 Big Guy and I enjoy trying new places especially on our errand days. I guess you can say we are rewarding ourselves with a lovely meal before doing the mundane chores of life. We decided to try @breakfast.corner.stl which opened recently on Hampton Avenue. The city folks will remember this as a doctor’s building which had been sitting empty, so we are thrilled to see a positive business open in this location. We were greeted immediately and given a table which allowed us to take in the entire space. It was lovely and had that fresh feeling that you expect from a new restaurant with the comforting sounds and smells of a diner. We were pleased with the service and the food. We will certainly make a return visit soon. As their sign says, “Good Morning Sunshine” which fit the bill perfectly!
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 Big Guy loves to buy in bulk. There are many family stories about how he would “get a deal” every time usually leading the group to rib him about his sanity. The latest bulk purchase was Swanson beef broth. As I had meatballs in the freezer and a bumper crop of spinach coming from @carondeletgarden, I decided to make my version of an Italian wedding soup. I started with the trinity of onions, celery, and carrots to give it a hearty foundation followed by the addition of the beef broth, meatballs, tortellini, and spinach. Aside from chopping the vegetables, this is a quick and easy soup and will give you at least two containers to freeze for later use. I love making big pots of soup knowing that it will feed us well.  I know it will seem strange to a younger reader, but growing up was eating mostly home cooked meals. The closest McDonalds was a fifteen-minute drive. We had our share of pizza places, but the nicer restaurants were always full and another thirty-minute drive away. I do vividly remember the nights my parents would bring home @oldelpaso kits to make tacos for dinner. It was always a favorite with my brother and me. It continues to be a trusted product today, so with good memories intact, I opted to pick up another taco kit to make our Tuesday Supper Club a Mexican food night. We also added @rosalitasstl chip and queso to make it a festive meal that highlighted local and global ingredients. Ole!   Big Guy really has the green thumb going @carondeletgarden early into the season. He found a “cut and come again” spinach that has been feeding us for over a month. It was a simple salad to put together once I did the harvest and cleaning of the spinach. I opened a bag of @modernmill salad topper which they called their summer symphony. It is a mix of cranberries, Blueberries, cherries, pecans and sunflower seeds. I dressed it with @marzetti balsamic dressing and dinner was ready. The only chore left was for Big Guy to select a nice bottle of wine to compliment the ingredients. Easy breezy meal!
 My niece and I took advantage of the beautiful weather by attending the 38th Annual Laumeier Art Fair. We opted to head out early to assure ease of parking, but also to allow us access to the booths before the large crowds appeared later in the day. The timing was perfect as we had the space and time to talk to the artists and take in their artistic creations. I was immediately drawn into @papillonpressstl and had to purchase a stunning fleur de lis print. As we continued around the fair, I found a cool Celtic pen for the Big Guy @bourbonpens followed by an awesome salt and pepper set for @carondeletkitchen from @bright.idea. We enjoyed a shared gasp, then laugh, as @reinhard.herzog proved his glass ornaments were well made by tapping one on the table to disprove my concern of breaking it on the way home. My niece got recognized as “famous” by our friends @pernodavenuemarketplace who faithfully read this blog. We ended the day by finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift for my niece’s mom. I know this day will go into the books as a great memory. Thanks to everyone @laumeierstl for hosting an outstanding event highlighting world class artistry.  I was reminded today of the importance of sharing one tip that I find so useful @carondeletkitchen. Keep your eyes open for unique ingredients that you can use in your kitchen regardless of the store you are shopping at as you can instantly be inspired to create a great meal. The case in point is a fantastic chicken and sun-dried tomato sausage pasta I created using curated ingredients from multiple sources. The inspiration started with the @buttonwoodfarm chicken and sun-dried tomato sausage I found while shopping @legrandsmarket. I enhanced the flavor of the sausage with a jar of sun-dried tomatoes I bought @parkerstable along with pasta sourced from there too. The final ingredient came from @spiritwineandcraft which was a lovely jar of basil pesto sauce. The pasta was delicious and plentiful. I plan to use the leftovers as a side with sandwiches tomorrow!
 Big Guy and I enjoy signing up for the member series @mobotgarden as we tend to learn something new at each presentation. Today was no different thanks to presenter Glen Pulliam, and his talk on “Here’s to Hostas.” Like Glen, we are addicted to the presence of these beautiful plants in our garden. And, who knows you can supposedly eat the leaves of hostas, but you better serve it with a heavy dressing per Glen as the greens are bitter. I do not plan to add this ingredient to my cooking! Once the session was over, Big Guy and I did our errands but were determined to have fun with it. We stopped by @gringojonesimports and @littleshopmbg to see if there was a treasure we had to buy. I will drop the hint that I have a new @royaldoulton added to my collection. We moved next to @thehillstl2000 to pick up olive oil from @digregoriosmarket, soap from @herbariasoap, and bread and cookies from @missouribakingco. I just love shopping at local places. It made for a fun day buying perfectly curated products!  @rotaryclubofsaintlouis has been taking annual field trips in early May to learn more about organizations that serve our community. The members of the club joined the team @thirddegreeglass for lunch and a tour. @thirddegreeglass was established by founders Jim McKelvey and Doug Auer as a publicly accessible glass art studio and education center on Delmar and is the anchor for the Delmar Maker District. It was interesting to learn the building once housed a car dealership giving them expansive space to create their dream which began in 2002. The tour by the glass sales director, Nicole Dutton, and Marketing Director, Karyn Williams, ended with a demonstration by glass artist Joy Schollmeier @it_sparks_joy. We were privy to seeing a beautiful piece of glass blown and created right before our eyes. It was such a wonderful day!  I have learned my limitations in the kitchen, and this example is thanks to my mom. Throughout my childhood, my mom loved to have chocolate eclairs on special occasions. We did not have a specialty bakery near us nor was she capable of making them, so she opted for the “next best thing” from the frozen food section. I was “carried back” to this childhood memory as I skirted through the freezer section of my store and noticed the @eatdelizza Belgian mini chocolate topped eclairs. I swear I could hear my mom’s voice encouraging me to pick up a box for my next Tuesday Night Supper Club with @abrandt1026. After all, every Tuesday is a special night with my favorite girls!   I started writing @carondeletkitchen as an outlet for my creative energies in retirement to highlight stories and images from my kitchen, neighborhood, and greater Saint Louis area. It is hard to imagine since that first blog time has passed to include the creation of @carondeletgarden blog (the garden is almost 40 years old!) and the addition of our goldendoodle, Bonny Doon.
My appreciation goes out to everyone who has found my blog. Your love and support to reach this milestone of 1000 blogs have not gone unnoticed by us #supercoololdpeople who call Carondelet our home. Thanks for joining us on this fun journey! |
AuthorJust a super cool old couple who love to cook and eat and drink in their Carondelet Kitchen in South Saint Louis, Missouri! Archives
May 2025
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