The Last Chance Saloon is NOT CLOSING. I repeat: the Last Chance Saloon (right before you get on the aqua highway to the Keys) is NOT CLOSING. Zeke went there to get a drink last weekend and found this out the hard way. He told the server he wanted to get one last drink before it was gone and she went off on him, saying it’s NOT CLOSING, that they’ve lost a lot of business due to that rumor, that the affordable housing that’s going to be built, is going to be built around them and that her brother is thinking about suing The Miami Herald for printing that the Last Chance Saloon property was sold. So, I got that out of the way. Go have a drink there if you’re so inclined, as apparently they’re losing business due to false rumors. Foodie in Miami regrets having helped spread this rumor. Ahem…

Another corrections corner, apparently the recipe I published as Jennifer Aniston’s Salad (June 21, 2022) was not the actual salad the three stars of Friends ate every day for lunch. Aniston stated the salad was a Cobb and that she wouldn’t have put as many garbanzo beans in her salad as the one published, for digestive issues. It’s still a good salad, though.

Emma had a bunch of ground meat of different varieties leftover from her Hello Fresh meals that she didn’t use that she deposited into our freezer, so I had a ground meat dilemma. Our freezer was already packed so, I desperately tried to think of ways to use up the ground meat. I’d picked up a section of the New York Times on food to feed picky kids, but surprisingly, many of the recipes sounded good and used ground meats so I picked out a couple recipes to try.

I made Korean Meatballs for dinner Monday night with ground pork. It was an easy recipe and I would make it again, but feel it would have been better with a little sauce on top. It said to serve with white rice, but due to the Great Weevil Invasion of 2023, I was all out of rice in the pantry, so used some Trader Joe’s brown rice from my freezer (another contribution of Emma’s). I usually don’t like rice from the freezer, as it seems wasteful and expensive, but it was easy. You just put the plastic bag in the microwave and cook a couple minutes. I served it with Ginger Miso Soup (Trader Joe’s) and an Asian Cucumber Salad.

The next day for dinner I made a Homemade Hamburger Helper with Ground Beef. It was a definitely a more gourmet version of Hamburger Helper, with smoked paprika and white wine, but I can’t say it was a recipe I’ll make again. While delicious, it had ground beef, bacon and cheddar cheese (so, high in calories) and it took a while to make. When the first direction was: carmelize onions for 20 minutes, I knew I was in for a cooking marathon. Zeke, who grew up on the actual Hamburger Helper, loved it. It also makes a lot and since it’s only Zeke and I, there’s only so many times you can eat the same leftover. I tried to pawn some off on Emma and Gui, but they said they already had a ton of leftovers.

I saw the play El Huracan at The Gables Stage on Thursday night, as a Villager’s Fundraiser for the preview before the play started its run. I went with Kelley and Allison and we had dinner at La Fontana. We all got homemade pasta, mine a ravioli with creamy pesto and split a Fritto Misto. It was all very good and we luckily sat inside as the rain started and it was a deluge, perfect weather for a play about a hurricane in Miami. I enjoyed the play, written by a Miami native and Academy Award winner (for Encanto), Charise Castro Smith.

Saturday was the Historic Hunt for The Villagers. I volunteered to be on the committee at Kelley’s urging, but it occurred to me I should’ve actually done the Hunt one time before volunteering. The theme was Florida Female Pioneers and it took place in the Gables, Grove and Downtown Miami at 3 p.m. Hunters returned to the meeting spot, a Villager’s Home, after 5, for cocktails and appetizers. Shorty’s catered a BBQ dinner of Ribs and Chicken, Cole Slaw and Baked Beans. Fookem’s Fabulous Key Lime Pies was served for dessert.

A side note about Fookem’s- this is a guy (Josh Abril) in the Grove who started his Key Lime Pie business when the pandemic hit, since his reality TV show job halted and he couldn’t get unemployment due to Florida’s crashed system. He started making the Key Lime Pies with their signature Sea Salt Graham Cracker Crust and selling them in front of his house on Oak Avenue and on his bike/cart in the Grove.

