SOUFFLÉ

I read about a recipe for a cheese soufflé recently.

It is credited to the great chef, Jacques Pépin.

Actually it is credited to his mother, Maman Pépin.

As the story goes when she was first married, at age 17, she did not know how to cook but she knew her 22 year old husband liked cheese soufflé.

A friend supposedly told her it was simple: a white sauce (béchamel), cheese and eggs.

Since she was French, even though she did not know much about cooking, she did know how to make a white sauce.

So she made the dish.

But surprise!

She did NOT know that in a soufflé the whites of the eggs are separated from the yolks.

However, the dish puffed up, was cheesy and was a great success for many years to come.

So, I followed Jacques telling of the recipe.

He makes his with Gruyère cheese, for the nutty flavor.

I only had a little less than 4 ounces of Gruyère but added another 6 ounces of Swiss cheese.

I don't know if it made any difference but the dish was incredibly, deliciously cheesy.

That little green thing in the center of the picture is NOT a price tag.

It's a piece of minced chive.

And I received the ultimate compliment.

SWMBO said "I think this recipe is a keeper."

My tummy and my ego are both happy.

SATURDAY SERENADE

Ah, the news, the news.

It's enough to drive one mad.

So, as a public service, I offer up a few moments of sanity from a man of the past. 

Franz Schubert - Austria: 1797 - 1828

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Y'remember yesterday?

Oh, c'mon, I know you remember yesterday, don't you?

Okay, then we're in the same boat.

But I remember yesterday for one reason.

It was ThrowBack Thursday.

And why is that important, you ask?

Because then I can remember that today is FRIDAY!

And you clever readers know what that means . . The Friday Funnies!

Once again I've had to clean out my humor/humour bank a bit and therefore you just have to read this week.

No funny memes (that means cartoons, oldsters), just words to make you laugh.

So get ready.

Get set.

GO!

Okay, okay, I know this is a cheat, considering what I said at the top but THESE GUYS JUST KEEP BUGGING ME!

So, as always, here they are.

That's it.

I swear that's it.

What more can I say anyway?

Except, have yourselves an exceptionally enervating weekend!

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oh, man . . .)

THROWBACK THURSDAY

 I haven't done a ThrowBack post for a long time but today's the day, thanks to my friend, Timmer the photographer.

I don't know how long ago these photos were taken, or where, but I do know none of us have looked this way in a long, long time.

Jeanne, aka the Beaner, and I

Jeane, Judy (aka SWMBO), and I

On second thought I think these may have been taken in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Tim and Jeanne came down from Denver and we drove up from Phoenix and we met there for a spring break weekend.

Whenever or wherever, good times with good friends.

Tim and Jeanne are celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary this Saturday.

SYTTENDE MAI

 How could I have forgotten!

After all Ancestry.com has told me I'm something like 80 percent Norwegian.

And my late uncle, Zenas Howland Taylor, celebrated his birthday on this day.

This is called in Norway, Norwegian Constitution Day because the constitution of the country was signed on May 17th, 1814.

So what do we eat to celebrate this great day?

Norwegian meatballs.  These are served in gravy.

And lefse!

That's a soft Norwegian flatbread made of flour, butter and milk and the best kind includes mashed potatoes.

It's delicious buttered, sugared and rolled into a tube.

But while many Norwegians eat this, you can leave it out of my diet.

The legendary Lutefisk!

It's a dried whitefish like cod that is brined in LYE, then soaked (allegedly) to get rid of that taste, then steamed until it flakes.

It smells horrible and it may be the reason that Norwegians who eat this stuff accompany it with generous topes of beer and Aquavit.

But that's just me.

I have heard that many people of Norwegian ancestry in my home state of North Dakota love the stuff.

There's just no excuse for some people.

RAINDROPS ARE FALLING ON MY . . .

 . . . Blue Birdbath.

SKY SCENE

KITCHEN GOODIES

 Here's the latest from the Taylor Family Kitchen.

The Old Man hit the kitchen early to bake up a dozen Banana Muffins.

Meanwhile his lovely companion and Master Cook created two beautiful Spinach Salads yesterday.

As my Dad used to say "we're eatin' pretty high off the hog!"

