Wimpy Hodgepodge

“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” ~ J. Wellington Wimpy 1932 from the Popeye series.

1. What makes you feel accomplished? Explain.

I’m a list maker and when I can check off everything on the list I feel accomplished. A freshly mowed lawn always gives me the feeling of accomplishment. I’m thankful that I can still accomplish it with a minimum of aches and pains.

2. If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be? Tell us why.

Queen Elizabeth: Being the longest reigning Monarch she must have some interesting tales to tell. Now how to get her to share those tales would be quite a feat.

Billy Graham: He’s always so engaging in his interviews and since we have the same Spirit within us it would be a rich time together. I could thank him in person for how his ministry played a huge roll in the life of our family.

P1040573Jamie Oliver: He’s a great chef and a fun person who is interesting and seems to love life.  The photo above is of Josh, Laura, Dear and me with Jamie Oliver in one of his restaurants in London. We were having breakfast and he walked in. We asked to take a photo with him and he obliged and we had a very nice conversation, too.

3. Do you have a great burger recipe? No

What’s in it?

For me it’s not what’s in it but what’s on it.

The patty should be seasoned well and then load on the onions either raw or caramelized or both (I like my onions on a burger), thick slice of tomato, Kosher pickle, mustard and ketchup.

Where is your favorite spot to order one out?

In-N-Out Burger. I’m still waiting for them to come as far north as Washington State.

Side note: In high school and early college years our church youth group would go to a restaurant in Alhambra, California called Twohey’s. They had the best hamburgers and Ice cream Sundaes. I’d always order the Stink-o-burger. It was loaded with onions and stinking wasn’t something I had anxiety about. 🙂 I just googled Twohey’s and they still have “The Original Stinko Burger on the menu. Just onions and pickles!

4. What’s the biggest anxiety producing thing you do on a regular basis?

I really don’t have a regular anxiety producing thing that I have to do. Irregular anxiety producing things in my life are going to the dentist and driving in horrible conditions like snow, ice, or downpours. One other anxiety producing thing in my life is speaking in front of a crowd. The collage above is of me speaking at a Mennonite Girls Can Cook event. I was shaking and sweating and so happy when my little segment was over.

5. This is the last Hodgepodge of May. Tell us about your summer plans.
Staying as cool as possible. Visiting our kids in Eastern Washington and seeing how our little Addy has grown. We will be having summertime house guests in July.

6. Insert your own random thought~I’ve been in California for a week and am flying home early Wednesday morning so I’ll be late in coming around. Also this Hodgepodge made me ask my sister to take me to get an In-N-Out burger on Tuesday afternoon after I typed up this post. There happens to be one close to her home.

Linking up with Joyce at From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge. She provides the questions and we provide some answers.

The Cherry on Top!

We only had a few hours on Monday morning of our last day in London before we would be picked up by our taxi and swooped to Heathrow Airport. We had noticed this restaurant upon exiting the Notting Hill tube station one night and I knew I wouldn’t be happy with myself if I didn’t make it back there when it was open to enjoy a meal.

London Saturday 275It was so worth the walk there and back again for our breakfast. Quite a delight. I’ve followed and enjoyed Jamie Oliver from his debut on U.S. food channels. When Dear and I were in London in 2003 we ventured out to Fifteen his restaurant in North/East London that trained young unemployed people to work in the restaurant industry. That restaurant started in 2002.

P1040576

P1040559The hostess sat us at a nice table in the back end of the 2nd floor of Recipease. We ordered off the great breakfast menu and as we waited for our food Josh said “So, do you think Jamie will be here soon?” Just as he said that I looked behind Josh and said “well there he is coming up the stairs right now!!!” We remained cool and collected as he passed our table and sat at a table right behind us for a breakfast meeting.

P1040561London-Jamie OliverWhen the waiter brought us our drinks we asked him if he thought it would be okay for us to ask Jamie to take a photo with us. The waiter assured us that it would be cool. He said to let him get further in to his breakfast meeting and then to ask him.

London-Jamie Oliver1The food was delicious and the presentation was top notch. I didn’t expect anything less. After we were done with our food, Jamie got up from his meeting and walked past our table. At this point Josh asked if he would be so kind as to take a photo with us. Jamie said of course and one of the waitresses offered to take the shot and Jamie even gave her suggestions as to the best angle to shoot the photo from. I only had my little camera with me.

P1040573Our waiter photo bombed the picture! We were cracking up when we saw that. We were wondering why he asked us “so, how did that photo turn out?”

Jamie Oliver is a very genuine person and it was fun to meet him and to talk to him. He stood at our table for a long time asking us questions and answering our questions about his restaurants. On the way back to our flat we kept pinching ourselves amazed at the fun “coincidence” of this meeting.

This little out of the blue experience was a wonderful wonderful ending to our England experience! It was the “Cherry on Top” for me.

P1040574Recipease is a food and kitchen shop where you can learn to cook right on the premises. There are take away options as well as a cafe on the upper level.

P1040575P1040560

P1040577

London Sunday 077

So farewell London and Piccadilly Circus where all the “humanity” seems to gather. And farewell to beautiful England with all your history and beautiful countryside and hedgerows and churches and graveyards and cobblestones. I could go on and on but until next time...”Parting is such sweet sorrow”.

So I am now officially done with my posts about our trip to England this past September.

This Friday I’m recuperating from a wonderful Christmas party we had here last night with our small group. We had a build your own soft taco/burrito meal with so many wonderful toppings to add to the Carnitas (pulled pork) that I had cooking in the slow cooker all day long. I’ll share the recipe later in December on Mennonite Girls Can Cook. I’m sorry I didn’t take one photo of the toppings all in a row. Oye!

Besides being done with my England posts, I am done done done with my Christmas decorations. Now I’ll just sit back and enjoy the twinkle here and there. I love all the twinkle (to shine with a flickering gleam of light, as a star or distant light) that this time of year brings for us to enjoy. Are you twinkling?