caprese on toothpicks, parmesan crisps

We had a quick breakfast Friday (9/14) morning and headed to the grocery store.  I’ve recently gotten back into couponing, partially because we live in a very poor area of South Carolina plus, there’s a food bank conveniently located a short distance away.  I had a GREAT score Friday, my bill was originally $104.26, but I ended up paying just $34.62….WHOO HOO!!!  Most of the stuff we bought will be donated…so I feel really good about that.  A lot of the shelves at the store were empty because they were doing inventory, but Martha (everyone’s favorite check-out clerk, including mine!) told me they would re-stock tonight, so hopefully I’ll try again tomorrow morning.  I spent the afternoon working on Halloween stuff and at 3 PM went up to shower and make ‘caprese salad’ (mozzarella/basil/tomato) on a toothpick:

 

and we took these along with Michael’s Parmesan Crisps over to Jerry and Deana’s for a lovely, extended happy hour.  So, on the way over, I asked Michael what he thinks they will have to drink…and he says “I would imagine they have everything”…so I kind of get my tongue set for a CC and ginger (what can I say, I’m from PGH…I still remember my parents, once a month, having the Holtzapfels over for cards and drinking highballs…and I was always excited because I got to have  pop (ginger ale) when that happened….so CC and ginger is just a high class high ball  J, ‘cause in my parent’s house it was Seagram’s 7 and ginger ale) and we get there…and they have wine L, and that’s it.   So, I have a glass of wine…sigh.   On the way home I am still thinking about a highball…and I can’t have one Saturday night because we are going to the symphony and I usually drive…and it just doesn’t seem like a Sunday night kind of drink (I don’t know…when you’re retired somehow the weekends are still the weekends)…so when we eventually get home….I am thrilled to discover that we actually HAVE some ginger ale (we don’t keep a lot of soda in the house)…and I make my high class high ball.   PLEASE don’t ask me about my sewing after that…because YES….I do go to my studio and continue to sew on my Halloween stuff, all the while watching THE UNIVERSE.  Have you seen this show on the history channel?…it is fascinating.

 

Saturday morning Michael left early for golf, coming home later with an 83….(of course, as any of you who are married to golfers know, it COULD have been in the 70’s if he hadn’t put one in the lake, and had completed 3 other ‘really make-able’ putts J), and I cleaned a bit and had a nice long phone chat with my friend Ginny, before Barrie arrived at 11.  We had a wonderful 2 hours of knitting and talking, and when she left, I headed down to the studio and worked the rest of the afternoon on my Halloween stuff.  Michael made a great dinner of potato/cheese pierogis after which we headed over to pick up Jan and Walt.  We were headed into Charlotte for our first symphony pops concert of this season.  It was supposed to be the music of Billy Joel, with a guest appearance by Michael Cavanaugh.  The concert was electrifying!  Michael was a wizard on the piano, sax, guitar and harmonica.  He sang many of the songs and sounded tremendous.  He brought along with 5 piece band, and with the orchestra back-up it was incredible.  He played mostly Billy Joel, but also threw in some Elton John and Jerry Lee Lewis.  We were singing, standing, dancing, clapping….it was much more like a rock concert than a symphony and it was a great kickoff to our season.  We were home by 11 and sat up for a bit reading (with a little nightcap)before toddling off to bed.