P.F. Chang's China Bistro

For a quick American Chinese meal of orange chicken, you cannot beat the frozen variety by P.F.Chang in the supermarket freezer.

It's always good and cheaper than eating out. 

However, whenever travels take us to Albany, New York, and we have a yen for  American Chinese food,  it's a sure bet we are going to go to P.F. Chang's China Bistro.

First of all, the gargantuan horses out in front of the restaurant are great for photo shoots.  I like to go just to look at them!

Whether they are meant to resemble terracotta horses at the tomb of the First Emperor of China, I don't really know. But they are amazing pieces of sculpture and give the place a look of real elegance.



 Inside, there's a very nice decor, too. Overhead lights are very attractive and the food is pretty good.  I wouldn't give it an "A" rating but their lettuce wraps are tasty and the egg rolls are good dipped in the restaurant's signature sauce.

I like my  hot and sour soup very hot and when it came barely warm, I asked the waiter to pop it back in the micro.  Twice. He was very accommodating but the soup did not make it to the top of the list for that kind of soup. To tell you the truth, I've had much better in other restaurants. Sorry P.F. and Chang.

The origin of P.F. Chang's in 1993 is Scottsdale, Arizona.  Headquarters are now in Phoenix.  According to Wikipedia, the restaurant chain was founded by Paul Fleming and Philip Chiang.  Thus, the P.F. are the initial's to Fleming's name and Chang is a variation of Chiang's name. 

In 2010, according to the Wikipedia, there were 200 P.F. Chang's China Bistros operating in the United States,  and of all places, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates,  Kuwait City, and Mexico.

One unique aspect of the restaurants is that they offer gluten-free dishes.

I like the fortune cookies served at the end of one's meal, mainly, because it's fun to read the little strip of paper with a fortune on it. This last time, this is what mine read:

It'll probably be awhile before I make it to Albany again so it's back to the frozen variety in the supermarket. That suits me just fine.

By the way, are you convinced by now that I am fascinated with taking pictures of the big "hossies?"

HAVE YOU EATEN AT A P.F. CHANG'S CHINA BISTRO?

Three Year Old's Birthday Bash

Birthday parties for children part of what makes life great, don't you think?

Recently, I was blessed to attend the birthday  bash of a three-year-old "princess." Yes, the little birthday girl loves anything to do with princesses. She's a real diva who relishes dressing up, wearing tiaras, and charming everyone she with whom she comes in contact.

When she smiles, her dark eyes sparkle and her very presence lights up the entire room.  Simply put, she has a shining star personality.

Don't you think it would be awesome to be a three year old princess?  Imagine the possibilities that dwell in your heart and mind. The world is yours! There is magic in the very air you breathe.

Even her birthday cake had princesses on it!

 

Another birthday cake at the party, made by the birthday girl's grandfather, was in the shape and colors of a beautiful butterfly.  Nearby was a colorful catapillar cake, also made by her grandpa.

She received a real princess dress as one of her gifties.

                        She also received this adorable outfit:

                                                            

Ahhhhh, to be three years old again.  May this princess forever be filled with delight and zest for life.

DO YOU LOVE GOING TO CHILDREN'S BIRTHDAY PARTIES?

Homemade Backyard Bird Bath

                                                                             

Today, we are joining Diann at  The Thrifty Groove for "Thrifty Things Friday." Also joining Cindy's Friday "Show and Tell" at My Romantic Home.

For quite some time now, I've had bird baths on the brain.

The asking prices for them, however, were quite astounding and way too much for my budget to justify. Ones I liked cost something like $159 or $189 and one even went over the $200 mark!

So, I decided to make my own.  First of all, after an almost hopeless search, I found a perfect, ornate pedestal post at the Christmas Tree Shops for less than $20.

 

 


Two dishes purchased at thrift shops sat at home on a shelf in the basement. One had to be selected for the water bowl. The final choice had cost me $5.99 at a Goodwill Store in Vermont. The pretty pattern with flowers against a dark background is the reason I bought it.   

 

Then came a selection of a birdie from a collection of feathered friends. The one who made the final cut had cost  a whopping $1.00.

Hubs cemented the pedestal bowl onto the post as well as the bird to the water dish.

Then, he placed four octagonal shaped bricks as a base for the birdbath. 

It's now out in our back yard and I love it!  Honestly, for me, it's even better than the ones I saw with such high price tags because it was made from found materials. It also didn't cost an arm and a leg. In reality, all together, it was less than $28! Woo hoo! Now that's a price that's for the birds!

Now, I'm hoping the birdies will come and have a drink on us!

DO YOU HAVE A BIRDBATH IN YOUR YARD?                                                            

NOTE TO READERS:

There's a giveaway going on at Becky's blog. At the end of her post, check it out here.

Simple Summertime Pleasure

This week's simple summertime pleasure is an overhead Casa Blanca fan.

Having one in the bedroom is pure delight.

In past years, we ran a window air-conditioner but the racket it made really bothered me and disturbed my sleep.

Now, every bedroom window in the house has its own ceiling fan, thanks to hubs. He's a keeper, that's for sure.

Now, on summer nights, the Casa Blanca fan whirls around and results in sweet slumber.

We are joining Dayle's Simple Pleasures of Summer weekly party from A Collection of This and That.

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHY THESE FANS ARE CALLED CASA BLANCA? (I'd love to know.)

Mother Nature's Tantrum

A whammy of a storm hit some towns in Western Massachusetts with a vengeance Tuesday afternoon.

What started with some rain, ended up with near tornado conditions.

Wild winds ripped the trunks of trees right open.  Some big giants even topped over onto lawns, decks, and front yards.

Big trees even fell onto major streets, closing them to drivers.

Wires hung precariously from leaning utility poles.  It was scary, to say the least. While driving around, taking photos, I was petrified an electrical wire was going to drop down onto my car. Yikes!

Inside a cemetery trees went down like dominoes, some even toppling onto gravestones.

Clean up crews will definitely be out in full force for the next couple of days, getting things back to as normal as possible.

Wow!  When Mother Nature goes on a rampage, she means business and she was in a tizzy on Tuesday!

Hopefully, there will be no more storms like this one for the rest of the summer.

HAS THE AREA WHERE YOU LIVE BEEN HIT WITH SEVERE STORMS THIS SUMMER?