Random Topic Generator #2

Strike 2 in the "post every day for 30 days challenge" was used up yesterday. I can barely use my new phone's keyboard fast enough to send texts...not sure when I'll be good enough with it to make a post to the blog!! And I'm not sure that random pictures of my cat and river cat would constitute a post.

And yet, I find myself with little creative energy and even less patience this evening...but instead of another random recipe from my unpublished cookbook (Oh my God, they're in the Driveway) I offer another random topic posting from the Random Topic generator: (I will pick from one of the first three topics offered)

#1 - Sports Almanacs (oh please, let the next topic be better)
#2 - Analog vs. Digital Sound (well...could be worse)
#3 - History of Soccer (oh crap)

My thoughts on Analog vs. Digital Sound...which I shall expand to include Analog vs. Digital anything. I like analog clocks. I think I actually register what time it really is better if I look at an analog clock than a digital. And since I haven't worn a watch for about 20 years...clocks are what I rely on for telling time.

I am enjoying the ability to take digital pictures with my phone but I still have a great deal of affection for my "analog" (read: film) camera. But I realize that I haven't used it since last year when I was at the beach and I'm not sure I developed the film from that trip. So...anyone in the market for a completely refurbished Olympus OM10?

And to the topic that the Random Topic Generator picked for me...analog vs. digital sound. I have any number of friends who have very strong opinions on this topic. My friend Chuck who is a writer in the music industry would probably discuss the rapid changes in the music industry due to the increase of things like digital downloads and web distribution of new music. My brother Gordon would likely talk about the differences in sound quality. And others would talk about how records have a unique warm quality that is missing from digitized music (including CDs...don't even get them started on MP3s).

I don't care. I don't hear much difference between my CDs and the streaming music I listen to on my Rhapsody account. In my car I listen to public radio 95% of the time anyway. If that makes me less of a person, I don't care about that either.

I'll write a better post tomorrow. For tonight - at least no money is going to the Romney campaign.

(Speaking of campaigns though...saw The Campaign yesterday and it was HILARIOUS!! Go see that - no matter what side of the political aisle you sit on.)

i haz a nu fone

I spent a very long time hanging out at the US Cellular store this evening. They were a little short handed, but after I had been there for an hour...I figured I might as well see it through to the bitter end. A couple of weeks ago my Mom broke her phone. Physically ... the little LG had just had enough. She managed to keep using it even though the top part of the flip phone became impotent and would sometimes shut off calls inadvertently.

So - I upgraded and have now set my old Blackberry up for Mom to use. I even spent an hour this evening adding the contacts she had in her phone that I didn't have. I figured "how many people could she have in there that I don't already have in my phone?" - silly me. She had dozens of people in her phone that I didn't have in mine!!



Then I decided to start playing with my phone. I was looking to see if the pics in my phone had transferred over and I found this folder with several hundred pictures in it...not from my phone (which only held about 25 because I never have put any extra memory in it). After I deleted a few dozen I realized why they looked so familiar. They are from my blog's photo gallery. ummm....oops. So, if you decide to start reading backward through blog posts you'll eventually get to about a dozen posts that have broken link pictures. Those would be the pictures I deleted from my gallery. Not my from my phone....from my web gallery.



I'm a dingbat.

I'll get the hang of this sooner or later!



At least when my Mom reads this she'll know that everyone makes mistakes - even her genius daughter.

11:11

There are some clock times that mean something special to some people. Maybe you have a warm fuzzy feeling at midnight or always make a wish when you see that it is 2:22. And of course, there is that 4:20 thing (if you don't know, you can google it...).

I recall hearing my mentor Joe Campbell discuss clock times once. He said that he often awoke during the night to see that it was 1:11 or 3:33. He found it remarkable that his subconcious mind would align to particular times.

For me, it has become 11:11. I find that several times a week I will notice on my clock, phone or computer that the time is 11:11. I take a moment then to say a special prayer for a dear friend who also has an affinity for 11:11. When I was getting ready to plug my phone in (and skip posting...it has been one heck of a day and I was willing to take strike 2 in my 30 day challenge) I saw the time. First I ask special blessings and a shield of protection around my friend Toni. And then I think I will broaden my prayer to include all of you...my hamsters.

