Oh the places we went!

In the words of Dr. Seuss...........



Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!


Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.


Well actually today I just get to go off to work...and write a bunch of letters requesting donations for our annual fall/harvest fundraiser event. woo hoo.


BUT..... this past weekend, we ate at great places!

I said we were in the "woods"

and we were....but this little town is only 6 miles away.

We found a little Farmers Market, where I bought some veggies, because I love Farmer's Markets....

....and veggies for that matter.

Yumm!

We ate lunch at our favorite Brew Pub  (but they were out of the beer that I like.  I don't even know the name of it, but they drizzle honey over the top)

but my favorite this trip?

Back view

but the best....was the bathroom

Mrs. Somebody Somebody and Spudnuts

This weekend, while traveling up north to Washington State, I finished "Mrs. Somebody Somebody."



It is the first in an on-line book club that I have started. (There are only a few of us, so if you want to join in, just let me know. ) We are reading a list put together by a panel from BEA, on "hot picks for book clubs". I think it was hot "fall" picks or something like that. There are 30 books on the list---we're in it for the long haul.


As I've said many times, I am not a book reviewer, I just like to read a lot. Having said that, "Mrs. Somebody Somebody" by Tracy Winn, just didn't do it for me.
It was touted as "an astonishing debut", "poignantly chronicling the characters", and "a rare achievement".
It was well written, I will give it that. I think that it was just not my kind of book. Each chapter was an essay written about someone in the mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts. So, while it did mention other characters from previous chapters and linked them together in a very flimsy way, there was no plot, and I guess I prefer a good plot. Or at least characters I like. The people from Lowell, MA were sad and depressed people and I didn't like them very much.


That's all I'm going to say about Mrs. Somebody Somebody in this post. We will be discussing it online in the next few days. July's book is "The Last Time I Saw You" by Elizabeth Berg, just in case you want to read with us.

If you have read it and liked it, I would be happy to know.  It just could broaden my horizons about the book.

****************************
What else besides read 3 books, did I do this past weekend?  I'm glad you asked!
 
While were were up in Washington, we went to the Spudnut Shop.
 

The Spudnut Shop is one of the last remaining maker of Spudnuts and it is in our hometown.

By 1948, over 500 Spudnut Shops had sprung up across the country. Spudnuts were advertised widely, with the slogan "Coast to coast...Alaska to Mexico". The cartoon character "Mr. Spudnut" frequently appeared in ads, restaurants, and even in parades.By the 1980s, however, the parent company closed, leaving all the franchisees to fend for themselves. The Spudnuts brand lost significant popularity, but it did not disappear completely; some 35 Spudnut Shops in 9 states exist today.

Spudnuts, donuts made with potato flour, are better than Krispy Creme, better than Dunkin' Donuts (except the coffee), better than any donut I've ever tasted. And, embarrassingly, this was the first time I've ever had a spudnut. I wanted to try them because I've seen them on the Travel Channel.

If you think potatoes and donuts don't mix -- think again. At Spudnuts, donuts are made from potato flour and then deep-fried to perfection. In addition to the spudnut, they make a traditional cake flour donut called a spuddy. Health-conscious individuals need not despair; Spudnut also makes spuffins -- a healthy, muffin-like treat. Confused yet? No matter what you order, you are bound to enjoy it (just don't call it a "donut").

It wasn't a fancy bakery, but kind of a divey little cafe, as you can see by the pictures, BUT, the whole time we sat there having coffee and eating our donuts, the line didn't end. People just kept coming in and walking out with boxes and boxes of spudnuts.

The people who worked there were very nice and it was clean, it was just old and funky.

I ate two....again....I was not Weight Watcher friendly this past weekend. I wanted to eat a whole bunch more.
Just so you know....we walked a lot while on our holiday. To counter act all the calories we ate.

They had these dowels that they let the glazed spudnuts hang and drip from.

and they kept bringing in more and more boxes to fill with dozens and dozens of spudnuts, which people were taking out the door.

It looks so innocent.  But inside it holds an addiction.  A Spudnut addiction, and it's hard to break free.

Stone Soup--(they stole my name)

Before I tell you about how my name has been stolen, let me tell you this:
LONG BLOG ALERT. I've incorporated 2 or 3 things in here.

