I hope all of you had a nice Happy Thanksgiving and you wore your fat pants and enjoyed every single bite! I know we did here! YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY IN OUR TUMMIES!!!! We had a very small crowd..... actually two small crowds (5 of us at a 1:00pm sitting) and then (4 more at the 5:00 sitting and a couple of the first crowd went back for heat-ups), so it was kinda on the quiet side, but it was nice all the same.
I made everything from scratch and while I say this every year...... this year was definitely my best yet! The homemade pie crust and apple pie were the only changes, yet..... wow..... what a difference! I roasted a turkey stuffed, Joe rubbed down with cajun seasoning and injected cajun seasoning to his turkey and then deep fried it. Both were fabulous!!! I had dressing on the side as well, along with, mashed potatoes, giblet gravy, plain gravy, sweet rolls, green beans (that my Mom canned), corn (that my Mom put up and froze), sweet potato casserole, derby pie, apple pie, and pumpkin pie. Joe and I barely had enough leftovers for one meal the next day between us. We have had plenty of turkey sandwiches, but all the sides were gone after Friday. I sent one carcass home with for my Mom to make soup with and I am boiling the other now for soup tomorrow.
I absolutely LOVE making Thanksgiving dinner.... it is my favorite meal to cook and while I am in the kitchen from dawn til after the dishes are done and the kitchen is clean, I enjoy every single moment and fall into a heap totally exhausted after all the company has left. I just remember smiling all day!
This year was a year of when we were more aware of what we are truly thankful and our many blessings than typical years (although we are ALWAYS full of thanksgiving and gratefulness every year). My stepfather had a heart attack on the Monday of Thanksgiving week. There were several times in the time between when he actually had the heart attack and when he started getting treatment for it that he coulda/shoulda dropped over from a massive heart attack. He, and we, are so truly blessed that he is still with us! He is the answer to my Mom's prayers and I have never seen her happier than since she has been with him. He is feeling good and recovering nicely after his cath procedure and the insertion of two stints. He has 6 weeks of therapy ahead of him, but...... that will be a good thing and I hope he keeps it up after his therapy is complete. I'm also very grateful for the turn in my own health..... I too am feeling good and recovered nicely.
And last but not least..... I'm also grateful for each person who reads my blog or has read any of my blog posts. This has been such fun and very therapeutic! I've love when my blog comes up in conversation! It always makes me smile!
May our Holidays continue to be Merry!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Nestle's Crunch Hotline
Oh my goodness, this is hysterical :D Need a laugh? Call the Nestle Crunch Hotline at 1-800-295-0051. When you are asked if you want to continue in English or Spanish, just wait quietly for about 10 seconds and you will smile. I Promise! I went through the entire menu and giggled at every single one...... and I am still giggling!!!
I personally get soooooooo frustrated with calling any business and just wanting/needing to talk to a real live person...... but...... you spend 10 minutes punching numbers in several menus before you get to a real live person...... which by that time I usually want to just throw the phone out the window, and then by the time whoever the poor dear is that picks up my call, I wanna scream and yell at them over how frustrating it was to get to them...... which it totally isn't their fault, they are just doing their job and don't deserve to be screamed at...... so I take a big breath and try to solve whatever problem I'm having that prompted the phone call in the beginning.
Gotta tell you businesses/companies....... if you are really interested in better customer service, get rid of the computer operated menu's and have real people answering the phones. I know there are many people who are qualified to do this job, because there sure are a lot them working for companies who call you all day and especially during dinner trying to sell you this or that! I think the world would be much better to get rid of those people who call us all day and at the most inconvenient times to sell us something and put them on the switchboard/phones to answer phone calls of people needing/wanting assistance. Everyone would be much happier at the end of the day! And I don't think I'm alone in this thinking either!!!!
So to Nestle's and their very clever phone menu...... I give you a big whopping shout out of WELL DONE!!!!!! Thank you for the much needed giggles!!!! But of course...... lest we forget........ and don't forget to sing this next statement.... but..... N-E-S-T-L-E-S..... Nestle's makes the very best....... chocolate! LOL
I personally get soooooooo frustrated with calling any business and just wanting/needing to talk to a real live person...... but...... you spend 10 minutes punching numbers in several menus before you get to a real live person...... which by that time I usually want to just throw the phone out the window, and then by the time whoever the poor dear is that picks up my call, I wanna scream and yell at them over how frustrating it was to get to them...... which it totally isn't their fault, they are just doing their job and don't deserve to be screamed at...... so I take a big breath and try to solve whatever problem I'm having that prompted the phone call in the beginning.
Gotta tell you businesses/companies....... if you are really interested in better customer service, get rid of the computer operated menu's and have real people answering the phones. I know there are many people who are qualified to do this job, because there sure are a lot them working for companies who call you all day and especially during dinner trying to sell you this or that! I think the world would be much better to get rid of those people who call us all day and at the most inconvenient times to sell us something and put them on the switchboard/phones to answer phone calls of people needing/wanting assistance. Everyone would be much happier at the end of the day! And I don't think I'm alone in this thinking either!!!!
So to Nestle's and their very clever phone menu...... I give you a big whopping shout out of WELL DONE!!!!!! Thank you for the much needed giggles!!!! But of course...... lest we forget........ and don't forget to sing this next statement.... but..... N-E-S-T-L-E-S..... Nestle's makes the very best....... chocolate! LOL
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday Roast
Late this afternoon Jessica and Winston joined Joe and I for a Sunday roast dinner. I wanted to try my apple pie recipe on these willing participants to see if it would make it on the Thanksgiving Day menu. And it is now officially a definite for Thanksgiving Day.
The day started out slow and relaxed.... I made breakfast for Joe as he read all of the big sales for the Friday after Thanksgiving to me. I cleaned up the kitchen, went through all the coupons he so sweetly cut out for me, and headed off to Kroger to gather all my ingredients and turkeys for my big Thanksgiving dinner. It is absolutely my favorite meal to cook and I look forward to it all year long. I can already smell my sweet yeast rolls baking!
We have two turkeys at Thanksgiving. One I stuff, and one Joe rubs down in cajun seasoning and deep frys..... both are amazing. We have all the 'traditional' side dishes..... gravy, dressing/stuffing mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls, apple pie, pumpkin pie, derby pie. And no matter how good it all is the first time....... and it is good!!!!!...... warm-ups in the late afternoon/early evening are sooooooo much better!
One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving dinner is the leftovers. We make two turkeys just so we have enough leftovers to share with the girls. I am not a big fan of leftovers in general, but...... Thanksgiving leftovers are just that good. And I am one of those who saves the bones and make turkey soup out of them. I can't believe this week is Thanksgiving!!!
