Wraps or Burritos?

A few weeks ago a friend mentioned an eating establishment that was serving these great wraps. I launched into a sort of diatribe about how I really didn't like wraps. I don't like soft tacos and I like my panninis crispy. The statements were true, but narrow minded. I often pick up tortillas to make quesadillas and panninis. It is really fun to figure out what sort of things you can put between the crusts to create different flavors.  So last week I was in a grocery (If you've been following, you know that I have recovered from surgery quite well, though there is much work to do yet.)  .. I usually get corn tortillas, but there were only flour tortillas in front of me and for some reason, I picked up a package. This past week I didn't have the stuff that I thought I needed to make panninis or quesadillas, so I put together some slightly cooked zucchini, onions, sausage and Emeral's Essence, dressed it with fresh ripe tomatoes and wrapped them in a tortilla..... hmmm... I was eating a wrap!..   Today, I had some left over Panda Express and warmed it and wrapped it.... Not bad. Then LaBamba (www.labambaburritos.com) came to mind. I remembered that I do like their combination burrito and as I thought about it, I realized that we are again quibbling over words. So look at the picture above. Is it a seafood wrap or a fish burrito???? Ahah!!! You don't know, right???? Some of you will swear it's a seafood wrap and others are sure it's a fish burrito..... I think the only way to tell the difference is to look at the menu or the name of the eating establishment. You know that the wrap has become an eating craze especially at trendy places. While Taco Bell has been serving burritos (so to speak) for years, only in the past few years has anyone outside of California heard of a wrap..... right???? So there you have it; the lowly burrito is the trendy wrap by another name. And I, who refuses to be trendy, have been eating wraps for years without knowing it. So now you have my confession. My quick response that I didn't like wraps was probably my red neck showing. Go enjoy your wrap or burrito or whatever you (and your server) want to call it with my blessing. My only problem with either of them is keeping the juice that invariably comes out of them from dripping off my elbow onto the table. Bon Appitite (or whatever).


Oh, I got the image above from a Mexican restaurant site.

After this post went up, a friend from Colorado sent me a newsletter from "Tony's Market". 
http://www.tonysmarket.com/retailer/store_templates/shell_id_1.asp?storeID=5CB723477B4E43F88024DB82BE9E5BBF

Check it out; here's someone who sells both burritos and wraps. Can you imagine the confusion of their clients????

                                                                                                               

One of life's little pleasures.

One of the common phrases I heard growing up came when I would fall down; trip over something, lose my balance, etc. etc. The phrase was, "come here, I'll pick  you up." In my younger years, I might whine over some little incident and would be told, "I'll give you something to cry about.". Don't get me wrong, our parents weren't abusive, just would not tolerate whining over little things. Another phrase I remember that would come if there was a semi-serious injury; "that's gonna feel good when it quits hurtin". That one came from people who witnessed another's trauma as well as a response to one's own misfortune. When the news of my grand-daughter fainting while helping me out of bed got to family members, I got a card from an aunt who said, "We heard you had an 'out of bed experience' 'haha'" Little unpleasant incidents were often met with some form of humor to bridge the moment. A little closer to home, another  instance came to mind. A few years ago. I had noticed this little pimple on my abdomen at my belt line. It was noticable because it was irritated by my belt. As time went on, I somehow forgot about it until it had become a rather painful abscess that gave me difficulty in walking. I finally yielded and called the MD for help. Our regular doctor was on vacation so I was seen by a female PA (physician's assistant). She was a rather matter of fact individual, pleasant, but not overly friendly. She came up with the same conclusion as my family veterinarian; it needed to be lanced. At this point this thing was very sensitive to the touch. She prepared the site as I laid back preparing myself for what was about to come.  She punctured it, giving me a really, really sharp pain followed immediately by relief I hadn't felt in several days. I sat straight up and exclaimed, "You Bitch! Thank You".. She just looked at me and grinned, knowing she had done her  job and my comment wasn't meant to be personal (except for the thank you). But there it was again. the pain/pleasure cycle born out in an instant.

