"Shopping Day"

Every Thursday rolls around like clockwork - rain or shine - and Thursday around here is Shopping Day. Armed with the freshly prepared shopping list, Jill makes preparations for the big event. This may seem like a fairly simple undertaking, make list - go shopping - back home - done. What’s the big deal? But it is much more complex than one might imagine. First - you’ve got to decide on which store to shop at - (and I thought I was the only one to have to make hard decisions). Perhaps the corner market - while very convenient, this store may have only a few of the things on your list, but not everything. Or the Super Duper Grocery Mart, which will probably have most of the items on your list. This is the kind of store that Jill usually does her routine, weekly shopping. But if you’re feeling brave and adventuresome you can try the biggest, baddest mother of them all. Yep, you guessed it - Costco! This place, I hear will have everything on your list and then some. This Thursday, Jill was feeling adventurous and decided to go to Costco. She asked me if I could break away from my busy schedule and accompany her to the store. She insisted that this might be fun, and as you know, I don’t shop much, but I decided to tag along with her.

As we approached Costco, I was amazed by what I saw. The 100 acre parking lot should have been my first clue that this place was no ordinary, run of the mill supermarket. We eventually found a place to park, and after we had walked for 10 minutes or so, we finally arrived at the main entrance. (They should really think about a shuttle service). As we looked around for the usual shopping carts, (I prefer to call them "buggies"), I didn’t see any. They had something a little different. You get to choose between a shopping cart on steroids, or one that resembles a small flat bed truck. Jill chose the giant shopping buggy, and said "Hey, you push and I’ll pull. As we proceed on our journey, I can’t believe what I'm seeing - a jewelry store, big flat screen TV’s, computer stuff, everything electronic. We keep moving, I look around and see clothing, books, furniture - wow - they have food, meats, produce and even a bakery. "This place is ginormous" I said, as I heard a feint rumbling - some distance away - "Holy cow, they’re stocking the shelves with a forklift - unbelievable". "Hey Honey - come take a look at this - Do you think we could get this 4000 pc. tool set?, just think of all the things I could fix". "No Dear, she replies, we didn’t bring the semi-trailer, maybe next time". As we continue, I notice that they only sell 3 sizes of most grocery items, Extra Large, Extra Extra Large, and Enough to Feed An Army! (Can anybody really use this much stuff before it goes bad?). I notice another corner of the store, "Jill, look - they even sell tires. I’ve been looking for some new "michelins" for the golf cart - I’ll be right back". Jill persists with her shopping duties and I catch up to her a few minutes later, "Hey Dear, she asks, can you help me with this 100 pound block of cheese?" (Now I know why she wanted me to come along!). As we proceed up and down the food and grocery isles, we are bombarded with offers from people wearing aprons, hair nets and plastic gloves, insisting that we "sample" the latest snack food or yummy tidbit that they've been cooking up, "Sure looks good, but no thanks" I said as we try to complete our journey. As we finish our shopping, we go through the checkout line and I notice - they don’t even offer grocery bags or paper sacks. "Hey, what’s the deal?", I ask. The cashier replies, "We don’t use ‘em so we can save you money, but we can get you a shipping pallet or a produce crate if you’d like". Now how convenient is that!?
Our visit to Costco had turned out to be an all-day event. Now I know why they sell Hot Dogs and Pizza. I think this store with the everything AND the kitchen sink concept might just catch on.

So next time you have to shop and you need a pair of pants, a book, 3 gallons of ketchup and an office chair, this might be the place for you! Who’d A Thunk It?

Maybe next time, we’ll stop at Les Schwab and see if we can buy a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk. Wouldn’t that be cool?

"Bar Basics"

A couple of weeks ago, I was speaking with a friend and he told me that he was considering taking up drinking, and wondered if I could come up with a few suggestions on what he might need to set up his own bar at home, and help get him started in the right direction.
At the time, I was a little preoccupied with the events of the day, but I told him I’d see what I could do. A week or so had passed, and I got a call from him, "Hey, how are you coming on my list?" I said "I was working on it, (but I meant I hadn’t started it yet), I’ll try and get it to you as soon as I can". Wow, I thought to myself, how am I supposed to come up with a list? - Not just any list - A Bartender’s List. A daunting task to be sure, certainly not for the faint hearted - Then it hit me - Duh, why didn’t I think of this sooner? I’ll just go to MY bar and jot down a few of the things that I have on hand. This is what I sent to him:

The following is a list of items that every "Self-Respecting Bar" should have in it’s arsenal.