This year started out with a serious health issue that resulted in pretty serious surgery...... but 9 months later.... life is so much better and I am soooooo blessed! This year of being forced to rest and recoup made me do a lot of reflecting about myself and life in general. It turned out to be a bump in the road that helped me see the path in front of me sooooo much clearer. It was a big challenge for me to rest and recoup for that long of a period, but in the end it has been a big blessing that I'm very Thankful for. This Thanksgiving will have a very special meaning for me and I look forward to celebrating everything I am truly thankful for with several of my loved ones at my table.
And........ OF COURSE....... I'm thankful for my discoveries of Julia Child this year....... I read several of her cookbooks and biographies while I was recuperating and I have been completely smitten with her ever since.
Bon Appetite!
The day started out slow and relaxed.... I made breakfast for Joe as he read all of the big sales for the Friday after Thanksgiving to me. I cleaned up the kitchen, went through all the coupons he so sweetly cut out for me, and headed off to Kroger to gather all my ingredients and turkeys for my big Thanksgiving dinner. It is absolutely my favorite meal to cook and I look forward to it all year long. I can already smell my sweet yeast rolls baking!
We have two turkeys at Thanksgiving. One I stuff, and one Joe rubs down in cajun seasoning and deep frys..... both are amazing. We have all the 'traditional' side dishes..... gravy, dressing/stuffing mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls, apple pie, pumpkin pie, derby pie. And no matter how good it all is the first time....... and it is good!!!!!...... warm-ups in the late afternoon/early evening are sooooooo much better!
One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving dinner is the leftovers. We make two turkeys just so we have enough leftovers to share with the girls. I am not a big fan of leftovers in general, but...... Thanksgiving leftovers are just that good. And I am one of those who saves the bones and make turkey soup out of them. I can't believe this week is Thanksgiving!!!
This year started out with a serious health issue that resulted in pretty serious surgery...... but 9 months later.... life is so much better and I am soooooo blessed! This year of being forced to rest and recoup made me do a lot of reflecting about myself and life in general. It turned out to be a bump in the road that helped me see the path in front of me sooooo much clearer. It was a big challenge for me to rest and recoup for that long of a period, but in the end it has been a big blessing that I'm very Thankful for. This Thanksgiving will have a very special meaning for me and I look forward to celebrating everything I am truly thankful for with several of my loved ones at my table.
And........ OF COURSE....... I'm thankful for my discoveries of Julia Child this year....... I read several of her cookbooks and biographies while I was recuperating and I have been completely smitten with her ever since.
Bon Appetite!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Recipe for pastry crust and apple pie filling
Just in case any of my blog followers are interested in making the apple pie and pastry crust for Thanksgiving that I have been jabbering about since learning how to make it in class, I thought I would post the recipe and methods on how it is made. It is actually quite simple and very DELISH!!! I will be adding this pie to my own Thanksgiving menu...... just because it is that good!
Pate Brisee (pastry crust)
10-1/2 oz all purpose flour
7 oz butter, cubed and cold
1 tsp salt (table salt, not kosher)
1 tbsp milk, cold
1 egg
In mixer (stand-up mixer) with paddle attachment, combine flour and butter and mix on low (speed 2) until the butter resembles small breadcrumbs.... this process takes about 5 minutes..... but do not over mix which would heat and soften the butter too much. Add salt, milk, and egg (beat the milk with the egg slightly before adding to mixture), and mix until dough forms a ball. Stressing again..... DO NOT OVER MIX!
Remove dough from mixer and quickly shape into a ball and place between two un-floured sheets of parchment paper. Roll out dough inside the parchment paper to 1/8" thickness..... lifting parchment paper when necessary to smooth out wrinkles. Place rolled out dough in the parchment paper in refrigerator until chilled.
Remove dough from refrigerator and carefully lift off parchment paper on both sides of dough. Let dough warm to room temperature slightly (about 5 min). Place dough inside pie pan, reserving extra dough for making lattice top on top of pie filling.
Apple Pie Filling
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
3 McIntosh apples, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8th tsp nutmeg
dash ground cloves
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar (to be mixed with nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon)
1/2 cup sugar (to be mixed with cornstarch to prevent lumping)
3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp butter
egg wash - 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water
Toss apples with lemon juice to prevent browning. Mix spices and first measurement of sugar to distribute ingredients evenly. Toss sugar-spice mixture with apple mixture.
Mix together 2nd sugar measurement and cornstarch to prevent lumping. Add 1/2 of water to sugar-cornstarch mixture to make a slurry. In a saucepan, stir together the sugar-cornstarch slurry, butter, and remaining water, cook over low heat until it thickens to a gloppy goo and is well mixed. Stir continuously, scraping sides and bottom of pan often. Remove from heat once it is at the gloppy gooey stage. The mixture should seriously glop off the spoon into the pan when a spoonful of mixture is held over the pan.
Add apple mixture and stir well until all is combined and warmed. Let cool briefly (5 minutes). Fill pie shell with the apple mixture and top with lattice dough work. Lightly brush egg wash over dough lattice and top with a sprinkle of sugar. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until crust is golden brown, apples are tender when pierced with a fork and filling is thick and set. Baking time is about 30 minutes.
Let pie set and cool for several minutes before serving. Can be served warm or cold. ENJOY!!!!
Next week we are learning how to make Lemon pie, Pate Sucree (sweet pie crust) and Italian Meringue!!! Stay blogged in for future recipes, techniques and methods!
Pate Brisee (pastry crust)
10-1/2 oz all purpose flour
7 oz butter, cubed and cold
1 tsp salt (table salt, not kosher)
1 tbsp milk, cold
1 egg
In mixer (stand-up mixer) with paddle attachment, combine flour and butter and mix on low (speed 2) until the butter resembles small breadcrumbs.... this process takes about 5 minutes..... but do not over mix which would heat and soften the butter too much. Add salt, milk, and egg (beat the milk with the egg slightly before adding to mixture), and mix until dough forms a ball. Stressing again..... DO NOT OVER MIX!
Remove dough from mixer and quickly shape into a ball and place between two un-floured sheets of parchment paper. Roll out dough inside the parchment paper to 1/8" thickness..... lifting parchment paper when necessary to smooth out wrinkles. Place rolled out dough in the parchment paper in refrigerator until chilled.
Remove dough from refrigerator and carefully lift off parchment paper on both sides of dough. Let dough warm to room temperature slightly (about 5 min). Place dough inside pie pan, reserving extra dough for making lattice top on top of pie filling.
Apple Pie Filling
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
3 McIntosh apples, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8th tsp nutmeg
dash ground cloves
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar (to be mixed with nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon)
1/2 cup sugar (to be mixed with cornstarch to prevent lumping)
3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp butter
egg wash - 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water
Toss apples with lemon juice to prevent browning. Mix spices and first measurement of sugar to distribute ingredients evenly. Toss sugar-spice mixture with apple mixture.
