My name is Pam and I am a dishaholic

I don't know why, but I LOVE dishes. I just do, always have, always will. And I don't want to stop, so forget about that 12 step thing. At present I have 6+ sets. This is the Fiestaware we use everyday,

as well as frequently for entertaining.

I have a complete set of Mary Engelbreit's Afternoon Tea that I have never used, but I hope to rectify that when all my ME pals come to visit this fall for the quilt festival.

My grandmother had this Johnson Brothers Apple Harvest in the 60s. I inherited the last remaining vegetable bowl she had, and have added enough pieces from eBay to serve 6-10.

Same story here...these were the dishes we had in the 50s, before my mother got Poppytrail Harvest Provincial (my brother has those). They are Buck's County by Royal of Sebring, Ohio. My mother gave me her last remaining piece, a chop plate, several years ago. I was good with that for a while, but then started looking on eBay. I now have more pieces of this than she ever had!


We also have Spode Christmas Tree. Mike had four plates and mugs and a tidbit tray from his mother, which we have added to over the years.

Our "good china" is Wedgwood Wild Strawberry. Back when the kids were still at home we used to use it fairly often for special occasions and holidays like Easter and Thanksgiving. Now we go to my brother's for Easter and Thanksgiving and I only use it occasionally. The last time was Valentine's Day.

When my sister was here last week (more about that later), we were at Macy's and I found this new Martha Stewart Wedgwood Conservatory Collection stoneware. It has mix and match blue and brown transferware patterns am absolutely in love with it! I tried to download a picture, but this was the best I could do. If you follow the link there are lots more pictures and you can see how gorgeous it is! It would be perfect for those times when the Fiesta is just too casual and the Wild Strawberry is too formal, don't you think?

Another vintage pattern

I found this on the Flickr vintage apron patterns group.

While I don't have the actual pattern, I do have this picture of my brother and me on Easter 1959. The dress was a brown cotton with tiny blue flowers and the pinafore was a pale blue organdy, both sewn by my mother.

My brother is the one who turned 50 last February. He's taller than me now.

I <3 April Cornell

I was so sad when they closed all the U.S. stores a few years ago due to some financial reorganization issues. I loved shopping there. Shopping online for clothing like this just isn't the same. I want to see and touch and feel all the pretty fabrics. It drove my daughter crazy because I would spent hours picking out one dress. So when we were in Philadelphia last week, I had to go the store there, one of only three they reopened in the U.S. I was thrilled to find that they were having a sale and I was able to buy three dresses for a total of $90. This is the "Fable dress" in black cotton with crocheted trim.

The "Genevieve dress" in celadon cotton with lace sleeves and bodice that remind me of those machine made lace tablecloths.

And my favorite, the "Mayur dress," in this fabulous rayon art deco floral.

I LOVE the embroidered ribbon trim!

So now I have my April Cornell fix for a while. And best of all, I got it in Pennsylvania where, unlike Texas, there is no sales tax on clothing!

June 28, 1970

I was reading the Pink Penguin yesterday and totally freaked out when she blogged about buying this pattern at a thrift shop. I have this pattern, and amazingly I was able to put my hands on it!


But what is even more amazing is that I was able to find this picture of me (and my first husband, John, before we were married) wearing the dress that I made from it. And yes, it really was that short!

Blogging on vacation

We are in Philadelphia for the RTOG meeting, which started on Thursday. I talked Mike into taking a few days of vacation and we went to Lancaster County for the beginning of the week. We stayed at the Vogt Farm B&B and went to Gettysburg for a day. Mike is at his meeting, and here I am...blogging while on vacation. Some photos from our stay...it is an actual farm.


With this lovely farm house...


Complete with a grain elevator...

and cows...


and corn...

and a gray barn cat...


This was our room. Kind of 80s country decor, but very comfortable. And you will notice that the windows were open. They had temperatures in the 90s the week before, but it was wonderfully cool when we were there. We even got to sleep with the windows open...something that never happens in Houston. I slept like a baby!

Here in Philly we are staying at the Loew's Philadelphia. It's in the great old art deco PSFS building and right across from the Macy's in the old John Wanamaker store. I happened to be there Thursday evening while the organ recital was going on...quite a unique experience.

Soap opera box

I came across this great vintage wrapping paper in some stuff from my grandma that I saved when we closed down her house 6 years ago and moved her into assisted living. It is so classic, and I am always looking for "masculine" wrapping paper.

Well, of course I didn't want to actually use it and have it be torn off and thrown away. So I decided to make what my friend Margie and I call a "soap opera box." If you have ever watched a soap opera (All My Children has been my guilty pleasure for the last 30 years :-) you may have noticed that when anyone gets a present, it is always in a box that can be opened by just taking the top off. I didn't do a very pretty job of this from the inside...

...but the outside looks great, and it can be used over and over, year after year for Fathers' Day and birthdays as well. And he probably won't even notice.