They were a big hit and now he makes more flavors and also provides desserts to various restaurants. The Key Lime Pie was delicious- chilled, light and bright, with just a touch of salt and no eggs, for those with allergies (Kelley). My friend and faithful Foodie in Miami reader Peggy Rigsby sent me an article about this guy awhile ago and I’m so glad I finally got to try his pie! They are $25 and it’s best to order ahead.

Fookem’s Fabulous Key Lime Pies 3081 Oak Avenue, Coconut Grove 305 699-2122.

I went home, exhausted and got a good night’s sleep to recharge for Phoenix’s 2nd Birthday. As you may recall, Phoenix had his 1st Birthday at our house last year but Zeke and I were unable to attend due to the fact we both had Covid. We had to watch the festivities from the balcony above, so I was very excited to be hosting his party this year, IRL.

A.J.’s idea was to do a Pizza Party, with a bunch of toppings, where everyone makes their own pizza and we cook it on our Ooni Pizza Oven. I explained to her that making a homemade pizza isn’t as easy as it looks- it’s more of an art. The pizza dough and peel (the apparatus the pizza goes on) has to be room temperature, you need to make sure it’s not too cold or too warm, or it will stick. You need lots of flour and do a test run on the peel to make sure the pizza dough can move freely. Also, you can’t overload the pizza with toppings or it will be too heavy. So it’s a delicate balance and I didn’t feel like it was a good idea for strangers (and family) to be in my kitchen, willy nilly, throwing toppings onto pizzas.

I made four pizza doughs from scratch, bought three at Publix and made homemade pizza sauce (from the Ooni book). Justin grilled Chicken Wings, Sausages and Chicken Hearts (?) which he served with dipping sauces. They were really good and I had an appetizer platter of Pickled Eggplant, Pepperoncini and Caponata with crackers.

My first pizza was a Margherita (sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil and olive oil), keeping it simple. My second pizza was a Pepperoni with mozzarella, basil, Parmesan Cheese and Mike’s Hot Honey, modeled after a pizza I had at Krust in Tavernier. A.J.’s pizza was a fig jelly, blue cheese, caramelized onions and mozzarella pizza, with arugula salad tossed on after it came off the pizza oven. It was a fan favorite, as was my last one, modeled after Miami’s Best California Dreamin’. It had pizza sauce, artichoke hearts, goat cheese, plum tomatoes, spinach and mozzarella. Surprisingly, my party-goers preferred Publix’s Pizza Dough to my homemade one. I’m taking notes for my next Pizza Party.

Everyone had a great time at Phoenix’s Birthday, including Phoenix. I’d gotten him a Baby Shark cake from Publix Bakery which he LOVED. He squealed in delight when I showed it to him and then sat in a chair at the dining room table, right in front of his cake, looking at it in dizzy admiration. “Baby Shark, Daddy Shark, Mama Shark” he said, over and over. Wyatt showed him how to get a little finger full of icing to taste. That’s what big brothers are for! I made homemade Birthday Cake Ice Cream to go with the cake and another partygoer brought Ice Cream Sandwiches. We then sang Happy Birthday, which happens to be Phoenix’s favorite song.

It was a wonderful party, but soon everyone was gone and it was just Zeke and I. One of A.J.’s friends said “I guess next year we’ll be celebrating in Saint Augustine”. And soon they’ll be gone and I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself. It’s not like I think being a grandmother is the end-all-be-all of my life, but I am happiest when I’m with my grandsons. I’ll adapt somehow, I’m sure, but for now I’m sad and the party was bittersweet because I don’t know when we’ll all be together like this again.

But, first things first. I’m babysitting Wyatt and Phoenix this Thursday, Friday and part of Saturday, while his parents go to a concert with another couple in Saint Augustine. You can be sure this Gigi will enjoy each and every exhausting moment spent with my two little charges.

