A Perfect Day

Today was a perfect beach day.  Finally the yellow flag was up so the waves weren't as strong as the previous days.  I was able to take my tube out and actually stay out there and bob around over the waves quite easily.  It wasn't until I put my legs through the tube so that I was sitting on it that the waves carried me to shore.  The first time I did it, I was gently pushed toward the shore and when I got close to shore, where the waves were breaking I got pushed a little harder.  I got pushed so far onto shore that I was sitting on the sand.  Before I came in, Larry got the camera so he could take some pictures, at my request. 

We went to the beach around 10:00 and stayed until almost 5:00, it was so beautiful. And, I actually read a real book in only a couple of days and got a new one.

We went up to our room and finished our homemade margaritas.

Before eating we took a walk on the beach since we didn't take one earlier in the day.

For dinner we had salad with tuna and goat cheese.

One Week In Cancun

We've been here for a week already and I haven't really posted anything.  Let's see how much I can remember, of course my picture taking will help.

Friday the 13th
The flight down was fine.  Everything left as scheduled, the only problem was that we had about a 5 hour layover in Atlanta but we knew about that after the departure time of the flight from Atlanta was changed a few months ago.  The only unusual thing that happened was when I went to the ladies room at the Atlanta airport (one of the many times).  Going into the stall, the woman coming out said "those things in there aren't mine."  I didn't understand what she was talking about until I saw a dress and sweater hanging on the back of the door and a pair of flip flops on the side shelf.  Looked like someone was making a quick getaway and escaping the security cameras.  

We arrived here in the afternoon and were met by the van driver at the airport and whisked away to the hotel. 

We checked in and went to our room and both took pictures of the room before it didn't look the same (once we give it the lived in look).  

Then we took a walk around the grounds and on the beach.  We went to a liquour store across the street to get some tequila, triple sec and wine but they didn't have any Rose's Lime juice so no home made margaritas tonight.  
Across the street is a big shopping mall that is called La Isla Mall (http://cancun.travel/en/things-to-do/shopping/la-isla-shopping-village), lots of stores, restaurants, and an aquarium  We walked around there and finally stopped at Chocolate City where we had icy cold Dos Equis and delicious salads.

Saturday, May 14
Time to go shopping and get some food in our place.  We heard that Walmart was the best place to go grocery shopping to so we got on the bus and familiarized ourselves with public transportation.  A week later we're practically experts, at least for bus R-2 and R-15.  It costs 85 pesos (85 cents) for the bus and is the best deal in town.  We took a cab back because of the number of bags we had and that was only $12 USD.  Our favorite purchase was the freshly made Pico de Galle and we went back later in the week to replenish our supply along with the hot, also freshly made corn tortillas.  They didn't have Rose's Lime Juice either so we bought lots of fresh limes.

The Walmart parking lot is covered

 After unpacking our groceries we went to the pool and later for a walk on the beach.  The water was calm and beautiful.

Sunday, May 15
We were out on the beach at 7:30 this morning taking a walk and I started collecting shells.  We got back in time to change and go to the 9:00 AM English speaking mass at the open air church which is across the street from the Playboy Club which opened in December 2010.  In the afternoon we went to the beach which we decided was a much more comfortable place to sit than at the pool since there was that constant breeze to keep you comfortable.


Monday, May 16
Today we got up and walked the beach at 6:30 in search of better shells and before the sun came out full force.  Yesterday it was pretty hot on the walk back. 

We had a late lunch at Viento, the restaurant down by the pool.  

We shared a wrap that was delicious and some fish tacos and of course the basket of tortilla chips to start.  At night we had a healthy salad in our room.  

Tuesday, May 17
Back to the beach for our morning walk, this time even earlier than 6:30.  We walked almost as far as the point but thought it might be too hot on the way back so we turned around but the sun was hidden behind the clouds where we walked so we would have been OK.  Later in the day we were in the water bobbing around and it was then that I decided we needed some kind of floaty for the water which would make it more fun to just hang out in the surf.  We had lunch at Viento again because we both were mouthwatering for those wraps again.  They had such a great flavor (we couldn't really identify it) but wanted it again.  Of course, this time they didn't taste the same.  That evening, about 5:30, along with everyone going home from work we took the bus to Walmart where I was on a mission to get a water toy and we did get a big tube.  We also got some fresh Mexican pastries and more tortillas but they were out of the Pico de Galle.


