--1--
Right now it's raining slightly, and we're waiting for Hurricane Irene. She's just hit Eastern North Carolina and is heading North. I don't *think* it's going to be all that bad here; when Isabel hit us eight years ago, we lost power for a week. I'm counting on that not happening this time. Joe's parents live east of us and they'll likely get hit harder than we will; they've decided to hunker down in their house rather than coming to ours. Please keep them in your prayers, as we're keeping everyone in Irene's path in ours.
I'm glad we took our Ocean City vacation last weekend instead of this one.
--2--
I expect the Sparkses are getting pounded as I'm writing this. Judging from
this photo Nicholas posted recently, they're right on the water. He had some things to say about Irene on his
Twitter page yesterday:
#Irene is directly south and moving due north. Weather forecast predicts "wind and rain" tomorrow. Ya think?
With such high winds expected, "Irene" should really be called "I-lean" ...
If it rains cats and dogs this weekend, I'm going to be really upset at the pet owners who didn't keep their animals inside ...
#Irene expected to make landfall in North Carolina. Heavy wind and rain expected. Bad-hair day virtually guaranteed ... #Irene is directly south of my house and moving due north. The weekend forecast for weather says to expect "wind and rain." No kidding.
As much as #Irene is making people worry, the sky isn't falling. It's called "wind-driven rain."And this:
Weather joke: There was a communist named Rudolph. One day he looked out the window and said, “It looks like a storm is coming.” “No it isn t,” said his wife. “Besides, how would you know?” “Because,” he responded, “Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear.”
Yeah, I've heard that one, Nick. Very cheesy. Stay safe.
--3--
If Joe's parents came and stayed with us, we'd have to leave their car outside in the elements. There's no room in our garage anymore after we moved all the deck furniture in.
I'm not sure yet if we'll move it back (except for my herbs, of course). Our days of enjoying meals outside may be over until spring.
--4--
Did you know there is a Gluten Free kiosk in Nationals Park in Washington, DC? I was quite excited to discover this when we attended a game this summer. The place was quite popular, too.
I had the loaded nachos and a Redbridge beer. (I enjoyed them very much, but I must say I tried not to look at the loaded nachos other people had gotten from other places; they looked yummier than these.)
--5--
Here's a re-broadcast of a Quick Take I posted on
"Musings of a Catholic Mom" soon after we spent a weekend in Shenandoah National Park:
After the 5 pm Saturday Mass at Our Lady of the Valley, we decided to check out the town of Luray and find something to eat. When we saw a sign that read, "The Best Burger in Virginia" outside the Artisan Grill on East Main Street, we just had to try it. Larry, Curly, and Joe all got burgers (Larry had the barbecue burger and Joe and Curly had the bacon cheddar; they all loved them), and Moe and I, because of our food restrictions, each ordered a bowl of the buffalo chili. Other than the beans being slightly undercooked, it was delicious. I also decided to try the Caprese salad--sliced tomatoes sprinkled with goat cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette. The tomatoes were obviously of the local, fresh variety--big, thick, slices with that unmistakable fresh tomato flavor. I wished there had been a little more cheese on them, but even though I was already full from the chili, I ate almost every bite.
We also checked out their daily dessert selections, and Larry and Joe decided to try the panna cotta. We had never heard of that--it's an Italian dessert made with cream, milk, sugar, and gelatin. It kind of reminded me of a cross between Jell-o and creme brulee. Larry got raspberry and Joe got amaretto. Of course I had to mooch a bite from each--both were amazing; although I liked the raspberry better. They also had small-dairy ice cream on the menu; Curly ordered chocolate and I ordered vanilla. This was definitely NOT factory-made ice cream, and the chocolate was even better than what we had made the previous weekend.
If you're ever in Luray, be sure to check out the Artisan Grill!
And there you have my first ever restaurant review.
--6--
I wonder what this tastes like?
If I weren't on a gluten-free diet I would want to try it just for fun. (I probably wouldn't like it anyway.)
--7--
Today I'm making peppermint ice cream and a gluten-free berry crisp. Tomorrow I'm planning to whip up my mother-in-law's spaghetti sauce, whether we have power or not. (Thank goodness for a gas stove!) Which reminds me, I need to thaw the meat in the microwave today, just in case. I can't wait to share those with you here.
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