It is good to take an opportunity to step back and send good wishes and prayers to your friends. I'm glad that 11:11 reminds me to do it!
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from U.S. Cellular

My Favorite Restaurant? Just one? Impossible!

Over the weekend a friend asked me what my favorite local restaurant is. When I looked overwhelmed at having to choose just one - she asked for my top 5. I think that is still tough. Then I tried to think of the 5 restaurants that I would mourn if they suddenly shut their doors. You can quickly cross off any of the chain restaurants.

I have made peace with several of the chains - that is, I have come up with one dish that I like enough to be pleasant company when forced by circumstance to eat there. If dragged to Ruby Tuesday I will eat the Asian Dumplings, Applebees - wonton tacos, Olive Garden - braised short ribs, Cracker Barrel - chicken and dumplings (though they are no match for mine). If taken to O'Charleys I will eat my napkin and drink bourbon. I find no redeeming qualities there.

But what 5 local restaurants would I put on the top of my list? I'll try, but I am waffling on these even now (oh...Waffle House...I have a soft spot in my heart for that!).

#5 - Charley's. First fell in love when they were in the mall and still love it. The food is consistently good. Favorite dish is Chicken Mornay. I get it with rice...and rice. And once I eat the chicken, I put all the rice in the cheese sauce. Damn. Not to mention the fact that I absolutely LOVE Rob Pearson. To have an excellent chef, restauranteur and human being rolled into one body - it is amazing. Rob gives back to the community in so many ways...most people never realize the work he does to end hunger in our community.

#4 - Waterstone. I had a hard time deciding on this one. But the Wild Mushroom Pizza (pesto, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese) never fails to make me happy. The kitchen is extremely efficient. The servers are well trained and pleasant. The place just needs more seats!! An hour wait is common on the weekend and the bar can't hold enough people so you could drink while waiting. But damn, the food and beer are good.

#3 - I went into this list knowing what numbers 2 and 1 are...so this is the wild card spot. Food is good at Depot Grille, Isabellas, Milan, Monte Carlo.... I would also give an honorable mention to the Fire Patch (okay...really Briar Patch, but since it burned three or four times, we call it Fire Patch), Robin Alexander (glad they got rid of the typo-filled menu), the new Boiler Room (another excellent place from Ralph "Chopper" Wilson - but I had a very odd server there) and Bull Branch (there is a difference between hip and just grimy...dust sometimes!). But if I'm going with the restaurants that I would miss the most - #3 goes to the Hot and Cold Cafe on 9th Street. Uday is an excellent cook and the daily lunch buffet is a destination at least once a week. No, I can't always understand what he is saying. But if you cook cabbage and eggplant that good - I don't care. And I've gotten used to pita instead of Naan bread.

#2 - No brainer. King's Island. Whether it is the best Chinese/Polynesian buffet in town or the sushi that makes me so happy I actually cry...KI is one of my favorites. I also love the fact that I can walk in and greet half the staff by name. And if it is evening, I think John-John starts a Spicy Scallop Roll when he sees me walk through the door.

#1 - but which restaurant would leave the biggest hole in my heart? Thai 99, which celebrates 10 years (!) in Lynchburg this week! I remember being invited to their first anniversary when monks came to bless the restaurant, I've seen Patty and Jeff's son Justin grow up, seen their little girl start to take her first steps. I feel like a part of the family. For a long time I ordered the same dish: Pad Thai, chicken, medium. Until Patty refused to serve that to me - she got me to branch out and try new things. I can still get Pad Thai, but only every other visit. I understand there are a couple of other Thai restaurants around...and I'll get around to trying them. But I know that I'll always be connected to Thai 99 because they took the time to educate me about their food and their culture...and sparked a desire to try new things. Hoping for another 10 years together - and 10 after that!

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from U.S. Cellular

Another Kinda Lame Post

I promise a better post tomorrow night. I just finished spending four hours editing the church newsletter and I'm beat! So, here is another chunk of that cookbook I started writing 10-15 years ago. Perhaps it will amuse you.... (hoping I haven't posted this chunk before...just in case, I'm giving you TWO, count 'em, TWO recipes!)

