Bliss On A Budget - Brunch Bliss

It’s that time again. The weather according to what I learned in grade school is going to warm up. You know – we all learned, April showers bring May flowers. Right?!! We were promised. I believed – thus, it is going to happen – I will simply will it. This is the time of year for eating on your deck or patio, for lovely potted plants to surround you, for new buds, and vines to emerge and spring forward with life - for the warmth of the sun to hit your shoulders and face and warm them up to just the right temperature – Not to hot, not to cold – Just right! There should be canvas umbrellas, and music to set the mood. Eating is not ever just about the food, eating is a celebration of the cook, of friends, family and life, and of course about lovely and yummy food. So in this vein, I am a big believer in Brunch. Brunch is the best way to start out any Saturday or Sunday – it is something that must be done during this time of year.

My mother is the Queen of setting a beautiful table. I have never been over to her house to eat a meal when the table wasn’t set, just right. We are not talking about just having the knives, forks, and napkins in the right place – we are talking about every table having a theme – At Christmas the table is set with the fine china, sterling silver, ornaments, candles, and napkins in the appropriate spirit don the table. The lighting is just right – the glasses are elegant – and just to be invited to the table – is to be valued and loved. At St. Patrick’s Day there are Irish prayers and poetry specifically picked out with each diner in mind, at Valentine’s Day – Hearts and Love letters abound. (When I was growing up on Valentine’s Day I would come down stairs to breakfast to be greeted by pink heart shaped pancakes – I know as always it sounds too good to be true) Always with the greatest care, always with the most beautiful presentation, the table is the foundation for the meal. A beautiful table is simply the only way to serve the gourmet food that she and my father are preparing away in their dream kitchen.

The food, oh the food, is quite another story – My mother and father are foodies. The watch cooking shows – in fact when I was a child my mother and I used to pretend to be on a cooking show when making cookies in our kitchen. She and I would talk to the “camera” and explain what we were making and doing step by step to the imaginary audience. Often speaking in fake French or Southern (I have no idea why we would do Southern – my southern accents makes my mother laugh and laugh – and once I have started I can’t stop – she on the other hand can’t do a southern accent to save her life) accents – Anyway, they watch cooking shows, and read cooking books – and although they will absolutely deny it – they attend a somewhat secret gourmet club – which is not as fancy as the one in the movie “The Freshmen” but when I picture it in my head, it is. They have friends that are foodies – and when they travel they like to eat at the most foodie – esq restaurants.

Now – not all of the food is successful – sometimes Tim and Patcee decide to go “off recipe” which can be a disaster, but can also turn out even better. So when you go to eat at my parents’ home – you are really in for a culinary experience. All this great food and lovely ambience has completely spoiled me. I have become a food snob. I didn’t mean to be, it just simply happened. I find myself trying to take over others peoples dinners to add the touches that I think are absolute staples if you are going to have people over to eat. Things like flowers, ribbon, napkins, etc. James – bless his heart (I have no idea when I started using that expression) does his best to talk me down with things like – “Jenn, it’s not your dinner” or “Jenn – If you bring your own glasses this evening – they will be offended” (which I am sure is very true – but come on people – certain drinks go in certain glasses – and if they aren’t – well it just doesn’t taste as good – and (see what I mean a food snob)) any way – in order to kind of get snobbery out of my system – I felt like today being Easter and all – would be a good day to give you your Bliss on a Budget Assignment – and this week is a Brunch Bliss.

But wait there are rules I want you to experience Brunch the right way (which means the Jenn way) – I have always been this way. When I was a little girl my mother took me to the park which had an enormous sand box. When I got to the sand box I immediately took off my shoes and shoved my bare feet into the cool grains of sand. I loved the way the sand felt on my toes and feet. My mother went nearby to a bench to read a book or something – and at that moment I located some other children to play with. But upon approaching them – I noticed that they all had their shoes and socks on still. This was something that I could not get my head around – How could they enjoy the sand with shoes on? Were they unaware of how wonderful the sand would feel on their feet? Well there was simply only one thing to do – We must remove their shoes and socks and give them this experience. At once I began taking off all their shoes and socks. Some enjoyed it; some were fearful and looked to the mothers to help stop this bossy toddler from taking their shoes. Finally – I had caused enough commotion that my mother realized this she would need to step in. The other mothers simply could not have her daughter taking off their children’s shoes.

