Gaithersburg Book Festival, The Rapture, the Preakness and a Birthday Party

Saturday, May 21st, in Gaithersburg is the 2nd Annual l Gaithersburg Book Festival (click there for more info) at which we are all looking forward to.  We will be attending in downtown OldTowne Gaithersburg at the site of the City Hall Grounds on Summit Ave., just off Rt 355, Frederick Rd. and by St. Martins Church there. The weather is expected to be beautiful, after a week of clouds and storms..although the worst bypassed us north and south of here this week. Book presentations, authors, workshops, discussions, poetry, and musical entertainment.  Free admission, parking around the area, in Old Towne, and shuttle bus from Lakeforest Mall.  See you there!  for a great day!

Saturday, May 21, 2011, 10 am - 6 pm.

Afterward, for Paul and me, a birthday/Preakness/Rapture Party of a dear friend and past RE client (Bonnie) of many years. I hope you will join us at the Book Festival!..I suspect you won't be disappointed! Art and literature soooo enrich our lives, and it's so fun, good, and expanding to reach out to the authors who have shared their lives with us, and to share our lives with them. And for them to teach us their skills and passions.

She Loved being brushed and cuddled, right up to the very end.

These are our two cats, Jasmine on the top of the chair, and Sushi below.

Sadly, we lost our 16 year old Sushi on Saturday evening to kidney failure, a battle she had been waging for weeks, but lost. Paul and I were with her when she passed over the Rainbow Bridge.

It was very difficult for us to say goodbye to her - she was such a sweet soul and such a good cat all her life.  It was almost as hard letting our adult "kids" know that she had passed on.  She brought us much joy, as well as lots of her lovely white hair all over our black clothes. 

Cats are Wonderful Friends

Gentle eyes that see so much,

paws that have the quiet touch,

Purrs to signal "all is well"

and show more love than words could tell.

Graceful movements touched with pride,

a calming presence by our side --

A friendship that takes time to grow --

Small wonder why we love them so.

And God asked the feline spiritPerhaps this is the reason why she became ill, and it was weeks before she passed.  But we decided early on that if she wasn't suffering, we would go the distance with her, and as it seemed to be, she went in her own time, at home, where she loved to be.

Are you ready to come home?

Oh, yes, quite so, replied the precious soul

And, as a cat, you know I am most able

To decide anything for myself.

Are you coming then? asked God.

Soon, replied the whiskered angel

But I must come slowly

For my human friends are troubled

For you see, they need me, quite certainly.

But don't they understand? asked God

That you'll never leave them?

That your souls are intertwined. For all eternity?

That nothing is created or destroyed?

It just is....forever and ever and ever.

Eventually they will understand,

Replied the glorious cat

For I will whisper into their hearts

That I am always with them

I just am....forever and ever and ever.

Author Unknown



FEELING PAIN EVERY TIME YOU PUMP?

This may help.  GasBuddy can locate the cheapest and most expensive gas stations around Maryland as well as other states around the country.
There also is a feature on that site where you can calculate how much a trip will cost you by factoring in the make and model of your car, and the distance to the final destination.

Announcing New Babies to the World!

While we don't have any new babies directly in our family, we have friends who do. It's so exciting and heartwarming.  This is baby Sebastian.

And with the new babies, come new Baby Names. While this isn't earthshattering news, I think most people find it interesting to see the most popular names of babies as the years go on.  The Social Security Administration has just announced the most popular names for 2010.

Top 10 Names for Girls:

1. Isabella
2. Sophia
3. Emma
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Emily
7. Abigail
8. Madison
9. Chloe
10. Mia

Top 10 Names for Boys:

1. Jacob
2. Ethan
3. Michael
4. Jayden
5. William
6. Alexander
7. Noah
8. Daniel
9. Aiden
10. Anthony

Top Five Trending Names for Girls:

1. Maci
2. Giuliana
3. Tiana
4. Quinn
5. Adalynn

Top Five Trending Names for Boys:

1. Bentley
2. Kellan
3. Knox
4. Enzo
5. Karter

A Dozen Recipes for Leftover Easter Eggs

Got a few too many leftover Easter eggs on hand? With the 12 hard-boiled egg recipe ideas here, they'll likely disappear quickly.

Getty Images

Got a few too many leftover Easter eggs on hand? The good news is that, if left in their shells, hard-boiled eggs will keep in the fridge for up to a week. But with the 12 hard-boiled egg recipe ideas here, they'll likely disappear a lot faster than that. In fact, you might find yourself boiling another dozen. (A note on safety: Be sure to use food-grade dye for your eggs and don't eat eggs that have been out of the fridge for more than two hours total.)

Southwestern Egg Salad Sandwich: Mash chopped eggs with a potato masher or a fork along with some mayo, a little chipotle in adobo or chipotle chile powder, lime juice, salt and sliced scallions. Place on a sandwich roll along with sliced avocado.

Egg Quesadilla: Brush one side of a burrito-size flour tortilla with olive oil. Place oiled side down on a baking sheet. Scatter shredded pepper Jack cheese over the tortilla, top with sliced hard-boiled eggs, green salsa and cilantro sprigs. Top with more cheese and another tortilla. Brush top of tortilla with oil and bake until the cheese has melted and the tortilla is crisp.

Eggs in Purgatory: Make a spicy tomato sauce with onions, garlic, a little bacon (if you like), tomatoes and some cayenne. Slice hard-boiled eggs about 1/2-inch thick, place in a shallow pasta bowl and spoon sauce over.

Potato and Egg Salad: Boil Yukon gold potatoes in their jackets until tender. Drain; peel while still warm, cut into thick slices and toss with a little vinegar (I like sherry or rice vinegar, but it's really your choice). Let sit 30 minutes then toss with hard-boiled egg slices, finely chopped red onion, a little mayo, and a little mustard. If you like, jazz it up with some ham, shrimp or cooked chicken.

Eggs with Asparagus and Parmesan Cheese: Do a riff on an Italian classic that usually has poached or fried eggs atop roasted asparagus. Trim ends of asparagus, then cut them in half crosswise. Place in a bowl, toss with olive oil to coat and roast at 400 degrees until lightly browned and crisp-tender. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and panko breadcrumbs and roast a few more minutes until cheese has melted. Top with chopped hard-boiled eggs and chives, and if you like, a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar.
.
Quick Egg and Vegetable Hash: Cook some chopped onions, diced red pepper, and thinly sliced peeled carrots in a combo of butter and vegetable or olive oil until the onion is golden brown and caramelized. Add diced cooked potatoes and cook until the potatoes are nicely browned. Add chopped hard-boiled eggs and just a little cream or half-and-half; cook until eggs are heated through.

Not Your Usual Egg Sandwich: Use a baguette or a couple of slices of thick whole-grain country bread. Spread hot pepper jelly on both sides of the bread and top with arugula, sliced prosciutto and sliced eggs.

Warm Bacon, Spinach and Egg Salad: Cook a few slices of bacon until crisp, save the bacon fat and whisk it together with red wine vinegar, red currant jelly (or a little brown sugar) and toss while still warm with fresh spinach and sliced sautéed or grilled portobello mushroom caps, hard-boiled eggs cut in wedges and crumbled bacon. If you don't want to use bacon, omit it and make the dressing with olive oil.

Rich and Creamy Salad Dressing: Halve hard-boiled eggs and separate yolks and whites. Push yolks through a fine-meshed strainer. Whisk in olive oil, mustard, a touch of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss with a hearty lettuce, such as romaine, and garnish with chopped egg whites. Variation: Combine sour cream, mustard, yolks, and mayonnaise for a creamy thick dressing.

Norwegian Butter Cookies: This treat is a perfect use for egg yolks. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, 2 mashed hard-boiled egg yolks, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat until well combined. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon grated orange zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and, if you like, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom. Fold in 1 cup all-purpose flour. Using a teaspoon measure, drop cookie dough mixture 1-inch apart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until golden around edges and set. Cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Meatloaf with Eggs: Put together your favorite meatloaf mixture. Pat half of it into a loaf pan, then make a trench lengthwise down the center and place a row of hard-boiled eggs in the trench. Top with remaining meatloaf mixture, patting it down to enclose the eggs and bake.

Gratinéed Eggs: Make a white sauce by melting 3 tablespoons butter and whisking in 3 tablespoons of flour, cooking over medium-low heat until just beginning to turn golden. Whisk in 2 cups milk, a little nutmeg, salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Whisk in about a cup of shredded sharp cheddar (or more if you like). Spoon some of the mixture into an 8 x 8 baking dish that's been brushed with a little butter. Place 6 to 8 thickly sliced eggs in the dish and top with more sauce. Sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and bubbling.


This article was an AOL original. 
Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/easter/easter-egg-recipes/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl6%7Csec3_lnk2%7C210857#ixzz1KbOqdPix

Sunday Seeds

My mind is a garden. My thoughts are the seeds.
My harvest will be either flower or weeds.  Mel Weldon

Sunday was such a beautiful day here, after the storms, flooding and tornados nearby on Saturday.  Paul and I took the opportunity to do some springtime gardening to prepare for the summer.  He planted grass seed and took care of the lawn, and I planted flower seeds.  Let's see what comes up!

These Folks Don't Need Anymore Business, But Still, if you want Food Nirvana....

Or have a celebration, or want a meal to "die for", this is the place!  We had old friends come and visit Saturday from out of state, so despite the Tornado Watch and Warning, we took the Metro to King Street in Alexandria VA, and met them for dinner.  They took us to this place that the first President Bush and his wife used to frequent.  It's a Peking Duck place that is in a small strip shopping mall in Falls Church VA.  Peking Gourmet Inn, 6029 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church VA 22041   The food surpassed any expectations we had.  The place is always crowded with people waiting...I suggest reservations if you plan to go there sometime.

If this were your last meal on earth, you would die happy.  Thank you Clay and Peggy, and Tracy, for the wonderful evening and fun times, and delicious meal extravaganza!