0 Degrees F- Time For Comfort Food, Pot Roast!

After seeing the weather report for today, we decided having the oven on for 3- 3-1/2 hrs. wouldn't feel too bad! My version of Beef Chuck roast pot roast coming up!
1. Lay a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil flat, enough to cover and wrap your roast easily, without any air holes.
2. Spread seasonings (I use Mrs. Dash Original, and Lawrys seasoned salt!) onto alum foil. Lay beef roast onto that, then season with same, until coated.
3. Put one can of cream of something soup( I used celery) spread over top of roast. Then sprinkle 1 envelope of dry brown gravy mix over all.
4. Top with thin sliced onion strips (about half-cup), and wrap carefully but so it will seal without leaks. Place in pan.
5. Bake for 3-1/2 hrs at 300- 320 F .
6. Remove from oven, and open one end of wrap- enough to pour out gravy you just made! Pour into a pan, and thicken (with flour mixed with cold water)if needed.
7. This should be falling apart tender, with great flavor. Serve with potatoes, pasta, or rice!
Today, we're having that with small yukon gold potatoes, seasoned with garlic and rosemary, along with some decent French style bread. Fudge browies for dessert- I was lazy today!

A Story From My Youth- About Guns??!!

Once upon a time, when I was young and full of male hormones... Guns were quite fascinating to me! My Dad, a WWll vet had given up such weapons in the early 1950s' due to someone almost blowing his foot off while bird hunting! I found out about weapons by reading Guns and Ammo, and other related hunting magazines. I wanted to hunt! I wanted to target shoot! Conned my Dad into buying me a single shot shot gun for a Christmas present, and couldn't wait until the weather got clear to go forth and shoot! One day, no one was home, and being about 15 I had learned more stuff than I could ever need... I took a shotgun shell (16 gauge, for you guys that know and wondered!) cut the top off, emptied out the gunpowder and 6 shot out of it and placed it in the chamber. I wanted to see the "strike area" of the firing pin on a shell. It's Feb., I'm standing in a hallway, pointing the gun towards a window in our dining room- and pull the trigger... Imagine my 15yr. old surprise when the damn gun goes off with a bang! I had forgotten about the primer! I can still hear the doorbell chimes ringing faintly, as I ran around screaming like Nancy Kerrigan... I checked the window, which was fine, but the sheers my Mom had over the windows were full of holes, with powder-burned edges! Cleaned that off, but the holes remained..
Fast forward 7 yrs.- We are having dinner at my parents house, and Mom says, "I found some holes in my sheers- I think it was moths"... I lose it and confess all, and the table erupts in a knowing laughter... I wasn't a good kid, I just got away with about everything I pulled! Picture is not of that weapon, that's my double barrel 20 gauge mod and improved cylinder- great upland bird gun!

My 200th Post! A Mini- Meme....

When I started blogging, it was a way to comment on my sons' blog- the one that lives in Kansas City, MO. It quickly became a way to write down thoughts and events that someday in the future my friends and family might appreciate as an on-line diary. It then became a great source of entertainment and knowledge from people literally all over the world! It has taught me that we are all different- but not as much as I used to think.. I have referred to it as the 21st centurys' version of "pen pals"! I think if you all look backward on your blogs, you will see that you too have been documenting thoughts and events that people can read and appreciate after you are gone....
Todays' Mini-Meme:
1. Why and how did you start blogging?
2. How has it benefitted or affected your life?

Amish White Bread- For A 1st Try, Not Bad!

Saturday was snowy, and only left the house once. I had baked a pizza, my usual home-made crust, home-made sauce, sausage, pepperoni, mushroom cookie sheet sized pizza! The dough raised nicely, so encouraged by this I decided to bake a couple of loaves of bread! I would rather cook than bake- baking is fussier than cooking, and I don't do fussy well! Found a recipe for Amish white bread that sounded pretty good, so away we went. I'm getting the hang of Mega Mixer (Kitchen Aid, monster-sized!) and all went as planned. I had a rare patient day, where I wasn't rushing the dough as it rose. The recipe was good, as it came out about like it was supposed to! It's a dense, sweet, soft white bread with more substance than higher rising white bread you might get in a bakery. Pink- This one's for you!
A Pubic (strike that!)Public Announcement: Dutch Bitch is having a "Worship me" contest, and urge all single males out there to join in! Who knows what you might win.....

A Little Brightness In A Michigan Blizzard...

My wife (code name "Goob" or "Goobie"-actually Sharon!) won a door prize at one of the holidays' events we all have to go to. She comes home with a plant that resembled Audrey II in "Little Shop Of Horrors"- as a prize? My wife loves plants, but usually they don't love her back... I don't know who killed more, Jimmy Jones with Kool-Aid, or my wife with fertilizer and houseplants....
Anyway, Audrey II grew like it was on Blood, or Miracle-Grow! Next thing, It's blossoming into a really cool flower! To see a living thing doing so well in the wasteland we call "Michigan Winter" is amazing! It brightens a time where light is short, and the predominant colours are black, white, and gray...
In the the night, when all is quiet- you hear a voice you don't recognize.... Saying plaintively "Feeed me, feeed me! This thing is getting big, and I haven't seen the cat lately...

Work Goes On In Spite Of Worst Storm This Year...

