A Meal Even 300 Year Old Monks Would Love

Well, yesterday was a bust since we didn't do anything very exciting, but we did drive around L.A. for a little bit and wound up at Barnes & Noble for a few hours sipping lattes and catching up on the gossip mags. I didn't mind though, since bookstores are my very favorite places to be.

Dinner was a treat though. I made the Chicken Frangelico, but with a slight alteration. Since we're not allowed to have liquor in the truck, instead of using actual Frangelico, I used Torani Hazelnut flavored syrup. And instead of the sage and brown butter (didn't get out to buy sage) I made a hazelnut cream sauce instead. OMG, I think it may have actually been better!

The Frangelico web site says, "Frangelico is a traditional hazelnut liqueur – enjoyed neat, over ice, with coffee or in a wide variety of stylish cocktails. Produced in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, its origins date back more than 300 years to the presences of early Christian monks living in the hills of that area. Its name is part of local legend – an abbreviation of Fra. Angelico, a hermit monk believed to have inhabited the magnificent Piedmont hills during the 17th century." But it doesn't just taste good in coffee and cocktails!

Here's the recipe: (sorry Sheila, it is a chicken recipe!)

Chicken Frangelico

THE INGREDIENTS
Boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded thin
Salt & Pepper
Frangelico or Hazelnut flavored syrup
Olive Oil
Butter
Heavy Cream (1 pint)
Fresh Mushrooms (sliced)
Pasta (I would use a tubular pasta [penne, rigatoni] or a pasta that will catch the sauce [radiatore, spirals, gemelli, fusilli, orrechiette] because it's light enough to just get stuck in the holes. I used mini-raviolis filled with butternut squash*. You should too!)

THE PROCESS
I have realized that if I plan on posting recipes, I'm going to have to get with providing some actual measurements. I don't measure when I cook, so it might be difficult for me. I'm going to estimate for the sake of this recipe. Wing it if you dare!

1. Coat the bottom of your frying pan with olive oil and add a nice big hunk of butter (3 tablespoons?).

2. Salt and pepper both sides if your chicken breast and put them in pan; cook until golden brown. No, I don't know how long. You know what golden brown is, right? If you're not sure, cut one of the thickest ones open and see if it looks done.

3. In a smaller, separate frying pan, add butter and olive oil (just to coat the bottom of the pan). When melted, throw in your mushrooms, salt and pepper them a teensy bit and then saute until you smell the mushroomy-ness of them and they look as if they've "wilted" a bit. You'll know when they're done, and when they are, just set them aside.

4. When your chicken is almost done, get your macaroni water boiling and keep an eye on it so you can have the pasta and the sauce part done about the same time, depending on what kind of pasta you're using. The mini-ravioli required 15 minutes, but most pasta requires less.

5. When your chicken is done, take it out of the pan and set it aside, keeping it hot if you can. Since I don't have a lot of room in the truck, I just wrapped it in tin foil, which worked. Deglaze (adding liquid and stirring to remove the bit of brown bits on the bottom of the pan) your pan with the Frangelico (or hazelnut syrup) by putting about 1/2 cup of the liqueur in the pan. If you're using actual liquor, you might want to use more since it does cook down.

6. After this step, check your pasta, which should almost be done. Now add the pint of heavy cream to the frying pan. Cook until the cream started to bubble, then add your mushrooms back in - you don't want your mushrooms to cook with the entire time because you don't want your sauce to taste too mushroomy.

7. Once the pasta is done, drain it and throw it back into the pot it was cooking in. Then dump all of the sauce in the frying pan into that pot and toss it with your pasta. At this point, I'm really hoping you could get squash ravioli since the combination of the hazelnut and the butternut squash is amaaaaaazing.

8. Then, plate your meal. A piece or two of chicken on each plate, a nice mound of mini-raviolis (or your pasta choice) on the side, and then a very light sprinkle of parsley for some color.

Voila! Truly delicious. The monks would be proud.

Click HERE for a printable version of the recipe.


* Because Jeni asked, this is the pasta I used and this is where I got it.

Sleeping Atop Signal Hill

Last night, Eddie and I settled in for the evening atop Signal Hill in California. The hill, which rises 365 feet above the surrounding city of Long Beach, was named so because the local Tongva Indians used it for signal fires that could be seen throughout the surrounding area and even out to Catalina Island, 26 miles away.

We thought it was odd to see all the oil pumpjacks in the city. Everywhere you looked, you'd see one. In the oddest places too; next to a residential home, near a park, next to a gas station. They were everywhere, even right in the parking lot of the Home Depot where we were parked.

The photo above is courtesy of the Atlantic Richfield Company and was taken in 1932, when Signal Hill was at the height of its oil production. This area produced over over 900 million barrels of oil by 1980. This made Signal Hill one of the most productive fields per acre the world has ever known.

