Have a great one! We’ve already been to one concert and one off-Broadway show this extended weekend. Today will be just traditional barbecue. We’ve been to various places in the past but will try a new one today.
Last night we had pizza at one of the classic old places in the city, John’s of Bleecker Street. Good stuff!
Hadn’t realised that you’re in Greenwich Village. Not far from your pizzeria is the hangout that I used to visit in the good old times, when I came regularly to the Forbidden Planet to buy SF books – the guys from the book store took me there once, accompanied by Charles Brown from Locus magazine. And of course I used to browse the small book stores on/near Bleecker St – those were the days!
I was there last time with my wife in 2009 when I showed her around NYC …
She cried tears of joy several times – never had thought that she’d make it there …
I probably wrote about this already one year ago, but still – these are happy memories!
Ten years ago I was alone (had lost my first wife, cancer) and in June the soccer world tournament started – all my friends were into this, my favourite bar was turned into a soccer theatre so I looked for a getaway – and found a cheap flight to Ft Myers, combined with a motel room and a rental car at a very good price.
I spent a week in Florida and of course the firworks on the beach on July fourth were the “i-Tüpfelchen” …
Half a year later I found a new partner and later took her to as many of those places that I had visited in the USA …
George, Trump does not go the conventional route, therefore, I predict that he will pick TWO running mates — Sarah Palin AND Michelle Bachmann. Twice the fun!
Jerry House
George, I hope Tonawanda’s own Yankee Doodle Dandy has a glorious Fourth. The same, of course, to the rest of your family.
BTW, my mouth is drooling from reading some of the responses here. And if I put on any more weight, Deb and Wolf will have a lot to answer for!
Jerry, Deb and Wolf really know how to live! And eat!
Deb
As usual, my request that you keep my photos “just between us” goes unheeded!
Happy 4th of July to everyone! We have friends coming over and my husband (aka “The Grillmeister”) is making hamburgers, ribs, chicken wings, and salmon (for our one daughter who, inexplicably in this house, does not eat red meat). I’m in charge of side dishes, so I’ll be making beans, slaw, potato salad, and my famous “Gringo Guacamole” (the secret is…spur cream). Watermelon, pineapple, and mangoes for dessert. Yum! I’m hungry already.
Deb, you and the Grillmeister know how to set a spread of yummy food! We’re going with the traditional hamburgers and hot dogs. Diane whipped up some pasta salads. I bought watermelon. Baked beans and stuffed hot peppers are on the menu, too. And, of course, ice cream for dessert.
Deb, that sounds fantastic! Hope your guests enjoy this too.
A bit OT:
My family (the Hungarian side and the German side) call me the salad Meister – of course most of the cooking, selecting the meat and sausages fro grilling and the actual act of grilling is done by my wife, but salads are my responsibility.
And I’m also responsible for introducing Guacamole to the family – ten years ago my wife hadn’t even seen an avocado – and now it’s one of her favourite dishes!
That’s one of the nice sides of globalisation for me – like travelling all around the world we try recipees and stuff from all around the world.
Let’s hope that peace stays with us – and you all!
Dan, I can’t think of a worse job than fixing a toilet. Unless it’s fixing a sump pump.
Jeff Meyerson
Gringo guacamole sounds good to me! We’re probably going Texan today (in honor of Dr. Crider), planning our first visit to the Downtown Brooklyn outpost of Hill Country BBQ. That is, assuming it’s open.
I think most places are open today–sorta like the day after Thanksgiving (and recently even Thanksgiving), no place wants to pass up the chance to make a sale. Also, Monday is regular trash pickup day in our neighborhood, so I put my trashcan by the curb last night in the off-chance it would get picked up today–and sure ’nuff it was! Of course, our city has “outsourced” its trash collection, so I’ve no doubt that’s why trash collectors are working on the 4th.
Deb, our trash pick-up day is Monday, too. But the city of North Tonawanda still has union employees so they get the 4th of July off and they’ll catch up tomorrow.
Jeff Meyerson
As a Major Holiday (July 4, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day), you can park anywhere today for free, so that helps. Also, the city is definitely quieter than usual, which also helps, though the subway was busy yesterday, as was Greenwich Village.
Happy 4th to all. I stay home. There have been enough deaths and accidents in my family that I haven’t gone out for years and years.
Our trash is a day late, and the used book store my friend scott works at (and where I’m taking books I can decide to get rid of to sell) is also closed today, which surprised me. I picked up KFC yesterday.
I will have to try the guac with sour cream. To make it healthier, I make it with 1/2 avocado and 1/2 smashed peas
Maggie, I have a friend who’s addicted to KFC so be careful! I try to stay away from fast food, but I find myself buying pizza when I need a quick meal.
Mix the avocado thoroughly with a few drops of lemon juice, a few drops of Maggi Sauce (similar to Soy sauce) and add sour cream – the one with 30% fat is best for this.
That’s all!
And we also often have “Avocado Hungarian style”:
Put into the half avocado a few drops of Maggi Sauce and lemon juice and then add Hungarian pumpkin seed oil …
Mashed four or five ripe avocados together, then stir in about 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and the fresh-squeezed juice of a lemon or lime. Then stir in about 1/3 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa. A few shakes of hot sauce is optional. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least three hours.
Deb, that sounds good too – though my wife would object to that “overdose” of garlic …
I usually offer garlic and hot stuff (pepperoni or hot paprika come in all strengths here in Hungary) as an extra with the salad because tastes differ so much – my wife e g can’t eat too hot because of gall bladder and stomach problems.
Most other family members however enjoy when I try my hands at Tex/Mex cooking – tastes seem to be similar!
Our garbage – from all three buildings – is sitting outside at the curb. But since they didn’t come overnight /early this morning as usual, it will be out there – in the heat – until Wednesday early.
Time to use the front or side entrance.
We had an excellent warm strawberry crisp (aka cobbler) with vanilla ice cream for dessert after brisket, ribs, and chicken for lunch.
Sorry to be getting in so late today. Happy 4th to all.
Our trash guys came, all three trucks (1 for yard debris, 1 for regular trash, 1 for recycle) this morning. They pickup five days a week around the year, except Christmas, when they’re a day after.
Grilled steaks (me), home made potato salad (Barbara), deviled eggs (Barbara), pie (Blue Raeven Pies) , ice cream. That’s our menu. The fireworks (small explosions) have been going off since yesterday mid-day. Fireworks are legal here, but not the big stuff, but those can be had across the river in Washington. Next year, maybe not. I don’t like them and wish they were banned, for safety/fire and noise reasons. There are big fireworks shows at the high schools, colleges and over both the Columbia and Willamette rivers, that is enough for me. The noise scares our cats.
Rick, I love pies anytime but our baker is recovering from knee surgery and the farms around here don’t start selling fruit pies (apple, peach, cherry) until September. So our dessert options revolve around ice cream (which is plentiful around here).
Our dog (cross between a German and a Belgian shepard) is really afraid of fireworks, luckily we have them in Hungary omly on new Year’s Eve – and not too much, for financial reasons unlike Germany and the USA …
But every New Year you see dogs that ran away because of the noise and the flashs all over the city – often on the supermarket parking, begging …
Does something similar happen in the USA after the Fourth – or dogs all kept safe?
Have a great one! We’ve already been to one concert and one off-Broadway show this extended weekend. Today will be just traditional barbecue. We’ve been to various places in the past but will try a new one today.
Last night we had pizza at one of the classic old places in the city, John’s of Bleecker Street. Good stuff!
John’s.
Jeff, we’re having pizza and chicken wings next Sunday when Katie’s home for a brief visit.
Hi Jeff!
Hadn’t realised that you’re in Greenwich Village. Not far from your pizzeria is the hangout that I used to visit in the good old times, when I came regularly to the Forbidden Planet to buy SF books – the guys from the book store took me there once, accompanied by Charles Brown from Locus magazine. And of course I used to browse the small book stores on/near Bleecker St – those were the days!
http://cornerbistrony.com/
I was there last time with my wife in 2009 when I showed her around NYC …
She cried tears of joy several times – never had thought that she’d make it there …
Have a great Holiday, everybody!
I probably wrote about this already one year ago, but still – these are happy memories!
