Halloween Flour

A very happy Halloween to you! It is my very favorite Holiday.

 The little people coming to my door to beg for candy or else they will perform some trickery. It is magical and anyone can dress and become anything and no one looks oddly at them.

 My daughter and I love the movie Meet me in St. Louis. 

Especially the Halloween sequence when the children terrorize the neighborhood with bags of flour screaming to the other children they killed someone; today I am going to find out what that is about.

After 20 minutes of research I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Minnelli made the whole thing up. There are hints that it was traditional in the early 1900 to throw eggs or flour at people upon knocking on their door. Perhaps offering the children a treat would keep you safe from mischief. No explanation was given for the scene in the movie. Did anyone ever ask him?

Lady Tamara www.HighlandTitles.com will not be at home tonight to observe the trick-or-treaters; she has accepted a photo assignment.

Have fun everyone!

Lords and Ladies I have enjoyed sharing my Breakfast Letters with you for this time and will continue to do so.

Happy Halloween!

Lisianthus

Every so I often I remember a sweater or blouse I once had and wonder what happened to it. I look in my closet and find clothes in there that I have to wonder “what was I thinking when I bought it”. Right now I have nothing that goes with nothing. Skirts that are in beautiful shades of greens and browns and not a green or brown sweater in sight, three grey sweaters and not a single skirt in grey, not a white or black top anywhere; my closet is an orphanage. To be honest it makes dressing a challenge… how can I make this look good. Today it will be pinstriped trousers in greys and a grey sweater, the challenge what to wear under the sweater.

Yesterday a photo circulated across the internet about the Old Guard at the tomb of the unknowns. It was them in the rain and was implied it was as of that morning and was in the onslaught of hurricane Sandy. It was not; it had been taken on another day during a rain storm. But the point was they will be there doing their job regardless of the weather. The photo finally caught the attention of the command and they posted a more public schedule. That included the meals that will be served to the soldiers to make it easier on them as they perform their duties. The photo had a profound effect on the masses that shared and passed it on. I love it when America randomly gets on the same rhythm for even just a moment.

Has anyone ever heard of a Lisianthus? I had not until a week ago and was amazed it is a flower that grows in the Southern United States. You can find it on the prairies of Colorado and Nebraska all the way to Texas where it is known as a Texas Bluebell.

 Just wild in grasslands but it is also cultivated for flower shops.  This is what caught my attention. Flower shops, I have never seen any of these in any bouquet or arrangement in any flower shop. In the wild they are blue but cultivated varieties can be various shades of lavender, purple, pink and white.

 There is also a double petal variety that looks like a rose. The name Lisianthus comes from the Greek words lysis, meaning dissolution and anthos, meaning flower. They are linked to feelings of romantic desire. Well that just explains why I have never heard of them. Apparently no one has felt romantic desire toward me. Lust yes, romance….mmmmm… apparently not. These do fairly well as potted plants and so I shall be hunting some down this spring. They are very beautiful.

Lady Tamara  www.HighlandTitles.com has a meeting this morning and a dressing challenge so I must be getting at it.

What is your challenge today?

If it is what to get your brother-in-law for Christmas check this out  www.LairdOfLochaber.com 

$200 DNA

My brother has gotten caught up in the Ghost hunting and was up until well past his usual bed time a few night ago exploring. I know this because he called me well after 11 and was on the phone for about 15 minutes. His usual calls last about 6 seconds. He was asking me a hundred questions and telling me about this sight or that sight and who Richard was, I was amused.

My mother and the General had another conversation about ghost hunting and me. He brought up the subject of DNA with her as a suggestion for me to use and told her it was very in-expensive running about $200. Yeah…. Uhm that is not in-expensive and I believe the maternal line DNA test is more expensive than the male line test.

My Tony has informed me that I need to have my passport up to date. I need to verify the expiration date. Can I get a Scottish passport I wonder, one that actually will say Lady Tamara www.HighlandTitles.com ? When I asked him where we might go these were his responses. Russia, Honduras, Ireland. Anywhere! Well that just narrowed it down. My lonely French and English stamps will finally have some company.