Today we have a free day and haven't decided what we're going to do (if anything) but these are some of our ideas:

~ Go to the Los Angeles Boat Show (Ed might really enjoy this)
~ Drive by my old place of employment, The Century Plaza Hotel and then continue on to show Eddie where I used to live, right in the vicinity of Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood; an area the old Jewish woman I used to live with said was 75% gay and 25% Jewish. I didn't fall into either group, but it was a cool little neighborhood!
~ Stalk the 51st Grammy Awards, which is being held at the Staples Center and if we go to the boat show, we'll be right in the neighborhood - maybe we'll see some stars!
~ Hit the Santa Monica Pier again (we were there last night) if it doesn't rain.
~ Shop. (This option is the most likely one)

I will report tomorrow on what we did. Likely I'll just be posting another recipe for the delicious meal I have planned; Chicken Frangelico served with Butternut Squash Mini Ravioli in a sage and hazenlut brown butter sauce. Oh my God, I can't even wait!

Ocean Front Crowd

Venice Beach, California. Today we walked along Ocean Front Walk, checking out the shops in Venice Beach: typical t-shirt, sunglass and bong stores. There were quite a number of people out even though it was probably a little cool for the Californians.

I haven't been here in over fifteen years and back then, I didn't walk the whole "boardwalk" area. I do remember there being a lot of strange people and that hasn't changed. There were a lot of homeless people though. A LOT. And if this was the winter crowd, I can only imagine what comes out in the summer.

Eddie It's My Birthday! It's My Birthday! Friday

Today is Eddie's 34th birthday! We celebrated by spending the entire day at the port in Los Angeles, which was not at all our plan. Don't you all wish you were here? Apparently, LA County is expecting a lot of rain (and possibly mud) as they are under a flood watch. Oh, joy. I don't think we got the pontoon option on our truck; I hope we don't wake up floating in the Pacific.

While we were waiting, I baked him a Devil's Food cake in the convection microwave. Did you hear me? I BAKED A CAKE. In a truck. How freakin' great is that???

We haven't eaten it yet (I have frosting, decorations and candles to adorn it) but while it was cooking, it smelled so delicious I thought I was going to burn my nose from pressing it up against the glass trying to get a closer look. It's not from scratch, as I used a boxed mix, but it cooked up really nicely and I'm very excited at the prospect of doing more baking.

So join me in wishing Eddie a happy 34th...

You may sing now if you'd like.

Desktop Material

I took this picture at the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio. It makes a great desktop wallpaper. Go ahead, I give you permission to steal it.

Buona Sera King Louis

When I was younger, I grew up hearing a lot of Louis Prima. There wasn't anyone in our family who didn't know the words to Buona Sera, Just A Gigolo or Angelina & Zooma Zooma.

His music was usually upbeat, always fun and included many lyrics in reference to his Italian heritage which made it easy for us to identify with what he was talking about. Watch him here with Gia Maione:

I have Louis Prima's Capitol Collector Series on my iPod. I often listen to it when driving at night. It lifts the spirit and make the hours fly by. See some of the infectious chemistry between Louis Prima and Keely Smith:

More of them here singing Hey Boy, Hey Girl and then a real special treat; Louis Prima, Keely Smith and Frank Sinatra! Watch Keely trying to "break in" on these two:

Louis Prima has so many fun songs. Some of my favorites are: There'll Be No Next Time (I love Sam Butera in this one!), 5 months, 2 weeks, 2 days, The Lip (you'll find yourself singing along) and Lazy River. Eddie really likes Banana Split For My Baby and I find him singing when it's on. Check out the lyrics to that one below - if you click on the link, you can follow along:

Banana split for my baby,
A glass of plain water for me.
Banana split for my baby,
Glass of plain water for me

Dispenser Man, if you please
Serve my chick a mess of calories

Banana split for my baby,
A glass of plain water for me.

Flip back the lid, scoop anything in sight,
Make it a rainbow of red, brown and white
Chocolate chip and everything that’s nice,
Tutti Frutti once and spumoni twice

Banana split for my baby,
And a glass of plain water for me.

Spread the whipped cream for at least an hour
Pile it as high as the Eiffel Tower
Load it with nuts, about sixteen ton
Top it with a pizza just for fun

Banana split for my baby,
A glass of plain water for me.
Banana split for my baby,
A glass of plain water for me.
Stack her up with crazy goop
Cause that’s the stuff she likes to wade through

Banana split for my baby,
A glass of plain water for me.

Now add the cherries, the kind she likes to munch,
Skip one banana use the whole darn bunch
Drown it in fudge, six or seven cans,
give her two spoons, she'll use both hands

Banana split for my baby,
And a glass of plain water for me.

Separate checks, It must be
Charge the split to her, the water to me

Oh, the banana split’s for my baby,
A glass of plain water’s for me.
Ain't got no money
The glass of plain water’s for me!

Anyone who is a fan will remember his 1936 hit Sing, Sing, Sing and also his movie debut in the movie The Jungle Book as the high spirited orangutan King Louie, where he sings I Wanna Be Like You. See the actual movie footage here.

This is some really fantastic music and listening to it not only brings a smile to my face, it reminds me of my heritage and the family members that made this part of my life.

