Well, after long thought (OK, 17 seconds) I've decided the Hinkelgruber family menu should be brought to the web. A couple of things for you to remember: no substitutions (Charlie's not a short-order cook, after all), and change is inevitable - Charlie may not feel like cooking kim chee on a Tuesday! Oh, and there is one request: if you're joining us for dinner, please either call or text the Scary Lady (you know the number - if you don't, you're really not invited).

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Posting just gets more difficult...

Somehow, our internet server thinks I'm in Thailand, so figuring out how to put up a new post would be much easier if I read Thai! A beautiful alphabet, I assure you, but absolutely impossible for me to read! Anyway...

The Hinkelgruber Christmas holiday was terrific, beginning with a fun, fun, fun Christmas Eve party! Nearly all of our favorite people were there (I'm sure some couldn't make it, but after the second glass of wine, I couldn't tell you who it was that we missed.) Christmas morning brought a brand new bicycle to Mrs. Hinkelgruber and I took every opportunity to ride it Christmas Day. And the day after Christmas...And I'd be riding it right now, too, if it weren't raining so hard. (Yep, I'm a "fair weather" rider. Well, I don't have rain gear, but who knows how that might pan out!)

As New Year's Day approaches, the question becomes, "Take down the Christmas tree before New Year's or after?" Today I'm leaning to after.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Cheese balls, brie en croquette, chips and wine. Do we need anything else for Christmas Eve? Probably not. Oh, we'll get a ham and then let everyone else bring everything else.

It's the holidays - we're keeping this week's short! Happy Holidays, everyone!

Sunday, December 14, 2014

The countdown begins...

I really do know that the Twelve Days of Christmas begins the day after Christmas and is to count down to the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6, but my countdown begins now. Cheeseballs, cookies, maybe even a Buche de Noelle - it'll be a cooking/baking frenzy for the next ten days or so.

We took a beautiful drive up the Gorge yesterday and I do mean beautiful! I've never been at Crown Point when there has been no wind until yesterday. The last time Mr. Hinkelgruber and I were there, the wind was blowing so hard I didn't get out of the car and I wasn't certain Mr. Hinkelgruber would be returning to it! But yesterday, there was just barely enough wind to sweep out the fog. And once it did, oh, the pictures Mr. Hinkelgruber caught! We continued on to Hood River, picked up a wine shipment and learned about Camp 1805 - a new distillery in Hood River. I can tell you the bartender there knew how to mix a Sazerac - wow! - did it hit the spot!?!


Sunday, December 7, 2014

Day two of no rain?!? In December?!?

Mr. Hinkelgruber and I went to the beach last week and had three days of sunny weather. At the coast. In December. Oh, and then Wednesday night came and it rained...and rained...and rained...
The drive home was so rainy, daylight was never above a dusk light. We got back into town and the street lights were on - at noon! Oh, well, we had a great respite as a lead-in to the frenzied holiday season.

The holiday decorating is done. If it's artificial, it's here! When I mentioned that I really would like some greenery so that the house would smell a little bit seasonal, Mr. Hinkelgruber said, "I think we could find one of those little pine-tree air-fresheners..." That's a tad too artificial for me.

I'll be taking a knitting class this Tuesday - I'm finally going to learn how those Scandinavians make their stranded, Fair Isle garments. We'll see if I'm not too old to learn!

Oh, and for those of you who read this, we'll be having our annual Christmas Eve bash again this year. Come on over any time after 5:00 pm and bring something you consider finger-food. Oh, and if you want to participate in our version of a gift exchange, 10 lottery scratch-off tickets.