The Culinary Arts

Okay, so I'm not a cook. But I do try periodically. I made Mom's poppyseed chicken casserole tonight (I know, Mom, it's not really yours; but that's how I know it). It was great. So, my question is what makes it good tonight and marginal the next time I make it? Do I do something different? I don't think so... but food is so temperamental when I'm making it. How is it that Sonic's hamburger tastes the same every time, but my chicken casserole is different every time? Well, Jon says when he gets everything else done, he's going to culinary school anyway... so I can just hang up the oven mitt!

I guess I've always just assumed the poppyseed chicken casserole was a family thing. Today (after Jon asked what was for dinner & I realized, once again, that I could only offer him my 2-3 dish repertoire), I decided to spend a little time looking through the Dinner Doctor cookbook. (I love it, by the way, Mary. Sorry I haven't looked at it before now! But I'm going to try several of them next week.) And, guess what I found??? Of course, poppyseed chicken casserole!! It was the same recipe too... with one difference... hers adds some Uncle Ben's rice. Weird, huh? So, speaking of cooking... we have actually had home-cooked meals this week. (Some of Jon's colleagues at GSU asked him at some point if I was in town for a while. When he said yes, they mentioned that they bet he was happy he would get some good home cooked meals for a while. Ha!) Anyway, so, chicken cattiatore, steaks, and chicken casserole. Thank goodness tomorrow is eat-out night!

Well, I visited my favorite "Have a night" friend tonight. Same place as always. :-) But, tonight, I didn't go for dinner. Instead, I went as a favor to my sweet little husband... who is exhausted (and sacked out on the sofa) because he lets the dogs sleep too much during the evening. (He wanted a little sweet treat after dinner.) Unfortunately, I let him let them... and here I sit doing it again. But, I enjoy the quiet of "time off". Tonight, I'm using this time to watch my adopted home city of Savannah in Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil. Hadn't seen it before now, and I'm loving the Cusack & Spacey team-up. But, who knew that Jude Law was in it?!?!? Anyway, great movie. Thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks, Jon, for making me watch it. I wonder if John C. ever stops in on Lady Chablis. Maybe I could go befriend her/him and meet John!!!

And for today's picture show... I'm showing off two of my favorite of my own photos and some old family ones. The first two were on my business trip to Sunnyvale, CA (after an acquisiton during the summer of '04). The first is at Big Sur and the second at Santa Cruz (obviously). This day was just fabulous... even though I was completely by my lonesome. It was one of the weekends I had to stay over. Couldn't have asked for better weather! The next three were that same summer... on the family beach trip. And the last two... of course, couldn't go a post without some puppy pics.