Ten years ago I was alone (had lost my first wife, cancer) and in June the soccer world tournament started – all my friends were into this, my favourite bar was turned into a soccer theatre so I looked for a getaway – and found a cheap flight to Ft Myers, combined with a motel room and a rental car at a very good price.
I spent a week in Florida and of course the firworks on the beach on July fourth were the “i-Tüpfelchen” …
Half a year later I found a new partner and later took her to as many of those places that I had visited in the USA …
Wolf, Happy 4th of July to you and your wife!
George, Happy 4th of July to all peace-loving Americans, and freedom from Trump in November.
Prashant, the media is obsessed with who Donald Trump will choose for his running mate. Jeff Meyerson and I are hoping Trump chooses Sarah Palin.
George, Trump does not go the conventional route, therefore, I predict that he will pick TWO running mates — Sarah Palin AND Michelle Bachmann. Twice the fun!
George, I hope Tonawanda’s own Yankee Doodle Dandy has a glorious Fourth. The same, of course, to the rest of your family.
BTW, my mouth is drooling from reading some of the responses here. And if I put on any more weight, Deb and Wolf will have a lot to answer for!
Jerry, Deb and Wolf really know how to live! And eat!
As usual, my request that you keep my photos “just between us” goes unheeded!
Happy 4th of July to everyone! We have friends coming over and my husband (aka “The Grillmeister”) is making hamburgers, ribs, chicken wings, and salmon (for our one daughter who, inexplicably in this house, does not eat red meat). I’m in charge of side dishes, so I’ll be making beans, slaw, potato salad, and my famous “Gringo Guacamole” (the secret is…spur cream). Watermelon, pineapple, and mangoes for dessert. Yum! I’m hungry already.
Sour cream!
/The one time I would have liked autocorrect to work, it doesn’t!
Deb, this is one of my favorite photos of you!
Deb, you and the Grillmeister know how to set a spread of yummy food! We’re going with the traditional hamburgers and hot dogs. Diane whipped up some pasta salads. I bought watermelon. Baked beans and stuffed hot peppers are on the menu, too. And, of course, ice cream for dessert.
Deb, that sounds fantastic! Hope your guests enjoy this too.
A bit OT:
My family (the Hungarian side and the German side) call me the salad Meister – of course most of the cooking, selecting the meat and sausages fro grilling and the actual act of grilling is done by my wife, but salads are my responsibility.
And I’m also responsible for introducing Guacamole to the family – ten years ago my wife hadn’t even seen an avocado – and now it’s one of her favourite dishes!
That’s one of the nice sides of globalisation for me – like travelling all around the world we try recipees and stuff from all around the world.
Let’s hope that peace stays with us – and you all!
Wolf, we all share the hope peace will surround us and you!
Yopu got big plans? Or just a bunch of parties?
Dan, we sometimes go to my brother’s house for a cookout, but this year we decided to just stay home and hunker down. How about you?
Spent the day fixing the toilet.
Dan, I can’t think of a worse job than fixing a toilet. Unless it’s fixing a sump pump.
Gringo guacamole sounds good to me! We’re probably going Texan today (in honor of Dr. Crider), planning our first visit to the Downtown Brooklyn outpost of Hill Country BBQ. That is, assuming it’s open.
Jeff, a lot of thrift stories are having sales today (I can’t believe they’re open!) so I might swing by and see if I can find some rare books.
I think most places are open today–sorta like the day after Thanksgiving (and recently even Thanksgiving), no place wants to pass up the chance to make a sale. Also, Monday is regular trash pickup day in our neighborhood, so I put my trashcan by the curb last night in the off-chance it would get picked up today–and sure ’nuff it was! Of course, our city has “outsourced” its trash collection, so I’ve no doubt that’s why trash collectors are working on the 4th.
Deb, our trash pick-up day is Monday, too. But the city of North Tonawanda still has union employees so they get the 4th of July off and they’ll catch up tomorrow.
As a Major Holiday (July 4, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day), you can park anywhere today for free, so that helps. Also, the city is definitely quieter than usual, which also helps, though the subway was busy yesterday, as was Greenwich Village.
