A Random Day of Comfort, Clutter, and Creatures

The recipe in yesterday's post? One word: yummy. It had just enough spice to warrant a "Wow, this has some kick" comment, but wasn't unbearable. The heat was from the chipotle peppers in it, which also gave the dish a nice, smokey flavor.

To continue on the comfort/warm food for a cold weekend theme, we're having this beef stew tonight for dinner:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_34271,00.html

It's another recipe from Tyler Florence, so we're hoping it will be as good as the enchiladas last night. The prep may be daunting at first glance, but it's a lot easier when 2 people do the work.

This morning we were in search of some comfort for breakfast. We decided to try a diner that we've talked about trying since we first moved here. It's in a block next to a small hardware store, and from the looks of the place, it looks like a good greasy spoon. Walking in this morning, we saw the usual country-type knick knacks in the entrance foyer and thought, this is going to be good. We were a taken a little off guard when we looked at the menu. In addition to the usual breakfast and diner fare, there was a whole section devoted to Korean dishes. We should've known, it was apparent that a Korean family ran the place. So now we have to go back. In addition to a good breakfast place (the pancakes, omelets, and biscuits and gravy were delicious) we have Korean "diner food" we need to try.

Last week I noticed the following random post-Christmas "scene" on our dining room table which made me laugh:

So while all of the other Christmas stuff has been put away for another year, there were a few remnants left. (I didn't arrange these things, by the way. They just happened to fall into an organized mess). The red tablecloth which desperately needs to be washed and put away. My Grinch pin. The head (the orange blob) of one of our Dr. Seuss ornaments which needs to be glued back on. 2 Sharpie markers which need to join their (24!) other friends in the Sharpie bin. The poinsettia which isn't dead yet, and which I have a hard time just throwing away. A button and safety pin, just 'cause. A candle which needs to go up to my desk.

One last crazy sighting today. While I was helping Stein in the kitchen today, I saw something fly onto the fence in the backyard. I looked up and saw a HUGE bird sitting on our fence. I immediately told Stein to come to the window to see this creature. I thought it may be an owl or something. I had no idea what is was. Stein told me it was a falcon. I know you may not believe us, because it flew away before pictures could be taken (sounds like a Bigfoot sighting to me). But really, it was pretty cool. I don't think I've seen a bird this large (aside from wild turkeys) this up close out in the "wild", so it was a first for me. I don't know where it may live, but it seemed very out of place in our backyard. We only see sparrows, hummingbirds, cardinals, robins, and blue jays, but never falcons. How lucky that we were at the right place at the right time.