Love From The Kitchen

"Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. 

And cooking done with love is an act of love."

-Craig Claiborne

I made some homemade pizzas for Alan yesterday, a small snack after work. He does a brutal turnaround shift on Sundays, so I try to make the long commute as easy as possible, by having something tasty and nutritious waiting for him before he gets some sleep! 

Heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sweet bell peppers, and a dash of sun-dried tomato Parmesan cheese! It was really good if I do say so myself. LOL. There is just nothing like cooking up something special for someone you really love!

Leaf Of The Day

October 12th, 2015

Mood: Happy

Me :)

A Face In The Crowd: My Pizza Is Sticking It's Tongue Out At Me

"Pizza is circular. So is an hour. I'll take two slices... to go."

~Jarod Kintz

This Book Is NOT FOR SALE

My delicious slice of pizza not only has a face,

 it's sticking it's tongue out at me!

The nerve!

I bet if it could talk, it would spout some pretty spicy language!

Pizza these days!

Sheesh!

 

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Guy Named Joe

"The only thing a cat worries about is what's happening right now.

 As we tell the kittens, you only wash one paw at a time."

~Lloyd Alexander

Time Cat

I love our little guy Joey. How anyone could have dumped this beautiful child on a bridge is beyond me. I am just thankful that he probably doesn't think much about that time, and those awful crows that were making a meal of him when Alan found him, I am just glad that the memory that seems to stick the closest to him, is the one of his great love of pizza, and Italian food in general. He is a beautiful child, and while he wasn't in the plans, we love him so deeply that I can't remember what it was like to not have him around. I didn't know I needed him, but fate did, and apparently fate kinda likes me!

 It's been a happy 13 months!

Mood: Happy

A Year Of Joe 

Created January 10th 2015

The Last Day Of Vacation Part Two...

"In matters of healing the body or mind, vacation is a true genius!"

~Mehmet Murat ildan

After we finished at Ripley's Believe It Or Not!, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and headed into Marin for dinner. We had a Groupon for an Italian restaurant in San Rafael. The restaurant name, Gaspare's, may sound familiar to you, if you are a regular reader of my blog, you might remember it  as the name of the Italian restaurant Woody Allen used in the movie Blue Jasmine. But the one we visited the other day, while still owned by the same family, was their Marin County restaurant, as opposed to their Geary Boulevard restaurant that was seen in the film. Same food, different location.

The drive into Marin was nothing short of breathtaking, but I always get a little sentimental about that bridge, no matter how many times I see it, I always feel like I am seeing it for the very first time. I love it so much. And I love Marin County. It had been a long time since we drove along the shore of Sausalito, and weaved our way through the hills of that part of Marin. It was the perfect way to bring our vacation to a close, and so was eating at Gaspare's. The pizza was delicious, and the service impeccable, and we had a very good time, reminiscing about the best parts of our vacation. We had a blast this vacation! I kinda love doing the staycation thing, and pretending to be a tourist! I like coming home to my own bed at the end of the day!

November 5th, 2014 Part Two

Marin County Vista

 The View From Sausalito

 

Gaspare's Italian Restaurant

Yummy... Gaspare's, I will be back for more of your delicious food.

Next time San Francisco!

Jasmine's booth please!

Thanks Woody, wherever you are!

Leaf Of The Day

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Healing Power Of Pizza

"Those pizzas I ate were for medicinal purposes."

~Amy Neftzger

Friday night, Alan and I had dinner at one of our favorite pizza places, located here in Berkeley, Cheeseboard Collective. Actually, it's Cheese Board Collective, but over the years folks like me have found ourselves running the Cheese and the Board together. Either version is acceptable, I believe, the folks at this place don't sweat the small stuff, they are too busy making what I consider to be, the BEST pizza in Berkeley!

Eating their pizza is actually a healthy thing. Using this as an example, they start with a super thin crust, brush it with olive and garlic oil and sprinkle with fresh herbs, then add the 12month-aged Gruyere cheese. Next comes the lovely ripe Heirloom tomatoes, and a few more fresh herbs on top! The end result is a delicious pizza that can not only sooth a weary soul, but indeed heal it!
It's truly one of life's great gifts!

Mood: HAPPY

~Me :)

Getting To Know You

"The way to get on with a cat is to treat it as an equal... or even better... as the superior it knows itself to be."

