Cole Slaw In an Oriental Flavor.. For A Mob!

Today, we are going to my niece's house to attend an outdoor retirement party for her dad. They are expecting about 120 people, so everybody pray for good weather! We were asked to bring a Cole slaw we make that has a distinct Far East flavor print to it. Others have been asked to bring salads, so I only made enough for about 30-40 servings. This stuff is tasty, and compared to most food I eat- fairly healthy! Recipe as follows:
3 head of white cabbage, cored, shredded finely
1 " " of red " " " "
10 medium carrots peeled, cut into small pieces
6 stalks of celery, cut into small pieces
4 cans of sliced water chestnuts, drained well!
1lb. of pea pods, julienned
4 bunches of green onions (about 20-24) chopped (I use only onion end cut at 5"long)
2 cans Mandarin orange slices, drained well!
Mix all that thoroughly, set aside and make dressing

Dressing:
3 jars of Marzetti original Cole slaw dressing
3oz. of soy sauce
2oz. red pepper (or regular) rice vinegar
1/2 oz. sesame oil
2oz. honey
1oz crushed garlic
Season to taste with following: white pepper, celery seed, chinese five spice, and sesame seeds.
You may blend this together and put on salad immediately- then refrigerate, or refrigerate separately and mix just before serving. It is a thin dressing, so stir, toss, remix before serving. The picture only shows one big bowl- we made two of those!
Most of the folks attending are kind of rural, so I hope they try it before I have to tell them what's in it- 'cause if I do, they won't try it for sure!
Hope you are all enjoying your week-ends!

This Is Not A Political Joke....

A ship, carrying a load of live sheep from Australia to New Zealand, sank in the midst of a violent storm. The only survivors was a deck hand, a sheep, and an Australian Shepherd dog. They all washed up on the shore of a deserted island, miles from the shipping lanes... After a few days, the man was getting hungry, and thought he'd better kill the sheep. As he walked towards the sheep with a big stick, the dog attacked him, keeping him away from a sheep he was raised to protect! After that, the guy ate various seafoods, and there plenty of grass for the sheep. After 4 months, the guy was getting a little horny, and that sheep was looking better all the time... That night he quietly walked over by the sheep and started petting it. The dog attacked immediately, driving the guy away from the sheep! The next day, the guy spotted a rubber life raft off shore about a 1/4 mile. He swam out to the raft, pulled it ashore, and found a woman, unconscious lying on the floor. He woke her up to find he had rescued Hillary Clinton! That night, around a fire they ate and talked. The guy says; "I'm going crazy, I haven't had sex in months!" Hillary looks at the handsome man, smiles seductively and says "Is there anything I could do to help?" The guy says; "There sure is! Could you please take that dog for a walk?"...

We Got The Meals, You Get The Leftovers...

I wrote a really thorough description of our Saturday and Sunday food, and finally our Monday meal of leftovers. The blog administrator went down and when it came back on, my post was gone.... Bastards! I type this stuff with two fingers, and alot of "do overs" and I'm not writing this post twice with that much depth! The one picture is a chicken/broccoli/mushroom/brown and wild rice casserole, with melted sharp Pinconning cheese (my wife's leftover dinner). The other two photos are my leftover BB-Q pork/Vidalia onion/dill pickle tortilla wrap (It was perfect!). Today made Friday the 13th somehow more tolerable... I had the day off, and only had 6 work related phone calls and 3 E-mails to take care of, spent $650 bucks that wasn't for anything I wanted, went to Menaards and Home Depot to not find what I was looking for- and then my blog craps! Did I cheese off one of you guys bad enough to have a Gypsy curse put on me? Sure feels like it lately, and I usually don't bitch this much!

The Mona-Tagged-Me Meme....

