Tomato Tart

Originally published on August 11, 2017.

This is better than the best pizza I've ever had, and a lot less work. The choice of cheese is important, and asiago fresco is awesome.  I suggest avoiding a mild cheese like mozzarella. This is best as a summer treat when tomatoes and basil are at their best.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
• Parchment paper
• ⅓ cup of basil pesto 
• 2 cups asiago fresco (or provolone cheese), grated 
• ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons 
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced (9 slices)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt 
• 5-6 basil leaves, sliced thinly

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Place the puff pastry sheet on parchment paper and roll out to 12" x 12"
• Spread a thin layer of the pesto on the puff pastry 
• Sprinkle 2 cups of asiago fresco (or provolone cheese), then the parmesan cheese over the pesto
• Place the tomatoes in a single layer on top
• Grind fresh pepper on top of the tomatoes
• Sprinkle the additional 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese on top of the tomatoes
• Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the puff pastry is puffed and golden brown
• Remove from oven
• Top with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkled sea salt and basil leaves
• Cut into 9 squares

Mom

Originally published on December 21, 2016.

At Christmas, I miss my mother the most.  1985 was our last Christmas together when I was a young man of 30 years.  Hard to believe I've now spent more than half my life without her.

This picture dates back to Mom and Dad's wedding in 1950. She was a beautiful lady, inside and out.

Squeezing Lemons

Originally published on April 16, 2018.

I've always squeezed lemons and other citrus using a press with the fruit pointed down, like pictured at the bottom right.  But while watching Trisha Yearwood's cooking show, in the blink of an eye, I swore I saw her squeeze it upside down.  A quick back-it-up then play-and-pause and sure enough, I see that the fruit should be pointed up instead, like the picture at the bottom left.  A quick test showed that I get about 25% more juice, and a lot less mess, using what seems to me to be the upside-down way of doing this. 

Stratus Helicopters

Originally published on April 19, 2017.

I don't know how this one didn't get into the blog for so long.  Back in October 2016, I had a 45-minute introduction and safety course about helicopters, then climbed aboard this blue two-seater on a beautiful sunny day for the ride of my life. I got to pilot the helicopter for about 15 minutes as we made a big loop around northern Cincinnati.  It's very touchy, but Matt was there to take over in a split second if needed.

He demonstrated during the flight how a helicopter, without engine power, can float down towards the ground, just like a glider. We, fortunately, didn't test out the final part of the maneuver, which would involve pitching the copter nose-up near the ground to kill the forward speed and falling the last few feet. But it's nice to know you can survive and not end up a splotch on the ground.

https://www.stratushelicopters.com

Out-Of-Office Permanently

Originally published on August 25, 2018.

This is a rare Saturday post, but it's a one-in-a-lifetime day, that being my first day of retirement.  I posted the following as my "permanently out of the office" message before I left yesterday. 

------

I've run away and joined a circus...

Just kidding.

After working since I was 11 years old in one job or another, I've retired.  

I've traded in my alarm clock for adventures, my calendar for a second cup of coffee and morning commutes for morning exercises.  While this work journey ends with the declaration of retirement, the next journey begins, one that offers the most precious thing in life other than love, that being time.  Time to read, write, golf, explore, create, mentor, listen, give, appreciate and deeply inhale the fragrance of the roses. 

I really have loved working, mainly because of the people I've come to know and what we've accomplished together.  Information Technology was a great career choice and one that ended up being just as much a creative outlet as a technical challenge. And one that I don't have to stop because I'm retired.  That wasn't true in 1974 when I entered Wright State University, in the era of mainframes, but personal computers, the Internet, websites, mobile devices and open-source software hadn't been invented yet.  I can dabble to my heart's content.

Don't bother replying, I'll never get it.  This out-of-office message is permanent.  

Signing off ...

Paul

 

Christmas Lasagna

Originally published on December 30, 2016.

A tradition on Christmas Eve is for me to turn the following collection of ingredients into a lasagna to bake on Christmas Day. While it sort of looks formidable at first, there is really a minimal amount of chopping (onion, garlic, basil) and is mostly an exercise in simmering, boiling and layering. I've used a number of different recipes over the years, settling on this one from AllRecipes.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/23600/worlds-best-lasagna

Dueling Toilets

Originally published on September 9, 2015.

This takes the girl's trip to the bathroom together to the next level.  When the wait staff at Parlay Social in Lexington, Kentucky was asked why they built this, they explained that so many women go to the powder room together, they thought this would be a good idea.  Hum...

http://parlaysocial.com

Herding Cats

Originally published on October 8, 2014.

Hump Day Humor:

EDS's 2000 Super Bowl commercial about herding cats is one of the all-time best.  Never gets old. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7yqlTMvp8

Wine Away

Originally published on July 9, 2015.

There are few things in life that are just shy of a miracle.  Wine Away is one of them.  It's saved couches, wedding dresses and carpets from major red wine spills.  I don't even flinch when a glass is spilled.  Wine Away eliminates every trace.

http://www.wineaway.com

Tying Your Shoes

Originally published on Monday, July 6, 2015.

For about 40 years of my life, I tied my shoelaces incorrectly.  Then after buying new dress shoes and being unable to keep them tied, I searched around until I found this website, which explained the problem and the simple solution.  "Left over right, then right over left" has worked ever since.

http://shoeknots.com