Foodgasms and Landmines

Foodgasm
My mouth is enjoying a foodgasm right now. Flavors are partying in my mouth. Tonight I made hibachi style steak & mushrooms, sesame onions and zucchini, sweet jasmine rice, and golden shrimp sauce. Alexis, Brett, and I agreed that the only thing that would have made the dinner better would have been to add some pot-stickers.

If you have never tried sweet jasmine rice, do yourself a favor and pick up a box or bag at your grocery store. It has a slightly sweet taste that offsets spicy heat in the main dish. It can be substituted for plain rice in any dish but is perfectly matched with Thai or Japanese dishes.

One of the things that I love about food is the memories behind certain recipes. Almost everything I cook, I have learned to cook since Alexis and I got married over 11 years ago. So when I make chicken marsala or my perfect ribs, those foodgasm's are mini-celebrations of my relationship with the most wonderful woman on Earth.

Tears from heaven
Gods be praised! Spring is her which means one thing....the first shipment of Vidalia Onions are here! Sweet onion varieties like vidalia's, walla walla's, or jumbo texas are a different creature from the year round varieties like white, yellow or spanish onions. They are juicy, sweet, and don't have that bitter bite.
Rent This Space
If you look to the About Me section on the right, you will see I have someone renting my space for the bargain basement price of 25 BlogExplosion credits. Yes, Ms. Brandi is my first pimp, errr I mean blog renter.

Landmines
Speaking of Princess Brandi, she and I where having an innocuous instant message session. You know, Trevor said this, Angel did that, or Alexis and I went to Pelancho's for lunch.

Then I stepped on a mental landmine. An innocent comment triggered a deeper discussion. Before we knew it, we were discussing some painful memories in both of our pasts.

What is a mental landmine? A repressed memory or denied feeling that was perfectly hidden below the surface explodes when stepped on by a comment by a friend, family member, or co-worker. You instantly go from talking about the weather to discussing unresolved feelings about the death of a loved one or a traumatic event from your life.

If you find yourself asking, "How in the HELL did we end up talking about THAT?", you probably just stepped on a mental landmine.

OOooohh I just had another thought. You know how Princess Di was an activist against the use of landmines because they claim innocent victims years after a war has ended? Mental landmines are like that too. They are relics of a war long over, battles that we thought were only memories yet they still claim victims, victims that were not even around when that war was fought.

Ok, I'm done with the analogies......

Rainbows and my pot o gold

This afternoon Trevor excitedly yelled out that there was a rainbow after a thunderstorm rolled in. I stepped out into brilliant sunshine from the west. The colors of everthing were vivid. Black wet roads. Deep green leaves. The air smelled fresh. Critters were coming back out to survey what nature had wrought. In the Eastern sky, a technicolor double rainbow sharply contrasted a dark sky.
I was so excited and snapped photo after photo as I heard Kermit the Frog singing in my head...."Why are there so many, songs about rainbows"

Speaking of rainbows, I have pots of gold. One is my incredible wife, Alexis. I love that woman. She makes my life better ever day, just by being in it. Three others are my kids, who are each so special to me. I have a great job, excellent health, and spectacular friends. There are treasures all around.

I have been in a funk for several days. I have been blah. But that rainbow reminded me of a few things tonight. I think part of it was hearing the unabashed joy and excitement in a 6 year old's voice about seeing a rainbow. It's nature's magic. There is magic all around you, you just have to open your eyes and ears.

Life is good. Yeah the war is going on, gas is expensive, and shit happens. But at the same time, there are pearls and diamonds to be found in each day. You just have to look for them.

Rainbow Connection

Written by Paul Williams and used by Kermit the Frog, of The Muppets, Jim Henson

Why are there so many songs about rainbows

And what's on the other side?

Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,

And rainbows have nothing to hide.

So we've been told and some choose to believe it

I know they're wrong, wait and see.

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,

The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered

when wished on the morning star?

Somebody thought of thatand someone believed it

,and look what it's done so far.

What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing?

And what do we think we might see?

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,

the lovers, the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell,

we know that it's probably magic....

Have you been half asleepand have you heard voices?

I've heard them calling my name.

Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?

The voice might be one and the same.

I've heard it too many times to ignore it.

It's something that I'm supposed to be.

Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,

the lovers, the dreamers and me.

La, la la, La, la la la, La Laa, la la, La, La la laaaaaaa