Some time back, I posted my feelings about the total knee replacement. Now, a few weeks later, except for those excruciating times when I (or a physical therapist) forces the joint to either straighten or bend beyond that comfort zone, I am pretty much painl free. In fact, although it's hard to compare, I would say that overall my knee feels better than it did before the surgery. However, the knee isn't the issue for this post.  Did you see the movie "Crazy Heart"? Remember how they helped paint the personality of the main character as he got out  of his "boat" and poured this amber fluid from the milk jug in the parking lot? I think they accomplished their purpose as most people thought, "how gross".. The other day, somehow in our conversation, Georgia said something to the effect of, "do you have those times when you have to pee so bad, but you know it is going to hurt to get out of bed, so you lie there trying to decide whether to go or not?" I got this smile on my face which threw her for a bit of a loop. You may have heard that old saying, "a bean is a fruit, but a pea is a relief". Right???? Is my tapestry pattern starting to take shape?  If you are alive enough to read this and aren't wearing a catheter, you know the great feeling when you relieve the pressure of a full bladder. So why was I smiling? I realized in that moment that I had nearly reached nirvana in that regard. A month ago, in my post op condition, after pulling my catheter, they supplied me with this cute little bottle which they called a urinal. Here I am, a month out from surgery, and one of my most prize possessions is that little plastic bottle. I only use it at night, but after lying in bed for a while, my knee starts to stiffen, so that the thought of getting out of bed during the night even sounds painful to me. But I have my little friend who helps me to relieve the pressure of a full bladder without risking the pain of getting out of bed. Now you can surely see why I was smiling. What more could one ask? Then I got to thinking about that movie. Here was our hero who was driving long distances, most likely imbibing diuretic fluids and not wanting to make pit stops. A logical solution was the empty milk jug. What a brilliant practice. I could however expect that there might be some tense moments while placing that jug and driving without spilling the elixer. Then I felt a bit foolish. We raised 3 boys, yet, in all those trips between Georgia and Indiana as well as between East Central Illinois and Northeastern Indiana, I don't ever remember employing this brilliant tool. We would look for acceptable places to go to the bathroom and when the crisis demanded, would often stop along the highway to let one of the boys "take care of business" .. always one at a time, right? Why did we never think of this????  There might have been the rare instance where an empty coke can was used, risking repeat circumcision, but we never made it a practice to have something in the car solely for the purpose of collecting urine when necessary. Well that was then and now is now. You can bet however that on future trips across the country, there will be one of these little beauties in the vehicle. Sorry ladies, I don't have a solution for you,. but thanks to Crazy Heart and Dr. Bane, my problem is solved. Just one of the little pleasures in life in which the accompanying pain can be avoided.  Truly the "pause that refreshes".

