Ruby's Bar & Grill

I'm back

Where'd Ruby go, you ask. Or maybe not.

The computer came down with a nasty corruption and had to spend some time in a 'puter hospital, otherwise known as "The Computer Guys". It sounded like a high-tech geeky place in the yellow pages advertisement. I sure wasn't gonna take the unit to the place where I bought it, cause they hold onto your unit for forever.

Anyway, I like to support local businesses, cause they support me. The nearest outlet for my brand of computer is about 30 miles away through some really nasty traffic. I try not to drive east of Randall Road 'cause that's where civilization starts.

"The Computer Guys" turned out to be one old guy, working 7 days a week in a teeny tiny storefront on the wrong side of the tracks. I got a little worried when I entered the place, it kind of reminded me of those old vacuum cleaner repair shops, in fact it probably WAS a vacuum cleaner repair shop in a previous incarnation.

It wasn't the cleanest place on the planet, and I imagined the chasm between the clean rooms where computer parts are manufactured and the bordering-on-grungy shop I was untrusting my computer to. Shortly the owner appeared from the back of the shop. OH MY! He introduced himself as Manny, and he looked like a refugee from Disco-mania, with neck chains and a diamond pinkie ring. And......he was puffing away on a cigarette.

Nonetheless, I was desparate to get old Betsy up and running again. Manny assured me she was in good hands, and that he would do his best to save the several THOUSAND photographs that hadn't been backed up on CD's. NOTE TO RUBY - get your act in gear girl. Start burning those CD's.

True to his word, Manny fixed the 'puter, and unlike a previous experience with Gateway it only took two working days! He saved the photos. Thanks Manny.

Stayed tuned for the next installment of Ruby's Bar and Grill. Ever wonder what you would do without electricity. That's what being without a computer feels like. I'll have an interesting report on what I did instead of sitting in front of a flat screen monitor.

Happy Halloween Kiddos. Hope the little ones had lots of fun trick or treating. I've got WAY too much candy left. Which candy bar do you want? I have Hershey's, Heath, Almond Joy, Hershey's Nuggets (3 flavors), York Peppermint Patties and Reeses' Peanut Butter Cups.

Hmmmmm, I wonder what your choice of candy bars says about your personality? I'm sure there's a study somewhere..........

Bad, Bad Ruby

First of all, I'd like to welcome Rev to the bar and grill. 'Bout time you showed your face around here buddy.

Rev is an old friend and he has a microbrewery of sorts. Well, let's just say he brews his own beer down in the swamps. He's a genius of sorts and a steadfast and true friend. And.....he's got some pretty darned cute dawgs. We call them GSD's (German Shepherd Dogs).

And next, I want to apologize. I've been a bad, bad Ruby. Twasn't nice of me to tempt you with the thought of White Chili without providing the recipe. So here it is.

Now David...listen up. I keep posting recipes and you keep saying you probably won't make it just for yourself. Well, get together a group and make it for them! Remember what I said, you're allowed to wear party clothes any day of the week......and White Chili is as good an excuse as any for having a party!

WHITE CHILI

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cans navy beans
4 cans chicken broth
3 small cans chopped green chili peppers
1 medium onion
1 1/2 cups of shredded monterey jack cheese

Flour tortillas
Cumin to taste
garlic powder to taste

The original recipe calls for you to boil the chicken breasts in water. You can do that if you wish, but I like to grill them on my George Foreman grill. That way they have those cool grill lines on them!

Let the chicken cool a little and cut into bite size pieces. Dice onion. In a large pot, combine chicken, onion, 4 cups of water (chicken water if you boiled the breasts), chicken broth, beans (not drained) and chilis (not drained). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add cumin, garlic powder and cheese and mix well.

Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add water as needed to get the consistency you want. Serve with flour tortillas.

NOTE: I like to cut the flour tortillas into strips and fry them till they're brown, sprinkle with a mixture of cumin and salt. This makes a crunchy accompaniment.

Now I'm sure it ain't chili weather in Florida yet, but the rest of you cook up a pot and tell me what you think.

Hey Kiddos

Hey Kiddos - - I'm back.

Didja miss me? It's OK if you didn't.

In addition to dealing with the ever-day-for-the-last-7 1/2-years Lupus issues, there was the added attraction of a bout with vertigo.

Whoa doggie - this is a particulary nasty little problem, and believe me you only want to read about it in medical books. Any movement whatsoever sends the room a spinning like a top. Remember when you used to spin around as a kid and get all dizzy when you stopped? Well think about that times 1,000. The spinning/movement feeling is so intense that your stomach just loses it. Sorry for the graphic description.

