What did Sam Seaborn and Garrison Starr ALMOST Have in Common?

Crab puffs!
I almost made crab puffs to serve at Garrison Starr's performance this coming Thursday night. 
Unfortunately, time isn't on my side.
Instead, I'll make a seafood spread and serve with assorted crackers.
When I spoke to my friend, Dan, this morning and mention the crab puffs, he immediately knew where I got my inspiration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUKy7emtjzA

The Fresh Loaf

Yesterday, someone hopped to this site when they were searching for beef on weck  (http://bataviablogmistress.blogspot.com/2011/01/beef-on-weck.html).  While doing some searching on my own, I discovered The Fresh Loaf site. 
If you like to bake, bread in particular, this is a wonderful resource.  I highly recommend it.  I've added it to sites I follow and will certainly be checking back there often.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/

A Story in a Story

Things can get convoluted. 
A story breaks about a local guy who is running for Chris Lee's seat.  It is a story about a person who has values and backbone.  It has the drama of a 1930s detective film.  Back room politics at it's best.
Dave Bellavia is running against some pretty heavy hitters.  Hochul is a popular and capable woman who is the Erie County Clerk.  Corwin comes to the table ladened with family money and an agressive team of advisors who believe that negative ads are the way to go.
But, I'll let you read the stories yourself. 

http://wnymedia.net/buffalopundit/2011/03/collins-paladino-met-with-david-bellavia/
http://wnymedia.net/ccharvella/2011/03/was-david-bellavia-offered-steve-hawleys-assembly-seat-to-back-out-of-the-ny26-race/

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley
My great nephew, Anthony, had a fun class project. Each child cut out a paper figure, dressed it, added embellishments, then chose a friend or relative for their figure to visit for a month. Anthony, who lives just outside of Washington, D.C., nominated my sister Judy as the recipient of this houseguest.


Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley had a wonderful month. He went to the post office (they stamped him); the liqour store; the grocery store; the library; the local school where he and Judy read a story to first graders; church; a clay modeling class; and finally he and Judy boarded a plane for Florida where he collected seashells before going back home with souveniers of his visit and a story book of his adventures written and illustrated by my sister.

Great Aunt Judy

My niece, Melissa, helped the class pack their figures for mailing. She was concerned that Flat Stanley would be bored in Honeoye in comparison to the other figures who were visiting Europe and Asia. It certainly sounds like Flat Stanley had a great visit and will have many tales to tell of his adventures right here in the U.S.

Anthony and Take Home Chef, Curtis Stone.  My niece received a surprise visit by Stone during a cooking episode on Oprah.

From the "Life is Never Dull" File

 Life is Never Dull File

Every once in a while, one has to look back to see how far one has traveled.  Today is one of those days.  Yesterday we had our annual corned beef and cabbage dinner.  It was delicious.  The kitchen staff did an excellent job. 

That dinner marked the year's anniversary of the beginning of a very traumatic time for me.  I would like to report that, in looking back, I've learned from that experience and have moved on.  

So, what is happening in the future.

The Snack Shop is taking on a new challenge. We will be serving a breakfast and a lunch once a week from May through August.  We will, also, serve a picnic once a month during the summer.

Don't be surprised to learn that Shop and Stock, the person I rely upon to supply the shop, was totally against the idea. 

"It's too much work"

"It's too hard"

"You'll never get the people to work it."

"I'm not doing the bull work."

The list of negatives was endless.

The idea of doing any cooking on the grill seemed to be beyond his comprehension. 

"We might do an outdoor breakfast.", I mentioned.

"You can't have eggs.  Eggs are hard to cook on the grill.  How would you do it?", he countered.

I had to think about that.  Eggs really aren't hard to do on an outdoor grill.  The grill has a side burner, just the right size for a big skillet.  Eggs would be easy. 

It wasn't until later that I had the image of what he was thinking.  I think he thought you cracked the eggs directly on the grill and, by some quick hand action, managed to keep the egg from falling through the grates.  I keep forgetting that his entire expertise in the kitchen involves opening the fridge for the next cold one.

That conversation ended with Shop and Stock harumphing, "Do whatever you want!"

So, the mission began. 

The theme for the Summer Diner is retro 1950.  I found a perky waitress for the menu's cover.

We will offer a choice of three breakfast meals on Monday morning.  Three lunch selections on Thursday.  One of the lunch selections will be from the outdoor grill.  Meal suggestions are coming in.

So far, we know we'll offer turkey clubs; soup in a bread bowl; reuben sandwiches; grilled cheese; and the usual hamburgers and hot dogs. 