Taking The Peas For A Ride In A Cozy Little Shell

Another recipe from the road and another family favorite. Can you tell we ate a lot of macaroni/pasta* when we were growing up?

Pasta e Piselli (Pasta and Peas)

THE INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, diced
1 can (6 oz.) Tomato Paste
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1 box (1 lb.) of pasta (I use medium shells because I like the way the peas get caught in the shell, but you can use any small pasta)

THE PROCESS
1. In your macaroni pot, start boiling the water for your pasta. Open the can of tomato paste and the peas and set them aside.

2. In a saucepan, coat the bottom with olive oil. Put your onions in and brown them. You don’t have to get them ALL brown, but a few brown pieces add nicely to the flavor because they get sweeter as they caramelize.

3. Once the onions are browned, put in your can of tomato paste. Use the empty can to add three cans of water to the pot. Stir until the tomato paste is smooth and nice and liquidy. The tomatoes will probably make this salty enough and there is salt in your macaroni water, so I usually just add pepper. If you like your blood pressure nice and high, add as much salt as you want.

4. Let that pot simmer while you throw your pasta in the boiling water.

5. Just before the pasta is done, throw your can of peas into the pot with the tomatoes. You don’t want the peas to be in there too long or they’ll get mushy. Unless you’re teething, you don’t want them mushy.

6. When the macaroni is done, drain and throw it back into your big pot.

7. Dump the saucepan of tomato sauce and peas into your pasta and stir until it’s all mixed up. Watch how some of the peas jump into the little crevices of the shells. Isn’t that cool??

8. OK….now go eat!

* I'll be using the words pasta and macaroni interchangeably. It's too hard for me to stick with one word all the way through.

Click HERE for a printable version of the recipe.

LL Cool E

Do you know who James Todd Smith is?

Do you know who LL Cool J is?

Of course you do. It's James Todd Smith. Same guy. James Todd Smith was dubbed LL Cool J, the name stands for "Ladies Love Cool James".

Well it seems the ladies also love LL Cool E; my Eddie. Or should I say they love his hair? My cousin thinks he looks like a hippie and I have to sit on my hands not to want to get up and give him the Warrior Braid everyday, but everyone else comments left and right on how much they love it.

He came out of the truck detailing shop today and said that two of the girls in there were going on and on about how much they loved his hair. It seems the curls are quite popular with the ladies. I have to admit, I love them myself and I keep begging him to let me use my flat iron on them to see how long the hair actually is, but so far, he's resisted. If and when I get that picture, you know I'll be posting it!

Until then, I guess I just have to deal with the fact that the Ladies Love Cool Eddie and I have to sit on my hands every time I glimpse the curls bouncing on the top of his head.

Remembering

(my brother videotaping me while I was photographing him)

Three years ago today my father died. Oddly, I didn't wake up this morning remembering that fact, but then it came to me. Then I forgot about it again; until my mother reminded me. Then I forgot again; until I saw my brother.

It was obvious by his eyes that he hadn't forgotten. Not even for a minute.

We talked about it briefly, getting interrupted by children and family and never really finished talking. But I was at his house on this day and being there was wonderful. It really was a fluke since we never know where we'll be and although we were trying to get back home, we didn't know it'd turn out to be on this date. The day went beautifully though.

When we first pulled up in the driveway, my brother and the boys were waiting for us, all clad in their Steelers jerseys. The boys were hooting and hollering and jumping up and down, pumping their arms to get us to blow the air horn as my brother was filming our arrival. It was the first time any of them would be seeing our truck.

After we gave them all the grand tour and the boys took turns checking out all the guages, the air horn and oddly, the bathroom, we went inside to scarf some pre-game snacks. My sister-in-law had prepared a great meal, the smells of which smacked us in the face the moment we entered through the front door. The aroma got all stuck in my nose and pulled me into the kitchen. I was ready to dive in at that moment!

Everyone was ready for the big game. I'm not a big football fan, but if I root for anyone, it's the Steelers. And my rooting is unlike anyone else's rooting; I do it silently. Why? Because I really don't care about sports. Have you not read my 25 Things??

That said, I cheer for the Steelers because my two cousins bleed black and gold. And because of their love for the team (I think both of them would leave their wives for Ben Roethlisberger), I have come to root for them by sheer family association.

Now my nephews are die-hard Steelers fans, and the oldest one even has a Terrible Towel. God help us all. And because of them (three boys under the age of 10) I have to pretend to like football. Just a little. So I took my plate of wings, my Diet Coke and my chips and salsa and I sat in the vicinity of the screen, looking up from the pages of Oprah Home magazine and giving my little victory smile at all the right moments. They were easily snookered. I even know some of the guys names, although I jokingly called Roethlisberger "Cheeseburger" and Palomalu, "Palmolive". This got a few laughs.

My father wasn't a huge football fan either, but he was a fan of food and parties, so I think he would have been pleased. And I think he would have loved the truck. What we realized as we thought back on that day in 2006 when we were all together in New York the weekend of his death, was that the Steelers won the Super Bowl that year. And then they won this year. Hmmm. An odd thing to connect, but somehow, the remembering wasn't as sad.