 Lady Tamara www.LochaberHighlandEstates.com International traveler …hahah…. in her mind. He has told me twice in the past 10 years we would go to England to spend Christmas with his family. That never happened. He took some teenager with him. This may be different. The company he works for told him to get his papers in order so he passed that request on down to me. I would be happy even to go to Canada, Barbados or Cuba. He does follow through on most trips he mentions; New Mexico, Nevada, California several times, Colorado twice. What I really want is to get to Scotland already. It is part of an Island they have boats. Tony tell them you want Scotland!

Horatio was all over the place this weekend. Everywhere I went there he was. It almost felt as though he was stalking me. STOP!!

I have started the search finally for a formal for the gala I am Chair of and it is NOT going to be easy. I will make it fun but it will definitely Not be easy. I checked two stores and found nothing but short one shouldered Satin. NO! I am not an overly skinny, could be a teenage boy 32 year old. I am a woman. I have woman curves. I want a gorgeous Oscar de la Renta mess of a ball gown. 

I want a designer who understands women are supposed to have a shape other than stick and I want it red! I have a vision and I call it The Impossible Dream, and it is red.

Lady Tamara www.LairdOfLochaber.com must now go make pumpkin spice donuts.

If you come across a red ball gown let me know.

Wheat pinwheel

I had no internet connection. So I went to the box to mess with it and when I came back my unique signature is not even registering. I or rather it does not exist.  Disturbing.

Even more disturbing is as I changed paragraphs just now the font type, size and color just changed to something completely different. After several attempts I have had to start over.  Must be the chill in the air; I should have made a larger press of coffee.

Shaggy made some strawberry muffins yesterday out of some late season strawberries. She thinks they are tasteless and horrible (The muffins) I think they are good. If she had added a wee bit of mace they would have been amazing! We have been using unbleached flour when she decided on our last trip to market she wanted to use whole wheat, unbleached, flour. I told her that the taste of everything we bake would change. She braved onward with her idea. 

OK. So I think that is in part what she tastes. This flour also behaves a little different when used. It is great in the pumpkin cookies. I like it in the muffins I can taste the wheat.

 However the pizza I made last night was odd. I made biscuit dough from the flour and some crushed rosemary then rolled it into a pan. I spread on some tomato sauce I had left over from marinara sauce I made over the weekend. Layered on some Mozzarella, pepperoni, onion, mushroom and then some Romano, Parmesan and asiago   cheese. I could still smell the sweetness of the wheat and my appetite vanished. I could see my taste for pizza forever being marred so I rolled the whole thing up and sliced it into pinwheels and baked it. The aroma coming from the kitchen was wonderful. I started to think maybe I could eat or at least try a bite.

 The wheat, rosemary and pepperoni were all meshing into a vapor of yummy. I pulled it out of the oven and after it cooled I nibbled on a bite. Not too bad. It did not look like a pizza and neither did it smell like a pizza so I was not expecting it to taste like a pizza.  My pinwheels were a mouth pleasing combination of tart tomato, spicy pepperoni, sweet wheat, and smoky cheese all at once. The contrast was beautiful. All I needed was a sassy 2009 Pinot Noir.

I still have no internet. Did Frankenstorm change direction and head for Texas?

Lady Tamara www.HighlandTitles.com is going to go shake that little black box until it bleeds!

Success!!!! Got my Scottish Warrior Lady skills on it and triumphed! Boudicca!!!! Yes she was my ggggggggggggg great grandmother.

What battle will you win today?

Bay Laurel

There I was driving to the office when right in front of me, practically on top of me onto the east runway lands a commercial air liner.So, you may think. But the East runway is on a military base. Commercial airliners land on those in emergencies. The last time I saw that happen was in Alaska. I of course get to the office and ask at the news room about it. They are not sure but it might be Clinton and his entourage. I make a call to the man who knows it all and he calls back with the info it is a group of delegates on a goodwill tour of some kind. Interesting….

Yesterday I created baked macaroni and cheese. Making rue and then turning it into a cheese sauce and browning up the bread crumbs and baking it into a hot mess in the oven. I have never baked it. I usually just create a cheese sauce, mix it with the pasta and serve. Oh this was soooo delicious.