Wednesday, May 18 - Happy 75th Birthday Larry
This morning we walked all the way down to the point.  It was about 5 miles round trip after I google mapped it when we came back.  When we were almost back to the hotel, Larry said his foot was hurting.  When we got up to the room, we checked and he had a big blister on the bottom of his foot that popped - OUCH and HAPPY BIRTHDAY.  For the remainder of the day Larry rested his foot on the couch and I went to the beach but no playing in the water with the new tube.
For Larry's birthday dinner we got on the bus and went down the street a short way to Puerto Madero.  We started off with margaritas on the rocks followed by dinner with a glass of Cabernet Savignon.  I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the food.  Larry had the most delicious Sea Bass in a smooth soy sauce with shitake mushrooms and grilled asparagus.  I had seared tuna with a soy sauce and we had a side of grilled vegetables.  For his birthday surprise they served a creme brulee on a beautifully decorated plate and I had an outstanding cup of coffee.  A perfect birthday dinner.

Thursday, May 19
So now that I have the desired water tube, the wind has picked up out of the East and we have waves that make it less than desirable for my hanging out in the surf.  We played two games of miniature golf in the morning and we split them, no playoff. We made another trip to Walmart and got the Pico de Galle, two big tubs of it and some more pastries, cereal and fruit.  This time it wasn't rush hour.  We came back and went to the pool and then after deciding it was too hot we went back to the beach.  Happy Hour found us up on our deck with a bottle of wine and tortillas and pico de galle.  That night it was the final episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice for me and some Skype-ing with Laura during commercials.

Sunday in Cancun

Just another day in Paradise. And I don't mean Webster.








- Posted from my iPhone

Good dessert idea

Got this idea from Anna at WW today.

CocoPops
Cool Whip
Strawberries
Other fruits as desired

Make individual servings

How to locate iPhoto pics in Finder

If you want a quick way to access your photos in the Finder, open up your ~/Pictures folder, right-click "iPhoto Library" and select "Show Package Contents", then make an alias to the "Originals" (and/or "Modified") folders on your desktop, or even drag it to your sidebar.

Or just do a search on Originals/Modified in Finder

Elephants

For Marge's shower I crocheted elephants which match the pattern of her bedding from Pottery Barn.

I also made a baby blanket, this was before I knew her color theme but after I knew she was having a boy.

Shower Cakes

Yesterday Karen and Kim held a baby shower for Margie who is having a boy on June 8.
These cakes were beautiful and delicious and maybe I'll make them sometime so I'm posting the recipes here so I don't forget 

Chocolate Cake with Fleur de Sel Caramel Filling

There's chocolate cake—and then there's this chocolate cake. Four layers of cake. Chocolate ganache. Salted caramel. Toasted almonds. It's a decadent combination that has become a big seller at Santa Monica's Vanilla Bake Shop—and a new favorite for weddings.
12 SERVINGS

Recipe by Vanilla Bake Shop
September 2008
Ingredients
CARAMEL FILLING
  1 cup sugar
  1/4 cup water
  2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, diced
  1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
  1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  Large pinch of fine fleur de sel* plus additional for assembly

GANACHE FILLING AND FROSTING
  1 1/2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  3 cups heavy whipping cream

CAKE
  2 cups sugar
  1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 cup whole milk
  2 large eggs
  1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  1 cup hot water
  1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee
  1 1/4 cups almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped

Preparation
CARAMEL FILLING
Stir sugar, 1/4 cup water, and corn syrup in deep medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium; cover pan and cook 4 minutes. Uncover; increase heat to high. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, occasionally brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cream (mixture will bubble). Whisk in butter, then crème fraîche, lemon juice, and pinch of fleur de sel. Cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

GANACHE FILLING AND FROSTING
Place chocolate in large bowl. Bring cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate; let soften 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate is smooth. Cool, then cover and chill overnight. DO AHEAD Ganache can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled. Bring to room temperature before using.

CAKE
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of each with parchment paper; butter paper and dust pan with flour.

Sift sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. Add milk, eggs, and melted butter. Using electric mixer, beat at low speed until blended. Increase speed and beat 2 minutes. Stir 1 cup hot water and espresso powder in small bowl to dissolve. Add to batter; beat until blended (batter will be thin). Divide batter between pans (about 3 cups each).

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around cakes; turn out onto racks. Peel off parchment and cool completely.

Using long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 layer on platter; spread with 1/2 cup room-temperature ganache. Spoon 3/4 cup ganache into pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch plain round tip. Pipe ring of ganache around edge of layer. Spread 1/4 cup room-temperature caramel filling evenly inside ring. Sprinkle caramel with large pinch of fleur de sel, then 1 tablespoon almonds. Top with second cake layer, ganache, ganache ring, caramel filling, fleur de sel, and almonds. Repeat with third cake layer. Top with fourth cake layer, cut side down. Spread remaining ganache over top and sides of cake. Press remaining almonds onto sides. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour.

A type of sea salt; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.