T.V. shows I’ve watched lately: Pamela Anderson: A Love Story (Netflix)- interesting. Chris Rock’s Selective Outrage (Netflix) where he addresses Academy Award Slap. Rom/Com Your Place or Mine with Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher, which I thought was totally stupid and predictable. I was surprised, because Reese usually makes such good choices, career-wise. I guess they can’t all be gems. I watched the movie People Like Us, with Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy and Julia Louis Dreyfus, which was really pretty funny, but I didn’t care for the ending. I started watching Working Moms (sitcom on Netflix), really funny and have been watching the first season of Arrested Development, which I always heard was funny but never watched until now.

Lastly, Zeke and I started watching Pretty Baby, a doc on Brooke Shields on Hulu. It’s good, but certainly sad to see how she was taken advantage of by her mother, Hollywood, the media, etc… A cautionary tale, for sure. I have to say I didn’t care for her movie- A Castle for Christmas– which I watched last Christmas. Totally predictable, Hallmark-esque. Not that Brooke was bad in it, it was definitely the script. It made me think I could write a better one, so maybe that will be my empty nester career move. Better Hallmark movie writer.

In good news for my writing career, the editor of Coral Gables Magazine emailed me that he was bumping up my pay for the Morris Lapidus article Lapidus Legacy because he thought I did an excellent job. I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback on that article and it was a labor of love, so I’m glad it’s finally been published. My story for Chicken Soup for the Soul: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone: “Yes, Lets!” (they changed the title) will be coming out in July of 2023.

I have a bag full of fresh Stone Crabs to eat (courtesy of John Schild) and a bunch of Tamales from Homestead (courtesy of Zeke), so we have good meals to look forward to this week. And I’ll have my two grandsons for the weekend. Life, as of right now (and what else do we have?) is sweet.

Up Next: My Spring Garden

Can you believe it’s almost February? I’m fully embracing 2023, drinking my green smoothies, doing yoga, taking long walks, eating out at new restaurants and socializing like a little butterfly! Fun, fun, fun. Also, I’ve discovered my “sweet spot” re: drinking alcohol. Two drinks = feeling good that night but also good the next morning. More than that, and I’m toast. Drinking less wasn’t a New Year’s Resolution, but it’s always a goal, although I didn’t go “all in” with Dry January. Cudos to those who did.

Sunday marked the Chinese New Year. Leaving behind the ferocious and unpredictable Tiger, we transition into the Year of the Water Rabbit. From last year’s predator to this year’s prey, the Rabbit is the luckiest of 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac. Rabbits represent serenity, abundance, creativity, affection and bonding. A social and communal animal, the Rabbit Year represents a peaceful, patient energy; 2023 is predicted to be a year of Hope.

We’ve already kicked off the year with a short trip to The Villages in Wildwood, Florida to surprise our friend Brooks on his 70th birthday on January 13th. We stopped at a place Zeke had read about for oysters (Oh Shucks!) on the way there, then sat at the high top Sharon had reserved and waited in eager anticipation for Brooks and Sharon to walk into Blue Fin restaurant. Brooks was so eager to score a stool at the bar for Happy Hour, he walked right by us- I think he was surprised!

We had a good time at The Villages. Zeke and Brooks played golf (although it was cold that weekend!), we all went to an Art Show Saturday and then to dinner with Sharon’s sister Sandie and Mom Connie that night.

Monday has turned into our Pizza Night and we are experimenting with different pizzas in my Ooni pizza oven. Monday night we made a Pesto, Artichoke Heart, Sun dried Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Pizza for dinner. It was delicious and we ate it, with a glass of vino, by the fire.

Tuesday night I returned to Sushi Garage with friend Sherida and ordered a couple new items- the Korean Pork Tacos ($9), Crispy Avocado Rice ($9) and 1/2 Salmon Avocado Roll ($5.50). The Pork Tacos were delicious; I would definitely order them again, along with Shishito Peppers and Tempura Shrimp Bites. Happy Hour is from 6 to 8.

Wednesday, stumped for what to eat for lunch, I baked a Sweet Potato and served it with Miso Butter (just 1/2 butter, 1/2 miso) and sprinkled it with Feta Cheese. A delicious, nutritious and easy lunch! Another lunch was Split Pea Soup (my favorite) and a little Ham and Cheese Sandwich in a Hawaiian Roll, sprinkled with Everything seasoning. Yummy!

