Vegas - part 2
Carefree by Joyce McCombs

As promised, here are a few words about the second half of our recent winter getaway. After our all too short stay at the Riviera in Vegas, we waved a fond farewell to the friendly staff and bright lights on the Strip and headed down to Laughlin, Nevada and Bullhead City, Arizona to visit the folks. Laughlin is a pleasant 90- minute south drive through some spectacular desert landscape. The strangely snow free mountains are rocky and sharply defined against brilliant blue sky. 

In fact, Patti noted that they almost look like the fake backgrounds in old cowboy movies, and I had to agree. I certainly wouldn’t have been surprised to see John Wayne riding out from behind the sagebrush, that’s for sure!
Laughlin is a beautiful place, located right on the Colorado River. It’s named after Don Laughlin, who literally started the town with a dream, and his own Riverside Casino. He then convinced other casinos to set up shop there, too. It’s kind of a mini Vegas, only on a much more manageable scale, and keeping the local residents happy and entertained is the goal. The casinos are built mostly along the riverbank, and there’s a long, paved river walk that goes right in front of all of them that’s the perfect place for a stroll before breakfast. The casino’s are both familiar names (Flamingo, Harrah’s) and unique (Colorado Belle, and the River Palms), and all of them have so many specials and sweepstakes and coupons and events that it’s hard to keep track of what’s happening where.

This is where it’s handy to have Chuck McCombs in the family. He regularly scans the newspapers and free flyers for bargains, signs up for promotions, clips the coupons, and keeps both his and Patti’s player’s cards current in the Laughlin casinos. The offers they get just amaze me. There’s free rooms, show tickets, two for one buffets and entries into all kinds of sweepstakes for cars, trips and even cash. The day we arrived, Patti had spotted a lobster dinner special for just $12.95 at the River Palms, the lovely hotel we stayed at last year. We didn’t have to be asked twice – it sounded wonderful. With dinner plans taken care of, we were deposited at the Flamingo to check in, unpack and look around the casino for a while before going to dinner.

I have to give Steve all the credit for researching and booking us into the Flamingo. He took several days and patiently combed the Internet for bargains, and found that vacationing after Christmas and before the Super Bowl was going to work to our advantage. Amazingly enough, he found weekday rooms at the Flamingo for just fifteen dollars a night, and that was for a king, non smoking room on an upper floor with a view of the river. The price went up a bit over Friday and Saturday nights, as it does in most places, but for seven days in a very nice hotel, we spent less than $200. He’s already on the hunt for similar bargains for next time.

Anticipation for the lobster dinner was high, and when we arrived at the dining room in the River Palms, we were enchanted with the rustic atmosphere; incredible artistic stone work and attentive wait staff. Our corner table had a wonderful view of the two level dining room and the linen tablecloths and napkins were of the white and finely starched variety that is a rare find these days. Our expectations only increased when an elegant silver breadbasket appeared, complete with intensely seeded cracker bread, sourdough rolls and whole grain slices so dark and dense and heavy they could have been a meal in themselves. The salad was an intense and brightly colored tumble of baby greens and the freshest tomatoes we’d had in a long time. When the lobster arrived, still sizzling from the broiler and plated beautifully, we were really overwhelmed. 

I think there were garlic mashed potatoes and steamed carrots on the side, but truthfully I can’t remember all the details. The lobster and drawn butter took center stage, and we all proceeded to make delighted moans and groans of happiness for the next few minutes. I seem to remember a waiter coming by to ask if everything was ok, and I hope one of us said something intelligent, since all I can remember is feeling blissful and a bit dazed and smiling in his general direction. His next visit to our table was to inquire about our dessert preferences, but we were long past needing anything else, and the after dinner chocolate mints fit the bill perfectly. Four complete lobster dinners for 12.95 in a swanky dining room with real tablecloths and waiters in tuxedos was sure a nice way to start a vacation with my favorite in-laws!

The rest of the week was filled with other adventures – the kind you only have on vacation. We walked and explored, we played and won and lost, but not too much! We went to the movies, we went swimming outdoors in the evening under a canopy of stars, and we did some serious shopping. The person who invented outlet malls has my eternal gratitude, and locating one right across from our hotel was either a stroke of genius or the worst mistake ever, depending on your point of view. I’m not saying my credit card melted from over use or anything, but it certainly got a work out and I found some incredible bargains. A day trip to Lake Havasu to see the original London Bridge was a fun outing, and we stood under those ancient stone building blocks and marveled at the amazing engineering skills it took to bring the Bridge all that way. A morning flea market and swap meet took a couple hours to scour for bargains, and our mid afternoon treat of ice cream eaten under the bridge was something we won’t forget for a long time.

