The Best Neighbor Ever

My friend Howard Johnson passed away this week. We have been neighbors for close to 30 years. When we first met, I knew I would like him when his wife Jan called him “HoJo”.  Howard never took himself too seriously and he had a wonderful sense of humor.

What made him a great neighbor?:

  • He was always positive and had a smile on his face.
  • His grandkids worshipped him. My granddaughter Emma (5 years old) would run across the yard to say hello whenever she saw him.
  • He had tools that I didn’t have and made sure I borrowed them.
  • I have a power washer that he didn’t have. When Howard borrowed it, he would power-wash my driveway.
  • When I couldn’t get a small engine to start, he would calm me down with a story that was just long enough to cure a flooded carburetor.
  • My dogs loved him.
  • He would ask about my golf game and listen.
  • I could go on and on.

Howard and I hosted an annual neighborhood Oktoberfest. We were both veterans of the food industry. Howard worked for a sausage casing company. He would get his old customers to supply bratwursts. We would roll out our grills and have one street to bring side dishes and the other street to bring desserts. One year I had extra potatoes and made homemade French fries. The next year as we were setting up, Howard asked: No fries this year? Then followed up with: That’s all the neighborhood has talked about since last year. With a quick trip to the market that year, Howard’s fries were a hit, and have been a staple ever since.

Howard did volunteer work at the local hospital. For years he has been giving a morning blessing over the PA system. His goal was to deliver a spiritual blessing with a positive message. Howard’s boss at the hospital complained that his messages were too long. He worked hard on these messages and often struggled to keep them short. As a reader of this blog, Howard advised me to get your point and humor in up front, because you can’t rely on the attention span of your audience. Hence, the goal for all my blogs is to keep them short, to the point and try to include humor. As for Howard’s morning blessings, he has been fighting cancer for a while and the recordings of his messages are still being run. We have a friend who is a nurse at the hospital and she tells us that the staff still loves listening to Howard.

Howard was special to all his grandchildren. His one granddaughter made him promise years ago to live long enough to walk her down the aisle when she got married. He fought hard to live up to that promise. When that special day does occur, Howard will be there. His memory will live on with many of us. He was a great friend and the best neighbor ever.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.

All Hail The Queen Of The North

There is not much in life that is more special than the arrival of a new grandbaby. Hadley Grace Begun was born in Ottawa Canada on July 11th weighing 7 pounds and 11 ounces. With numbers like 7/11 and 7/11, Susan and I should have headed straight to the casino.  Instead we were busy keeping the Queen Mother (our daughter Jennifer) and her court (Dad Ethan and sons Max and Dylan) fed.

The Queen’s Family Wants Low Carb

The key to meal planning at Jenn’s in Ottawa is low carb. There was a great article in the July 10, 2019 Wall Street Journal titled “Family Dinner Is Now A Battle Over Carbohydrates.” The essence of the article was that while cutting carbs has become a common dietary theme, there is still a broad spectrum of wants and needs when it comes to carbohydrates. Given different diets, (Low carb, veto, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, no dairy etc.)  family meal planning can be a challenge. As I look back on the long list of diet fads over the last 40 years, low carb is definitely one with staying power. At Jenn’s, the emphasis is on protein and vegetables, while cutting back on bread, potatoes, pasta, rice and processed foods.

From a culinary standpoint, low carb is not that hard to manage, with a little planning and market options, it can be a lot of fun and downright tasty. Our menus for the week included:

Friday’s Menu

Saturday

Sunday

Note: Sushi was something Jenn missed during pregnancy so…

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

 

Thursday

 

 

Check out the recipes:

Grill Roasted Miso Cod

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Friday

Eating low carb is certainly not deprivation. Welcoming a new grandchild was a real celebration. We had lots of fun, ate extremely well and worked very hard. Taking care of three grandchildren reminds you why you have kids when you are young.

Traditionally when writing supper club menus, I tend to include carbs. We figure that we get to be good during the week, so it is ok to splurge a little on the weekend with a supper club meal. When you get a little creative with low carb, you can eat healthy and no one will miss the carbs. And maybe, you can have an extra glass of wine to celebrate the arrival of “The Queen Of The North”.

On the way to the hospital, Jenn and E noting that things will change with THREE!

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.