Page One Hundred Forty-Three.
Thank heavens for the 1960's. What with all the improvements made to food during that decade and the one prior, it's amazing we survived as a race during all the millions of years prior eating the de-evolved food available until then.
By the '60's we had dried potatoes that you simply added water to and viola, mashed potatoes. We had frozen dinners that you simply shoved in the oven and 45 minutes later viola, steamy, hot salisbury steak with peas and carrots. We had cans of pasta with sauce already added that you simply heated up on the stove and viola, deeply satisfying bowls of beefaroni, a food in fact, that didn't even exist prior to the 1950's. How we got along without these instant dishes of food is anybody's guess.
In the late 60's or early 70's my mother told me that "nobody actually makes mashed potatoes from scratch anymore. It's so much work. Everybody makes them from Potato Buds nowadays." The fact is, many people really did make them from a box and still do. If in a hurry, they can't be beat. Also, I remember my mother complaining about me on the phone to a friend one day. "I don't know why he complains that there's no food in the house. The freezer is filled with Swanson frozen chicken dinners." Again, there's a place when frozen is quite valuable. Kids can make themselves "food" when home alone. Problem is: chemicals; preservatives; excessive processing; tremendous amounts of fat; artificial flavors/colors; lack of fruits and vegetables; lack of vitamins and minerals. Need I continue?
Those advertising executives from the mid-20th century put a lot of energy into convincing people that food was evolving and this was the wave of the future. And many busy parents wanted to believe it. Prepared food was cheap, quick and easy. It was messiah in a box. And many of us literally grew into adulthood eating that stuff. Too bad if we were being malnourished while eating it.
Today, we're doing something similar to our children: taking them for fast food too often. When I was a kid, we went out a few times a month and then it was a special occasion. Even fast food was considered special. (Of course, it really was compared to frozen, canned and boxed which I ate otherwise.) In 2013, how many children eat 3, 4 or more dinners per week from restaurants? A shockingly large number. And then we wonder about the obesity epidemic. That restaurant food is laden with fat and chemicals. We no longer need advertising executives convincing us how wonderful frozen is. We already know that. So today they convince us to spend our hard earned money in restaurants. But again, we're being malnourished while eating it. However, malnourishment is a mere technicality. After all, as my parents believed, there are so many more important things to do than spend one hour a day making fresh food.
I know of a famous story which has made the rounds of Cleveland Heights cocktail parties during the last few years. A well known Cleveland Heights bachelor invited the governor of Ohio, the governor's wife and a few other high placed friends over for dinner. When everyone arrived, he ushered them all into his stunning, exorbitantly expensive kitchen, opened the freezer and asked each guest which type of Stouffer's frozen entree they'd like to eat for dinner. Granted, Stouffer's frozen entrees are an Ohio product, made in Solon, a Cleveland suburb, as a matter of fact. So perhaps he was illustrating his civic pride, but in a very dubious manner, if you ask me. More likely, he truly believed that "the future is now"! Frozen or prepared food is the next evolution in eating.
Give me old style, 19th century food any day of the week.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
Thanksgiving On BMV9000
Page One Hundred Forty-Two.
I think it had to have been 3733 and I was celebrating Thanksgiving with some friends on BMV9000. Yes... I definitely remember it was on BMV9000 because the group I was hanging out with rotated locations for our yearly celebrations. Elvis was all over the news because he'd just completed his comeback tour and was voted man of the universe by Newstime magazine. He'd had a particularly successful time there and really pushed strong for us to rent a few adjoining hotel suites on BMV9000's north pole. He insisted we'd love it. And we did.
It wasn't a particularly large group sitting at our Thanksgiving table that year, only a dozen, but we were very good friends, so it was wonderful. Our hotel suites had great kitchens too. So my friend Martha was able to do her famous Grand Shouxie Xou. (How she got a Xou all the way from Raissazz in the Vladimar System to BMV9000 without anybody getting ill is beyond me. But, whatever. My place is not to ask questions) I, of course, made my signature sweet potato casserole. People have come to expect it of me and I enjoy doing it. It helps that it's very little work. Here's my Thanksgiving gift to you: the recipe.
I think it had to have been 3733 and I was celebrating Thanksgiving with some friends on BMV9000. Yes... I definitely remember it was on BMV9000 because the group I was hanging out with rotated locations for our yearly celebrations. Elvis was all over the news because he'd just completed his comeback tour and was voted man of the universe by Newstime magazine. He'd had a particularly successful time there and really pushed strong for us to rent a few adjoining hotel suites on BMV9000's north pole. He insisted we'd love it. And we did.
It wasn't a particularly large group sitting at our Thanksgiving table that year, only a dozen, but we were very good friends, so it was wonderful. Our hotel suites had great kitchens too. So my friend Martha was able to do her famous Grand Shouxie Xou. (How she got a Xou all the way from Raissazz in the Vladimar System to BMV9000 without anybody getting ill is beyond me. But, whatever. My place is not to ask questions) I, of course, made my signature sweet potato casserole. People have come to expect it of me and I enjoy doing it. It helps that it's very little work. Here's my Thanksgiving gift to you: the recipe.