Thursday Mercury turned direct (so no longer retrograde); in fact no planets are currently retrograde. So, green lights, make plans, sign contracts and go, go, go! Communication is back on track.

I babysat Wyatt and Phoenix Sunday from 5 a.m. (!) until about 3 p.m., as A.J. had a big event at Patch of Heaven Sanctuary. Wyatt was sick (it turned out to be strep) and Phoenix, as usual, was a little hurricane of energy. Child-proofing was invented for this kid and while I did my best to remove all breakable items, he still crawled on the coffee table and unceremoniously flung everything off in his path. I’d moved my glass candlesticks away from the edge of the table, but he stood up on the couch and tried to get them from the other side. Luckily, I was able to intercept him before disaster ensued.

There’s never a dull moment with Phoenix and, when I took him outside to water my ferns, he attracted dirt like a magnet. I gave him a bath, then fed him Spaghettios while Wyatt drank Gatorade and sipped chicken broth in bed. They were supposed to stay for dinner with their parents, but since Wyatt was sick, they got picked up early.

Emma and Gui came over to help us install the T.V. they’d gotten us (with Laurent and Eric) for Christmas and stayed for dinner. Besides the Meatballs, Sausage and Rigatoni Pasta, I also made Lemon Chicken Thighs, French Peas, Italian Salad with White Beans and crusty Italian Bread. Quite the feast, but no dessert. I’m just not into dessert these days.

One thing I am into is White Lotus, which we watched on our new T.V. in the Family Room. I’d already watched both seasons, but Zeke hadn’t and the first one takes place in Maui, right near where we stayed for our honeymoon. The second season takes place in Sicily and the third (not out yet) is set in Greece. It’s addicting and I can’t wait for Season 3.

First Lady Jill Biden has a great idea for entertaining, since her family gatherings are large and she often needs help. She puts Post-Its on dishes with instructions (like slice lemons, fill with water, chop vegetables) so everyone can assist with the meal. That way guests can pick their task and do it without having to bother the hostess. I think it’s brilliant and plan to use this idea for future large gatherings. People normally offer to help anyway and this takes the guess work out of it.

The Coral Gables Farmer’s Market is now open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until the afternoon. They’re only open for three months out of the year, so take advantage while we have this nice weather. The raspberries I’ve gotten at Publix lately (Driscolls) have been delicious, sweet and flavorful. In other grocery news, eggs have gotten super expensive, up 49% from November of last year to this one. This is due to the Bird Flu, which wiped out a lot of chickens, as well as other issues. Ironically, sometimes the Organic or Cage-Free eggs may be cheaper than the regular ones, so check the prices when purchasing.

The Villagers had a Member Appreciation Party last Saturday. Our President- the hostess- served Paella, and members were asked to bring an appetizer or dessert. I tried to think of what appetizer to bring for the Spanish theme; I settled on Dates, filled with toasted almonds and wrapped with prosciutto and a Warm Spanish Bean Salad with Smoked Paprika by Serious Eats cook J Kenji Lopez-Alt. Alas, I forgot to take photos of my dishes.

Both were hits, however, for the EASIEST solution to what to bring to a Tapas Party, I would head straight to Trader Joe’s. Serrano Ham, Manchego Cheese, crackers, fruit and Marcona Almonds would make a lovely Tapas Platter that would be welcome at any party. Make it easy on yourself!

I’m looking forward to the South Beach Food and Wine Festival next month, from Feb 23rd to the 26th. I got tickets to A Taste of Italy with Giada De Laurentis , where you walk around the Miami Design District tasting items from a dozen chefs using Wood Fired Ovens. The other event I signed up for was a Master Cooking Class for Pork Rolling Cakes hosted by Hy Vong at The Real Food Academy. I can’t wait!

So gather your cuddle bunnies, friends and family around you and enjoy the new, peaceful and happy vibe of the Year of the Water Rabbit.