I'm wearing my father's bathrobe right now as I type this; I laugh at how I look in it, but then I smile when I remember how he did.

To look back a little more, here is my post about that day in 2006 and then me remembering him again in 2007. And then completely off the "death theme", the post about the perky ass in 2008 who fitted my boyfriend for his new glasses.

Glad I didn't go all depresso three years in a row!

If Only I Could Fit All Of This Information On A Bumper Sticker...

** NOTE:  This post is for the truck we owned from 2009 to 2020.  For information on our new truck, see this post. **

These are most of the questions we asked when shopping for our truck and the ones most people ask when they see someone driving something like it:

1. What kind of truck is that and how big is your sleeper?
Our truck is a Freightliner Coronado and it has a 132” sleeper on it. In the trucking industry, sleeper sizes are measured in inches. So for those who are math challenged - 132” translates into 11 feet of sleeper space. Our old truck had a 48” sleeper! You can say we sort of feel like we’ve purchased a “McMansion”.

2. What kind of engine do you have in that thing?
This truck has a Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine – a DDEC V – which we just call a “D-Deck 5”. The engine has 515 horsepower, is the biggest one in its class, and is specifically made to haul heavy loads and take hills without any problems. It’s a pretty powerful engine!!

3. How many gears/speeds does it have?
This truck has 13 speeds – our old truck had 10. It has a different shifting pattern with a low and high range in every gear over fourth gear. I thought it was going to be difficult to master, but it’s ten times easier than the other truck and I’m already a pro! OK, so I’m semi-pro.

4. What kind of fuel mileage do you get and do you use more fuel since it’s heavier?
We’re getting around 6 miles to the gallon and no, we don’t use more fuel. Our weight in this truck with the trailer is the same as our old one.

5. What’s inside the sleeper?
In the sleeper, we have the following comforts of home:  Toilet/Shower combination, Refrigerator/Freezer, Convection Microwave, Extra-deep sink, medicine cabinet, 32” flat panel TV, DVD player, surround sound, bed/dinette table, faux wood floors, a Fantastic Fan, roof A/C, two hanging clothes closets (one of which Ed made into a pantry by adding shelves – awesome!), tinted windows, a back door that has a screen door included for those balmy summer nights, and a “porch light” over the back door with a grab handle that lights up at night.

These photos were taken from the ARI Legacy Sleepers brochure (the people who made our sleeper!) but it’s exactly what our truck looks like inside except that our walls are a taupe color instead of the lighter color in this photo.

6. How much water do your tanks hold for showers, etc.?
We have a 40 gallon water tank to use for showers and the kitchen sink. We have a 7 gallon tank to flush the toilet. Once we use up both of those water supplies, we have to go to a truck stop or RV park to fill up with more fresh water and to dump the wastewater tank. In addition, we carry two 5-gallon jugs of bottled water which connect to a spigot on our sink so we always have fresh drinking water.

7. How do all of those electronics and appliances get power?
We have a 7,500 watt Onan generator. It runs everything in the truck. The only thing I was worried about was the air conditioning, but so far, so good. We’ll have to see how it works when it really gets hot out though.

8. Can I see inside?
We had this question asked on the first day we moved our stuff in – I guess we’ll have to get used to it - but I don’t mind, so c’mon in!

9. How heavy is your truck?
The tractor alone, with ¼ tank of fuel weighs 24,580 lbs. The tractor and trailer, with ¼ tank fuel weighs 35,400 lbs. Our old truck and trailer weighed 33,500 lbs. – so even though our truck is now much larger, we didn’t put on too much weight.

10. How much can you scale?
Legally, we can still only go up to 80,000 GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) total without permits. The heaviest load we can haul right now is 45,000 lbs. which leaves our options pretty open. Most of the loads we haul are much less than that weight anyway, so it shouldn't prevent us from taking the loads we really want.

11. What do you haul?
We can haul everything we’ve hauled before.

12. How long is your truck?
Our total length now is 75’ long. Before buying this sleeper, we were only 65’ long.

13. Can you still go everywhere you used to go?
So far, no problems. We’ve asked other drivers we’ve seen with these big sleepers if they’ve had any trouble getting in and out of places and they’ve all said “None at all”. We’ve been told it takes a little getting used to and although this truck is bigger, it has a tighter turning radius than our other truck, which will helps with getting in and out of places.

14. How long is your wheelbase?
This truck has a 316” wheelbase. Our old truck had 218” wheelbase.

15. What about going to Canada?
Due to Canadian wheelbase restrictions, we can no longer go to Canada. This is probably the only thing that upsets me about the new truck. But, since we spend 95% of our time in the states, we couldn't allow that to affect our decision. What this means now, is that we’ll just have to vacation in Canada!!

16. How much did it cost?
The price of this truck was $225,000.00 but we got a few rebates that brought the final sale price down around $200,000.00. Add the price of the trailer to that and you come up with a grand total of $260,000.00.