Jeremy Gutow's Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Casserole (The Best Sweet Potato Casserole In The Universe)
Serves 12-15
Potato Mixture:
4-5 extra large sweet potatoes, peeled and boiled 'till soft 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1/3 cup white sugar 1/2 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/3 cup whole milk 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey (Earth-style from the Milky Way System)
Topping Mixture:
1/3 cup melted butter 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white flour 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts marshmallows - if desired (also Earth-style from the Milky Way System)
Preheat oven to 350. Place peeled,soft, hot potatoes in large bowl and mash. Add all other potato mixture ingredients and stir well. Remove to very large casserole or rectangular, glass baking dish. Mix all topping ingredients except marshmallows and sprinkle evenly over potatoes. Lightly top with marshmallows if desired. Bake for about 35 minutes or so, or until lightly browned. Enjoy!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
"You Pay What For Rent?!?!"
Page One Hundred Forty-One.
I sometimes feel like Cleveland is a different country from New York, San Francisco or Washington DC. This is because of the rents.
I recently read an article on the internet which was about the growing trend of "micro-apartments". These are super-small living spaces designed to be cheaper than normal sized apartments. In Seattle, you can rent a single bedroom with an adjoining bathroom for $800-something a month. You'd share a modest-sized kitchen with your neighbors and you have no other living space: i.e. living room, dining room, closets and so forth. And, the bedroom isn't really that big, either. This is in a new building where the apartment was designed to be this size. This isn't a retro-fit.
In New York, there's a tiny space, again the size of a small bedroom, with a bathroom down the corridor. It has no closets and no place to "stretch and relax". The inhabitants, a married couple, say they don't cook and they're not home-bodies. In fact, they eat 100% of their food out.
All these people say the upside is you get a spot in a terrific neighborhood for a fraction of the normal rent. Also, you learn not to live by your possessions. I don't disagree with these concepts at all. I'm all for lack of material acquisition and for living in a great area. I simply can't get over how different this is from the country of Northeast Ohio.
Cleveland often is listed as one of the most affordable places to live in America. In fact, sometimes we come in at the #1 spot on those polls. I don't know why we're so inexpensive, but we are. Let me tell you about my apartment.
I have a large two bedroom place in Cleveland Heights, a mostly desirable, inner-ring (old) suburb. Some Clevelanders are uncomfortable in Cleveland Heights because it's too racially integrated for their taste - too bad for them. That not-withstanding, the crime is within a reasonable range, there's much neighborhood shopping, you can walk to get your morning coffee or your evening dinner, streets are tree-lined and it's proximity to arts and culture is extraordinary. The schools are somewhat questionable nowadays, but some graduates of Cleveland Heights High School still go to Harvard, Yale and so forth. (But, Cleveland Heights has the highest percentage of children attending private schools of any city in Ohio.)The architecture here is also quite beautiful. Our most lovely districts could rival Beverly Hills, California any day of the week. Literally. And those homes are kept up stunningly. In the Orthodox Jewish section, many of the additions actually double the size of the homes. No neighborhood in Cleveland Heights is what you'd refer to as "run down".
My two bedroom has the original hardwood floors in the living room and formal dining room. I have a fireplace (which doesn't work, but that's okay), a galley kitchen which is small but doable with it's large stove and even larger refrigerator, a normal front door and a backdoor onto a fire escape. The two bedrooms are located at opposite ends of the long apartment. Each bedroom has it's own decent-sized closet. Charm abounds. I have two storage units in the basement of this 1920's, brick, three floor walk-up. (I'm on the third,with my brand new windows looking out over evergreen tree-tops.) The two storage units are back to back and combined are 8' X 12' and 8' high. Essentially, my basement storage area is the size of the aforementioned micro-apartments. My rent includes heat and water. I'm in the Coventry neighborhood which is exceptionally desirable for young adults due to the neighborhood nightlife and close proximity to Case Western Reserve University.
I pay $735.00 per month. My electricity and cooking gas are are another $45.00ish. I pay $100.00 every three moths for parking in a city-owned lot 75 feet from my building. I've been told that my apartment in Brooklyn, New York might be $3000.00 a month or more. ($4000.00?)
I simply can't get over that. It's so alien to me. This is why I sometimes feel like it's a different country. I recognize the thrill of living in a city like San Fransisco, what with all it's nightlife and so forth. But, brother, Cleveland has nightlife too. It's just more subtle. We have gobs of arts and culture; much more than people realize. Also, Cleveland has trees and space; much more than most cities. This city is really a huge forest with stores, houses and buildings built inside it. According to out-of-towners, that's what's distinctive about Northeast Ohio. Also, it's cheap as all get out to live here.
But everybody is different and wants different things out of life. So, there you go.
I sometimes feel like Cleveland is a different country from New York, San Francisco or Washington DC. This is because of the rents.
I recently read an article on the internet which was about the growing trend of "micro-apartments". These are super-small living spaces designed to be cheaper than normal sized apartments. In Seattle, you can rent a single bedroom with an adjoining bathroom for $800-something a month. You'd share a modest-sized kitchen with your neighbors and you have no other living space: i.e. living room, dining room, closets and so forth. And, the bedroom isn't really that big, either. This is in a new building where the apartment was designed to be this size. This isn't a retro-fit.