I just returned from a Regional sales meeting, and I'm still shaking.. Got up today at 430AM to get ready for this meeting. The weather report said blizzard conditions, stay off the roads if possible. I quick checked my E-mails, hoping they had cancelled our meeting, which was being held 100 miles north of my house. Nope! We were car pooling, so I only had to drive about 10 miles to a commuter lot. My car doors were frozen shut, had to beat on one to get it open. The temp was 6F, winds about 30 mph-gusting higher! Drove to lot, missed driveway 2 twice- white out visibility.. The other 3 guys couldn't believe this either, but away we went! We never saw the high side of 45 mph., but we got there 3 hrs later-on time! Morning went as planned, but our President had to drive back after lunch- he's on the road 10 minutes, calls the meeting and tells everybody to go the hell home-safely... Trip back was icier than morning but at least it was light out! Days like this make me wonder why with our companys' technology we couldn't have done a teleconference, and sent a video around to show us the new facility...Driving 6 hours for a 4 hour meeting, Welcome to Michigan!

Sunday dinner- Simple Stuff!

As it is winter, snow everywhere- we wanted something roasted, so the kitchen would be toasty for hours! Stuffed roast capon- a favorite! About a 6 pounder, stuffed with a brown rice,celery,bacon,onion concoction worked like mad. Sliced mushrooms rendered in the juice always works. Blueberry muffins were on the side.. Wife delivering that one plate to my son at work, we eat soon!

No Grandkids, So A Post About Our Ugly Step Child..

I've posted before about our current Airedale, Clara- But came across a photo that probably only a mother could love. A product of ATRA (Airedale rescue) we were really impressed with her, even though she had a rap sheet as long as your arm. With a big bark, and an trim build even at 80lbs.(Big for Breed!) she is our smoke alarm and burglar alarm combined. Clara is now the biggest cookie with fangs you could ever meet- a sweetie who has to greet you when you get up, come home from work, or any other time you leave her for more than 15 minutes! A big dog underfoot all the time can cause you some annoyance- I've described her as like having someone throwing a saw horse in front of you-all day long! She's seven now, and this breed usually doesn't live as long as smaller dogs. Got a lady in the neighborhood that walks her TWO Airedales every day! I've met her- a humourless woman, who seems more on a mission than enjoying her dogs...No animal I know of has the bond with Humans like dogs.... But God, can they crap alot...

1St Chili Cook Off Of The Year...

We found out about a chili cook-off a couple of weeks ago, and decided a tune-up before the big season would be a good idea. It was held at a V.F.W. Post in our neighborhood, so we got in it. Our friends and major competition Dragon Spit was there, so we knew there would be another battle for a trophy! 14 teams- not a big cook-off, but nice people and a decent turn-out. The Buffalo Bros.(us!) made a heck of a batch that day, and liked our chances for winning. Team Dragon Spit had a new banner, a photo book of all their successes, and a good batch of chili to boot! 2nd place goes to- The Buffalo Bros.!! Take a wild guess who won... We have become the dominant teams in this areas' chili cook-offs, and yesterday I noticed the teams that didn't win more than the ones that did. They worked as hard as we did, and got no trophy. They had fun, people had a great time- but have you ever felt bad about winning? Live and learn... Oh, the trophy was really nice- until I dropped it... The picture is what frozen, leftover chili looks like when left in a trunk in Michigan when it hits zero.... :)
P.S. Yes, DoggieBloggy I used some of that chili powder from New Mexico you sent- hot stuff!

I Am Inventing The Mini-Meme!

I like memes- but some take more time than my two fingers typing is willing to spend! Here's your challenge:
1. Write something you like about yourself.
2. Write something you don't.
I will go first(dropping underwear, looking nervous and embarassed!)
1. I will never put myself before others' needs.
2. My Ethics are impeccable, my Morals need work.

Korean Style Beef Short Ribs...

I'll start by saying this- I love the flavor of these things! We were shopping for a few things at Sams'Club, and I can't go in there without hitting the meat department! They will carry some cuts of meat most places around here don't- like short ribs. The first time I had these in a Korean style was at a very good Korean restaurant( go figure!) The flavor was intense, the meat was fairly tender- and I knew I would definitely be fixing these at home!
Marinade- chopped green onions, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, peanut oil, red pepper, honey, and five-spice. Left in marinade 24hrs, turned meat a few times.
The traditional cooking method would be to grill these over an intense charcoal fire, for a short period of time. I'm going to broil them instead- maybe 5 minutes a side. The brown rice, and sauteed mushrooms should go well with this! I may add a picture of the cooked product- if it looks good- and I remember to...
Two more pictures- one is the plate of food we deliver to my son (Craignutzz)nearly every Sunday while he has to work. Calls me and says "It's great to know what's going to be on the menu by reading your blog!". I don't if he'd have gotten it, after calling me a liar.... I didn't know he liked Kimchee, although I know he'll eat anything!
By the way, the ribs really were good- imagine kabob sized chunks of marinated beef, done about medium-rare, still sizzling- tender and full of flavor!

Global Warming In Michigan...

We went from neck-breaking ice slicks and a foot of snow to a really, ugly green-brown in about the span of 4 days.. I will take ugly green-brown any day you give it to me in Jan.!!! Butt-Ugly vs. Dangerous Roads.... Butt-Ugly wins! Jan.- Feb. in this State are long,cold, and gray.. It bums folks out, even equaling the mini-economic Depression going on in Michigan! Probably like Nordic or Canadian folk- we value friends, food, and warmth more than ever during these months! Big money is spent in December! Jan. and Feb.- not so much... Fight your winter blues, everyone! Hope all are well... Having posting problem with pictures- sorry!

Well, Here It Is! A Rare Sighting Of The Elusive Buffalo Dick And Mate..

I got a request from numerous people over my blog history to post a picture of myself. As I am not the most photogenic person on Earth, I resisted this! A request from DoggyBloggy, who holds a marker on me- made me decide to do this. Not much to see here folks, move along....

