October 16, 2020

This Friday we went to Costa Verde and Costco.

The bread is so light and fluffy. If you squeezed it, it felt like a sponge. I really liked the bread and I’m not a bread person.

Paella Valenciana Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops, Clams, Mussels, Spanish Sausage, Chicken & Pork in Saffron Rice$17.95

Colleen and I had the Paella. We got the lunch portion. There was so much food, I would hate to see the dinner portion. It said lunch, I imagined a soup bowl size. It was a medium size dutch oven. It was very tasty with so many flavors. If you order this though be careful of the shells and bones. I found the beef a little tough, but the shrimp was excellent!

The virus is spreading again. I felt a bit uncomfortable dining indoors. I think outside is much safer, because the virus wasn’t spreading when people were dining indoors, like it is now. There were people at the bar talking and drinking without masks. They were in another room, but still, I worry. The way this virus spreads, it is only a matter of time before someone you know or you yourself have it. Back to gaming for us, I have to tell myself it’s only a matter of time before things go back to normal. What is one or two years taking extra precautions, compared to all eternity in the ground?

September 18, 2020

This Friday we went to Fiddleheads in Jamesburg. Fiddleheads is surprisingly good. You wouldn’t expect to find such quality in a small town as Jamesburg. The chef often likes to experiment with food and you often find combinations that you wouldn’t have thought of. Some are okay, but some are really good and leave you wanting more. We took our food to the park and enjoyed an outdoor lunch. Then we went to Better Living to look at refrigerators/ranges.

We both had the soup. It had a tomato base and was very tasty. It had just a hint of heat. It’s funny how bisque can be so different.

We both had the crab sandwich. The only difference is that Colleen had the creamy shallot dressing for her salad and I had the raspberry vinaigrette. This was really good! The crab had pieces of apple in it, for a nice sweet crunchy taste. The dressings are homemade and are very good. We both enjoyed the Santa Fe slaw. Colleen ate hers all up and she doesn’t like Coleslaw.

After we went to better living to look at appliances. Colleen needs a refrigerator and I need a range. It’s so hard to pick which is the best option. You can’t always trust reviews on the internet. I try to look at the worse ones. If they complain it had a scratch on it, then I think the product must be good if that’s the worse they can say. I also put items into three categories, the high end, which have all the bells and whistles. I think of them as rich people who want the latest and greatest to impress their family and friends. I don’t think of them as long-lasting. I feel like they probably don’t have all the kinks out. Then there is the low end. With no bells or whistles. Sometimes you can get lucky and get something that lasts, but more often than not, you are lucky if it lasts past the warranty. Then there is the middle, that is where I want to be. Not as fancy as high-end but built to last longer and more tried and true. I feel like that is where Fiddleheads restaurant would fit. It’s not cheap or you get a lot for your money, nor is it very fancy and you get little for your money. It’s on the higher end of the middle. Tasty gourmet food at a decent price.

September 11, 2020

This Friday we went to Aunt Butchie’s and then played on the computer.

They give you bread with butter and this delicious dipping sauce.

STUFFED MEAT BALL100% Beef, Breadcrumb, Romano Cheese, Stuffed with Ricotta & Mozzarella and Baked with Tomato Sauce

The meatball is so very tasty and light, but not as light as 618. It is really good though.

All White Meat Chicken with Celery, Carrots & Cheese Tortellini.

I was craving this soup. I would often drive by here and start thinking about this soup. I know it has a bunch of herbs in it, but I’m not sure which ones. It has such a good broth and I love carrots in soup. One of the best soups I have ever had.

In a Lemon – Butter White Wine Sauce, with a Touch of Limon cello.

We shared the chicken. The chicken melts in your mouth. We have had two of their chicken dishes, so far and both have been excellent.

She had to make her portion pretty.

After we both went home and played Overcooked 2 again. We didn’t have much time to play, so we didn’t get very far.

