Best Ever Steak----Indoor Cooking

Bill and I love steak.  Here we only have a gas grill and when it is so dusty you are afraid you will have dust for a seasoning!!!!!  I have been trying to find a good way to cook it indoors.  Well, I have finally found it!
I found this in my Pineapple Days & Bread Pudding Nights  cookbook.  We love it well not as good as a grilled steak over charcoal but best we have found for indoors!

1 inch thick steaks ----mine are maybe a little thicker for Bill
salt and pepper for seasoning
black cast iron skillet---I have one that has the ridges in the bottom that I use but have used plain bottom also.

Preheat over to 550F or high as it will go

Place skillet on stove over high heat.

Trim steaks to remove gristle
Season each side liberally with salt and pepper

Quote from cookbook----
"Do not worry about the salt.  This is what gives the steak a wonderful brown crust.  As I teach in my cooking class---sure the salt will dry the steak out---after about 3 or 4 days."

You can test the temperature of the skillet by dragging a steak across it.  If the steak catches and sticks, it is not hot enough.
When the skillet starts to wisp, smoke, place the steaks in the skillet

Reduce heat to medium high.
DO NOT TOUCH OR MOVE STEAKS FOR THE NEXT THREE MINUTES!!!!!
after three minutes, turn steaks and immediately place in oven.

Leave in oven for :              

3 to 4 minutes ------medium rare
4 to 5 minutes-------medium
5 to 7 minutes-------medium well
forget about it-------well done

Also remember oven time will vary due to thickness of steak.

I leave Bill's only about 2 minutes!!!!!!!


Cheers!!!!!!

Thirty Three Years of Marriage

Bill and I have been married thirty-three years on 31st of March.  We went to a restaurant that was recommended to us by some friends.  It is a Japanese restaurant and is close to our house.  It was so perfect!  Undoubtably the most romantic anniversary we have ever had!  The restaurant is surrounded by a moat with lighted palms all around it.  We were seated at a table in front of doors that were open to the moat with a beautiful view.  It was like sitting outside but with the comforts of air-conditioning!  We tried lobster ceviche that we both loved.  

You all know that Bill got a bull for his present but I got a Bottega Bag!!!!!

Bill actually went shopping on his own.  He knew they sold these in the Moda Mall (Thanks Ryan) and he went looking.  He said he never knew there were so many stores that sold handbags!!!!! Boy does he have a lot to learn.  He came in telling me that is is deer skin and will only get softer with use.  I love it!
He also got me flowers!

Oh I got him the teak cart to replace the one we left in India-----

Cheers!

Rivers 5th Birthday

Jessi sent me pictures of Rivers and Brinkly at "his party".

Neither one looks excited.

But they did get a steak and porkchop supper!!!!!
Thanks Brendon and Jessi!

My Youngest Son

Today is my youngest son's birthday!!!!!!!
Here is his first picture:

And here are some of his most recent ones:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIVERS!!!!!!!

Bill Sense of Humor!!!!!!

We have our 33rd Wedding Anniversary coming up Wednesday.  Gosh how time flies when you are having fun!!!
He sent the boys this email this morning after I purchased his gift last night:

Boys,

Do yall know what you get for an anniversary present when you have been married for 33 years?




     A Lot of Bull!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are starting a cattle farm to have when we retire!!!! Thanks boys for all the help!


Cheers!

Bill made it home last night around 17:00.  We waited for our call (from someone very special---Matt) and then we went to the Country Club for dinner.  We always get the same thing to eat so tonight we both decided to eat something different but you know me at the last minute I reverted to one of my favorites!
This morning the sky really looks like RAIN---if fact I just noticed that is is raining!  I love the rain.  I just wish it rained more here.  The only thing that I do not like about the rain here is the driving.  People are so careless here but when it does rain they are worst because the don't seem to understand the oil on the road and water!  I have to get out in a little while but I am sure that it will be finished raining before I go.
I wish Bill were off today ----Carlos Santana and Elton John are playing in Dubai and boy would I love to see both of them.  They are at the same venue to it could be done.  Bill would like Santana but I am not sure he would like Elton!

got to run
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road...........

Today makes one year we have lived in Bahrain!
We arrived here last year from Singapore around 21:00.
We were going to celebrate tonight but again I am alone on the weekend.
This make three weekends in a row!!!!!!
We intended to make up for it next weekend----it will be our 33rd wedding anniversary.
We have been told about a Japanese restaurant near the Ritz that is supposed to be better than Sato's which we love.  If it is better, we will be going there more often as the drive to Sato's is not always fun!