In New York, there's a tiny space, again the size of a small bedroom, with a bathroom down the corridor. It has no closets and no place to "stretch and relax". The inhabitants, a married couple, say they don't cook and they're not home-bodies. In fact, they eat 100% of their food out.
All these people say the upside is you get a spot in a terrific neighborhood for a fraction of the normal rent. Also, you learn not to live by your possessions. I don't disagree with these concepts at all. I'm all for lack of material acquisition and for living in a great area. I simply can't get over how different this is from the country of Northeast Ohio.
Cleveland often is listed as one of the most affordable places to live in America. In fact, sometimes we come in at the #1 spot on those polls. I don't know why we're so inexpensive, but we are. Let me tell you about my apartment.
I have a large two bedroom place in Cleveland Heights, a mostly desirable, inner-ring (old) suburb. Some Clevelanders are uncomfortable in Cleveland Heights because it's too racially integrated for their taste - too bad for them. That not-withstanding, the crime is within a reasonable range, there's much neighborhood shopping, you can walk to get your morning coffee or your evening dinner, streets are tree-lined and it's proximity to arts and culture is extraordinary. The schools are somewhat questionable nowadays, but some graduates of Cleveland Heights High School still go to Harvard, Yale and so forth. (But, Cleveland Heights has the highest percentage of children attending private schools of any city in Ohio.)The architecture here is also quite beautiful. Our most lovely districts could rival Beverly Hills, California any day of the week. Literally. And those homes are kept up stunningly. In the Orthodox Jewish section, many of the additions actually double the size of the homes. No neighborhood in Cleveland Heights is what you'd refer to as "run down".
My two bedroom has the original hardwood floors in the living room and formal dining room. I have a fireplace (which doesn't work, but that's okay), a galley kitchen which is small but doable with it's large stove and even larger refrigerator, a normal front door and a backdoor onto a fire escape. The two bedrooms are located at opposite ends of the long apartment. Each bedroom has it's own decent-sized closet. Charm abounds. I have two storage units in the basement of this 1920's, brick, three floor walk-up. (I'm on the third,with my brand new windows looking out over evergreen tree-tops.) The two storage units are back to back and combined are 8' X 12' and 8' high. Essentially, my basement storage area is the size of the aforementioned micro-apartments. My rent includes heat and water. I'm in the Coventry neighborhood which is exceptionally desirable for young adults due to the neighborhood nightlife and close proximity to Case Western Reserve University.
I pay $735.00 per month. My electricity and cooking gas are are another $45.00ish. I pay $100.00 every three moths for parking in a city-owned lot 75 feet from my building. I've been told that my apartment in Brooklyn, New York might be $3000.00 a month or more. ($4000.00?)
I simply can't get over that. It's so alien to me. This is why I sometimes feel like it's a different country. I recognize the thrill of living in a city like San Fransisco, what with all it's nightlife and so forth. But, brother, Cleveland has nightlife too. It's just more subtle. We have gobs of arts and culture; much more than people realize. Also, Cleveland has trees and space; much more than most cities. This city is really a huge forest with stores, houses and buildings built inside it. According to out-of-towners, that's what's distinctive about Northeast Ohio. Also, it's cheap as all get out to live here.
But everybody is different and wants different things out of life. So, there you go.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
He Needs A Jewish Mother!
Page One Hundred Forty.
I take way too much pity on people sometimes.
This guy who's home I'm painting, Claude, is a prime example. He's 25 and as a chemical engineer is able to afford to purchase his first home. It helps that his parents completely paid for his B.S., so he graduated from college virtually debt free, too. The home is here in Cleveland Heights. It's a pleasant 1920's shingle style, center hall colonial and it's located on a beautiful street. So far so good. Only problem is: Claude. He's so young that he hasn't yet learned how to take care of himself or a home. He owns three bath towels and two, count 'em, two dinner plates. He has curtains on one bedroom window, but not the other. He hasn't got a laundry basket, nor a dresser to put any clean clothes into. (Clothing, clean or dirty, goes onto the floors. The different piles designate used or unused.) He cleans the kitty litter once a week. He's also a slob, but I digress.
Meanwhile he's spending like a drunken sailor on the landscape architect, the interior designer, new furniture and me.
To back up a touch, I've known him almost a year. I met him socially through his interior designer, Dan, who's been a friend of mine for thirty years. Claude is a very nice person, young and stupid, but very pleasant. So, a couple of days ago while painting a wall, I took a break to heat up some leftover beef fried rice from China Gate. I really got sick and tired of having to take one of his two dishes out of the dishwasher and hand clean it so I could microwave my lunch. I decided right then and there to take matters into my own hands. I went to Target and bought him a complete set of dishes (for four) and a set of tumblers and water glasses (for six).
For the record, soon after moving into the house, in August, I gave him a house-warming gift in the form of a Swedish Ivy. With all his post-college moving, it was the first house-warming gift he'd ever received. He was very appreciative. So these dishes and glasses were my sympathy gift (and for me to eat off of while painting.)
