The Sandwich Life

Happy Tenth to the Sandwich Life

Today is the 10th anniversary of this blog. I kid you not. Ten years of my life, spilled onto the computer, right here at your fingertips. Ten years ago I was working somewhere else, albeit unhappily. My parents were alive and living in Urbana. Judi was happy and healthy and a faculty member at Clemson. Ernie was doing well and we thought perhaps his cancer was gone for good. It's been a long ten years, but at the end of it, we stand here, the four of us, and we count ourselves pretty damn lucky.

This was what the boys were doing when I started this blog:

 

This is what Ernie and I looked like:

This is what Judi and the boys looked like:

This is what my parents looked like:

And now....it's me and my three guys:

Wow.

Sweet Peas and Headstones: Memorial Day 2016

Yesterday Owen asked if we were going to go out to the cemetery on Memorial Day. It hadn't really been on my mind to do that but I liked that he asked so agreed. We checked the time of the Memorial Day ceremony and it was 11:oo. Given that they are teenagers now we had to do some prodding to get them up and dressed in time but we managed to take off as planned. We got there just before it started. It is a gorgeous sunny day with picture perfect puffy white clouds.

We stood and watched, the Knights of Columbus in their feathered hats and satin lined capes, the junior high band that bleated out the national anthem. Ernie pointed out that the crowd seems to be smaller every year we go. The crowds smaller, the veterans older. The whole thing moves me to tears evert time. The boys stood attentively and clapped politely and I was proud of them. Afterward we walked over and put some flowers on the gravestones of Ernie's parents and my folks.

We'd just been talking last night about finally going to Colorado to spread Judi's ashes. Owen had asked why we didn't have a headstone for Judi and I told him just because it was her wish. So today I asked the boys if they would want a headstone for us when we die. My sweet Leo spoke up quickly and said, "Oh course we would." How I love those boys. Owen asked if we wanted one and I told him I didn't really care, it was for those that would be left, so if they wanted one, we would have one. 

They were sweet and patient today. I think they were glad we went. My sweet peas.

House Concert Recipes: Curried Oven Fried Chicken and Red Lentils with Curry Leaves

Last night's WONDERFUL house concert by Adam and Chris Carroll was preceded by a great potluck. You guys brought it...on a Friday night no less! Thanks to all. I had made curried oven fried chicken with red lentils and brown rice, and a bowl of asparagus and sugar snap peas. A couple of folk had asked for the recipes so here we go.

Curried Oven Fried Chicken

Several caveats here...it's not much of a recipe, you kind of go by feel. Owen has always been HIGHLY opposed to my sharing of this recipe but I've assured him it's o.k. Recipes are meant to be shared. Also...it's oven fried, but it's really no healthier than good old deep fried. I tried cutting back on the oil and butter but it doesn't work, the chicken seems no healthier and it doesn't work as well....so what the hell....go with it.

Preheat oven to 425.

One chicken cut up, or all thighs, etc. 

Flour

Seasoning

For a whole chicken cut up, or comparable,  you'll want at least a cup or two of flour in a large bowl. You have to use a lot and dump out the leftover...again, I've tried using less but it's not worth it and flour isn't that expensive. To that I add about tablespoon or so of kosher salt, about a good 4 tablespoons spices. I often go with Penzey's curry powder, augmented with another teaspoon or so of turmeric and cayenne. Really, it's whatever you have on hand. It's also very good made with smoked paprika or Italian seasonings, etc. The curry is our favorite though. You want to season the flour pretty strongly. Wet your finger, dip it in the season flour and taste it. You should get the flavor  you want pretty strongly.

Dip all your chicken in the flour, pressing until it's completely coated. Set aside for a few minutes. If  you let it sit about 20 minutes and then flour it again you will get  a slightly crispier crust. 

Heat a roasting pan, or baking sheet with a lip, with about 1/4 cup oil (olive or vegetable) and about the same in butter. I know. It's a lot. Put the pan in the oven with just oil and butter until butter is completely melted and sizzling. Take the pan out and then place the chicken skin side down...not too crowded but they will shrink in size so a little close is o.k. Roast at 425 for 30 minutes. Turn, and roast another 30 minutes. Done!