FOR ALL MOTHERS

 Today is Mothers' Day . . a day devoted to honoring all mothers, step-mothers, grandmothers, nanas, grans, or whatever you call them.

So here's a couple of pictures of my Mom.

Check out the stylish marcelled hairdo.

The flicker of a smile -  she must have been thinking ahead to Oddball Observations.

A typical North Dakota day with her son - looks like she may have been dragging me to church.

I lost her a long time ago.

She died in 1953 at the early age of 49.

I was just 13.

I wish I'd been able to know her when I was an adult.

The mother I know the best I've lived with for over half a century.

She raised three children and it may just have tuckered her out.

The incredible Judy, aka She Who Must Be Obeyed, in a moment of repose.

For all of the mothers we celebrate, honor and love today, here's a little special gift from your offspring.

Happy Mothers' Day!

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Today is a Red Letter Day!

It's because my wife, Judy, aka She Who Must Be Obeyed, is celebrating her birthday.

As of today, she's thirty-one-thousand seven-hundred fifty-five days old!

Now putting 31,755 candles on her birthday cake would be a bit of a stretch, even for someone as adept as the Catalyst.

So I'll just quietly wish her a Happy Birthday.

So you're probably wondering what I got her for her birthday.

Well I gave her some advice:

So that's it.

My Great Leader's birthday AND The Friday Funnies.

How can you top that?

I'll tell you.

By going full steam ahead, pulling out all stops, and having yourselves a really wonderful weekend.

Here the whole weekend is Prescott Valley Days, with a parade, a carnival, food trucks, and entertainment.

And Sunday is Mothers' Day.

Gadfrey!

I think I'll go take a nap but before I go one gentle reminder: Always Keep Laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oof, there goes my nap . . .)

SWIZZLIN'

 My wife laughs at me because I insist on stirring the drinks I make at home with what's probably now an antique swizzle stick.

I got it many years ago from a then-popular restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Trader Vic's was one of a Polynesian-themed chain that was a big hit across the country and certainly in Arizona with it's tiki-statues and it's "authentic(?)" food and drinks of the South Seas.

I loved the place.

And I've had this swizzle stick ever since, even though the restaurant closed in 1990.

It's made of plastic and I'm amazed that it's lasted all these years.

But maybe it's the Menehune.

They are a mythological group of dwarf people in Hawaiian culture that supposedly pre-date the arrival of people from Polynesia.

Well, Trader Vic (Victor Bergeron) bought into the mythology and they were featured on his menus.

AND on his swizzle sticks!

I don't know about their mystical powers but they've sure kept my swizzle stick safe all these years

Now watch.

I'll probably break it tomorrow.

COOKERY

 Okay, not to brag, but today I'm cooking a meat loaf.

And a couple of baked potatoes.

I say, no brag, because when I looked up the recipe in my binder it said "Judy's Meat Loaf" and knowing her like I do I followed the recipe to the letter.

It's pretty simple anyway and there's a note that says I made it in 2017 and it was "easy and delish!"

So what more can I say.

Just wait a half hour or so and I'll have a picture.

Okay, been waiting long?

Here it is, in all it's glory.

There's nothing quite like a good meat loaf.

And this one (thanks Judy) is one of the best.

Accompanied by a baked potato smothered in butter and sour cream and chives, and Judy's sauteed asparagus, you just can't beat it.

Even if it's just "simple food".

THE THINKING MAN

 

CORONATION DAY

"There'll always be an England

And England shall be free

If England means as much to you

As England means to me."

--popular song written by Ross Carter and Hughie Charles in 1939

Not sure about the monarchy, though.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 HEY!

It's Cinco de Mayo!

And you know what that means.

Well, that's in the United States of America.

Meantime, in Mexico, here's how the day is marked.

You see, Americans have it all wrong.

While the 5th of May does commemorate the day the Mexican Army defeated the French at the Battle of Puebla, the French regrouped and later conquered Mexico.

So Mexicans in Mexico don't really celebrate Cinco de Mayo much.

Their big day of festivities comes on September 16th when they celebrate Mexican Independence Day.

Just so you know.

Meanwhile, speaking of celebrating . . .

Well, I'm afraid that's it for another week.

Now you have to get serious about having a sensational weekend full of roisterous revelry.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .