Polo for Puppies

Had a great weekend - worked mostly ... it's annual review time! But I did step away to go to the Sarasota Polo Club for a charity polo event with some of my new colleagues - too much fun.

Tail gating with the latest UTC Fellow and a lovely Catalan wine :)

Horses getting a little close??

What's Cookin'?: CAPTION CONTEST

I can't wait until Easter - it won't get here soon enough. I so miss my Virginia peeps: What's Cookin'?: CAPTION CONTEST: "You've seen the artwork. Here's your chance to get a 10% cut of its future sale. Leave in the comment section of this post a caption to Fran..."

Hola!

Been a busy few months at work - so not much to blog. I spent 2.5 weeks in Barcelona at the office in Llobrogat Espluges neighborhood, but lived at a hotel in La Eixample area. Really quite beautiful. The Catalonians are friendly and the language is a mix of Spanish, French and ... Catalan?? :)

Ponderings

This summer I decided to read the classics - I got through quite a few plus the history of England Vols 1 & 2. I re-read "Emma" and wondered - how did she miss Mr.Knightley ... right in front of her. I guess it happens. Some people can only see to the end of their nose and others ponder way out there. Anyway - a classic scene ...

Recipes from my childhood ...

Tonight I was cleaning out a drawer and much to my amazement I found an envelope full of hand written recipes - in my mother's handwriting. Her mantra was, "I eat to live, I do not live to eat". She certainly did not live to cook. And yet she took the time to write down her recipes - wonder of all wonders.
This is what my mother loved most - family and the beach.

However, for someone who hated to cook she made some meals that were to die for. Here is her Pot Roast Recipe:

4 lbs beef rump roast (don't use any other type - she was right this is the best cut for this meal)
2 Tbs flour
1 Tbs salt
2 Tbs fat (I use oil as I don't keep laird on the stove like they did back in the day :)
about 3/4 to 1 cup water
2 diced carrots
1 diced stalk of celery
1 onion, sliced
4 large potatoes , cubed

1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
Wine to taste


Wipe the meat, then dredge with flour mixed with salt. Heat fat in heavy deep pan, brown meat, turning frequently to brown all sides. Add carrots, onion, and just enough water to cover the bottom of the kettle about 1/2 inch. Add Worcestershire. Cover lightly and simmer gently about 3 hours, or until meat is very tender. Turn meat frequently during cooking and add more water carefully to keep met from sticking to the bottoms of the pan.

About 30 to 45 minutes before finish add potatoes.

Lift meat out, strain gravy in pan and let heat through before serving. Gravy may be thickened if desired before reheating with meat by blending flour and fat in the proportions of 1 tablespoon melted butter or other fat blended with 1 tablespoon flour to each cup of gravy. (Add Worcestershire may be added to gravy if desired)

Bon Apetite!

Test - can i really post to my blog? take that xbox!

Humility

This past weekend I went to my sister's house for dinner. We cranked up the xBox and loaded a movie from Netflix.

Now for those of you who know me well know ... that never in my lifetime would I have thought I would be utilizing an xBox for anything - let alone movies. I struggled a bit with it and as my nephew pointed out: "They design that for 8 year olds". In other words, what's wrong with you?? He's part of the wired generation - those that have grown up with technology.

I got the hand of the "thing" - I mean, read, yellow, green are pretty easy - the purple one throws me. ;p

So what I have been reminded of is that life is full of twists and turns and of course the unexpected. I believe that these things are meant to provide us with a little humility and remind us that life is constant learning ... now I if only I could figure out what the purple button is for.