Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
We were up early, as it’s gym day! To get started, I looked at my “To Do List”! After recovering from my fainting spell, I wandered to the backyard and picked some grape leaves for our gym staff.
Historical & Cultural Trivia:
Ancient Origins: The concept of wrapping or stuffing food in edible leaves likely dates back to antiquity, with some suggesting a possible origin in ancient Persia.
A “Shared Heritage”: Stuffed grape leaves are a beloved dish across the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, reflecting a shared culinary heritage influenced by various empires and cultures.
The Ottoman Empire’s Role: The Ottoman Empire played a significant role in spreading the dish throughout its territories, standardizing the technique, and contributing to the wide variety of regional variations found today.
Etymology of “Dolma”: The word “dolma” comes from the Turkish word “dolmak,” which means “to fill”.
Different Names, Same Dish: While commonly known as “dolma,” the dish is also called “sarma” (Turkish for “wrap”), “warak enab” (Arabic for “grape leaves”), “dolmades” in Greece, “tolma” in Armenia, and “dolmeh barg-e mo” in Iran.
Armenian Claim: Some historians and sources, such as The Oxford Companion to Food, suggest that dolma likely originated in Armenian culinary traditions before being adopted by Turkish cuisine.
Greek Legend: A popular, though legendary, story attributes the invention of dolmades to the Thebans during Alexander the Great’s siege, who, facing food shortages, mixed meat with rice and wrapped it in grape leaves.
The ToDo List was mine, NOT Mary’s. Her To-Do List, for me, comes in three volumes, and that is with small print.
At the greeting counter, they had pictures of the owner and his staff. These are old pictures, but some people are still there.
Mary and I liked these puppies.
Before the workout begins, we do between 30 and 45 minutes on the stationary bike. Mary got me going over the speed limit. Luckily, she didn’t capture me when my tongue was hanging out!
When I get up to speed, I am always worried about a potential blowout. Not the tire; me!!
Zoom! Next week, I plan to put playing cards on the spokes using close-line clips (remember that?).
Mary was doing the leg exercises. She is on the 101st push! She pushes eighty pounds and does one hundred cycles. At 102, Mary declared victory.
“Help!! Get me off this thing!!”
We bolted from the gym at precisely 10:00 am and headed for Dunkin’ Donuts for a latte and a bite of breakfast.
We used GPS to find the way to the hairdresser, who is located in Huntington Beach. I had always wondered how people in the past managed to find their way across the country, and then it dawned on me.
When we returned home, we cleaned the house so that the cleaning people could come in and do their job. Don’t ask! As soon as they arrived, we headed to the market to pick up goodies for Friday’s wild celebration and party!
We managed to fill the trunk of the car with bags and bags of goodies. It wasn’t loading that was the trouble, but the fifteen laps to and from the kitchen when we got home that wasn’t easy.
Everything we needed!
We got cookies for the 4th, but we also made a batch for Jeff, as he likes these cookies. Of course, Mary and I had to sample them to make sure they were not poisonous.
Coolies for Jeff and July 4th!
We departed Jeff’s just after dark and took a picture of our house with the lights on. It doesn’t look too bad. The house lights travel around at a very slow speed. When we are in the front yard gardening, many passersby mention how they love seeing our home decorated for every holiday!
Lights on!!
After getting back, Mary emptied the dishwasher, put away the last of the groceries, folded clothes, and watched Chisum with John Wayne. We were going to swim, but we were too far gone to lounge around in the pool, so we crashed.
Tomorrow, we’ll start preparing for the party by setting up the tables and chairs, arranging the food items, and getting the barbecue ready. You must work to have fun!