Ode to the luscious "vine ripened" tomato

My love affair with this glorious "fruit" started in childhood. I fondly remember those August and September mornings when I would stop by the tomatoes in the garden and grab a couple to eat on the way to the barn to do the milking. Of course, I would wipe them on my t-shirt before eating. Oh, what a way to start the day.  It goes from there to the Kosciusko County, Indiana fair (first full week of August). I exhibited pigs every year that I was eligible, winning the prize of champion in showmanship (the art of exhibiting a pig before a judge). During those years in the 50's the Silver Lake Lions Club stand was (to me) the best place to eat during fair week. The fact that our parents were intimately involved in running the stand might have had something to do with it. Although the pies were delicious (mom made them for many years), my staple meal that week was the Hamburger Steak Dinner. That was a large pattie of "real" beef, hand cut french fries, slaw, I think, and one or 2 slices of great home grown tomatoes.  I tried other meals, but couldn't top that.
With various attempts, in the meantime, I jump to our years on East Main Street where we had a long, narrow half acre lot providing space for a large garden. Because we had a large empty lot next door, many huge Burr Oak trees, and a railroad track along the back, we were pretty much over-run with squirrels and rabbits. Therefore, the things we could hope to harvest from the garden were limited. Basically  it was tomatoes and squash. At one time, I had 78 tomato plants of different varieties and would fill our wheelbarrow with ripe tomatoes to sit in the front yard for anyone to take. We couldn't come close to using them all, but I just loved growing and harvesting them. One year, we made catsup in the kitchen. Although I think it was the best catsup I'd ever eaten, the mess was such that it was a one time occasion. During those Augusts and Septembers I think I ate fresh tomatoes in some form for every meal.It was during these years, however that my disdain for tomatoes found in grocery stores and "chain" eating establisments grew. I couldn't understand why even when I had gorgeous ripe tomatoes at home, if we went out to eat, we got those tasteless things called tomatoes. Yes there were times when I actually brought tomatoes from home to put on my salad so there could be some taste.
We move on to our move to a relatively new housing addition with a "lake" bordering the back of our property. After conquering the crabgrass in the lawn, my attention turned to having a "golf course" appearance since this was the first place in a while where grass could be grown in the lawn in a patch larger than maybe 20 by 20 feet. The gardening urge couldn't be held back and we started adding flower patches in our yard, being careful not to block the view of the "lake". I couldn't bring myself to growing vegetables here, I think because here we had no "back yard with the street in front and lake in back. For some reason, I had the idea that vegetables were grown in the "back yard". We did grow some tomatoes in pots on the deck. They were good, but still didn't live up to my memory. This year, I had enlarged the areas for some of the flower beds with the idea of spreading out several of the perennials that had become crowded. With my knee issue this summer, I never felt like digging up and moving plants. When at Prairie Gardens this spring, the planet aligned in my mind and I picked up about 15 tomato starts. This week the "early girl" tomatoes began to ripen. Yesterday I had my first toasted tomato/peanut butter sandwich (an acquired taste). Wow! Now I remember. Yes, yes, yes!!! Today Georgia asked what I wanted for lunch. Yup, had another one. still one of the best taste sensations I know. Hopefully I have chosen the varieties to supply tomatoes til frost.  Although we have been to the "Whistlestop Cafe" in Juliette, Georgia for Fried Green Tomatoes, I'm not that much into  that delicacy (it's good, but  not "that good".)  So I will be in gustatory bliss for the next couple of months.
Here is a little aside. If you live on this planet you are familiar with the BLT. This is typically a sandwich made with bread, slathered with mayo, lots of lettuce, some bacon, and make believe tomatoes. About a month ago, I had stopped by "Butches" produce where he typically offers good, garden style produce. I picked up a couple of tomatoes which were somewhere between those offered in the grocery and the "real" tomatoes described above. I had found some "platter bacon" in the freezer (wish I could remember where I got it.) I thought, "oh, how about a BLT".. Problem; no L. Being a bit prideful about my industriousness, I decided to substitute a slice of onion for the lettuce; a BOT sandwich. Actually  I think I liked it better than the BLT. Oh, I need to take another small rabbit trail. A few years ago, Arbys came out with their "Market Fresh" sandwiches, including a BLT. One of the things Georgia and I have slowly removed from our diet is mayo. Not that we don't like it, but even "low fat" mayo is essentially fat. We have decided we could live without it, therefore often split one of these sandwiches without mayo. So in my BOT,, with the added flavor and bite of the onion, the mayo was really unnecessary.  So the next day, near lunch time, I found a portion of an avocado in the fridge. Yup, then was born, the BAT. Different, but to me very tasty. So my analytical mind started to hone in on the reputation and essence of the BLT. First, I think we all think of the BLT as a tasty treat. Where does the taste come from. Bacon, of course, is the essence of taste. A BLT without bacon is truly missing something. Ripe tomatoes of course bring taste (But only if they are those described above.) Sadly, most BLT's are made with those artificial tomatoes, thus there is no tomato taste. Lettuce???? what is the purpose of the lettuce? If you offer someone a handful of bacon, most meat-eating people will grab for it unless they are in the throws of a food guilt trip or some other form of "dieting". I know there are those who don't like tomatoes, but I must maintain that these people have never had a real tomato. I will simply say that the "real" tomato brings it's own flavor without the guilt of the bacon.  Oh, the lettuce. I maintain that if you are  offered a handful of lettuce without bacon, tomato or mayo ( or something else with flavor), you will only eat the lettuce to make a point, or possibly for the vitamins and minerals. There is essentially no  taste. The purpose of the lettuce is to dissuage the guilt feelings over the bacon (and mayo). In essence, the lettuce serves no real purpose in a BLT, so I encourage you to experiment. Try an equally healthy BOT (more healthy without the unnecessary mayo). Try a BAT. Here you pick up a little fat to replace the mayo. This is all I've tried, but I'm expecting you can get some great flavor from a BRT (Radish), BPT (sub a bell or possibly hot form of pepper), and what about a BET (bacon, egg, tomato).  There really is no limit. In fact if you want to really indulge in flavor without care for the fat, simply slather a mess of mayo onto hot freshly toasted bread and add some candied bacon and vine ripened tomato. Oh, I'm slobbering already!..You will not miss the lettuce.  I know that this will work because although introduced by one of the chain eating establishments (maybe Outback?) the grocery stores carry a tangy tomato bacon salad dressing. That can make even a bowl of lettuce tasty. Hopefully I've helped you understand that most Americans have never tasted a "real" tomato, but because we think it should be tasty, will order it, or pick it up in a grocery when we know we are going to be disappointed. If you can find a space in the sun, do yourself a favor and grow some tomatoes. I also encourage you to experiment with versions of the revered BLT. Enjoy!

Here's a June 2012 update:
Yesterday I arrived at the B&B a little early, so rode my bike around the lot for a few minutes. I saw a water hose out back leading across the lot so I followed it. There I found this great little patch of tomato plants. My mind started racing to adding a slice of vine ripened tomato to my "usual" B&B breakfast. This morning I made that announcement to Deb (April was on yesterday morning). Deb said, "and with gravy?"... Hmmmm, never tried that. so with my "usual", came a slice of fresh tomato with sausage gravy. That was very tasty and I can just imagine what it will be like with a vine ripened one. Of course, the gravy part (being another of my favorite "country food" staples) would not help my battle of the bulge, but I will have to try it once in a while as a "treat".... To me it would be like ice cream to others.

Two weeks out, but not yet kickin!

I see progress. When I first met Raymond, my range of motion was 19 to 75 and I couldn't lift my surgery leg off the pillow. Yesterday, Raymond gave me my "mission accomplished" paper with a range of 10 to 96 and lifting my leg in all kinds of contortions for the different exercises. I didn't tell  you that when he came into the bedroom that I am now calling home, his eyes lit up when he saw the recumbent exercise bike I had gotten for Georgia. Well he couldn't leave me without  getting me started on that. It was even a possibility when we started, but now he felt we had enough range to try it. He set it up and we gave it a shot. After the first revolution of the pedals, we both gave a little cheer (mine was spiked with a little groan). So with the other exercises that I am doing 3 times each day, we have added 3 minutes on the bicycle. I have to tell you that that is the longest 3 minute bicycle ride I've ever taken. Of course when it gets tolerable, we will in crease it.... That seems to be the way with these theraphy folks. If you're not in agony,  let's go a little further.  However, the one thing I have learned is that it is better to push yourself to get the result with your own stretches than to have the therapist do the stretching. That incentive kept me from having to endure  Raymond's "rack" to achieve the 96 degrees of flexion.

That's not pain you see. It's accomplishment. Same dif.

So now I am finished with Raymond and "graduate" to outpatient therapy where we face another set of goals. I can't wait. Also got the staples out and was released by the home care nurse. The instability is still unusual and Dr. Bane has me wearing a knee immobilizer when I am up walking around (except for exercizes). With the immobilizer on, I did make a quick trip to the basement to show something to Blaine. He and Celina are our home healthcare team for today.  Oh, another achievement; I am only using the pain meds for the exercises.  My cycle: 1 pain med and muscle relaxer, start 1 hour on CPM at 1/2 hour take the other pain med. Then do the exercises including the bicycle. Then ice on the knee. Getting that in 3 times a day in addition to meals, clean-up , etc. pretty much fills the day. So it goes. I rode to the grocery with Georgia the other day (stayed in the car) .. Uh, it was too early for that. Not a fun time.