Mix together 2nd sugar measurement and cornstarch to prevent lumping. Add 1/2 of water to sugar-cornstarch mixture to make a slurry. In a saucepan, stir together the sugar-cornstarch slurry, butter, and remaining water, cook over low heat until it thickens to a gloppy goo and is well mixed. Stir continuously, scraping sides and bottom of pan often. Remove from heat once it is at the gloppy gooey stage. The mixture should seriously glop off the spoon into the pan when a spoonful of mixture is held over the pan.
Add apple mixture and stir well until all is combined and warmed. Let cool briefly (5 minutes). Fill pie shell with the apple mixture and top with lattice dough work. Lightly brush egg wash over dough lattice and top with a sprinkle of sugar. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until crust is golden brown, apples are tender when pierced with a fork and filling is thick and set. Baking time is about 30 minutes.
Let pie set and cool for several minutes before serving. Can be served warm or cold. ENJOY!!!!
Next week we are learning how to make Lemon pie, Pate Sucree (sweet pie crust) and Italian Meringue!!! Stay blogged in for future recipes, techniques and methods!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Pastry Crust and Apple Pie
Today was my first day, of my last class for my Chef Certificate. Baking 1....... I LOVE my pastry instructor!!!! Great teaching methods and a very warm and kind person as well. Had a blast in class today!
I must admit I was a teeny bit anxious about Baking 1, since cooking is my field of expertise, and baking..... not so much. And I was worried about all the metric vs U.S. weight conversions..... but I need not worry.... we are allowed to use either method of measurements of our choice, which is going to make this class MUCH easier! Math just isn't my thing, especially the metric system.
We started out learning how to make pastry crust, how it should feel, how it should look, how to roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper instead of dusting with flour. That was really cool...... soooo much easier and less messy! Then we made the apple filling, but instead of putting the cold raw ingredients into the crust, we cooked the filling first and after filling the crust with the apple mixture, we then took the scraps of crust and made a lattice work covering.
I am very proud to say I received an 'Excellent' in the remarks and an A for my grade. One class down and only 8 more to go! On the way home from school, I just had to text my daughters and husband to proclaim my proud A..... and of course..... my husband's remark back was...... "I want one for tonight!".... so I stopped by Kroger on the way home to purchase the correct apples. If I don't make it for dinner tonight, I will definitely make it for tomorrow night. It's really hard to come home from a 6 hour cooking class and start cooking again.
My Aunt is well known for her DELISH pies and she can whip out a pastry crust quicker than you can sneeze, and my Mom is known for her many cakes she bakes.... I think they would both be proud that I can now make a really good pie too. Pastry crust/dough has ALWAYS intimidated me.... and actually.... it just ain't that hard! LOL Yes...... I used the word 'ain't' on purpose!
I'm already looking forward to class next week and whatever delicious goodies we will be baking. And I hope we get into bread making..... I would love to conquer french bread.... and there is nothing that smells better or tastes better than fresh baked bread!!!
Now it's time to go do my on-line homework and start reading the chapters for next week's class.
I must admit I was a teeny bit anxious about Baking 1, since cooking is my field of expertise, and baking..... not so much. And I was worried about all the metric vs U.S. weight conversions..... but I need not worry.... we are allowed to use either method of measurements of our choice, which is going to make this class MUCH easier! Math just isn't my thing, especially the metric system.
We started out learning how to make pastry crust, how it should feel, how it should look, how to roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper instead of dusting with flour. That was really cool...... soooo much easier and less messy! Then we made the apple filling, but instead of putting the cold raw ingredients into the crust, we cooked the filling first and after filling the crust with the apple mixture, we then took the scraps of crust and made a lattice work covering.
I am very proud to say I received an 'Excellent' in the remarks and an A for my grade. One class down and only 8 more to go! On the way home from school, I just had to text my daughters and husband to proclaim my proud A..... and of course..... my husband's remark back was...... "I want one for tonight!".... so I stopped by Kroger on the way home to purchase the correct apples. If I don't make it for dinner tonight, I will definitely make it for tomorrow night. It's really hard to come home from a 6 hour cooking class and start cooking again.
My Aunt is well known for her DELISH pies and she can whip out a pastry crust quicker than you can sneeze, and my Mom is known for her many cakes she bakes.... I think they would both be proud that I can now make a really good pie too. Pastry crust/dough has ALWAYS intimidated me.... and actually.... it just ain't that hard! LOL Yes...... I used the word 'ain't' on purpose!
I'm already looking forward to class next week and whatever delicious goodies we will be baking. And I hope we get into bread making..... I would love to conquer french bread.... and there is nothing that smells better or tastes better than fresh baked bread!!!
Now it's time to go do my on-line homework and start reading the chapters for next week's class.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Back To School Shopping
OMGOODNESS...... it's really here!!!.....this is the week!!! I start back to school in just two days! Baking 1 for Restaurants.... and then..... I graduate!! WOO HOO!!! Does this make me an official Senior?!!??....... and........ should I be experiencing Senoritis!??? LOL And is there really anything more fun than "Back To School Shopping"??? Pencils and paper and binders.... OH MY! LOL I'm skipping down my own yellow brick road on my way to see the Wizard for my diploma!
When I went to my advising session with my Chef.... he suggested I get a few things to add to my knife bag, so I went shopping at Target this afternoon in search of baking gadgets. I bought a candy thermometer, a long flat and a short pastry spatula, a couple of rubber scraping spatulas and a pastry scraper. I have my new fresh notebook, my mechanical pencils and sharpie markers in my book bag, my uniform is cleaned, pressed and waiting for me to put it on and I'm ready for the first day of school again.
Because I am taking this class in the "Late Fall" term, I get the benefit of having the Christmas Holidays fall right in the middle of the term.... thus.... I go 6 weeks, off 2 weeks and back to school for 4 weeks, which will fly by with the hectiness of the holidays. I am currently reading as many chapters in my textbook as I can. I want to be ahead of the game because of the stress and hectiness of the holidays.... which will include my youngest daughter, Lauren, moving home from LA Dec. 20th. She graduates from FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) Dec. 16th. She has been in LA almost 3 years and that time flew by like a flash. We are for this moment..... Seniors together! Awwwww!!!!! Guess we will have to have a big blow out Graduation party for the two of us! I graduate Jan. 27th..... just 5 weeks after she graduates.
Back to reading of the text! Have two chapters of homework completed already.... (there is no homework for chapter 3) I am in the middle of chapter 4.... which is the longest chapter in the book (50 pages), and I want to get through chapter 5 before school starts because according to the syllabus, we will be studying chapters 1-5 the first day of class. I like to be prepared! : )
Happy Monday!
When I went to my advising session with my Chef.... he suggested I get a few things to add to my knife bag, so I went shopping at Target this afternoon in search of baking gadgets. I bought a candy thermometer, a long flat and a short pastry spatula, a couple of rubber scraping spatulas and a pastry scraper. I have my new fresh notebook, my mechanical pencils and sharpie markers in my book bag, my uniform is cleaned, pressed and waiting for me to put it on and I'm ready for the first day of school again.