~Elizabeth Peters, The Snake, The Crocodile And The Dog

It's been about 2 months since our new baby, Joey, came to live with us. I will never forget the day we found him, he was scared, and injured from some crows that had bit at his tiny body, and he was tired. He was just this wee ball of fluff, about as lost as anyone could be. I think it was pretty much love at first sight. Love for all of us... well... almost all of us. It took a good bit of convincing where Dylan was concerned. Hendrix only took a couple days to warm up to him, and now they are wrestling buddies! Dylan has never been a very social cat, I think because his eyesight is so bad, so he still continues to hiss, but it's a defensive stance, not aggressive. A simple FUCK OFF if you will. 

Joey takes it well, and he is giving Dylan the proper amount of respect. He doesn't try to engage Dylan, and lets him be. It's working out much better than I imagined it would. We now have 3 beautiful little boys, each one different, but all three wonderful. For the most part, Joey is picking up some of Hendrix's traits. Love comes first. Listen when Mom says the word NO or STOP! LOL. But Joey has his own personality, and it shines through quite charmingly.

Joey likes pizza. Any kind of pizza. Whenever we make a frozen pizza or purchase one from out in the world, Joey knows it, and wants some. I actually caught him happily gnawing on a slice of Domino's Wisconsin cheese pizza the other day, much to my surprise! My other two boys aren't really foodies. Dylan pays no attention when we cook and serve dinner. Hendrix always wants to be a part of things, but never eats anything. Joey doesn't really much care about out meals... unless it's pizza. Sometimes, as I get to know him better, I wonder if Joey might have been a human once upon a time, who lived in Flatbush in Brooklyn, and really liked pizza!

It could be. One never really knows about these things. :)

But look at that snugglepuss, don't you just love him?

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #15: Pizza Toppings

"Pizza is a lot like sex, when it's good it's very good, when it's bad, it's still pretty good."

-Unknown

Baby it's cold outside, but the good news is there is yummy, hot, delicious pizza in the world to chase the cold away. That leads us to this week's photo shoot assignment...

NOW CLOSED!

EMPS #15: Pizza Toppings.
Most everyone loves pizza, right? The other night I had a big slice of wicked good pizza! YUM! I don't eat pizza that isn't homemade very often, but Alan and I planned for it, and then just jumped right in. Cheesy, extra red sauce, pineapple, a few slices of ham. OMG. It was fabulous! Most of the time I prefer all veggie, because, well, I like my veggies, but if Alan is ordering for himself, it's all meat. I also love hot peppers, and sometimes pepperoncini. But that's just me. Show me what toppings you prefer on your pizza. If you don't happen to like pizza, show me what toppings grace the warm culinary bit of deliciousness you do partake of. An example would be a slice of cheese or bacon on a Slider, or onions on a hot dog. If possible, however, please try your best to keep to the original assignment of PIZZA TOPPINGS.

Extra Credit: Show me some pizza!

**PLEASE READ...

You have until next Sunday evening, at 9:00 PM ET to do the assignment, post it to your blog or website and comeback here with you link. No hyperlinks. It must be a link to the entry specific to this assignment. I would also appreciate it if you include a link back here to this entry, so other's will be able to find the challenge. If you need help in finding the correct link on your blog, drop me an email and I will be glad to help you. :) You can contact me at: Ondinemonet@aol.com.

Linking List for EMPS #14: Autumn Sunsets. 12/1/08 - NOW CLOSED!

In order of participation...


1. Greg

2. Karen

3. Vicki (No Link Provided)

4. Liz

5. Judi

6. Steven

7. Jama

8. Terri (here and here)

9. Connie

10. Suzanne
**Welcome New Member**

11. Martha

12. Mike


Good job everyone! GO BE PHOTOGRAPHERS! Go eat some pizza, just don't forget to photograph the toppings first, and I will see you next Monday with an all new photo shoot assignment. :)

-Carly
"Red Pepper Topping"
Me -N- Ed's Pizza
Dublin, California
July, 2008
Afternoon

Dating Alan

"Cinema should make you forget you are at the theater."

-Roman Polanski

Alan and I were talking the other day, and it occurred to us that we haven't been on an actual date in a long time. We went to dinner and a movie on my birthday a few weeks ago, but we haven't just gone on a regular date in months. There has been a lot of stresses in our lives. Alan has his work, which he loves, but lets face it no job is stress free. Then there is Elvis and his cancer. While he is doing pretty good right now, it is a constant concern for both Alan and I. It's sad knowing we wont have our little man a year from now. We try not to dwell on it too much, but it's there, hovering, if you have ever lost a pet, you can probably relate. Then lets add in world events, George Bush, and food and gas prices... well... you get the picture.

