Critique: Healthy Choice Golden Roasted Turkey Breasts!

On sale at only $1.98 at a local Country Mart in Forsyth MO, I elected to submit my pallet to yet another offering from the folks at Healthy Choice!

On the box, I was informed that the Golden Roasted Turkey Breast meal offered by Healthy Choice was; 'Turkey breast with rich gravy and traditional stuffing, green beans, and cherry blueberry desert.' Well, the desert certainly garnered my attention, at any rate! As the meal has only 260 calories, I'm always looking to sate my sweet tooth in economic fashion...

While writing about nutritional concerns, the cholesterol and sodium were very low, which impressed me no end. [Note that the panel shown here is close but not exactly what appeared on my package].

Like most of HC's offerings, the preparation was very simple. You merely cut and remove the film from over the desert then nuke it on high for 5 to 5 ½ minutes. Let it stand for a couple and then consume the contents. (There are also directions for preparing in a conventional oven, I didn't include).

Time to Eat! OK, it's go time! After nuking, I added a little butter, some salt and pepper and dug in. My overall impression was good. (Good as in what would apply to a $2 meal deal). The stuffing absolutely made the turkey portion great tasting and was devoured with gratitude. The green beans were a bit tough in my view, but edible all the same. And that desert? Well, I saved it for last and it was simply awesome. It certainly made the score of the meal ratchet up to a solid 8. If you can get this one on sale, I'd say go for it!

Do you feel this disease? It's working its way through our government!

'Do you feel this disease
kill my heart like a summer breeze
maybe it's just my luck, hope I never wake up!'

PM Today

The disease mentioned in this song is about love and loving and then ultimately losing that love. We are, after all, a very complex life form. But, that's what life and living is all about!

And so the summer of 2015 comes to an end!

I think if I had to use one word to describe the summer of 2015, it would be wet! The rains came in the spring and then decided to overstay their welcome. When July rolled around and we should have witnessed the lawns all drying up, we got drenched with over a foot of rainfall! Rather that dry up and turn brown, many lawns became a challenge to cut as the warm and wet weather served to keep them growing, abet in damp fashion.

As August came and went, the rainfall did let up a bit, dropping only about half a foot over the course of the month! The Tri-lakes river system involving Beaver, Table Rock and Bull Shoals remained in a flooded condition, for much of the time, and levels were slow to fall. In fact, Bull Shoals never expected to drop to a 'normal' level for the balance of the year.

Now, on the cusp of the start of September, many of us living in the Midwest are wondering what will be in store come the winter months. Will that period see record snow or ice or will it be a more normal winter cycle? Only time will tell.

The Karma Hotspot!

After waiting for months, I finally received my Karma Hotspot. The little square fits nicely is a shirt pocket and provides a WiFi link for up to five friends. The battery lasts for about five hours, also. It's charged using any regular micro USB and provides data at a cost of only $14 per gig. There are no time limits and no contracts as this little baby accesses any communications tower it can find. Cute!

The Holly's and Just One Look!

Star Trek: Every seven years or so, Vulcan males and females become aroused. They undergo a blood fever, become violent, and finally die unless they mate with someone with whom they are emphatically bonded or engage in the ritual battle known as kal-if-fee. This was known, in the series, as pon farr - In my world, this was also known as a 'coming of manhood or age'! A time when hormonal secretions, acting in a young male body, were at their height! (A good time, I think most of us men would agree)!

Peter and Gordon! I go to pieces!

A number by a British group that is so far back in time that even I, an aging gnome, can't remember the date. Still, you all can enjoy! Note: At this time in history, men's hair spray had not yet been invented. I'll assume these two used a female product and way too much of it to boot!

Kymmenen kirosanaa!

On Country Mart's declining service!

Last Sunday, August the 23rd, I had to run over to a local Country Mart for a few grocery items. The store was only lightly populated with customers, mostly church attendees by the looks of how they were dressed. Me? I was less fashionable wearing scruffy jeans and an old T-shirt that had seen better days. And, while I am religious, I just don't like to make a public show of it...

Anyway, everything when swimmingly until I approached the checkout counter. I picked lane 3, a definite bad call as look back on it! The white woman at the register was the absolute epitome of all things slow. If some university were to give out a diploma for slowness, this woman would easily rate a PhD! Every motion she made was like watching some slow mo on the Tube, except that this was real like. And speaking of which, I felt mine passing before my eyes as I watched her work. It was almost like she was on break!