Because I am taking this class in the "Late Fall" term, I get the benefit of having the Christmas Holidays fall right in the middle of the term.... thus.... I go 6 weeks, off 2 weeks and back to school for 4 weeks, which will fly by with the hectiness of the holidays. I am currently reading as many chapters in my textbook as I can. I want to be ahead of the game because of the stress and hectiness of the holidays.... which will include my youngest daughter, Lauren, moving home from LA Dec. 20th. She graduates from FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) Dec. 16th. She has been in LA almost 3 years and that time flew by like a flash. We are for this moment..... Seniors together! Awwwww!!!!! Guess we will have to have a big blow out Graduation party for the two of us! I graduate Jan. 27th..... just 5 weeks after she graduates.
Back to reading of the text! Have two chapters of homework completed already.... (there is no homework for chapter 3) I am in the middle of chapter 4.... which is the longest chapter in the book (50 pages), and I want to get through chapter 5 before school starts because according to the syllabus, we will be studying chapters 1-5 the first day of class. I like to be prepared! : )
Happy Monday!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Greece - The rest of the story
Day 4 - Pam, Ted, Joe and I all met up at the lounge for breakfast and tour planning. The weather is gorgeous, and other than the one day of torrential rains, the weather was spectacular the rest of the week, ranging from high 70's to low 80's. We decide to head for the Acropolis and Parthenon first. Pam and I (seeing how we are now quite expert at getting to the metro and to the stops needed) lead the men onward. Of course men being men...... who don't like not being in the lead for long..... once we arrive at the Acropolis they take over as 'tour guides', which is perfectly fine with Pam and I.
It takes a good 45 minutes to walk up the very rough terrain of the Acropolis to reach the top where the Parthenon proudly sits. And of course of all the days for me to decide to be 'fashionable'....... was trying to 'represent' for my youngest fashionista daughter Lauren..... I wore wedges with my summer dress instead of flat sandals. So Pam with her bursitis hip and me on wedges.... we hold on to each other and help each other up the hill, which had to be a funny site! LOL But we made it to the top and then WOW, WOW, WOWZERS!!!!! Such a stunning site to see.
We spent a good hour at the Parthenon just looking at the site, taking photo's and enjoying the gorgeous weather. From there we traverse down to town and happened upon this really quaint side street that was built on the side of the hill and stop for a nice lunch. Delish-ee-o-so! Was the perfect spot to stop for a squat and refueling the tummies.
After lunch we continue to meander down the hill and walk into the market, where we started to shop for christmas gifts, which we were quite successful in our finds. However..... at one market shop, I felt like I was molested! Boy that guys hands were fast! Pam and I are strolling together, the fellas are just a couple steps in front. We are strolling slowly and just gazing at the wares on the street and in the windows when this Greek fella reaches out and drags both Pam and I into the shop wanting to show us hundreds of business cards of Greeks who have gone to America to work. After asking us where we are actually from, he finds business cards from the cities we live in. I grab Joe to come see..... hoping he will save me...... but nope..... the guys high tail it out of there and leave both Pam and I in this store trying to get out. Mr. Greek hands both Pam and I a 'lucky' greek penny..... he places the penny in Pam's hand, then places a penny in my hand and then reaches both his hand and mine deep inside my pocket on my dress....... I'm thinking...... WHAT are you doing!!!! and before I can recover from that Mr. Greek has my backpack purse off my shoulders and my sweater off my body before I can say WAIT!!!! I'm looking at Pam who was tossed my stuff to hold with a plea in my eye of 'help me!!!', we are both thinking...... what the heck is going on here and trying to get out of there. Mr. Greek was trying to sell me a woman's blouse to make me look Greek. Pam says she wants a shirt for her grandson, I grab my stuff and bail outta there. That guy had the quickest hands I have ever seen.... he literally had me undressed in 3 seconds flat before I had a clue what the heck he was doing. Pam and I have been cracking up ever since!
After that episode, we continue through the market.....me staying clear of any other doorways. The boys decide they are done with 'shopping' and spot a table near by to grab a beer. They tell us to shop at our leisure and join them when we are done.... which we do..... and as we sat there you wouldn't believe how many street vendors come up to push their wares on you, children gypsies playing instruments, mothers selling packets of tissues with their infants in their arms, all begging. It is sooooo sad and pulls on your hearts strings, but...... it is a big racket and the police are patrolling the area to shoo them all off. Plus the street people work in groups, those to distract and play on your pity, while the others pickpocket. You just can't help feeling your heartstrings being pulled tho.
We head on back to the metro and hotel after the beer stop and get ready to head out to dinner. We all meet up at the lounge for a beverage before heading out to dinner and while we are in the lounge, in walks our newlywed friends (Vincent and Liz). Pam and I make the introductions to our husbands, we chat with them for a few minutes and then we all head out to our separate dinners. Dinner was just a short walk from the hotel, and out of all the meals we had, this was my least favorite. It was 'ok' and edible but that's about it.
After dinner, we walk back to the hotel and back up to the lounge for a 'final final'.... which means one more drink before we retire for the evening. The night was gorgeous, so we head out to the balcony to enjoy both the view and the fresh air. As we are sitting there laughing and talking, in walk Vincent and Liz and ask to join us, which we gladly accepted. What a great time we all had..... til we got kicked out because the lounge closed. Vincent and Liz reminded me soooo much of my daughter Jessica and her husband Winston, who are also newlyweds. It was a very lovely evening.
Day 5 - We all gather once again at the lounge for breakfast (for the last time) before our planned bus tour excursion for the day. We decided to go out to the coast to see the Temple of Athena, which is very similar to the Parthenon, except this one is on a hill overlooking the bluff of the seaside. It is just sooooo incredible to see these spectacular views. It was a bit of a wiggy ride up to the site because the bus driver didn't turn the air on til the very end, the roads were hilly and curvy and the woman sitting in front of me was wearing this horrendous heavy perfume. But the drive back was much better because the air was cooler and it was dark outside so you didn't see the windy curves of the road.
We were the first ones on the bus on the journey to the site, thus we were on the bus for an hour and a half before the tour even began. As we are picking up other passengers on the way, we notice how close we are to the Plaka and the metro and we decide to jump off the bus on the way back at the Plaka for dinner. GOOD MOVE!!!!! We meandered down the side streets and find another quaint little restaurant in the open air and settle in for a nice meal. Not only did this place have delish food, but it had live music and Greek dancers. I can't think of a more perfect way to end our trip than having dinner at this place.
After dinner, we bid adieu to each other and head up to pack for the long journey home in the morning that begins at 3:30am. Yep...... we were up at 3:30 to head out for the airport. We had a connector flight in Paris and let me tell you...... Charles De Gaulle airport is horrendous!!! OMGOSH..... our flight was delayed just trying to get all of us from the landing plane onto the Cincinnati plane. The flights were bearable and long, but we made it home again, home again, jiggity jig, safe and sound and extremely exhausted after being up for over 30 hours. When we hit the bed at 9:00pm I don't think either Joe or I moved all night.