I saw on The View the other day, that couples who spend time together end up with more solid relationships. Well duh! Alan and I have always shared each others hobbies and interests. We both love to read, we enjoy the same taste in music, we have always debated politics together. Remember, he was a republican when I met him. LOL. I have always taken credit for bringing him into the light. Tee Hee. He will tell you that he merely saw the light for himself! Either way, we share a lot, not just politics. But couples do not live by politics alone, a good movie and a bite to eat out can be very inviting as well!

Momma Mia came out last Friday, so Alan and I decided to make it into a date. He got off work in just enough time to make the last matinee showing, so we drove out to Dublin to see it. When we go on dates, we always leave town to do it. It makes it a little more special to go just one or two cities over so we aren't seeing the same old places and sights. Just a little trick we do to shake things up a bit. The movie was wonderful, despite what the New York Times said. It was a chick flick, that Alan enjoyed too. Hey, we grew up listening to ABBA, so the music in the movie was fun, and the story just was what it was. It was a good time, at a good movie. The things I hate about critics is their inability to just pull the stick out and just enjoy a movie for what it is. You know? That's why I rarely listen to critics. You should have seen the smile on Alan's face, as I sang "Dancing Queen" with everyone else. Alan has a great smile.

After the movie, Alan and I grabbed a slice of pizza, at Me-N-Ed's Pizza bar. We sat outside and just people watched. Can you believe it? We went a few cities away, and we still ran into an acquaintance! LOL. Oh well, I guess we aren't the only ones who needed a little getaway that night. :) Hi again, Wilton! It's been a long time since we grabbed a slice of pizza together. As you know, I don't like restaurants too much, but Me-N-Ed's makes really yummy pizza, I just love the plain cheese, while Alan gets the all meat combo. I could get addicted to their pizza really easy, I think I will be saving it for date night. The movie must have been fun, because I checked my blood glucose level just before I ate, and it was 96! Woo Hoo. And the pizza must have been good because my after dinner reading was 101! Go date night!

After dinner, Alan suggested we walk across the parking lot to Old Navy. I have been needing some new clothes, and so has he. I LOVE Old Navy. I like casual comfy clothes, and their stuff is just that. Comfortable. I picked out a few things for autumn. A black skirt, and a cropped sweater with silver threading. I also bought a brown cropped cardigan, and two silver threaded t-shirts. I am going back tomorrow to hopefully get a trench coat, if they still have one in my size. It was gorgeous, but I wanted to think it over a bit. I still need some camisoles and a couple more skirts and blouses, so I might pick some up this week. I also need a new pair of dress heels. I love skirts, but somehow I seem to live in my jeans and shorts in the summer. It's time to update the wardrobe for autumn and winter to be sure! I love it when Alan comes along to help me pick out clothes, he has better taste then I do! Besides, he has to see me in it. LOL.

We had a good time the other night, I think we will be doing that again soon. :)

So tell me, do you still date your spouse? Where do you like to shop? Do you enjoy picking out clothes, or do you think of it as a necessary evil? What's your favorite store? Will you be doing some wardrobe updating soon? What movie release are you most looking forward to? What's your favorite pizza topping? Let's get to know each other better... tell me everything?

-OndineMonet
"Regal Cinema Hacienda Crossing"
Dublin, California
July 18th, 2008
Early Evening

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Working Outside

"Be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars."

-Henry Van Dyke

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of people working outside. Because now the weather's right for it (mostly). If you have a photo in your archives of people working outside, that works too.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

My friend Steven inspired me to choose this photo for the Monday Photo Shoot, he posted a similar photo of a clown just the other day. You can see it here. I admire folks who put on these costumes and advertise for companies. It can't be easy to have folks driving by all day, shouting at you or possibly making fun. I don't know, I think seeing these characters is kinda fun. :) It makes me smile.

Still, folks can be so judgemental sometimes. One day, several years ago, a friend and I were driving down the road, when we came across a similar character, standing on the sidewalk advertising for another restaurant, and she remarked to me something to the effect of, " I don't how some people could lower themselves to take a job like that!." To which I replied, "It's honest work, would you prefer they either starve or sign-up for public assistance?" Sometimes we do what we have to do. Sometimes we take jobs, we don't necessarily aspire to, so we can pay for college or put food on our tables. Sigh. Needless to say, my friend and I had quite a conversation that afternoon.

"Men in general are quick to believe that which they wish to be true."

-Julius Caesar

-OndineMonet
"Hail Caesar"
Castro Valley, California
March 7, 2007
Late Afternoon