Restaurant supply store field trip

I took myself on the greatest field trip this morning after dropping Ol off at school. In need of a 20-quart stock pot, I had T conduct a brief search about which restaurant supply stores in our area got the best reviews: Best Supply on Morse St, NE. Oh my goodness, folks, this place is fab. A completely nondescript facade, it's sandwiched between two equally unmemorable store-fronts in a strip of warehouse-looking supply stores. As I drove down Morse, parking seemed to be "park where you can fit, at any angle" so I did, making sure to stay clear of the many fork-lifts and dump trucks going into and out of tall, dark entries. From the outside, you gain no expectations of what's to come. In fact, had a woman not opened the door as I approached, I'd have wondered if it were even open. But it was, and I had a ball. The ceilings were so, so high; a library-ladder would be a complete joke, and even an extension ladder might not manage to fit the bill. The rows were narrow, full of bins and shelves of plastic-wrapped odds and ends, sheathed knives, rice cookers that looked like kilns, the biggest mixing bowl I've ever (!) seen, and so forth. I left with my stock pot (two of them actually) plus an assortment of other exceedingly well-priced items. I was fully on a shopping high when I left, assisted by a sweet man who carried my pots. If anyone in the DC-area is in need of good basics at NON-Sur La Table/Wms-Sonoma prices, I highly suggest a trip down to Best. It's open Mon-Sat, 8a - 4p!

Thoughts on making roux on a hot day

This was last week, before the temperature drop which forced me to retrieve carefully and happily-packed-away items from the kids' "winter box." Grr.

Happy almost Earth Day rather

Ok, so it's tomorrow but it's never too early to start thinking more about our planet, for the love! Remember how a few weeks ago I spoke about how marvelous it was to be surprised by someone you think you know to the cell? Well today my little Jack shocked me again. I thought we would never release his bike from training wheels but we did, and within a week, he's gone pro. New electric green bike, all gears and brakes and shocks and stuff, just riding to beat sixty, up and down the alley, round and round the cul de sac he goes. It's just awesome. It's so often the little things, you know? At present, Nutmeg is trying to beat the crap out of Percy. Poor pug, first the boys displace him and now the cat tries to play by scratching his eyes out.

Meal two for my sweet older couple will be a beef stew I thought they'd like, rice for the gravy, strawberries and salad. I'm excited to see them tomorrow, and after putting aside their share, T and I enjoyed this for dinner. As my friend, Lili, feels, rice and gravy is SO comforting. True that!

PS- you know what drives me crazy? When you open a new box of Kleenex and they're so tightly encircled that the first few tissues you (try to) pull out, tear into irritatingly small and wasteful, useless bits? There's gotta be some technological work-around here!