Snowniece Meme I Said I'd Do...

Four Jobs I've Had:
1. Gardener- I scraped pond scum for money. Local car lot had a back pond, that would clog up with algae. I would throw a rake tied to a line out as far as possible and get the stuff off the water. 90 degrees, humid, you get the picture..
2. Rest Home Office Help- Great job! Did my homework while telling people where their loved ones were located. Got to hit on girls working in nursing center and kitchen!
3. Draftsman- Drew and designed technical products.
4. Metals for Tooling Sales Rep- Most of my career, spent in selling and suppling tool steels, alloys, steel plate, aluminum, copper, brass, bronze, etc. to Manufacturing..
Four Places I've Lived:
1-4 Grand Rapids, Michigan, 5 different places, all in North-end!
Four Vacations:
1. Vegas- With and without kids. More fun without!
2. Key West- Kids- but I didn't know about the gays. I was looking for Jimmy Buffet.
3. Disney World- Kids.
4. Wisconsin Brewery Tour- We went to every obscure brewery there was, and collected beers. Later, we drank them...
Four Favorite Foods:
1. Chili dogs! Chili, cheese, mustard...
2. Pizza- Home-made, by me!
3. Wall-eye. Fresh-caught, battered with Drakes, beer, and Lawerys- fried!
4. Soup. About any kind, done well...
Four Places I'd Rather Be:
1. Retired!
2. Anywhere, off season.
3. Home.
4. Visiting People I'd Like To Meet!

Story-Telling, Jokes, And How We Communicate...(My Twice A Year Rant)...

A New Year provokes feelings- Hope, Anticipation, Fear, Apprehension, Etc (fill in the blank!). Since I started blogging, I have been able to polish my skills as a writer- hopefully keeping up with the people that also blog!
People are losing the ability to tell a good story, a good joke- in short, reading has become an inconvenience to a majority of the people on Planet Earth! Movies supplant reading a book. Music has become a packaged commodity, instead of an Art. The computer has become the Artist- the graphics that talent used to supply is now a common technical skill. What are we losing as humans, when we stop using what makes us humans? Most movies, books, and other forms of entertainment are about Emotions. Love, Hate, Redemption, Greed, Compassion, again etc.... Can you feel the difference between a "success formula" and a real written story? Check the movie listings in your area- How many are remakes of old movies (or books)? How many are computer generated cartoons with someone famous doing the voice? The average is about 5 out of 10.. That's B.S. people- with all the creative talent I've come in contact with blogging, that's B.S. ... I am impressed by the one thing in common with the bloggers on this post- You are intelligent! You have wit, a command of the language, knowledge on subjects I'm unfamilar with, and personality! Do not presume to tell me we are the only people not getting paid to be interesting and smart! Demand more of your entertainment! Hanna Montana? Britney Spears? All the athletes arrested or charged with crimes that would send you to the slammer for 20yrs?
Do not support these dipsh*ts! Walk out of bad movies! Laugh at morons trying to be funny on TV without a writng staff! Seek out your local entertainment stars- they might have more to offer than the canned crap the networks sell you. Pant-pant-pant- I'm winding down now, but please- The message today is don't value these media-hyped "Stars" above real talent. Look closer, and you will find it in your own back yard...
After all that, I'd better tell a joke or two , to show what I'm bitching about!
What does a "lady of the evening" say after sex?
"Jeez buddy, what took so long?"
What does a nympho say after sex?
"Are you done already?"
What does a wife say during sex?
"Beige... I think I'll paint the ceiling beige..."
Two rich trophy wives are talking at the Country Club....
"My dear! Have you met the new cosmetic surgeon that has moved into the neighborhood?" "Yes, why?" The one says " I was thinking of letting him do breast augmentation on me"... The other rich wife, not to be outdone says " Well I was thinking of having my a*shole bleached"... The first rich chick says " How do you think your husband will look as a Blonde?"
Thanks to all you put up with my rant!

New Years' Eve.. Heading Out Soon...

We are heading out soon for our New Years' Eve celebration. The appetizers are a statement to my New Years' resolution- don't overkill everything! I only made three- stuffed cherry tomatoes, deviled eggs, and ham n cheese tortilla roll-ups. It's become a bit calmer affair, as I have retired from my former position as The Cruise Director of The Planet Earth.... I drank it all, I ate it all, I danced with all, and now possess ALL the tee-shirts! The greatest term I ever heard when passing the torch to the younger next crazyman- "I'll hold the baby, you give it a go..." To all my friends, old or young- Happy New Year! Do this New Year like you mean it!!!!

Cool Food, And Neat Pictures Of Local Stuff...

It's Friday- and today has been a long "Try to look busy" Day".. My eldest son in from Kansas City, MO went down to an old church for a photog session- Check out these pictures and tell me they ain't the bomb! The Rock Cornish Game Hens were as tasty as they looked! Soaked in a marinade of sesame oil, peanut oil, ginger, honey, hot sauce, garlic, onion, soy sauce, and 5-spice- they basted and roasted to perfection! The rice was infused with soy sauce, with added fried egg, celery, onion, carrot, and spices! This wasn't the worst I've done cooking! Hope you are all doing well with your Holiday food! All the photos are by my eldest son- that's why they look better than normal...

Christmas Food And Stuff...

