Last year we had my father’s birthday party (video) at the East Side Resturant, everyone who joined had such a great time we figured we do it again (but without the birthday party).
Their website has been updated and worth checking out.
So now it comes time to schedule it.
Who is coming and when should we go?! Email us or leave a comment (we are thinking Feb 21 or 22).
Yeah Yeah I know Latonya, I was suppose to post about this Thursday night but you know how things just get in the way sometimes right?
So my sister girlfriend Latonya and I slipped out of the office on Thursday to grab lunch at one of our favorite places in New Haven well actually it’s in Westville ~ AKA part of New Haven, CT. Such a quaint place really . . . called Deja Brew. In the spring, summer and fall the owner has bowls of water set out for all the neighborhood dogs. She also gives treats to the dogs. Hmmm . . . I’m thinking I should turn her onto Scottie Buddy Boys treats don’t cha think? Please forgive me with this picture, it’s really unbecoming of the place AKA a bad picture 😦 But hey, I’m still learning right?
Look at how beautifully they’ve decorated the fire place . . . oh this is the perfect place for two girlfriends to gossip while having lunch. I was disappointed that I couldn’t get a larger view of the fireplace . . . I was restricted by my fixed lens (50 mm) and I couldn’t back up any further Uggghhh . . . “Ahhhh da gon it, I need a dang camera bag so I can carry all my lenses.” You get the idea anyways right? 🙂
And how pretty is this picture of my girlfriend? Latonya ya gorgeous diva girl . . . this was my favorite picture of you from all the shots I took. Beautiful smile, love your hair and your glasses! Side note to Latonya: All of the other shots I took looked like you had a tree growing out of your a** LMAO!!!
And lastly a picture of my current favorite drink from Deja Brew . . . Frozen Green Tea Frappe. Oh this is sooo yummy!
If you live nearby I’d definitely recommend this place for a nice lunch date with a girlfriend. Word from the wise though . . . if interested in ordering their soup ask if it’s homemade or not. They have a habit of serving some of their soups from the can ~ Go figure ~ listen you can’t serve canned soup in a cafe like this ~ what is the owner thinking ugghh. They do make some homemade soups, you just need to ask which is homemade.
GO STEELERS!!! SO MICHAEL’S A LONG TIME STEELER FAN BUT DOESN’T HAVE TERRIBLE TOWLS, WHAT’S UP WITH THAT. HE’S A BAD FAN! BAD BAD BOY!!! I’M ORDERING UP SOME SO WE CAN HAVE THEM FOR NEXT YEAR.
Well after one week of med’s for Pele he’s back to good health. However we continued to see drops of blood on the tile floor ~ for the life of us couldn’t figure out which cat it was coming from and more importantly WHY? It’s been stressing me out the last couple days. Wellllll . . . this morning while cleaning up the mess, Darcie (our kitty) was sitting next to me when I noticed she was licking her paw with intensity. Wala, upon investigation her nail was growing into her paw pad. After a quick trip to the vet, he removed the nail, shot her up with an anitbiotic and off we were sent with another weeks worth of liquid antibiotics. She’s a little under the weather and her paw is sore but otherwise is doing well. I think we’ve had our share of pet issues . . . hope it’s quite for awhile now for mind sake and for wallet sake.
I made one of Mike’s favorite meals last night ~ Cincinnati Chili
Cincinnati Chili ~
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (15oz) tomato sauce
2 cups water
8 oz spaghetti, cooked
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped onion
Cincinnati Spice Blend:
2 Tb chili powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1. Cook ground beef and the one cup of onion in large saucepan over medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink, drain.
2. Add spice blend, tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 45 min. (do not cover), stirring occasionally.
3. Serve chili over spaghetti. Top with kideny beans, shredded cheddar cheese, and chipped onions, as desired. Makes 4 cups.
My side notes: We don’t add the kidney beans, cheddar cheese and raw onions atop of our meal. For us it’s never been a necessary part of the meal and is so yummy without it. We do add freshly grated parmesan cheese though.
Hope you enjoy . . . Bon Appetit
Today started off with a trip to the vet’s office for Pele (our black kitty) who hasn’t been feeling well. Doc says he has an infection (down south ~ you know where the food makes it’s final departure) so off we went with an oral liquid med to be given 3 x/day. Now listen I’ve been a space cadet the last couple of days cuz I haven’t been feeling well either which brings me to realizing I should’ve asked Doc if they offer Pele’s meds in pill form but Miss Space Cadet wasn’t thinking. This cat is aweful with liquids . . . for some reason he foams at the mouth and this time was no different. So get this, the med smells like bananas which means it must taste like bananas. . . cats don’t eat bananas so why would vet people think this flavor would be enticing for a cat? If looks could kill Mike and I’d be dead. This is bound to make for a great experience 3 x/day for the next FIVE days UGGGHHH!
Kitty Kat’s doctors office in Stratford . . . Dr Busek.