We did try the buffet at the Flamingo, which far outshone the coffee shop in our humble opinion. We gave the coffee shop three fair trails and were sadly disappointed two of those times. The .99-cent breakfast special was generous and worth the price, though we couldn’t figure out why a plain cheese omelette would take longer to arrive than the more complicated Denver. Our waiter though gracious and skilled, seemed clueless about what was going on with the eggs, also. 

A couple cups of late night Clam chowder arrived full of clams, but were nearly cold and seemed flat tasting, reminding us that sometimes the further inland you go, the less luck you have in the seafood department, with the exception of the previously mentioned lobster, of course. Our final encounter in the coffee shop involved a BLT order, certainly standard diner fare and usually a good bet any time of day. It arrived on limp toast with wilted lettuce and bacon that had seen better days – I hoped that it wasn’t a left over from breakfast, but I had serious doubts and simply didn’t finish it. 

On the other hand, the buffet was excellent. We enjoy getting small bits of several things we really enjoy, even though it may cost a bit more than ordering off the coffee shop menu. The best part is getting your breakfast eggs made to order, and having them hot from grill to your plate in seconds. And for some reason, buffet’s insist that dessert is part of breakfast, a trend I’m really glad doesn’t extend to other parts of my world – those little pastry morsels with the berry filling are just way too tempting. All this and great coffee, good wait staff and a lovely view of the Colorado River just a few feet from the window made for a very pleasant atmosphere and really set the tone for our sunshine filled days in Laughlin and Bullhead City.

One of the most fun things we did was to attend the annual “State Dinner” at the Riverview Resort community where Patti and Chuck live now in the winter. Each state sets up a table in the community hall and it’s a giant potluck dinner. There are door prizes and some fun entertainment included to keep things rolling. The folks from Washington had no less than four huge tables for the snowbirds that go south from the winter gray and rain, and we were so happy to be included in the bunch of fine folks who flock together from Bremerton. It was also fun to be referred to as “the kids” on that night, even though one of us is officially retired – talk about an ego boost and incentive to forget about those pesky gray hairs popping up all over! 

Everyone brings their own plates and utensils and beverages, and also a side dish, salad or dessert to share. The resort dinner committee provided wonderful fried chicken and when the signal was given, everyone hopped up and started circulating and loading up their plates from the tables in their official state area. It was so much fun, and so hard to pick and choose just a taste of all those good things, since the Washingtonians really outdid themselves. I counted no less than ten kinds of scalloped potatoes, about the same number of pasta salads, some incredible sweet and sour meatballs and two delicious Mexican casseroles that were world class. All this, along with a huge platter of all kinds of freshly cut up fruit, made for some difficult decision making, and lots of good natured joking as we walked around the tables. 

Patti put together a refreshing mixed vegetable salad that was incredibly simple and looked elegant enough to go with just about any main dish. Seated right across from us were long time and very dear family friends Roy and Dalyce Harris. Roy was guarding his wife’s lemon cake with as much dignity as he could muster, but I could see desperation in his eyes when he realized it was going to disappear fast. The fragrance of the cake was deliciously intense and it sat there like a big piece of sunshine just begging to be eaten. People kept leaning over and taking small slices and it was disappearing before our eyes before we even started our dinner. 

Finally I just gave in and cut my own small sliver to be sure to get a taste, and figured, hey, when you’re on vacation, you do things out of the ordinary, and for the first time in years, I ate dessert first. It was the most refreshingly light and tangy cake I’ve ever had, and it’s a family recipe that Dalyce has kindly shared in her family cookbook, and I’m so pleased to be able to share it with you here. It’s another gem in my never-ending quest for recipes that don’t call for anything too exotic or expensive and can be genuinely classified as “Carefree”. It will certainly become a staple of the Carefree Test Kitchens, I assure you!

Patti’s Expandable Corn Salad
The key is to chop everything about the same size, and make sure it’s all drained very well before you toss with the ranch dressing. The ratio of your favorite vegetables can be adjusted to your taste, for instance I’d leave out the peppers and just use green beans, and I may add some sliced, marinated artichoke hearts or some mushrooms. It’s really a colorful, delicious and easy salad that keeps well and is even better the next day.
2 cups frozen or canned corn, drained
3 / 4 cup chopped tomato
1 / 2 cup chopped green pepper
1 / 2 cup green beans, drained and chopped
1 / 2 cup chopped celery
1 / 4 cup chopped onion or scallions
1 / 4 cup sliced black olives (optional) 
1 / 4 cup prepared ranch dressing
Chill at least two hours or overnight before serving.

