FOTO FRIDAY: FOODIE FRIDAY

FOTO FRIDAY this week is devoted to me enjoying being a 'foodie' during my visit home the past two weeks. I didn't capture every special meal but I wanted to share as the food and company did feed my soul after days at the hospital with my 90 year old Dad who btw is getting stronger every day in Rehab.

So thank you to all those by sharing mealtimes with me: 
Cafe 315 Homemade Pizza and Honduran Rosalinda in NLR with Shep and Kaye,

Rosalinda's Carne asada

Cafe 315's 1st time yummy homemade Za

Robin, Lou Ann and Bday girl Marie

celebrating a birthday and the Chinese New Year at Fantastic China with high school friends. 

Train lowers your meal to your table

After doing nails, lunch at All Aboard with all the kiddos and young-at-heart Chris... 




Boulevard's quick stop for Chai & Scone and Lunches at K-Bird, Roots & Juices with Martha Lou...

Worth the long wait at K-bird

drank my lunch of Pear Ginger 

Banana leaf wrapped chicken tamale.

Sabrosa Oaxacan dinner demo with chicken tamales with mole by Trio's Capi Peck and special treat to sit at Rita's table...

New Mammale Brett(R) and photo bombing Martha

Sip 'n See to meet Ellen's grand baby Sunny with food by Arlene and Bobbye... 

Half of the order eaten, does lusting count ?

Bro Marc Lunches with West Little Rock Rotary at the hospital cafeteria and also once at Cheddar's;  No, we didn't have the fried onions but a neighboring table did...

Hors d'oeuvres dinners with sister-in-law Terri at a memorable library lecture due to surprise snack in my bag, not the speaker, and fruit & cheese topped off with a chocolate chip cookie at the Rep before Peter and the Starcatcher...

Chick Fil-A fix lunch with Marc and Terri. Niece Becky  joined us all at Mellow Mushroom and my last night's dinner at Loca Luna...  

Shabbos meals with the Sherman/Cohens with a Southern fried chicken dinner, Arlene and Mike's with entrees of 3 different meatballs (veal, turkey and beef and much more...)

AND most important of all the 'first' take out meal with Dad in the hospital from Whole Hog Bar-b-que! 

How are your 'foodie' fixes doing? Do share.
In case you missed it last week's FOTO FRIDAY:STOWAWAY
Update insurance denied Baptist Rehab but Dad's happy in his new environs: Briarwood. Wishes for a speedy recovery !

WARRIOR AUNTIE?

You know what? I just may be going back to school AND I already have a roommate...

You see niece Becky needed a surrogate Mom for Hendrix College's recruitment meet and greet at Heifer International in Little Rock a couple of Sundays ago and I was glad to oblige. It was refreshing to be around so many intelligent young folks.

Prospective students and families, college administrators, staff, alumni, college students mingled over refreshments before being welcomed by the admission staff (one gal, a Wisconsin native no less) and Hendrix's relatively new President Bill Tsutsui shared his 

Hendrix President Tsutsui

first year's impression of campus life, both academically and socially to the couple hundred folks attending the meet and greet. President Tsutsui has actually job shared in many different campus positions to understand what his staff and students experience on a daily basis. This man is definitely a hands on type of administrator.

A panel of Hendrix students shared why Hendrix was a good fit for them and also fielded questions from the attendees. The small size of the school and its classes allow faculty to really get to know their students and even invite them to their homes for dinner. This family like environment is special. There are about 70 interest groups on campus and if yours is missing, you can start one. The small campus offers about 39 majors and minors and the ability to build one's own career path.

Boy, did I get excited hearing about their Odyssey program where students create a program in their area of interest which may/may not involve travel/ global experience. Students shared their favorite programs they/ friends had experienced. (i.e. going to N.Y. city and visiting artists in their studios, etc...)

I was sold and shared with my niece that whether or not she decides to attend Hendrix, I was game. Becky turned to me and with smiling eyes said "Aunt Karen you could be my roommate." I looked at her and in all sincerity replied, "I don't know, you just might cramp my style.":)

Hey if she really does go to Hendrix the 'Warriors' will be her team. Is that kismet or what? The Warriors were my mascot in High School. Wherever Becky decides to go to school, I know she will excel and be able to continue her love of tennis. 

