BIG BROTHERS BIRTHDAY

Brothers birthday today.
What a sweet man my brother is.
He has always been such a tender gentle person.
I am so thankful this man is a part of my life. He is the perfect brother for me.
We have created so many wonderful memories sharing our lives together.
My brother is twelve and half years older than I.
My first memories of him were when we were living in Portland. I was about three years old. Yes I can remember certain things that far back, pretty amazing but true?
I remember his bedroom. He had a train set on a good size track. I really was not allowed to be in his room but I did sneak in occasionally, I could not help myself. Once I picked up a train car off the track, held it, examined it and so carefully put it back. I would have been in bad trouble from both my brother and Mother had they caught me. There were other good things in that room. Comic books, marbles, sports things and cigar boxes with who knows what in them. You know boy things I would have loved to get my chubby little hands on.
I always thought my brother was so smart when I was a little girl. I still do actually. He is good at so many things.
When he was young he was always drawing. He had an amazing skill at drawing cartoon characters. He loved reading the comics and he still reads them. He still works crosswords every morning while having his coffee.
He has such mechanical ability also. He can fix anything it seems. He was always tinkering on cars when he was a young man. He was absolutely nuts about cars.
He taught me how to drive, oh my golly what a fiasco that was. I remember being in his splendid little car and stripping every gear as we lurched along our country road. When I would brake I would almost throw us through the windshield and of course the car would die as I would forget to push the clutch in. He had so much patience with me and I did learn how to drive due to his perseverance. He hardly recalls teaching me to drive, I think he has blocked it as it was so traumatic!
So today I celebrate my brother and all he has brought to my life. We talk several times a week and we just chatter about anything and everything. My hubby also adores this man so. When those two are together all you hear laughter and merriment and I can barely get in a word. I get jealous.

I made more ranchero sauce yesterday. That sauce has became a staple in our fridge. So yummy on a huge variety of things. I posted the recipe on a previous blog.
This morning for breakfast I made a fave of mine. I love french toast made with the crusty Tuscan pane bread I buy at Trader Joe's. I use real butter, pure maple syrup and a little sprinkle of powered sugar. There is something about biting a crispy piece of bacon combined with a bite of that sweet french toast that makes my eyes roll back in my head....truly.

Hubby is our chef this evening. He is making his famous Lecho( excuse the spelling please) it is a Hungarian pot of true goodness.
He is using six fresh tomatoes from our garden this time instead of the whole plum canned tomatoes he usually uses. I stemmed blanched and peeled the tomatoes for him earlier. Such a good little wife.
This is what he does. In to a deep pot he puts three huge bell peppers sliced, one small onion sliced, the tomatoes a couple cloves of garlic smashed, a rope of kielbasa sliced salt and pepper and lot of paprika and a tad of water. He lets this concoction slowly cook down for about a hour until all has melded and the veggies are tender. In a separate pot he puts potatoes and boils them until tender. He serves this dish up in wide bottom soup bowls. Covering the bottom of the bowl with the boiled potatoes he then ladles over this rich red peppery sauce.We like sourdough toast for dunking the extra sauce left in the bowl. Sometimes if he wants some heat (which he likes) he will add a cubano pepper or a little chili powder or both.
This is a wonderful meal on a winter night and it also gets your taste buds turning cartwheels while it is cooking.
So a night off for me, yeah! Well let me rethink that one....hmmm I am still cleaning up the kitchen. Well so it goes.

I had a wonderful day today and am so thankful for my life and those who join me in this adventure.
Enjoy what your life offers to you it is always a gift.