On December 7, 1960 (Pearl Harbor Day), Dad (Leroy Rowe) and his younger brother, Ronald Rowe, enlisted in the U.S. Navy on the Buddy Plan so they could stay together while they were in the service. They were flown to the US Naval Training Center at Great Lakes, Ill, just outside of Chicago, where they went through ... [read more]]]> On December 7, 1960 (Pearl Harbor Day), Dad (Leroy Rowe) and his younger brother, Ronald Rowe, enlisted in the U.S. Navy on the Buddy Plan so they could stay together while they were in the service. They were flown to the US Naval Training Center at Great Lakes, Ill, just outside of Chicago, where they went through boot camp together.

Boot camp was quite challenging, even for my father who was quite physically fit from playing basketball, from walking miles to school, and from roaming the mountains of McCreary County, Kentucky. When say “roaming,” I don’t mean four-wheeling or riding around in a car. He walked all over those mountains on his own two feet. There was a also a time when he had a bicycle and delivered newspapers, and riding up and down those hills was another way that he stayed in shape. That certainly helped him during boot camp which was quite rigorous.

Most of you have probably seen movies or television shows which give you a good idea of how difficult it is for new recruits. Dad said that’s pretty accurate, but he told me that back when he was in boot camp, things were a little different. For example, everyone had to wash and dry their own clothes and bedding, but keep in mind there were no washers and dryers. At home, they washed their clothes on a washboard which required a lot of physical labor. While in boot camp, they had long troughs with slightly slanted sides where they washed clothes by hand with a large scrub brush.

Boot camp also tested the endurance of the new recruits. For example, Dad told me about how they were required to stand guard outdoors in bitter cold weather for hours at a time. He said that at least when you’re outside in sub-zero temperatures and high winds and can move around, you can generate some body heat from the physical activity; however, when you’re required to stand still, that’s just not possible. You simply had to endure it…and both Dad and my Uncle Ronald did just that.

After completing boot camp, they departed Great Lakes on March 1, 1961, and went home to McCreary County Kentucky for a visit. In the photo below, Dad is on the left and Ronald is on the right.

Here’s another picture of Dad and Ronald right out of boot camp with the family. Back row from left to right:  Ronald, Papa (Raymond), Nana (Goldie), and Dad (Leroy). Front row from left to right:  Sylvia, Boyd, Hazel, Eleanor, and Diann.

Dad and Ronald then reported to the US Navel Base at Norfolk, Virginia, on March 16, 1961.  Although Norfolk was their home base, they were transferred to a Naval radio station in Drivers, Virginia, where they stayed for about one year. Naturally, these sailors spent a good bit of time in the water. In the photo below, Ronald is on the left and Dad is on the right.

Here’s a photo of Dad at the Naval base in Drivers.

Ronald (shown in photo below)

was transferred to USS Watchman AGR-16 a couple of months before Dad.

The Watchman was a Radar Picket Ship that was home ported on Treasure Island in San Francisco, California, sailing along the western coast of the USA as far north as the Bering Straights, scanning the skies for enemy planes.

On March 15, 1962, Dad left Drivers and reported to Treasure Island,

but the Watchman was out to sea.  He waited a couple of weeks for the ship to return home, joining Ronald aboard the Watchman.

Dad had taken a test in Norfolk, and when he arrived at Treasure Island, he received news that he made the rank of 3rd class Storekeeper.

Naval life wasn’t all about work, service, and studying though. They had some free time to hang out and socialize. Here’s a picture of Dad and Ronald on the banks of the Russian River in Guerneville, California.

Dad met my mother, Carol Ann, in June of 1962. Dad and Ronald were on a blind date with Mom and a lady by the name of Nancy. Dad and Mom weren’t actually paired up on that blind date, but they were attracted to each other and by the end of the night, they ended up being paired up. They fell in love, and got married on April 18, 1963. Their wedding photo was taken at the Treasure Island Naval Base. We’re not sure who took their picture so I don’t know who to give credit for taking such a beautiful portrait of them.

Dad spent as much time as he could with my mother while he was in San Francisco. He was stationed on The Watchman until February 8, 1963. Here he is standing on the pier in front of his ship.

And here he is on the aft steering deck.

Here’s a picture of him on the Watchman, taking just a second to pose for the camera.

And finally, here he is relaxing on #3 hatch.

Dad was transferred from the Watchman to San Diego, where he attended school at Coronado Island in San Diego.  Little did he know that some day he would have a son, Leroy Michael, who would go through the very same school! Here’s a picture of Leroy, who followed in Dad’s footsteps. I would like to give credit to the person who photographed him, but I don’t know who the photographer was.

