We hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours didn’t go exactly as planned due to Barbara’s getting Covid but each family’s household improvised; believe us, NO food went wasted.
The sisters are taking a short hiatus so that we can give our full energy to enjoying family during this holiday season. We’ll be back and energized in January with the letter “O” in our ABC Life.
ENJOY THE HOLIDAY SEASON!!!
Although we did use our noodles back in 2021, we thought it was time for a revisit as there are so many noodle restaurants to choose from.
New restaurant: Highland Noodles
When searching for a new-to-us place to try, Highland Noodles in Frisco stood out because they are known for their handmade on the premises specialty noodles. We were not disappointed – the tomato and egg noodle dish and the beef and noodle dish both had a rich flavor and the portions were huge. Plus, we were very surprised (actually more like amazed) that the restaurant was located within a shopping area that had dozens of Asian restaurants and shops – and we had never noticed this area before although we had probably driven by it dozens of times. Thank you ABC Life for opening our eyes to the many options we have for future dining delights.
Bonus: The very next day we discovered on someone’s recommended mysteries for 2023 list the book Death by Dumpling: A Noodle Shop Mystery by Vivien Chien. It’s on our TBR list now. But it does make one think: how do you die by a dumpling? Poisoning? Or a swift and mighty whack on the head? We’ll find out soon.
LEARNING CENTER
Since we loved the flavors of this restaurant, here’s something we learned about “Natural Flavors”: Next time you read a label and are encouraged to hear the product has natural flavors so you’re feeling very health conscious, keep this in mind: “Secreted from a gland near its rear end, castoreum is a substance beavers use to mark their territory. Because it has a musky vanilla aroma, for centuries castoreum has been added to some perfumes and foods. The FDA only requires it to be labeled “natural flavoring.”
And, also, while we think back fondly on our noodles, we found there are several food terms for the head or brain: noodle, bean, melon, beef-witted, to name a few. But we want to pass along a caution: “Using your noodle is high in carbohydrates. Using your melon is less so. If you’re on a true low-carb diet, beef-witted is the way to go.”
New activity – Step Afrika! Performance
We’ve been to many dance performances but nothing like that which was put on by the group Step Afrika! (the exclamation point is part of the name). From what we have gathered online, it started with historically African American fraternities and sororities but has its roots in traditional African dance. In particular, some of the areas that were mentioned were Western Africa/Nigeria and South Africa. The group “promotes stepping as an educational tool for young people, focusing on teamwork, academic achievement and cross-cultural understanding.” They performed several dances, including Ndlamu, which is a traditional dance of the Zulu people, and Isicathulo, or the “gumboot dance,” which is a tradition created by South African workers in the mining industry as a way of secretly communicating with each other by the stomping of their boots.
We were so impressed by the amount of energy and coordination this dance took and the group was highly entertaining. The music that came out of stomping their feet and slapping their bodies was great. The audience was whooping and clapping, and it was unlike anything we had been to. It’s a highly recommended evening of entertainment.
Who hasn’t heard of Dr. Seuss? The name immediately elicits images of nonsensical characters, fun dialogue and fanciful illustrations. Both of us are ardent fans of his books so we knew we had to return to the Southwest Gallery in Dallas to wander through their featured The Art of Dr. Seuss Collection. It was truly delightful, with many fine arts limited edition prints of his original illustrations and never-before seen paintings. Apparently, Ted Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, spent his evenings creating art that was for his pleasure and not for his books. He says, “I like nonsense. It wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”
When Laura told her son about this exhibit, he shared that his alma mater, University of California, San Diego, has an amazing sculpture of Dr. Seuss and the Cat in the Hat outside their Geisel Library. Dr. Seuss lived in La Jolla for the second half of his life and the city honored him with this inspiring sculpture.
NEW ORLEANS NOSH
After Dr. Seuss, we decided to stop for coffee and a little something. So, when we noticed PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans, we went in and were delighted to find they served Beignets. The sugar ones were truly yummy. A great top-off to an interesting afternoon.
