"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!