If he lived in the same city as his parents, I'm sure his mother would be over to visit regularly and see what he needed. She'd then go out and slowly purchase said household items. However, they're in Pittsburgh, so that leaves me. I'm miles, nay, continents more domestic then any of his other friends. So I'm the person who's most qualified to teach this idiot how to wipe down a kitchen counter and why he should have a one quart saucepan.
Having said all this, he never asked me. But I suspect he's smart enough to realize the advantages of a civilized lifestyle. I'll simply offer myself up as one who can go with him to purchase the essentials of an evolved home: salt & pepper shakers; Kleenex; dish towels, Windex; a Teflon skillet; a kitchen sponge and soap. Lord in heaven.
You cannot believe how many times I've been referred to as the consummate Jewish mother. But I use my powers for good not evil. This is one of those situations.
I take way too much pity on people sometimes.
This guy who's home I'm painting, Claude, is a prime example. He's 25 and as a chemical engineer is able to afford to purchase his first home. It helps that his parents completely paid for his B.S., so he graduated from college virtually debt free, too. The home is here in Cleveland Heights. It's a pleasant 1920's shingle style, center hall colonial and it's located on a beautiful street. So far so good. Only problem is: Claude. He's so young that he hasn't yet learned how to take care of himself or a home. He owns three bath towels and two, count 'em, two dinner plates. He has curtains on one bedroom window, but not the other. He hasn't got a laundry basket, nor a dresser to put any clean clothes into. (Clothing, clean or dirty, goes onto the floors. The different piles designate used or unused.) He cleans the kitty litter once a week. He's also a slob, but I digress.
Meanwhile he's spending like a drunken sailor on the landscape architect, the interior designer, new furniture and me.
To back up a touch, I've known him almost a year. I met him socially through his interior designer, Dan, who's been a friend of mine for thirty years. Claude is a very nice person, young and stupid, but very pleasant. So, a couple of days ago while painting a wall, I took a break to heat up some leftover beef fried rice from China Gate. I really got sick and tired of having to take one of his two dishes out of the dishwasher and hand clean it so I could microwave my lunch. I decided right then and there to take matters into my own hands. I went to Target and bought him a complete set of dishes (for four) and a set of tumblers and water glasses (for six).
For the record, soon after moving into the house, in August, I gave him a house-warming gift in the form of a Swedish Ivy. With all his post-college moving, it was the first house-warming gift he'd ever received. He was very appreciative. So these dishes and glasses were my sympathy gift (and for me to eat off of while painting.)
If he lived in the same city as his parents, I'm sure his mother would be over to visit regularly and see what he needed. She'd then go out and slowly purchase said household items. However, they're in Pittsburgh, so that leaves me. I'm miles, nay, continents more domestic then any of his other friends. So I'm the person who's most qualified to teach this idiot how to wipe down a kitchen counter and why he should have a one quart saucepan.
Having said all this, he never asked me. But I suspect he's smart enough to realize the advantages of a civilized lifestyle. I'll simply offer myself up as one who can go with him to purchase the essentials of an evolved home: salt & pepper shakers; Kleenex; dish towels, Windex; a Teflon skillet; a kitchen sponge and soap. Lord in heaven.
You cannot believe how many times I've been referred to as the consummate Jewish mother. But I use my powers for good not evil. This is one of those situations.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Melty, Cheesy Perfection
Page One Hundred Thirty-Nine.
It was 1940 and I'd landed a new job as household manager for The White House. I'd lucked into it really, but I wasn't going to tell them how heavily I'd padded my resume. Without going into too many details, let's just say that I hadn't really been in charge of maintenance and housekeeping at Buckingham Palace during the '30's. But the Roosevelts didn't need to know that. (Actually, I was a temporary worker who worked at the palace for two days in 1936 cutting the grass. When I say that I'm good at padding my resume, I'm not kidding.)
So anyhow, it was a hot Tuesday afternoon, July, 1940. Captain Kirk, our guest lecturer, was lecturing Mrs. Roosevelt, the house-keeping staff and me on some new and improved silver polishing techniques. We were in the kitchen, listening intensely, when suddenly we were interrupted by some rather unsavory looking gentlemen. Seems some construction that had gone awry. The city sewer department was working on old pipes out in the street when everything suddenly went haywire and the pipes backed up. There were now several sewer workers in the White House pantry informing us that there was probably much raw sewage in the basement.
We all rushed downstairs to investigate and lo and behold, the sub-sub-basement had water ankle deep. Great... just great. It took us until almost midnight to clean everything up. It was awful - just horrible. Thankfully, nothing of value was stored down there so little was lost, thank heavens. But it was a mess.
We'd all worked right through dinner and were starving by the time we got back upstairs. Captain Kirk then made the most wonderful announcement anybody has ever made. "I'll make grilled cheese sandwiches for everybody." Let me tell you those things were good. I never before had a grilled cheese that was so perfect. I asked Jim what his secret was. "First, you have to lightly pre-toast the two slices of bread. Then, spread soft, room temperature butter over the darkest side of each slice. Melt a dab more butter in your skillet over moderately low heat. Lay the toast, buttered side down in the skillet and place your cheese on each slice and cover the pan. The pan must be over moderately low heat. After a moment or two, remove the lid and gingerly place one cheesy slice onto other. Replace the lid. Wait another couple of moments and flip the sandwich, again replacing the lid. In a couple of minutes... grilled, melted, cheesy goodness. Jeremy, the true secret is patience. You must use low heat. You can't hurry a grilled cheese sandwich."
