Mr. Moon and I met up with Lily and Maggie and Owen and Gibson at Chow Time for lunch.
Our favorite place to sin.
Oh my.
You know, most buffets have food that is really not so good and I'm not going to say that most of the food at Chow Time is good for you but if all I ate when I went there was the hot and sour soup and some boiled shrimp and a little sushi, I would be completely happy. SO GOOD!
But no, of course I have to get a little rice, a spoonful of this, a spoonful of that, a spring roll...you know.
It's always a good time. And everyone gets what they want.
And it's just fun.
Maggie wasn't feeling great and indeed, was sick two days ago although Lily said she was fine yesterday, so whatever she had may have "come back on her" as Glen's mama used to say. She felt a little warm to me today and had those sick-girl eyes.
Would you look at Owen? He's getting so very tall that I have to get on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. He is so loving to me and to his Boppy. He got teased a little today when Lily pointed out that Gibson's mustache is coming in faster than Owen's. Gibson will be 12 in March. But as we pointed out, Owen got more of the Norwegian genes from Boppy's side of the family and Gibson got more of the Italian genes from his dad's side of the family. And Italians are apt to have a little more facial hair than those people from the frozen north countries. Which makes no sense if you think about it.
Magnolia will be eight on Sunday. And then she and August will once again be the same age and all will be right with the world. There's a little recess in the wall at the entrance of Chow Time and Maggie always wants to get up there and use it for her own personal stage.
"Would you rather have a root beer float?" asked Lily. "You love root beer."
We also stopped by the Bad Girls Get Saved By Jesus thriftstore and had a good time, walking around there but we didn't buy anything. They had some nice small pieces of furniture that could reasonably have been sold in antique stores for a hell of a lot more money than they were asking, but I really don't need any more small tables or whatevers. There was a darling child's rocking chair that I would have bought in a heartbeat if I had a grandchild small enough to sit in it. Really lovely.
"I wonder what I'll make for myself?" he mused.
"Whatever you want!" I told him.
The good: the sheets are always clean and the bed is always old and comfy.
The bad: the houses are apt to be large and very dark and you may hear weird noises in the middle of the night.
"I worry when you spend the nights alone. Doesn't it bother you?" he asked me.
"No! I love it!" I said. And of course I do. I told him about the apartment I lived in by myself when I was quite young and that looking back now, I realize what a precious time that was.
And it really was although I fancied myself to be quite lonely. I don't think I was so much. I just wanted a boyfriend.
And I got one and that was the end of living by myself.
What are your thoughts on this?
Pancakes. Because you know- tradition.
i make spaghetti in the pressure cooker with frozen costco meatballs. 20 minutes and DONE. have a great visit <3 xxalainaxx
ReplyDeleteI do love a pressure cooker. I just used mine a week or so ago.
DeleteMy Mexican aunt married an Italian man, and she was the best cook EVER! When she made meatballs she always baked them first then put them in the gravy when it was done to keep everything warm. She said that cooking the meatballs in the gravy made them soggy. And when she didn’t make meatballs she’d use pig’s feet. I couldn’t stand seeing that on my plate so my cousin cut the meat off for me. YUMMY!
ReplyDeleteItalians around here say gravy, meaning red sauce! I love it. I once asked a daughter of an Italian family what her mom called the brown type of gravy. She said, oh, she never makes it, no need to name it!
DeleteCan definitely attest this is true--I didn't realize that brown stuff was called gravy by non-Italians, or even that it existed until college. Red sauce was gravy, and if we were fancy (i.e., my grandpa put all of the ground up saved meats in the sauce), Sunday gravy.
DeleteA lot of people say it's best to cook the meatballs first, then add to the gravy at the end. I was thinking that at some point I'll try airfrying them instead of cooking them in a skillet the way I did.
DeleteBoud and Ramona- yes, I have no idea how old I was when I found out that what Italians call gravy is what I would just call spaghetti sauce. I defer to the Italians! But I do make a very good brown gravy.
ooh boy, those grands are all smart and perceptive as whips, they are. Glad Gibson is having a Mer/ Boppy night...always much enjoyed by all. Spag. and meatballs.....I have been browning my meatballs first, then adding tomato sauce and simmering them gently in sauce till done.....then ladling over pasta. I too, grew up with *meat/tomato combo sauce*....that was just added in but I like my method better. Din. here tonite is fried rice, with creamed kale.....a veggie night for us and I welcome it after last nights spaghetti and meatballs!
ReplyDeleteSusan M
PS. my *requested* book *the covenant of water* finally arrived at library......I was #52 on waiting list....it's finally here!
I think Gibson had a good time.
DeleteThat's about what I did with my meatballs last night and they held together well.
Creamed kale? Really? Huh. I'll have to check that out.
You better get started reading that book! It's long! I sure did like it though.
I think the best meatballs are made with bread soaked in milk ; keeps them juicy and then fried and then put in the sauce.
ReplyDeleteSeveral recipes recommended soaking the bread in milk. I bet that makes a good meatball.