PORT WINE AND CHEDDAR

This recipe was stolen from a good friend of mine who does a cooking show out of the studio that I work for.But I know she won't mind.I was in the middle of this chapter and struggling hard to come up with a couple more cream cheese recipes when she came in to tape her show.I thought this one was really good, but I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the recipe while she was doing it, so I ended up modifying it when I made it for the family.So, technically it's no longer her recipe, right? Mine is probably better anyway.And while we're on the subject of modifying recipes.I hope you're starting to get the point that no recipe is set in stone.This isn't a Bible or anything, change what you don't like. If you want to turn the cream cheese and olive spread into cream cheese and pimento...try it. If it turns out like hell, don't do it again. If it turns out better than mine, drop me a line and I'll put it in the next book. (Slightly modified to keep from having to give you anything. Just kidding. Sort of). Maybe you don't want to change your great grandmother's fruitcake recipe or Aunt Hildy's giblet dressing, I probably would, but some people are pretty stubborn about the traditional stuff. But if you're reading a cookbook and there's an ingredient that you don't like, leave it out. After all, its your stomach. (This time I haven't digressed at all, a new record)

• a block of cream cheese, softened (I'm getting right sick and tired of typing that particular line)

• ¼ cup of port wine (or a nice dry burgundy, experiment!)

• 1 cup of white cheddar cheese, shredded all to hell.

• some little pink peppercorns for a lovely garnish (okay, if this is for the poker boys, leave out the peppercorns and try making this with Wild Turkey) (on second thought, bourbon and cheese sounds like a hideous combination, I wouldn't do it if I were you.)

** Squoosh together everything except the peppercorns. Probably start by combining the wine and cheese then add the cheddar. Should be a lovely pink color. Sprinkle the pink peppercorns around the top of the cheese ball. To tell you the honest-to-God truth, I had no idea that there was such a thing as pink peppercorns until she taped the show. It's one of those things that you can drive someone else nuts with by sending them to the store to find them. Send someone you don't like very much because I haven't been able to find the little suckers yet. Personally when I garnish stuff, I like to use M & M 's and they just don't go well with port wine and cheddar. Go figure. Try sprinkling some of the white cheddar over it. Beats running around the Kroger's asking women with pink curlers and fat children where you might locate the pink peppercorns. She probably can't even find the replacement insoles for her fuzzy slippers that she came in for.

Ooooo...I think I've digressed again. How far this time?

HAM AND CHEESE (SORT OF)

Some of the credit for this one has to go to my grandmother, after all, every cookbook has at least one recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation. This one ain't it, but it's probably the closest one I've got. She always made it with potted meat, but have you ever read what's in that stuff? I'll admit that I eat it on occasion. But usually when I'm camping or fishing or something. After a couple of days in the wilderness, your tastebuds are pretty much dulled to the point that you can't taste the pig butts and tongues. But, as usual, I digress. This is one of those real simple recipes that you can kind of keep around for you to snack on during football games. It's got at least two of the four food groups, meat and dairy. I suppose you could eat it with crackers and a carrot and call it well-balanced. Le recipe:

• one block of cream cheese, softened

• one can of deviled ham

You should pretty much have the hang of how this goes now. Blend it and slap it on a Saltine. But let's say, these people that have just dropped in are your husband's boss and his lawyer who just stopped by to have coffee and discuss making him a partner in the advertising firm. At this point you can't really throw a Tupperware bowl of anything and a pack of Saltines on the table and invite the boys to "chow down". That's okay for poker nights and Monday Night Football, but for this you need to show a little more class. Luckily, this is quick...so it doesn't appear to be a lot of trouble. You don't want people to have to apologize for dropping in unannounced, no matter what Dear Abby says. I say you should always appear to be able to sweep together a quick snack and honestly say, "It was no trouble at all." But to make this look a little nicer. Use a small cracker, like a wheat thin. After all, Saltines are too large to eat in one bite, and have a tendency to create a lot of crumbs. Crumbs are not what you want Mr. Boss to have on his Sunday golf attire. Wheat thins can be tossed into a mouth in one bite without appearing piggish and without creating a mess. Slap a little bit on each cracker and then garnish about half of them with stuff like olive slices, pieces of cheese, you know, stuff that matches up with ham. Understand? Put a nice bowl with the rest of the ham spread (or really any one of the recipes in the chapter) on a tray. Surround it with the prepared crackers and some plain crackers. That way, if the guest doesn't like the spread, they can eat the crackers plain without feeling like they'll hurt your feelings. And if they run out of the prepared crackers, they can fix their own.