Where did you learn all this?" I asked.
"While I was in Starfleet Academy, I worked as a short order cook in a couple of diners in San Fransisco to make money."
Who knew?
It was 1940 and I'd landed a new job as household manager for The White House. I'd lucked into it really, but I wasn't going to tell them how heavily I'd padded my resume. Without going into too many details, let's just say that I hadn't really been in charge of maintenance and housekeeping at Buckingham Palace during the '30's. But the Roosevelts didn't need to know that. (Actually, I was a temporary worker who worked at the palace for two days in 1936 cutting the grass. When I say that I'm good at padding my resume, I'm not kidding.)
So anyhow, it was a hot Tuesday afternoon, July, 1940. Captain Kirk, our guest lecturer, was lecturing Mrs. Roosevelt, the house-keeping staff and me on some new and improved silver polishing techniques. We were in the kitchen, listening intensely, when suddenly we were interrupted by some rather unsavory looking gentlemen. Seems some construction that had gone awry. The city sewer department was working on old pipes out in the street when everything suddenly went haywire and the pipes backed up. There were now several sewer workers in the White House pantry informing us that there was probably much raw sewage in the basement.
We all rushed downstairs to investigate and lo and behold, the sub-sub-basement had water ankle deep. Great... just great. It took us until almost midnight to clean everything up. It was awful - just horrible. Thankfully, nothing of value was stored down there so little was lost, thank heavens. But it was a mess.
We'd all worked right through dinner and were starving by the time we got back upstairs. Captain Kirk then made the most wonderful announcement anybody has ever made. "I'll make grilled cheese sandwiches for everybody." Let me tell you those things were good. I never before had a grilled cheese that was so perfect. I asked Jim what his secret was. "First, you have to lightly pre-toast the two slices of bread. Then, spread soft, room temperature butter over the darkest side of each slice. Melt a dab more butter in your skillet over moderately low heat. Lay the toast, buttered side down in the skillet and place your cheese on each slice and cover the pan. The pan must be over moderately low heat. After a moment or two, remove the lid and gingerly place one cheesy slice onto other. Replace the lid. Wait another couple of moments and flip the sandwich, again replacing the lid. In a couple of minutes... grilled, melted, cheesy goodness. Jeremy, the true secret is patience. You must use low heat. You can't hurry a grilled cheese sandwich."
Where did you learn all this?" I asked.
"While I was in Starfleet Academy, I worked as a short order cook in a couple of diners in San Fransisco to make money."
Who knew?
Monday, September 23, 2013
Painting Sure Takes Time
Page One Hundred Thirty-Eight.
Please forgive me for missing a few blogs. I'm very preoccupied right now with some interior home painting. You may remember that my job cooking for the boys has been put on hold indefinitely. So to pay the bills I'm painting. Right now I'm working on a large living room: black walls, gray trim and green ceiling. No joke. I'm working closely with the interior designer and everybody seems pleased. I hope to be done in few days; then, I start the dining room. (Even the home-owner doesn't know what colors the interior designer has chosen for that room.) The problem is juggling this large job around the salon job and all else that I do. So, busy, busy, busy is the key word of my life this autumn. But, I promise I'll get back on track with my regular blogs about children, food and anything else which comes to mind real soon.
Please forgive me for missing a few blogs. I'm very preoccupied right now with some interior home painting. You may remember that my job cooking for the boys has been put on hold indefinitely. So to pay the bills I'm painting. Right now I'm working on a large living room: black walls, gray trim and green ceiling. No joke. I'm working closely with the interior designer and everybody seems pleased. I hope to be done in few days; then, I start the dining room. (Even the home-owner doesn't know what colors the interior designer has chosen for that room.) The problem is juggling this large job around the salon job and all else that I do. So, busy, busy, busy is the key word of my life this autumn. But, I promise I'll get back on track with my regular blogs about children, food and anything else which comes to mind real soon.
Monday, September 16, 2013
My Weight Reduction Diet. Update #2
Page One Hundred Thirty-Seven.
Just an update on my weight reduction diet...
So far, I've lost between 14-17 pounds, depending upon the hour. I had my body fat checked at the gym yesterday and it was 19.4 %. I'd like to loose another 10 and get my fat down to 17% or lower. But, that may be too much. However, I've not yet tried on my older pants. I think I'd like to loose another 3 or 4, then try on some of my vintage, college-era trouser from the '80's and see how they fit.* (This will be in another couple of weeks.)
If this whole weight loss thing is successful, my new weight stabilizes and I don't regain, then perhaps I'll blog about what, specifically, I've done. Just what America needs: another weight loss plan. yeah...
*Isn't it sad when your own old clothing can be referred to as "vintage"?
Just an update on my weight reduction diet...
So far, I've lost between 14-17 pounds, depending upon the hour. I had my body fat checked at the gym yesterday and it was 19.4 %. I'd like to loose another 10 and get my fat down to 17% or lower. But, that may be too much. However, I've not yet tried on my older pants. I think I'd like to loose another 3 or 4, then try on some of my vintage, college-era trouser from the '80's and see how they fit.* (This will be in another couple of weeks.)
