T Stands For My Favorite Sandwich

When I was a kid my favorite sandwich was peanut butter and jelly. It was practically the only thing I ate when I was 5 years old that they called me the Peanut Butter Kid.  I hated grilled cheese sandwiches so on grilled cheese day at school, Mrs. Burns, a neighbor and the school dietitian, would have a peanut butter sandwich for me as I went through the lunch line. What me spoiled? I must have overdosed on the PB because I don't really care for it much. I will eat it if I'm too lazy to make something else or there's nothing else in the house. I learned to eat grilled cheese. Not my favorite, but it will do in a pinch.

So it may come as a surprise that as an adult my favorite sandwich is a Monte Cristo. Monte Cristo is a ham and cheese sandwich made fancy by dipping it in egg and fried like French toast. The sandwich is then dusted with powdered sugar and served with a side of raspberry jam.

I was first introduced to the Monte Cristo during the late 1970s or early 1980s at a restaurant in Framingham, Massachusetts called Bumbershoots. Bumbershoots used better bread and a fancier cheese like Swiss rather than Arnold Bread and American cheese I used in my sandwich. Sadly, Bumbershoots is no longer in business.

And what happened to the Peanut Butter Kid? She overdosed on PB & J and only eats it now if there's nothing left in the house to make sandwiches with or she's too lazy to cook.

What's your favorite sandwich?

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

All That Glitters

 Last week, I posted a video from the Getty Museum about Making Manuscripts. Several people asked me what does one do with the gold that is brushed off and that gave me the idea of today's post.

After the gold crumbs are brushed from the work, I save the crumbs in a small jar. I don't use them for gilding as the crumbs get crumpled up and folded, but they are perfect to add to the bowl when making Shell Gold. Shell Gold is a paint made by grinding sheets of gold leaf with gum Arabic. The Medievals called the paint Shell Gold because they stored it in a mollusk shell..

However, I will show you a relatively inexpensive technique to add bling to your artwork without purchasing sheets of real gold. I learned this technique in a workshop with Jacqueline Sullivan, a calligrapher and mixed media artist.

You will need a package of gold, silver or variegated metallic flakes.  I found the flakes at Michael's

You will also need a blank greeting card, double stick tape, and a soft brush. I trimmed a little bit off the front edge of the card.

I applied the double stick tape on the bottom edge of the card. Then sprinkled the metallic flakes on the tape. Cover the tape. Don't worry if it looks messy at this step.

With the soft brush, brush the excess back into your container. You will be left with a gleaming metallic strip.

Now you can decorate the front and inside sentiment as you like. When closed, the metallic leaf will peek out from the card. Admire the beautiful card you created.

You're not limited to straight lines either. With a stencil and glue stick, you can probably add a shape like a heart. I have not used glue stick so if you try it, you'll have to let me know your results.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

 

A passing thunderstorm and we received almost an inch of rain in under an hour.

The other morning glories are growing tall in their pots. Not these.

Even though morning glories can be planted in full sun, the ones in the pots don't seem to like the humidity.

The morning glories on the trellis are not bothered by the heat and humidity

I had brought in all the lawn gew gaws due to the storm, but forgot to bring in the cardinal whirligig. Seems he was protected by the trellis.

The garden kites didn't get blown away though they are no longer practicing social distancing.

Morning glories at Boot Hill

The yard cart filled with dirt was supposed to brace the morning glories from being blown over.

Timber!

Besides the morning glories being toppled, leaves and small branches were the only remnants of the storm in my yard.

My area was on the wind side of the storm so we got very little rain. ,05 inches of rain. The top wind of the anemometer only registered 26 mph. I think the meter is too close to the house and is somewhat protected. Wind gusts measured by the weather dudes was from 40 to 60 mph. 

Electricity got knocked out Tuesday night around 6 pm. Reports around town were lots of trees had fallen across the major roads in town and had taken out the power lines. Electricity was restored in my area by 4:30 Pm on Wednesday. Other areas in town didn't get power until Thursday.

Some areas in Connecticut and Long Island won't see power restored until this coming Tuesday 😱

The morning glories holding up the wall or vice versa

Dedo and the hydrangeas survived.

Some bunny must have eaten a morning glory seed and left one behind in the weeds near the garage.

A new bunny is proving Erma Bombeck's adage. The grass is always greener over the septic tank. How do I know this is a new, little bunny? Clover has a white dot on her forehead. Gumdrop has a white and a black dot on his forehead. This little bunny has no markings and is called Cardamom

Saturday Afternoon at the Movies

This idea came from a Facebook meme:

Over 10 days, post your 10 all time favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:me favorite films. What movie has really made an impact on you or what films can you watch over and over and never tire of? Post either the movie poster, DVD cover or even a screenshot on your timeline. No need to explain.

Only I had a hard time picking out just 10 movies so my favorites over the next few hundred Saturdays 😸 in semi-alphabetical order:

Taras Bulba (1962) Yul Brynner, Tony Curtis

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Sunday was National Ice Cream Sandwich Day. I bought ice cream sandwiches on the last shopping expedition. We've been enjoying them this week.

2. Picked the first zucchini of the season and made a batch of zucchini muffins

3. Because of tropical storm Isaias, the electricity went out around 6 pm.  We had sent out for Five Guys at lunch, before the storm got started so in case we did lose electricity, we wouldn't have to cook. No one wants supper after the big Five Guys lunch. The solar battery kicked on and by being conservative with what was running (using the micro, the toaster oven, the AC use too much electricity) we were able to keep the sump pump humming and phones, iPad's and laptops charged.

4. The electricity came back on at 4:30 PM August 5 and not August 7, Friday at noon as predicted. The Powerwall was a good investment. It worked well and I'm glad it was Summer. In Winter we might only be able to limp along for a day as the sun won't be high enough to power the solar panels or recharge the Powerwall.

5. Anne of Anne's Creative Cornucopia called to let me know she was okay and had made it through the storm.

How was your week?

Making Manuscripts

This video came across my Facebook feed. It touches on the process on how a manuscript was/is made: making parchment, quills, ink, calligraphy, gilding, and illumination.

Making Manuscripts - Getty Museum

Wordy Wednesday