It wasn’t haute cuisine but the sandwiches were halfway decent and every meal ended with an ice cream sundae so no one really cared.
The other day when my friend and I were out shopping, it was literally the only place around so we stopped in for lunch.
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I vaguely remembered their Big Beef being a sizable burger and decided to take a trip down memory lane.
That was a big mistake.
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What the holy hell!
At first I thought they’d fried an egg on my burger but that was cheese.
A cheese ‘skirt’ to be precise. And though you’d think it would be hard to go wrong with half a plate full of cheese… they managed, because it was awful. Greasy on top, hard as rock on the bottom.
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And the Big Beef?
The only thing Big was my disappointment because the Beef was practically non existent… not to mention well done and crunchy.
The waiter at this restaurant may have been friendly, but the food certainly wasn’t.
I drove home under some ominous skies the other afternoon.
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And woke up to our first dusting of snow.
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It was gone by mid day just in time for our contractor to drop by between jobs and seal up the new windows with some not so attractive foam.
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He’s finishing off a barn next door that’s taking longer than planned but as soon as he’s done he’ll be back over here to finish our nightmare project.
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As usual, Lord Dudley Mountcatten couldn’t care less.
As you know, my husband miraculously parted with one of his motorcycles earlier this year. We really don’t ride much anymore and while it was the right thing to do… I know it was hard for him. Admitting you’re getting older is never easy and I daresay a piece of his youth drove off with that Kawasaki.
Of course he still has the Harley. Which is why I was extremely surprised when I saw him outside last week giving her a bath in anticipation of someone coming over to look at it.
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He bought the low rider back in 2009 from a friend whose brother had died. Not riding himself and knowing how much love and money his brother put into it, the friend was glad to see it go to a good home.
And believe me, serious money was invested in a complete remodel shortly before the owner passed.
$27,000 worth of serious.
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My husband paid a fraction of that and though we’ve owned it for quite a while, I have to admit we don’t ride it very often.
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See that tiny rear seat?
It doesn’t match my (not so tiny) rear seat and made long trips something to be avoided.
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We took it for short hops, and won a few bike show trophies… but for the most part she’s lived under cover in the garage.
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Which if you know anything about motorcycles and old Harleys in particular… is not a good thing.
Yes, someone is interested in buying her but unfortunately she’s not running right now. Won’t even start as a matter of fact… and there’s no telling how much money we’ll have to sink in her to make that happen.
Every Thanksgiving I’m asked to bring this dessert, a cappuccino mousse trifle. It’s easy to make and sits well overnight so I can make it ahead of time and not rush the morning of.
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The reason it chokes me up?
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It’s written in my mother’s hand, one of the few examples of her script I have. Yes, it’s old and stained … but to me, it’s precious.
As are the memories of her helping me make it.
If you want to follow along it goes something like this…
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Cube a pound cake.
I like to slice off the top so the coffee absorbs more fully.
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If you have a trifle bowl do three layers, if not… do two like this one. I use Starbucks medium roast instant coffee as it’s much smoother than Folgers.
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Soaked cubes, then coffee mousse layer sprinkled with chocolate. Be sure to use whole milk, not lower fat versions.
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Top with Cool Whip and cinnamon.
I don’t pipe rosettes but feel free to dress it up if you’re an over achiever.
As I said, I make this the afternoon before and find the flavor is deeper the next day.
Enjoy.
😊
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Where there's only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.