If this whole weight loss thing is successful, my new weight stabilizes and I don't regain, then perhaps I'll blog about what, specifically, I've done. Just what America needs: another weight loss plan. yeah...
*Isn't it sad when your own old clothing can be referred to as "vintage"?
Saturday, September 14, 2013
On Looking For Work
Page One Hundred Thirty-Six.
Does anybody have work for an under-employed male nanny/private chef?
I just found out that my job with the three princes and their family, which was supposed to resume right about now, has been postponed indefinitely because one of the boys isn't testing up to par. Mom has figured out a way to stay home and spend more time with the boys this year and really work with them on academics. Therefore, no need for Jeremy.
I went over to pick up my large wok and some fondue pots and had a long talk with dad. As far as the family's concerned though, my lay-off is purely temporary. "Jeremy, we consider you part of the family. We're going to have you over for dinner, regularly. Though, it'll taste better if you make it."
So, who knows what the future holds? In the meantime, believe it or not, I'm actually doing interior painting. I'm quite good at that sort of thing, I just don't talk about it much. In fact, I already have a couple of large jobs lied up. The painting is on top of the beauty salon. But, I really miss cooking for a large family.
Do you know anybody in Cleveland who needs a male nanny/private chef?
Does anybody have work for an under-employed male nanny/private chef?
I just found out that my job with the three princes and their family, which was supposed to resume right about now, has been postponed indefinitely because one of the boys isn't testing up to par. Mom has figured out a way to stay home and spend more time with the boys this year and really work with them on academics. Therefore, no need for Jeremy.
I went over to pick up my large wok and some fondue pots and had a long talk with dad. As far as the family's concerned though, my lay-off is purely temporary. "Jeremy, we consider you part of the family. We're going to have you over for dinner, regularly. Though, it'll taste better if you make it."
So, who knows what the future holds? In the meantime, believe it or not, I'm actually doing interior painting. I'm quite good at that sort of thing, I just don't talk about it much. In fact, I already have a couple of large jobs lied up. The painting is on top of the beauty salon. But, I really miss cooking for a large family.
Do you know anybody in Cleveland who needs a male nanny/private chef?
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Euclid Avenue
Page One Hundred Thirty-Five.
I'm currently reading a book which is all about a major thorough fare here in Cleveland: Euclid Avenue. I've mentioned in this blog before that Cleveland has a long history of tremendous wealth and during the 19th century most of that wealth was concentrated in one five mile section of Euclid. Well, reading about those people and their homes is just amazing. Can you imagine a private home with a basement large enough to house a real boxcar so the inventor-homeowner can improve the national railroad system? Or, how about a backyard with the world's largest windmill so the inventor-homeowner can improve national electrical systems? How about a residence with an observatory in back so its inventor-homeowner can observe the stars and distant galaxies?
Some of these homes were up to 40,000 square feet in size. The smaller ones on the strip were maybe 5,000. John D. Rockefeller's home was average sized coming in at under 10,000 square feet but his estate was 2 acres and over 200 feet wide, much larger than his neighbors.
Nowadays, only about three or four mansions remain of the couple hundred which were sitting there in 1900. After World War One, some of the homeowners gradually moved to the suburbs to get away from the grit and grime of the city. Other homes were gobbled up by commerce as Euclid was slowly transforming from residential to commercial. Some of the homes were too big for 20th century lifestyles.
That five mile strip today is (in order): Downtown; Playhouse Square (Cleveland's theater district); Cleveland State University; mixed use combined with future development and last but certainly not least, The Cleveland Clinic.
If you ever make it to Cleveland, Ohio drive down Euclid which recently underwent a $197,000,000 overhaul and street-scape project. Just imagine the ghosts.
I'm currently reading a book which is all about a major thorough fare here in Cleveland: Euclid Avenue. I've mentioned in this blog before that Cleveland has a long history of tremendous wealth and during the 19th century most of that wealth was concentrated in one five mile section of Euclid. Well, reading about those people and their homes is just amazing. Can you imagine a private home with a basement large enough to house a real boxcar so the inventor-homeowner can improve the national railroad system? Or, how about a backyard with the world's largest windmill so the inventor-homeowner can improve national electrical systems? How about a residence with an observatory in back so its inventor-homeowner can observe the stars and distant galaxies?
Some of these homes were up to 40,000 square feet in size. The smaller ones on the strip were maybe 5,000. John D. Rockefeller's home was average sized coming in at under 10,000 square feet but his estate was 2 acres and over 200 feet wide, much larger than his neighbors.
Nowadays, only about three or four mansions remain of the couple hundred which were sitting there in 1900. After World War One, some of the homeowners gradually moved to the suburbs to get away from the grit and grime of the city. Other homes were gobbled up by commerce as Euclid was slowly transforming from residential to commercial. Some of the homes were too big for 20th century lifestyles.
That five mile strip today is (in order): Downtown; Playhouse Square (Cleveland's theater district); Cleveland State University; mixed use combined with future development and last but certainly not least, The Cleveland Clinic.