This is the anniversary of 911. Many people weren’t alive during this time. I remember it. All planes had been canceled for a period. I remember standing in a parking lot during this period and a plane went overhead. All around me it seemed eerily silent, except for the noise of the jet. It was just me and one other person in the parking lot. We both stopped and looked at the sky. It must’ve been the president going to New York City. I had this feeling of dread seeing it. It took a long time for the sense of fear to leave. I’m not sure that the feeling of safety will ever come back fully. Life is uncertain, as has been seen by this year. Things we often take for granted, we really can’t.

September 4, 2020

This Friday we played on the computer and talked on the phone.

We played OverCooked 2. It took us a very long time to figure out how to get it to work. A computer expert I am not. If it turns on, I’m happy. Once we got started though it was hard to quit. It is so much fun, even though we are very bad at it. In the game, we each have a character and we have to fill orders. I set the kitchen on fire and I had the worse time trying to put it out. Lots of laughs and fun!

August 28, 2020

This Friday we went to the Turning Point and Target, which the lovely Val joined us. After Colleen and I went to an antique/estate store.

This is where I normally post photos of the food. But………….umm……………. we sort of ate it before I remembered.

AVOCADO SMASH BENNY* Toasted ciabatta, avocado smash, tomato, bacon strips, twopoached eggs, topped with hollandaise, served with potatoes 12.49

TURKEY REUBEN MELT Toasted sourdough with turkey breast, homemade coleslaw, melted Swiss & sweet honey dijon spread 10.79

VANILLA CHAI TEA LATTE Spiced with ginger, honey & vanilla 4.69

ANNIE’S LEMONADE Frozen pink lemonade blended with strawberries & ice 3.89

CRANBERRY WALNUT CHICKEN SALAD WRAP Chicken breast, chopped walnuts, dried cranberries tossed lightly with mayonnaise. With fresh baby spinach in a wheat wrap 9.99

This is a list of the food we ate. Everyone was obviously very happy because it was gone very quickly 🙂

Next we took a quick trip to Target and then Colleen dropped Val off. We then met at an antique/estate place. It was packed. All I could think of if there is a fire we are dead. It looked like maybe there were some nice things, but I would be afraid to take anything because of the possible avalanche.

It’s funny how you often don’t see your clutter, to you it’s perfectly organized. You know where everything is or should be. To someone else, it may look like chaos. The worse is when I put something somewhere safe, then I’m sure it’s safe from others but often myself too. It’s also hard to find the balance between clean and clutter. I never feel comfortable in homes that are too clean either. I’m always afraid I’ll drop a crumb or bring in some dirt. So I find myself trying to be in a little ball, trying not to move. You want a home that people feel comfortable in, that feels like a home, not a museum.

August 21, 2020

This Friday we went to Molino’s and then to the park. I met Colleen at her house and we walked to Molino’s. Colleen was in front of me on the sidewalk and I watched her very carefully move a branch out of her way. I wondered if she was going to hold it for me. No, no she wasn’t going to hold it for me. Whack! 😦 Ouch! After we went came back from Molino’s, we took separate cars to the park. We ate at a table on a hill. It was a perfect day, not too hot or cold.

At Molino’s you can get a custom order salad and you can get it either chopped or not. I like it chopped, you can get so many tastes at one time. I always like the combination of foods. Their salads are really good.

Colleen brought a bowl from home and added some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from her garden. Her salad looks so fancy!

We watched youtube videos on our phones. This place looks awesome, but I don’t know if I would want to spend time here with Disney and Universal being close by. I wish they had them in different areas. I think it would be better in the mountains or by the shore. With the corona virus, it’s like a miniature amusement park without being around hordes of people.

August 14, 2020

This Friday we went to Tommy’s Tavern and Tap in Freehold. We went early trying to avoid people. After we made a few quick stops to Battleview and Pastosa’s. Then we played games online.

We had the sweet potato tater tots. They were a bit sweet for Colleen and me. The sauce didn’t help cut the sweetness, it only made it more sweet.

crunchy sweet potato tots 6

We had the meatball appetizer. They were good, not as good as 618 but decent. It was very pretty though, the way they piped the ricotta.