Mixed-Berry Chiffon Cake with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

Almond cream filling
1 cup half and half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 7-ounce roll almond paste (scant 1/2 cup packed), diced
6 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), finely chopped
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Cake
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 cup raspberry preserves

Almond cream cheese frosting
2 1/2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Assorted fresh berries (such as strawberries and blueberries)
Currant jelly, warmed

Cleaning Out Mail

I was just cleaning out my roadrunner mail which has become my major junk mail account. I have a gmail account that I haven't given to anyone besides friends and family so that mail I want to read doesn't get lost but sometimes people forget and send me stuff to my RR account. This was one of the things I found this morning while cleaning it out.

Visit to Greta

After visiting Laura, I went to see Greta and all the boys.  We went to the playground after having lunch when I got there on Sunday.

Monday I played Mom, took Greta to the train, Myles and Hunter to school (2nd grade and kindergarten) went to the store for Bev and managed to squeeze in an excellent  1 1/2 hour Yoga class at Glow.  Then I took Tucker to Nursery School, stopped at the Rummage Room,  my favorite thrift store and bought a skirt and a pair of capris for $8 each.  The skirt is a pink Ann Taylor that looks brand new and the capris are white Izod that also look new.
Before I knew it, it was time to pick up the boys from school and then we took a trip to Target and everyone got to buy something.  My last pickup was to get Greta from the train and later that evening Greta and I had an early Mother's Day dinner at Baang.

Tuesday morning I left for home after taking Greta to the train and getting the final picture taken.

Royal Wedding and Royal Birthday Dinner

Congratualtion William and Catherine!

Laura and I attented the Royal Wedding. OK, we were sitting in her living room and watching it on TV but we had the best seats in the house. We watched Diana and Charles wedding together 30 years ago too.

- Posted from my iPhone 

In the  afternoon we went to the bank where Laura learned something about deposit tickets.  

At night we went to her birthday dinner at Biagio in Waltham.

300 UNDER 300

This event ocurred on April 2 when I went to Barnes and Noble to get a signed book for Laura's birthday which was yesterday. Laura took it to her Weight Watchers meeting today for show and tell, along with me. I couldn't publish it until now for obvious reasons.
==============
Today I went to Barnes and Noble in Boca, only about 15 minutes from here for a book signing by Lisa Lillien, "Hungry Girl". It was by chance that I happened to find out about it. I saw on Facebook that she came out with a new book, 300 UNDER 300 and because of my curiosity I followed links until I got to her book tour. Turned out that in 3 days she was going to be here. As luck would have it, Larry went to play golf that day so I didn't have to feel bad about boring him to death, although he probably would have enjoyed hanging out in Barnes and Noble for 2 hours. I got there 50 minutes before the signing to get my book and find out what the process was. I thought I would drop into some of the other stores in the mall while I was waiting but as it turned out, there were only a couple of seats left in the area where she was going to be so I grabbed one and waited. She was going to arrive at 2:00, give a talk, which turned out to be a Q&A for about 40 minutes and then do the book signing. Practically the whole row in front of me was her family, her parents live in this area.
She was very sweet and after standing in line for 20 minutes I got my book signed and a picture taken so Laura would know that it was really her signature.

Happy Birthday Laura

I got to Laura's around 4:20 and she came home about 5:00.  It was a beautiful, hot day and we took a walk along the river.  There were some guys there who showed us the carp they just caught.  They were waiting for one of their brother's to come with a scale so they could they could see how much it weighed.  They were thinking 17 pounds.

Breakfast Casserole

This looks like a good recipe for a crowd.http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe?id=13364622

Emeril's Broccoli, Cheese and Ham Healthy Breakfast Casserole

From the Kitchen of Emeril Lagasse
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: Easy
Cook Time: 60-120 min

Are you tired of making eggs the same way all the time? Try 
Emeril's casserole. It's the perfect combination of meat, cheese 
and eggs without all the calories of a normal omelette.

Ingredients
4 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets (about 1 head, 18 oz) 

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning 

1 cup finely chopped onion 

1 cup small diced ham (5 oz) 

2 ½ ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese 

4 cups 1-inch diced whole wheat English muffins 

4 large eggs 

6 egg whites 

1½ cups skim milk 

2 teaspoons salt 

1 teaspoon sweet paprika 

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 

2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Blanch the broccoli florets in a pot of boiling salted water 
until bright green and slightly tender, about 1 minute. Transfer 
to an ice-bath and let cool. Drain well and set aside. 
Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat, 
add the onions and a couple of pinches of salt. Cook, stirring 
occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat 
and set aside to cool. 
In a large mixing bowl, add the broccoli, cooled onions, ham, 
cheddar cheese and English muffins. Gently toss together to 
combine and pour into a 11.5 x 8-inch glass baking dish; spread 
the mixture out evenly.
Using the same bowl, add the eggs, egg whites, milk, salt, 
paprika and black pepper. Whisk to mix well and pour over the 
broccoli mixture. Cover with foil and store in the refrigerator 
overnight, up to 8 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the casserole in the 
oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the 
Parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Return to the oven and 
continue cooking until golden brown, puffed, and cooked through, 
about 30 minutes more. 
Place on a cooling rack and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before 
serving. 