Bar Basics should include:
A Cuisinart heavy duty blender/mixer (for mixing & crushing ice)
A jigger measure
A shot glass
A heavy duty shaker
A bar spoon, long spoon and stirring rod for mixing and stirring
A corkscrew and wine bottle opener
A strainer for straining ice, fruit, etc.
A paring knife or two (2)
A Bunch of Really Nice Bar Towels

Basic Barware should include: A set of eight (8) each of the following:
Old-Fashioned or Rock Glasses; Wine Glasses & Martini Glasses
Shot Glasses; Champagne Flutes
Cocktail or Up Glasses; Pilsners for Beer
Highball Glasses; Beer Mugs (must be frosted of course)
Sour Glasses; and A Whole Bunch of Dixie Cups

Basic Mixers & other Good Flavors are also necessary:
Lemon Twists & Cherries; Lemons & Limes (cut into twelves)
Cocktail onions, & Green olives; 1 Bottle of Lime Juice
1 Bottle of Angostura Bitters; 1 Quart of Grapefruit Juice
1 Bottle of Margarita Mix; 1 Bottle of Sweet & Sour Mix
1 Bottle of Grenadine; 2 Bottles of Bloody Mary Mix
1 Bottle of Triple Sec; 2 Quarts of Orange Juice (pulp free)
1 Bottle of Coconut Milk 1 Quart of Pineapple Juice
1 Bottle of Sweet Vermouth; 12 Bottles of Tonic Water
1 Bottle of Dry Vermouth; 12 Bottles of Club Soda
3 Bottles each of Coke, 7-UP; 6 Bottles of Ginger Ale

And Don’t Forget the Bar Must-Haves:
2 Bottles of Stolichnaya Vodka; 2 Bottles of Grey Goose Vodka
1 Bottles of Absolut Vodka; 3 Bottles of Chivas Regal Scotch Whiskey
2 Bottles of Lord Calvert; 2 Bottles of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
2 Bottles of Southern Comfort; 2 Bottles of Bacardi Rum
2 Bottles of Bacardi 151 Rum; 2 Bottles of Jack Daniels (Black Label)
2 Bottles of Jose Quervo Tequila; 1 Bottle of Tangueray Gin
2 Bottles of Canadian Club; 2 Bottles of Maker’s Mark Whiskey
1 Bottle of Grand Marnier; 1 Bottle of Crown Royal
1 Bottle of Galliano; 1 Bottle of Jim Beam
1 Bottle of Kahlua; 2 Bottles of Long Island Ice Tea
1 Bottle of Amaretto; 1 Bottle of Jagermeister
3 Bottles of White Wine; 1 Bottle of Brandy
2 Bottles of Red Wine; 3 Cases of Corona Premium Beer
6 Cases of Bud Light Beer; 1 Case of Keystone Light (or equivalent)

And Last But Not Least...... DON’T FORGET THE ICE!

Oh by the way, one last note: With normal use, the liquor and mixers listed here should last 3 - 4 weeks, depending on your level of stress. The bar tools and glassware should last a little longer. And good luck with this drinking thing. I hope it works out for you. Cheers!

And remember, It's always 5 o'clock somewhere!

"The Command Center"

When you think of a command center, what comes to mind? A big secret room, - or for
the lucky few - the top floor of an office building - with rooms full of TV screens and monitors, computers, surveillance equipment, and other high-tech gadgetry - maybe even a typewriter and some yellow legal pads. Or do you see a room with a long console or control panel with lots of buttons and blinking lights?, or a room where secret orders and activities are carried out with stealth-like precision? Maybe a room with the always important Red Phone, a direct line connected to you know who, a room that requires Level 5 Security to gain access, with lots of important and powerful people running around making decisions that will influence and affect all of mankind? Or does, "Houston, Come In Houston, We Have A Problem", ring any bells?, or what about the Oval Office itself, perhaps the most famous command center of all, wow - how would that be? Oh, one can only dream of a command center like these!