And Now for the Rest of the Story

lateral radiograph post op

Lateral radiograph with overlay

AP radiograph post op

For those who read my previous blog post describing my surgery (March 19 (more information revealed)), I apologize, I have misled you. I pulled up a picture that seemed to fit with my MRI with the medial damage. However, my procedure was a Total Knee Replacement. I think these pictures will make more sense. I found a schematic and a couple of x-rays that better describe my reality. 



continuous passive motion machine



I haven’t read  everything posted about this surgery, but felt I had a handle on it. I had only heard 2 negative anecdotes and one of them  included infection. (Pat’s story is a horror story.)  Everyone agreed that if you do the physical therapy, you will be so happy you had the surgery.  My surgeon, Dr. Robert Bane, has a fantastic reputation among former patients and healthcare workers. I, of course have extra confidence in him because his father is still practicing veterinary medicine in a near-by small community. I feel I know that he comes with more than good education and surgical skills.. At this point, my only disappointment has been the pain level. You probably know that they constantly ask you where your pain is on a scale of one to ten. . That is tough because it is perfectly clear to me that you cannot understand another person’s perception of pain. Therefore they try to establish a scale for you, using this system. I think I started with a slightly high number and relatively narrow window. I do know that I spent the first few days  at “Barely tolerable. I went into this with the belief  that I have a fairly high pain tolerance. I need to take you back a few years to sy sense of “toughness” developed. Growing up on the farm in a relatively unemotional family,  I thought Ii was pretty tough although I didn’t  remember my broken collar bone at 3-4 from falling out of the hay mow. I had had my share of smashed fingers from hammers, slipped wrenches and gate and cardoor pinches. I had had more than my share of “nad smashes” from icy wooden fences, sports and nasty cousins and friends who thought a nad punch was funny. On the negative side, I remember being knocked out by Elbert (Bud) Lewis in junior high when we boxed on the stage during noon gym playtime. That wasn’t necessary a toughness issue, but it did shake my physical confidence.  I  got to remind Bud about this last summer. He remembered more that we both ran the distances for the Silver Lake track team. Somewhere in my  writing s, I have described the “tough Mitchells in our class. During “middle school” years there was Mitchell Manns (And his gorgeous sister Della) . Also from somewhere around that time through graduation  was Mitchell Bradford. I may be misspeaking but it seems these guys would get into contests to see who could hold their arm over a burning lighter the longest. If they didn’t really do this, they were the type of guys who would.. I know they did fight a lot , and although I never got into fights , I was always glad to know they were my friends  at the “Tippy” Hop and other similar youth rumble prone occasions.. This is specifically  important here because Mitchell Bradford had total knee replacement this spring and is walking 18 holes several times a week, pain free. He admits that his pain tolerance is much higher than for most people.. Did I say that Mitch has always had one of the most tender and caring hearts I have known?  So with Mitchell’s success as my goal, I do understand that my pain tolerance isn’t what I thought it was. I am so concerned that adhesions will form that I am being diligent  with the exercises.. In the hospital, as I bore more weight on my operated leg, there was a little sideways motion. They felt it was because the nerve block hadn’t completely worn off yet.  As we moved toward going home time , everyone seemed very happy. Oh, my diabetes  control got a little messed up but seemed to  be coming around.   So, home we go.

                                                                   