 My grandson’s sperm donor made one for thanksgiving one time and it was so gooey and ooey and it is all I wanted. I could have been happy with just that, no smashed potatoes or sweet potatoes or dressing or turkey or Brussels sprouts. Mmm… Anyway as I was creating Shaggy was reading the recipe to me and it required a bay leaf be added during the initial creation of rue, ok I added two small leaves and proceeded to cook. Shaggy who has watched me cook and knows I use bay leaves in several dishes asks me what is a bay leaf and what it is for and are they edible. Why use one? Great questions and I wondered the similar ones myself so this morning I am going to find out. Join me?

I have just poured another cup of pumpkin chai tea and am enjoying the health benefits of that wonderful spice cardamom we learned about so let us study the bay leaf.

Bay leaf, the aromatic leaf of the Bay Laurel; the leaves are used in cooking for their fragrance and flavor especially in soups and stews in the Mediterranean.  The leaves do not attain their full flavor until several weeks after being picked and dried. The leaves have been cultivated since ancient times starting in Asia Minor and spreading to the Mediterranean. It is not grown in northern climates as it does not tolerate cold. The leaves taste bitter if eaten whole. They are prized for the fragrance they impart not the taste. The tree can grow up to 40 feet tall.

In ancient Roman and Greek cultures the Laurel was an important symbol of honor. In the Elizabethan era it was pinned to a pillow on the eve of St. Valentines feast day and it was said you would dream of your future spouse. Bay leaves were believed to contain magic.

They can be used in soups, stews, and vegetable and seafood dishes. Cooked in these dishes but removed before serving. They are harsh to the digestive system. The leaves can be crushed, ground or added whole however, they impart more flavor when broken but are harder to remove. This is why they are used more often in crushed form in a Bouquet Garni. Ground leaves add much more flavor but may not leave a desirable texture.

Bay leaves are used to repel insects in the kitchen cupboards. Scattering the leaves about will ward off, silverfish, cockroaches, meal moths and flies.

The leaves have been used to treat High Blood Sugar, Migraine Headaches, Bacterial and Fungal Infections, and Gastric Ulcers. Bay berries along with the leaves have been used for astringent, digestive, diuretic, and several other stomachic properties. Bay oil is used for bruises and sprains. It helps the body produce insulin more efficiently which leads to lower blood sugar levels, calms headaches and migraines.

Lady Tamara www.LochaberHighlandEstates.com is now going to decorate her pantry and cupboards with bay leaves to keep out the bugs who may decide her home is a grand place to live. I think she will investigate bay leaf wreaths too. I imagine they smell divine. 

Mother's Champagne

Dinner at Mothers was a weird adventure.

Weird thing number one she did was encouraging us to take the half full bottle of Champagne that was left after the floor party. My mother does not drink. So her encouraging us to have a glass was odd. I poured Shaggy a glass partly because she likes Champagne but also partly if Mom was weird I would shock her back with her Grandbaby drinking. It did not work which was odd. So I poured myself a glass and drank it, picked up the bottle and carried it back to her place all the while feeling like I had stepped into a John Woo film and it was about to turn weirder. It did; weird thing number 2. Retired Brig. Gen. X.

I show up at Mothers last night to find her very animated and a little fussed. Her floor had a party which she helped hostess so I expected there to be a bit excitement. The party ended at 5 we arrived at about 5:45. My plan was to give her time to wrap up the party and get back to her apartment and relax before we arrived. Notice I said my plan. Her plan was the same right up to the moment Retired Brigadier General  X showed up. He was new to the facility, having lived there less than a month. It was his first encounter with a floor party. Mother noticed him lingering afterwards so she went over to chat him up. She liked him and he is also very interested in Ghost Hunting (my phrase for genealogy) so she kept him chatting in the hopes I would arrive. I did but about 5 minutes after he left. She finished her goodbyes and picking up, cleaning up, and moving the trash can. She was in a hurry to get back to her apartment. We no sooner opened the door stepped in and she turned on me and scornfully asked what took me so long she had cornered a General and was waiting. She has never been a match-maker mother so this amused me. She was NOT amused. She proceeded to enlighten me about him. “Whoa  Mom! Are you trying to say you were holding him prisoner until I got there because you were trying to set me up with him?” Yes came her reply. Shaggy and I both laughed. “WOW Grammy I cannot believe you are trying to hook my Mom up with a guy in a retirement home!” We laughed again and finally she grinned and sat down.

