Some food-related (mostly) things we enjoyed this past week:
Anyone who has ever had a cat and an empty box in the same vicinity knows that this is the cat’s preferred method of “helping” to fill said box. They do it with suitcases too. My little assistant and I managed to get the bulk of the de-cluttering done, just in time for the movers to arrive and begin packing. Not to worry, I kept her and her sister in a closed room and out of the movers’ way, lest they “assist” themselves unnoticed into a moving box and onto the truck to be driven to Chicago over the weekend. Although I suppose that would have been one way to get them there, without the hassle and expense (and sheer terror) of flying with them. Kidding! (mostly)
We’ve been splitting time between Dallas and Evanston lately, exploring our new condo neighborhood while preparing to leave our Dallas home. It’s been a strange, stressful — yet exciting — time to say the least. Last weekend we discovered a great little sandwich shop just one block from our condo. We went for breakfast, and plan to go back for many, many more. Lunches too. The atmosphere is cozy and eclectic, and the breakfast sandwiches were amazing. We both had one of the specials — pepperoni, scrambled egg, white cheddar and tomato served on a “bialy.” If you’re not familiar with them, a bialy is sort of like a flat bagel. Great bagel taste and texture, without as many empty carbs. For a small sandwich spot, Delbe’s offers a very impressive variety, and the location could not be better. Well played, Evanston.
Pretty much every time he moves to a new home, Dan decides it’s a good time to get a new grill (thank goodness we haven’t moved very often.) For this move, a new grill was a necessity, since our old grill would have taken up the entire available space on our tiny balcony off the kitchen and living room. So, in a fashion typical of us, we down-sized yet upgraded at the same time, reasoning that our new, smaller, but top-of-the-line grill would last a long long time, through this move and any others to come (IT BETTER.) If the first, perfectly cooked filets are any indication, we chose wisely.
Back in Dallas to supervise the movers while Dan slaved away at work in Chicago, our dear friends treated me to a home-cooked meal this week. Dinner was delicious (P, write up your meatloaf recipe for me so we can post it!), but one of the very best parts of the evening was the post-dinner “Spelling Bean” with the kids. Since it was a school night, the kids needed to practice their spelling words for the week. Their mom came up with the genius idea of making this homework more palatable (quite literally) by offering the reward of a jelly belly for each word spelled correctly. Hence the name, Spelling “Bean.” Brilliant! Both kids are excellent spellers and it was a super fun way to end the meal.
So. Nothing quite makes the reality of a move more “real” than seeing the truck loaded with all your belongings drive away. The good thing is that we’ve spent enough time in Evanston to know that it is a great fit for us and we can see ourselves making a very happy home there. The bad thing is, that home won’t be nearly close enough to our Dallas friends. I haven’t quite wrapped my head (or heart) around not being able to meet up for lunches or dinners often and easily anymore, and I can’t begin to think about the “lasts” (last girls lunch, spa day or couples get-together in Dallas) without getting teary. But these lifelong friends are just that — friends for life. A little distance won’t alter that fundamental part of our friendships. And we happen to know that Chicago is a great city to visit, just a quick flight away. Also, this Texas girl won’t be able to go more than 6 months at a time without authentic Tex-Mex, so we’ll come back often! All will be well. (So why am I still crying?)