17. Are you saving money having this truck over your old truck?
Absolutely! Last year, we spent over $35,000 between dining out and hotels. We will be drastically cutting that figure since I can feed us for a few dollars a day. This brochure will give you an idea of what kind of savings one can expect with a big sleeper truck.

18. What do you like most about your sleeper?
Having a toilet is the biggest convenience – now we don’t have to stop every time I have to pee (which, by the way, is crazy a lot). But the shower, being able to brush my teeth without having to trek inside, cooking a real meal, being able to catch my favorite show, watching a movie, having a snack or cold drink from the fridge….I like it all!

19. Would you ever consider going back to a smaller sleeper?
Never!! And Ed will have to find a new girlfriend if he even thinks about it!

20. And last, but not least, one guy asked Ed "How many women can you fit in that thing?"
Ed looked at him like he was crazy, the thought in his head being, Why the hell would anyone want to cart around more than one woman at a time?? One is more than enough.

Eddie Polishing His Chrome Friday

Eddie was outside polishing the chrome when I caught him peeking over the hood of the truck.

The hood ornament, when seated inside the truck, kinda reminds me of a longhorn. Great for Ed since he's from Texas (and as you can see, was doing his polishing in Texas - see the road sign in the background?) but annoying to me because I'm constantly reminded of longhorns, which in turn makes me think of Texas, which in turn reminds me how much I dislike the Lonestar State.

Ed is pretty lucky that I think he's the cutest thing out of Texas; if I didn't, I'd have unbolted that hood ornament on day two!

Meals On Wheels

Since having the new truck (it’s been 11 days now), we’ve already saved hundreds of dollars on eating out; literally hundreds. I am back in the kitchen eliciting oohs and ahs from my audience of one. It’s been years since I’ve cooked on a regular basis and I’m really enjoying getting back to it.

Breakfast is always something simple for me; yogurt, cottage cheese and fruit, cereal or instant oatmeal. Ed will do oatmeal, but he’d rather have something more substantial for his first meal of the day so I’ve made him a cheese omelet with a side of bacon with wheat toast or a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich for something a little more portable. And always a pot of fresh coffee. He’s really liking the fresh coffee.

Lunch consists of grilled cheese sandwiches with a side of chips and a pickle, turkey and swiss sandwiches on wheat toast, beef barley soup with a half sandwich and my personal favorite, homemade chicken salad on toast with lettuce and tomato. Yum!

Dinner allows me to be a little more creative and I’ve started to make some of my old favorites. I go to the grocery store every couple of days since our fridge is small, but I don’t mind since everything is fresh and it allows me to come up with a new idea for dinner.
So far, some of the dinners I’ve made are as follows:

...Roast Chicken with mashed baby red potatoes, corn and a salad tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

...Angel hair pasta in a homemade marinara sauce (I never, ever, ever do sauce from a jar) with garlic toast and a side salad.

...Grilled Porterhouse steaks with garlic mashed potatoes, peas and a salad with chunky blue cheese dressing.

...Penne alla vodka with chicken breasts sautéed in garlic and olive oil.

And one of my favorites, a staple when I was growing up; a simple dish we just called “Broccoli and Macaroni”.

We never said “pasta” in my house. All “pasta” fell under the Italian word, maccheroni. I don’t know what they do in Italy, but to this day we don’t say pasta. Whenever we have a meal that includes what you all know as pasta, my mother and other family members will say they are making macaroni. The response is always, “What kind?” That’s where you get more specific; penne, rigatoni, farfalle, linguini, fettucine, spaghetti, capellini, orrechiette, acini di pepe, etc.

So for the first time ever, I’m going to post my family recipe for Broccoli & Macaroni. Enjoy!

Broccoli e Maccheroni (Broccoli and Macaroni)

THE INGREDIENTS
1 head of broccoli, cleaned and cut. (You can use just the florets or the florets and stalks – your choice.)
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 lb. box of Penne (I also like Rigatoni, Gemelli, or Rotini)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

THE PROCESS
1. In your macaroni pot, put your water on to boil. Add a little salt to the water. Let it boil. Don’t look at it!! Haven’t you heard the old wives tale of a watched pot never boiling? Sheesh!

2. OK, now in a deep saucepan or frying pan, put your olive oil. I can’t give you an amount because I’ve never measured. Just coat the bottom of your pan with olive oil; try to eyeball it so you have enough to coat the broccoli and the macaroni once you’re done. You’re going to toss it so if you think you need more, just add it.

3. Add your garlic and sauté. Try not to burn it. It can happen quickly, so watch it!

4. Once you think the garlic is nice and soft and sautéed, add the broccoli and stir until the broccoli is coated with the olive oil and the garlic pieces. At this point add your salt and pepper (to taste) and a little water; you’re going to cover the broccoli so it steams and gets infused with the garlic flavor. I like my broccoli a little on the hard side, as mushy broccoli in my opinion doesn’t work all that well. But you do what you want – you have to eat it.

