craveytrain

I thought about giving Erin access to post to my blog, but then I had a better idea. Why shouldn’t we start a site together? That way she isn’t just getting my dirty laundry but is getting a chance to start anew with me. So we have launched Erin & Mike. Check it out for details on the upcoming wedding and then the site will transition into a blog for us (as well as a vehicle to thrust our pictures in your face and brag about how great our life is). Check it out.

Yeah, I know, creative title.

Well, I’ve done it now. I have signed the rest of my life away. And honestly, I really couldn’t be happier about it. I honestly sorta hope this giddiness wears off soon, cause it’s even annoying me. Don’t get me wrong, I love my fiancee very much, but the floating feeling for someone like me who is so traditionally grounded at first was a welcomed change. However, I am in some sort of heightened emotional state right now. Country songs I have listened dozens of times are making me mist up all of a sudden. I love being in a good mood and even though it compromises my machismo somewhat, I enjoy the sappiness. It’s the giggling. I am a guy, I am not supposed to giggle. Oh well, here’s to being a nancy boy…

Though I have told everyone who reads my blog (thank you for your patronage, both of you), if for no other reason, i would like to write the story out so that if anyone else asks, I can give them a URL. So, here it goes:

I had the ring, ready and waiting in hand. The girlie had been harassing me for seemingly years about taking her out on a picnic. So I tell her tuesday I have a surprise for her and not to go to the gym. To come straight home from work. Meanwhile, I took off at 3 from work and ran by Central Market. I picked up all sorts of picnic foodies, including a bottle of chapagne and a basket (I’m a guy, I don’t own a picnic basket). I get home before her and load up on some candles, silverware and wine glasses.

When she gets there, I am sitting in my car, engine running and the basket in the back covered up by a blanket. She gets in and is tortured by the fact I haven’t told her what the surprise is. She is constantly asking for information. I manage to keep my secrets close while I take an interesting route to Emma Long Park. We go in and right down to the water. There is no one there and I pull out the picnic basket. Until then, she had no idea what we were doing in the park. When she noticed the basket, I played it off as if I had finally conceded to her pleas of taking her on a picnic. She was apprehensively happy.

I pulled out all the food (making sure to leave the ring in my pocket and the bottle of champagne in a bag at the bottom of the basket). We ate our meal over light conversation, and I sat next to her, watching the sunset. I start trying to work the ring box out of my right pocket with her sitting on my left. Damned leather ring box, it’s not exactly sliding up the pocket of my jeans. Somewhere right before it was dark, she asks me Did you really go to Dallas yesterday?. Crap, she knows. Stall, What makes you ask?. She lets out a nervous laugh and says nothing for what seemed like an eternity. I think it was actually about 30 seconds. Then she asked again. I simply said No. Where did you go?. I simply smiled. I almost had that ring box out, she had no idea. She gives a nervous laugh and looked away from me. Free! The box was free! I quickly opened it and put it in front of her. She turned back around and saw it. She was frozen. She made no face, none at all.

I’ve got to blurt it out while I can still speak English. Go! Go! Go! Will you marry me? She starts giggling. That is quickly overcome with crying. She hugs me. She still hasn’t said anything even remotely english. Finally she regains her composure, sits up and tells me Yes. She then extends her hand. I don’t know who’s hand was shaking more, hers or mine. I finally get it on, sweet, she’s still a 6. She has been working out so much, I was really worried her ring size had gone down, so I made the saleslady promise me a free resizing if I needed it. I then pull out the champagne bottle and I barely get the wire cover off before the cork takes out a low flying plane above the park. We toast to our engagement and the start of a new life together. The sun is set and we are sitting there in the dark, just smiling.

So, without further ado, I present to you the girlie and now my fiancee, Erin Lark Sizemore (for now).

If you have read any of my blogs, you will notice I have a particular way of doing just about everything. Even really simple things, I have a particular method to most of my madnesses. I have had several people ask me for my recipe for banana pudding. Initially, I thought, well, it’s not really much of a recipe, it’s just the order I throw things together in, but that’s true with a lot of things. I just have a hard time considering anything a recipe or calling something cooking if no heat is involved (or for that matter, if the only heat used is a microwave). None-the-less, I can’t disappoint my fans (who the hell would have guessed I would have fans?).

• Prep: 30 mins
• Cook: 0
• Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1 box Jello Instant Banana Pudding (not sugar free)
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 box nilla wafers
• 1 tub Cool-Whip (pick your fav, I use extra-creamy, but vanilla would probably be good)
• 3 ripe bananas (spotted)

Prep

Put the pudding mix in a half gallon bowl and wisk in the milk. Wisk for a minute or 2 to get the lumps out (per the box instructions). Leave on counter so it doesn’t set too fast on you.

Line the bottom of the serving bowl (at least a gallon capacity) with nilla wafers one or 2 layers deep. Take a banana and slice it in thin rounds as a layer on top of the wafers.

While you were doing this, the pudding should have somewhat set. Slice up another banana in it and mix it in. You want to pour the pudding in when it is thin enough to seep in between the nilla wafers and bananas lining the bottom yet is thick enough it won’t float those items up from the bottom of the bowl. Once the pudding is poured in, place nilla wafers around the sides and push them down into the pudding. Once you have done this, place the pudding in the fridge and allow it to set (up to 20 mins).