I am sure she will continue in her pursuit of match-making. I could tell she was a bit hurt we had laughed at her actions so after a few hours I asked her about what she discovered about the General. She perked up told me all about his family and what size apartment he lived in and then he went from being 50 to 60 and then to no older than 70. It was too much! Then mother calculated that the reason he was in such a small unit was because his ex-wife had taken all his money. So you are trying to set me up with a broke General? I am thinking. This almost causes me to laugh again.  She then tells me he is a bit heavy. Oh so he is broke and fat? More squelched giggles.  I am sure I will meet him.

Lady Tamara www.LairdOfLochaber.com and General X

Sounds more like a novel. Could be a James Bond story,

 Maybe Jason Bourne is involved, 

or The Saint.

Who did your mother set you up with?

Lady Mother

I had composed a beautiful letter yesterday as things happened so it was like a running dialog, the Butterfly fell into a coma last night and it took me 15 minutes to revive her and when I did the letter I had written was gone. I had not saved it because I was working on it. The magic and poetry of that letter are gone. The desire to rewrite it does not exist. What is left is a large black hole, an  abyss, and near the bottom dismal longing for the return of the whimsical tales I was weaving yesterday of my life. 

It spoke of the 3 battalions of infantry that marched through the townhouse above me,

 the staging that was built for the entire Chinese acrobatic team to perform on, which they did. 

The early morning calling of the cat that lives up there known as Figaro.  What it eluded to was the lack of sleep I received because of all of that.

It spoke of the new trend in driving that I was taught was taboo, the changing of lanes in the middle of an intersection. It is not a random occurrence it happened twice by two separate vehicles a mere 20 minutes apart. No signaling of their intent they just moved from right to left as soon as they entered the intersection. Yes they had lights, they were legitimate and the lights were green both times.

It went on to rant about the lack of return phone calls from businesses. I made three calls yesterday morning to three different businesses for three very different reasons and as of this morning I still have received not a call back. Two of the calls needed action yesterday.

I concluded my letter by saying that your mother would adore owning a bit of land in the exotic Kingdom of Scotland where now she could be addressed as Lady. Like me Lady Tamara www.LairdOfLochaber.com . It may not be a title here but when I am responding to an invitation I include it. When I sit at a formal dinner my place-card addresses me as Lady Tamara Pearis www.LochaberHighlandEstates.com . Imagine her surprise Christmas morning when she opens the box you so beautifully wrapped in honor of her new title. www.HighlandTitles.com Even writing To: Lady Delores or Catherine or Violet or whatever her name is on the tag and watching her blush and giggle as she comments about why you did that only to discover inside a folder and in that folder a certificate proclaiming her new title for all the world and also the geographical location of her wee plot of land. Not only is she Lady Mother but a land holder in a foreign country. Imagine her bragging on it and you at her next Bridge Game.

Pumpkin Chai tea is calling me…..Good Morning!

Pat Down

Pumpkin Pie Bagel

 with some of my spiced whipped Marscapone and a steamy cup of creamy hot cocoa. Now if it were just misty and chilly outside and jewel toned leaves were falling from trees onto emerald hued grass.

 I could be contemplating a 45 minute drive to the Bailey farm for fresh apples I would slice into an apple pie for dinner. Just a few more moments of this day dream….

Last night Shaggy and I gave into a craving for Halloween decorated cookies from Panera. As we pulled into the parking lot guess who was coming out. Yep, Horatio and I am thinking that if there is not a crime scene and he took the last pumpkin decorated cookie there soon would be a crime scene and he would be invited. We rushed in and to our delight there were 2 remaining on the cake plate. JOY!!!! See you around Horatio!

Another pat down at the airport. Why me all the time. No matter which line, which airport it is always me. Women the size of the defensive line at Alabama with a feigned apology putting their hands on me, and when they discover nothing with which to further torment me they stab me with their anger. I think I should perhaps conceal a knife just to please them. Not to alarm anyone but I have gotten through security with scissors, with pepper spray and with a knife in the past. Exactly what are they looking for?