What a neat Christmas couple of days! 1. The muffins were raspberry(real!).2. The peppers, chili powder, and Mexican oregano were a great present from Doggy Bloggie, from his recent trip to New Mexico! No one holds a "marker" on me- he'll be getting something in return, when I can think of something appropriate! 3. Danish meatballs for Christmas Eve. The dill makes 'em Danish instead of Swedish... 4. That is a Key Lime Cheesecake, with strawberry glaze, topped with fresh Kiwi fruit. It came out so good-looking, I must state here and now- I'm not gay.... 5. Stollen Bread. Imagine fruitcake with less sweetness, and yeast for rising. Rich, especially when you spread it with the honey-walnut cream cheese! The prime rib roast came out perfect- forgot to take a picture, though.. Got a waffle maker, stainless steel bowls and other neat stuff from the family. A good time is being had here, by all accounts! Hope your days were good as mine were...

To All That Visit This Blog- A Heartfelt Merry Christmas...

If it's good, make it better.. If it's bad, make it good... You have an incredible power in your hands- To enjoy your Life! Think it, then use it... May all your Christmas dreams come true tonight!

The Holiday Season Has Commenced! Shopping, Famous people, Cooking...

Friday, I had a stupid busy day- pretty much like everyone reading this! It started with our semi-annual sales meeting and performance review- the day before we all go forth into 4 days no work and Holiday fun! What weenie decided this was a good time for employee reviews? All went well actually, and then I was off to return home to cook 10lbs of Kielbasa sausage for one of my customers' Holiday lunch party! Simmered in wheat beer and hauled to the customer in my Nesco roaster, it was a big hit. On the way out there, I discovered I had forgotten the horseradish sauce, so a side bar into the deli to grab some. Guy says "Weren't you just here? Why didn't you pick it up then?" I said something filled with holiday cheer like "Get bent" and was on my way... I then went onto the busiest street in Western Michigan (28th St., for reference!),went into a restaurant to pick up a gift certificate for a retirement party at another customer! Dropped that off, with proper best wishes to a guy I had never met before, and headed for a little shopping. Little is right! Home to grab the wife and head for our club- to sit and talk with old friends in a party-like atmosphere.
This morning, I had to pickup the last few items for the upcoming feasts. Scored a really beautiful standing rib at Meijers, and was walking out the door of the store, when an old guy in a sport coat, loud Christmas tie, hanging on to a wheeled walker says "Good Morning!" I say hi and keep moving, when suddenly it registers-That's Fred Meijer! I go back and chat with him a bit, saying who I am and letting him know I graduated high school with his son, Hank. This Man Is A Billionare. For Real. I got to shake hands and wish hima Merry Christmas! No security, no bodyguards-welcome to Midsized City, USA! Got home, started that Key Lime Cheesecake, and what I hope turns out to be Stollen bread (a rich, dried/candied fruit yeast bread, made around Christmas). While everything was rising or cooking, I made those Nachos El Grande for our lunch! By the time that bread is done- I will be too!

Once, When I Was A Younger Man- The Christmas Lights Story..

As I alluded to in an earlier post, electricity and I are not on the best of terms. A number of years (and electrical shocks!) ago, I was a proud, young homeowner. I cared about the appearance of my yard, and the exterior of my house- more than I do today! That meant after Thanksgiving, I would begin to plot what I could add to my growing collection of outdoor Christmas decorations and lights, making my house stand out like a beacon for Santa flying over at 20,000 ft... I had decorated the Living Christmas Tree(still quite small back then), done all the bushes along the walkway leading up to the front door and in front of my house in small,white twinkle lights. I had the garage door frame, service door, and front door outlined by the old fashioned, multi-colored juice suckers that screwed into sockets. I had a 3ft. lit "Merry Christmas" sign hung on the front of the house that went from the front door to the windows that could blink or just glow, depending how you set it. I needed more! If I was going to have more illuminations of holiday cheer than anyone else on our street, I needed more... Got it! I will outline the bottom edge of the garage and house roof with more of the big bulb lights! This was before I had the house vinyl sided, aluminum trimmed, and all outside doors and windows replaced(That's another post in itself, believe me!). I got the bright idea to STAPLE the light cords up-to the bottom of the board below the rain gutters! This was going really well, light cord was fitting through the staples' opening perfectly, not stapling through the electrical cords, making good progress quickly. Until I got to the side of the house... I have a "walkout" ranch style house, and the hill on the side slopes downward sharply, making a secure ladder difficult-no level ground! Dug holes, blocked wood, as the ladder extension kept having to be lengthened. This is probably a good time to confide in you guys- I don't like heights so hot... I am at the last bit of light cord, and at the highest point from Terra Firma on a not-so-stable ladder, when it occurs to me I'll have to run an extension cord UP to the lights. My wife at this time has come out and is watching me climb back up the ladder and plug in the lights. Viola! Everything comes on, just like in the script! However, the wind was blowing the hanging cord around, and I thought "In a real winter storm, this won't work for long".... I grabbed my trusty staple gun and was going to give the cord (now plugged in, remember!) one last staple to secure it... To my wifes' credit, she yells up to me "Do you want me to unplug the extension cord first?" What an insult! 40 staples and not one through the light cord- have you no faith, woman?!! The ensuing shock that coursed through my body as my metal staple met live current was to say the least, unpleasant... I would have fallen off the top of the ladder, if I only could have let go of it! Aluminum ladders apparently conduct electricity quite well also. I'm yelling down to her "Tuuurrrnnn offfff the powwwwer!!!!!" as I vibrate quite convincingly. She is looking at me with the look I have come to know well after many years of marriage- The "He's-screwing-around-trying-to-be-funny again" look... "Noooooreallly turrrn ittt offfff!!! I don't know if I was smoking yet, but something told her " The as*hole's not kidding this time".. She unplugs the cord, releasing me to involunarily throw my staple gun halfway across the yard, and ooze down the ladder to a sitting position. "Are you okay?" "Oh yeah, great, how about you?" She then says "I asked you if..." Twenty seconds after near death, and she's getting in the first of many "I- told-you-so's"....
The picture is of what I do nowdays for decorations. Sign goes on two nails, plugged in- 5 minutes tops! I've got boxes of old lights you can have for your next garage sale!

The 8 Things Meme....

Akelamalu posted this one, and I said I'd do it, so here goes...
8 Things I'd Like To Do/See Before I Die:
1. Cuba- I believe Americans will vacation there freely some day!
2. The Pyramids (Eygpt). To see, or touch history is always on my list.
3. The Smithsonian, as an adult. I saw it when I was about 9, and I will see it again!
4. Australia. Mainly to see my wife happy, because she has always wanted to go there!
5. A live condor, preferably in flight. Who wouldn't?
6. Whales. Michigan- much water, all fresh, no Whales...
7. Italy. Mainly for the Roman artifacts and ruins.
8. Hell, froze over. Or the Detroit Lions in a Super Bowl- which ever comes first!
8 Things I Say Often:
1. Crap! (like you don't?)
2. Jeez-o Petes!
3. Criminy!
4. Pardon me? Sounds better than "Huh?" (similar to the noise you get from a pig when you kick it).
5. Adequate. Cracks people up when they ask "How are you?" and I say "adequate"...
6. There you are, Peter.... I say that when I find something I've been looking for that was lost or misplaced. Got it from the Peter Pan movie with Robin Williams in it. The little kid stretches the adult Pans' skin on his face until the wrinkles are gone, and then says "There you are, Peter" like he found him...
7. "I don't know"... I start way too many sentences this way!
8. Driving words. You know, dumass, moron, numb nuts, etc. Too numerous to list here!
8 books I've Read Recently:
1-8. I own about 260 cookbooks- let's just let it go at that...
8 Songs I could Listen To Anytime:
1. Margaritaville- Jimmy Buffet (I'm an old Parrot-head from way back!). 4-5 concerts, at least!
2. Life During Wartime- Talking Heads, David Byrne. Song given credit for starting the decline of Disco! Saw him in concert once, and he still grows musically...alot of world beat nowdays...
3. Girls Just Want To Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper. We heard her once as an opening act for Cher (Wifes Birthday, or I'd never had gone!) and she was so incredibly good, Cher didn't come out until everyone stopped screaming (40 minutes!).
4. Standing Still- Jewel. Interesting person, pleasant song to listen to...
5. Shape Of A Heart- Jackson Browne. We went to a concert a long time ago, and I gave my wife a necklace with a small ruby in it- in the shape of a heart....
6. The Captain And The Kid- Jimmy Buffet. He loved his grandfather, who imparted to him a love of the sea.
7. America The Beautiful. Easier to sing than The Star Spangled Banner....
8. At least 200 more, probably a low estimate!
8 Things I like about my friends:
1. Loyalty.
2. Shared memories.
3. The "comfort zone" they give me. You don't have to watch what you say closely..
4. Common interests.
5. Their affection.
6. Their help.
7. They understand my humor!
8. They're getting older at the same speed I am!

Anyone out there wants to do this- go for it! Warning- It took longer than I thought it would!

Work After Work - Smoking Salmon !

Around the holidays, I tend to make a few treats that have become almost traditions around here. Smoked salmon is a versatile treat that can be used in a number of appetizers for the upcoming parties! Yesterday, my vaccuum packed salmon filets were thawed enough to go into the brine/marinate for a 24hr. soak. The marinate consisted of water, brown sugar, sea salt, soy sauce, orange juice, garlic, black pepper, and honey. This flavors the salmon as well as aids in its' preservation. Drained and patted dry, I then place it on an oiled grill grid, skin side down. The smoker is a multi-tasking unit that can use charcoal or propane as a heat source. Propane tonight! It's about 25 degrees outside, and the steady, dependable heat of propane won't worry me as much as charcoal would tonight. The wood I'm using is apple wood chips, held in a pan above the burner, below the water bowl. Water bowl? That holds water(duh!) to keep it a little moist in the smoker during smoking the fish. The grill with the fish on it goes over the water bowl, and is covered by the domed top that makes the smoker a closed unit. There is a temp gauge and a vent on the top to help regulate the heat. 180 degrees F is about right for hot smoking... We're locked and loaded so now I just have to check it every 45 minutes or so, to make sure everything is progressing nicely! The smoking should take about 5-6 hours, so I'll be putzing around here tonight while it gets done!
Some of the ways I use the smoked salmon- 1. Chopped into pieces that can be eaten cold. 2. Mixed with cream cheese and flavorings to make a spread for crackers. 3. Chunks of it warm on toothpicks, served with hot dipping sauces. I'll be posting pictures (I hope!) when it's done- and that will be in about 4-1/2 more hours...

A Homely Bowl Of Soup- Beef Barley!

After a week end of cooking, baking, and let's face it, eating more than Monday thru Friday- a simple meal sounds good. Saturday I made chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips in them. Very rich and chocolatly- perfect with coffee or a big glass of milk! Sunday, I made Potatoes AuGratin (scratch!), and grilled marinated pinwheel steaks over charcoal outside (24 degrees F!). I had an extra leftover steak, and had some barley in the pantry- why not make some beef barley soup? I enjoy this simple soup alot, and it never seems to be offered in the restaurants around here. A couple of cans of beef broth, can of water, left over steak chopped into small pieces, chopped onion, celery, carrots, pearled barley, and Mrs. Dash Original- into the pot. Slow cooker, that is! Let it go on medium for a few hours, until veggies weren't crunchy, cooled and refridged it for Mondays' supper! I reheated when I got home tonight, and enjoyed a warming soup after a chilly Michigan day. By the picture you can see what I mean- It's a homely looking soup, isn't it?

