Friday, May 28, 2010

Kelly's Day of Eating

Kelly is a body builder who has been competing successfully in California competitions for two years. Here's what he looked like at the most recent competition (May, 2010).


Maintaining a physique like this requires a stringent diet and exercise regimen. For most of the year, he faithfully followed the prescribed diet which, for the weeks immediately prior to the competition, consisted only of white rice and boiled chicken.


This year, his birthday followed the competition by one week, and he vowed to reward his hard work with a "Day of Eating" on his birthday. 
Kelly's "Day of Eating" began at one minute past midnight, when his wife, Angel, woke him to partake of Midnight Birthday Cake, a mint chocolate chip ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins, covered in fudge chocolate and topped with nuts and maraschino cherries.
Kelly LOVES chocolate!
Birthday Breakfast was at Black Bear Diner where he had a "Bear's Choice" with 4 large slices of French toast, ham and eggs over easy with wheat toast, and coffee with vanillia cream and sugar--LOTS of cream and sugar!
The staff at Black Bear embarrassed Kelly a bit by singing the happy birthday song to him, but they gave him balloons and a molten hot chocolate cake covered with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge. 
After Black Bear Diner's breakfast, Kelly and Angel headed to Fresno to the shooting range to burn off the calories. Afterward, Kelly wanted to stop at his favorite sushi place, Wasabi Do or Die, where he had an appetizer of salmon and tuna sashimi. For a main course, he ordered the tommy plate: salmon, tuna, and shrimp tempura stuffed rice rolls topped with a slice of salmon and tuna. He always orders a Sierra Mist to drink, and according to Angel, he drinks no fewer than 6 glasses of Sierra Mist at a sitting.
The staff spared Kelly the birthday song, but gave him a cup of green tea ice cream with a candle in it. After the great lunch they headed over to River Park, a plaza full of little places to shop (and eat).
On their way to murder some chocolate 
in River Park
  
They went to Kelly's favorite chocolate shop, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, where he always gets 3 handmade giant orange sticks in milk chocolate, one mint chocolate cluster covered in fudge, and a cherry stick (4 maraschino cherries on a stick dipped in milk chocolate). 
Yummy!
They decided to go to see Shrek in 3D at the River Park Imax theater. After buying their tickets, they had two hours to kill until show time, so they went to World Sports Cafe and had some delicious deep fried appetizers: cheese sticks and calamari. 
The  staff brought Kelly a glass full of hot fudge and vanillia ice cream topped with a cherry.  
By this time Kelly was feeling...awww....a little full.
He recovered, though, and they headed over to the Imax theater to watch the movie...
...where Kelly got a large popcorn and large root beer. He also bought white cheddar topping to flavor his popcorn.
After the movie, they walked around for awhile, but Kelly started to get hungry again, so they headed north up the highway to Fashion Fair Mall where a lot of the bigger, well-known shops are located, as well as great dining, which led them to the Cheesecake Factory.  

They were seated and served bread and butter, and Kelly had a Sierra Mist.  For an appetizer, he ordered Buffalo Blasts: chicken breasts, cheese, and spicy buffalo sauce stuffed in a spiced wrapper, fried until crisp, and served with celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing. He also ordered crispy crumb-coated macaroni and cheese served over a creamy marinara sauce. For the main course, Kelly ordered the Five-Cheese Chicken Alfredo (with double chicken).
Get in my mouth!
Okay, maybe I've overdone it a little.
Nap?  Or coma?
Naturally, there was another complimentary dessert...
...or two.
Happy Birthday to me!
Just one more bite.
Ooops, missed!
Okay, that's all.
Ahhh!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Blackrock Greenhouse

This morning, I drove out to Blackrock Greenhouse* to buy tomato plants. I probably won't put them out into the garden for a while yet, because our night temperatures are still low (30s to 40s), but I couldn't wait any longer to see the little starts in all their newness and greenness.












I bought my usual varieties: Early Girl and Husky Gold. I'm also trying some Early Goliaths, which were recommended by George, my neighbor. George's garden is the envy of the neighborhood. Because he produces such large, luscious vegetables, we like to joke that he has a nuclear reactor in his backyard, but the secret is his devotion to cultivating rich, organic mulch. One summer, not long after I moved in, I looked out my window and saw George lining up on a picnic table what appeared to be dozens of large, red softballs. I was stunned when I realized that the "softballs" were, in fact, tomatoes. Goliaths, indeed.














Not only do Blackrock's tomatoes taste great fresh from the vine, but they preserve well, too.
Husky Golds look like peaches in the jars, and sometimes guests ask if they are ripe enough to eat. This dish is made with penne, shrimp, onions, Husky Golds, and just a splash of Ouzo. Yum!


*Blackrock Greenhouse is operated by Gary and JoAnn Miller, who supply us here in Southeast Idaho with annuals, herbs, and vegetables that are acclimatized to our high-desert temperatures and humidity levels. Their prices are very competitive, and you can't beat Gary and JoAnn's friendly and efficient service. Blackrock Greenhouse is located at 5214 W. Old Highway 91, and their telephone number is (208) 775-3704, They are open weekdays from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Yard Sale!

What is more work and yet more fun than a yard sale?
Saturday, my neighborhood held a yard sale, and great deals were to be found all up and down the block. The early birds began arriving at 7 a.m., before I'd even had a chance to set out my sign.
Naomi baked lots of delicious cupcakes to sell, and we offered free coffee with the purchase of a cup or mug from our extensive collection of mismatched beverage containers.


Lynn (holding one of his cats) and his dog, Drogas, watched the sale from the top of the hill.
The deal of the day was the underpriced chaise (or "fainting couch," as many people called it). It was snapped up early, and then it sat for quite a while with a SOLD sign on it, which frustrated subsequent customers.
Sarah scored a vintage spice shelf.
We were happy to get rid of the junk...er, I mean...treasures...
...which included everything from Pat's Sudoku cube to my "Mist of Dreams" humidifier.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Pocatello Co-Op's 2010 "Made for Mom" Sale

Thanks to everyone who participated, the sale was a success! We had a LOT of visitors, and it was fun chatting with the customers and the other vendors. 
I took 22 pieces to the sale and came home with only eight. Now I'm eager to get busy and once again overcrowd my little workshop.
To see a gallery of my pieces, visit: http://encoreglass.blogspot.com


Here are some of the other vendors whose pictures I had time to snap before the rush began.