Dalyce’s Lemon Sunshine Cake
Dalyce and Patti have been friends for many years and these two loving, talented and charming women have wonderful families that literally grew up together in Bremerton. I get such a kick out of seeing them together – they may have just spoken on the phone, or seen each other the day before, but when they greet each other, they both light up with genuine happiness. Patti and Chuck and Dalyce and Roy are simply best friends – and how sweet is that? About as sweet as this cake!
Spray a 9 x 13 or Bundt cake pan with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350.
Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for four minutes
1 yellow cake mix
1 small package lemon Jell-O
3 / 4 cup water
4 eggs
Add:
3 /4 cup oil
Beat for one more minute.
Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. While cake is baking, combine:
Juice of two fresh lemons
2 cups powdered sugar
Mix until sugar is dissolved and set aside. 

When cake is done, remove from oven and use a fork or toothpick to prick holes all over cake top. Pour lemon mixture carefully over warm cake so it runs into holes and absorbs completely. Let cake sit two hours or overnight before serving. Make extra lemon sauce to serve over top if desired, or top with whipped cream. 

A now final word about winter vacations, especially the kind we have been fortunate to have the past couple of years. While I find traveling southward toward the sunshine really fun, and a nice change from cold temperatures, and I truly love seeing the folks and discovering new places and having adventures, (and tasting new treats!), I am one of those people who will always breathe sigh of relief when we pass back into Alaskan airspace. My spirit fairly dances for joy when we touch down in Fairbanks, and when we come around the corner and see the pipeline bridge across the river, with that long familiar stretch of highway extending toward home, well, there’s no comparing any vacation with the feeling that our beloved friends and neighbors who have become like family live all around us every other day of the year. Seeing other parts of the world, hearing the noises of big cities and being swept up the hectic pace of life Outside is a good reminder of that old saying, East or West, Home is best. It’s good to go, but it’s even better to be back where we belong. 

Next time I hope to find adequate words to describe what I can only tell you was the best restaurant meal I have ever enjoyed in my life. I just returned from a week in Seattle as a guest of the Alaska State Library, honored to represent Delta at the National Public Library Conference. One night I went out to dinner with some colleagues and I am still trying to figure out how to tell you about this amazing, world class food. With two trips to America in less than two months, I plan to stay home for a while and take care of some important things, like getting your new public library up and running this summer, and organizing these columns into a book, and dealing with our always busy and ever growing tourist season at the library (they’re already arriving, bless their hearts! Spring must be around the corner) This dinner is a story worth telling, and I want to do it right, so bear with me and I’ll do my best – thanks! 

Index to Carefree Gourmet Articles

Sourdough Sensations June 29, 2007

Kitty Treats June 29, 2007

Dog Treats April 20, 2007

Sandwich Plan March 23, 2007

Carefree Wacky Ingredients March 8, 2007

Homestead Hearth January 25, 2007

Carefree Cooking 101 January 11, 2007

Holiday Punch December 23, 2006

Holiday Treats December 12, 2006

Thanksgiving II November 20, 2006

Standby Favorites October 16, 2006

Cabbage October 11, 2006

Apples September 22, 2006

Kids Cook July 6, 2006

Wacky Tips June 8, 2006

Graduation May 11, 2006

African Cuisine April 13, 2006

A Bit of Irish March 23, 2006

Crazy for Carrots March 9, 2006

February Vacation February 23, 2006

Easy Budget January 12, 2006

Christmas Treats December 22, 2005

Sweet Surprises December 8, 2005

Turkey Times  November 22, 2005

Grand Champions - Part 2 - October 13, 2005

Janet Boyer September 22, 2005

Grand Champions September 5, 2005

Blueberries  August 12, 2005

Halibut and Zukes July 28, 2005

Orange Juice July 14, 2005

Happy Birthday June 30, 2005

Honey June 9, 2005

Picnic Dishes May 26, 2005

Celebration Salads May 12, 2005

Kraft Foods April 21, 2005

Shrimp April 7, 2005

Carry on Airline snacks March 25, 2005

Sandwiches March 10, 2005

Back from Vacation February 24, 2005

Super Bowl Snack Attack  January 14, 2005

Ginger Snaps December 29, 2004

Christmas Memories - December 12, 2004

Thanksgiving November 23, 2004

Glen and Meat  October 29, 2004

Blueberry Pie Champion  September 30, 2004

Fair Winners  September 2, 2004

Glen's Knives June 11, 2004

Aunt Aggie Tells All... May 13, 2004

Crazy About Catsup April 29, 2004

Carefree Clearance Special April 8, 2004

Seattle Adventure March 26, 2004

Vegas, part 2 March 12, 2004

Vegas Wind February 12, 2004

Casserole Bonanza January 11, 2004

No Fuss Dishes  December 19, 2003

Fake and Bake Christmas  December 11, 2003