Here's my story.....
Every Friday night, if we have no plans, and if our friends, the Milton's, have no plans, we eat together. I'm not sure how this tradition got started... it just did. And yes, it is EVERY Friday night of the year, unless we are busy or gone.
Some people (other friends of mine) find this odd. Odd that we set up schedules like that I guess....odd that we just don't stay home and do nothing. I like "nothing", don't get me wrong, but it's got to be such a tradition that it seems normal. 2-3 Friday nights a month, we are always together.
One of my favorite things that Robbie makes is her signature salad. (these pictures aren't so great--sorry)
Robbie doesn't' follow a recipe for her salad, she just makes it up, but it's one of my very favorites of all time. She has 2 different variations. (and then she opens a bag-o-salad for the men, as they are not too fond of her salad, but I could just eat it and some bread and cheese and be happy )

Robbie's salad

#1
Romain Lettuce--torn
green onions--sliced
cilantro--to taste, but she uses a lot
fresh ginger--to taste
avocado--sliced
grape tomatoes--halved
Parmesan cheese--fresh, shredded

#2
Romain lettuce--torn
Field Greens or Spring lettuce mix or baby spinach
avocados--sliced
sliced almonds or walnuts
blue cheese crumbles OR Parmesan Cheese
grape tomatoes--halved
green onions--sliced
dried cranberries

The Dressing for both variations
garlic infused olive oil
seasoned rice vinegar
a smidgen of sesame oil
Greek seasoning

She doesn't mix it in a bowl or shaker either, she just "eyeball" pours it on top and mixes the salad together. Then it is my job to taste it and tell her if it needs more rice vinegar, or Greek seasoning, etc.

It's a great job!

Our Friday Night Table (not at my house...at their house)

And seriously...this is what I could have an be satisfied (maybe it's just the good company that makes it so good)

Salad, cheese and bread....

And now..... the story of my soup shop.

My last name is STONE, I've always wanted to have a soup shop.

I used to be a Children's librarian and there is an old Children's Fable called "Stone Soup". I wanted that as my name, the name for my soup shop... Stone Soup.

While I was away from my home town (I've been away for 30 years) , someone opened a soup and sandwich shop called "Stone Soup".

We moved from the Tri-Cities, WA in 1979 to Walla Walla, WA, where they then opened a soup and sandwich shop called, "Stone-Soup".

It is following me!! Saying...this could have been yours, this could have been yours.

When I was in Washington a couple of weeks ago, my mom wanted to take me there for lunch. It was my first time (her's too). We ended up taking the whole family almost.

The soup of the day....when I went with my parents and brother and sister in law 2 weeks ago, was "Cream of Asparagus".

I have to give the Stone Soup people credit, because it was REALLY GOOD!! And they sandwich was a south-western turkey. It was really good too.

I'd go back to their silly old soup shop! (even if they stole my name)

I have no idea about this picture...except if you look down on the right, you can almost see the copy of "Stone Soup" sitting there....

My little brother, bringing back the drinks.

Outside again ...they probably should cut back their trees, but I love trees so much, I don't want them too.

It just so happens that "Stone Soup" is located two doors down from the Book Worm. My favorite independent used/new book store. I usually go to the one in a town across the river tho, so I was excited to see this one.

Two of my favorite things SOUP AND BOOKS. SIDE BY SIDE!! (is this heaven?)

Getting the obligatory family photo in front of my soup shop....

(hurry up dad... hurry up)

(I don't think my family understands my blogging )

Another shot of Stone Soup, while waiting for my dad.

Hooray! A family photo. (kind of . Minus my nephews who were in school)

On to my husbands' side of the family.

Let me back-track just a bit.... I was up in Washington for my nephew's graduation and to check on my dad, who had just gotten out of the hospital.

Both our families live in the same area.... and they love us sooo much. (we love them sooo much too ) We are very popular when we are up north.

(I'm sure the siblings are annoyed at the fact that our parents kill the fatted calf when we come home. I have one brother, the handy man has 13 siblings, including whole, halve and step siblings)

MaGills. It's a great place to have breakfast. My in-laws love it.

Their breakfast menu has 10 pages....10 PAGES.

This was my breakfast scramble....with potatoes and bacon and cheese and ...it was really good. I couldn't eat it all.


Random shots of Magills.

and a random one of my in-laws visiting outside of Magill's after breakfast

With my husband's family it's always a production. And I mean that in the nicest way. I love it. I love the feel of a big family.

But on this day, only 13 people came to join us for breakfast. We went early, because the Handy-Man and I had to drive 8 hours back to Nevada, so most of the family couldn't raise their lazy butts out of bed.

