Baby needs new shoes!

In case you all were wondering, Mr. Hinkelgruber and the elder Hinkelgruber son took off to "Lost Wages" for three days of drinking and debauchery. That leaves me on my own.  Ho, hum....what's a girl to do? Dine out, of course! Oh, and not to be outdone - I'll leave for "Sin City" in about ten days for five days with the best bud.

I started my plan for the holidays and have mixed up the first two batches of the most terrific chocolate chip cookies for holiday gift giving. I'm so excited - it's baking season!

And, the countdown begins...

Mr. and Mrs. Hinkelgruber have returned from the "Great Panama Canal Adventure."  Did you miss us?  This was, absolutely, a vacation that falls into the top five vacations we have ever taken!

For one moment, allow me to bore some of you (a few, bore again) with a few highlights: 

• We were among the youngest passengers on the cruise ship (yep, youngest!)
• We were among the most fit passengers on the cruise ship (yeah, us, most fit!)
• The Panama Canal is a most amazing piece of engineering, especially when you consider that it was constructed without the design help of computers (it was completed in 1913!)
• Six days at sea with nowhere to go but the Lido Deck is time well spent.
• And, Dorothy got it right...there really is no place like home!

As much as it is a relief for some of you to know that Chef Hinkelgruber is back in town, believe me, we also, couldn't be happier to be back, in our own kitchen, eating our own food.

Oh, the title of this posting?  There are only 57 days until Christmas!

One week and then....

With fall in the air, a regular addition to the menu is grilled cheese and tomato soup.  Mrs. Hinkelgruber's best friend correctly identified this as a sometimes ruse - maybe we will be eating at home and maybe we won't.  Readers:  BEWARE!

And, sports fans, in case you hadn't been paying attention, there's only one week 'til Mr. Hinkelgruber and I jet off for our biggest adventure in a long, long time - the Panama Canal!  And you know what that means?  I won't be posting for about three weeks!  (Oh, and no home cooked meals, either!)

I know what you DON'T want....

In three days, Mrs. Hinkelgruber's best friend will be as old as Mrs. Hinkelgruber.  And that means, old!

And, that means Mrs. Hinkelgruber needs a dessert for Sunday's dinner that's not beer ice cream.  But, that doesn't mean I know what she wants!  It'll probably be something chocolate...or not...maybe something with fruit...or nuts....oh, who knows - it'll be good!

Fall is coming...

It's raining...oh, yeah...you all looked out your windows and saw that, didn't you.

We went wine tasting yesterday with some friends and had a terrific time.  Had a great lunch at a little Mexican place that is ridiculously inexpensive.  So, in the interests of the economy, I made up for that with the amount of money I spent on wine.  Gotta stock up!?!  Winter's coming!

And they said it wouldn't last!

Well, OK, I don't really believe anyone said that, but Mr. Hinkelgruber and I celebrated 28 years of wedded bliss!  I simply find it hard to believe we've been married longer than we haven't.   We celebrated by going to a restaurant we've been going to since even before we were married and got to reminisce with the owner.  Our lives have been decidedly happier than hers - especially in the past two years.

This is the younger son's last week at home before returning to college. And, it's a mixed blessing, seeing him go.  But, three short terms of college left and the grown-up world will await him!

OK, I got warm!

Well, you'll notice that this week's menu is a day longer than usual - we're back from vacation and Mr. Hinkelgruber is back to cooking meals. Funny what a week of restaurant meals can do for you...(seven pounds, a feeling of slothfulness).

You'll also note that the menu is just slightly on the lighter side (see above!).

Our vacation was fantastic, but Sin City was unusually humid for the desert.  (You know that phrase, "But, it's a dry heat,"?  Turns out there's something to that.)  One day, the humidity was at 35%.  Now here in our neck of the woods, that's really not anything to think about. Combine it with 108 degree temperatures, and you get abject misery! But, I'm not complaining, mind you.  My feet got warm for the first time in a while - without the aid of a bottle of wine.  (That came later.)

Well, it's off to the gym - yes, I put it in print - that means I really have to go.  Only have five weeks until our next big adventure!