Boneless skinless chicken thighs work well here and will need less time....maybe 20 minutes a side. I don't recommend boneless skinless breasts...they get too dried out by the time they are browned enough.

You can also use corn starch or potato flour in place of half the flour and you will get a finer, crispier crust. I've tried it with breadcrumbs, cornmeal, etc....and never been that crazy about it....always go back to our standard.

I baked these the night before for ease and reheated them a bit yesterday. They're good cold but hot from the oven they probably are best. I don't make it super often but it is Ernie and Owen's favorite comfort food. In cold weather we serve it with mashed potatoes and the two guys are pretty much putty in my hands....

Red Lentils with Curry Leaves
adapted from A Cook's Guide to Chicago

4 cup masoor dal (red lentils)
2 teaspoon turmeric
4 teasoon ground cumin
4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon garam masala
4 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
4 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 dried red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped curry leaves

Place in a dutch oven and cover with water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a low simmer. After about 5 minutes add turmeric, cumin, ginger and garam masala. Cook until lentils are tender, about another 10 minutes. 

Heat the ghee in a small frying pan. Add the mustard seed and cook until they pop (cover the pan briefly so they don't pop right out). Break the dried pepper into pieces and add it, t and the curry leaves to the pan. Cook for about two minutes, then pour the entire contents into the saucepan of lentils. Stir and adjust seasonings to taste. Again, I made this day ahead and just reheated, and tasted the next day. I added a bit more salt. I served it with a mixture of brown basmati  rice and regular brown rice on the side.

World Harvest carries curry leaves in little plastic tubs in their freezer section. This is what I made for the party. If you quarter the recipe it's closer to the original and what you would want to make for a smaller group. Oh, and you could certainly use oil instead of the ghee....

Adam and Chris Carroll and The Missing Adjective

Damn. I sat there last night just basking in the music of Adam and Chris Carroll and I was already trying to find the right adjective for how I felt. Blessed? It's a good word but not being terribly religious I always feel a bit hypocritical using it. Fortunate? Eh, too generic. Lucky? Well yes, but not quite right. Unworthy? Sounds too Wayne's World. I don't know. I'm afraid I just don't have the world. I know it's out there but I couldn't pin it down. I felt it though. I felt it so damn hard.

Surreal almost captures it. The fact that these world class musicians could haul themselves from Texas (by way of Canada for Chris) to our living room and play for us, and charm us, and SHARE with us the way they did. Damn...it's insane. O.k....I have to say I am blessed. Just incredibly blessed. It was a truly special night. As Adam started playing the skies opened up and it poured, so his pure songs, pared down to the essence and yet full of detail, were set to the backdrop of bending trees and rain so heavy it looked like a solid wall of water.

Perfection.

Maybe that's the word I was looking for. Chris' piercing songs and beautiful voice perfected it all. Adam's songs reek of John Prine to me, not that he is trying to sound like John Prine, just that his songs evidence his eye for the humor and heartbreak of life just as Prine's songs do. Combine that with friends, new friends (THANK you Shane and Carroll and the folks from Minooka whose names I can't recall right this minute (Jim and ?), great food, drink....Friday night relaxation....tiredness mixed with relief that a weekend lies ahead....somehow that all got tumbled together into perfection.

The NEXT time Adam and Chris come to our house....I will be coming AFTER YOU to get your asses to our house. They are very special.

Thank you a million times over to all our friends both new and old, Adam Dawson for making this happen, the highway that led them here, and most of all, to Adam and Chris.

Adam with the rain coming down behind him....

photo by Sue Davis

photo by Sue Davis

And a classic Ernie shot. Truly, he was exhilarated inside...this is just how he shows it!
photo by Richard Hill

 

Curried Oven Fried Chicken, Red Lentils, Adam Carroll and Summer

Oh MAN....I am SO looking forward to tomorrow night's show with Adam and Chris Carroll. The Hayes Carll video below, talking about Adam really amused me..... There's lots more out there too as folks get ready to do a tribute record to him.