This recipe was styled by chef Karen Pickus for Good Morning 
America. 
 Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, copyright MSLO, Inc., all rights 
reservedCopyright © 2011 ABC News Internet Ventures

Oatmeal Cookies

When did the recipe for oatmeal cookies change?
For the last 4 years I was using the recipe I got from  a box top of Quaker Oatmeal that I kept with my raisins.  When I made the cookies this time I decided to use the new box since it was easier to read than the one I had taped together.
That's when I noticed they had made it less fattening.  Not as less fattening as my last batch where I substituted pumpkin for all the butter and splenda for all the sugar.  They reduced the sugar and the butter, 2 Tbls less butter and 1/4 cup less brown sugar, but when did this happen?
  Why didn't they tell me???

Indian Cooking

QUICK JEERA CHICKEN - Recipes by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

This was on Rachael Ray this morning

Ingredients

• 1 (1 ¾ pound/ 800- grams) chicken, cut into 12 pieces in a large mixing bowl
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 8 to 10 green chiles, stemmed and cut in half
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, whisked
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 7 to 8 black peppercorns, crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 

Preparation

Put chicken in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 
stir well. Cover bowl with plastic and put into refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.
Place a medium nonstick saucepan over medium and add the oil. When the small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cumin. When the cumin begins to change color, add the chilies and turmeric, and sauté for 10 seconds.
Add the chicken and sauté for 8-9 minutes until well browned. Add the yogurt, cilantro, peppercorns and remaining 1 teaspoon of the salt. Stir well and add the ½ cup water. Cover, lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cook through.
Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with the mint and serve hot.

The Dash

We went to Kathy's father's memorial service today and one of his friends read this poem.  I looked for it online and am posting it here to remember it.  While listening to it I thought that I need to work on "my dash."  Enjoy.

The Dash by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?
 

Leaving Tomorrow

I can't believe we're leaving for home tomorrow.  I still haven't finished updating this blog with everything we've been doing.  Today we took a long walk.  We decided to go a different way so we walked over the Linton Bridge and walked up Federal Hwy (Rt 1) to Atlantic Ave then came back along A1A, 4 1/2 miles.  The last .2 were killers, we both thought at the same time, that a ride would be nice, but no such luck.  

We went back to Sonzi for lunch, the Sesame Encrusted Tuna, after a big wind and rain storm.  We had to eat inside because it was wet out, but at least they didn't have their air conditioning on when we got there because it gets freezing.  This was the same meal we had when Michael was here.  It came with a side of wasabi, fresh ginger and soy sauce.  The waiter also gave us some ginger soy sauce that they serve with the tuna appetizer.

Delray Beach Pictures

There were so many pictures that I took when we were in Delray Beach that I liked, it was hard to choose which to post so I'm probably listing too many but so what, it's for me anyway.

This is where we stayed at Doris and Michael's apartment.

The night before they went back to Boston we all went out to dinner

This bird caught his dinner

We drove up to Worth Ave in Palm Beach and walked around.  I loved this plant wall.

These little lizards with curly tails were all over the place in Delray Beach

This was a self portrait

These was a sunrise, we were up early every day 
and the following are just some other peaceful pics

This is where my mother lived in Boca Raton at Edgewater Pointe Estates.. The place looked the same but across the street they put in a shopping center.

Myles Piano Recital

Happy Birthday Michael

My cousin Michael came to visit yesterday.  Today is his birthday so it was perfect timing.  I was able to give him a "hard copy" birthday card, hand delivered.  We sat around and caught up and then drove into town and walked around so I could pick out the restaurant I wanted to eat at.  Everyone said the choice had to be mine because I'm the picky one.  
Before we left I thought I wanted to go to Sazio because they have Sesame Encrusted Tuna Salad on their menu.  But of course I had to check out all the menus on the Avenue before I could make my final decision.  And the final decision was Sazio.  We had to wait a bit for an outside table.  There was one with a couple of guys who had already paid their bill and were just chatting and finishing their drinks.  It was worth the short wait because it was in a perfect people watching spot.  Larry and I got the Tuna Salad and believe it or not, I forgot to take a picture of it.  It was beautiful and delicious with a side of fresh ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.  Michael got the portobello, chicken sandwich special with mozzarella cheese.  The portions were huge and we managed to eat every last drop.

We stopped at Publix on the way home and got the individual serving Jolly Time popcorn 10/$10, the same sale as when we were here last year a long with all the other things we needed.  I love Publix buy one get one free deals.  They actually have things I want.

After we were back, Michael and I took a short walk to check out the park that leads to the beach a few blocks down from here.  Before you knew it, it was cocktail time and then it was 8:00 PM.

After Michael left, we watched The Tourist that we had taken out on DVD from Blockbusters at Publix.