For the breakfasts we'll be doing a lot of the breakfast bakes; chipped beef on toast points; toast, eggs, and bacon, etc.

The diner will offer ice cream floats and iced tea to go along with the lunches.

So, as I continue making lists and determining what we need, I run into the expected stone wall.

"I really would like to have a lunches be portable.  What size paper bags does our vendor carry?", I asked.

"You aren't going to put lunch in a paper bag.  They are too expensive.", he shot back.

"...and I need cocktail swords for the club sandwiches.", I mused as I added to my list.

"Cocktail swords!  Way too expensive."

My thought was that people could take their lunch out to the picnic tables in nice weather.  I was thinking of the lack of mobility of some of older residents.  While Shop and Stock's answer was to just plop the lunch on a paper plate, I was afraid some of them couldn't balance the plate and a drink while navagating through two doors to get outside.

I checked on the price of the size paper bag I want, less than a penny each.

The cocktail swords are less than two cents each.

I factored in the cost of disposable products per serving.  I think we can afford paper bags and cocktail swords.

So, the battle wages.  I say something is white, then he insists it is black.  Perhaps it is a control thing.

Whatever it is, it makes life interesting.  

But, I have a solution.

I think I'll start using reverse psychology.  Give him an idea that I don't like and let him come up with the opposite.  That way, I'll get what I want and he'll think it was his idea.  It will certainly make things a lot easier all the way around.

 

Weiner Mocks GOP For Defund NPR Bill

My Alaska son sent this along.  I think it is well worth the few minutes it takes to watch it.  I also think it is well worth more than a few minutes to let it sink in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJFivQYjC-Q&feature=player_embedded

Friends' Night Out March 31

Here we go again.  It is so hard to get our group together for a Friends' Night Out, but Loren had a super idea.  Why not the Garrison Starr performance at Harvester 56?
http://bataviablogmistress.blogspot.com/2011/02/garrison-starr-to-perform-in-batavia.html

I think it will be too difficult to get us all together for a supper and the performance.  I'd rather see us all meet at the theater.  We can munch on the goodies and have a few glasses of the bubbly too.
I'm making something, but I haven't decided what yet.  It will be a surprise.

Thursday, March 31
Harvester 56
Garrison Starr
Tickets; $20
This event supports City Democrats, Batavia Players, AND  (Loren reminds us) independent musicians.
It's also the end of Music in Our Schools Month, which Garrison is supporting BIG TIME through her appearance at the March 30th Youth Recognition Dinner and a high school workshop for music students the afternoon of March 31st.
Interested?  Please email me bmcmanis3@gmail.com

Wisconsin Governor Plays His Hand. A Dirty Hand!

For some reason, the actions of the Republicans and Govenor Walker are making me ill.  Not just queasy, but physically ill. 

From MSNBC

"Republican senators separated the provision from Gov. Scott Walker's controversial budget bill, removing the requirement that 20 senators be present for a vote on the anti-union measure.

The vote in the Senate was 18-1. Sen. Dale Schultz was the sole no vote. No Democrats were present.
"You are cowards!" spectators in the Senate gallery screamed as lawmakers voted. Within hours, a crowd of a few hundred protesters inside the Capitol had grown to several thousand, more than had been in the building at any point during weeks of protests.
"The whole world is watching!" they shouted as they pressed up against the heavily guarded entrance to the Senate chamber."

These are people who claim to be the more patriotic party; the party that loves to wear that little American flag lapel pin; the party who staunchly advocates family values.  Dare I say, this is the party that stands for truth, justice and the American way?
What happen in Wisconsin was not truth, it wasn't justice and it certainly doesn't reflect the American way.
What happen in Wisconsin was a travesty. 
The only recourse the Democrats have is to go to the Wisconsin AG, who happens to be a Republican.
It seems that the lawmakers violated the Wisconsin Open Meeting Law. 
Yes, the people are protesting, as well they should. 
Yes, it is making me ill.  Fifty years of employee rights are eliminated.  Yet, Gov. Walker claimed that collective bargaining was tied to the fiscal health of the state.  He didn't come out and say he was in the process of union busting.  Today's vote had nothing to do with Wisconsin's budget.  It had nothing to do with the fiscal health of the state.  It had EVERYTHING to do with union busting.
Other GOP governors will take notice of the actions in Wisconsin.  Their mission is to repeat the same in their own states.  Eliminating the unions drys up donations to the Democrat candidates.  Yet, these same governors reap the benefits of the donations by big business.  The GOP war chest overflows from those who benefit from corporate welfare.
Will this backfire on the GOP and their govenors?  I hope so.
Not because of the lack of funding to my party but because Walker and his counterparts are using the very people who chose to make public service their careers.  Union stripping may be the goal of the Republican governors.  Push back and protests may be the answer.