My Command Center is much smaller in scale and scope, but equally as important to me. It is my own little corner of the world. It’s a place where I can think about things. It’s a place where I can conduct family business affairs and issues of the day. It’s a place where I feel I am in command, ....and Jill even said I could be in command .... Actually, my command center is a little spot in the kitchen. It’s a place that I have been able to carve out for myself over the years. It is a place far away from the hustle and bustle of food and prep things. It’s a place where I can stand... (out of the way, of course), and survey all that is mine. However, I can’t see very much from there, but it sounds impressive. My command center, hereinafter referred to as the "C.C." is at the very end of the kitchen counter. I have about a 2’ section of counter space. I share my space with a clock and some nice looking leather bound photo albums. There is just enough room for my black leatherette satchel, ....that’s where I keep MY yellow legal pad. I also have a plug where I can recharge my cell phone. For security, a menacing looking rooster stands guard, 24-7. With my "C.C." located at the end of the kitchen counter, I have plenty of room to pace the floor when contemplating the important decisions that I must make. I also have my very own barstool at the end of the counter - a place to rest my weary bones, a place to sit when I become fatigued from the rigors of too much thinking and way too much decision making.

But the best thing about my "C.C" is.... I have my own drawer. Yes, my very own drawer. Nobody else gets to use it, .... as far as I know. As a master of organizational skills, I have neatly placed small boxes and tins inside the drawer. These small containers each hold their own assigned treasures. Pens, pencils, paper clips, even rubber bands have a spot. I have a very special place for the "pink pearl". Also, a tape measure, you know, for measuring things is even in there. I have a stapler, a calculator, a letter opener too. I keep extra batteries, extra keys, I even have keys that don’t seem to fit any locks, but I don’t dare get rid of them. I have a flashlight, screw drivers and pliers, masking tape, rulers and scissors. I have extra yellow legal pads and white out for my typewriter, ( wow, I hope it hasn’t dried out). I have a spot for nuts and bolts and screws and nails and other stuff I take out of my pockets at the end of the day. I ‘m not sure if I’ll ever need them, but what if I did? Certainly, they are too good to throw away. I have just about anything for any situation or emergency that may present itself during the course of a very busy day, ... if I can find it.

Well, enough about my drawer. I need to get back to the "C.C." and take control of something, and start making some more decisions. As far as the secret and stealth-like stuff in my "C.C." is concerned - to the untrained eye, my drawer would appear as nothing more than an ordinary junk drawer; and if I’m not there, my "C.C." looks just like part of the kitchen! How’s that for sneaky?

"The Shopping List"

Every Wednesday Jill anxiously awaits the delivery of the U.S. Mail. We get tons of flyers and junk mail all the time, but on Wednesday, the much desired and sought after "shopper’s bible" or grocery store circulars arrive.

Jill quickly looks through the stack of flyers, - Smith’s, Dan’s, Ream's, Albertson’s, Harmon’s - yep, they’re all here, she says with delight, or a sigh of relief. I’m not sure which. She places the flyers on the kitchen counter and throws away the rest of the junk mail, er, I mean puts them in the recycle bin. I don’t do much shopping, but looking through all the grocery store ads seems like a lot of work. Are two flyers enough? - is five too many? I don’t know, but Jill usually settles on her three favorite stores. She creates her weekly menus as she scours the ads, comparing prices, one store to another, always looking for the best deals. She makes notes on the flyers and always checks the flyers expiration dates. ( There is nothing more embarrassing than telling the checker the price rang up wrong, only to be told that the low price you were expecting expired yesterday).

Once Jill is satisfied with her findings, she proceeds to create "The Shopping List". She grabs her glasses and goes to the drawer and gets a small piece of paper, usually a blue or pink sticky note. I think this little paper thing is a time honored tradition, handed down from generation to generation. (I’m actually a yellow legal pad kind of guy myself, but she seems to like the sticky notes).

She begins to write down the selected items, not in a simple list form, one item below another, but in a special way. She lists meats in the top left corner of the note, dairy in the bottom right, veggies and produce - dead center, canned goods, breads, household items and other things all have their own special place on the list. By the time she is done, she has pretty much run out of space on the sticky note, and ends up re-writing the list on a real piece of paper.

Jill makes her shopping list on Wednesdays. Shopping days are Thursdays or Fridays, always preparing in advance for the ever popular weekend events, Saturday Sammies and Sunday Brunch. You know, good menus and good shopping only leads to good meals. How can I complain?