And that...... is the rest of the story! The End! LOL
Yamis
It takes a good 45 minutes to walk up the very rough terrain of the Acropolis to reach the top where the Parthenon proudly sits. And of course of all the days for me to decide to be 'fashionable'....... was trying to 'represent' for my youngest fashionista daughter Lauren..... I wore wedges with my summer dress instead of flat sandals. So Pam with her bursitis hip and me on wedges.... we hold on to each other and help each other up the hill, which had to be a funny site! LOL But we made it to the top and then WOW, WOW, WOWZERS!!!!! Such a stunning site to see.
We spent a good hour at the Parthenon just looking at the site, taking photo's and enjoying the gorgeous weather. From there we traverse down to town and happened upon this really quaint side street that was built on the side of the hill and stop for a nice lunch. Delish-ee-o-so! Was the perfect spot to stop for a squat and refueling the tummies.
After lunch we continue to meander down the hill and walk into the market, where we started to shop for christmas gifts, which we were quite successful in our finds. However..... at one market shop, I felt like I was molested! Boy that guys hands were fast! Pam and I are strolling together, the fellas are just a couple steps in front. We are strolling slowly and just gazing at the wares on the street and in the windows when this Greek fella reaches out and drags both Pam and I into the shop wanting to show us hundreds of business cards of Greeks who have gone to America to work. After asking us where we are actually from, he finds business cards from the cities we live in. I grab Joe to come see..... hoping he will save me...... but nope..... the guys high tail it out of there and leave both Pam and I in this store trying to get out. Mr. Greek hands both Pam and I a 'lucky' greek penny..... he places the penny in Pam's hand, then places a penny in my hand and then reaches both his hand and mine deep inside my pocket on my dress....... I'm thinking...... WHAT are you doing!!!! and before I can recover from that Mr. Greek has my backpack purse off my shoulders and my sweater off my body before I can say WAIT!!!! I'm looking at Pam who was tossed my stuff to hold with a plea in my eye of 'help me!!!', we are both thinking...... what the heck is going on here and trying to get out of there. Mr. Greek was trying to sell me a woman's blouse to make me look Greek. Pam says she wants a shirt for her grandson, I grab my stuff and bail outta there. That guy had the quickest hands I have ever seen.... he literally had me undressed in 3 seconds flat before I had a clue what the heck he was doing. Pam and I have been cracking up ever since!
After that episode, we continue through the market.....me staying clear of any other doorways. The boys decide they are done with 'shopping' and spot a table near by to grab a beer. They tell us to shop at our leisure and join them when we are done.... which we do..... and as we sat there you wouldn't believe how many street vendors come up to push their wares on you, children gypsies playing instruments, mothers selling packets of tissues with their infants in their arms, all begging. It is sooooo sad and pulls on your hearts strings, but...... it is a big racket and the police are patrolling the area to shoo them all off. Plus the street people work in groups, those to distract and play on your pity, while the others pickpocket. You just can't help feeling your heartstrings being pulled tho.
We head on back to the metro and hotel after the beer stop and get ready to head out to dinner. We all meet up at the lounge for a beverage before heading out to dinner and while we are in the lounge, in walks our newlywed friends (Vincent and Liz). Pam and I make the introductions to our husbands, we chat with them for a few minutes and then we all head out to our separate dinners. Dinner was just a short walk from the hotel, and out of all the meals we had, this was my least favorite. It was 'ok' and edible but that's about it.
After dinner, we walk back to the hotel and back up to the lounge for a 'final final'.... which means one more drink before we retire for the evening. The night was gorgeous, so we head out to the balcony to enjoy both the view and the fresh air. As we are sitting there laughing and talking, in walk Vincent and Liz and ask to join us, which we gladly accepted. What a great time we all had..... til we got kicked out because the lounge closed. Vincent and Liz reminded me soooo much of my daughter Jessica and her husband Winston, who are also newlyweds. It was a very lovely evening.
Day 5 - We all gather once again at the lounge for breakfast (for the last time) before our planned bus tour excursion for the day. We decided to go out to the coast to see the Temple of Athena, which is very similar to the Parthenon, except this one is on a hill overlooking the bluff of the seaside. It is just sooooo incredible to see these spectacular views. It was a bit of a wiggy ride up to the site because the bus driver didn't turn the air on til the very end, the roads were hilly and curvy and the woman sitting in front of me was wearing this horrendous heavy perfume. But the drive back was much better because the air was cooler and it was dark outside so you didn't see the windy curves of the road.
We were the first ones on the bus on the journey to the site, thus we were on the bus for an hour and a half before the tour even began. As we are picking up other passengers on the way, we notice how close we are to the Plaka and the metro and we decide to jump off the bus on the way back at the Plaka for dinner. GOOD MOVE!!!!! We meandered down the side streets and find another quaint little restaurant in the open air and settle in for a nice meal. Not only did this place have delish food, but it had live music and Greek dancers. I can't think of a more perfect way to end our trip than having dinner at this place.
After dinner, we bid adieu to each other and head up to pack for the long journey home in the morning that begins at 3:30am. Yep...... we were up at 3:30 to head out for the airport. We had a connector flight in Paris and let me tell you...... Charles De Gaulle airport is horrendous!!! OMGOSH..... our flight was delayed just trying to get all of us from the landing plane onto the Cincinnati plane. The flights were bearable and long, but we made it home again, home again, jiggity jig, safe and sound and extremely exhausted after being up for over 30 hours. When we hit the bed at 9:00pm I don't think either Joe or I moved all night.
And that...... is the rest of the story! The End! LOL
Yamis
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Greece - Girls Day Out
While the husbands were in their 3 day long conference/seminar, us ladies (Pam and I) had all day to do as we wanted, at the pace we wanted, so we began Day 1 meeting up in the lounge for breakfast and plan making. I must mention that Pam and I had only met once over a dinner a couple weeks earlier just to get introduced before this trip. We didn't really know anything about each other at this point, even tho the dinner had gone quite nicely.
Day 1 - It rained..... torrential downpour rain, so that made our plans pretty easy for that day. We would hop on the metro and go to the Acropolis Museum and wander around, saving the open air market shopping and other touring for the other two days. Pam and I start chatting over croissants and coffee/tea and the next thing we know...... we have been sitting there chatting and laughing for a couple of hours.
While we were enjoying our breakfast, an adorable cute newlywed couple sat at the table next to us, speaking with a southern accent, and as always in a foreign country, you always ask other Americans where they are from. They just happened to be from the area where Pam and her husband have a cabin and the 4 of us chatted for several minutes. The rain had let up just a tid bit, we bid the newlyweds farewell and off we scamper to find the metro and the museum. We had to play frogger to cross the several streets to get to the metro, but we made it before the rain started coming down hard again. What we would discover the next day, is that we actually took the long way around to the metro, and we did get a bit wet, but.... we were soooo proud of ourselves for getting there and back to the hotel at the end of the day.