What I know about "Living" Christmas Trees...

As some of you may recall from my Thanksgiving post, I had my appendix taken out a little before Turkey Day that year. Our two boys were young, and the Christmas holidays were a series of events that were pretty family focused. My wife had been yakking with girlfriends about the latest trends in Christmas trees- The Living Christmas Tree. The benefits were touted as; 1. No tree would die for a tradition. 2. It would smell like the great outdoors without scented aerosol sprays, with their propellants harming the ozone layer. 3. You could plant it when you were done, returning the blessed oxygen producer to the land- saving Earth in your very own back yard! Yeah, right.... So the guy whose stitches were out, but still had a fair bit of healing of stomach muscles to do yet- is sent to fetch the Tree That Saved Christmas. I get to the nursery and inquire if they have this miracle of holiday marketing and where they were kept. A teenager the size of a Hi-Lo says "Follow me" and we end up at a couple of rows of really small trees attached to really big clumps of dirt(wrapped in burlap). From the high prices, I knew they had been reading the same articles as my wife had seen... I picked one out, and Human Hi-Lo grabs it and carries it to my car, putting it in my rather deep trunk for transport home. All the way home, I'm working my engineer-like brain as to how I'm gonna get this d*mn thing out of the trunk and into the house without ripping my appendix scar open! I get home, snow is everywhere, and I give the tree a heave-ho that just jiggles it, with no upward motion. I swear when I looked at it, it said "I'm heavier than that, you cripple-Buahahahah!". Taking a page from history (Egyptians engineering Pyramids) I levered it to the edge of the trunk, then flipped it onto one of the kids' plastic snow sliders. I dragged the beast into the house on this snow saucer right into the living room, informed my wife to leave it on there, cover it with some Christmas looking cloth, and start decorating- I was DONE. All OK, followed instructions for care until spring planting. I threw it out by our dryer vent, and waited 'til spring to plant.
Spring came. Snow melted, leaving our backyard full of the winters' supply
of uncollected Airedale poop. I had dug a big hole in the front yard to plant the tree, and figured I could kill two turds with one stone- so I threw at least 40lbs of recycled Iams dog food in the hole, and threw the tree on top of it. On quiet nights, I swear you could hear that tree screaming as it grew.... The picture is of that very tree, 20yrs later. I used to cover it with white Christmas lights, until it got too big. There is still a strand of them up there somewhere I couldn't get down.... All kidding aside, today it is one really beautiful Blue Spruce!

End Of The Year Coming, Time For Annual Salad!

It was a long, cold day to work today! A customer lunch was a pleasant interlude, at good Italian restaurant. I had Veal Parmesean- a huge portion that completly disappeared during the meal. A meeting and tour of our plant for one of my largest customers was the last thing on todays' work agenda. All went well, but it was a higher than average stress day- which I'm feeling about now! My wife has to go to some girly dinner tonight, and I'm still full from lunch, so I'll post about a light meal we enjoyed earlier this week. As the headline implies, I don't dive into a salad with the gusto I demonstrate when attacking lasagna. I've found the secret of a good salad- make it look and taste like something that isn't good for you! The picture is what I think a salad should look like- My Chef Salad! Imagine that bad boy slathered in Chunky bleu cheese dressing (that I add real Maytag Blue cheese, crumbled until it's so thick you can walk across it!)covered with all those ingredients until you can't find the da*n lettuce..... Got my annual salad out of the way until next year! Dang! That's only 27 days more....

We Exist To Serve.....

Now why is that man posting a picture of a little zip-lock container with left-over chili in it? Simple! That was all that was left of the 6-1/2 gallon batch I brought to a customer for lunch Friday! This was the biggest batch of my competition-style chili I've ever made. A few facts to know and yell:
1. Shopping and unloading all ingredients- 1-1/2 hrs.
2. Chopping & dicing veggies and meat, browning meat, opening cans, etc.- 2-1/2 hrs.
3. Cooking chili (seasoning, simmering, stirring) in two separate pots- 3hrs.
4. Moving chili to 18 quart roaster& big crock pot, storing& cooling overnight-1hr.
5. Batch size- 6-1/2 gallons (or 26 quarts/52 pints/52 lbs./832 oz./24.6 litres).
6. Delivering, feeding,& clean-up- 3-1/2hrs.
7. Cost of batch ingredients- $96.00 (paid by my company as customer entertainment).
8. People fed- about 40 (shop folks work hard and can really eat!)
My wife and I did all the shopping and cooking, I did the lugging, set up, reheat and entertainment. When I got back home, she helped again on the cleanup of the cooking utensils & kitchen. Alone, I would have been up all night! The people really appreciated it, and it was fun to cook chili with no competition around! It's also fun to have people come up and say (with look on face like they just found the Messiah) "That's the best chili I've ever had!" I tell them to go to the chili cook-offs I'm in, and sign up to be a judge-PLEASE!
Chili Wisdom To Take With You Today:
"Chili should be like a big rollercoaster- it should scare you a little, but not kill you... And- "Chili is like sex- When it's good, it's incredible! And when it's bad, well, it's not THAT bad.....

I Said I Would, And I Will.....

I've been "tagged" by odat. I must devise 5-10 courses I would (or should!) take to fix my life. Enjoy my shortcomings, and my theoretical courses I would take to improve....