This is a good place to mention that I didn’t really think we would need help at home. After the boys visited me in the hospital, they had a meeting and mobilized an army. WE ARE SOOOO THANKFUL. Thankful first that at this time within our family there is time available for people to be at our house helping out. Thankful also that it is within their hearts to do so.. At this point Bruno hasn’t been here, but the only people who have bumped into my leg inadvertently have been adults.  The first problem was the evening we came home., I have mentioned that my diabetes control had gotten a little shaky. Well it seems that I was “not myself” Sunday evening. My blood glucose had dropped to 33… hmmmm.. We have been keeping track and have kept in in line sense. Monday  went as expected except that my entire right leg got swollen and the knee was swelling more.. Through that we worked out the tasks of keeping my foot elevated when sitting up and keeping the knee above my heart when in bed.  Oh, when I got out of bed, my left foot slipped off the covers and my right foot came to the floor “more quickly” than I had planned.. It gave me a bit of quick pain, but nothing of concern.  The next morning,  (Tuesday) it was Sophia, Ava, Georgia and I. The girls  had really stepped up and had done so well. However, they had stayed up a little late, so when I needed to get up Tuesday Morning, we had to wake Sophia. She and Ava came in and we started the procedure. Sophia seemed a bit “out of it” but responded that she was “just tired” when asked how she was.    We found out later that she had a headache and was dizzy, but thought she could “get through this, then could go rest. Again, I asked her if she was  OK. She gave this little grimace, shook her head slightly “no” and fainted, falling on me, with both of us crashing to the floor. OMG!!!   Foul language came pouring from me, Ava ran to get Georgia who thought we were having an earthquake. I couldn’t see Sophia because the end table we fell on was between us. Georgia came and untangled us from the table and Sophia was sitting on the floor against the chest of drawers, but “asleep”. She soon regained consciousness  and Georgia and Ava got her something to drink and out of the scene. Georgia started calling for Greg and Jeff.  I had gotten to a relatively comfortable position, lying on my sides. If fact, it felt quite good since I hadn’t laid on my side since Thursday morning.. The boys got here and lifted me back up and we were in business. When told about the incident, then next door neighbor made sure we had their cell numbers so we could call them should a similar incident occur again. ( We could have run over and pounded on the door, but that’s not where our mindset was. (It’s nice to know that you have neighbors available for such stuff..)  Fortunately, we had a home care nurse scheduled for 8am (one of the reasons we were trying to get things moving. We also had a physical therapist schedule for early afternoon. They both agreed that it appeared that no damage had occurred in my knee. The nurse also examined Sophia and said she was “OK”  Apparently she may be manifesting a syndrome that her mom and sisters went through. I think they are having her seen by a doctor, just to make sure. 

From then on, everything has been good. Good night’s sleep with pain level nearly constant at 3 (that’s good for me.) Got back on the computer. The Continuous Passive Motion machine that I came to love in the hospital because it gave me the confidence that adhesions were not forming, was discontinued until Dr. Bane could see me on Friday and get an x-ray. They want to be sure there is no damage before allowing the machine to “force” my knee into motion. We are also to put off the stretching exercises, only using isometrics to strengthen muscles..  This morning, Mahala helped me with the early morning stuff and Sophia just woke up to come help me get out of bed. She came in and looked very much like she did on the fateful morning. I said, “Mahala, keep her away from me.”  We all had a good laugh.

Here we are now early Friday afternoon., waiting for the Physical Therapist to come. It should be a very eventful meeting. Rod and Charlie took me to see Dr, Bane. Georgia stayed home and tried to rest. Her dental situation has gone from bad to worse. . She is in constant pain.. We did get hold of her dentist who is in Chicago and he started her on antibiotics for yet another root canal ablation.. (If you don’t know that word, get off your butt and look it up.)    Dr. Bane was happy with the x-rays.  He thinks the slightly extra laxity in my joint is due to the same problem we have been fighting with the exercises. The Therapist talks about a “guarding syndrome, where the muscles “refuse” to work as an effort to guard the limb. I do know that if I get my leg up in the air, I can hold it there, but I can’t initiate the move…. Really weird. Now that we know that there isn’t anything wrong with the joint, I expect Dr. Bane to turn the Physical Therapist loose to become a “Physical Terrorist”. I’m not afraid, however because he has been so gentle to this point. I need to read some on the guarding syndrome, but at least I don’t feel like such a wimp. All we have to do is to convince my muscles that it is OK to contract when asked to do so. Thanks to all for your prayers. As I said, we couldn’t be more blessed for the home care we are getting, both from the professionals and the family. It’s nice to know that where there is a need, the need will be met. I said yesterday that I felt about the way I expected to feel when I came home from the Hospital (4 days earlier). My intent for this post was to clear the air. I wanted people to know that it wasn’t a painless procedure. Either those who “witnessed” to me about this surgery just forgot those first few days, they are much tougher than I, or they just lied. When I think about it, nearly everyone started their description a few weeks after surgery. Now I know why. I can say that here a week after surgery I feel pretty  good in all respects. I just can’t get this leg to do what I want. I’m sure Raymond will get things going. I’ll have to post again once I reach that place where people start bragging  (in a good way) about the things they can do. So, Mitchell, make those trips around the course for me til I’m able to do something similar. I don’t golf (Right Terry???) but I am so ready to tend the garden, etc.. I’m sure the therapy folks will have something a little more vigorous for me.