5. If your pasta water is boiling, throw in your roni’s (that’s short for macaroni). Time it or cook till al dente, whichever way you prefer.

6. Just before your roni’s are done, take a little of the macaroni water and put it in with your broccoli. A ladle or two should be enough. It makes the meal nice when it has a little broth in the bottom to swish around in.

7. When the macaroni is done, transfer to a colander and drain.

8. Put the macaroni back in the pot, add the entire saucepan of broccoli and toss with the macaroni until everything is coated. You can serve right from the pot or transfer to a serving dish, but do it quick ‘cause you’re gonna want to eat it and you don’t want it to get cold!

9. Now all that’s left to do is mangiare! (eat!)

Click HERE for a copy to print out.

Two Worlds Collide

Facebook, meet Blogger. Blogger, I'd like to introduce Facebook.

Seems this list of 25 is going around on Facebook, so I thought I'd post it here too for all you NFBs (Non-Facebookers) to read. If you want to participate, please either do it on your own blog and let me know so I can come read, or post your 25 in the comments!

25 Things About Me

1. I have two small, but prominent scars on my face. One on my left cheek from shaving when I was four years old; I was emulating my father, picked up the razor, and cut my left cheek. And the other is on my lower lip from when my brother tried to rescue me after I fell while ice skating; instead, he fell and kicked me in the lip with the zig-zag toe of the ice skate.

2. I have an unhealthy attraction to doing these list things: memes, 25 things about me, 7 weird facts about me, 100 things you don’t know about me…whatever you call them, I LOVE them and I love reading them when others fill them out – even if they are strangers!

3. I hate local news. Anywhere, any station. It’s like the mall cop of television.

4. I have never done any illegal drugs in my life. No pot, no pills, no coke, no nothing. I have never smoked and I don’t drink. Yes, really.

5. I can count the number of times I’ve been drunk in my entire 41 years of life on one hand. Yes, really.

6. The only thing I like about Christmas are the lights, the decorations, and the snow if I’m lucky enough to be where this is any. Everything else pretty much sucks – especially the stress-filled shopping, the extreme commercialism, and the forced gaiety.

7. I wear size 11 or 12 shoes. It’s haunted me my entire life, making it near impossible when I was younger to find shoes. My brother always said I should throw away the shoes and wear the boxes. Now that I actually CAN find shoes, I live in flip-flops most of the year.

8. I broke my collarbone in a school bus accident on September 6, 1979. It was the second day of school and I was 11 years old, in the 6th grade. The bus flipped on its side (the side I was sitting on, which cause the people on the other side to fall on me) and slid down the road before it came to a stop. The older kids opened the back emergency door and helped the younger kids get out. My brother was also on the same bus but didn’t get hurt. Turns out I was the only one with a serious injury, everyone else just had bumps and bruises.

9. I don’t think soul mates have to be only of a romantic nature. Hence, my soul mate is my best friend Vicki. The bond was strong and immediate and hasn’t waned since the day we met.

10. I am not loyal to any hairdresser, any nail tech, or any medical professional. I will go wherever I can to get whatever I need and it never occurs to me that someone should be offended by it.

11. In addition, I am not loyal to any brand. I have preferences, but generally, I will buy whatever brand is available for the item I want. Off the top of my head, the only item that I will never waver on is Hellman’s Mayonnaise. Who eats that Miracle Whip crap anyway???

12. I’ve always been intrigued by office supplies. I will find myself wandering the pen/paper/envelope aisle in WalMart or Target, figuring out which pen I must have or justifying why I need Sharpies in every color. I have many blank journal books, folders of all colors, post-it notes in all sizes, spiral notebooks, fine point pens, etc., and can’t ever seem to get out of Office Max or Staples without dropping a minimum of $20.

13. When I was young, my father was a mailman. He had a leather mailbag, walked a route, and delivered letters by hand to individual houses. When I was in grade school, he worked in a small-town post office in upstate New York. I would often go to work with him, where I was allowed to sell postage, sort mail, and use the ink stamps (“Return To Sender”, “Fragile”, “Extra Postage Required” ) on everything I could get my hands on. I was also allowed to use as much twine as I wanted and often, went home with a roll of it. I didn’t need twine, but I always took a roll anyway. Perhaps all the handling of mail, paper, stamps, and postage started my obsession with office products.

14. I abhor all sports of any kind. I think way too much emphasis is put on sports in general, too much money is spent on sports programs (especially at the high school and college level) and too many kids are deluded into thinking they’re going to be millionaires like the people they see on TV just for throwing a ball. I just don’t get the appeal. And people who yell at the TV during a game? Morons.

15. I met my boyfriend Ed online. Since he was driving a truck at the time, we made arrangements for him to come through Tucson to visit me and our first date was in June 2004. After a few more dates and time spent together, I quit my job in November 2004 to go on the road with him. We’ve been together ever since. Spending 24/7 in a truck with your boyfriend? Now that’s love!