Ernie and I are sitting here fixing some curried oven fried chicken....it smells freaking great. And I'm doing some kind of red lentil combination of recipes....we shall see. Please join us tomorrow evening. We'll have a potluck at 6....bring something to share if you want but no worries if you don't. BYOB but we'll have some iced tea and diet coke. We have had SUCH a busy spring....and now with both boys out of school I am looking forward to this kick off for summer more than I can tell you. Great songs...good folks....food...summery weather....and it's Friday with a three day weekend. 

JOIN US! Please share...this goes out to all friends of friends of friends....join us, support live music, and have a hell of a good time. Write if you have questions!

 

On to High School: The Sweet Pea Graduates 8th Grade

Two boys in high school. You could knock me over with a feather. Huh.

Owen graduated from 8th grade this morning. Leo has finals this week so he couldn't take off school to come so Owen offered our third ticket to his beloved Sue and she graciously came along. The speakers ranged from a couple of high school students to Dee Brown. I was rather charmed by Dee Brown...he seemed relatable and genuine and not too motivational-speaker sounding. A chorus sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow and with that the students started walking across the stage. My sweet pea looked handsome, jeans or no jeans. My pictures are not great but bear with me.

My beautiful boy.

For graduation we gave him a graphic novel about immigrating to new worlds that our dear friend Ceal had shown us. It seemed appropriate as the drawings are really beautiful and he is just beginning to enter so many new worlds. Inside we tucked tickets for the Cheap Trick show next month. He and Ernie are off upgrading his phone right now, which had pretty much completely died, as the rest of his graduation gift. Sue gave him a wonderful Hooey Batiks tshirt which he loved. We had a really delicious lunch at the Champaign Black Dog. The last time or two we ate there we thought it was good but today it was really, really great. Pulled rib sandwich recommended. Thanks to Paul for being a delightful server.

A good day.

My sweet, sweet pea.

Jeans and Dates and Texas and Three Day Weekends

Even Leo stood up for me in the 8th grade graduation clothing debate. He told Owen that he needed to wear dress pants and a nice shirt like he did. Owen continued to campaign to wear jeans. I said 'NO, you are Polly Voelkl's grandson, you are NOT wearing jeans to graduation." His beloved Sue agreed with me so I figured I was good. Then, later, as Owen and I were standing in the kitchen, Ernie walked inside from putting some chicken on the grill and said, "You know babe, I don't think it's that bad if he wears jeans." I just stared at him open mouthed. Stared and stared and stared. Still open mouthed. Owen hooted and put his fist in the air. When did I lose control of this family? Oh right, I never had it. I just glared at Ernie and reminded him that he was Polly Voelkl's son in law for many, MANY years and she would be shocked. Although in all reality she would no doubt stand up for Ernie and Owen. That's how it worked because she adored them so. Ernie and the boys could do no wrong in her eyes. We were just reminiscing the other day about the way she would utterly deny having gotten her cold from the boys. Granted they were germy runny nosed toddlers in preschool and she hardly left the house, but she would look at us, and say, "Oh NO, I didn't get this from THEM." God I miss her.

This morning Owen wanted to go to Third Sunday Market in Bloomington. I declined as I've been super busy and wanted to get some stuff done today early as I have a work thing later on this afternoon. I sent them off with strict instructions to not come home without a new dress shirt for Owen. A little while I got a phone call from Owen asking me if they had moved Third Sunday. I muttered and reached for the laptop only to hear Ernie shout from the background, "It was LAST week!" There was great ummmm....hilarity.....and Owen shouted, "MOM...first the wrong Second City tickets and now this?" I tried to defend myself, saying it wasn't my fault. Upon reflection though, I realized that I had somehow thought it was this weekend because we had tea ceremonies at work yesterday and we do those on the third Saturday of the month. Ok....do you see the small error in my way of thinking? Saturday and Sunday happen to be different days Cynthia. Sure it was the third Saturday of the month this weekend, but it was the fourth Sunday. Whoops. I did counter by saying at least they have plenty of time to get him a shirt. That was not met with great enthusiasm.