Up Next: Inspired by Ina: Five Favorite Soups

Did I miss the Indian? I don’t want to miss the damn Indian.

Game Day Lady.

The Indian in question was the person at the beginning of the home games at F.S.U., dressed like a Seminole Indian, who would ride on to the field on horseback and throw a flaming spear into the ground to signify the start of the game. To my chagrin, I have found that I have become that old lady.

I HATE to miss the beginning of the Cane’s Football games, when they burst out of the locker room amid smoke and pounding music, I won’t watch a movie in a theatre if I’ve missed the beginning and I even want to hear the opening of my CBS This Morning Show, where a trumpet plays the theme song. I have grown attached to these initiations and rituals and feel disappointed if I miss them.

I don’t feel the same about the endings, however. I’ve left plenty of UM games at halftime, have walked out of movies I hated (Michael comes to mind) and don’t always watch CBS This Morning to the end, although I try. I’ve been thinking a lot about beginnings and endings lately, as it pertains to my life.

Jane Fonda said:

I divided my life into three acts of 30 years each, because every 30 years, I tend to change.

Jane Fonda

So, I guess I’m in the third act of my life and thinking about how I want it to go. I want to write more, spend more time with people I care about and become more of an activist. Like, when the lady next door who’s building her McMansion too close to our house goes to a hearing, I’m going to voice my displeasure that she gamed the system, by building first and asking forgiveness later.

And our Keys condo socked us with a huge assessment last year, which was a major hit, but Zeke and I agree we can’t complain if we never go to the monthly meetings (now on Zoom) and voice our opinion. So, basically, where I see injustice, I want to be a voice against it and not just personally, but overall. Now I sound like I want to be Wonder Woman, but of course I mean in whatever small way I can.

I got my Ancestry.com results and I was surprised to find I was almost as much Scottish (24%) as I am English (26%). Maybe that explains my frugality! My mother swears I act as if I was born in the Depression. I’m 15% Irish and 12% Southern Italian. In my 23 & Me results they said I was 13.9% Italian and Ancestry was more specific about the region in Italy, so I feel it gives more detailed results. I’m also 11% Welsh, 6% Swedish and 5% Aegean Islands and Greek, with 1% Nigerian. 23 & Me didn’t show me having any Nigerian DNA, so this is an interesting development. I feel a trip to Scotland, Wales and Ireland on the horizon, to go explore my roots.

I think third acts are also about exploring our past and looking to the future and what we want our legacy to be. How do we want to be remembered? And what do we want to do with the rest of this one precious life we were given?

My days in the Keys (Sunday through Wednesday) were peaceful and blissful. I saw the most beautiful sunset of my life Monday night (glad I skipped Final Jeopardy!), went paddle boarding Tuesday after a long hiatus, caught up on my reading and watched the heck out of Grace and Frankie. I ate out at two favorite spots- Key Largo Fisheries and Num Thai with a Mahi Cuban sandwich and Red Curry Chicken with Rice. Most of all, I felt like Greta Garbo- “I want to be alone.”

The food I made was simple; an Asian Chicken Soup with Noodles and Egg, a Spring Pasta with mushrooms, peas and onion, a recipe from Parade for Spicy Chicken Tacos on Tuesday. More than anything, I wanted comfort. I also tried a Tik Tok sensation for an easy, low calorie snack called Lettuce Chips.

They are basically Romaine Lettuce you tear into “chips” and dress with lemon juice, red wine vinegar and Himalayan salt. Well, I didn’t have red wine vinegar or Himalayan salt, so I used Apple Cider Vinegar and Kosher Salt and I have to say… they weren’t bad. You would never confuse them with actual potato chips, but they have the crunch, the salt and vinegar, so reminiscent of salt and vinegar chips and of course, so much healthier for you! Plus, calorie-wise, it’s zero calories vs. 160 for 11 Lays Wavy potato chips. So, it’s worth a try.

