With weather in central Indiana more rainy than snowy, and temps bouncing from the 30's back up to the 50's several times since Thanksgiving, I sometimes have to remind myself that Christmas is less than two weeks away. I'm not complaining about the weather, mind you, but I do have to remind myself to get with the program. While we'll likely only have a small gathering of 6 or 7 here on Christmas Eve, there's deciding on the menu and grocery shopping yet to do. Some house cleaning sounds like a good idea. And there are gifts yet to buy and wrap. But who's stressing? I'm refusing to so far, and somehow that's working for me.
Last night Greg and I were invited to enjoy an hibachi dinner in the dining room of the senior community where our friends, Jack and Ruth, live. Some of you may remember me writing about my experience providing companion care to the sweetest lady on earth. Well, Ruth has declined deep into dementia, but still remains the same sweet soul I came to know about five years ago. She is living in the skilled nursing part of the community where Jack lives in the house they had built nearly twenty years ago when they moved to the same town we live in.
We sometimes join Jack for a meal, but haven't in all the time I was healing from surgery and then going through chemo and its recovery, but now that I'm getting back to normal activities, we've put a couple of dinner dates with Jack on the calendar. This week's hibachi dinner was a first-time experience for Greg and I.
Jason, a traveling hibachi chef, first served us potstickers drizzled with teriyaki sauce for appetizers, then a first course of Mexican tomato soup, followed by perfectly cooked filet mignon (some had chicken fajitas) - with sides of Spanish rice and corn on the cob.
I do love me a good steak.
Oooh yes, drizzle on that delicious buttery sauce
and sprinkle the corn with parmesan cheese.
Must try this at home...
Having never experienced an hibachi grill dinner, I had no idea what to expect. It was a fun combination of watching and listening to Jason tell us what he was preparing. He also shared a little about himself when we asked. We also enjoyed the company of old friends, and made some new friends of a couple that helped fill out the table of eight. An hour and a half after we sat down, we left happy with very satisfied tummies and spirits, and are very impressed with this new dining experience within a senior community here in town.
And now, I suppose I really should apply myself to some Christmas shopping...
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It sounds like you're starting to enjoy your life again! This is great.
ReplyDeleteI am, Liz! It feels good to feel as good as I do, and not have to give so much thought to being immunocompromised.
DeleteThat looks and sounds like a lot of fun - I have never heard of a "traveling hibachi chef" before.
ReplyDeleteThe traveling part is because the hibachi grill is only open a couple of days a week at this location, and Jason travels to other senior communities within the same "franchise?" the rest of the week. Hopefully, the residents of each of the communities will prove this to be a popular offering and it will become full time. I don't know how much I'd enjoy a restaurant hibachi grill and sitting with total strangers around a grill, but we knew four other people, and the new couple we met were very personable. It's a great idea for a senior community, imo. It gives a natural opportunity for strangers within the same community to meet each other
DeleteI am sure it was fun to get out again. I am always up for hibachi, but we don't go often. We do eat Thai often. Our area is known for Thai. It is not the same as Chinese. Lots more spicy and I feel more natural ingredients. In other words, you won't leave feeling heavy and in need of a bathroom. Yes, I typed that. Ha Ha. When Saigon fell you may remember our area had the tent cities of all those immigrants. They have remained and there are tons of Thai restaurants here. I love going and could eat it once a week of Hubby would agree.
ReplyDeleteSandy, Thai food is something I have not yet tried. Sounds yummy, though.
DeleteI enjoy hibachi, but it has been a long time. This sounds like a lot of fun. Senior communities have a lot of fun activities. I keep telling my wife maybe it's time to start thinking about that?????
ReplyDeleteBob, when I visit the website of this particular senior community it does look like it would be a great place to live. Social opportunities built right into the community sounds wonderful as one ages. The financial arrangements one makes to move into one of these communities (or this one, anyway), gives me pause, though. Maybe all are run this way, but in this community, you buy your house (or duplex), then pay a monthly fee for things like grounds and home maintenance, but at the end of your use of the house it becomes the property of the company that owns the community. And I think if you move into skilled nursing care, you pay for that (what insurance doesn't) - I don't think any money put into one's house goes toward any kind of long term care (which is available in this senior community). I admit, though, I don't know the nitty gritty details, but having been told this much, and thinking that one never builds equity in the home that is purchased (which can be a significant portion of one's estate) just makes me question if I could ever rest easy with that arrangement. As I see it, it is a commitment 'til the end of one's days.
DeleteThis looks like so much fun!! And delicious too.
ReplyDeleteIt WAS fun, Debra. I hope we get to return. Seeing as they only operate the grill at this location two evenings a week, it might be a while if we do.
DeleteThe Hibachi dinner looks like fun. It's really good to know you are able to be up and out and enjoying life again after all you've been through this past year. Prayers answered!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Barbara. Yes, carrying on as normal now, though still building up my muscle strength and overall stamina. It feels good to feel good.
DeleteWhen I read the intro about hibachi cooking I immediately thought of one of those little charcoal BBQ's that were all the rage years ago. I then wondered how on earth a complete dinner could be prepared on one of those dinky little things. Much relieved to see that I was quite wrong in my assumption!
ReplyDeleteI pictured a large grill like you describe when I first heard we were invited to an hibachi dinner, but this flat surface is what we sat around and the chef cooked on.
DeleteAfter writing this post, I looked up hibachi and see that, indeed, it typically describes a grill like you say. On the other hand, I've often eaten at a diner where they cook on large griddles sort of like pictured above, and those are also often referred to as grill. It's confusing. A grill to me is a thing with grates that allows you to cook over fire, but who am I to argue with the chef? Or maybe he didn't actually call it a grill. Maybe that was just me...?