How are we supposed to stay slim.... with all this good food?

Warning, don't read this post and follow links if you haven't eaten in the past 2 hours. But if you are looking for some really tasty food, read on. Aside from the occasional breakfast at Sammy's or LePeep and a once in a while lunch at Lil Porgys, (http://lilporgysbbq.com/) when we are home, I think we eat in a fairly healthy manner. Of course those breakfasts and lunches only occur when the timing and route of my business takes me there. (It's amazing how those things just seem to work out). When we are on the Oregon or Florida coast we make it a point to eat as much fresh local fish as possible. Over the years I have migrated from the deep fried version to grilled and blackened cooking methods. That all sounds like it shouldn't be so difficult to shed this "apple" shape that I inherited. We just returned from our (every 2 year) week on the Florida coast. Did pretty well the first night by eating grilled fish at the River Grill. (http://rivergrille.net/), but on the way home we stopped at Rita's (http://ritasice.com/). That blew all the good decisions I had made earlier. The next night, I again made good decisions by eating ahia tuna at the North Turn (http://www.racingsnorthturn.com/index.php) at Ponce Inlet. Alas, the group had a hankerin for ice cream again. This time we stopped in at Hershey's ice cream (http://www.hersheyicecream.com/) another place I had never heard of. I really recommend the peanut butter cup if you like that sort of thing. Before we launched out for Disney, we ate one more meal out (I think).... I had seen the Bonefish Grill (http://www.bonefishgrill.com/) before and knew it was a chain of sorts. Some how, we passed up a couple of my favorites from the past, Since we never made it to the lighthouse at Ponce Inlet, we didn't eat at Down the Hatch (http://www.facebook.com/pages/DOWN-THE-HATCH/176321229346). It is a real boat dock restaurant with fishing boats coming in and out of the inlet and brown pelicans roosting on the dock posts. We had some really funny conversations about another great eating place, Barnacles (http://barnaclesonline.com/) . As it turned out, the Bonefish Grill was fantastic although maybe a little "spendy". I again made a good choice with fish tacos.... mmmmm good!. I think everyone in the group was again fully satisfied, until we walked out the door. That big ice cream cone flashed in someone's head and away we went again. this time south to "Cowlicks". For years we had driven past this place on the way to the North Turn or Ponce Inlet. Let me tell you that Cowlicks and Hershey's makes Baskin Robbins seem like the McDonalds of ice cream. Sorry, I couldn't find a site for this Cowlick's, but here something to help if you're in the area. (Oh, the black raspberry was absolutely wonderful.) (http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/124/892119/restaurant/Cow-Licks-Homemade-Ice-Cream-Daytona-Beach) . Well, we ran out of eating times with the whole group, so after a couple of days at Disney and a last breakfast together before the kids left, we could now eat a bit more on the healthy side, right????  Well, we finally got clear on a couple of "new" place Georgia's sister recommended from her trip last spring. Friday night, we went another direction and took her advice to eat at a place in Port Orange. Genovese's, an Italian place, which also had a site in Ormond Beach, but supposedly the bread is better in Port Orange. (http://genovesesitaliancafe.com/) We asked what they were famous for. She said, "the pizza". We had seen the menu, so we ordered a "small" pizza as an appetizer and each ordered a pasta dish. It was all really tasty. The pizza dough seemed more "authentic" and Georgia who had had pizza in Italy said it tasted much the same. We had stuffed ourselves, so made it past the ice cream pangs although there was still a Coldstone located in Daytona. Now we had one more chance to eat in the area, so took Nan's other recommendation, back to Port Orange to Aunt Catfish's (http://auntcatfishontheriver.com/) . I don't know which of our fish places will be replaced, but for the next trip down, this place is surely on the schedule. Again, had a pretty healthy fresh fish meal and got out of town without the ice cream.