The museum was busy but not packed since it was off season, but busier than normal on a Tues because of the rain. We stood in the foyer of the museum for over an hour just chatting before we actually gave our ticket and went into the exhibit area. Too funny! But we were just so wrapped up in our conversation we just stood to the side and kept chatting. Then once inside the exhibit area, we looked at stuff but didn't really read any of the plaques or info, just enjoyed looking at all the marble statutes. We continued our way through the 3 floors of artifacts chatting the whole way until we found the cafeteria on the top floor, and by now we are hungry and thirsty, it's still raining hard, so we decide to pop a squat, have lunch before we head back out to the rainy elements outside.
During the 2 hours Pam and I sat and chatted and ate lunch in the cafeteria our new newlywed friends, who also happened to have gone to the museum for the very same reason (nothing else to do in the rain, since all the ruins are outside) sat next to us, and we continued our conversations from earlier when we were at the lounge together. I couldn't believe this young couple (guessing 26ish -27ish) wanted to sit next to us old chatty gals, but they did and the conversation was so delightful. They sat and chatted with us for over an hour, then since they hadn't quite finished their tour of the museum, they got up and left and soon after we too left. Pam and I made our way back down to the main floor to head back to the hotel, but again..... it was just deluge pouring outside, the whole front entrance of the museum outside was all marble and quite slick, not to mention it had 4" of water on top of it. The museum employee's were trying their hardest to squeegee the water off the marble, but they couldn't keep up with the amount of water collecting on the marble with the downpour. So.... since Pam and I were not in any hurry and we were still chatting away, we back our hinnies up to a big huge column and continue our conversation as we wait out the rain. 2 hours later....... a museum employee walks up to us and asks us if we are looking for our tour bus group or if we are lost. We are cracking up, knowing we have been spotted on the security camera's just standing there talking for 2 hours. Our newlywed friends (Vincent and Liz) wave to us as they passed by and left. When the rain finally eased up to a drizzle, Pam and I hoofed it out of there and almost made it back to the hotel before the deluge started again.
Joe and I had a Committee dinner that night, and Pam and Ted had dinner solo that night after the main meet and greet in the lobby. After we made it back to the hotel, I head up to the room to get showered and dressed for the meet and greet and then head downstairs to meet up with Joe. The meet and greet went nicely, then we had our dinner. This is the dinner where I met and became so engrossed in the two Greek fella's and their olive oil.
Day 2 - Pam and I meet again up at the lounge, have breakfast, start chatting again and again sat there for a couple of hours before making our way back to the metro to go to the Plaka (shopping district... flea marketing style). This time we find the short cut through the park instead of having to play frogger across several heavily traffic streets. We are quite proud of ourselves by now that we have mastered the metro..... no english, all in Greek.... and we figured it out nicely.
Once we hit the main market..... they only take cash, which I didn't prepare myself for, but had enough cash (euro) on had for that day. However..... I stop in the first store on the corner and find scarfs. My main goal was to buy scarfs on this trip because my girls and I just love them, and I couldn't find any scarfs when we were in France a month earlier and was soooo disappointed. These are pashmina type scarfs found all over Europe, everyone wears them and they are beautiful and I just can't buy enough of them when I'm abroad. But...... it took every euro I had, so my shopping was done for the day.
Pam and I are still chatting, and just meandering through these narrow market streets, keeping our purses tight to our sides until we are in this alley that has a tour train. We have nothing else really to do, so we hop on the tour train for a rest and to see the city. The train took a one hour tour around the city, so we hop aboard and wait for about 15 minutes for others to board. We have yet to stop chatting, and we sat and chatted through the whole tour (kinda a cheesy tour, but relaxing and a place to sit for an hour). Then after the train ride, we meander ourselves back through the market and back to the metro and back to the hotel and get ready for the dinner that night.
Joe and I along with Pam and Ted had a really nice dinner to go to that night sponsored by the conference. The whole 160 folks go by chartered bus to the restaurant that is on top of this hill with a gorgeous view of the Acropolis and Parthenon all lit up. STUNNING site!!!! Dinner was delish, we chatted with everyone at our table and had just a delightful time. As we were leaving the restaurant, boarding back on the busses for the hotel, we are all given gifts of this beautiful picture book of Greece. I want to frame every page!
Day 3 - Once again Pam and I meet up at the lounge for breakfast and to decide what the day's plan will be. Both she and I are recovering from medical issues and we didn't want to go see any of the big sites, knowing our husbands wanted to join us for those after the conference is over. We are both tired and jetlagged as well. So we ended up just sitting in the lounge for several hours...... yep..... you got it..... chatting!
Then this British couple come over to us (Pam and I think they are with the conference and have recognized us! TEE HEE!!! but they weren't with the conference)...... they had come over to tell us that they had seen us everywhere.... there in the lounge, in the museum, on the tour train and again in the lounge and that we were chatting the whole time! They were cracking up at how much we could actually just sit and chat with each other! Pam and I are laughing so hard we are literally in tears and we can't stop laughing because it is true...... we have not stopped chatting for 3 days and we had just met each other! Then.... to make matters worse, our newlywed friends come in the lounge and they again sit beside us and we chat with them for another hour or so.
After several hours of chatting in the lounge, we both decide to just head back to our rooms for a rest while we wait for the fella's to finish up their conference and join us. We all were going to dinner with the Greek fella's Joe and I met at the Committee dinner who produce that marvelous olive oil. We have about 3 hours to kill before the guys are done, so I take out my Julia book and sit on the balcony to read in the sun. However, it was soooo hot in that sun, I open the sliding door and sit on the edge of the bed to read, but the sun is shining through the door over the entire bed, so I decide..... hum...... I can just lay on the bed, read and suntan..... which is exactly what I did, remembering to turn myself every 30 minutes like a rotisserie chicken for even browning. That is the first time I have ever sun bathed while lying on my bed! And it worked beautifully!
That night we took the venicular (a tram on a track that goes in this tunnel that takes you up the hill) to the top of this hill (the tallest hill in Athens) that has this quaint restaurant at the top. But before we go in to dine, our hosts take us outside to the roof top for a view. AMAZING!!!!! OMGOSH!!!!! SPECTACULAR!!!! The whole city was lit up and you could see 180 degrees around the entire city. STUNNING!!! ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!!! Dinner was delish, the conversation was wonderful and these two brothers gave us gifts of another beautiful photo book for Joe and a cookbook for me. A very very delightful time was had by all.
Day 4 and Day 5 are another blog itself, since it involves the vacation part with our husbands in tow. Tune in tomorrow for the 'rest of the story'! The days of just Pam and I were filled with soooo much chatting and til we cried kind of laughing. I have truly met a very dear friend through this experience!