Remember how great freshman year of college was? It was an amazing catalyst of gaining independence. 

BUT I must admit I have a concern at 50K annual tuition- Do you think Hendrix offers 'senior citizen'  scholarships?  I am going to have one heck of a commute from Hendrix in Conway, Arkansas home to End of the Rainbow Valley in Wisconsin on the week- ends...

MARDI GRAS , LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER

My Dad's not one to miss a party so he arrived to Rehab just in time to celebrate Mardi Gras's Fat Tuesday with some Cajun music and King's Cake. Seniors deserve their sweets.  

Brother Marc and my 90 year old Dad

The added Mardi Gras treat wasn't beads. It was seeing an old friend. As I walked toward's my Dad's table there seating next to the aisle where I was walking, was my next door neighbor from growing up. I introduced myself and she said " I remember your name but I don't remember your face."  Well, I had the advantage as I had recently seen her birthday pic on FaceBook no less and she hadn't seen me for almost 50 years. Her daughter and I had gone to high school together. We laughed saying we both looked older. It had been a long time.  Bacchus must have been having a good laugh. Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Mrs. R. was kind enough to pull down her mask... her chin's not green

GRAPETTE ANYONE?

Not that I want to extol virtues of being in the hospital to visit my Dad, sometimes location is everything. As I have shared my brother's Rotary Club meets in the hospital cafeteria's meeting room every Wednesday where my Dad is so I decided to have lunch my first Wednesday here with the Rotarians as my brother's guest.  His club's speaker theme this year are locally owned businesses.

David Rice, the speaker this particular week was from the 1939 founded International beverage company that my Arkansas cronies and I grew up with, the well known brand Grapettes. Here in the South some 300 factories are sent the flavor concentrates to create the sweet brilliantly colored beverages. Now Grapettes and Orangettes are sold exclusively in Wal-Mart. 

Our speaker's grandfather started in the water bottling business in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He then founded the Grapette industry in Camden where both grape and orange fruit concentrates were made and later moved to Malvern where customized flavors are produced and shipped worldwide. In Central and South America, the sweeter the better and in Southeast Asia prefers more bitter flavors. The business continued until the 60's until it was then sold to Pepsi. The Concorde grape concentrate could fill some 30 swimming pools full of the Grapette beverage. There are 30 bottles/case. The product is diversifying now even sports drinks and powder drinks even diet brands. 

During the busy season about 20 folks are employed but the core staff are about a dozen. 

We all got a bottle of Grapette to take home. I swear I reverted to being 10 years old while I was enjoying downing it. Nothing beats a flavor from the past..

FOTO FRIDAY: STOWAWAY

FOTO FRIDAY:We may need to have a stowaway to the Baptist Rehab since it hasn't been very swift but there are a lot of channels to go through and the last stumbling block seems to be the insurance's verification. From my Dad's MICU room last week we spotted a faster option. We are planning his "escape" if we spot it again.

Baptist Health Transport

What modes of transport have you been using this week? Send in a pic we'd love to see it.

I skipped last week's FOTO FRIDAY you have to forgive me but I have been hanging out at St.Vincent's. The previous FOTO FRIDAY was WEARING YOUR HEART ON YOUR SLEEVE

BRIGHT SMILE, BRIGHT FUTURE

There really isn't really anything fun about being in the hospital but it just so happens that my brother's Rotary group meets in St. Vincent's Hospital lunch room on Wednesdays so I have been privy to two of their lunch programs. 

Each year the West Little Rock Rotary Club sponsors exchange students to the Little Rock area and this year Oluwaseun Moyosore from Nigeria, a smart and witty 17 year old with a gorgeous smile, was the lucky recipient. She created a powerpoint to share her cultural insight both at home and here during her American experience so far.

Fascinating to learn that Nigerians have very long names. In fact Oluwaseun has 15. Names given to her by her parents, siblings, clergy, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Her given name means "I rejoice under the gift of the Lord." Very beautiful indeed to match her beauty.