But so early, that the waitress wasn't' ready for a 13 person set up.... she was all alone (and I think it was only 8:00 ) so we helped her set up our table and helped her pour coffee.

It's so different for me (although I am used to it now) having only 1 brother (and what great times we had/have ) and a non fix-it dad (we called the repair man at my house, growing up. LOL ) to have "fix-it" relatives...and a lot of them at that. At one of my kids graduations, the brothers just took out my sliding glass door and fixed it. It needed fixing, and their big brother, the Handy-man hadn't had time, so all of the sudden I noticed the door was out and someone was a the hardware store and low and behold they fixed it!!

So, setting up tables and pouring coffee is nothing.

I like my family. and I like my husband's family.

(even the lazy ones who didn't get out of bed to say goodbye to us)

Happy Father's Day!

I am a HORRIBLE wife.
for Father's Day, my son Dustin and his friend Mike are taking their dads out shooting (pop bottles) and then to the Paradise Valley Fireman's BBQ (a tradition) but...but... I am not going.

and...this is the horrible part... I'M SO EXCITED TO BE ALONE!!!!
I have on classical (yes, classical) music and it's kind of rainy (hit and miss) outside (I could get kicked out of Winnemucca for saying this, but I like it), I have a book to read, some weeds to pull, some blogs to write, a nap to take, a cake to make.

THIS IS THE BEST FATHER'S DAY EVER!!!

Happy Day everyone!!!

PS: hmmmm... should I have a coke or a margarita? Margarita or coke?

Before the great father/son outing, we all went out to breakfast...

(and I skipped church.)

The Griddle is owned an operated (from afar) by my good Friday Friend Ashley.

The Griddle in Winnemcuca, NV is the original, they also have Griddle's in Meridian and Eagle, Idaho.

(we have lots of Friday Friend cookers)

Raspberry Crepes....YUM!

This isn't my son, but his friend, Mike... getting ready to eat the crepes.

(they were really good)

Dustin, my son, refused to be photographed. He doesn't want to be blogged about.

Again....Happy Day everyone!

Best Little Pizza Parlor in Winnemucca

While surfing blogs today, I came across a new one...(for me), called "Deglaze Me."


I just loved the name...and the blog too.
Last Saturday Christina Kim, wrote a post about the best pizza in Boston.

Boston is about as far from Winnemucca, Nevada as the moon, or so it seems sometimes.
Heck, we're in rural Northern Nevada, sometimes Reno seems far away.... and Las Vegas? Where is that?

But Christina of Deglaze Me, made pizza at her favorite Boston joint, sound so good, I felt I had to do the same for Winnemucca. We understand we are not New York or Chicago pizza...the famous pizza places of the U.S., but..... really, this is gooo-oood pizza!

(the name Winnemucca, alone, should be as popular as Boston)

A few weeks ago, my friends and I had lunch at the Winnemucca Pizzeria and I just happened to take a few pictures.

The pizza is actually REALLY GOOD! Until about a year ago, we had been doomed to a few "chain" pizza places, but then, last winter, a local woman opened up the pizzeria and we were introduced to "made to order" pizzas!! This was something new to us.... I mean, Wal-mart is new to us....so made-to-order pizzas? WOW! And good tasting too? Wow!

A disclaimer: I love Winnemucca and we are really not as backwards as I'm making it sound. True, the only chain "shopping" we have is Wal-mart, but we have lots of nice locally owned stores and boutiques, and Reno is only a couple of hours away. We like it like that, as we can have our rural life, but city life is not far away.
It's the best of both worlds! It's a great little town.

I would suggest, if you are ever in Winnemucca and needed a good meal, to try out the Pizzeria. It's good!!

Check out those mountains!!!
Winnemucca Pizzeria.

I had the brushetta appetizer pizza.... OH MY GOSH, it was good.

the Paradise Valley ( a ghost town/farming community 40 miles to the north)
with sun-dried tomatoes and basil and pine nuts. Love those pine nuts.....and yes, they are from a pine-cone. A certain type of pine-cone. Are pine-nuts readily available on the East Coast?
Does anybody remember Euel Gibbons? He ate pine-cones.

This is a great vegetarian pizza.

My friends, showcasing the "Screaming Chicken" pizza. Funny friends, nice hands. (they put up with me...either that, or they are smart alecs!! It was their idea to do the showcasing.)
It's great!! The pizza that is, not the fact that my friends put up with me...although, that is too.

Friends getting ready to leave the table... caught them off-guard.

A few pics of inside the pizzeria. My favorite pizza parlor in town.