YAMIS!
Day 1 - It rained..... torrential downpour rain, so that made our plans pretty easy for that day. We would hop on the metro and go to the Acropolis Museum and wander around, saving the open air market shopping and other touring for the other two days. Pam and I start chatting over croissants and coffee/tea and the next thing we know...... we have been sitting there chatting and laughing for a couple of hours.
While we were enjoying our breakfast, an adorable cute newlywed couple sat at the table next to us, speaking with a southern accent, and as always in a foreign country, you always ask other Americans where they are from. They just happened to be from the area where Pam and her husband have a cabin and the 4 of us chatted for several minutes. The rain had let up just a tid bit, we bid the newlyweds farewell and off we scamper to find the metro and the museum. We had to play frogger to cross the several streets to get to the metro, but we made it before the rain started coming down hard again. What we would discover the next day, is that we actually took the long way around to the metro, and we did get a bit wet, but.... we were soooo proud of ourselves for getting there and back to the hotel at the end of the day.
The museum was busy but not packed since it was off season, but busier than normal on a Tues because of the rain. We stood in the foyer of the museum for over an hour just chatting before we actually gave our ticket and went into the exhibit area. Too funny! But we were just so wrapped up in our conversation we just stood to the side and kept chatting. Then once inside the exhibit area, we looked at stuff but didn't really read any of the plaques or info, just enjoyed looking at all the marble statutes. We continued our way through the 3 floors of artifacts chatting the whole way until we found the cafeteria on the top floor, and by now we are hungry and thirsty, it's still raining hard, so we decide to pop a squat, have lunch before we head back out to the rainy elements outside.
During the 2 hours Pam and I sat and chatted and ate lunch in the cafeteria our new newlywed friends, who also happened to have gone to the museum for the very same reason (nothing else to do in the rain, since all the ruins are outside) sat next to us, and we continued our conversations from earlier when we were at the lounge together. I couldn't believe this young couple (guessing 26ish -27ish) wanted to sit next to us old chatty gals, but they did and the conversation was so delightful. They sat and chatted with us for over an hour, then since they hadn't quite finished their tour of the museum, they got up and left and soon after we too left. Pam and I made our way back down to the main floor to head back to the hotel, but again..... it was just deluge pouring outside, the whole front entrance of the museum outside was all marble and quite slick, not to mention it had 4" of water on top of it. The museum employee's were trying their hardest to squeegee the water off the marble, but they couldn't keep up with the amount of water collecting on the marble with the downpour. So.... since Pam and I were not in any hurry and we were still chatting away, we back our hinnies up to a big huge column and continue our conversation as we wait out the rain. 2 hours later....... a museum employee walks up to us and asks us if we are looking for our tour bus group or if we are lost. We are cracking up, knowing we have been spotted on the security camera's just standing there talking for 2 hours. Our newlywed friends (Vincent and Liz) wave to us as they passed by and left. When the rain finally eased up to a drizzle, Pam and I hoofed it out of there and almost made it back to the hotel before the deluge started again.
Joe and I had a Committee dinner that night, and Pam and Ted had dinner solo that night after the main meet and greet in the lobby. After we made it back to the hotel, I head up to the room to get showered and dressed for the meet and greet and then head downstairs to meet up with Joe. The meet and greet went nicely, then we had our dinner. This is the dinner where I met and became so engrossed in the two Greek fella's and their olive oil.
Day 2 - Pam and I meet again up at the lounge, have breakfast, start chatting again and again sat there for a couple of hours before making our way back to the metro to go to the Plaka (shopping district... flea marketing style). This time we find the short cut through the park instead of having to play frogger across several heavily traffic streets. We are quite proud of ourselves by now that we have mastered the metro..... no english, all in Greek.... and we figured it out nicely.
Once we hit the main market..... they only take cash, which I didn't prepare myself for, but had enough cash (euro) on had for that day. However..... I stop in the first store on the corner and find scarfs. My main goal was to buy scarfs on this trip because my girls and I just love them, and I couldn't find any scarfs when we were in France a month earlier and was soooo disappointed. These are pashmina type scarfs found all over Europe, everyone wears them and they are beautiful and I just can't buy enough of them when I'm abroad. But...... it took every euro I had, so my shopping was done for the day.
Pam and I are still chatting, and just meandering through these narrow market streets, keeping our purses tight to our sides until we are in this alley that has a tour train. We have nothing else really to do, so we hop on the tour train for a rest and to see the city. The train took a one hour tour around the city, so we hop aboard and wait for about 15 minutes for others to board. We have yet to stop chatting, and we sat and chatted through the whole tour (kinda a cheesy tour, but relaxing and a place to sit for an hour). Then after the train ride, we meander ourselves back through the market and back to the metro and back to the hotel and get ready for the dinner that night.
Joe and I along with Pam and Ted had a really nice dinner to go to that night sponsored by the conference. The whole 160 folks go by chartered bus to the restaurant that is on top of this hill with a gorgeous view of the Acropolis and Parthenon all lit up. STUNNING site!!!! Dinner was delish, we chatted with everyone at our table and had just a delightful time. As we were leaving the restaurant, boarding back on the busses for the hotel, we are all given gifts of this beautiful picture book of Greece. I want to frame every page!
Day 3 - Once again Pam and I meet up at the lounge for breakfast and to decide what the day's plan will be. Both she and I are recovering from medical issues and we didn't want to go see any of the big sites, knowing our husbands wanted to join us for those after the conference is over. We are both tired and jetlagged as well. So we ended up just sitting in the lounge for several hours...... yep..... you got it..... chatting!
Then this British couple come over to us (Pam and I think they are with the conference and have recognized us! TEE HEE!!! but they weren't with the conference)...... they had come over to tell us that they had seen us everywhere.... there in the lounge, in the museum, on the tour train and again in the lounge and that we were chatting the whole time! They were cracking up at how much we could actually just sit and chat with each other! Pam and I are laughing so hard we are literally in tears and we can't stop laughing because it is true...... we have not stopped chatting for 3 days and we had just met each other! Then.... to make matters worse, our newlywed friends come in the lounge and they again sit beside us and we chat with them for another hour or so.
After several hours of chatting in the lounge, we both decide to just head back to our rooms for a rest while we wait for the fella's to finish up their conference and join us. We all were going to dinner with the Greek fella's Joe and I met at the Committee dinner who produce that marvelous olive oil. We have about 3 hours to kill before the guys are done, so I take out my Julia book and sit on the balcony to read in the sun. However, it was soooo hot in that sun, I open the sliding door and sit on the edge of the bed to read, but the sun is shining through the door over the entire bed, so I decide..... hum...... I can just lay on the bed, read and suntan..... which is exactly what I did, remembering to turn myself every 30 minutes like a rotisserie chicken for even browning. That is the first time I have ever sun bathed while lying on my bed! And it worked beautifully!