So Mike and I are both sick with some sort of sinus/head/throat cold. I figured with the temperature almost sub zero and our house full of sickies it’d be the perfect time to make a big pot of soup. Oh and yes it certainly is one of my favorites and I’m hoping you guys will love it as well. If you love sausage, kale and cannellini beans you will love this soup. So easy to make
WHITE BEAN, SAUSAGE AND KALE STEW
RECIPE CREDIT GOES TO RACHEL RAY ~ ALTHOUGH I’VE MADE CHANGES TO MY LIKING
1 TB extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 pound precooked pork sausage, such as kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4″ pieces. I substitute with one roll of regular flavored Jimmy Dean Sausage.
Three 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, dranied and rinsed. I only use 2 cans otherwise two much bean
2 garlic cloves, chopped. I use 4-5 cloves cuz I like garlic.
2 cups chicken broth. I use 3 cups cuz I like broth in my soup & 2 cups doesn’t give you broth to write home about.
1 bay leaf (dried)
1 small bunch kale, leaves stripped from stems and coarsely chopped (about 4 packed cups)
Salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Add the beans and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bay leaf and kale and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Season the stew to taste with salt and pepper and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and the cheese.
Bon Appetit 🙂
Here’s The Cuteness ~ Simply Adorable Cuteness With Brown Eyes Sweet As Chocolate. Speaking of chocolate, I just finished a cup of Starbuck’s Peppermint Hot Chocolate and threw the cup in my studio trash (small trash can that’s easily accessible to short little animals or those 2-legged children). Well I heard rummaging to my right and what do you know this cute furry thing is trying to lick the remnants of hot chocolate. Darn it I can’t even put trash in the trash around here ~ HA!
K . . . now the short funny story ~
We’re having dinner out tonight and there’s music playing but not too awefully loud. It’s at a level were you can hear one another talk ~ well with exception of Mike ~ he’s either got cabbage in his ears or I’ve got a mouth full of cabbage. Still haven’t decided where the cabbage was but the conversation went like this:
Me: You’re new diamond cut jeans were delivered by the UPS man today.
Mike: Yeah, I saw that . . . they’re too long though
Me: Those jeans you wore today are too big, I’m going to sell them on Ebay.
Mike: HUH? “How was the horse you ate today?” LOL
Me: You’re such a dork!
Now how in the world did he get that statement out of what I really said? Get that cabbage out of your ears boy! Thank you for stopping by our corner of the world, until next time Good Night.
Guess we’re all back to our schedules tomorrow huh? With that being said I’m back in the kitchen after being aloof for two weeks now. She (the kitchen) and I are becoming acquainted again . . .
Alright lets get started with my charades here . . . What’s this look like it’s gonna be?
Emmm . . . Guess again. Here’s another picture and I bet I know what you’re thinking!
Nooooooo it’s not warm apple pie! It’s Chicken Pot Pie. This means I win right? HeHeHe
This is so simple to make and is a perfect winter meal and also very tasty! And aaahhh yeah, I do make my own crust. Here’s the recipe taken straight from Better Homes and Gardens. She’s a lovely little cookbook with very good traditional recipes.
CHICKEN POT PIE ~ Preheat Oven 450 degrees 1 10-ounce package frozen peas & carrots (I use whatever I have for veggies)Enjoy and Good Night!
Having our birthday dinner again.
Birthday dinner was at Fratelli’s in Derby this year.
Birthday Guys. Listen the iPhone is good for many things but surely not for taking a good quality picture.
Dave and Gina (Love you my dear friends . . . thank you so much for continuing our annual tradition!)
Me and my guy . . .
Dinner was acceptable, atmosphere was comfortable and the company was the best part of all! Gina & Dave, I LOVE the personalized embroidered hand towels! I’ll have to bank that gift idea to use for someone down the line. I missed the note you wrote on the gift and noticed it when I got home and was unwrapping the ornament. Gracious note and we too value our friendship with you.
Funny we’ve lived in Shelton CT for a very very long time and never knew that Stockbridge’s was here . . . yes just a mile or so from where we live. Boy we don’t pay much attention . . . either that or their advertisement doesn’t stand out enough. Either way, we’re happy to have found them as they make a delectable breakfast. It’s pretty cool, you place your order at the counter and then pick out the most comfortable seat in the house (could be a table or perhaps you’d prefer the sofa?). There’s a large coffee table in front of the sofa . . . reminds me of the show “Friends”. Anywho, so you sit and they make up your order and bring it to your table or to your sofa. EMM EMM it is so fresh and tasty.
They make divine scones and the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted (amen). I’m not usually big on cheesecakes because most of them are kinda like eating a spoon full of peanut butter. You know the consistency I’m talking about, it’s like your tongue sticks to the cheesecake like it’s . . . you know . . . gummy or something. I don no it’s the best way I can describe most of them. Well not Stockbrige’s cheesecakes . . . theirs are the lightest and fluffiest I’ve ever had! And they have all sorts of flavors even peppermint “oh my . . . I LOVE peppermint!”.