After attending school in San Diego, California, Dad left on April 26, 1963, arriving on Midway Island on May 2, 1963. Here’s a picture of  the crew At AUW Compound on Midway Island. Dad is the first person on the left who’s squatting down.

Dad was at Midway Island for 14 months, and was there when I was born (much earlier than anyone expected). Here’s a picture of Mom holding me as a newborn.

Dad spent his off-duty time on Midway Island scuba diving, swimming, and making reel-to-reel videos. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed watching these videos because it me a glimpse into my father’s world. Dad also enjoyed playing with the gooney birds, as well as with Sooner, the very cute dog who was the mascot of Midway Island.

They named him Sooner because he’d sooner do his business indoors than out.

Dad left  Midway Island on July 7, 1964, flying first to Hawaii and then taking an 18 hour flight to Japan where he reported aboard the Graffias AF-29 (a supply ship) at Yokosuka Japan.

While he was there, he was the Storekeeper in charge of cargo hold #1.  On the last day of July, the Graffias sailed for Subic Bay in the Philippines.

When North Vietnamese motor torpedo boats attacked US destroyers Maddox DD-731 and Turner Joy DD-951 in the Gulf of Tonkin on August 4, the Graffias was sent there to help, and Dad and the rest of the crew not only resupplied the two US destroyers which were attacked, but they supplied many other ships of the 7th Fleet. The ship actually ended up setting a record. According to the Naval Historical Center,  the Graffias replenished “supplies at an average rate of 168.9 short tons per hour.” Dad said they got very little sleep during this time, generally working about 18 hours a day.

The Graffias then started making its way back home, and during that trip, she set port in Hong Kong, Yokoska and Pearl Harbor. The ship was also in Sasebo Japan, and pretty much all over the South China Sea.

Dad returned home from Viet Nam, stopping in Hong Kong and Hawaii before finally returning back to San Francisco on November 27, 1964. He was then transferred back to Treasure Island, where he was discharged from active duty on December 2, 1964; however, he then became a part of the Navel Reserves, subject to recall.  He was totally and honorably discharged from the Navy in 1966.

I’m proud of you, Dad,

and I want you to know how much it means to me that you sacrificed so much so you could serve your country.

And thank you also to my uncle Ronald,

my uncle Bobby,

my brother Leroy,

and my grandfather, Michael John (pictured with my Uncle Bobby)

for all the sacrifices you made as well.

Thank you, Dad, for everything you did to protect the United States and our freedoms! It means so much!! Thank you also for telling me about your Navy days! I love hearing the stories! Love you!! sheila

P.S. Thanks also to both you and Mom for the help with the timeline, dates, and stuff like that. Thanks also for scanning the pictures. Speaking of pictures, I have no idea who took these old pictures that are in my parents’ family album. I would like to give credit to the photographers who took them, but I simply have no idea. If anyone knows who took any of the photos, please let me know so I can give proper credit. Thank you.

Today is Ash Wednesday and is the first day of Lent. While I’m not Catholic, I’ve decided to give up sweets for Lent. And I actually started giving up sweets last week instead of waiting until day. I figured there was no need to wait if I was ready.

Okay, now let me clarify ... [read more]]]> Today is Ash Wednesday and is the first day of Lent. While I’m not Catholic, I’ve decided to give up sweets for Lent. And I actually started giving up sweets last week instead of waiting until day. I figured there was no need to wait if I was ready.

Okay, now let me clarify what I mean when I say I’m giving up sweets. By sweets I mean processed sugary treats like cakes, pies, cookies, candies, and other ooey gooey goodies. I’m not giving up fruit though.

There’s no reason for me to do that because fruit is good for me. (By the way, those are dark shadows under the strawberries and not chocolate syrup. Weird…looks like chocolate syrup to me! LOL!)

I’m also not giving up the use of raw honey, raw agave nectar, and raw coconut sap, but I’m also not using those natural sweeteners in large quantities. It’s a start. Small steps…in the right direction.

How’s it been so far? So far so good. Giving up processed sugar isn’t as hard as I thought it would be, although I must say my brain feels like mush this past week. My thinking seems unclear and I feel like I my brain is in a fog. Hopefully as I detox from processed sugar it’ll get better.

I’ve had a couple of headaches in the past week since giving up processed sugar, but at least one of those headaches is probably from not getting enough sleep. And I’ve had one relapse. Three days ago I had a massive headache that I couldn’t get rid of and I also had a sugar craving. I worked a double shift that day at work and didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Anyway, the sugar craving was pretty strong, and I gave in and had two Rice Krispie treats. I guess I rationalized to myself that since Lent hadn’t started, it would be okay to give in.