My mother being the “diverter” that she is – simply grabbed my hand and offered a new adventure - probably something from the ice cream truck, or a ride on the city bus – and she and I were off to our next adventure forgetting about those poor children that didn’t understand the wonders of bare feet in sand. I actually never grew out of that one – when James and I went on our first vacation together we went to the beach in San Diego. I love to take off my shoes and walk for miles up and down the beach. James being an Idaho farm boy did not have what I would categorize as a “proper appreciation” for the beach. So when it was time to walk on the beach he was attempting to do so WITH his shoes on. I was astounded and slightly concerned that I could no longer love this man. So after I insisted (I am sure he was thinking I was a wack job – you walk around on a farm without shoes – you lose toes) he relented and walked, uncomfortably, down the beach holding his shoes. After some years – he learned that of course this is the only way to do it.

Back to brunch, you must be saying, back to brunch – Okay, so back to brunch. Here are the rules:
1- You cannot have brunch at a chain restaurant! I am not flexible on this – the food is always better at a one of kind, or mom and pop shop.
2- You must pick your companions for this brunch carefully. No one who is going to bring children who would disrupt, run around, cry tantrum, etc. You know who those people are and as much as you like them – they can’t come unless they are willing to leave the children home. Lovely, well mannered, children are always welcome.
3- You should pick some place where you would want to put some effort into what you are wearing. There is nothing worse than dinning at a lovely restaurant – and looking homeless. Your clothes must be ironed. Brunch is better when you are looking glamorous.
4- If at all possible pick a place with an outside patio or deck. If you need to call ahead and make reservations – then by all means do.
5- Sunglasses are a must, so is sunscreen – we don’t want to get wrinkles.
6-Don’t rush through your meal – You should be at brunch for 2 hours. This will allow you to enjoy a lovely meal, have some lovely conversation, and digest enough to share a dessert with the table.
7-After the brunch you should try to partake in some of the after brunch activities listed below:
a. Stroll through a local art gallery
b. Take in the shops in the area.
c. Attend a concert in a park or ski area
d. Read the newspaper (the paper kind) from back to front.
e. Get a massage or facial.
f. Make travel plans

I think that is all the rules – they after activities should be something you can enjoy with part of your brunch group. The point is Brunch should be a lovely experience, with a beautiful table, yummy and interesting food, great friends for conversation – and nothing that isn’t relaxing, and restful should be part of the process.

Now – If you are in SLC or Provo I have some tips on where to go. I can’t guarantee the whole tab will be under 50.00 but your portion should easily be. Here is where I suggest:
- Eggs in the City: (Limited seating, a popular favorite, so it makes sense to call and see when they would recommend that you come) – 1300 South and about 1700 East.
- Trio: There are two locations, one in the 9th and 9th area – and one at the bottom of cottonwood canyon.
- The Park Café: Liberty Park about 6th East and 11 south.
- Sundance: Up Provo Canyon the grill room is always lovely
- Stein Erickson’s lodge in Deer Valley – The food and the views are amazing.

Well it is getting late – and I am thrilled that I was able to get my need for you all to have lovely brunch off my chest! Good Luck, and have wonderful Bliss on a Budget Brunch!

Bliss on a Budget - BaseBall Bliss

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I came from baseball stock. I can say that with big confidence because my grandfather Les Powers was in fact a professional ball player. A pitcher. He played for the San Francisco Seals (among others) the pre-cursor to the Giants. When I was a child my father would pull out old newspaper clippings of when my grandfather struck greats like Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig. At the time I didn’t quite understand who these men were – but as I got older this slice of history was something that I was particularly proud of. I remember going to visit my grandparents at “The River” (this is their home located on the Russian River, in Northern California- It is the closest spot to heaven on earth for me) and my grandfather would be sitting in his new-fangled chair – it vibrated and warmed up to relax his aching back from all the work he was doing around the house – watching the Giants on the small TV on the corner. I would plop down on the floor next to him, letting the cool breezes from the open screen door next to us; blow the smell of the redwoods, river and ocean into the room. He deeply involved in the game – maybe giving some advice from the chair, me sitting quietly by, playing cards – solitaire, making sure not to disturb.

