 Big Guy and I were out looking for a day adventure. What can be more fun than exploring our own city neighborhoods? We opted to stop @the hillstl2000. We love the shops there such as @herbariasoap, @ciaochowstl, and @thehillantiquemarket. Food was on our mind, so we stopped @digregoriosmarket to load up on deli meats, and of course, parmesan cheese and pasta. The market was busy, but everyone was in a great mood. I am sure it had nothing to do with the free wine samples! Once we got home, Big Guy suggested we make a club sandwich for dinner. I tend to think of this sandwich as a summer meal, but having spent time at the market, I agreed it was a perfect choice. We served the sandwich with our favorite chips from @oldviennallc. Perfection!
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 I knew when my parents were having a great meal out as they would end the evening with a digestif and dessert. My dad would order a Galliano, and my mom would get a B and B. I knew dad’s drink smelled like licorice, but I was fascinated to find out that it is herbs and spices infused with a neutral alcohol. Mom’s choice was straightforward as it was a mix of brandy and Benedictine which also includes a blend of herbs and spices. It is the herbs and spices that lend itself to being an aid to digestion following a meal.
Big Guy and I decided we would try these two drinks to see why it was a treat to my parents. I admit I liked both, but I went for the Galliano. Big Guy turned out to be 100% on the B and B team. I am fond of gin martinis which was my mom’s drink, so we assumed I would be a B and B girl. The apple did not fall far from the tree as I share likes of my mom, but this is one time I gravitated to dad’s team, but only in the digestif category as I still do not like Manhattans!  The snow and cold temperatures have certainly inspired my need to get back into the kitchen. National Drink Wine Day also recently motivated me. It occurred on February 18th and is a day to celebrate wine. According to their website, the purpose of the day is to “spread love and to spread awareness of the many health benefits of wine.” As I read about this annual day, I knew it was time to get out the big Dutch oven and make French onion soup. I am still a fan of the recipe used in the past by Famous Barr. It takes all afternoon to prepare and cook, but the reward is a beautiful rich soup that warms your heart and soul. We opened a bottle of French wine to accompany this meal for a perfect meal.   I decided it was time to make tortilla soup. I noticed the recipe @emeril when I first started making soups. On the first reading, the recipe is complicated because Emeril would make his own tortillas and chipotle crema, but you can certainly buy tortilla strips in the salad aisle and a crema in the international food aisle. My challenge was a poor selection of poblano peppers so Big Guy and I headed for the international food aisle. As the suggested crema was chipotle-based, we substituted the poblano for a can of chipotle salsa. It certainly gave the soup a beautiful smoky flavor and saved me time chopping. I am glad I took a chance to be brave and follow my instincts. It certainly worked well for this pot of soup!  I love St. Louis, and our organizations are top-notch. My favorite show in the doldrums of winter is the orchid show @mobotgarden. As their website proclaims, “escape to a tropical paradise filled with hundreds of colorful blooming orchids.” This is tremendous but becomes even more important when you read the next line that reminds us that this display is selections from the Garden’s historic collection. Big Guy and I did the “backstage” tour, and I can attest the collection is vast. We were amazed by the variety of orchids, not to mention the size of the greenhouse. It is nice to see them on a yearly basis in their full glory! It was even better as @abrandt1026 and our beautiful great niece joined us this year!     Get out the ballons and hats, as our sweet doodle, Bonny Doon, has turned one year old. Big Guy and I both openly admit our amnesia when it came to having a puppy again. The sleepless nights and the demands of each puppy stage seemed extreme to our aging bodies. While we eagerly anticipate our sassy lassie’s next trip around the sun toward adulthood, we are working to be present for every antic, miscue, and milestone. Big Guy did not even blink when he realized our baby had pulled out his raspberry plants! It seems the “garden” doodle needs more training, but in reality, Big Guy had already decided to move those plants so perhaps she is anticipating a new garden design. Anything could happen!  It is Valentine’s Day, which according to Hallmark, is a day devoted to romantic love. I realize this day can be fraught with feelings whether you observe this day.
I propose we take out the stress and just share love and kindness with our family, friends, neighbors, and special loved ones. We need more days devoted to love and less to hate.  My grandparents passed when I was in my twenties. By this time, Big Guy and I were married and just started our journey together.
I never knew my mom’s parents well. My grandpa died in an auto accident and my grandma died when I was incredibly young. My dad’s parents were of hardy stock and lived to the ripe old age of 103 for my grandpa and ninety-three for my grandma. I was able to spend time with them and learn about their extraordinary lives. The one thing that never failed was my grandma’s love of baking. You might think I was being a romantic, especially knowing I was a newlywed, when I asked if I could have her heart shaped baking pans. The pans have moved from house to house, and I will never part with them as each time I look at them I remember my grandparents and the love they gave me in the early years of my life.  We decided to head out for a fun day with our niece, @abrandt1026. We have turned her on to the joy of antiquing. We are not intense shoppers, rather we enjoy spending time wandering the aisles, looking at more items you could ever buy, and even reminiscing when we see something from our childhood. We decided to head to @south_county_antique_mall, but we first stopped @padthaistl. Our former neighbor, @nataliejhiggins, turned us on to this fantastic restaurant. It has become our go to place anytime we head South. The food is delicious, the service is outstanding, and the food comes out quickly. I love that the kitchen team puts the dishes thoughtfully together with garnishes on the appetizers and layered vegetables on the main courses to create the perfect presentation. After a lovely lunch, we hit the aisles and walked away with fun finds. Our niece hit the jackpot with cute clothes for her daughter and brother, while I added another @royaldoulton thanks to my eagle-eyed niece seeing it in a cabinet along with a cool cooper pan. Success!  Big Guy spoiled me again by purchasing a new scone pan. I had noted my other one was great, but the scones were rather big. This pan has smaller dividers making the scones the perfect snack size with a cup of coffee. My sweet niece, @abrandt1026, was feeling under the weather I decided to bake her healing love by using my new pan. I had a Yule Tide mix from @kingarthurbaking that I had not used yet from the holiday season. I baked them up and added an icing mix in a goodie bag. She reported it was the perfect treat to help her in her recovery! |
AuthorJust a super cool old couple who love to cook and eat and drink in their Carondelet Kitchen in South Saint Louis, Missouri! Archives
June 2025
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