New activity: Performance by Havana NRG (NEW RHYTHM GENERATION)
Barbara: Once again, I am reminded why I love the “ABC Life.” I could have stayed at home watching Netflix but instead, I headed over to the Allen Public Library to watch a performance by Havana NRG, a band from Cuba. They were FANTASTIC. The music performed was high energy, the singers were good and man, they can dance. They had much of the audience standing at their seats or in the aisles, dancing along to the beat and even this gal got up and did some moves. (But definitely not quitting my day job.)
LEARNING CENTER
While we’re in Cuba….
Can you guess what Cuba’s most valuable export is? No, all you dessert lovers, it’s not sugar nor is it tobacco. We learned that Cuba leases about 50,000 doctors to dozens of foreign nations each year. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, this program brings in billions each year to the Cuban government, making medical services their most valuable export.
To start off our “N” month, we decided to try food from Nepal. A nearby Himalyan restaurant – Everest Indian-Himalayan Restaurant and Bar – served a dish called Chicken Lollipop! Well obviously that piqued our interest. But it wasn’t meant to be since the menu stated it had “spicy” flavorings. Spicy is not our thing, which is why we don’t often (like hardly ever) have Indian food. So we selected a Naan appetizer and a main entree of Chicken Momo, which the sweet waitress told us was the least spicy chicken selection. These were yummy dumplings. Its accompanying red sauce was barely touched -we couldn’t eat because of the “heat.” The naan too had a delicious flavor but one bite was all we could tolerate. The heat was overpowering!
Why can some people tolerate spicy, even super spicy, yet these sisters are wimps in the spice test? Turns out that spicy foods contain a chemical called capsaicin, which triggers a receptor in your mouth and on your tongue called a TRPV1 receptor. The sensitivity of these receptors vary from person to person. Plus, the more you eat spicy foods and the earlier you start, the better tolerance you have. Since our mom’s idea of spices was salt and pepper, we’d have no chance of making it in Nepal!
New films: Himalaya and Even When I Fall
Barbara: Since we were “in Nepal” I decided to watch a Nepali film. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for either one of the two films. I was particularly hoping to like Himalaya since it had been an Oscar nominated film, but it just wasn’t my “cup of chai.”
New activity: Female Aviator Talk
Barbara: My almost-but-not-quite-husband, A.D., is a pilot so he’s always asking me if I want to go to his monthly aviation group meeting (just to be polite) and I’m always declining (being not so polite), but this time I decided to attend due to the speaker.
Ann Pellegreno is the first woman aviator to complete the around the world flight path that Amelia Earhart was attempting before she disappeared somewhere in the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. And let me tell you, this 86-year-old woman may be diminutive in size, but her mind was sharp as a tack. She gave a slide show presentation of her journey and remembered everything about the plane, the parts, the functions, the path – everything. When she met Amelia’s sister at the end of her journey, it was very touching for her. The thing that really struck me was the similarity in their journeys at a crucial point. Amelia was unable to see the tiny Howland Island where she was supposed to land at, not knowing she was only 10 miles away; that was the last time she was seen. When Ann got to where Howland Island should be she almost didn’t find it either due to the weather conditions so history could have repeated itself. Luckily, she finally did and was able to land there and then complete the journey. Bravo Ann!
We couldn’t let the month of Mexican Independence go by without sampling a couple of things Mexican.
New restaurant: MEXI-GO
We started out our day with lunch at Mexi-Go Restaurant in Allen. It has an interesting back story: one of the owners, Jose, had been frequenting an ice cream parlor and found that it was closing its doors but the owners gave him the opportunity of a lifetime and helped him convert it into a Mexican restaurant of his own. After some creative hustling to get customers, the place took off. It was intended as a takeout place (thus the Mexi-GO) but morphed into a sit down restaurant. Barb didn’t go wild over the chips (which she considered a blessing since she usually can down a whole basket) but we enjoyed our food choices very much and will be back.
New activity: MEXICAN ART EXHIBIT at the DMA
Abraham Ángel: Between Wonder and Seduction
This was the second art exhibit we’ve seen that showcased a young, talented artist whose career was cut short by a very early death. Ángel was one of the leading artists of his generation yet he produced just 24 paintings before his sudden death at the age of 19. From the description at the museum: “one of Mexico’s first known queer artists, he found belonging in the capital’s rich avant-garde artistic scene.” There are many different theories on his death, and in fact we had one as well, based on a picture displayed there.