Let's not spend times focusing on the negatives. What's good that's going on? Well, for one it's fall, my all time super-duper favorite time of year. This is when I start making and serving big pots of chili, including my favorite White Chili. I know, I know, it sounds like a blasphemy, but trust me, it's delish!!!!

It's also time for some real homemade gumbo. You gotta get past the color though, 'cause a good file' gumbo is kind of an army green. It's so yummy it makes you smack your grandmammy.

So what y'all been up to? Working hard and playing hard, I hope. The blogosphere is sure busy. I think it's going to spin off into outer space soon. What's everybody gonna possibly talk about at the end of November. Hmmmmmm.

I'm off to decorate the outside of Ruby's with dried Illinois corn stalks and pumpkins. My visit to the pumpkin farm was awesome! I took Chico and he was wearing the new sweater I knit for him.

A great time was had by all.

Hope you've been being good to yourself and havin' some fun!

A Sea of Pumpkins - Illinois

Rest in Peace

The news wires say the Janet Leigh died yesterday. Today she's best known for being Jamie Lee Curtis's mom, but to those of us in the older generation, she's the woman murdered in the shower in Psycho.

Now we're talking the original Hitchcock "Psycho" (1960), not that Johnny-come-lately that was released a couple years ago.

I first saw the movie at a matinee at the Lido Theater on Fifth Avenue. I was only in 8th grade and can't believe that my parents had a clue what it was about, cause they sure wouldn't have let me go.

The shower scene in this movie was about the most graphic on screen violence at that time. That shower scene was so darned scary that I can barely take a shower to this day! It's baths only for me. If for some reason I do take a shower, I'm nutsy about making sure all the doors and windows are locked and I still get the heebie jeebies.

There's a scene in the movie when someone goes into a room where Norman Bates mothers is sitting in a chair. Slowly, they turn the chair around. WOW! Did I scream, probably a full two minutes. When I stopped screaming I found myself about 8 seats away. How'd I get there?

Saturday night I'm gonna rent "Psycho", and set up some chairs in the back room. We've taken out that darned bowling machine that never worked. Leon's gonna bring in a big screen TV and we're gonna have a Psycho movie festival.

I'm not quite sure what to serve, but something will come to me.

Woulda....Coulda.....Shoulda

If you're a sports fan in Chicago, you're also a closet masochist. We live the woulda-coulda shoulda's.

When the weather takes a turn, and there's a chill in the air and the neighbor starts burning his leaves regardless of the ban on burning, it can only mean one thing. Well, two things.

The Chicago Cubs have asked you to have faith that There's Always Next Year. It's a mantra that Cubbie fans learn. It's their first real sentence as a child.

And, the Chicago Bears start losing. Heck, if they can beat the darn Green Bay Packers, they sure as hell ought to be able to beat the Phillies. Oh, I forgot, half their team is injured. Bunch of pantywaists!

Yesterday Leon and I went to the Nemki Friendship Pow Wow. I never miss this one. There's a drum circle from the Wisconsin Dells that is awesome! They rock. This isn't a competiition pow-wow, so these guys spend their own money to get here and perform. There were four drum circles, and lots of Dancers.

Betsy is married to a Winnebago/Ho Chunk and their grown kids came in from Tulsa to be the lead dancers. Their Indian names are Peaceful Bear and Stands-Up Strong.

If you ever have the chance to go to a pow-wow, don't miss it!

Wisconsin Indian Bears Fan (Maybe I'm just assuming, 'cause he's wearing the hat)

Today we made a big pot of Potato Corn Chowder. This is really good on a cool fall day. Make up a batch and tell me what you think!

Potato Corn Chowder

6 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 large potatoes, pared and cubed
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cups whole kernel corn, drained
2 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup flour

Cook bacon till crisp. Drain off bacon fat except for 3 TBSP. Add onion and saute well until soft. Add potatoes, 1 cup of water, chicken broth, salt & pepper. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in corn and half-and-half. Blend flour with remaining 1/2 cup water. Stir into chowder and cook, stirring constantly until chowder thickens.

Enjoy......and get out that down comforter. You're gonna need it soon!!!

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit

I sure don't know what that means, but I'm bound by tradition to say it the first day of every month.

My grandmother Martha Anne had lots of superstitions, and funny little things she's do. They mostly drove me nuts, because there were so many of them.

Let's see, if a fork fell on the kitchen floor, that meant company was coming. On Christmas eve she always set a empty place that the table. Never, ever, ever did she step on crack.

It was too complicated to keep up with all of them, and the only one that's made into my repertoire is the Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit thing.

So, I guess it will be good luck for the rest of the month!