Once the pudding is set, take it out and put a layer of nilla wafers on top of the pudding. Slice up the 3rd banana on top of that making another layer. Spread a layer of cool whip on top of that, at least 1” thick, but as much as you want. Finally, crumble up more nilla wafers and sprinkle them on top of the Cool Whip.

This pudding is best once it has set for a few hours, or even a day.

We decided to go out to eat Tuesday evening. By we, I mean I got a wild hair, and well, who refuses a free meal? So based on some reviews from some friends, we decided to check out Reed’s Jazz & Supper Club. Honestly, I think it was undersold to us.

Appetizer

Sausage Stuffed Mushroom Caps

This was the only thing that just wasn’t overwhelming. It was good, italian sausage and some sort of breading in a mushroom cap. But it wasn’t great. Being as the girlie doesn’t eat seafood though, our choices were a bit limited. Certainly not a knock against it. Just, compared to the rest of the meal, if I had to pick a low point, simply good would be it.

Salads

Beefsteak Tomato Salad

This was an interesting salad. It was mostly a sliced tomato with cheese, some glaze and a touch of green things. As you can imagine, she got this one. Now, that’s not to knock it. It was very tasty, well put together, and the flavors melded really well. It just wasn’t my bag. However, I recognize with something is good, just not my style. This was clearly one of those things.

Wedge With Apple Smoked Bacon

Best blue cheese dressing I have ever had. Our waiter, who was outstanding, mentioned the secret was a touch of cayenne. I don’t know if he was supposed to say that or not, but this salad was one of the best I have ever had. Again, not being a salad person (I’m beginning to wonder if that is changing) this salad really impressed me.

Entree

Filet Mignon: 8oz

This is a very rare occassion, the girlie and I got the same thing. This practically never happens. Even as we ordered the same basic thing, she got her’s burnt (err, medium well) and I got mine medium rare with a couple scallops on the side. I originally wanted seafood, but the waiter really suggested that we try the steaks the first time. He said their steaks were in the top 2 or 3 in town, depending on preferences. He was right. Did I mention our waiter was really good?

Sides

Au Gratin Potatoes

This is a place where you order the sides separate. Enter the taters. This creamy goodness is some of the best stuff to ever hit my mouth. My god these things were awesome. Perfectly textured, cooked and cheesed. Plus they had bacon on top. Bacon makes everything better. I cannot go on enough about these things. The waiter sold us on these as well.

Thick Cut Onion Rings

I know what you are thinking, onion rings at a steak place? But the waiter said they were really, really good, and he was on a roll. Yet again, the waiter is right. These things are heavenly fried bits of tastiness. He brought out ketchup for them (cause let’s be honest, they are onion rings) and when he brought it out, he brought it out in a little metal bowl with chopped chives on top of it and with a spoon. Hilarious. All posturing aside, these onion rings are some of the best I have ever had.

Dessert

Liquid Center Chocolate Cake

This is just as it sounds, chocolate cake with a molten chocolate core. Served with a healthy heaping of Amy’s Mexican Vanilla. Amy could conquer the world with this stuff. This meal serves as a reminder that I just don’t get by Amy’s often enough. The cake was very good and rich (it has to be to stand up to the Mexican) but honestly, I feel it was overshadowed by the vanilla. Hey, it’s easy to do, I did my famous glazed grilled bananas and pineapples and tried to pair it up with the Mexican, but the fruit was no match. Not to take away from the cake, as it was fantastic, but that vanilla, it goes home and slaps your mama for ya. And you thank it for saving you the trouble.

Service

Impeccable. I believe our waiter was named Scott. Apologies if I got it wrong. Even more so if you are reading this, cause that means you were one of my 3 readers, and I forgot your name. He was what a waiter should be, available when you need him, not hovering over you when you don’t. He was engaging and gave just enough banter with the food to advise and entertain yet not keep us from our true purpose. I actually went looking for the manager to tell him how good the service was. I need to send an email to the manager. I should do that now.

Ambience

The website says Reed’s is targeting Rick’s Café from Casablanca. I think they did a good job with the decor (the stairs were actually a very nice touch). Considering what they were working with (it’s in a strip center, a nice one, but one none-the-less) they did a great job. I would liked to have 1 music through out the place, not hear the music from the bar downstairs and a separate soundtrack in the upper level, but that is hardly a real complaint. I would like to see it on a more packed night. It was pretty sparsely populated, which is a shame. I always hate to see a good restaurant have down times. It makes you wonder how long they will be in business. We have too many good restaurants closing.

Bread

The bread is worth mentioning. It’s what you expect when you get a fresh french or italian bread. It’s got a good crunchy crust and a soft chewy inside. Best of all, it’s hot. I wish more places would take note of this. Hot bread is better than cold.

Rating

I’m afraid I have set a precident I have to follow now. I must give a rating to all reviews now. I can’t say I like the idea of assigning a whole experience a number, it seems a bit trite and is likely to pigeon hole a restaurant. Luckily, no one reads my blog, so I can be as irresponsible as I like, and no one will be the wiser. Having said that, I confidently give this Reed’s Jazz & Supper Club a 5 out of 5. Just a fantastic meal and great service to boot.