If you ever make it to Cleveland, Ohio drive down Euclid which recently underwent a $197,000,000 overhaul and street-scape project. Just imagine the ghosts.
Monday, September 9, 2013
One Wedding Memory
Page One Hundred Thirty-Four.
A couple of days ago, one of the clients at my beauty salon shared the story of her wedding. It's a deusy.
She got married in the middle of August, 1969. Her afternoon ceremony was held in a church I know well. It's where I held my Passover Seder earlier this year. Then, her reception was a stand-up affair held immediately following, with heavy hors d'oeuvres and cake. There was no fancy sit-down evening dinner, which, she told me, was really becoming fashionable at the time. Stand-up receptions with substantial finger foods, held in the house of worship, were considered out of fashion by 1969 but she didn't care. That's what she wanted. (Potential brides take note. I bet this plan would be gracious as all get-out nowadays. And, much, much less expensive than formal sit down dinners in rented party rooms.) She wasn't a member of the church in question but her wedding was held there because it was larger than her home church and she was expecting many hundreds of guests.
So then the happy newlyweds left for their honeymoon: a bridal suite in a charming hotel in the Catskill Mountains. They'd reserved it a year prior and were looking forward to all the water skiing, hiking and horseback riding. But, they particularly were anticipating a week of intangibles: gorgeous mountain views, luxurious peace and heavenly tranquility.
But, what's this? When they arrived there was pandemonium everywhere. The traffic was all but impassible and there were hippies everywhere - quite out of character for the Catskills. She inquired and discovered that two (2) parcels down the road there was being held some sort of music festival. Wood... Wood... Wood-something-stock it was called.
Pat and her new husband had a wonderful honeymoon in spite of the cacophonous noise, omnipresent traffic congestion, muddy hippies, permeating marijuana smoke and torrential rainfall. They've stayed married, lo over forty years now. And have a great story to tell about their wedding.
A couple of days ago, one of the clients at my beauty salon shared the story of her wedding. It's a deusy.
She got married in the middle of August, 1969. Her afternoon ceremony was held in a church I know well. It's where I held my Passover Seder earlier this year. Then, her reception was a stand-up affair held immediately following, with heavy hors d'oeuvres and cake. There was no fancy sit-down evening dinner, which, she told me, was really becoming fashionable at the time. Stand-up receptions with substantial finger foods, held in the house of worship, were considered out of fashion by 1969 but she didn't care. That's what she wanted. (Potential brides take note. I bet this plan would be gracious as all get-out nowadays. And, much, much less expensive than formal sit down dinners in rented party rooms.) She wasn't a member of the church in question but her wedding was held there because it was larger than her home church and she was expecting many hundreds of guests.
So then the happy newlyweds left for their honeymoon: a bridal suite in a charming hotel in the Catskill Mountains. They'd reserved it a year prior and were looking forward to all the water skiing, hiking and horseback riding. But, they particularly were anticipating a week of intangibles: gorgeous mountain views, luxurious peace and heavenly tranquility.
But, what's this? When they arrived there was pandemonium everywhere. The traffic was all but impassible and there were hippies everywhere - quite out of character for the Catskills. She inquired and discovered that two (2) parcels down the road there was being held some sort of music festival. Wood... Wood... Wood-something-stock it was called.
Pat and her new husband had a wonderful honeymoon in spite of the cacophonous noise, omnipresent traffic congestion, muddy hippies, permeating marijuana smoke and torrential rainfall. They've stayed married, lo over forty years now. And have a great story to tell about their wedding.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Tomato-Pepperoni Soup
Page One Hundred Thirty-Three.
So, I'm still dog-sitting Archie the dog. One week down, two to go. The tomatoes in the backyard are taking over the city and I'm trying to eat them or give them away as fast as I can, but there are just sooooo many of them I finally had to get serious.
I picked all the ripe Roma (plum) tomatoes and cooked them up, or cooked them down, however you want to phrase it.
I sauteed some carrots, onions, celery, garlic, parsnips and red pepper. Simultaneously, I parboiled and peeled the tomatoes. I then added the peeled tomatoes to the vegetables, then put in some some pepper, basil, oregano, sage, thyme, bay leaf, anchovy pates, beef concentrate and sliced pepperoni. That all cooked for a long time. Then, I removed all the vegetables, leaving in the pepperoni and viola! tomato-pepperoni soup. It was just about one of the best things I've ever eaten. It's basically just pepperoni pizza minus the dough and cheese. In fact, if eaten with some cheesy focaccia bread, the mouth experience would probably be quite similar to pizza. But this was substantially reduced fat. And it was just too tasty to be true.
So, I'm still dog-sitting Archie the dog. One week down, two to go. The tomatoes in the backyard are taking over the city and I'm trying to eat them or give them away as fast as I can, but there are just sooooo many of them I finally had to get serious.
I picked all the ripe Roma (plum) tomatoes and cooked them up, or cooked them down, however you want to phrase it.