Best salmon ever

We LOVE salmon and eat it at least once every other week. I must admit that I usually buy the fresh farm-raised Atlantic salmon, despite the whole wild vs. fresh controversy. It's cheaper and tastes better than the "previously frozen" wild stuff. Well, it's the season for Copper River salmon right now, which is apparently the best salmon you can buy. I say apparently because it is between $30 and $40 a pound at Whole Foods and Central Market. So when Randall's (aka Safeway) had it on sale for $14.99 a pound, I ignored my dislike for shopping there and bought some. It was gorgeous.

And now I am going to share with you the recipe for the best salmon ever, even if you are using farm-raised or previously frozen. These are the ingredients you will need:

First, make the sauce:

1 stick unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 C. soy sauce
2 T. American-style mustard
1 T. ketchup
1 T. Worchestershire sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Simmer until the butter is melted and the flavors are well blended, about 15 minutes.


In the meantime, start your grill. We use a charcoal Weber, but I guess you could use a gas grill, just as long as it has a cover. When the coals are HOT, brush the salmon fillet with a generous amount of sauce. Put the salmon skin side down on the grill and cover. Cook for 8 -10 minutes (we like ours on the medium rare side). Uncover the grill and slide large spatula between the skin and the meat. Leaving the skin on the grill, remove it onto a platter.

We have served this at numerous dinner parties (and had probably eaten it a hundred times ourselves) and it always gets rave reviews. Try it and let me know what you think!

On my way to the farmers' market...

...I had to stop for gas. I don't drive a lot (my 2002 Passat has only 52,300 miles on it) and I get fairly good mileage, so it had been a while since I filled up. So it was the first time I paid over $4 a gallon. I know people in California have been paying this much for some time, but hey, this is Houston!

I use premium, because that's what I'm supposed to do.


Like I said, I get fairly good mileage, 20 in the city and up to 28 on the highway, and I have a fairly small tank, but even so, it was kind of a shock to spend over $50 to fill up.

And yes, I am so O.C. that I have to "top it off" up to the next dollar...not hard to do at $4.12 a gallon!

Saturday at the Bayou City Farmers' Market

I hadn't here been for quite a while. We used to go fairly often, but haven't gone since Mike has been spending every Saturday at the Proton Therapy Center "making cancer history." I finally decided to go by myself. Not as much fun, but an enjoyable experience nonetheless.


In Wisconsin, we didn't get tomatoes at the farmers' market until late July or August...not the case here in Houston.


And look at these lovely squash...


I usually have a tendency to go overboard and buy way more than we can use, but this time I exercised some self control. This is what I came home with...


These beautiful eggs...

And this delicious chevre from Blue Heron Farm


Tonight I am going to make this Summer Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese, Basil Vinaigrette, and Fresh Herbs. Doesn't it sound yummy?

What to make for dinner when it's a record 97º

Grilled Fish Tacos (from the May 2008 edition of Bon Appétit)

I made them on the indoor grill because it was too hot to cook outside. I will definitely make these again...simple prep, quick cook, light and refreshing to eat!

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped white onion, divided
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/4 cup olive oil
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 pound tilapia
Coarse kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon milk
Corn tortillas
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced
1/2 small head of cabbage, cored, thinly sliced
Salsa Verde
Lime wedges

Preparation:

Stir 1 cup onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, orange juice, garlic, and oregano in medium bowl. Sprinkle fish with coarse salt and pepper. Spread half of onion mixture over bottom of 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange fish atop onion mixture. Spoon remaining onion mixture over fish. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Turn fish; cover and chill 30 minutes longer. Whisk mayonnaise, milk, and remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice in small bowl.

Brush grill grate with oil; prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill fish with some marinade still clinging until just opaque in center, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Grill tortillas until slightly charred, about 10 seconds per side.

Coarsely chop fish; place on platter. Serve with lime mayonnaise, tortillas, remaining 1 cup chopped onion, remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, avocados, cabbage, Salsa Verde, and lime wedges.

I couldn't make this up...

Sometime during the last month, postage went up while I wasn't paying attention. I do have some 2¢ stamps left from the last time it went up, but I hate giving the USPS more than I have to. Cheap, no...OC, yes! So I ordered some stamps online...the $1 they charge for delivery is so worth it! It saves my sanity from having to deal with the local post office. I got some 1¢ stamps and also some of the new 42¢ Minnesota sesquicentennial ones. When they arrived they were in this envelope...


And this is how I found them in the mail slot in our front door...



Does anyone else see the irony here?

More orange clogs

I guess there are a lot of Mario Batali fans out there. I have seen his show on the Food Channel a few times (we don't have cable, but I have watched it at my mom's) and I have seen him on Martha as well. We have a couple of his cookbooks that Mike cooks out of fairly often. I only happened to find out that he was going to be here in Houston by chance while shopping at Central Market. I went to the book signing to pick up a few birthday/Father' s Day/housewarming gifts.
Well, while I was standing in line, I was amused by the number of Mario wannabees waiting with me.