That night we took the venicular (a tram on a track that goes in this tunnel that takes you up the hill) to the top of this hill (the tallest hill in Athens) that has this quaint restaurant at the top. But before we go in to dine, our hosts take us outside to the roof top for a view. AMAZING!!!!! OMGOSH!!!!! SPECTACULAR!!!! The whole city was lit up and you could see 180 degrees around the entire city. STUNNING!!! ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!!! Dinner was delish, the conversation was wonderful and these two brothers gave us gifts of another beautiful photo book for Joe and a cookbook for me. A very very delightful time was had by all.
Day 4 and Day 5 are another blog itself, since it involves the vacation part with our husbands in tow. Tune in tomorrow for the 'rest of the story'! The days of just Pam and I were filled with soooo much chatting and til we cried kind of laughing. I have truly met a very dear friend through this experience!
YAMIS!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Greece
SPECTACULAR!!!!! That one word pretty much sums it up. Joe and I were already planning our next trip back before we even left the for the airport on our way back home to the states.
While France still is our favorite 'foodie' place, Greece is so incredibly beautiful, it is now competing with France and Italy for the title of "our favorite" trip. And speaking of the food..... which was good, but the olive oil...... OMGOODNESS....... I could live the rest of my life on just bread and their incredibly delicious olive oil. I use tons of olive oil and the difference between what I am used to vs. what they have in Greece is like comparing wine to grape juice!!!! I'm on a quest now to figure out how I can get that olive oil here.
My husband is on the Committee Board of this International Grocers/Marketing Conference, which was the reason for this trip. The trip is all biz for him the first 3 days and vacation the last 2 days. We have 'Meet and Greet' dinners to attend in the evenings..... which as a spouse can be dull and boring, since all 160 participants of this conference are representing their products, marketing/packaging techniques, and themselves/companies. So as a spouse attending, most of the conversations are about the topics that have been presented from various speakers in the forum and I have no idea what-so-ever what they are talking about and I end up standing around, nibbling and smiling.
However..... this year at the dinner Joe and I had to attend for the Committee members, Speakers and Sponsors, I had the most delightful time. We were seated next to these two Greek men who grow, pick and manufacture this specific olive oil. Me being the chef I am.... I became quite involved in this conversation, and it was the most interesting and fascinating conversation I have ever had during the 5 years I have attended this event. I volunteered to be the "Olive Oil Ambassador" for here in the states! LOL LOL All I know is....... I want this olive oil available to use every single day!!! You would have to taste it to believe it, but WOW!!!!! I'm drooling as I type just thinking about it. Joe and I along with the other Kroger couple who traveled with us went to dinner with these Greek fellas the night after the conference was over and they are just so incredibly interesting, we had the nicest time!
The other spouse Pam and I had an absolutely marvelous time together while our husbands were doing their thing in the conference. I have met a new, life long, and very dear friend. Pam and I chatted for hours (that blog story later), we giggled and relaxed and mostly chatted. Pam...... You are a true GEM!!!!! Thanks for making this the best "spouse" part of this event in all my 5 years of attending this event.
And of course I had my other companion with me as well. Julia! I took the biography book about her with me (Appetite for Life) and I enjoyed her company on the long plane rides as well as when I had my own down time. I'm finally finished with this book, which was such a good read, but a long read. Like a history book, but finally all the information about her I have been thirsty for.
Great trip, fun times, lots of giggles, and absolutely the best trip with this event ever!!!! And that says a lot since I ALWAYS enjoy these events/trips. And did I mention we had a view of the Acropolis out of our hotel window/balcony every day. Breath taking! More on Greece itself next blog.
Home again, home again jiggity jig...... USA is ALWAYS so nice to come home to, especially when it is 71 degrees!!! There truly is just no place like home.... click click my sparkly red shoes!
YAMIS (which in Greek means.... "To your good health")
While France still is our favorite 'foodie' place, Greece is so incredibly beautiful, it is now competing with France and Italy for the title of "our favorite" trip. And speaking of the food..... which was good, but the olive oil...... OMGOODNESS....... I could live the rest of my life on just bread and their incredibly delicious olive oil. I use tons of olive oil and the difference between what I am used to vs. what they have in Greece is like comparing wine to grape juice!!!! I'm on a quest now to figure out how I can get that olive oil here.
My husband is on the Committee Board of this International Grocers/Marketing Conference, which was the reason for this trip. The trip is all biz for him the first 3 days and vacation the last 2 days. We have 'Meet and Greet' dinners to attend in the evenings..... which as a spouse can be dull and boring, since all 160 participants of this conference are representing their products, marketing/packaging techniques, and themselves/companies. So as a spouse attending, most of the conversations are about the topics that have been presented from various speakers in the forum and I have no idea what-so-ever what they are talking about and I end up standing around, nibbling and smiling.
However..... this year at the dinner Joe and I had to attend for the Committee members, Speakers and Sponsors, I had the most delightful time. We were seated next to these two Greek men who grow, pick and manufacture this specific olive oil. Me being the chef I am.... I became quite involved in this conversation, and it was the most interesting and fascinating conversation I have ever had during the 5 years I have attended this event. I volunteered to be the "Olive Oil Ambassador" for here in the states! LOL LOL All I know is....... I want this olive oil available to use every single day!!! You would have to taste it to believe it, but WOW!!!!! I'm drooling as I type just thinking about it. Joe and I along with the other Kroger couple who traveled with us went to dinner with these Greek fellas the night after the conference was over and they are just so incredibly interesting, we had the nicest time!
The other spouse Pam and I had an absolutely marvelous time together while our husbands were doing their thing in the conference. I have met a new, life long, and very dear friend. Pam and I chatted for hours (that blog story later), we giggled and relaxed and mostly chatted. Pam...... You are a true GEM!!!!! Thanks for making this the best "spouse" part of this event in all my 5 years of attending this event.
And of course I had my other companion with me as well. Julia! I took the biography book about her with me (Appetite for Life) and I enjoyed her company on the long plane rides as well as when I had my own down time. I'm finally finished with this book, which was such a good read, but a long read. Like a history book, but finally all the information about her I have been thirsty for.
Great trip, fun times, lots of giggles, and absolutely the best trip with this event ever!!!! And that says a lot since I ALWAYS enjoy these events/trips. And did I mention we had a view of the Acropolis out of our hotel window/balcony every day. Breath taking! More on Greece itself next blog.
Home again, home again jiggity jig...... USA is ALWAYS so nice to come home to, especially when it is 71 degrees!!! There truly is just no place like home.... click click my sparkly red shoes!
YAMIS (which in Greek means.... "To your good health")
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About Me
- Vickie G
- I am a short little lady with a passion for cooking and pilates. I have been married for 31 years to my high school sweetheart (my soulmate and love of my life!!!) and we have 3 amazing daughters. I am 50 years old and love living life with as much zest as possible.