That’s it though. Well, I did have a white Russian with homemade coffee liqueur which is made from vegan cane sugar. That was about a week ago I think. Okay…so that was actually 2 relapses last week.

But Lent has started today, and I have no intention of relapsing again. I just hope I don’t accidentally forget and eat something sugary. I don’t think I will though. I’ve told the managers at work I’m giving up sweets for Lent and asked them not to offer me candy. They bring us candy on the weekends as a treat, and believe me, whenever I see those chocolates and sweets, it’s hard to pass them up. Actually, that’s where I got the Rice Krispie treats. They were the pre-packaged ones you find in the store. They were wrapped. I decided to take them and save them for after Lent. Not a good move on my part. But I learned from that so it’s all good.

Last week I lost my desire for sweets for a while, but it came back unfortunately…but not strong. My desire for them is not as strong as it was, and I’m ready to let them go. And I will. I’m determined.

For my snack at work, I’ll have fruit like I normally do. On Sundays when I work double shifts, I’ll have a Lara Bar. My favorite is lemon bar. Lara Bars are made with just fruit, nuts, and spices. They’re not even cooked. It’s a raw bar that’ll give me energy and I eat it without indulging in any kind of processed sugar. I like that it doesn’t even contain honey…just fruit. And best of all, they really do taste great!! By the way, I’m not a paid spokesperson or anything like that. I just really love their products.

Lent ends the day before Easter…April 23rd. So I’ve got about a 6-week journey ahead of me. I’m actually looking forward to it. I think it’ll be good for me. And I might even give up processed sugary treats for good. Perhaps it’ll challenge me to make healthier treats, and that would be a positive thing.

Anyway, I’ll keep everyone update on my blog on how it’s going. And if anyway has any stories to share about giving up processed sugar, I’d love to hear from you.

I’ve always loved sweets but there were times in my life I’d go on diets and reluctantly give up all the cherished goodies I loved.

I learned something about myself though. I learned that if I deprive myself of something I really want (like sweets), what happens is I’ll end up going hog wild crazy on ... [read more]]]> I’ve always loved sweets but there were times in my life I’d go on diets and reluctantly give up all the cherished goodies I loved.

I learned something about myself though. I learned that if I deprive myself of something I really want (like sweets), what happens is I’ll end up going hog wild crazy on sweets by eating an unhealthy amount of them.

So if I want something sweet, I eat it. I don’t deprive myself of goodies, but I do try to eat them in moderation.

Anyway, the past week or so I’ve been thinking about giving up refined white sugar for Lent. No…I’m not Catholic…but I didn’t (and still don’t) see that as a problem.

Would it be a problem though to give up refined white sugar during Lent though? Well, I figured if I let myself have raw honey, raw agave nectar, and coconut sap (which I’ve read is a low-glycemic sweetener and which Kemal and I both think tastes great), then I figured I’d probably never even miss the refined sugar.

But I got in the mood to give up refined sugar a few days ago, and in fact, for a couple of days, the only kind of sweetener I had was a little lavender honey in my tea and a little bit of coconut sap in my coffee and sprinkled on some strawberries. I figured why wait until Lent. What’s strange is I wasn’t missing the refined white sugar at all.

But this morning I saw some blueberry jam in my fridge, and I got to thinking it would be good to go ahead and finish it up before Lent. Of course, the blueberry jam would keep just fine until after Lent, and I knew that, but I guess I just wanted some of that jam.

So I decided to make some pancakes…and let me tell you they were very weird pancakes that were inspired by Joy the Baker’s vegan jam swirled pancakes. They’re not anything like her pancakes, but that’s where I got my inspiration.

My weird pancakes were made with quinoa flour, cornmeal, flax meal, shredded zucchini, olive oil, applesauce, oatmeal, oat milk, vanilla, agave nectar, cinnamon, and blueberry jam. They turned out quite tasty even though they didn’t look so tasty.

After making the first batch on the griddle, I added some leftover cooked rice to the batter and those turned out tasty as well. But again…not so pretty.

Anyway, while I liked the taste of my very weird pancakes, something strange happened. I lost my desire for sweets.

I’m not sure why or how this happened, but it did. I even tried 1 spoon of regular sugar in a cup of coffee, and I totally hated it. It was way too sweet for me, and I couldn’t finish my coffee.

The other thing I noticed is I had a strong desire to brush my teeth immediately to get the sugary taste and feel out of my mouth. I don’t really understand this because I love sweets and this has never happened to me before.