Joe Bastianich was there too, promoting his wines and his book Vino Italino: The Regional Wines of Italy. We have eaten at one of his mother's restaurants, Lidia's Pittsburgh, and really enjoyed it. I think most of the people were there to see Mario, but Joe was much more hospitable and even stood up for me to have my picture taken with him

Orchid and orange

Someone gave me this orchid as a dinner party gift three years ago. They said, "Just throw it away after it is done blooming." Even the grower's tag on it said essentially the same thing, but hey, they just want you to spend another $25. And why would I throw away a living plant just because it didn't have any flowers on it. I know just a tiny bit about orchids. What I did with this one is to put it in the back guest bathroom with no heat for the winter, then put it on the screen porch once the weather warmed up in March and gave it some water. This is what it looked like on April 12.And this was taken May 3. This is the third year in a row that it has bloomed for me (not counting the blooms it had when I got it). It still looks like this. It must be loving the tropical weather we are having...80º and 80% humidity this morning.
And since everyone was so impressed with the picture of me with Will Shortz, here is a more recent on with another famous celebrity. He was doing a book signing at Central Market. Doesn't he look thrilled?
And that was before I took the picture of his equally famous shoes.

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

What I did today...

I may have mentioned that I am a nerd. I do the New York Times crossword puzzle EVERY Sunday. I have Will Shortz's autograph. I got it when I met him in New York in the fall of 2000. We were there for the ACR meeting and I just happened to hear on Weekend Edition Sunday (while I was listening to the puzzle) that he was going to be at a book event just a few blocks from our hotel. So of course I had to go. I had him sign that week's NYT puzzle and got my picture taken with him. After a decade of submitting entries, I finally got to play Puzzle on the air with him and Liane Hansen on 11/02/03. You can listen to it here.

With that accomplishment under my belt, I have been compelled to move on to greater things. I have taken the Jeopardy online test twice, and apparently I passed it the second time. I was invited to an "in-person" audition in Dallas, which I went to today. This is the official synopsis:

How does one become a contestant on JEOPARDY!?

The four basic steps to qualify as a contestant are:

1. Qualify for an "in-person" audition by either passing the Online Test or attending a Brain Bus event and passing the pre-test.
2. If you pass the online test and are invited to an "in-person" audition, you will then take another 50 question written test. Your application will be judged based on your “in-person” test score as well as your online test score.
3. Everyone at the audition will play a short version of JEOPARDY! - Three at a time, just like on the actual show, complete with buzzers!
4. Participate in a brief personality interview.

The in-person audition test presents 50 clues from 50 different categories in the familiar JEOPARDY! format. Each clue is read aloud and simultaneously projected as text on a screen. The material covers a wide range of categories and response time is limited. Once the test is over, the contestant coordinators will lead the group through a brief game-playing tutorial, after which everyone will take turns playing a mock version of the game. At the end of the mock game, each applicant will be asked to tell a little bit about themselves; likes, dislikes, career, family, hobbies, etc. The whole process takes approximately two hours. Please arrive early. Because of the strict format of the testing process, latecomers simply cannot be admitted. No exceptions! Only the test-takers will be permitted to enter the test site, guests are not allowed. Dress as you would to appear on the show.

There is no fee to take any of the tests, but please know that any costs you incur in connection with the test and audition (including but not limited to accommodations, meals, transportation, parking) must be at your own expense. We can assume no responsibility in that regard.

How will I know if I’ve been selected to compete on JEOPARDY!?

If you pass the test and play well in the mock game, you are put in the active file for 18 months from your test date. Being put in the active pool does not guarantee that you will be invited to appear on the show. If you are selected to compete on the show you will be contacted by our contestant coordinators with full details and booking instructions.

I will let you all know if I get the call to come to LA :-) Right now I am going to watch the last 2 episodes, which I have taped (I told you I was a nerd).

Someone likes them...

Even though we decided the dwarf calamondin oranges were too small and tart to eat, apparently that doesn't bother Mr. Squirrel here. Just as long as he stays away from my tomatoes...

I'm back...just in time for summer!

Bellaire Weather

Current conditions as of 6 pm CDT

Partly Cloudy 93º

Feels Like: 100°

Barometer: 29.72 in and falling

Humidity: 47%

Visibility: 10 mi

Dewpoint: 70°

Wind: SSW 15 mph

Sunrise: 6:26 am

Sunset: 8:11 pm

A tribute to my father, from my daughter

My daughter Kate and her husband Kyle (remember the wedding last October?) have just bought a 108 year old house in NE Minneapolis. Before my dad got sick, I had planned a trip up to give them a hand (and some sage advice from someone who has owned a few OLD houses). We have been pulling up carpeting, tack strips, nails and staples in preparation for floor refinishing and have now moved on to painting. Kate is a manager for Trader Joe's and works 50 hours a week, in addition to having a small wedding photography business on the side. Photography is really her passion. When we were in Mansfield for the memorial service, she took some photos of his workshop and has been posting them on her photo blog. It is such a fitting tribute to him...he loved building and fixing things and spent many happy hours working there.