Another linguistic factoid  is of the 180 billion Nigerians, 500 ethnic groups exist, each with their own dialect. The main languages are Housa, Igbo and Yoruba, the latter being Oluwaseun's in her hometown of Mushin in the Lagos Province. Nigeria has the largest population of all the African countries,  1/7 Africans being Nigerian and 1/43 people of the world population. WOW. There is a very high incident of twins too. Oluwaseun has two sisters, one of whom is a model. Many folks think she and her model sister look alike which she denies.

Some other interesting facts included her country's presentation were Nigeria's oil production, a bridge 12 kilometers long, one of the wealthiest men in the world, Aliko Dangte worth about $16 billion. But it was probably the diversity of and number of butterflies that impressed me the most. 

Religon wise half of the country are Christian and the other half Muslim. Oluwaseun is attending Little Rock Christian Academy during her U.S stay. She spent her school's internship weeks at an architecture firm since her interests lie in sciences and engineering. She loved  the  'cubby' space allotted to her which she called her 'first office.'

Claiming to enjoy trying different kinds of food. Her favorite cuisine here is fried food, ried rice and fried chicken among her faves.

The Rotary has opportunities for the students to meet each other  so she has travelled to Tulsa and Chicago where she experienced snow for the first time. When asked what American culture surprised her the most, she replied how fast people walk.  Also senior homes surprised her. In her country elders stay with their family and teach the young about morality and life through stories.

What does the future hold for this young lady after her exchange year is completed in 6 months?  Prepping for University and application completion not only at home but here in the States too. Let us all send special wishes for a lovely young lady with her whole life ahead of her. Smile and the world smiles with you.

Bright smile, bright future

WITHDRAWAL

OKAY,  I'll admit it hasn't been easy not writing daily entries but I am staying at my Arkansas childhood home where we no longer have wireless access. And if you thought I was dedicated enough to write on my phone, I didn't miss it that much... 

Another admission is about lust, not Jimmy Carter's lust but foodie lust in my heart after seeing a FaceBook posting re: a Oaxacan dinner being offered at Trio's restaurant in Little Rock a couple months back. I had drooled over their menu.

You see last night I lucked out as an open seat become available at another sold out Oaxacan dinner demo at Eggshells in my old Heights stomping grounds in Little Rock. 

Maguey's in the green bottle 

Capi, owner of the popular eatery Trio's and high school buddy had recently spent 10 glorious days in Mexico with her brother Tony studying Oaxacan cuisine in the local market places and kitchens.  Capi shared some background info regarding this southern Mexican region and its cuisine. Meanwhile we sipped on Maguey, mescal of the agave family from the same plant as tequila. 
Sal de gusano (worm salt) was added for extra flavor. 

guacamole with chips

We were very fortunate to be treated to a labor of love after two full days of prep work to share Cap's yummy guacamole (secret ingredient- tomatillos) Mexican Rice/ arroz (be sure and fry rice before adding other ingredients), frijoles negros, tamales de pollo con mole and a bread pudding called Capirotada. Delish.

Oaxacan meal

Since Oaxaca is in a tropical zone, banana leaves are plentiful and definitely add a different flavor than the otherwise traditional Mexican tamales wrapped in cornhusks. Cut squares of the banana leaf are used to envelope the masa (Mexican corn flour)  
and cooked meat (we had chicken tamales) and topped off with mole (pronounced moh-lay) sauce. I have extolled the virtues of the complicated chocolate based chile mole sauce before. (My favorite birthday dinner is pollo con mole/chicken in mole sauce)

Steamed tamal- banana leaf wrapped and tied around masa, chicken and mole sauce

unwrapping the tamal

The mole sauce can be made ahead and even frozen as it takes a good five hours to make. (I am not sure how long the concentrated paste can be stored in the fridge.) Three Mexican states, Puebla, Tlaxcala and Oaxaca are known for the origin of mole. Although ingredients may vary all contain: spices such as chiles & garlic, Mexican chocolate, nuts and fruit. The ground blended sauce is traditionally served atop meat. 

The recipe we received for the tamales will make about 150 so I probably will half it which would still be plenty. You can freeze tamales. Just let them thaw in the fridge and steam the hour and a half cooking time for the masa. I am anxious to give it a try one winter day upon my return. Don't worry, I can guarantee you'll hear about it and know how the recipe works for me...