16. I often prefer certain foods cold (as leftovers) over hot: cheese ravioli, lasagna, pizza, penne alla vodka, spaghetti, heck – most pasta. Also, I LOVE cold Chinese food, especially crab rangoons and fried rice!

17. I speak loud and fast almost all of the time. When I was younger, my mother would constantly repeat “lower and slower” to me. It didn’t work.

18. Twelve years ago I went to L.A. to pursue plus-sized modeling. I didn’t stick with it and it’s one of my life’s biggest regrets.

19. While in L.A. for a photo shoot, the valet at the hotel I was staying at was convinced I was Ricki Lake. Even after I said, “Sorry. I’m not Ricki Lake,” he sidled up to me and whispered, “C’mon, I promise I won’t tell anyone. You’re Ricki Lake, right?”

20. I am often told I look like Kathy Najimy. When people say, “Do you know who you look like?” I usually respond in a joking tone with, “If you say the fat nun from Sister Act….” They always laugh because that’s exactly what they were thinking, but once they see I’m not offended, they admit it and say “Uh, yeah.”

21. I always sleep with my feet out of the covers. Being “tucked in” especially at the feet, makes me a little crazy and a lot crabby. I could never handle a sleeping bag.

22. I went to the Lilith Fair concert in Phoenix in 1999 and LOVED it. I found it odd though, that there were more women in attendance than men, and a lot of them looked like they were “together”. Then the friend I went with informed me that they were all lesbians. I had no idea. I guess I had undeveloped gaydar back then.

23. My boyfriend just spent $200,000.00 on a new truck but when people admire it, he acts like he’s driving around in a 10-year-old Jeep. I'm surprised I haven't heard him say, “This old schmata?” (Well, I'm not really surprised since he's from Texas and probably never even heard Yiddish, but still - he's so modest, he acts like it's just some old thing he threw on and decided to drive around town in it.)

24. I’m very diligent about returning phone calls, emails, text messages, etc. I’m extremely annoyed when I hear that someone “forgot” to call back or doesn’t “have time” to return an email. How fucking busy can you be? People run countries and have time to return calls. What the hell are you doing that’s so all-consuming?

25. Since being in the new truck, I’ve fallen and scraped my knee, twisted my ankle, and sliced my thumb while cooking. I guess I’m not used to being in a moving vehicle where I can actually get up, walk around and do stuff. I’ve either become very clumsy or the truck is possessed.

My Frozen Kentucky Home

I love Kentucky, but boy did they have a wicked ice storm this past week. All the way from Ohio to Texas, we hit torrential rain and serious ice. These are some pictures I snapped from the truck while cruising through Kentucky.

I wish it were sunnier so the ice would be twinklier, but cloudy and gray was what I had to work with. Once again, it's the best I could do from the window of a moving vehicle.

I Even Have Time To Go On Strike

Seems people are busy these days. The economy is in the tank, lots of people are out of work (if they even have a job) and even if they aren’t out of work, they don’t seem to have enough money to spend on any extra activites, so they stay home. Makes me wonder why it’s so hard for them to find the time to keep in touch; to make or return phone calls or respond to an email or a text message.

I’ve written about this before, how people never seem to have the time to keep in touch. I always keep in touch. ALWAYS. I write, email, call. I send things in the mail. I text. I shop for presents and mail them from the road. I send thank you cards. I call. I check in. I always let people know I’m thinking about them or calling to see what they’ve been up to.

I think it’s important to maintain relationships. To be in touch with those who matter. That’s why I constantly call and email. The only conclusion I can draw when someone doesn’t get back to you or make time for you is that they aren’t interested in you. They don’t care. They truly don’t make time for you because they don’t want to.

I know several people who call me when they need something, but when you can’t do anything for them, they drop you like a hot potato. My step-father calls this the “what have you done for me lately?” syndrome. If you can’t do anything for them, they’re not interested in keeping in touch. Oh, they know how to pop up out of the blue with flowery hello’s, how have you been’s and I’ve been meaning to call’s when they can benefit from something you have, but if they don’t need you, all you hear are crickets.

I always acknowledge someone even if I don’t have time at the moment to get back to them. How hard is it to say, “I got your call/text/email but don’t have time to respond right now – I’ll catch up with you later in the week.”

Not hard, in my opinion.

So I’m going on strike. I’m not calling, writing or texting you. If you don’t hear from me, it’s not because I don’t care about you or because I don’t love you, it’s because I’m tired of being the one who always initiates the contact.

There is not one person in my family or circle of friends who does anything SO important, they don’t have time to return a call or an email. You all drive to work and have time to make a quick call in the car, you all sit at your computers at least once a day if not more and almost all of you know how to text. But if technology fails you, I know you all went to school and learned how to write, so send a card through the mail if you have to.

I give of myself unconditionally. I've cooked for you, I've done favors because you were in a bind and I wanted to help, I have gone out of my way to pick up vacation guides for your upcoming trip, I have watched your dog, I have watered your plants, I have picked up your kid, I have paid for your movie when I knew you were short on cash, I have bought your kids gifts, picked up your husband’s favorite salsa, purchased regional wines for your pseudo wine connoisseur of a wife and sent picture phone photos of places I’ve been I thought would interest you.

