Brunching and Bitching...

Well, with apologies (for timeliness) to a one time program director who cared about such things, last Monday one could say:

MM x DD = YY

Anyway, when I was a bit more mobile one of the things The Feeder most enjoyed was going to local meals, mostly in churches or social halls.  Usually cooked by their volunteers which I lovingly refer to as “church ladies”.  I am not alone in appreciate of these local cooks, as there are a myriad of those comb bound cookbooks, with titles like: “The Saint So-and-So Cookbook”, usually filled with homey recipes for meat loaf, three layer dips, dream whip salad, and so on.   I usually pick a few up at the annual Friends of the Library Book Sale, never look at them and “donate them back the next year”.

Speaking of said organization, they hold an annual “Brunch” along with a speaker from the libraries, or about books, etc.  MFO was deeply involved in the early book sale, taking it (excuse trite expression) “to the next level”, and has continued to grow to one of the most popular sales in the region (good quality books, cheap prices).  So we have been attending the brunch for years, (usually a check is presented to the St. Mary’s County schools from the proceeds of the sale).  And FINALLY we get around to saying we did again this year.

After many years in St. George’s Episcopal in Valley Lee, this year it was held in St. Andrew’s church on Chancellor’s Run Road.  

Besides hosting it every year for a long time, the menu is largely unchanged, and always reliable.  Robert Abell sort of leads the kitchen team (okay, he’s an honorary Church Lady)

He always comes out to describe the food (which, as I say, hardly ever varies from year to year)

His “famous” Keugel; the equally famous “French Toast”, Stewed Apples; Ham; Fruits, Sausage Balls, Home fries, and Country Gravy, for the home-made biscuits.

various Quiches (attention real men);

Tables were nicely set (more Church Lady work) with juice and coffee cups

MFO did the buffet line and got me a plate

(clockwise from 12 o’clock): Scrapple! (for which I have acquired a taste – others: eeeewwww); cheese quiche; home fries; Sausage balls; Stewed apples; and the cloyingly sweet (to me) French Toast.

All was quite good, after all those years of “practice”.  The talk this time was by Mr. Peter LaPorte (Executive Director of the St. Mary’s County Historical Society),

who gave very illuminating speech on “Why History Matters”, which contained a quote by Alexis de Tocqueville – a first for the FOL. 

Anyway it was a good morning under the watchful eye of

AMEN

Changing Horses, mid Blog

Well, I was going to include a tour of the Feeder’s first trip to

Which will have to wait till next time.   Instead some not quite rants, maybe more of frustrations, yeah, that's the ticket:

A Starbuck’s Frustration:  After our (yet to be discussed) visit to Harris Teeter’s, I thought a nice Latte would be just the ticket.  Since we were just across the parking lot from the facility, we drove over to the cross road in front (back) of it, and seeing only one car at their “ordering board” I used the app to get my order ready. (Grande, half caff, whole milk Latte).   (fortunately) just before I hit the  “place my order” button, we had to wait for four or five cars in the cross road.  Guess what?  EVERY ONE of the bas***ds turned into the drive through lane and we would have not had enough room to get in line, so experience said it would take forever to get our order, so we bailed.   Sheeeesh.  Instead stopped at the adjunct to Blue Wind Gourmet, the Beanery Café and got said Latte there. 

A cooking Frustration: Lately I have fallen into the habit of fixing “Cheesy Scrambled Eggs” for my protein rich breakfast.  (Chased by a prescribed protein rich Ensure – have you ever had that crap?  Gaaack; but it’s “good for you”).   Anyway since my source of farm fresh eggs (home health nurse) moved from the area (darn Navy), I use Giant Large Brown Eggs as a convenience.  Yes, I know there are farmer’s markets around.  Anyway (does this happen to you?) upon breaking them into a mixing bowl and despite whisking the daylights out of them, invariably there are little pools of egg whites clinging together.  well, those damn things remain through the cooking process and upon plating the eggs there are little globules of said egg whites.

A Sad Avian Frustration: As alert readers of these ramblings know our “back” yard is somewhat regularly visited by a second year Red Tailed Hawk.  Just a nice guy (or gal) to look at.  Well, yesterday morning as MFO was heading off to “work” at Tudor Hall, she phoned to say there was a hawk that was fatally struck by a car out on 235, near the Credit Union.  Now, of course I know nothing about the incident, the bird could have been focused on lunch, and just flew under a car.  I earnestly hope it was not a (distracted?) driver not paying attention.  It is NOT a small bird.  Please be alert to wildlife in roads (our over-populated deer count, as they can cause you a bunch of money to repair your vehicle)

Anyway enough rambling and yakking.  Remember tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and act appropriately!

And besides acting appropriately you must

DFD appropriately

“laughter is brightest where food is best”

Irish Proverb