So now what? Well…I guess now I just listen to my body. Since I have no desire for sweets, well…it only makes sense to not eat anything sweet. So I’m not…except for fruit. I haven’t lost my desire for fruit at all. A banana later today sounds totally awesome! A juicy orange after dinner sounds delightful. But the thought of cakes, cookies, candies, and chocolate sounds awful.

I can’t believe I’m saying that! I love sweets! I love chocolates! But they just sound so gross to me right now. So I’ll listen to my body and go with flow.

What a weird morning this turned out to be!

I’ve read a lot of excellent reviews about this restaurant, and we finally went there today for lunch. The food was incredibly delicious and the service was over-the-top.  After reading so many positive reviews about the restaurant, I was eager to try it.

The lady who waited on us said they make everything from scratch, including ... [read more]]]> I’ve read a lot of excellent reviews about this restaurant, and we finally went there today for lunch. The food was incredibly delicious and the service was over-the-top.  After reading so many positive reviews about the restaurant, I was eager to try it.

The lady who waited on us said they make everything from scratch, including the yogurt. She said they cook with their homemade yogurt instead of heavy cream, and she even brought us out a small bowl of the yogurt to sample. It was wonderful!!!

In fact, all the food we tried off the buffet was really good…better than the other Indian restaurants we’ve been to.

The cafe is tucked away in the Hikes Point Plaza.

You can’t see it from the road, the building is nothing fancy, and the decor is simple and homey. The prices are quite reasonable, the staff is friendly and helpful, and food is awesome! I sampled a little bit of many of the dishes on the buffet.

Our favorite was the chana masala, which is garbanzo beans cooked with spices and onions. It’s a bit on the hot side which we liked. The yogurt made it creamy and added a beautiful flavor.

The chicken curry was really good, and the tandoori chicken was the best I ever had. I couldn’t believe how moist it was.

The dal…lentils with spices and yogurt, was out-of-this-world incredible! It was perfectly hot and spicy and oh-so-creamy. I so much enjoyed dipping my naan in it!

Speaking of the naan bread, it was a little different from most other naan breads I’ve tried. The lady who waited on us said they put yogurt in the dough, which is what I do when I make it home. The naan was thicker than the naan bread I’ve tried at other Indian Restaurants, but it was fantastic!

I also tried the chicken sagwala which is chicken breast cooked with creamy spinach. The cream sauce is made with the homemade yogurt (not cream), and it’s a very tasty dish.

The vegetable curry and the fried onions were fantastic. I’m not sure what kind of batter the onions were fried in (perhaps a lentil batter?) but it was incredibly good!

The lady who waited on us said they cook everything the way they cook at home, and they certainly do seem to take a lot of pride in their meals and using high quality ingredients. They use only certified halal meat, and rice was perfectly cooked.

We definitely plan to return, and the next time we go we’ll eat at dinner time so we can try some other items that weren’t on the buffet. If you go at dinner time and order off the menu, they will season your food to your likeness. It’s really nice that if you want your meal hotter and spicier, they’ll fix it to order that way for you. Or if you prefer your food milder, they’ll season it that way as well. I just love how everything is made just the way you like it.

When we go at dinner, we’re interested in trying the baigan bharta which is eggplant sauteed with tomatoes, onions, and spices. And we also want to try masala dosa, which is rice and lentil crepes with sicy potatoes. I’m also interested in trying the lamb curry, lamb korma (lamb simmered in mild yogurt sauce), and the lamb vindaloo (lamb simmered with spicy potatoes).

If you like India food or have also wanted to try it but haven’t, we highly recommend the Little India Cafe at the Hikes Point Plaza in Louisville, Ky, right off Breckinridge Lane.

They’re closed on Mondays. On weekdays, the buffet is 7.95 and weekends it’s $9.95. I believe they serve the buffet until 3 p.m. If you want to call them to be sure, their phone number is 502-479-3353.

Update: We’ve back to the Little India Cafe several times since I wrote this review, and every time we’ve been, the food has continued to be outstanding.

While the food on the buffet is quite good, we prefer the dinner menu because the food is even better!

The vegetable samosas make for a wonderful appetizer! They’re crisp on the outside and filled with soft vegetables and spices on the inside. The tamarind chutney and cilantro chutney they’re served with make excellent dipping sauces!

We also ordered chicken saagwala (served with rice and a piece of naan bread) which features soft, tender chicken in creamy, pureed spinach. You order it mild, hot, or Indian hot, and we ordered our Indian hot. It was perfect, and we enjoyed ours with garlic naan bread which was scrumptious! Without a doubt we’ll be ordering this again!