I usually limit my meme activity to my invention, the mini-meme, but our dear friend Mona tagged me, and I feel I should fulfil this dubious honor... Mona is a great person who lives half a world away from me, who educates, entertains, and entices us with glimpses into her life in India- so different in many ways, and yet with so much common ground. If you haven't visited her, please do! You won't be sorry...
1. At what age do I wish to marry?
Already married for a long time, but next time at age 90, shotgun wedding..
2. If the end was near, and you had the chance, what would you say to your beloved?
"Who's the guy with the pitchfork yelling" "Your ass is mine, DeYoung..."
3. If sex was a game, would you be good at it?
Probably not, as cheating is a big part of me winning most games I play...
4. Where is the place you want to go most?
Back to the Mother ship, and back to the Home world...
5. If you have one dream come true, what would it be?
The Detroit Lions winning a Super Bowl in my lifetime(which the odds are the same as me getting hit by a meteor..)...
6. Do you believe you can survive without money?
Survive, yes. Have any fun trying it, no...
7. What are you most afraid to lose?
My mental and physical health.
8. If you won 1 million dollars, what would you do?
Quit my job, start my own business- probably something food related..
9. If someone broke your hand, what would you do?
Hit them with a blunt object, using my good hand...
10.List three good points about the person who tagged you.
1. Intelligent.
2. Kind. (except for tagging innocent people like me!).
3. Humorous.
11.How would you feel if your parents stopped giving you cash to spend?
My parents are long gone, and the cash was gone before that...
12.Describe your fantasized life...
If you believe your fantasy, it is your reality...Cripes! Jimminy Cricket lives...
13.What is your ambition?
To still make a positive difference in my little part of the world.
14.What is the one thing that would make you think someone is bad?
Witness someone doing something mean, or hurtful when they think no one is watching. No one is 100% bad, or 100% good, but there sure are alot of people with issues...
15. What are the most important thing in my life?
My family, my friends, my fellow humans, and my integrity in how I treat them..
16.Are you a shopaholic, or not?
I seldom shop- I buy! If I go into a store, it is for the purpose of buying something I need, or want- period! God help you if you're out of it...
17.If you had the chance, which part of your character would you like to change?
My "humble" needs work...
18.Do you believe in yourself?
I said my "humble" needed work- what do you think?
19.Honestly, do you think life is fair?
I once read in a book, I don't remember which one, a quote that I have been caught repeating occasionally... "Life ain't fair kid, and I hope you never thought it was.." Life is good, life is what you make it, fair and unfair have no meaning in describing life...
20. Are you an Optimist or a Pessimist?
Both, or neither- it depends on the situation and my mood!

If you are still reading this, I'm done! Now it's your turn, if you would like to give it a go...

Friday The 13th, Fly Around Saturday, Father's Day Feast!

Friday the 13th was a memorable day in my life- mainly for all the wrong reasons! Listed as follows:
1. Got a flat tire just before dentist appt. I had cancelled twice already. Road service came right out, all on time...
2. Got to dentist office at 2pm to find out appt. is for 3 pm.
3. Went home, phone call from doctor- next Tuesday I'm getting blood at the hospital- have to take day off as it will take 8hrs.....
4. Back to dentist, numbed, tooth filled, drool for next 2 hrs....
5. Back home, grabbed wrong set of keys, no house key- locked out! Called son to inquire where he put my extra key I leave in garage- he remembered, and got to live...
6. Wife comes home 1 hour early from new job... Services no longer needed... not a happy lady...
Saturday was better- go figure! We had to go to a graduation open house first. I forget there are people out there who can't cook simple food- had some Kielbasa that was overdone probably around Thursday- by Sat. with canned sauerkraut poured on it, it wasn't better! Next my wife threw me off at a local pizza restaurant for a friends 60th birthday party. She took off for another relatives kid's dance recital. I got kind of a neat gift for the gal- A 1948 half-dollar and a 1948 dime in coin holders( 50+10= 60, coins 60yrs. old!) I then got hauled to a poker party, which my wife came to later... busy day!
Today is Father's Day, which means I cook like I normally do. Today, Manicotti sounded good, with some fresh rolls... Browned and seasoned ground sirloin, mixed with Ricotta, fresh shredded Parmesan and Romano, 1 egg, and a dab of sauce- that's the filling!. I use my Jerky/sausage gun to fill the Manicotti- no broken shells, nice and neat... Meat sauce over the tubes, baked for 30 min, then covered with shredded Mozzarella and baked another 15 minutes... perfect! My youngest son came over for dinner, and brought me a card and the present my family got me- a new propane travel grill! Hope you all remembered your Dads today, mine is gone now, but he is missed today...

Chain Restaurants Burger Mini-Meme!

Sooner or later, we all end up at a fast food counter, ordering a burger(or a combo!) off a large, unchanging plastic lit up menu hanging above a group of workers that would rather be somewhere else! Today's challenge is an easy one:
1. What is your favorite fast food place to eat, and what do you usually get..
2. What is your least favorite fast food chain, and why...
No snobs saying "I've never been in one"- I've seen every race, color, and creed in these joints!
As is my tradition, I will go first...
1. Favorite? Culvers. Relatively new to West Michigan, their burgers aren't the cheapest, but are my favorite (Double Cheeseburger, everything but onions, please..).
2. Least Favorite? Checkers. Or Hot n Now, or Get'em n Go. These are drive thrus that have taken up the bottom of the fast food chain... Uber cheap- and fast! However, the food is barely edible and I have not felt well later that same afternoon. I have tried all of these- once! The only one with doors still open in this town anymore is Checkers- the other two bagged it, and I'm glad they did!
Your choices may be only be in your part of the world, but if they have more than 20 outlets nationally, they qualify today!

My New Food Toy... Brinkman Vertical Smoker Grill!