My father was a baseball player as well. Although in his mid-teens he had to make a decision to play baseball or to continue to pursue swimming. I think we all know how that went. A great decision!! But regardless there he was, having no sons, and wanting to play catch. So I with my mitt and he with his would go out into the backyard where I would do my best to catch what I can only describe as “deadly fastballs” being thrown with all the fire that he could muster. When I caught the ball – My hand would immediately feel the sting and pain of the catch. When I wouldn’t- well those same balls would hit the wooden fence behind us – until one day the fence simply gave way. It could no longer stand under the hammering of the missed balls.

I had a very short lived career as a ball player. I think I played only two summers of softball. Maybe just one, around the age of 12 or 13. My team was the stingers. I was number 14 – My lucky number to this day. Although I must say they must have thought I was dreadful. I simply could not throw a softball to save my life. The baseballs I had thrown where small, these softballs were huge, and I was clumsy with them. I hated batting, I rarely took a swing. My thought was – well let’s hope for a walk. I always played right field (when I wasn’t sitting on the bench) and for the most part nothing really happened near me. So I didn’t cause the team a lot of strife or losses. I only remember one crowning moment when a fly ball quite literally soared out to where I was standing, and in my only moment of brilliance I actually caught the ball. It was like something out of a movie. Everyone cheered and acted like it was the most wonderful thing anyone had done ever. I even got an award at the team BBQ at the end of the season.\

Needless to say – I thought I was most likely the end of the line. But then Jackson my youngest met James. And they, as anyone who knows them knows, are a match made in heaven. Jackson is the ideal son for the dad, who wants to have a kid that loves sports, and wants to play them, and the cherry on top is that Jackson (even though every parent thinks their kid is great – in our case it is actually true) is really athletic. Jackson gets it! Jackson would play baseball (I am borrowing this from the movie Sandlot)”all day, all night, rain, shine, tidal wave, whatever” I often go into his to his room at night, and he will be fast asleep with his bat clutched in his arms. Jackson is a ball player!! Last year he was the only 7 year old on the All-Star team, and this year he is on, not only his little league team, but has already been selected to play on the All-Star team – So from now on, we will be playing a minimum of 4 games each and every week. Now this blog isn’t just a brag about Jackson – this blog is about doing blissful things on a budget.

Every year my family goes to Santa Cruz, CA and spends a week in a beach house there. When I say my family that means; my parents, my little family, and my sisters family. It is a trip we look forward to every year – and I could write a whole blog on just the beach – but it’s what we do on the way to the beach or depending on the way home from the beach. We go as a family to a giant’s game at ATT Park in San Francisco. This is quite possibly the best location in the world to go to a ballgame. It is right on the bay – and if you sit on the 3rd base side, you can watch the game and the boats drift through the ocean. It is freezing cold – and there is hot clam chowder in bread bowls to keep you warm, and the smell of the ocean, and the thrill of the crowd to fill your heart. This is quite possibly one of my most favorite things in the world to do. And here is the thing. It is affordable – the first year we went; we got tickets for a whopping $5.00 per seat.

Now I know that not everyone can go to San Fran and attend a Giants game, but there is baseball being played somewhere in your town. Maybe it’s a little league team, maybe a high school team or possibly college. Take out your old glove (you will need it to catch the fly balls) grabs your honey, or your kids, and head out to the game. Buy a hotdog, and peanuts or cracker jacks feel the sun on your face, cheer for the home team, get up in the 7th inning and sing your heart out.


“For its root, root, root for the home team,
if they don't win it's a shame.
For its one, two, three strikes, you're out,
at the old ball game."

Now go get your baseball bliss 