The lentil rice crepes (masala dosa) that we ordered off the menu were also quite tasty, and the inside is filled with soft vegetables and spices. It’s served with a chutney that contains coconut and mustard (among other things), and it was also very good. The lentil rice crepes come with a small bowl of lentil soup which was light yet full of flavor, and both the saagwala and the lentil rice crepes are big portion sizes so it’s a definite value for your money.

The owner stopped by again to chat with us to make sure everything was to our liking, and one of the ladies in the kitchen cooking brought us a sample of lamb biryani (a fragrant rice dish with lamb). It was so incredibly delicious! The owner said that a group of people living in Lexington come to the cafe every Friday just to order this dish.

While we were much too full to order dessert, the thick, pulpy mango juice was our sweet treat to finish off the meal. It’s the best mango juice I’ve every had! We’re hardly waiting to go back and sample more of their excellent home-cooked meals!

Mom makes beautiful comforters and quilts.

We have them on our bed.

Each patchwork  is sewn with love

and lots of tiny threads.

At night they keep us warm

as we snuggle underneath.

They’re so pretty on the outside

and soft and cozy while we sleep ... [read more]]]> Mom makes beautiful comforters and quilts.

We have them on our bed.

Each patchwork  is sewn with love

and lots of tiny threads.

At night they keep us warm

as we snuggle underneath.

They’re so pretty on the outside

and soft and cozy while we sleep beneath.

A quilt is more than just a covering

When it’s sewed with love and care.

It’s a cherished gift from the heart…

one beyond compare.

Thanks so much, Mom, for all the beautiful comforters and quilts you’ve made us over the years! Here’s some of your beautiful handiwork I want to show off. The pictures don’t do them justice, but here they are.

This first one is the most recent quilt Mom made for us this year for Christmas. It’s Kemal’s favorite, and I just love it too! It’s hard for me to choose a favorite though.

Mom also prettied up the pillowcases by sewing on them, and then Kemal found a set of zebra sheets that matched perfectly with the zebra fabric you see in the quilt. Aren’t they great!

And here’s the purple, pink, blue, and green quilt Mom made us the year before. I love all the bright colors, and especially the purple…one of my favorite colors. Here’s a picture I took of myself with my quilt.

And here’s a picture Mom and Dad took of it on their bed before they sent it to me.

This beautiful gold and blue quilt is one that we snuggle up with on the sofa at night.

You can see the same quilt on Mom and Dad’s bed before they sent it to me.

I love the red/white/pink one underneath it too.

Anyway, I keep this gold and blue quilt in the living room, and we use it nearly every day…even in the summer. I tend to fall asleep frequently on the sofa while we’re watching television, but before I nod off, I always grab this quilt to cover up with with.

For many, many years, our bedroom was decorated in rose, sea green, and soft yellow tones. Mom made us two different comforters in those colors:

Uh…sorry about the wrinkles in the comforter above. I’ve had that comforter folded up and put away since the end of last winter. I guess I need to iron it, huh!

Anyway, those are the quilts Mom has made for us over the years. She also made the baskets you see on the nightstands in the photos.

She and Dad are both very talented. Dad does wonderful work in the wood shop, and makes a lot of beautiful things.

And besides baskets, Mom paints, does stained glass, and just about every kind of craft imaginable. I’ll show off some of Mom and Dad’s handiwork later.

Anyway, I hope to one day make a quilt myself. I’ve never tried before, but I definitely would be interested in learning how. Perhaps one day I will.

How about you? What’s your talent? Are you good at knitting, crocheting, quilting, photography, wood-working, writing, cake decorating, cooking or painting? Do you  play an instrument or are you good at singing?

Me…I think my talent is bread-baking. I know I’m tootin’ my own horn, but I’m really, really good at it…except for making a successful sourdough starter that is.

Kemal is really good at 3-D art and photography. I’m getting better at photography but still have a ways to go.

Anyway, everyone is talented at something. I’m curious what your talent is. Go ahead…toot your own horn a little and tell me. *toot toot*

Let’s face it…we all have flops. We all try recipes that fail for whatever reason. We all make critical errors that lead to fatal flaws in what we hoped would be an outstanding success. It happens. We live and we learn.

We just have to dust ourselves off and try again. Analyze what went wrong and ... [read more]]]> Let’s face it…we all have flops. We all try recipes that fail for whatever reason. We all make critical errors that lead to fatal flaws in what we hoped would be an outstanding success. It happens. We live and we learn.

