Member Spotlight - Leni!

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
It's been awhile since we've had a Member Spotlight, and we are working our way to some new members, asking them if they would do us the honor of "interviewing" them.

Leni has been the latest member to graciously agree to a Spotlight.

Enjoy, everyone!

Tell us a little about yourself - your family or household, kids, pets, occupation, etc.

I just turned 70 years old. Amazing since I don't look or feel that age. I graduated from Cal State Northridge with a degree in History and Political Science. I planned to be a teacher but ended up working for the State of California for 34 years instead.

I've been married for 48 years and have two adult children. I am owned by a Main Coon cat. He rules the household.

What part of the world do you live in?


I'm a native born Angeleno and have lived in the San Fernando Valley all my life. I've got the beach, the desert, and the mountains all within an hours drive.

How did you find the NCT community?


I was invited to come to NCT by a member that is also a member of another website, MelindaLee.com. Since then I've also joined Forums Forums and Music.

Do you have any hobbies besides cooking?


At 6' tall, 125 lbs, I had to learn to sew and knit if I wanted anything to fit. I still enjoy doing that. I also love to garden. There is nothing like harvesting and then cooking what you've grown for dinner.

If you could choose any profession or occupation, what would it be and why?


I originally thought about becoming a nurse. Now I’d like to be a nurse or a doctor. I would join Doctors Without Borders. There are so many people out there without any medical services.


How and why did you choose your Username? What does it mean?


My user name is my name. It is pronounced Laynee.

What is a typical day like for you?


Since I am retired I can get up when I feel like it, usually around 8:30 to 9:00. I take my disabled daughter to Adult Day Care by 9:30. Then it is breakfast time. After that I do housework, garden, and either sew or knit. I pick up my daughter at 3:30. Then it's whatever I feel like doing until it's time to fix dinner.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?


During my career I was an appeal specialist and a program manager for the disability office. There were times when a person was truly disabled but was having a hard time collecting benefits for one reason or another.

The standout in my mind is the man who worked here in California and had moved back East. We had sent him the paperwork but he could not get the VA to complete it for him. He had terminal cancer. I called the VA in Ohio several times and finally managed to convince them to complete the forms. The claim finally came in 5 months late. I approved late filing and paid out over $13,000 in a lump sum.

Give us 5 words that describe you.


BUSY! X 5

Name a few things that would be on your "bucket list".


I want to go on the Alaskan cruise. Also the cruise through the Panama Canal. Remodel my kitchen (it is one of the Galley style kitchens, in a word tiny).

Name 5 things you can't live without.

My family, my friends, a reason for being.


Tell us one thing about yourself that people would be surprised to know.


The fact that I was a professional belly dancer for 10 years.

What would the child you once were think of the adult you have become?


Right now that child would think that I'm boring.

What is the
best moment of your life so far?

The best moment was when I was told that my 18 year old daughter would survive her brain cancer. She is now 47. It was very rare and up till then there had been no survivors. Even today there is only a 40% survival rate.

How and at what age did you start cooking?


I don't remember when I started cooking. I had one of those childrens’ electric stoves and played with it quite a bit. Mom supervised while I made s'mores and heated soup on it.

Do you have a signature dish or one that you make especially well?


I developed a version of spinach salad that everyone loves. It goes very well with the spaghetti that I make. Again, I tweek’ed a recipe.

I'm always asked to make a pot of chili and potato salad whenever the office had a pot luck. Then my husband took some to his office. It doesn't matter that we're both retired I was still asked to do it for his offices Christmas party this last year. There is one guy in particular who would eat the entire pot of chili.

What is your favorite spice?


Now that one is impossible to answer. I have an herb garden just outside my kitchen door along with a shelf full of spices. Right now I am using nutmeg a lot because it is so good on broccoli, brussels sprouts, and other cabbage family veggies.

Come summer I'll be growing tomatoes and of course basil. The oregano and thyme are year round. I guess that the answer depends upon what time of year it is and what I am cooking.

What 2 cooking tools/gadgets/appliances would you swap from your
kitchen and what would you swap them for?

I have absolutely no idea. I have all the tools I need and the ones I didn't, I've donated.


What is your favorite restaurant meal?


There is a restaurant in Dana Point right next to my time share that serves Veal Monte Carlo. It is medallions of veal with artichoke hearts, fresh mushrooms, and a little spinach served in a white wine sauce over spaghetti noodles.

What would your last meal be if you could choose anything at all?


See above.

If you could host a
dinner party with 6 well-known guests, living or dead, who would they be and what would you serve?

This one is a toughie. I'd love to be able to sit down and talk to Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Ronald Regan, Abraham Lincoln, Flip Wilson and Phyllis Diller. I'd almost have to have two dinner parties. What would I serve? I have absolutely no idea. I'd start with what my guests would like to eat and go from there.

Who would you most like to prepare a meal for and why. What would you serve?


Julia Child. I'd make my spaghetti and spinach salad served with garlic bread. Fresh fruit for dessert. I think that we'd have a great time talking about food, mistakes in the kitchen, how we handled them, and just in general a great conversation.


Who would you most like to have prepare a meal for you?


I have a friend, Melinda Lee, who has a radio show here in Los Angeles about cooking. People call in with problems and questions. I've eaten some of her cooking but never a main dish. I'd love to be able to be in the kitchen with her and see how and what she prepares for me.


100 years from now, how would you like to be remembered?


I would like to be remembered as a person who lived by the Golden Rule.

What else would you like us to know about you?

I know that 'someplace' I have a picture of me holding my Mongolian fire pots in front of my pink jasmine vine in full bloom. A couple that never had children traveled all over the world and bought these in Mongolia in the 1950's. They are beautiful but sadly I can't find the picture. If I can it later on I'll post it on the site. They are bronze with the Asian calendar of animals on the lids. I've never used them but will try to do so this spring. It takes a lot of preparation.

Other than that you already have my pictures as my avatar. So, I guess I'll be the mysterious Leni which is what a belly dancer is supposed to be. Mysterious, feminine, and untouchable. The epitome of every man’s dreams and desire.


When I danced I wanted to be the mysterious feminine. My job was to please people so if I saw a girl friend or wife sending daggers my way I danced off to another guy. Most of the time the gals got a big kick out of me dancing to their guy.

P. S. The fun thing is that I could flirt with every cute guy in the place and get away with it.





 

Mama

Queen of Cornbread
Site Supporter
Now that would be quite a dinner party!!!

A belly dancer, wow.....that is pretty neat.

I hope you find that picture of you holding those Mongolian fire pots one day, I'd really love to see it.

What a wonderful read Leni! Thanks for sharing a bit of yourself with us!
 

Lefty

Yank
I just went back and read my spotlight. What a weirdo I am. LOL I have to revisit this subforum more often. We have quite the interesting bunch.
 

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
>>MC cat

I knew there was a reason I like you!

(giggle) as my faux angora drools on my glasses with a head butt. . . .
 

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Awesome Job Leni. :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: As I've learned from your forum posts you are a very interesting fun person to get to know. I love the pps files you send out every once in awhile. :tiphat:
 

Leni

New member
Thanks Doc. I really do appreciate your opinion. I've had a lot of fun here and hope that others do as well.
 

Cooksie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Great read, Leni :clap:

I hope you do get to take an Alaskan cruise one day. It's really something to see.
 
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