Happy Birthday Favorite Daughter

It's Susan's birthday! 
I guess when one becomes a grandmother (4 times) it isn't nice to give out an age, so I won't.  Just let's say it was a wonderful day in 1963 when she came into our lives.
Our agreement was that her father would name any girls we might have and I got to name the boys.  I'm not quite sure where the name, Susan, came from but it suited her exactly right from day one.  What is even more surprising, she likes her name. 
We called her Susie as a child then Sue as she grew up.  Grandpa F called her Susabelle from the afternoon he met her for the first time until the day he passed.  When trying to get her attention, or to show dismay, she is known as Susan Lynne. 
Sue grew up surrounded by brothers.  This has it's good points and it's drawbacks.  With so many boys around the house, she rarely had to do yard duty.  Something I never realized until after she was married and called me to tell me, "Guess what I did today?  I shoveled!".  Shoveled?  What was so exciting about shoveling?  That is when she let me know it was the first time she shoveled snow...and, by the way, she had recently raked the lawn for the first time too.  Where did I go wrong?
Sue was barely a year old when Eric arrived.  She showed a trait that would be her hallmark from the day I brought him home.  She is a nurturer.  At just over a year old, she took over Eric.  He was her living doll.  So much so, that it was she - not me - who potty trained him.  Sue, just barely out of diapers herself, took this job very serious.
When she was eight months old, we experienced the first of many strep infections that would plague her for many years.  Coming home from a weekend in New Jersey, she was feverish.  By the time we made it to Batavia, it was obvious that something was really wrong.  She not only had a strep infection, but a kidney infection too.  Throughout the years, many stories the boys would tell, would begin with "Sue was sick....". 
The medication she needed to fight these infections always came in a ten day series.  For those ten days she couldn't have dairy products.  It was something she understood and was very mindful to make sure to ask before she ate anything while visiting others. 
She suffered convulsions during these attacks of strep/and or kidney infections.  One episode landed her in the hospital when she was barely three years old.  The medication they gave Sue for the convulsions was extremely bitter.  The doctor recommended that I crush the pill in applesauce to give it to her.  I did.  It didn't take long for her to figure out how to swallow the applesauce and still have the grains of pill on her tongue.  To this day she won't eat applesauce or jell-o (something I gave her often to soothe her sore throats).
Illness aside, Sue did the normal things that all girls do. 

• If normal includes stepping on a nail and ending up with blood poisoning even though she had her tetnus shot. 
• If normal includes falling off her bicycle just weeks after her permanent front teeth came in and chipping one in half. 
• If normal means taking off a choker necklace and having it slip out of her fingers and one end of it stuck in her ear.  Another emergency room run chalked up for Sue. 
• If normal means eloping while I was in Buffalo buying school clothes for her youngest brother.   Yep, I used to tell people I came home with three pairs of pants, three shirts, and a son in law

She joined the high school band color guard in sixth grade.  Sue was tall for her age.  It wasn't surprising that she carried the American Flag in the honor guard.  For six years, she would stand perfectly still, sometimes in freezing weather, with the flag.  Then she'd be home for ten days with another strep attack.
Yet, she did her parades, walked the carnival grounds, went on band trips and had one heck of a good time. 
All little girls grow up.  Sue and Tom had four beautiful children, T.J., Brian, Sean and Suzanne.  Tom lived long enough to know his grandson, Christopher.  Sue, now a widow, is busy with grandchildren, Christopher, Alana, Aiden, and P.J. 

Tomorrow, we'll have lunch to celebrate her birthday.  Knowing her, she'll probably order something extremely healthy...but maybe - just for a change, she'll want liver and onions.  Time will tell.

From the "It Just Isn't Fair" File - Homeless Vets

It Just Isn't Fair File

This morning I read this piece on homeless veterans:

http://wnymedia.net/ccharvella/2011/03/my-first-evening-with-the-homeless-vets-and-an-interview-with-will/#comment-144942

About ten minutes later, this came across my screen:

Budget cuts may hit homeless vets

"The DCCC will continue going district by district to hold House Republicans accountable for forcing homeless veterans to sleep in the streets," said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/03/01/news/economy/homeless_veterans_housing_cuts/

How can we, in good conscience, ask our young people to volunteer and then discard them when they return and need us the most?

Chris' article is one of hope. Something that seems to be in short supply.