Seriously, the management folks at the Forsyth MO CM need to light a fire under their personnel. Maybe if the were to pay them a little more over the minimum wage....

Scalloped potatoes are high calorie!

Whenever I want to make a sure fire side dish that will be liked, I often will grab a package of Scalloped potatoes!

There are quite a few manufactures of boxed freeze dried foods and the choice of makers of Scalloped potatoes is no different. I choose a box of Best Choice made by Awg Brands which are distributed out of KC MO. I generally choose what I'm going to buy based on price, and Best Choice nearly always beats out the more name brand offerings. (I'd guess I'm losing something in the way of quantity or quality by doing this, but when you're poor, that's what you do).

When making a side dish like this it's far better, in my opinion, to prepare it in the oven as opposed to the stove top or microwave. You get much better eye appeal if you allow the oven to brown the top of the food slightly. But, no matter how you make them, these babies are loaded with calories! Just a 28 gram serving (about half a cup) has 160 calories! So, watch yourself and your waistline when eating this fine comfort food!

Ramdom Thoughts for August 2015!

Fast & EZ chicken and rice!

While rummaging somewhere in the back of my refrigerator freezer, looking for something to eat, I spied a plastic baggie with three frozen chicken breasts tucked inside. But, it being late summer, I didn't want to cook them up in a 350 degree oven for over an hour! (After all, my AC was already struggling to keep up...). And the outdoor grill? Nope too much bother...

Then, I came across a simple recipe on the net that showed me how to quickly microwave the chicken drumsticks in only seven minutes! Ah ha! That was something I wanted to try! Fast and easy. That's how I like my women and my food!

EPA preparing all out war against coal industry!

In light of the Presidents decision in a 1,560 page ruling to reduce coal fired power plants emissions by 32% below 2005 levels by 2030, a ticking bomb has been set for many states. Missouri, which relies on coal for 83% of its energy needs, will be in a pretty tough spot! Predicted double digit increase in energy costs, on top of skyrocketing increases in other sectors like food, may push a great number of citizens across a thin line into bankruptcy. That, in turn, could lead to a national domino effect, as increasingly higher payouts from government agencies attempt to help the burgeoning number of poor, further weakening an already shaky US government. Swell!

Iran is licking its chops!

Give Senator Bob Corker credit for introducing a bill that all but insures a really bad deal with Iran does go through this fall. And, as that occurs, Russia will be pumping millions of dollars worth of air defense systems into Iranian borders to help make sure that their nuclear bomb factories are impervious to outside attack.

For decades now, Iran has lead a gullible American electorate down a rosy path with idjit Obama playing the final role as a country bumpkin swimming in a pool of sharks. Now, it seems to be only a matter of time before locations like Israel become blackened, radioactive craters. Good job Obama and his far left mob of cronies. Thanks again... for nothing.

And finally....

Barrack Insane Obama - Offering very little hope, but lots and lots of change!

Hair's the Place!

Forsyth MO. – Hairs the Place is a styling saloon owned and operated by Colleen Karnes. Located at 136 Rockhill Drive in Forsyth Missouri, I've frequented this business for a number of years and Coleen gladly accepts men, women and children. To make an appointment, simply call her at (417) 546-3039 during normal business hours.

As you can plainly see, I have hair that is a real challenge to cut and to maintain. As a chicken farmer of no little repute, I think I've even begun to resemble my stock and trade to some extent! You know, Coleen's eyes widen every time I enter her establishment, as I think am a very popular person in her view.

Update: Aug 2016 - Rumor has it that Ms Karnes will be teaming up with another hair stylist in the near future. I'll post more when I hear something official.

Update: Sep 2016 - "Today is my last day at HAIR'S The PLACE it has been great...my lil Steel Magnolias :) Thanks to ALL the people who have shared this venture with me and the memories....such great memories! I'm looking forward to my new adventure at Town & Country Salon in Forsyth with Carmen Davidson!!

In the end it didn't even matter...

This country, this Republic and the men and women entrusted with its care, all of it sealed with the blood of countless brave soldiers over hundreds of years.... alas, that could be over soon! As a country, as a world power, we may become an epic failure. And you know what? In the end, it didn't even matter... (a message to a government who has lost a generation).

The Subway in Forsyth MO!

It had been quite a while since I had last set foot in the Subway located in a small strip mall near the town of Forsyth, Missouri. I only came back because a friend who I bought lunch for, to me to meet him there.