I have told you about the places we ate in the Daytona area, but would be remiss to leave out the trip down and back. We met up with the kids in Macon at the Hilton Garden Inn. I think they have one of the best breakfasts of the travel lodging chains. We ate our first meal out together near Jacksonville at Buffalo's Southwest Cafe  (http://www.buffaloscafe.com/).... Not BWW. I really got off on the wrong foot. I don't even remember what I ate, but it was deep fried and tasty. Not a good way to kick off the trip, but then maybe that was why I made the good choices (for main event eating). Going home it was even worse. Our last meal out was in Nashville. If you read this post a couple of years ago, you will surely remember me saying that if you are in the Nashville area, don't miss the chance to eat at the Loveless Cafe. (http://lovelesscafe.com/)  Well, we did and I still say the same thing. Their Blue Plate Special for the day was "Watermelon Ribs".. Never heard of it. I considered if for a while, wrestling with the pork chops (which Georgia got) and the ribs. Although I love good ripe watermelon, I don't like watermelon flavored stuff. In the process our waiter agreed that it was a gamble, but "well worth it"!. Finally, I went for it. IF YOU EVER GET A CHANCE TO EAT WATERMELON RIBS AT THE LOVELESS CAFE: DO IT!

 I walked out of there stuffed because I ate all the ribs and greens and the really tasty baked beans. Georgia being a bit wiser, saved quite a bit of her pork chop and caramel sweet potato to carry home. We have this cool little electric cooler we got as a reward from our bank. So we got to take the food home.

That's the end of this eating saga. Now it's oatmeal for breakfast and grilled or stir fried, or steamed meals with lots of fresh summer veggies, right???? Actually it sounds good. I didn't yet tell you that we stopped in Georgia and got some "fresh from the tree" peaches and several different versions of pecans (http://www.werenuts.com/) Well, those peaches were so good and so ripe that we have to eat them up as soon as possible. So goes the battle!!!

MOLCAJETE

Have you heard this word? Do you know what it means?
I first heard this word on a recent trip to Corvallis. Jan, a friend and faculty member at OSU (one of 4 OSU's I'm aware of, 2 of which have orange and black as school colors... Sorry, I got sidetracked already.).... Jan told us of a Mexican restaurant new to the area, Mexico Lindo which she recommended. She also said she really liked the Molcajete. I ordered it and enjoyed it. Recently, we ordered take out from our local Los Zarapas (There are at least 4 Mexican eating establishments in our small town.) While waiting, I saw Molcajete on their menu. I didn't get it then, a rather long explanation that I will spare you from at this point. That evening, our grand-daughter's Mexican husband was at our house, and Molcajete came to my mind, so I asked him what it was.. Here is where my confusion began. He had a problem thinking about it as a food, but said it was a grinding bowl, like a morter and pestle. Hmmm!!! This week it worked out for us to "eat in" at Los Zarapas and I ordered the Molcajete. I should tell you now that the Molcajete I had in Oregon looked like the typical US Mexican restaurant plate full of slop, but the sauce was very tasty. I say this because when my Molcajete arrived at the table at Los Zarapas, I was pleasantly surprised and all my confusion melted. No doubt, you have already looked at the picture. (cell phone version). Yes, the dish was prepared (at least cooked) in the Molcajete (it was hot). The sauce tasted nearly like that in Corvallis and was very good. I couldn't eat the whole thing. As I sat down to write this post, I thought I should look up Molcajete (Actually to be sure I was spelling it correctly.) There were ads for the bowl and pestle as well as listings for Molcajete recipes. At this point, it seems that if I use the word again, I will have to be sure to make it clear whether I am speaking of the grinding tool or another type of very tasty Mexican food. If I have sucked you into my curiosity zone, have fun.   Oh, here is a link to a recipe for one version of Molcajete (the food).

http://www.food.com/recipe/Mexican-Style-Meat-and-Vegetable-Stew-Aztecas-Molcajete-114910

Molcajete from Los Zarapas