I have a life too, you know. I drive sometimes more than twelve hours a day, span several time zones over the course of a week, am awake in the wee hours of the morning when you are fast asleep and often have been up driving for hours before you even leave the house for work. I don’t have “set” work hours – I am on the job 24 hours a day. I don’t do the 9 to 5 thing. I don’t have weekends off. Sometimes I start driving at four in the morning, sometimes I start at ten at night. I’m not complaining at all, I love it. But my day doesn’t begin and start at any set time and I don’t have a weekend that starts on a Friday.

I write a blog, I pay bills, I do paperwork, I cook, I clean my truck, I shop for groceries, I call the IRS, the DMV or the DOT when needed and during their business hours, I read, watch TV, spend time with my boyfriend and even have hobbies that I make time for. I’d say I’m pretty busy too.

The only thing I don’t have that you might, are kids. But I don’t buy that as an excuse either. If you are so far up your kid’s asses that you don’t have time for anything else in your life, you need to step back and get some perspective. I have friends with kids. And they find time to call me. I have a cousin with three children under the age of two, one of them a special needs child, and she makes time to touch base with me. I have a friend who often watches up to four children in addition to her own two, and she finds time to call. I’m not accepting the “I have kids” excuse as a reason for not having time. You’re not special. You’re not the only one. You’re not exempt. Everyone has something in their life that is important.

I’ve discussed this with several people and there doesn’t seem to be a real clear reason for why people don’t keep up their end of a relationship. I guess there are people who call and people who don’t. But I have realized that too much is the tit for tat, the “I called them last” bullshit. No one can really put a finger on the exact reason for why some people stay in touch and others don’t. Some people just do. It’s who they are.

My nature is to forgive and forget, to keep calling and writing and texting and mailing and sending and doing even when it’s not reciprocated. I always blow it off and let it roll off my back, thinking the relationships and the friendships and the family are more important than my fleeting hurt feelings. It’s not that I don’t already know how these people are and that they are known for exactly how they are; their reputations are well known among the family members or in the circle of friends. It’s like that old adage about the snake….”well, you knew I was a snake”. True. I do know. I guess I’ll just have to keep that in mind if I find myself slipping back to my natural inclination.

But if you’re one of those people who fall off the face of the earth, one who always claims to be so busy, or you find yourself uttering phrases like “I’m not really good with email” or “I hate to talk on the phone”, you need to step up to the plate once in a while.

I’ll be waiting for your call but I won’t be holding my breath.

Obamaduck!

I got this duck from a good friend of my Aunt. He rode with us in the old truck as a mascot of sorts; now he adorns my kitchen counter.

And in case you were wondering....

Yes, he is a yellow duck Democrat.

Out With The Old, In With The New

We are finally in the new truck. Yay!  In the photo above, Ed stands between the new 2007 Freightliner Coronado, and our old 1997 Freightliner FLD.  It's an incredible difference.

Eventually, I'll try to make a little video to give you a tour of the inside. It's been a little bleak here in Ohio, but we're headed to warmer climes so I'll try to do it then so I can video from the outside in and you can see all the cool stuff.

I will also put together a Q & A post for all who are interested in the questions we've asked over the years about these sleepers and some of the ones that are asked of us (we haven't had too many yet - but a couple of people at the truck stops we've been at have already pitched a few our way).

And if anyone has any suggestions for a truck name, send them my way!

Bought And Paid For

Well, sort of.

All the necessary paperwork is complete.  All the financial stuff has been done.  All of our stuff is organized and ready to go.

All that's left is to check out of the hotel and pick up our new truck.

Tomorrow's the big day!!

I'm SO incredibly excited, I can't contain myself!

Chihuly In The Trees

This photo was taken at the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to The Orchid Forest exhibit, they also had several Dale Chihuly installations throughout the facility.

It took incredible restraint to not go crazy dropping cash in the gift shop. Ed kept saying, "Are you ready to go?" and kept responding, "One more minute..."

I was becoming one with Chihuly. This takes time.

Pecking Order

My mother was talking to my five-year old nephew this week, asking him if he was excited about seeing our new truck.

"I've already seen it, Nana." he said.

"What do you mean, you already saw it??" she said.

"On the laptop. Aunt Salena showed me. Don't you remember?" he said.

"Ohhhh, I didn't know she showed it to you on the laptop." she answered.

"Yeah, she did. See, that's why I need a laptop. Maybe you can get one for me; it's only $211.00 and I really need it." (Helloooo....I want to know where to get a $211 laptop!!)

"Why do you need a laptop?" my mother asked.

"Because, Nana. I'm not good at pecking and stuff." he said.

"And how do you think the laptop will help?" she said.

"If I have my own laptop, I'll be able to practice and I'll learn how to peck faster!"

I just know my mother is going to be banging her head against the wall trying to find him a $211.00 laptop; I guess I should warn her now that they don't exist.