My "places" are still not looking too good but hopefully I will get out some tomorrow.

I am getting excited----baseball season is just around the corner.  I have now kept up with my Astros like I did when I was in the USA but last year after we moved into the house we found baseball on the tv more so than we did in India.  Guess I will have to learn the players as most of my favorites have retired.

Going to walk the compound in a few minutes but about stir crazy sitting in the house.  Maybe I won't get to hot!
Cheers!

Vacation 2010

Yipeee!!!!!!!!!

We are official!   Our vacation will be from 24 November until December 30!!!!!
This means Thanksgiving and Christmas at home this year!!!!
We won't be home for New Years but really am glad we get the two holidays we do!
I don't think I will feel like cooking but who knows!!!!!!!!

Guess you are wondering why I am posting so many times today (this is #4).  I had some pre-cancerous spots on my body froze off last Thursday.  I went to the doctor and he  said about 4 or 5 places needed to be removed.  I went the next day and and he froze 19 or 20 places.  He said some of them were cosmetic and why not do them while he was freezing.  The places are not pretty so I am staying in and being bored!

I did not win the hummer but now another store is giving away Lincoln Navigators. Cross your fingers!!!!

To all the chefs out there I have added a cook it widget on my blog.  It is real neat!  Simply type the ingredients you have on hand and it will give you recipes to try!!!!!

Formula One in Bahrain

Last week was the Formula One in Bahrain.  Bill and I had a chance to meet some of the drivers!

Getting ready to race!

Brendon in the lead!

Bill and the drivers after the race!

By now you know I was joking but we enjoyed the Formula One race track for karts in November, 2009!

RUGS

I have fallen in love with carpets!!!!!!
When we were in Singapore we purchased some beautiful rugs.  Bill was not real happy about the cost but he was the one saying "Buy it" "Buy IT!"

Well, one story I like to tell about rug shopping was when we were in Chennai, India.  Bill and I went into a "department" store.  We were looking at the carpets and saw a beautiful one on the wall. It was a 10x15 and had beautiful shades of blue and green with some pink and beige.  The salesman noticed we liked it so he took it down and rolled it on the floor.  He insisted that we walk on it.  Of course me, I take my shoes off and start to walk on it. I take a couple of steps and Bill behind me starts saying----"GET OFF OF IT".  I turn around and he has looked at the price----18,000 USD!!!!!
I immediately get off and the salesman says wait wait you can have for half off!!!!!  I am sure if we had really wanted the rug we could have had it for another half off but at that time we were "new" carpet shoppers!!!!!!!
I have really gotten into the shopping now.  I have a "favorite" rug store here.  They recognise me and can remember all the rugs I have purchased and usually who they are for!!!! I took Ryan and Rachel there while they were here.  When we walked in the door, Ryan spotted one of the wall that he liked!  It was very pretty and was from Iran.  It was a dome pattern---

Rachel got this one:

Now rug shopping has become even easier!  There is a man that comes into the compound with rugs in his van.  I like some of his rugs but I still really like my store.
Here is a couple that we have bought from him

Bill bought this one for Matt:

Bill bought this one for in front of a desk???????

Here is one I bought in the mall for Matt's room:

It is not a carpet but a fun rug for his room.

I am so bad about blogging!  I thought that I would do it daily or even bi-weekly but lately it has been MONTHLY!!!!!
Where do I start----
Ryan and Rachel came for a week the end of February.  One week is really not enough-you don't get over the jet lag until it is time to leave!


We had a great time and ate at some great places.

 Trader Vic's-------food not great but atmosphere and drinks are wonderful!!!!!

The Country Club Brennigan's------the food and atmosphere is great!  Not a good selection of cocktails!

While I am on Brennigan's  Take a look at this

This is one of our fun nights at Brennigan's while Jessi and Bren were here!

This is the service window at Lanterns------This is the first place Bill and I ate when we arrived here in Bahrain.  It is an Indian restaurant---just what we were in the mood for---NOT!

I made my first visit to  The Gold City.  It was interesting.
I have entered into a new relationship!!!!!  Ha that is what the guy told us we are not his customers but we now have a relationship with him.  He was a nice guy and Ryan did get some pretty cufflinks.

Yesterday I went shopping not really looking for anything but found some Tyler candles so I bought some of them.  The store had a promotion if you spend at least 15BD then you could play a game to win prizes.  It was a match game.  I had one try and was not really interested but if you played you also got the chances on a new Hummer!!!!!  Well I won a vacuum cleaner!!   Now if I just can win the Hummer!

