French Onion Soup and the cemetery

Today Susan and I went to Hollo's Papercraft store in Brunswick, OH. We stopped at Petiti's Garden Center while making our way back to the turnpike. I could have purchased something of every kind there. We did buy 3 clematis...1 white, 1 red, and 2 purple....2 Bellisima in pink and red. and finally a Bleeding Heart. Pam and Ken Barlow had given Susan a Bleeding Heart plant when Bonpapa died but it didn't survive well OR it's surviving now with the new owners. This new plant will replace the old one and Bonpapa will continue to be kept alive in our hearts. I seem to remember the Barlows giving us an hydrangea plant when Gunner died and that we did transfer up here. Hopefully it will grow this year as well.

We had planned at eating in the MapleSide Inn but it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays so we continued on home and ate at the Applebee's at the mall in Elyria.

Mom ordered the Oriental Chicken Salad but when I saw the French Onion soup with the French Dip Roast Beef Sandwich I knew what I wanted. And it was very good. But I remember the first time I ever had French Onion Soup. It was the first time I had been out to my mom's newly acquired cemetery, I was about 14. I think it was in late summer and we had to turn off the water/sprinkling system. As we drove in we noticed a car was parked near the office. Two love birds were necking in the car and my mom stopped that activity quickly. But then she took me to a restaurant on the west side of the old Pasco Bridge. And that's when I had the soup. It is still enjoyable.

The 2nd time I went to the cemetery, my folks said I needed to mow the lawn...which had grown very tall. . .with a PUSH MOWER, no less. About 4 acres of lawn! I made it once around and nearly collapsed. That's when my folks said, "Well, it looks like we need to buy a riding mower."

Thank goodness! I was going to be the one who mowed the lawns and dug the graves and moved the sprinkling system (don't live in a desert) several times a day.

But the soup was good then and today as well. Last night Mom made me Macaroons, dipped in chocolate. They were better than the one I bought at Presti's Saturday when we were in Little Italy. Daphne came down today and she ate one and agreed. Well, she did say they were better than in any store but I am not sure she's ever had one at Presti's. Mom used the Alton Brown procedure....I sure do like Alton Brown. I might have to blog about him and the rib eye steaks Mom cooked on Sunday.