We just have to dust ourselves off and try again. Analyze what went wrong and why. Figure out what we might do differently next time to ensure success. Most importantly, we don’t give up.

During the past year, I had some flops. There were a few things I made that went straight to the garbage can. There were a few other dishes I made that were edible but not-so-good. And there were a few things I tried that turned out okay but definitely need a lot more work.

Without further adieu, here they are…my cooking flops and failures  in 2010.

1. Pomegranate Molasses Hard Candy

Jolly ranchers they’re not. They turned out okay…but that’s about it. I wasn’t happy with the texture. I wanted them smooth…not bumpy. I’m still not sure what I did wrong, but I intend to research this so I can determine how to get a smooth texture.

In terms of flavor…well…they’re not bad, but they tasted too much like molasses. Duh…I made them with molasses but I didn’t expect such a strong molasses taste. I thought they would have more of a pomegranate flavor. Okay…so I learned that if you don’t want a molasses flavor, don’t use molasses…use an extract instead. At least they look cute individually wrapped.

I’m sending them to my Dad who love molasses. I don’t know if he’ll like them or not, but who knows. They might taste better than a cough drop. Maybe?? LOL! If you don’t like them Dad, don’t worry…just pitch them.

The color of my candy was also inconsistent. Some were darker in color while others were lighter. I think the problem is that the syrup on the bottom of the pan was a little overcooked. Next time, I’ll cook the syrup on low instead of between low and medium and see if that does the trick.

2. Giant Lollipops

Only one lollipop that I made didn’t fall off the stick after they cooled and I loosened them from the pan. Here’s the sole survivor:

Unfortunately, it curled up and broke about 30 minutes after I photographed it.

The lesson I learned is to start with smaller lollipops first before trying to make the giant ones. I also need to make sure that I cover the stick with a thick enough layer of syrup to make sure it’ll adhere.

3.  Sourdough starter using potato water

While the first batch of sourdough bread I made turned out great!

However, when I tried to make a second batch of bread using the potato water starter, my dough failed to rise. I had to throw it in the garbage. I’m not sure why the potato water starter worked the first time but not the second time since I followed the instructions on the recipe, but I’m going to give it another try in 2011 and see what happens. Maybe it was just a fluke?

4.  Sourdough starter using wild grapes

Instead of using wild grapes from a vineyard, I used organic red grapes from the grocery store. I didn’t think it would make much of a difference, so I crushed them up and let them ferment. Here’s a picture I took right after I crushed my grapes.

Well, apparently using wild grapes is the key because this sourdough starter totally flopped and went directly into the trash can. Live and learn. Maybe one day I’ll get my hands on some wild grapes and try again.

5.  Sourdough starter…this time purchased at a gift shop in Oregon.

I purchased the dry ingredients for a sourdough starter at a gift shop in Oregon. All that was necessary was to follow the instructions on the package. Sounds easy, but unfortunately, the instructions were incomplete. It didn’t say whether the starter was to be refrigerated or left out. So I called the gift shop, and they had no idea. In the end, my sourdough starter failed. The dough went in the trash, and my money went down the drain. That’s life I reckon.

6.  Spiked Frozen Yogurt Cereal Bars

I was experimenting, and this was a cross between a cereal bar and ice cream.

It had all the ingredients I loved…Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur, bananas, raisins, Greek yogurt, and puffed rice cereal…but it was a flop because frozen puffed rice cereal is kind of gross. It doesn’t stay crispy. Okay…yeah…maybe that would have been obvious to you, but it didn’t cross my mind when I was making it.

The other issue is that I put too much booze in it. It was so strong that it tasted kind of gross. So yeah…these went in the trash bin.

7. Amish Sour Cream Bread

I followed the recipe precisely but it was a very dry, crumbly bread. We ate it but didn’t like it very much.

8. Beer Bread

It was late one night. We were out of bread and needed some quickly for our dinner.

We had no buttermilk in the fridge to make biscuits. We also were out of yogurt so I couldn’t make naan bread which requires no rising time. Neither one of us felt like going to the store to buy bread so I found a beer bread recipe online and made it.

The recipe got rave reviews; however, we found the bread to be way, way too sweet. We ate it, reluctantly, with our dinner and threw the rest away. It was just way too cake-like.

So those are my flops and failures of 2010. You win some; you lose some.

