Disinfect Washcloths & Sponges

I thought Chef Elaine was going wacky when she put a washcloth in the microwave, but she kindly explained that it's a quick and easy way to disinfect her kitchen sponges and washcloths.  She puts them in, damp, and zaps them on high for a minute.  The steam that gets produced kills the germs.  This 1-minute YouTube video explains in a little more detail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDRs2zJPmAs

Wedding Reception

Last November I wrote about the Eichelberger Pavilion at Carillon Park and below you can see it set up for our son's and daughter-in-law's wedding reception.  It was catered by Bernstein's Catering and they knocked it out of the park with delicious appetizers, main courses, and dessert bites.  We used the upper level for the cocktail hour which allowed the staff to get everything set without having to dodge a whole slew of people.  Many people commented that this was one of the best receptions they had ever attended, and we agree, even though we're not exactly impartial judges.

https://bernsteinscatering.com

Figlio Private Dining Room

Not only does Figlio have a private dining area that fits groups of up to 40 people, but it's also one of the few we found that's available on a Friday night, which is, of course, the most popular evening for a rehearsal dinner party!  The buffet of salad, pizza, and pasta was terrific and the wait staff was on top of everything.  

http://figliopizza.com/dayton#private-dining-dayton

Bologna Sandwich

Half of my lunches are bologna sandwiches, a remnant of my upbringing, along with the two other most popular mystery meats, namely SPAM and hot dogs.  So when I saw this 3/4" bologna sandwich on the menu at our local Geez restaurant, it was a no-brainer.  Fried up nicely and topped with pickles, onions, tomatoes, and mayo (omitted the lettuce), it made a pretty substantial dinner.

https://www.geezgrillandpub.com

Dr. Motion

The last pair of compression socks I bought is really good but pricey.   In need of several new pairs, I opted for the Dr. Motion brand that Chef Elaine favors.  The four pairs that are shown below cost about the same (~$20) as one of the previous pairs and are great for our morning runs.  I prefer the low cut while the Chef likes the no-shows.  To each their own.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4Y8JWBK

Pixel 7

After five years of splendid service, my Google Pixel 2 has been retired and replaced with a Pixel 7.  The 7 is just a little bit bigger than the 2, has twice as much storage (yeah!), wireless charging, and 5G, but the biggest boost will come from the Google Tensor 2 AI (Artificial Intelligence) chip which should make, among other things, even better photos.  So far the only thing I miss is the fingerprint unlock on the back of the 2, which is much more convenient than the 7.

The picture below shows part of the migration process and ends up moving all the data, apps, and settings from the 2 to the 7.  Very painless process.

https://store.google.com/product/pixel_7

Kettering Bus Stops

It's amazing how often I can pass by something and not take any notice, for example, the bus stop seen below.  They were designed back in 2007 by Dayton-based artist and architect, Mary Rogero who served as a principal architect with Rogero Buckman Architects.  They are part of a city-wide collection of art known as CitySites which includes paintings, statues, structures, and even the decorative sides of bridges on West Schantz Avenue and Ridgeway Road.  You read about all twenty-six of them at the link below.

https://www.playkettering.org/public-art-kettering/citysites/permanent-collection

Little Pillow

The little pillow in the forefront below serves two purposes.  I'm a side sleeper and I put it under the arm that I'm not lying on to prop it up and relieve pressure on my shoulders.  It makes an amazing difference.  The second use doesn't work 100% of the time, but when I jamb it up against my chin it helps keep my mouth closed it prevents some bouts of snoring.  And that's really appreciated.

Cocoa-Rubbed Flank Steak

Here's a very different rub for your steak, a combination of unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, brown sugar, chili powder, ground coffee, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper.  Cocoa powder and coffee?  Yep, that's different.  And delicious!

We opted for the easier-to-find flank steak instead of the hanger steak used in the recipe at the link below.  Her Sous Chef (aka me) mixed the spices, covered the steak with it, and wrapped it in plastic for an hour or so.  Chef Elaine then used an oiled cast-iron iron skillet to cook the steak to a perfect doneness (which is, of course, medium-rare), flipping it to give both sides a nice char.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/katie-lee/cocoa-rubbed-hanger-steaks-with-balsamic-radicchio-salad-13498841

Purple Bag Project

Our local liquor stores have containers like the one shown below where you can donate your leftover Crown Royal bags and for each bag, they will donate a dollar to support our troops.  They partner with the nonprofit organization Packages From Home whose mission is to send care and comfort packages to deployed American military heroes stationed on active duty around the world.  

https://pack.crownroyal.com/Home/Intro