I sauteed some carrots, onions, celery, garlic, parsnips and red pepper. Simultaneously, I parboiled and peeled the tomatoes. I then added the peeled tomatoes to the vegetables, then put in some some pepper, basil, oregano, sage, thyme, bay leaf, anchovy pates, beef concentrate and sliced pepperoni. That all cooked for a long time. Then, I removed all the vegetables, leaving in the pepperoni and viola! tomato-pepperoni soup. It was just about one of the best things I've ever eaten. It's basically just pepperoni pizza minus the dough and cheese. In fact, if eaten with some cheesy focaccia bread, the mouth experience would probably be quite similar to pizza. But this was substantially reduced fat. And it was just too tasty to be true.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Happy New Year!!!
Page One Hundred Thirty-Two.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, starts tonight. This will be the year 5774 and I hope you all have a happy and healthy new year. One of my favorite Rosh Hashanah traditions is dipping apple slices into honey and then chowing down on those little bits of heaven. Eating excessive amount of honey, either with apples or Challah (Jewish egg bread) is done in hopes of insuring the upcoming year be as sweet as honey. It's a charming little tradition. If you've never found yourself dipping apples into honey, and otherwise enjoy both of those foods, I'd absolutely encourage you to try it. It's really, REALLY good.
L'Shana Tovah!!! (Good New Year!!!)
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, starts tonight. This will be the year 5774 and I hope you all have a happy and healthy new year. One of my favorite Rosh Hashanah traditions is dipping apple slices into honey and then chowing down on those little bits of heaven. Eating excessive amount of honey, either with apples or Challah (Jewish egg bread) is done in hopes of insuring the upcoming year be as sweet as honey. It's a charming little tradition. If you've never found yourself dipping apples into honey, and otherwise enjoy both of those foods, I'd absolutely encourage you to try it. It's really, REALLY good.
L'Shana Tovah!!! (Good New Year!!!)
Monday, September 2, 2013
On Increasing Body Weight Without Consuming More Fat
Page One Hundred-Thirty-One.
This morning, at the beauty salon, I mentioned to one of our clients my work with food. After telling her some of my experiences, she asked me for some advice. Her question kind of threw me for a moment "cause it's precisely opposite of the types of things so many people ask.
"Jeremy, Let me tell you something. My husband recently had open-heart surgery. He's lost twenty-five pounds since they cut him open and the problem is, he really can't afford to loose that weight. He's always been a little bit too slender and the doctors want me to put the pounds back on him. And, I'm not a cook. I never learned how or was interested. What can I do to increase his weight but not with fatty foods, because that's what he's not allowed to eat. And, how can I do it simply, because I can't cook?"
"Whew." I thought to myself. That's a new one. What little fat he has consumed during the last seventy year went straight to his arteries. So, I thought for a moment. "Does he have diabetes?"
"No.It's just fat that he's not allowed."
"How about salt?"
"His doctors said he can have that too."
"Dose he like fruit?"
"Yes."
"Good. Start making him lots of fruit plates and sprinkle some powdered sugar on the fruit. You actually can increase the calories without increasing fat. Also, does he like breads and rolls "
"Not a lot. But he'll eat those things if I serve them."
"Good. Give him some rolls with his dinner every night and give him some dipping oil made with olive oil. He's allowed olive oil, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then just pour some oil into a dish, like they do in fancy restaurants. Then sprinkle on some Lawry's seasoned salt and mix it for a second. Also, give him lots of starchy vegetables like potatoes, beans and corn. You won't put the weight back on him overnight. It'll take some time, many months. But you can do it." (I gave her this blog address too. So Sara, if you're reading this right now, add rice and pasta to that list.)
She was quite appreciative of my suggestions. I wish him, and her, positive health in their future.
This morning, at the beauty salon, I mentioned to one of our clients my work with food. After telling her some of my experiences, she asked me for some advice. Her question kind of threw me for a moment "cause it's precisely opposite of the types of things so many people ask.
"Jeremy, Let me tell you something. My husband recently had open-heart surgery. He's lost twenty-five pounds since they cut him open and the problem is, he really can't afford to loose that weight. He's always been a little bit too slender and the doctors want me to put the pounds back on him. And, I'm not a cook. I never learned how or was interested. What can I do to increase his weight but not with fatty foods, because that's what he's not allowed to eat. And, how can I do it simply, because I can't cook?"
"Whew." I thought to myself. That's a new one. What little fat he has consumed during the last seventy year went straight to his arteries. So, I thought for a moment. "Does he have diabetes?"
"No.It's just fat that he's not allowed."
"How about salt?"
"His doctors said he can have that too."
"Dose he like fruit?"
"Yes."
"Good. Start making him lots of fruit plates and sprinkle some powdered sugar on the fruit. You actually can increase the calories without increasing fat. Also, does he like breads and rolls "
"Not a lot. But he'll eat those things if I serve them."
"Good. Give him some rolls with his dinner every night and give him some dipping oil made with olive oil. He's allowed olive oil, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then just pour some oil into a dish, like they do in fancy restaurants. Then sprinkle on some Lawry's seasoned salt and mix it for a second. Also, give him lots of starchy vegetables like potatoes, beans and corn. You won't put the weight back on him overnight. It'll take some time, many months. But you can do it." (I gave her this blog address too. So Sara, if you're reading this right now, add rice and pasta to that list.)
She was quite appreciative of my suggestions. I wish him, and her, positive health in their future.
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