My resolutions for 2011:

1.   Successfully make a sourdough starter.

2.   Make a hard candy, like lemon drops, that have not only a beautiful flavor, but also a nice, smooth texture.

3.  Make fondant for the first time.

4.  Learn how to make smaller batches, especially when it comes to cakes.

5.  Drink less coffee.

Nah…scratch that. Three cups a day isn’t so bad for me, is it? Heck no! I’m gonna enjoy my caffeine in 2011!!!

How ’bout you? What are your New Year’s resolutions?

We don’t eat out at many restaurants. Frankly, we like our own cooking better than we do most restaurant food. One exception is the Shiraz Mediterranean Grill on North Hurstbourne Parkway here in Louisville.

The food there is so incredibly delicious that I think we could eat every day and never get tired of it. The ... [read more]]]> We don’t eat out at many restaurants. Frankly, we like our own cooking better than we do most restaurant food. One exception is the Shiraz Mediterranean Grill on North Hurstbourne Parkway here in Louisville.

The food there is so incredibly delicious that I think we could eat every day and never get tired of it. The char-grilled kabobs with tsatsiki sauce are the best we’ve ever had. The chicken absolutely melts in your mouth and contains no antibiotics in the meat. The beef is tender and tasty, the salmon is delicate and delicious, and the vegetables are fresh and flavorful. The eggplant has a smoky taste and is the best eggplant I’ve ever had. And the Footosh Salad, Shiraz Rolls, and falafel are fantastic as well!

If you’re vegetarian, you will have plenty of different things to choose from, and if you’re a meat lover, you’ll have plenty of choices as well. They even have a kids’ menu if you have little ones with tiny appetites.

Kemal and I always seem to have huge appetites when we go go there. It seriously difficult for us to go there and just order one meal apiece, and to be perfectly honest, we rarely do that. Most generally we each order two meals and then split everything up. And the thing is, the serving sizes at Shiraz are extremely generous. They’re big meals, but we still order two meals each. We seriously just can’t help ourselves. We eat like little piggies when we go there because everything is just so scrumptious!

As far as service is concerned, it’s excellent. We’ve been going to Shiraz now since they first opened, and we’ve never had any problems or complaints. Mo, the owner, has always made us feel very welcome, and every time we go there he takes good care of us. Once he gave us some two individual sized cakes that were made by a local baker. On another occasion when he found out it was Kemal’s birthday, he gave us each a piece of baklava, which I must admit is just as good as the baklava we make at home. Then when we brought my parents to the restaurant when they came into town, he not only brought over a sampler of sides and salads for them to try, but he also brought us each a piece of baklava after we finished dinner. And Mo always takes time to talk to us. He comes out to the table to make sure that everything tastes great, and yes…it always does!

We find it hard to stay away from such great food, and with its low prices, we can treat ourselves here and still stay within our budget. Click here to see their menu, as well as other Louisville locations. Our personal favorites are the chicken, beef, and vegetable kabobs, the Shiraz rolls, falafel, Footosh Salad, eggplant, grilled salmon, and their hummus is excellent as well.

While out west, I noticed that some businesses in California and Arizona had bathroom doors which were kept locked. This is something that I haven’t seen in Kentucky so I found it odd when Kemal and I went into a business establishment while in San Francisco to purchase beverages and found the bathrooms locked when ... [read more]]]> While out west, I noticed that some businesses in California and Arizona had bathroom doors which were kept locked. This is something that I haven’t seen in Kentucky so I found it odd when Kemal and I went into a business establishment while in San Francisco to purchase beverages and found the bathrooms locked when we went to use them. The door had a keypad entry lock, so we went to the counter and asked the cashier about getting access to the bathroom.

After giving us the code, we inquired why they keep the restrooms locked. The clerk said they want to keep homeless people out because they mess up the bathrooms. I couldn’t believe they could be so heartless! Homeless people have it hard enough being without shelter, let alone without a place to relieve themselves.

Kentucky’s not like this…at least the parts of Kentucky that I lived in and visited. There aren’t locks on bathroom doors to prevent certain people from using them. There are some places with signs that say “No public restrooms,” but there have been times I had to go so bad that I asked to use their restroom despite posted “no public restrooms” signs. I’ve never been turned away yet.

When I worked as a resident manager at a center for homeless women, I learned first-hand just what difficult lives these women had and also how some people pre-judge them because they happen to be homeless. Some folks say that homeless people should just get jobs, but ironically, most of the women who were living temporarily in the homeless center I worked at were working.

Despite their employment, some of the women I met were living so far below the poverty level that they simply couldn’t afford deposits on apartments and deposits to get their electricity turned on. Some of them simply didn’t have enough money every month to be able to afford to pay for rent and electricity because they were earning such meager wages. Others had poor credit and couldn’t secure an apartment to lease because their credit references and credit history weren’t good. With long waiting lists for subsidized housing they can afford, they end up having no where to turn if they don’t have friends and/or family who will take them in.