DeleteMy mother just made meat sauce. When we kids got old enough to "cook", we experimented with meatballs. I think my sister did best; she had an Italian best friend. My little brother experimented with green spaghetti for St P's day. Anyway, have a traditional time with your little black haired handsome grandson.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to remember when I first ate a meatball and I really can't. Probably at an Italian restaurant.
DeleteWhat was in your brother's green spaghetti? Do you remember?
We did have a traditionally good time with our Gibson.
I never heard of spag and meatballs growing up, learned them in the US. I brown the meatballs while the sauce is simmering, then add them in to serve. I think there's a NJ law about it.
ReplyDeleteWell, you don't want to piss off the Spaghetti and Meatball police in NJ!
DeleteIncidentally how did Maggie get to that age while I wasn't looking??
ReplyDeleteLady, don't ask me. I wasn't looking either.
DeleteBrown the meat balls first. Otherwise you end up with mush.
ReplyDeleteI love how kids embrace tradition. I think it grounds them although they wouldn't get that.
I did brown my meatballs first.
DeleteI think you're right about kids and traditions.
I usually make the meat-in-the-sauce style but for the occasional meatballs try-out I have browned the meatballs, then simmered them in the tomato sauce, but I think they would be better if first browned, then slow baked in the sauce in the oven to really marry the flavours. I don't know anyone to ask, I don't think anyone I know makes meatballs with spaghetti. It probably helps if the meatballs aren't too big.
ReplyDeleteI think baking in the sauce would be a very good idea! Yeah, you don't want big ol' cannon ball-sized meatballs, do you?
DeleteWhen I make meatballs I cook them first then add them to the sauce to simmer for a while. Same when I’m using Italian sausage. We’ve got a chow time too but we haven’t been in a while. Now I’m definitely craving it!
ReplyDeleteXoxo
Barbara
Is your Chow Time good? I mean, better than the average all-you-can-buffet?
DeleteI hope you have a sweet time with Gibson. I always ask the same questions about foods that when I'm not sure and get different answers. Try both ways and see which you prefer.
ReplyDeleteI did a sort of combination. Brown and then add to sauce to simmer for a bit.
DeleteTradition rarely surprises, but it is a comfortable thing. I love the discussions you have with your grands. Iris is 5 and in school now and reading more and more. I can write her letters now! She told her mother that she wants to be an artist when she grows up. That way she doesn't have to go to college and she can always live at home with her mom and dad.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! That was so sweet- Iris wanting to be an artist so she can stay home with Mom and Dad. I think Gibson would secretly still love to live at home with Mom when he gets older but he sort of doesn't want to admit that.
DeleteI rarely go to all you can eat buffets because I like to try a bit of everything - and the end up feeling sick!
ReplyDeleteI have learned not to push it! But I still eat too much.
DeleteI prefer baking meatballs in the oven. I line a tray with foil then put a cookie cooling rack inside the tray. Cooking the meatballs on top of the cooling rack allows them to get crisp all over. I never had much luck frying them. They seemed to fall apart in the skillet. Alternatively, the NYT cooking app has a recipe for "Drop Meatballs" that I adore. Sometimes I get a hankering for it and have to break out the Dutch oven and whip it up. Mmmmmm. Maybe tonight is a good night for NYT Drop Meatballs.
ReplyDeleteI think that meatballs would do well in the air fryer. I saw that recipe for drop meatballs. I'll have to try them.
Deletedefinitely cook the meatballs first - I cook onions in olive oil first, then take the onions out of the pan and fry the meatballs. Why? Because that's what my Nonna did - tradition! ;)
ReplyDeleteI basically did the exact same last night- cooked some onions in olive oil, took them out of the pan and cooked the meatballs. Perhaps I have a bit of a Nonna in me.
DeleteI love a kid who loves tradition. You have the best family!
ReplyDeleteYou would adore Gibson!
DeleteI am lazy so I buy the frozen meatballs and warm them up in the sauce.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed your night with Gibson. My youngest son and his 2 boys will take me out for gyros tonight and then come back to my home for a movie. It's nice to have them living closer to me now.
That does sound nice!
DeleteI remember the first time Marc spent a week in Colorado with my brother my grandson came to spend a few days so I wouldn't get lonely. I'm always happy to see my grandson but being lonely was not going to be a problem.
ReplyDeleteHaha! No. Being lonely is not our problem, Ellen.
DeleteI am not a meatball expert. My mom was a meat-sauce person too. But Dave says cooking the meatballs beforehand browns them and helps them stick together, so that's better.
ReplyDelete(This advice is probably late coming to you!)
Is Chow Time the same place we went when I was there? It was some kind of Asian food buffet.
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DeleteWell, I took Dave's advice before I even read it.
DeleteNo. Chow Time wasn't here then. I took you to Tan's. I loved that place. Unfortunately, they're only doing take-out since covid. Chow Time is probably at least twenty times bigger than Tan's.
Tell Owen he can join my male children (now in their 40s--and with very dominant Scandinavian genes) in a special grouping. I call them the Norwegian Hairless Variety. :) Mary
ReplyDeleteExactly!
Delete