1. Listening Skills 101: In the first grade we started getting report cards of a sort, listing 1, excellent(better than avg.) 2, satisfactory (avg.)and the dreaded 3, needs to improve(work on it, kid! Or else..) I was a bright kid, with mostly 1s', except in the catagory "Listens well while others are speaking"- my only 3. This was to repeat every year in some form through my formal education and into college. In my sales career I'm supposed to listen 80%, talk 20%. I now have all the appearances of a good listener! Wrong. I'm waiting for you to shut up, so I can talk again...

2. Advance Table Manners: I know which knife,fork,or spoon to use and can eat with them held in either hand. I know all the protocols and rituals of this countrys' dining experience. I don't spill, I use a napkin, etc. The problem you ask? Talking- again! I can blab so much during a meal, I always finish last. And people who talk with food in their mouth? I'm working on that...

3. Calming The Aggressive Driver: I'm a good driver! At this writing, I haven't had a point on my record in 20yrs. I just don't get passed alot in the course of a day, if you know what I mean...

4. Working With Electricity In The Home: Science, Physics, and all their disciplines are how I usually run my life. Except for Electricity, which is clearly the Devils' Creation sent to kill me for talking too much. I swear cannot change a light bulb without getting zapped! When I replace a door bell, I shut the power off for the whole neighborhood before I start. I'd tell the story of my Christmas outdoor lights electrocution, but that will be a post all on its' own in December....

5. How To Become A Team Player: I have sat through many a seminar demonstrating the benefits of working as a team. Most of the excercises result in the few doing the work of the sheep included in every group! I have learned how to get along with the other kids in the sandbox- I go play on the swings....

I'm not tagging anybody, but if there are any volunteers- go for it!

Pizza Sunday? You Bet!

We did a pretty good job getting rid of turkey leftovers! I gave quite a bit to my guests to take home, and later Thursday night I simmered the carcass in water infused with appropriate herbs & spices for a few hours, to create a broth for Fridays' turkey noodle soup lunch! Good stuff- a lighter food day than Gorge Thursday... Early Saturday morning on a whim, we decided to head out the new casino Four Winds, in New Buffalo, MI. It's a little under 2 hrs to drive there, and it really was pretty neat. It has to be the largest casino in Michigan and I would say also the nicest! We gambled for about 4 hrs. and actually left with a little more money than we came with! The place was filling up fast when we departed about 3PM. This place is located about 2 hrs from Chicago and from the look of all the people wearing Bears jackets, alot of them must drive up. We grabbed a burger and fries at a Culvers' in Stevensville- really good burgers for a sorta fast food chain restaurant. Any of you people out there ever been in one? Anyway, this trip postponed our gotta-have-it Pizza day until Sunday. I tried my new, big mixer to make the dough (the now defunct bread machine made better dough!) and it worked okay for that. I grated my Parmesean, Romano, and Mozzarella in my new food processor, and I think I need more practice! It's done, it worked, and I may or may not try that again! Dialing in the sauces' flavor was a pain today too... As the picture shows,it all worked well, but you never hear Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, or all the other experts tell you about the screw-ups getting there like I will.....

Thanksgiving Days, Past and Present....

Twenty years ago in November, a series of events took place in my life that had me visit the local med center 3 times that month! It started about the first of the month with what I thought was the flu. They checked me, gave me an antibiotic, and sent me on my way. About a week later, still not feeling too spiff, I went back- this time a real doctor was there who checked my blood and found something wasn't quite right. He sent me down to a medical center located across from a big hospital for further testing. That doctor told me my appendix was going bad, and to go directly to Emergency at the hospital and check in. He would call them and tell them I was on my way. I drove myself over, walked in and sat there for 45 minutes before they put 2 +2 together! By now, I felt really,really crappy! They grabbed me, threw me on a gurney, and hauled me to a room where I was to await surgery. By midnight, I no longer had an appendix. A few days in the hospital, then home for a recup! Fast forward a couple of weeks, and it's Thanksgiving, with the whole famn damly coming to my house for one of my patented feasts. While stuffing the turkey I cut some loose skin off the bird with a super sharp knife (I'm obsessed with having all my knives stupid sharp at all times!). The knife went through the skin and into me easily. But Good. Showed my wife, drove myself down to the Med center and walked in just as they were opening. "You're our first customer- what's wrong?". I showed them my blood soaked wrapped hand and was ushered into the inner room STAT. Doc walks in and says "Weren't you just here a couple of weeks ago? Yep. "Most people wait to cut themselves until they're carving the cooked bird" "I wanted to beat the rush" I answered. Stitched me up while I read Sports Illustrated and I was home in time to baste the bird.
This year it's only 5 people, with traditional food all the way. Roast turkey, sage sausage stuffing, home made cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, rolls, salad, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Pictures will be posted after all this stuff is set out! Can the Lions beat the Green Bay Packers today? Nah, too early for Christmas miracles....
P.S. The bird was moist, and flavorful, stuffing all gone, potatoes the same, gravy really nice, cranberry sauce a hit (I don't like fruit on meat personally!), and the pie was flavored just right. My sis brought a salad with dressing that was excellent! Her home made rolls were great, too. The Lions lost, making the traditional holiday complete!

A Caramel Apple Crisp Kind Of Day.....