Yesterday, my wife and I got up early, had a quick cheese and mushroom omelette- with our fresh ground morning coffee- and headed up to Traverse City, for a little day trip R & R... Casino was under construction, so play was limited and really not that much fun. We drove over to a little municipal park on Grand Traverse bay, and checked out the beautiful view. We then stopped at North Point Brew Pub for an early supper bite to eat. With the breeze off the bay, it was perfect weather to eat on the deck, and watch the world go by... T.C. is an upscale, kind of hip place (for Michigan!) with many specialty stores, restaurants, and things to see and do. The service, menu, prices, and quality of food was a pleasant shock- T.C. is not known for cheap or being overly friendly to "fudgies" (that's one of their terms for down state tourists!). We ordered an appetizer of hot melted Gorgonzola, dried cherries, and walnut pieces, served with a cracked grain fresh bread. Delicious! My wife had a fried Walleye sandwich, and I had their Deli sandwich (Italian ham, turkey pastrami, Havarti cheese, tomato, lettuce, and a delightful chipotle mayo that really had a kick!). Long, relaxing ride home down some less busy highways...
Today, I tackled the project I alluded to earlier this week- I assembled my new smoker grill! This was after I grilled marinated chicken and made mashed potatoes and chicken gravy for my son and me! Dinner done, I started the task that the manual clearly had stated would go better with two people working on it. My son had to work, and my wife was down at Festival 2008, and attending a play later, so it was me, myself, and I who got it done! Right in the middle of this project, with parts strewn all over the driveway, we get a thunder and lightning rain storm! Put everything inside garage, and waited until it blew over, then finished it up. Really wasn't that bad to assemble- the instructions must have been written by an American! I took some pictures of the retiring smoker grill.. 10yrs old and still works, but I wanted a new vertical one. The new unit has a regular charcoal grill over the firebox for grilling, while the smoke chamber has lots of racks and room for competition BB-Q! It's compact, but heavy and well-built. I have to "season" it before cooking in it- which means I have to build a hot, smoky fire in the firebox and take the unit up to about 400F for a couple of hours, to cure and seal the painted metal with a layer of smoke residue... I may add another thermometer, as I have heard the one that it comes with isn't that accurate...
I hope everybody has a full-of-good-news upcoming week!

Recap Of My Week...

Monday: 1. 35th Wedding Anniversary.
2. Wife starts new full-time job at staffing agency.
3. My butt talked to by boss about not doing paperwork.
4. New 200+lb. Brinkman smoker grill del. on back of 40ft. semi, no way to unload except by driver and I muscling it off, and carrying it to garage in pieces to be assembled Sunday, while wife is at local Festival watching niece's child chimp around with the other dancers in her troupe....
Tuesday: 1. Wife goes to new job, then classes at night.
2. I work all day, the usual...
Wednesday: 1. Work, get blood drawn for testing, had lunch with customer whose wife had premature twin girls last week- at the same time an AeroMed helicopter crashed on the hospital Helipad- the hospital she was at! Crash made national news...
2. First supper together this week with wife- home made Tacos...
Thursday: 1. Work for both of us.
2. Thunderstorm- biggest bolt of lightning I had ever seen- close enough to see colors in the lightning bolt! Lunch w/customer- killer Havarti/olive burger !
3.After pork steak supper, we went to our club, hung out w/friends 'til 9PM...
Friday: 1. Work, another cust. lunch, Tool room consult at local Propeller Mfg. plant, pickup cracked alum for mill testing, etc....
2. Finally home to simple supper of cheddar cheese tuna melts, plans for run up North Sat....
This week stayed busy, even though quite a bit of it was routine! This morning, a quick home made cheese and mushroom omelette, and road trip to Traverse City, MI!
Enjoy your week ends, little rangers...

You Vegetarians May Want To Skip This Post.....

A couple of times a year, I buy a whole beef loin, either tenderloin or boneless rib. It usually costs about 70-80 bucks, and comes in a Cryopak in one piece, waiting to be cut into steaks, roasts, or I guess you could cook it whole if you wanted! I usually cut it up myself, trimming away some of the unnecessary fat and silver-skin, to thicknesses usually not seen in the meat case. The savings is only about $15.00, but you get exactly what you want, packaged in quantities that work for you! I bought a pretty good vacuum packer a couple of years ago, and it is simple and fast to use... Vacuum packed products will last longer in the refrigerator or freezer than zip locks or literally any other packaging method. I've seen venison packaged this way last more than a year in the freezer, with no freezer burn! As a borderline hoarder, this suits my idea of being ready in case a mob shows up!

35th Wedding Anniversary Today!

Who'd a thunk? My wife, Sharon and I hit this milestone today, and you wouldn't believe the day we have planned...
Said "Happy Anniversary" to each other about 10 minutes before I left for an early work meeting (butt chewed for not doing paperwork!). My wife starts her new job today at noon (tomorrow starts full-time!)and has to go directly to school from work. That's right, we won't see each other all day or evening long! Tommorrow will be the same, so no celebration then either! She left me a card, and I brought her one too, along with a box of candy and 1lb. of fudge from the local candy bandit...
I think you'll find after 35 years, it isn't one day that made the difference, it was all 12,775 days doing a little every day that makes it happen... We are not the kids who got married all those years ago, but I'm pretty sure we still have whatever it took to get married in the first place!
Don't any of you ladies worry about her getting a special night or week end out celebrating, friends of ours have their 35th soon, and mentioned we'd better do something together to mark this great accomplishment!