Verna and Bob's Weblog

Food and Dining

Shrimp Louie Salad

Well, this was quite the treat today for our usual Saturday (remember the Sabbath) feast. Verna prepared everything and I got to help with the peeling of the raw shrimp. It was a wonderful salad and rated five stars.   ★★★★★

The origin of the name “Shrimp Louie” is unclear, but various sources suggest that it may have been named after a popular chef named Louis Coutard in San Francisco. However, another theory attributes the dish to Louis Davenport, a hotel owner in Spokane, Washington. Additionally, some sources suggest that the name may have originated in San Francisco in the early 1900s, but the exact person or event behind the name is unknown.

Wherever it came from, it sure was good today.

August 16, 2025 by Food and Dining

Christmas Eve 2024

First of all, Happy Birthday to my sweet wife, Verna! She got a new Iona Celtic Cross and chain for the occasion. It’s 14k white gold (the chain too).

As to the Arizona Christmas Eve Sunset, we’re quite lucky to get these quite often. Always a beautiful sight. Click on the image to enlarge.

We will be quietly spending Christmas Day here at our desert abode, just the two of us, since closest family is over 300 miles away and some even further out. We will be talking and/or texting to some of them, however, via the various electronic and social media. Our Christmas Feast will consist of Chicken and Dumplings, a wonderful southern favorite modified slightly for Keto diet purposes.

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Remember the reason for the season – Christ the Savior is born!

December 24, 2024 by Arizona Food and Dining Holidays Photography Religion

Winter Solstice

Today marks the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere. It is also the shortest day for us with only nine hours and fifty-six minutes of daylight.

In Wickenburg, we’re enjoying a nice sunny day and expecting a high temperature today in the mid-70s Fahrenheit. It is also The Sabbath, God’s Day of Rest. We will be preparing our feast of “Gumbolaya,” which is a combination of Gumbo and Jambalaya, two very favorite Southern (Cajun) stews. If we add okra to the Jambalaya, it becomes Gumbolaya.

Tomorrow, for Sunday Dinner, we will be having Crockpot Roast Top Round of Beef. Check the Food Blog for photos of the eats.

Image above: Waning Gibbous Moon over the big Saguaro Cactus in front of the Garage.

December 21, 2024 by Arizona Climate Food and Dining Nerdliness

Happy Thanksgiving 2024

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we gather around the table today, we are reminded of the countless blessings in our lives—our families, friends, and the love that surrounds us. May we take this time to reflect on God’s grace and the many gifts He has given us.

Let us give thanks for the strength of our bonds, the beauty of shared moments, and the joy that comes from loving one another. May this season of gratitude inspire us to live with compassion, generosity, and faith.

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving filled with love, peace, and happiness!

Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

— Psalm 100:4-5

November 28, 2024 by Culture Family Food and Dining Holidays

All Saints Day

Tutti Santi is Italian for “All Saints.” Today is the celebration of All Saints in some churches. Verna and I happened to be in Rome, Italy, on November 1, 2000 where we watched Pope John Paul celebrate a special Tutti Santi mass from St. Peter’s Basilica on television in our hotel room.

Today, we’re celebrating by having Lasagna Soup later today. Happy All Saints Day to you all.

November 1, 2024 by Culture Food and Dining Religion

Avalon 1998

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