If you live nearby or are in the area (I can’t imagine why you’d be here if you don’t live nearby) you should definitely give this place a try. I think you can order online as well! Look who else even loves their cheesecakes. Not the best lighting as it glares off of the glass of the picture frame but it’s the Tuttles from Orange County Choppers.
UPDATE TO POST 12/31/08
Check out this old picture of what the Stockbridges walls used to be in the “olden days”. It was Shelton’s very first movie theater . . . the building with the stepped roof line (to the left) is the one. Look at those cars . . . HA!
I was taken waaaaaay back to 1979 when I was a wee 7 years old living in Marathon, NY. The smell of green tomato relish waffling through the air as I got off of the school bus and walked up our long dirt driveway to get home. “Emmm I can smell it, momma’s been canning Green Tomato Relish” and I’d race off doing something childlike and forgot all about the relish. But the smell, the unique look of it and merrily reminiscing the experience has stayed with me all these years. Odd the things that take you back to yester years.
This is one of my strong childhood memories and I haven’t smelled nor have I had the opportunity to ingest it since I was a child. That is until Thanksgiving this year my momma visited and oooohhhh she canned and brought a jar full of my childhood. Well I opened it today and took a long deep breath and it smelled exactly as I remember. Thanks mom! And thanks dad for enticing mom into making it. You see my mom had all these green tomatoes hanging out on the vine and my dad said to her that he sure could go for some homemade green tomato relish if she didn’t already have plans for them there tomatoes. Right on dad . . . so thanks to you too!
Green Tomato Relish is surprisingly tasty on eggs of which I had this morning. Thank you for reminiscing with me.
Attention all friends and family . . . In the spirit of Christmas Talmadge House presents a giveaway of an advent calander handmade by me. You can tuck the calendar into one of your Christmas displays or lean up against something on your desk. I borrowed the idea from Jenni Bowlin who designs and sells all things pretty. Isn’t that picture of the children and santa vintagy? It’s circa 1940’s of my Uncle David, Uncle Gary and Aunt Ruth. My Aunt Alicia and my mom call Mr Santa “The Sexy Santa”. I think they’re right . . . our santa’s today don’t look like this one. Although if you look at his eyes and the grip he has on my aunt he looks a bit scared. I’m thinking my uncles bribed him for whatever it was they wanted for Christmas and told him they’d give him up if he didn’t make it happen (little devils).
So there’s only one so only person can win and here’s what you need to do to qualify. You must subscribe to our blog (Talmadge House) which is very easy and I’ll describe in a minute. The second thing you must do is leave a comment telling us one of your families Christmas Traditions. Don’t have a tradition then tell us your favorite Christmas movie. Comment section is at the end of this post. If you’ve already subscribed then all you have to do is leave a comment as noted above.
Alrighty then . . . so onto those needing help subscribing to our blog. Look to the top right of this post and you’ll see a red square with a gold door knob (this is actually our front door of which you’ll see on all of our pages . . . you can click on it and it will take you back to the home page otherwise known as the front door, clever huh?) OK so right below our red door is a field where you enter your email address and then select the “subscribe” button. You will receive an email (from confirmations @ emailenfuego .com) asking if you really want to subscribe to Talmadge House’s Blog. You will need to click on the link listed in this message to activate your subscription. By subscribing you will automatically receive an email from us when we post a new blog entry. Isn’t that awesome! You only have to visit us when we send you an “invitation” via your email. Of course you can visit any other time as you’re always welcome.
OK you guys listen up . . . we will know who does and does not subscribe and you can only qualify for this advent calander by subscribing and leaving a comment as noted above. By the way, our blog is for fun and so that you can keep up with our daily lives (that’s if you want to see us and read about us) and we do not give away your email address. We will draw a random name on Wednesday 12/17/08 9PM eastern time and will post the winners name the same night. We will mail the advent calendar to you . . . of course we’ll pay for the shipping . . . it IS a giveaway right? It would warm our hearts and we’ll even do the sugar plum fairy dance if we have all of you sign up.
And a picture of the baby who we took for a walk at the marina this weekend. Had to check on the boat to make sure all was well. Look how little Scottie is compared to the boat . . . or maybe our boat is a big girl? Scottie was right at home though, he LOVES the marina! His spirit was lighter after this visit, it has been awhile. He’s so used to going there pretty much every day from April – October.
Oh wow . . . this is a lengthy post hope you don’t mind. I promised my girlfriend Latonya that I’d post pictures of my vintage finds from last week so here they are.
My most favorite is this vintage fan that has the original cord and yes it really works. FABULOUS find!
And an apothecary jar for my peroxide (2nd jar from the left). Love these containers, they dress up your bathroom.
And these door knobs made into knobs that can be added to a shelf to hang all things pretty from. These are from Belgium. I asked Santa (Mike) to make me a custom shelf for my studio of which we’ll add these knobs to. Yippee!
Talmadge House 