Homeless people come from all walks of life, and while there are many homeless people who are holding down jobs, some of them are unemployed and/or disabled. Some are dealing with addictions while others are coping with mental illness. Some are victims of domestic violence while others are victims of job “downsizing” that can come about as a result of a depressed economy.

Many homeless people are children. The agency I worked for also had a shelter for homeless families, and like the women’s shelter I worked at, they always had a long waiting list so many people, many of whom included children, were on the streets without shelter, without running water, and without access to bathroom facilities to relieve themselves and to clean themselves. They survive by using whatever restrooms they can find to wash up and relieve themselves, and they can use these same restrooms to at least get fresh water to drink.

The homeless people who are unemployed aren’t going to have much of a chance to get a job if they don’t have a way to clean up. Who will hire them if they go into a job interview (if they’re fortunate enough to get one) not looking/smelling clean and fresh? How can they even get cleaned up enough to have a chance at a job if all the area businesses lock their bathrooms and only give access to persons who’ve made a purchase? It’s a vicious cycle.

Certain members of society snub their noses on homeless people, assuming they’re homeless because they’re too lazy to work. But hard-working people can and do become homeless. If they’re unemployed and looking for a job, how can they have a fighting chance to re-enter the workforce if they don’t even have bathrooms to relieve themselves and if they don’t have access to soap and water to clean themselves?

It’s just so tragic that so many men, women, and children are without shelter, and when I realized that there are businesses that lock their bathroom doors to keep out homeless people, I was both saddened and disappointed. Life can be terribly hard for people who don’t have a roof over their heads and place to call home, and when they don’t have bathroom facilities, it makes their lives even more difficult. It’s a tragic situation.

Flurries filled the air.

It was magical and sweet.

until we had sleet,

followed by snow.

The encore was freezing rain,

followed by more snow.

The trees froze.

Their branches,

heavy with ice and snow,

strained, cracked,

and sunk to the ground,

making a deafening sound.

They snapped and broke,

Heavy from the weight of the ice.

the branches came down,

the limbs flew around,

while the power lines dropped

and split ... [read more]]]> Flurries filled the air.

It was magical and sweet.

until we had sleet,

followed by snow.

The encore was freezing rain,

followed by more snow.

The trees froze.

Their branches,

heavy with ice and snow,

strained, cracked,

and sunk to the ground,

making a deafening sound.

They snapped and broke,

Heavy from the weight of the ice.

the branches came down,

the limbs flew around,

while the power lines dropped

and split apart.

Then the wind blew.

The surviving branches were few.

The sun came out,

but the temperatures dropped.

The hazardous weather

made every day life grind to a halt.

Maybe when the ice melts

and the snow stops

the sun will grace us

with warm rain drops.

Spring…it’s only a dream.

–written on Jan 28, 2009, a few hours after our car was hit by two huge branches, resulting in over $4,000 damage. Here are a couple of pictures that Kemal took:

My brother’s daughter, Jessica, just delivered a beautiful little girl into the world only a few minutes ago!! Isabella is 8 pounds 7 ounces, is 20 inches long, and she has the cutest chubby cheeks!!! Welcome to the world Isabella!!!!!

Jessica and Isabella are both doing fine. Jessica’s in recovery right now (she had ... [read more]]]> My brother’s daughter, Jessica, just delivered a beautiful little girl into the world only a few minutes ago!! Isabella is 8 pounds 7 ounces, is 20 inches long, and she has the cutest chubby cheeks!!! Welcome to the world Isabella!!!!!

Jessica and Isabella are both doing fine. Jessica’s in recovery right now (she had an emergency C-section), and all the family members at the hospital are taking turns holding Isabella and saying hello to her. Here’s my brother holding his beautiful granddaughter:

Well, Isabella doesn’t look so happy here, but she’s still cute as a button!

Here’s another picture of Isabella with a sweet smile:

Isn’t she a doll !!!!!!!

I’m not exactly sure who took the pictures, but it was either a member of the family or a friend of the family who’s at the hospital with my brother and his daughter. I think Jennifer, a family member, took at least one of the photos. I’ll have to credit the right person later.

Anyway, congratulations Jessica and Richard on the birth of your beautiful little girl, congratulations to my brother on the birth of his first grandchild, and congratulations are also in order to my parents because this is their first great-grandchild. And well…I’m a great-aunt for the first time, and I sure am happy and excited about it!!!