Sunday, at noon is our once-a-week big meal day. It is usually a meal consisting of either something we like that we haven't had in awhile, or some creation of mine we're trying out. Today was a little of both! My wife and adult son (he lives close by and gets Sunday dinner from us!) both love potatoes. Todays' side was an Idaho russett baked to perfection, simply topped with butter, salt, and pepper. I made a meat loaf- which was todays' experiment! Friday night, I thawed a large pack of meat market brats, not the pre-cooked kind- the raw seasoned ground pork kind. We simmered a few in beer for a quick Friday nite supper, and found them quite bland. Saturday, I decased the rest of them, and reseasoned the now bulk sausage with onion powder, crushed garlic, coarse black pepper, and seasoned salt. The plan was to let the spices to cold blend, and use the sausage in a stuffed pork loin roast for Sunday dinner. I dug out the pork loin I had in the freezer, and found it too big, and too flat for that purpose. Now what? How about a brat flavored sausage/ground sirloin meatloaf? This morning, I thoroughly mixed the meats with more spices, worchester sauce, bread crumbs, 2 eggs, Polish mustard, and a little V-8 juice- then pressed into a bread loaf pan. Baked at 350F right along side the 'taters for 1-3/4 hrs. (I make a meatloaf at about 3-1/2lbs.!), all came out perfect. A little heat and serve Italian loaf for bread, and dinner is served! Oh, the picture? That was dessert! One of my personal favorites- Apple Crisp. I use oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, butter, and ground cinnamon in the crust/topping. Granny Smith is my apple of choice, with a white sugar, corn starch, water, and vanilla sauce poured over the slices before the topping. Just before oven time- I drizzle topping with a caramel sauce, then bake at 350F for 40 min. Vanilla ice cream along side is always offered! Dessert will wait 'til 5 pm- we're all too full from the other stuff...

Quick Meal That Works.....

Wednesday while I was out and about making sales calls, I stopped into a Hispanic store to cruise for supplies. They carry authentic food stuffs from Mexico, with a good selection of items not found at the local grocery store. It is in a decidedly rough neighborhood (missing person from bar two stores down found that day-dead about a mile away by some railroad tracks!) but in mid day, it's pretty safe. I picked up some red jalepeno salsa (La Victoria) which is hot, tasty stuff! I also got a product I had never bought anywhere- a package of homestyle tostadas from Mexico! They were about 20 in a pack, and twice as thick as any I have seen from Ortega or Old El Paso brands. That night, I took fried, seasoned ground sirloin, chopped lettuce, diced fresh tomatos, finely shredded co-jack cheese, micro'd them 'til warm with cheese melted- and we had "wet" tostadas! Then topped with that salsa and we were eating in nothing flat! In an earier post, I covered the local food sensation, the "wet" burrito which we all determined was a dry burrito with melted cheese all over it. Same thing goes here- without melting the cheese over the tostada, it would have been something you've all seen before(I hope!). Melting the cheese helps keep it all together for less fallout of toppings or messy eating! I'm thinkin' about doing a beef brisket this week-end- we'll see.....

Week-end Food Projects...

About Thursday, I decided I'd better make up a batch of beef jerky for the guys around here who all yakking about deer hunting. I'm not going this year (low on vacation time!)but people (mainly men!) really like home made jerky. Eye of round beef is lean and not much good for anything but jerky (in my opinion!) and cuts up well into strips of uniform thickness well. I marinate it in a salt, brown sugar, black pepper, liquid smoke, Worschester sauce, garlic, onion, red pepper, celery seed, and water mixture (Say all that in one breath once!). It's in the brine for overnight, refrigerated. I have an American Harvest brand dehydrator- buy no other! This 4 tier, fan powered dehydrator has worked well for me about 10 yrs, and it still probably only costs $60 bucks or so. I drained the meat well, sprinkling it with extra onion and garlic powder while still damp, and placed it on the trays as shown. 6 hrs later, perfectly dried beef jerky. Commercial stuff in stores sells for $15+ a pound. I made 2-1/2lbs for about 16 bucks ($6lb.). Rave reviews at work Monday! Also made this week end was a mushroom chicken spaghetti we're fond of. Sauce is the key (yours too, I bet!) with tomato sauce,olive oil, basil, oregano, fennel seeds, garlic, onion, red wine, pepper, brown sugar and parmesean- all simmered 2hrs before addition of cubed chix breast and sauteed mushrooms. Bread was Italian heated in oven, and dessert was a caramel brownie.
Enjoy your week!

A Birthday Gift To Our Son From History.....

As previously mentioned, my eldest son had his 30th birthday Nov. 9th. He lives in Kansas City, MO- about 700 miles away from where we live! We are sometimes at a loss as to what to get him for a birthday gift, mainly because we don't see or hear from him like we would if he lived here! Out in K.C. they have the only specifically designated WWI Memorial in the U.S.A. It was made sometime in the 1920s, and by the style of the design- it shows. We visited it the first time went went out there, and were impressed by it's somber, respectful atmosphere of remembrance. It's stark design, angular and massive, makes the Memorial a photographers' black & white, shades & shadow dream location. My son has gotten into photography as a hobby. He approaches about everything he does in a thorough manner, with cameras and knowledge of taking pictures no different! It seems to have bonded him to this site somehow, and my wife came up with a unique, meaningful present for him. Her Grandfather was in WWI and saw action as he was exposed to mustard gas. The gas could create Hell on Earth, and was outlawed in warfare after WWI. My wife had recieved an inexpensive, commemorative hankie (depicted in the photo)from her mom- a momento brought back from France in 1919, by her grandfather. She decided to get it professionally matted and framed, and give it to my son for his birthday. It's on its' way to him (late- it wasn't done on time!) as I write this. We sent him the photo (shown here) on his birthday via E-mail so he wouldn't think we stiffed him out of a gift! Does that all make sense to you people? Good!