Jeff, I’ve been on a roll with Thrift stores lately so that’s why I’ll roll the dice and check about a couple today to see if my luck still holds.
Happy 4th to all. I stay home. There have been enough deaths and accidents in my family that I haven’t gone out for years and years.
Our trash is a day late, and the used book store my friend scott works at (and where I’m taking books I can decide to get rid of to sell) is also closed today, which surprised me. I picked up KFC yesterday.
I will have to try the guac with sour cream. To make it healthier, I make it with 1/2 avocado and 1/2 smashed peas
Maggie, I have a friend who’s addicted to KFC so be careful! I try to stay away from fast food, but I find myself buying pizza when I need a quick meal.
Here’s my version of guacamole – very simple:
Mix the avocado thoroughly with a few drops of lemon juice, a few drops of Maggi Sauce (similar to Soy sauce) and add sour cream – the one with 30% fat is best for this.
That’s all!
And we also often have “Avocado Hungarian style”:
Put into the half avocado a few drops of Maggi Sauce and lemon juice and then add Hungarian pumpkin seed oil …
Maggie, peas aren’t any healthier than avocados, since they have more starch and carbs and the oils in avocados is the “good” cholesterol kind.
“Gringo Guacamole”:
Mashed four or five ripe avocados together, then stir in about 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and the fresh-squeezed juice of a lemon or lime. Then stir in about 1/3 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa. A few shakes of hot sauce is optional. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least three hours.
Deb, that sounds good too – though my wife would object to that “overdose” of garlic …
I usually offer garlic and hot stuff (pepperoni or hot paprika come in all strengths here in Hungary) as an extra with the salad because tastes differ so much – my wife e g can’t eat too hot because of gall bladder and stomach problems.
Most other family members however enjoy when I try my hands at Tex/Mex cooking – tastes seem to be similar!
Enjoy your food – and your great Holiday!
I love garlic. Yum.
Our garbage – from all three buildings – is sitting outside at the curb. But since they didn’t come overnight /early this morning as usual, it will be out there – in the heat – until Wednesday early.
Time to use the front or side entrance.
We had an excellent warm strawberry crisp (aka cobbler) with vanilla ice cream for dessert after brisket, ribs, and chicken for lunch.
Jeff, we’re putting out an old mattress and boxspring in addition to our trash. The first of the month is Bulk Pickup.
Sorry to be getting in so late today. Happy 4th to all.
Our trash guys came, all three trucks (1 for yard debris, 1 for regular trash, 1 for recycle) this morning. They pickup five days a week around the year, except Christmas, when they’re a day after.
Grilled steaks (me), home made potato salad (Barbara), deviled eggs (Barbara), pie (Blue Raeven Pies) , ice cream. That’s our menu. The fireworks (small explosions) have been going off since yesterday mid-day. Fireworks are legal here, but not the big stuff, but those can be had across the river in Washington. Next year, maybe not. I don’t like them and wish they were banned, for safety/fire and noise reasons. There are big fireworks shows at the high schools, colleges and over both the Columbia and Willamette rivers, that is enough for me. The noise scares our cats.
Rick, I love pies anytime but our baker is recovering from knee surgery and the farms around here don’t start selling fruit pies (apple, peach, cherry) until September. So our dessert options revolve around ice cream (which is plentiful around here).
A bit OT re fireworks and animals:
Our dog (cross between a German and a Belgian shepard) is really afraid of fireworks, luckily we have them in Hungary omly on new Year’s Eve – and not too much, for financial reasons unlike Germany and the USA …
But every New Year you see dogs that ran away because of the noise and the flashs all over the city – often on the supermarket parking, begging …
Does something similar happen in the USA after the Fourth – or dogs all kept safe?
W: sadly our dogs can suffer the same fate with running away or just plain being scared Would love to see a picture of your dog.
Maggie, you’ll find pictures on the net if you look for “Malinois”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malinois_dog
Typical is the “black mask” that our dog has too – often people ask if she’s a pure bred Malinois …
The sad thing is that she turned 14 years and it’s almost a wonder that she’s still moving – most German shepards don’t grow so old.
Malinois ate now very popular with police etc – they are more robust than their German counterparts.