In search of something besides zucchini

The other night our grandkids called and suggested we all go to Primos for dinner. I wasn’t exactly thrilled, but Dale, who couldn’t face another zucchini-based meal, quickly replied that we would love to go. For those who have never been there the drawing card for children, both big and small, is the room off the dining room that houses all the games. You can buy tokens, four for $1, and each token will give you the pleasure of playing a game that requires a minimal amount of skill and a lot of luck. If you are lucky you win tickets in varying numbers and can trade them in for prizes, not a whole lot unlike what we used to get in Cracker Jacks.

Now it is confession time. How many of you have watched “Deal or No Deal’’ and thought you could do a lot better than the contestant? Well, I have. Now, I’m not so sure. When the children went to play games I was elected to go with them. It was then that I spied a Deal or No Deal game. I watched my 6-year-old granddaughter play and she ended up with less than the first offer made by the banker. When I got a chance, I just had to give it a try. Well, I didn’t do much better. However, when the

4-year-old played, she was the best of all. So now I will not be so critical of contestants who are playing to win a lot more than five tickets that could be turned in for five bite-sized Tootsie Rolls. I must say it was fun to try, and the next time I have to watch the girls I will probably spend another token to just see if I can play a better game.

The highlight of the whole thing was the dessert pizza that they serve at Primos. I think my favorite (there were many flavors) was the one they call German chocolate, primarily because it has the topping on it that is like the icing on a German chocolate cake. However, for me it tasted like the topping my Mom used to put on a lazy daisy cake. This brought back memories and a desire to hunt through the old recipe box.

We haven’t been too far from home for a while, but we have had to make several trips to the Tri-Cities lately. We seem to manage to be there at lunch time and have found a favorite spot in Kennewick. For those of you who have not discovered PF Chang’s, and like Chinese food, you have a treat in store for you. Our son-in-law told us we had to try the Kung Pao scallops. Well they were superb, spicy but not too spicy. They left just a nice tingly feel in our mouths. Dale and I split an order and paired it with a small order of the garlic snap peas. Great combination! For dessert we split an order of the banana spring rolls with coconut pineapple ice cream. This may sound expensive, but it was not. We could have probably spent as much for burgers, shakes and fries. This was a lot better and not a shred of zucchini in the whole thing.

On our way home we came through Stanfield and needed a break to walk off some of that lunch. So we stopped at Elephants Trunk Antiques on Main Street. They aim to please so they carry antiques, country, collectibles and floral items. We, as you know by now, like old things and things that are just charming in some way. This store fit our style. However, it was the garden at the side of the store that really was interesting. I have never seen such an unruly, cluttered, whimsical and charming place in my whole life. Would I want one like it? No, but it sure was fun to look at all the foliage and bric-a-brac that went into making this garden what it was.

As the summer comes to a close let your fun side show. It is not too late to do something that is out of the ordinary and just plain fun, even if it is just preparing a whole meal out of zucchini or playing Deal or No Deal. Enjoy!

Ginny Mammen is a La Grande resident.