November 6, 2020

This Friday we played Overcooked and a little bit of ibb and obb.

Would you believe on our first try we played Overcooked, we got past the first level with three stars? I don’t know how, I was busy switching phones too because the phone battery was dying. So now we have to make two different soups in the game. The main part of the game is trying to figure out how to make the kitchen work. We have the first two soups and our roles. The rest is all up in the air. Colleen tells me not to figure out how many we have to make. I think she is afraid I will quit 🙂 We took a little break to play ibb and obb. I thought it was fun, but Colleen doesn’t like it. In ibb and obb, you each have a character and you have to work your way through different puzzles. One is on the top, one is on the bottom, and you switch sides, other times you are both on the same side. She is determined we finish Overcooked. Despite our poor gameplay, we are having lots of fun. I tease her about not peeling the onions for the soup. She tells me it gives it flavor. Why we can only afford two soup bowls, is bad management on our part. We also would like to fire whoever designed this kitchen 🙂

It seems weird now when you watch an old show and the people are touching strangers or even standing next to them. As much as this coronavirus is a pain, there could be much worse things that can happen. There is hope, there is talk of a vaccine that is 90% effective. The new medicines seem to help you recover from it. It makes the waiting more bearable knowing that there is a small light at the end of this dark tunnel. There is talk of concerts now, where you will have to show proof of negative results or that you had the vaccine. Progress is being made, we just have to be patient a little longer. I would hate to be responsible for the death of someone because I was careless.

October 30, 2020

This Friday we played Overcooked.

We only had a short time to play. We know we need to get out 4 soups to get three stars. We were so very close, Colleen had the fourth soup and she was by the conveyor belt about to place it ……seconds were ticking down. Ugh, sob, sob, we just missed it. We have to get three stars? Next week we will do it, we are so very close.

It’s the day before Halloween, it would’ve been the perfect Halloween too. There are so very few Halloweens you get when you are that fall on a Saturday. There was a full moon and it wasn’t freezing. This year feels like a limbo, everything is on hold. It feels like we are all holding our breaths waiting for it to be over.

October 23, 2020

This Friday we played on the computer again.

We played Overcooked again. We started playing this series with Overcooked 2 and we went farther with that version. Colleen won’t let us get past level 1 in Overcooked until we get three stars. I think our brains work differently. As soon as I try something for a few rounds, I will go to the next level and so on. I will do this until I get stuck, then I will go back to the levels that I didn’t get three stars in. I find that these levels now seem simple to me. I think Colleen wants to get the foundation down and build upon that. Slow and steady seems her motto. Even when I start something new, I will read over the instructions quickly. Then I will give the project or game a try to see how it works. I will then, go back to the instructions for the details to see if I”m missing anything. I will try it again, then back to the instructions to fine-tune anything I may have missed. I guess I sort of build upon things too, but in a different way. It will be interesting to see if her way can work with me. Everyone learns differently, I often wonder if schools take this into consideration. The classrooms often group children by how well they test. I think it would be better if they grouped them on how they learn.

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?

October 9, 2020

This Friday we went to Anemo’s in Manalapan. After we went to Battleview and a quick stop to Trader Joe’s and Micheal’s. Then we played Overcooked.

We both had the soup. It was a creamy soup with a hint of lemon and chicken with orzo. I would definitely have this again. We both really liked it.

shredded chicken, lemon, egg, orzo 6

Colleen had the moussaka. She wasn’t a fan. She wished it had more of the bechamel sauce. I think that is her favorite part of moussaka.

Moussaka potato, eggplant, zucchini, ground beef & lamb topped with creamy béchamel 16

Beef and Lamb Gyro Platter with rice and salad

I had the the gyro platter with the salad. The meat was so tasty and the tzatziki was so creamy. The salad had a light dressing. I’m not a fan of rice. I don’t care for cinnamon in my main meal and prefer it for desserts.

• Beef & Lamb Gyro 16

I wonder if the first time you have something makes a difference on how you view food. I know that when my daughter was growing up, I had a hard time getting eggs over easy right. I would get the lace on them and they would be hard in the middle. The first time I did it right, I was so excited. “Look Kim I did it right!” My daughter tried it and said it was wrong. She wanted the hard eggs with the lace. 🙂 I know salmon can make a difference in how it’s cooked. It seems some foods are finicky and have to be cooked just right. I tried making and had Moussaka in a restaurant. I did not care for it. I wonder if the one Colleen likes I would like. Sometimes when I make a recipe, I find I do not like the food I’m making. Then thinking I made it wrong, I will try it made somewhere else. I often find that I still don’t like it. I wonder how many tries should I give something before I decide if I like it or not.

October 2, 2020

This Friday we went to Cuzin’s Seafood Restaurant in Marlboro and Battleview Orchards. Then we went to our homes and played Overcooked.

We both had the lobster bisque. It was very tasty with a tomato broth. It was a bit more creamy than Fiddleheads. Most times you will find a piece or two of lobster in the bottom of the bowl, but Cuzin’s bisque had many large pieces.

Colleen had the snapper sandwich. It is an open-face sandwich and she said it was very good!

I had the shrimp sandwich. I don’t know how the sandwich tastes altogether, because I ate the shrimp off it and left the rest. The Coleslaw and fries were ok. The shrimp though was very well seasoned with lots of flavors. We asked for extra tartar sauce and the waiter came back with two large bowls. 🙂

Colleen and I work well together. We often come up with new strategies when playing games. We will try it one way and then another until we find something that works. I would say neither is a leader. Our relationship works well without a leader. Often someone in a relationship takes the leadership role. I often wonder what makes a good leader. It feels there are few and far between, that are able to lead. Often you come across tyrants it’s their way or no way, even if the ship is sinking. Then there is the figurehead who is content to just do things as they were always done, with little to contribute. Once in a while, you come across those who are able to lead, to make things better.

September 25, 2020

This Friday we went to Sam Vera in Marlboro. Then we went to Papa Ganache and Delicious Orchards.

They brought this with the bread. It was very yummy.

Colleen had the chicken. She said it was very good.

I had the pasta, it was very good too.

Pappardelle a la Bolognese 17.95 Wide ribbons of fresh pasta in a rich ground beef meat sauce.

Papa Ganache is very cute and charming store in Matawan. They sell vegan and gluten-free bakery items and food.

They were very good, a little dense but if I was vegan I would be more than happy with these.

Colleen and I had driven by Sam Vera many times. It is very beautiful and we both wanted to eat there for a very long time. We finally went. We were the only ones in the restaurant. We sat indoors and they had the screened doors open. There was a nice breeze blowing and the place is just as pretty on the inside. We both got very excited by the little antipasto. I was really expecting a lot. Maybe the best meal I ever had. I was let down. It wasn’t bad, but it failed my expectations. Colleen’s too.

It’s funny how expectations often lead you to be disappointed. Often when someone tells you about a great movie or restaurant, you build it up in your head. Then when you go to the restaurant or see a movie, you are often let down. The best is when you do go and it’s better than expected, but I can probably count on my hand how many times that happens. I think that’s what happened with Sam Vera, we expected a lot and built it up in our heads. It is a beautiful restaurant with good Italian food.

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!