They are off to God know where now. They did promise to buy a shirt as well. I need to putter around on the computer....send out some invites for this Friday's house concert. I am behind....too much of everything going on. It will be a great way to kick off the Memorial Day weekend though. Come enjoy some great music from Texas based Adam and Chris Carroll on Friday night knowing you (hopefully) have a three day weekend! Click on over to Facebook and tell me if you're coming so I don't get all stressed out! Summer is coming...let's celebrate!

 

 

Side notes: It's awfully nice to have a whole family start your Saturday off well. One to help Owen with audio repairs, one to bring tomato plans and basil, and one to show off her new boots!

 

Words of Advice

Sometimes I realize how fortunate I am to have the wisdom of the ages all here in my very own house. The other morning I was in the upstairs hallway hemming and hawing about going downstairs because somebody was over and I wasn't really dressed. Owen looked at me and told me I looked fine. "But I'm not wearing a bra," I told him. He said, "Mom, you really can't tell." And then he suggested helpfully, "Just walk gingerly."

Friday Night Bat

Last night I got home after meeting friends at Fries and Peanuts and then hitting an apartment warming party for a bit. As I was standing in the living room Owen calmly said, "Mom, go to the media room. There's a bat in the house." I stood there trying to process what he said, so he repeated, "MOM, GO TO THE MEDIA ROOM NOW! THERE'S A BAT IN THE HOUSE!" As understanding hit my brain a bat swooped over my head. I, of course, started screaming and screaming and raced into the media room clutching my late night gyros. Owen closed me in and I was hungry enough that I started nibbling my gyros before helpfully yelling, "OPEN THE FRONT DOOR. BUT BRING THE CATS IN FIRST! TURN THE LIGHTS OFF" They opened the door to where I was, and one by one, deposited the cats inside. I don't know if I was making sense but it was all quite exciting. I'm not quite sure how they did it but they shepherded the bat out to the front porch. He huddled there for quite a while. Every so often Owen would go and check on him. In a little bit he had flown off so we're assuming he was o.k. For God's sake, it could have been Batty himself. And I must say....Batty is much bigger close up than all those bat watching sessions in the front yard would have led me to think.

A few pictures from the day....

Random Notes and Texts from the Boys

1. This has been, suffice to say, a lousy week. Home, work...just not a great week. HOWEVER...in the scheme of things it certainly won't go down as one of my worst so I am trying to keep it in perspective. AND, yesterday we went to the Cancer Center and found that Ernie's PSA was still 0.02, or as we used to say, before they starting registering below 0.1, undetectable! So yes, perspective, perspective, perspective.

2. I texted the boys while we were waiting for his injection in the 'Infusion Suite.' Their responses amused the hell out of me. My two boys, in a nutshell.

Owen, immediate burst and a smart ass. Leo, sweet and serious. My sweet peas, my sweet, sweet, sweet peas.

3. The other day I was sitting in the living room, not in the best of moods, and Owen said, "I'm  sorry your day wasn't good Mom." I sighed and said, "That's o.k. baby. "Into each life some rain must fall. Some days must be dark and dreary." He raised his eyebrows at me and I said, "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow....I was a bit of a Longfellow geek when I was younger." He shook his head and said, "See? That's the difference between you and Dad. You quote poetry and he says, "Did you say shrubberies?  Yes, shrubberies are my trade. I am a shrubber. My name is Roger the Shrubber. I arrange, design, and sell shrubberies." He and Ernie chortled and I said, "That's why we work so well together baby, that's why we work so well together...."

4. I asked Owen to text me something and he did, along with a quote from Ernie. It made me laugh and Ernie ask in a puzzled voice, "Do I say that a lot?" Oh yes baby. Oh yes. Owen's totally got the whole family figured out.

5. Can't wait to have Adam and Chris Carroll next week. I think you all need a little Texas in your life.....join us! And listen....