Chicken Surprises, Pate Christine and the Busy Bee

I finally got the time to return to the joys of the internet today. I'm forcing myself to blog something other than my current mental state which can be summarized with a simple BLAUGGHHH....

I'm doing the things I came here to do but so much of it is somewhere between exasperating and heartbreaking that my own state of mind is relatively bleak. I got my father evaluated from his doctor and watched him fail a mental health test. I felt so badly for him that it was difficult to remember that the evaluation would help us get him care in theend. This morning Dad and I had a nice breakfast together only to watch the day deteriorate as his paranoia grew by leaps and bounds. My mother's own illness only exacerbates the worst moments. It becomes tougher by the day and the moments of relief my friends provide me are more meaningful than ever. Of course, each moment involves food.

I had dinner with Kaki and JB Friday night and as usual it was excellent. I brought some local hometown favorites...Mister Bee potato chips and Broughton Chip N' Dip. JB grilled some fantastic shrimp which we dipped in a Sriracha-spiked cocktail sauce. We then had Porterhouse steaks and baked potatoes spiced with Spyke seasoning (Kaki's Dad's favorite) and A-1 sauce. I was also turned on to the utterly addictive Southern Shores Creamy Horseradish Sauce which they carry at the Greenhouse. Seriously...I could eat this with a spoon. Their dogs, Sophie(who's pictured)and Shadow kept a watchful eye on any flying food shrapnel that may come their way.

I did the folk's laundry at Kristy's on Sunday. She whipped up a 70's recipe she'd gotten off the WTAP website. Called Chicken Surprise, they were yummy croissants filled with chicken, cream cheese, onions and spices. Chowed on 'em while watching some Food Network. Kristy later surprised me with a delicious gift from dear Christine...the wonderful Levee House pate I've written about in a previous post(see: The Pate of Our Lives). I've decided she has tweaked it and made her own so the pate bears renaming...it will now be known as Pate Christine.

Sarah Jane and I met at an old favorite Marietta, Ohio breakfast spot called the Busy Bee. Tiny little diner in Harmar Village with still-amazing food. The scrambled eggs and biscuits were perfectly fluffy and the bacon and hash browns perfectly crisp. Oh, and when you ask for hot sauce it ain't Tabasco...it's Texas Pete, baby.

These brief but blessed breaks are saving MY bacon....Thanks to all of you.