled “Africa”. No paper tickets in either of them.
Of course you remember the small complication in my life right now. Everything from 16 cabinets and 9 drawers of our former kitchen is packed in boxes or stashed in odd places all over the house. I’m lucky if I can find a roll of toilet paper when it is needed, let alone paper airline tickets.
Another complicating factor in this equation is that I have a cleaning woman who comes every two weeks. The evening before she comes, I stash everything from my desk into drawers and shelves. And then I forget about it. Forever. So last night, after our daughter who is traveling with us to Africa and makes most of our travel arrangements (she’s a pro at this; she’s something called “Global Product Manager for Travelocity Business – and don’t ask. I have no idea.) Anyway, it was she who asked to make sure we had these paper tickets. SHE knew about this requirement, even though she is not flying with us. SHE is flying first class from Dallas and on different flights and airlines and will meet us there. But she was capable of putting me in an absolute tizzy with a simple question – do we have our paper tickets? This was at about 10 PM last night.
By 11 PM I knew I wasn’t going to find them – if I ever had them. The Computer Whiz In The Family (that would not be me) went on the internet to see if he could find out how to get these paper tickets. He came to a place on the airline website that said, “Your paper tickets will be mailed to you. You should receive them in 12 days.” Holy Moly! This was too close to when we are leaving, so The Man With No Patience For Telephone Calls Without A Person On The Other End called the help line at the airline. After poking 492 buttons, issuing some unusually colorful language, he actually got a person to pick up a phone. She said, “Oh, that policy was changed. You won’t need a paper ticket. You were credited with $19.72, because we didn’t have to issue the paper ticket.” Somehow The Man Who Pays The Bills didn’t happen to notice that huge credit when it appeared in July on our credit card bill, among thousands of dollars of charged expenses for the coming vacation – not to mention the coupla bucks for the kitchen remodeling job.
It was after midnight when we made our last phone call to assure our daughter that we were indeed going to be traveling with her, when she said, “The hotel reservation in Johannisburg is in your name as are the two car reservations. You should have those receipts.” The Man said, “They must be in one of your folders,” and went to bed. It was another hour later that I thought of looking in the pile of information about dread diseases available to tourists in Africa (malaria, hepititis, eboli) and found those car and hotel receipts.
After that, why go to bed at all? Someone has to think of all the other possible disasters that could befall us on this vacation.
Kitchenless in Brookfield
Of course you remember the small complication in my life right now. Everything from 16 cabinets and 9 drawers of our former kitchen is packed in boxes or stashed in odd places all over the house. I’m lucky if I can find a roll of toilet paper when it is needed, let alone paper airline tickets.
Another complicating factor in this equation is that I have a cleaning woman who comes every two weeks. The evening before she comes, I stash everything from my desk into drawers and shelves. And then I forget about it. Forever. So last night, after our daughter who is traveling with us to Africa and makes most of our travel arrangements (she’s a pro at this; she’s something called “Global Product Manager for Travelocity Business – and don’t ask. I have no idea.) Anyway, it was she who asked to make sure we had these paper tickets. SHE knew about this requirement, even though she is not flying with us. SHE is flying first class from Dallas and on different flights and airlines and will meet us there. But she was capable of putting me in an absolute tizzy with a simple question – do we have our paper tickets? This was at about 10 PM last night.
By 11 PM I knew I wasn’t going to find them – if I ever had them. The Computer Whiz In The Family (that would not be me) went on the internet to see if he could find out how to get these paper tickets. He came to a place on the airline website that said, “Your paper tickets will be mailed to you. You should receive them in 12 days.” Holy Moly! This was too close to when we are leaving, so The Man With No Patience For Telephone Calls Without A Person On The Other End called the help line at the airline. After poking 492 buttons, issuing some unusually colorful language, he actually got a person to pick up a phone. She said, “Oh, that policy was changed. You won’t need a paper ticket. You were credited with $19.72, because we didn’t have to issue the paper ticket.” Somehow The Man Who Pays The Bills didn’t happen to notice that huge credit when it appeared in July on our credit card bill, among thousands of dollars of charged expenses for the coming vacation – not to mention the coupla bucks for the kitchen remodeling job.
It was after midnight when we made our last phone call to assure our daughter that we were indeed going to be traveling with her, when she said, “The hotel reservation in Johannisburg is in your name as are the two car reservations. You should have those receipts.” The Man said, “They must be in one of your folders,” and went to bed. It was another hour later that I thought of looking in the pile of information about dread diseases available to tourists in Africa (malaria, hepititis, eboli) and found those car and hotel receipts.
After that, why go to bed at all? Someone has to think of all the other possible disasters that could befall us on this vacation.
Kitchenless in Brookfield
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