The Melting Pot

We went to the Melting Pot for dinner on Sunday night. A group of 5 couples celebrates our December anniversaries every January (December is too busy). We always find an unusual or special restaurant. This year we collectively celebrated 119 years of marriage!
http://www.meltingpot.com/

This is my excuse for not losing weight this week:

For our cheese course, we had 2 pots of cheese:
1. Traditional Kirschwasser Swiss Cheese-Gruyere and Emmentaler Swiss cheese in a white wine base with Kirschwasser (cherry brandy), fresh squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, and spices.
2. Cheddar cheese-A combination of Wisconsin (waves to Kim!) sharp cheddar and Emmentaler Swiss cheese. Blended with minced garlic and spices in a seasoned beer base.

The cheese fondues are blended table side and served with French, Rye, and Pumpernickel brad, delicious Granny Smith apples and assorted fresh vegetables.

For our salad course, we had:
California Salad-Mixed baby salad greens, roma tomatoes, walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese, topped with Raspberry Black Walnut Vinaigrette dressing.

For our Entree course, we had 2 pots:
1. Court Bouillon-A homemade seasoned vegetable broth that is full of flavor while low in salt and cholesterol free.
2. Mojo-This Caribbean seasoned bouillon has distinctive garlic and citrus flairs.

We had a variety of vegetables and sauces in addition to dipping: lobster tail, filet mignon medallion, porcini-rubed strip sirloin, black tiger shrimp, breast of chicken Tuscan, herb breast of chicken, and sun-dried tomato mascarpone cheese ravioli.

For our Chocolate Course, we had 3 pots:
1. Flaming Turtle-Milk chocolate, carmel, and chopped pecans, flambeed table side.
2. Cookies 'n Cream Marshmallow Dream-dark chocolate topped with marshmallow cream, flambeed to toast the marshmallow, swirled together and garnished with crushed oreo cookies.
3. Milk chocolate and Bailey's Irish Cream.

We dipped fresh strawberries, bananas, pineapple, marshmallows, pound cake, brownies, cherries, and cheesecake.

OK, so am I excused from not losing any weight this week?

Earthquake or Snow?

Today is the 13th anniversary of the big January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake. Here are a couple of pictures.




These aren't pictures of my house, but you see what an earthquake can do to a chimney.










OK, now don't laugh, but this is "snow" around these parts. I guess it's really hail from this morning, but it counts as snow to me.

Could You Pass High School?

You Passed High School with an A+

You have the brains of a high school graduate... at least!

Could You Pass High School?

Hmmm, lucky me! However, I feel that my "smartest" days were when I was in high school and college. My brain has gone downhill ever since then. What about you?

Cruise Comments Part 2

Please see part 1 below.

In Puerto Vallarta, we saw a cliff-diver. He's the one in the red trunks partway between the tower and the ocean.


In Mazatlan, we saw a live Nativity Scene. Here's a picture of a mommy and a baby burrow. So cute.


Where's the beef? Butchers were hard at work in the Mazatlan marketplace. We saw lots of locals here, not many tourists.



Two beautiful sunsets, over Mazatlan.




Here's Mr. Puffy with the best margarita he ever had, at Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo bar in Cabo San Lucas. The drink was white with blue tequila at the bottom.



So anyway, these two blog posts are a snippet of our travelogue.

Cruise Comments

We went on the Mexican cruise almost a month ago, so it's time that I posted a few pictures.

First I have to show you the beautiful flower arrangement that my daughter had delivered to the ship in honor of our anniversary.






We had 2 days at sea before reaching the first port. They had "Survivor" type games at one of the pools. Here's one team, in an inflatable raft with a guy trying to take a bite out of a bagel. I couldn't stop laughing.




Here we are at an outdoor bar. The ship had 3500 people on board. Do you see anyone? We didn't feel crowded at all.







Every night at sunset time, we were in the hot tub.



Here's a display at the buffet by one of the pool. It is a mouse on a bike, made primarily out of watermelon, honeydew, oranges, pineapple,and eggplant. See all the chocolate covered strawberries all around it? Yum yum.


Here's another centerpiece. It's a ship with sails, made out of a watermelon.

Blogger won't let me post any more pictures now, so I'll post more later.

Beauty Secrets

I watched the View yesterday. Kym Douglas, author of "The Black Book of Hollywood Beauty Secrets" was on the show. I want to tell you some of her secrets.

Pamela Anderson uses a slice of potato under her eyes to diminish the dark circles. I don't know who's looking at her eyes, but it sounds like a good idea.

Sarah Jessica Parker used to sweat a lot before auditions and performances and she didn't have much money. So she used the disposable toilet seat covers from public bathrooms to blot the sweat or oil from her face. It doesn't ruin the make-up.

Queen Latifah uses a mask of baking soda and cetaphil. She mixes them into a paste and puts the grainy mixture on her face. It absorbs oil very well.

Pole dancers use Astroglide personal lubricant (similar to KY jelly) on their nails and hair to make them shiny.

Radio City Music Hall Rockettes use washable red magic marker on their lips to keep them red during an entire performance.

You can use a matchbook (the part where you strike the match)to file a broken nail if you can't find a nail file or emery board.

Those are a few of the hints that she mentioned. It sounds like a good book.

Does anyone have any additions for a bloggy chapter?