I changed the settings on my car to  US settings----meaning to read temperatures in F instead of C and Miles instead of kilometers.  Well, I have had my car ten months tomorrow and only have 3356 miles on it.  At home I would probably have that in 2 months.  It sure makes a difference that the stores are very close and I don't have to go far for almost everything.

I made corn and crab bisque from my Southern Palates.  I love that cookbook.  Mine is getting worn out.

Note to my family----my black dress did not disappear from the earth.  Please try to find it!!!!! Wherever it might be :)

It has been awhile since my last post but not much to blog about!  I have just doing my normal things.  Yesterday I went for a haircut and of course I was running late so I went through the village to get to the Ritz.  Well it was my first time to see tires actually burning in the road.  I have seen then after the fact with the police already there but this time is different.   I was already past the village and on a road that curves around and traffic came to a stand still --I was about five cars back but could not see the problem but could see there were bricks all in the road like a truck had lost some of it's load.  The road was too narrow to turn around and several cars were behind me  so I just waited.  I could see men getting out of cars and removing shovels from their trunks---again I think it is the bricks.  Traffic begins to move and when I round the curve I see several tires and a box or couch in the middle of the road and the men are trying to get it where we can pass-----ok done that don't need to do again.

I know that I have talked to some of you about the bathrooms here.  This is in the ladies bathroom at the Ritz------

Not only does it clean but the seats are heated!!!!!!
The first time I saw this I was with a friend and she heard me laughing and said don't even try it!!!!!
Too funny.

For Valentines Bill and I received this:

And yes he is his father's son!!!!!

They had another snow day in Mississippi  6 inches in Brookhaven-----guess the global warming thing is fixed! Here are a few of the pictures we received:

I am ready to go out but my Daddy is being slow!!!!

Not sure if I like it but I was sleepy by the time Daddy was ready!

I am ready and LOVE IT!!!!

Please let me back in the WARM house!!!

We Love it too!

Brendon must have been throwing snowballs at him but I am sure he LOVED IT!!!

Rachel was in DC and this is her picture.  They got 18 inches of snow.

SAINTS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Worth getting up at 1:50 am to watch!

WHO DAT DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

WHO DAT SONG

Rachel sent this to me yesterday----Love it

Today is Super Bowl Sunday in the USA.  Bill and I are going to try to watch.  Being Saints fans for YEARS and this being their first time to go we have to try.  So as you guys are enjoying dips, wings and all the normal Super Bowl fare think of us watching eating breakfast casserole and orange juice!  I might have some cheese and ham but at 2:30 am -----don't think we want the normal things!
Geaux Saints!!!!!!!! 

Bill has made a decision!

He is going to quit smoking!  Matt is the reason.  What a wonderful reason to quit.  Remember him and let's encourage this!

Cheers!

Yesterday was the first sand storm of the year.  Hey we made it 26 days before we had one.   The wind was very strong and the skies were very dusty.

WHO DAT!!!!!

Having heard  this all my life------Hell might freeze over!

Truly got to love the Saints!

I am truly amazed at what Oil Pulling can do for sinus problems.  I have been so stuffy since returning and decided to Oil Pull this morning.  I can breathe!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was my new daughter-in-law's birthday------Happy Birthday Jessi.  Wishing you many more.

Bill and I went to the Country Club tonight for dinner.  We were so surprised that all the staff came over and welcomed us back and said they had been missing us.  Guess you never know.
Cheers!

Gosh I guess I am a grandma........ My 5 year old neighbor, Arianne, came and read to me today!!!!!

We are Back

One day while at home, Juliana caught me rocking Matt.  Of course, I had to read to him to get to rock him (HAHAHA).  I took out the book I read all the boys when they were growing up.  Richard Scary's Best Mother Goose-----
I sent an email when we got back referring to a Nursery Rhyme.

To market to market to buy a fat pig
Home Again, Home Again jiggity jig
To Market to Market to buy a fat hog
Home Again, Home Again jiggity jog

Last night I got a phone call from one of my very good friends I made in Ahmedabad.  They are having great sadness in their family.  I am so worried about her and the family.  One thing I have learned------good friends come into out lives unexpected but stay for a life time.

Adams Family Minus Nicholas

We sure missed Nicholas at the wedding.  We did include my Mom and Dad.  Beautiful Family don't you think?
The wedding was beautiful.  We did enjoy the day very much.  The newlyweds are in Jamaica for a week and loving life.
Bill and I enjoyed a couple of days in Birmingham with Ryan and Rachel.  We dined at Highland Grill while there and it was wonderful!!!! Good food and good company.  We even were joined by a "Fancy Kitty".   HA