The first thing I noticed was the sign that read 'Under new management'. At least, I think, I saw a sign that read that! In any case, I appreciated the brisk way in which the staff located behind the counter moved the sizable crowd along. When my turn came, I ordered the Cold Cuts Combo 6” sub and can attest to the great taste and freshness of the ingredients. I can also attest to the fact that this establishment was one of the cleanest I've ever visited!

The bottom line – a great venue to go to to eat, in my opinion, and I do plan to go back on a regular basis! Video to come!

Coming soon, I bring a family of Hawaiian natives to this venue!

Bad winter to come, for some!

According to many of my sources, included the Almanac, the winter of 2015-16 should be a dozy! This excerpt is from the Almanac, 'The Almanac calls for colder than average winter for much of the East and Upper Midwest. Generally, it favors above normal snowfall in northern areas east of the Rockies and below normal snowfall in southern areas. This includes the Atlantic seaboard, which spans the I-95 corridor from Richmond to Boston. Yes, this would imply another snowy winter for Boston(and not a lot of snow from Richmond to Baltimore).' If you can believe that, then the Midwest may just have a 'normal' winter with average levels of snow and ice!

In any case, it is becoming more and more apparent that the normal or average cycles of weather are skewing more to the extreme as the very wet summer in the Midwest has shown!

A meal time inspiration! Frankfurter's!

It was late in a mid August day, 2015. I'd been working hard at moving into a new condo and wanted something quick and simple to eat. I just didn't know what. A quick look in the fridge was uninspiring. Then, I spied a package of hotdog buns laying on the counter. Suddenly, (for old me) a synapse made a cranial sodium bridge connection and I realized I also had a package of frankfurters in the freezer. Weird science indeed! The rest, as they say, was history!

Nest learning thermostat - avoid it!

CRAP technology and company!

The Nest thermostat, to put it mildly, is a piece of shit! Save your money and wait for some company that knows what they are doing to come out with a better unit. I've never more sad as when I came to contact with the morons that man and staff this God forsaken company. If you have a problem, there is no response via email and the wait times for their help line is always a half an hour or more.

Just let me be clear - buying the NEST is going the be the worst decision of your life!

Update: To be fair and accurate - my Nest seems to be improving - the last time it shut down on August 16, 2015, the fan also thankfully shut off. I'd just like for the makers to come forth and announce to the public what the F is going on! Until they do, my judgement stands!Oh, and another note - the manufacturer has just announced a new version! Gee, go figure. I guess that they are moving on while the earlier buyers watch their taillights....

Update: On Labor Day, September 7th, the Nest reporting site was totally off line....

Is the Nation under cyber attack?

No internet, or limited internet, cell phones not working this date. Location: Forsyth MO - As a retired network administrator, I know when things are not all rosy in cyber-land. And, I'm becoming more and more paranoid. Here are some facts as I currently see them:

1) Obama is a true criminal who is anti American and who is taking down my Republic as fast as he can.
2) Hillary, his likely successor, is an even bigger crook.
3) Congress is a cesspool that has become completely inpotent.
4) Most other countries no longer like or respect America.
5) Our military, the last bulwark protecting all Americans, has been castrated.
6) Most of the media that we all watch every day is even more corrupt than Washington!
7) It concerns me when an admitted Socialist is running successfuly for the highest office.
8) My internet (courtesy of Mediacom) is iffy and part time at best.
9) Cell phone service is failing on a regular basis.
10) Other countries, who hate us (China, Russia and ISIS come to mind), are working while we sleep!

Bottom line. This country is mostly fucked and being screwed even now by the very people we elected to help serve us.

Uh, we don't take mattresses! Or, do we?

Someone dumped two mattresses out next to a Republic Disposal dumpster expecting that company to take them. Unfortunately, I didn't think Republic took large items like that. They should have taken them to the reclamation center in Branson, instead. So now in an act of defiance, those individuals stacked one mattress directly in front of the dumpster, making it even harder to ignore. What will happen when the Raintree truck arrives to empty the dumpster is anyone's guess. I'll update this post at that time.

Update: Well dang it all, I was wrong! That just goes to show that if you are determined enough, the rules can be bent!

Blunk Terrace blackout!