Tap House Meatballs pork and beef mix served with ricotta, pecorino & housemade marinara 13

We both had the personal pan pizza with ricotta and eggplant. We both had slightly different pizzas. Colleen’s was crisp and tasty with yummy toppings. Mine was not crisp but limp with tasty toppings. Colleen said it was the best pizza she ever had. 😦 Mine was ok. I think the differences might have been a couple of minutes.

san marzano tomatoes, grande mozzarella, grated romano & basil, drizzled with extra virgin olive oilpersonal (8in) 9.

the toppings you can chose from breaded eggplant – bacon – anchovies – ricotta cheese – jalapeño – pepperoni – – broccoli – roasted mushrooms – sautéed bell peppers – meatballs – grilled chicken — cherry tomatoes – sweet italian sausage – coal fired onions – roasted red peppers – – hot sausage – pesto – garlic – hot cherry peppers – breaded chicken -each topping | personal 1. |

We played Keep Talking, Fibbage and Guesspionage. I think with keep talking, we could use another person just for the needy knobs. I don’t see us getting past this part otherwise. Fibbage Colleen won best 2 out of 3 and I won Guesspionage best 2 out 3. She is the better liar and I’m the better guesser, at least that is the way I chose to look at it 🙂

It’s hard not to be down this year. It seems like nothing is going right. I’ve been coloring like a madwoman to help keep myself centered, but even that is starting not to help. I think I need to try and do something I haven’t done before, to keep focus elsewhere. How much longer until 2021?

July 31, 2020

This Friday we had a proper Funday. At Freehold Raceway Mall, Shake Shack had a popup restaurant. We both had the hamburger. It was really good. It tasted like real meat, not the kind you get at a fast-food restaurant. The sauce on it was good too. Not too strong, but a hint of flavor.

After we met at Samaha’s again. Colleen said the green beans were really good. I guess they were, because there was hardly any left.

It felt good to get back to some sort of normalcy. I miss the sense of adventure and exploring. It is so hard to be sheltering in place. I know I can’t take too many risks, and it’s only a matter of time before things will go back to semi-normal. I know you are risking your life or the life of others when you venture out. Life needs to go on, but you need to be careful. It’s hard to find a balance. What is worth the risk?

July 24, 2020

This Friday was a bit of a bust. It seemed everything we wanted or tried to do didn’t work out. We did manage to go to Samaha’s Farm Market in Matawan. Colleen loves a certain eggplant there, even though they had many different eggplants, they didn’t have the one she wanted.

It is surprising how much variety they can pack into this small farm stand.

So many of our elderly are dying with the coronavirus. Many people are losing their parents. My thoughts go back to the death of my parents. I was very close to my mom. It hit me hard, even though at the time I didn’t realize it. I remember the day we buried her, there was ice everywhere. I had taken my shoes off and I was getting leftover food from the car. I was standing on the ice in bare feet and felt nothing. I was thinking, why don’t I feel the coldness of the ice. The next year I went into a fog, going through the motions of life, not experiencing anything. Eventually, I started to live again. You know in your head, that one day your parents will die, but your heart is another thing. In your heart, you think of them as immortal. You think that they will never leave, that they can handle anything. In a way, they are superheroes. In reality, they are human.

July 17, 2020

This Friday we went to Battleview Orchards and we were joined by Caroline:)

Some of the Jersey fresh produce at Battleview.

Even though our lives are pretty much at a stand still the world around us still goes on. Nature is going through the seasons. Jersey produce is at the farm markets. YUM! At least farm fresh produce hasn’t been taken from us.

There are times in life when our lives seem to a stand still, even without the pandemic. Times when life hands us such a blow, that the world stops for us. This was true when my mother and father had died. I was in such a fog. All around I could see people going about their daily lives, how could they go on, when my life has just stopped. They were acting normal, they didn’t know the loss I was feeling. In the olden days, people wore black to signal their loss, and other people would be kinder towards them. Today you are not given the space to grieve. When I run into someone with who I am losing my patience, I try to remind myself that I don’t know what is going on in their life. They could’ve just lost someone dear to them. In this crazy new world of the pandemic, we don’t need to add more grief to others’ lives. A little kindness would benefit us all.