I returned Wednesday for a birthday lunch at North in Dadeland. I’d never been, but the Italian Salad I got was very good, as was the Cacio y Pepe Pizza. Thursday night a rain storm woke me up and, unable to sleep, I decided to make a recipe for Benne Cookies out of the New York Times Food section at 3 a.m. I like to try cookie recipes for meetings or parties I’m going to; that way I get to try them, but am not left with a cookie jarful at home to tempt me.

I took these to The Villager’s meeting at the Coral Gables Art Cinema Friday morning and they were a big hit. “Who made the Sesame Cookies?” someone asked. I proudly raised my hand and some ladies who hadn’t tried them, went down to grab a sample. This cookie is different than most. It’s buttery, nutty and crunchy, with a delicate flavor to it. Since I didn’t have enough white sesame seeds, I used black ones for half the seeds. Did you know sesame seeds can be white, yellow, black or red? I did not. They are also one of the oldest oilseed plants known, having been cultivated more than 3000 years ago.

I went from The Villagers Meeting to the End-of-the-Year Tennis Party for my Beta tennis team. I brought Meringues and the rest of the sesame cookies, as I want to get these babies out of my house! Too tempting and I have to get into Beach Body shape for our upcoming trip. Our tennis team didn’t have the best season, but it was a nice get together.

Friday night, we had a simple appetizer of Beef Carpaccio for Happy Hour at home. Zeke had gotten pre-sliced and plated Beef Carpaccio and I topped it with marinated artichoke hearts, sliced Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, sprinkled it with truffle salt and served it with toasted French bread. This is reminiscent of our favorite Beef Carpaccio at Blu, an Italian restaurant in South Miami that closed a couple years ago. You can buy the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio at Meat and Bone for $14.99. It makes an easy, yet impressive appetizer.

I had a Baby Shower Saturday at Deering Bay and friends came over for dinner Saturday night. I made a Poblano Chili Souffle, a delicious dish that I can NEVER give the recipe out for, as I’ve been sworn to secrecy. Since it was a Mexican dish, I had Tortilla Chips with Red Salsa, Guacamole Autentico and a Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde, all Trader Joe’s products. I can definitely recommend the Guacamole! It was slightly spicy, chunky and smooth and tasted homemade. Dump it into a molcajete and garnish with some chopped tomato, onion and cilantro, and your guests will think you knocked yourself out.

To go with the Poblano Souffle we grilled Pork Tenderloin and I made a Mexican inspired Salad with Romaine, Jicama, orange bell pepper, Pickled Red Onion and Pumpkin Seeds. It was a riot of colors and flavors and I dressed it with a Cilantro Lime Dressing from the Serve It Up! cookbook. It was delicious! Martha brought a homemade Flan for dessert.

Sunday, I was very excited to take my great niece Grace to Frozen, presented at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, my Alma Mater. When I got the email about the play, I’d thought about taking her, but never got tickets. Well, the production got postponed twice, so when I had a second chance, I got tickets. She’d planned her outfit for days and looked adorable; she was so excited. I asked her if she’d ever been to a play before and she said she’d seen Frozen at Disney World and “it snowed at the end.”

I told her not to expect that at this play and, it didn’t snow, but it was magical in its own way. We didn’t linger long because Grace had a Tea Party Birthday to get to.

Being back in the cafeteria where I sat my Freshman Year to get my homeroom assignment, ate many mediocre lunches, made friends and performed in a couple productions on that same stage, flashed me back to my High School years at Lourdes. So much time has passed, but I’m essentially the same person I’ve always been.

I still love cooking, Elvis, reading, writing and traveling. It will be my 45th High School reunion next year. And this English, Scottish, Irish, Italian, Welsh, Swedish, Greek and Nigerian, Heinz 57 Lourdes Girl will be ready for it! I don’t want to miss the beginning or the ending of this story. While I’ve always liked beginnings, I’ve also favored sunsets over sunrises.

It’s funny how some distance makes everything seem small And the fears that once controlled me can’t get to me at all It’s time to see what I can do To test the limits and break through No right, no wrong, no rules for me I’m free.

Let It Go, Frozen

Up Next: Benne Cookies