Located just a stones throw from the Taney County Courthouse in Forsyth Missouri runs a short section of street that seems to have been denigrated back to the Middle ages, at least as far as modern communications go! You see Blunk Terrace, a street with about four dwellings on it, apparently have no Internet, no satellite and no phone service! Why that should be so, when the next street over enjoys all the above, is a true mystery to me.

One can only imagine what living in such primitive conditions must be like. I wonder how the residents communicate to the outside world? Smoke signals?

Thus far, I've not been able to discover the cause. Perhaps some kind resident on Blair could run a cable 150 feet over to Blunk bringing those folks out of the 14th Century and into the 21st!

A note: As our Federal government grows ever more bloated and spews vast amounts of regulations out each week - the ground becomes ever more fertile for some companies to abuse the system. We need the states to regain control in order that we can better manage companies like Mediacom....

A Logical Song? Eh? Who the hell am I?

Oh yes, got it now! I'm a vegetable... circa sometime in the very distant past...

Critique: Banquet's Zesty Smothered Charbroiled Patty Meal! Fail!

(Hence forth, this meal will be referred to as ZSCPM by moi) – Or hey! What ya want for a buck a meal deal?

Seriously I fully understand that producing anything that looks remotely like an American dinner for a buck is a challenge in mid 2015. [A time in my country's life that has seen a progressives party best efforts at killing the best country in the the world over a seven year period].... Seems more like a hundred years to me...

And, I suspect that even as I endured this strange form of culinary rape, by willingly indulging in what was an obvious assault on sensible nutrition - That there were possibly tens of thousands of other unfortunates in similar circumstances. All of us, sitting at our homes, dully watching TV and eating certifiable crap on a hot day in August... Where, I wondered was that 'champion of all things good to eat' – the formerly vocal Ms Obama? Scored it a 3, and that was being kind.

Grocery prices contine upward spiral!

It wasn't that long ago when a crisp twenty dollar bill would buy us more bags of groceries than a single person could carry. That was then. Today, you'd better arrive at the store with a wallet full of twenties in order to supply a family of four with enough food to keep them going from one week to the next!

Above, you can easily figure that it was the beer and meat that contributed a lot to the overall cost, (almost half) in fact.

Onions are easy to grow!

Now over 280 views!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77DfIVD2EMY

Do gangs now roam Forsyth Missouri?

I know it might be hard to believe, but I believe I have seen evidence of gang related activity in the small Midwestern town of Forsyth, Missouri. 

Just a year ago, a man was viciously attacked and then robbed while walking home along Highway 160; a main road that runs through the heart of Forsyth MO. Then, just a few days ago, I accidentally ran into a group of youths while also walking in the same vicinity of the previous attack. My gut instinct told me that these people meant trouble and so I deftly crossed the street and ducked into a neighborhood bar and grill. I felt I had really ducked a bullet on that occasion.... 

If there are gangs roaming the streets where I live, I'm guessing they are more active during the nighttime. It's after the sun goes down that the problems seem to occur. A talk with a local police officer was not very revealing as he tended to duck the question of crime, telling me that 'it was about the same everywhere'.... What did he mean by that?

I's my personal theory that part of the problem centers around a failing economy (no jobs) and the collapse of the core family with many children coming from broken or other wise dysfunctional home environments.

The question remains to see if the problems will increase, over time, as our nation continues its slide into 2nd world status.

Pool noise...

I'd recently moved to a condo, known locally as Taneycomo Terrace, located in Forsyth MO. After much time spent moving in and on what promised to be a blistering hot day in late July, I made my first trip to the pool located in the back of my building.

10:12 AM - Under clear skies, with towel in hand, I approached the locked gate with some trepidation; after all, I had never used my 'pool key' and had doubts as to exactly which key on a string of keys I carried to use. After trying four keys with no luck, I happened on the correct one and I was in!

The pool was empty at that early hour, so had my pick of any deck chair and quickly picked a semi-recliner next to a circular table. I'd just placed my stuff on the table and had settled into the chair when over a nearby hill came the grounds keepers! There were two of them. A man by the name of David and a lady who answered to the name Kat. Like two moths attracted to a flame, they zeroed in on myself with mower blades a chopping and weed whacker strings a whirring. Thankfully, a fence that surround the pool area prevented them from charging right into my lap! David got as close as abut five feet away, throwing grass blades this way and that as he doggedly worked the same area over and over again. The noise levels made napping all but an impossibility, so I contented my self with sipping on a Pepsi and eating a small bag of Doritos. Yet, for some reason, I found it difficult to relax....