Here was a sight that gave me pause in Salt Lake. He was dressed in a white snap button shirt. You know the kind a cowboy wears with pearl snaps instead of buttons. Highly polished brown cowboy boots, blue denim jeans that were faded with wear, perfectly starched and creased: a bandana tied in what looked like a four-in-hand knot smartly laid around his neck. He could have stepped from a not so distant past. He was a cowboy but not a ranch hand he was the ranch king. What struck me about this poster child Rancher was he was hard working on something on a Mac laptop. It was surreal.

On the other side of the coin I saw a man in San Antonio dressed like a model for Hugo Boss wearing the foot shoes. He looked sharp right down to his ankles. I am all about sandals and bare feet but there is just something about those toe shoes that is not quite right. The man looked like he had Sasquatch feet. They appeared to be twice as wide as they were. It was comical.

I had heard on a radio show the DJs ask female callers if the man of their desire was to only wear sandals would it be a deal breaker. All of the callers I heard said yes. Since it is a national show I wondered wear the callers were from. So I had the notion to count the number of men waiting, at the gate I was at, that had on shoes and sandals. 28 men in shoes, 1 in sandals and 1 in toe shoes. In California I saw many more sandal clad men. I would not mind my man wearing sandals as long as his feet were well manicured.

People!! Check your bags!!!! I have to wait to get off a plane because you now need to wrestle with a large suitcase you put in an overhead bin? We cannot close the door and get to the take off because your suitcases will not fit in the overhead bins and now have to be stowed and oh!!! Look lucky you did not have to pay the extra $25 to fly your luggage! Dear airlines, Stop this madness!!! If it is bigger than shoe box make them check the bloody bag! The boarding and unboarding, deboarding, the getting off the plane as well as getting on will go so much smoother and faster and maybe the cleaning crew can actually have time to clean the inside of the plane. Dear Delta airlines you do NOT want to send me another survey.

I can hardly wait for my next flight. Weeeeehaw!!!!! I love people watching at airports. That 4 hour layover in Salt Lake was good fun and it flew by so fast. The things you see and hear.

Lady Tamara www.HighlandTitles.com just finished the pumpkin pie bagel so it is time to publish this letter.

Enjoy your day!

Love me some Marines

Being in San Diego for the past several days has been the remedy for an ailment I could not quite name. 

The anticipation of an adventure far from home, the different scenery, the weather, the company of a man who enjoys being around my caprice.  His texts all day that broadcast to me he was excited about our adventure.

We were gypsies all weekend. The first night we stayed in La Mesa.  He had wine and cheeses and crackers waiting in the room. He even had a bag of Godiva truffles knowing Godiva is my favorite.  He prepared this snack and served it, knowing in my world the real time was midnight and I was very exhausted.  Upon checkout I saw Batman and Alfred.  Batman was following and chattering away while Alfred got a bucket of ice.  But to be honest it was a little creepy to see a little boy dressed in a Batman costume at a hotel on a school day with an old man.  They were not being sneaky about their activity but what better place to hide…. Maybe they were a family and lived there.

We next moved to Carlsbad.  Lunch in Encinitas and then we toured a couple wineries, 

played at the beach for about an hour; had a wonderful day and dinner.

 Saturday we were at the Miramar Air Show by 9am.  It was huge! There had to have been thousands of people. Amazing shows all day and a performance from the Raptor that was unbelievable. If you ever see an opportunity to see it …GO! I have been to many Airshows and never had this kind of experience. 

The Marines were the best hosts. Pleasant, friendly, commanding, they were in charge but gently.  We experienced one take on a crowd of clueless people in his stern faced, drill sergeant voice and  get them regrouped and going the right way and then after our applause turn on us and with a smile bigger than his face greet us with a cheerful “Good Evening Folks”.  I felt safe and secure (unusual for me). They wanted to help. They even would hold Moola my Companies stuffed cow mascot for photos. 

The Airforce was not so inclined.  The night time show was spectacular with afterburner runs by an F-18 and fireworks and the Wall of Fire. 

My next stop was the Gaslamp District of San Diego . I explored the old buildings and their histories, tales and folklore.  I had a day to myself and as I enjoyed the down time I read a propaganda magazine about 100 things to do in San Diego. Next trip I am picking 10 and completing them. Probably not the kayaking though, that sounds like work.

Lady Tamara www.LairdOfLochaber.com loves this world exploring. I could write and photograph my way through it for the rest of my life. Is that a job? Are they hiring?