I guess all of this has come naturally to me. And perhaps some of you are wondering why I go through all of this. Well, this book is not just for cooks, its for bachelors who'd like to be able to make an impression on someone and still feed the guys after a tough water polo match. Its for college kids who can put away a ton of food, but still need something for those sorority mixers. It's especially for those husbands whose wives could use a nice surprise when she gets home from work. You know, you don't have to go to a lot of trouble to make people feel special. Just knowing that you thought enough to fix a little snack for her (or him, if the situation is reversed) instead of asking when the hell dinner is going to be ready, well...that might be just enough to keep her (or him) from hitting you with the fireplace poker in the middle of the night. And this time I have digressed to a point so far beyond my control....I think I'll close this chapter and move on the another subject.

But remember, cream cheese is not just a spread...its a staple. Keep it on hand all the time. It's not going to go bad very fast, you'll eat it long before then. Cream cheese is our friend. But do everything in moderation. Well, almost everything.

A very short post...

It has been a nice long weekend. I spent a few minutes adding clip art and pictures to the posts that I've made from my Blackberry over the past week. So even though I didn't have a totally new post tonight...I did spend some time freshening up my existing stuff. That should count, right?

I have not been putting the links to new posts on Facebook every time I post - because I haven't wanted to annoy my FB friends who don't read The Beaten Hamster (as impossible as that could be...) so several of my readers have said that they're missing my posts. Now, even though it might annoy FB friends, I will share the link when I have a new post. They can hide me or unfriend me...I guess it won't be a total loss if they do. After all, I haven't hidden anyone for continual political posts...but I'm getting close!

Hope you had a nice weekend!

Random Family Story

One great thing about getting together with family is the random family stories that get told (and retold, and sometimes expanded). With my cousin Elizabeth in town we spent a good bit of time telling stories - especially about my Aunt Bunny. Wow - took me a full minute of thinking to recall what her real name was - I'm 99% sure it was Barbara. But to us, she was always Bunny.

There never was a cooler aunt. I try to be as cool to my nephews and niece...but I'm no Bunny. She could cook and sew and tell stories and work on Volkswagons. She was a rural mail carrier who told me the sometimes she ran the mail with one foot hanging out the window when the weather was nice. She had crazy curly hair and one time when a cat gave birth to a stillborn kitten...she gave it mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Buttons was our family cat for about 15 years.

One time I traveled with my sisters Karen and Denise on a bus to visit Bunny and her family. It was only to Staunton (about an hour and a half by car) but it seemed like a huge adventure. Denise and I went to the bathroom on the bus and the door got stuck. Though we knocked and knocked, nobody answered. Finally the bus driver pulled over and got us free. Karen claims she didn't hear us...I don't know what to believe. I don't think I ever went to the bathroom on a bus again.

Once we arrived I'm sure that we had a grand time...but the only thing I remember about that trip at all was getting stuck in the bathroom. Memories are funny like that.

Another time, when I was older, I went to visit again. No bus this time - I think that the whole family went over to visit and Aunt Bunny invited me to stay for the week. The only problem was that I got terribly homesick. Homesickness ran in our family. I'm past it now - I can't wait to leave these people for days or weeks on end! But this time everything was so strange and I missed home. I think I cried quite a bit. I recall going into town to a fabric store and Bunny helped me pick out some material and a pattern for us to make a dress together. But I still missed my family.

My not-so-sensitive grandmother came up to the room where I was crying on the bed and basically told me to stop it - that I was upsetting my aunt. Oh - sure - just stop being sad...why didn't I think of that? Crazy old bat.

But my knight in shining armor, my Grandaddy Kenny came over that evening and said he was thinking about driving over to help my Dad with a project tomorrow - would I like to ride along home with him? The clouds parted and the sun shone again. And I could never thank him enough.

I asked Bunny years later if she remembered the visit - and if she had been upset at my being homesick. She said she did sort of remember me staying over for a couple of nights and then heading home. But she said she would never ever have been mad at me for being homesick. She had three boys and hadn't dealt with that - but all she remembered was going to get the fabric for a dress and how pretty I looked in it.

You can have your Auntie Mame. The best aunt ever was my Aunt Bunny. We lost her too soon to cancer - but she is never far away. She is always in my heart.