If I had to do the shopping, I’d probably shop at the 7-11, a convenience store, I’m told. After all, isn’t shopping supposed to about convenience? Jill says that shopping at the "sev" is not a good idea.
I don’t think I’ll ever understand her system, but it has worked for her for a really long time. Jill will always be the shopper in charge of shopping at the compound.

"The Art of Gathering"

We have beautiful hardwood floors in our kitchen. The downside is that the floor has a dark stain and has V-grooves between the planks. Once again, a beautiful floor, but kind of a maintenance nightmare. Furthermore, every crumb shows up and screams out "look at me, look at me". I hate that. I am constantly getting down to pick up the crumbs, Constantly. I hate that too! As odd as it might seem, after food preparation and serving meals, the crumb situation only gets worse. Why is that?

You would think that wiping off the countertops or table is a no-brainer kind of task - but not so fast - my friend, - think again. When done improperly, someone wiping carelessly, back and forth, in an attempt to clean the counter, while all the time thinking they are doing a good job are mistaking, and making things worse. They are only flinging crumbs and more crumbs onto the floor that already has too many crumbs, just adding to my pain.

Cleaning and wiping the countertop is actually a two part process - the first and most important part is "The Gathering". One simply starts with a clean damp cloth and begins the process at the corner of the counter and moves methodically along the edge to the other corner, then making the equivalent of a U - turn, and continuing in a forward and backward motion, all the time "gathering", making certain to cover every square inch of the countertop. When the "gathering" has been completed, one pulls the cloth to the edge and carefully removes the cloth full of crumbs into ones hand and then proceeds to the sink to rinse out the cloth.

Now, part two. When all the crumbs have been "gathered", the anxious wiper can then wipe the countertop furiously, in any direction, back and forth to their hearts content, knowing for certain that no crumb flinging will occur. I like that.

You should try this at home. It may take a little practice, but you can do it. Remember, a clean floor is a happy floor. I like that too!

A Compound Life

First of all, a little background info. My name is Gary, my wife is Jill. We have been married for nearly 35 years. We have three (3) kids, and two (2) grand kids. We really don’t like to travel, it’s too expensive and too much work, and if we do, we can’t wait to get back home.

We prefer to spend our time and efforts at home, working in the yard and hanging out in the kitchen. To our friends and family, our home is also affectionately known as "The Compound".
It has been a long held belief among friends and colleagues that I have it pretty good at home---- and have had for years and years. The story goes something like this......

Every day after work I return to a beautiful home that is beautifully decorated, spotlessly clean, not a thing out of place, the yard is perfectly manicured, and a wonderful seven course gourmet meal has been prepared and is ready to eat the moment I get home. When I arrive at the door I am greeted by my beautiful wife, Jill, who is wearing a black teddy. She has a cold beverage in one hand, my slippers and the newspaper in the other, asking "How was your day, dear?"

Well, this story is not entirely true. There was one occasion that she forgot my slippers!
Whether you believe this story or not, life at The Compound is always an adventure. There is always work to do, it’s always fun, and there is always something good cooking in the kitchen.

Seriously, my wife Jill is a really fantastic cook. She creates the best meals every day. I never quite know what to expect for dinner, but I know it will always be great. She can come up with a dinner menu and cook something wonderful with whatever she has in the refrigerator or freezer.

If you can believe it, I’m not much of a cook, but over the past couple of years I have started to pay attention to all things food. I like to help in the kitchen and add my two cents worth and suggest something different, a new flavor or a new twist on an old favorite. Sometimes Jill even listens to me and is willing to try it out. Also, be aware, I have become a very good stirrer.

Now, lets get to the great food. Here are some of our favorite things to cook and enjoy with family, friends and guests.
Saturday Sandwiches: Every Saturday Jill creates a new and different masterpiece for lunch.
Sunday Brunch: Each Sunday Jill cooks a gourmet feast, from Eggs Benedict to Frittatas and everything in between.
Monday thru Friday she tries something new or cooks up one of our favorite go to meals.
In addition to all of this great cooking, Jill creates her own Barbecue sauce, salad dressings, salsa and guacamole, marinara and other spectacular sauces.

As we move forward, we will highlight stories and adventures at The Compound, some of our Holiday Favorites, Shopping Tips and more. We hope to have our recipes and cooking secrets for you to try. Enjoy!