When he was just 16, Ángel met the painter Adolfo Best Maugard who was teaching a new drawing method. He believed that by learning to combine seven basic design elements – spiral, circle, half circle, s shape, zigzag, wavy line and straight line, anyone could learn to create compelling works of art. The picture below shows one of his works that came out of this drawing method.
At the end of the exhibit was a room with cards in it that asked people to draw something using the shapes of Maugard’s method. Barb couldn’t resist; it was fun but as you can see she would have been kicked out of Maugard’s studio!
Today is all about learning new things.
LEARNING CENTER: MOTTOS
A lot of the time we will go to a movie and the ads start coming on the screen. Many times, we sit through an elaborate advertisement and then question how it even relates to the product they are advertising. So, we started wondering how products got their motto or tag line.
U.S. Postal Service: Surprisingly, the U.S. Postal Service has no official motto. The famous “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” line was written about Persian mail carriers almost 2500 years ago.
Nike: “Just Do It” – This slogan was created by Dan Wieden of the ad agency Wieden+Kennedy in the 1980s. It works as a motivational catch phrase for athletes but it actually came from the last words of a convicted murderer awaiting execution by firing squad! Good example of how you never know where your next good idea will come from.
Yellow Pages: “Let Your Fingers Do the Walking” – We read that before the Yellow Pages were developed, people had to walk from shop to shop to see what services they provided. After those big yellow books came out one could “walk” to the shops using one’s fingers. Of course now, everything is online so maybe the motto should be “let your mouse do the surfing.”
M&Ms: “Melt in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand” – This motto is another example of one that still works well. The not melting is explained by the special sugar coating that prevents them from melting in your hand but the motto also lets you know in advance that these little yummy nuggets are so good they won’t last long enough in your hand to melt anyway.
LEARNING CENTER: MONOPOLY
Lately we’ve been reminiscing about our childhood at least once a week. There are always things that one of us remembers and the other has forgotten about but the one thing we’ll ALWAYS remember is the fun we had (and still have) playing games. And one of those games is Monopoly. We were reminded about this when we came across this fact: The winner of the Monopoly World Championship receives $20,580—the same amount as the Monopoly money that comes with the board game. We didn’t even know that there was a World Championship so Barbara decided to watch a documentary, “Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story.”
Barbara: I was surprised at all that I learned. Some quotes from Monopoly lovers are “It’s the most dynamic game in the world”, “It’s the only game where you can bankrupt your friends and they will still be your friends”, “It brings out the very best in people and the very worst.” One theme that went through the film was how playing Monopoly was a time when families and friends got together, talked, and laughed, etc. People really connected. Someone questioned that with social media everyone has a ton of connections but are they really connected to anyone? Everyone agreed it brought back the best memories of family and childhood. Over 40 countries have national championships and then come together for the world championship. There were so many facts that I can’t list them all but I highly recommend the film (free on Prime) to anyone who has played or still wants to play.
New activity: MARBLE ART PROJECT
Marble art is a newfound experience for us but one we totally enjoyed at Dallas Silk Art at Grandscape in The Colony. It’s almost a foolproof art form! Every pattern will be interesting, and you pick up to six colors of your choice – and then let your creative side take charge! Marble art is an ancient art form, dating back to the 1100’s in either Turkey or Persia, but obviously the Dallas Silk Art studio offers a modern day setting and materials.
The idea behind the art is that you float paints on an aqueous surface and then perform a few moves (raking, curling, etc.). Soon you’ve created your very own design, which gets transferred onto the product of your choice.
Barbara chose a hat and Laura opted for an 8.5” x 11” canvas with frame. We had a great time and would love to return with a group. Hmm…with Halloween coming, we’re pretty sure they’ll have pumpkins, skulls and more to design!
And while we’re talking about floating substances…
LEARNING CENTER – MOLASSES
Did you know that in 1919 a massive storage tank of molasses collapsed in Boston. Two million gallons of the sticky syrup formed waves 40 feet tall that traveled up to 35 miles per hour. Several city blocks were destroyed.
Gotta love the information one can find in the Encyclopedia Britannica!
The ABC Life Blog 