Saturday, September 29, 2018

Steak and eggs!

The title above was somewhat misleading. My version of this popular meal also contains fried potatoes and OJ making it not that diet minded! Also, there was only one egg consumed!

Whenever you have meat and eggs together on one plate for breakfast, you are talking a high protein slug of food to begin your day. Add in the fried potatoes and that's a also definite carbo-slammer. So, this is not something for the man or woman who is trying to shed some pounds. That said, it could be a good meal for a young athlete who was trying to bulk up a bit.

The meat I often choose was a cut of top sirloin, a thick hunk of meat that grills up really well. It's sort of like a second class filet mignon.


[Whenever I 'grill' up meat like this inside, I often use two pieces of equipment; a convection tabletop oven and a small Foreman grill. I first heat up the Foreman and cook the steak for just a minute before transferring it to the oven set on broil. That part of the cooking process usually is for about three minutes on a side. When done correctly you get the grill marks, yet have a just barely done interior]!

The fried potatoes consisted of one small Russet that had been peeled and then thickly sliced in to 'dollar' shaped pieces. These were quick cooked in hot oil, then removed to a paper towel and the sprinkled with a salt substitute.

If everything is done in a smooth fashion, the whole cooking process takes only about ten minutes!

Friday, September 21, 2018

Free food and drinks! I'm all in!


Raffle ticket item
Forsyth MO. - Apparently a convenience store located just to the east of Forsyth Missouri will be hosting a Customer Appreciation Day on October 6 (a Saturday) from 11 AM to 2 PM! During that time, they will be serving free hot dogs along with a drink! They will also be doing a raffle for a number of items including a really cool Creek Cooler! (The perfect companion to have during 2019's next float trip)!

Now, I don't know about you, but when the free lunch bell rings, I'll be there in a flash! The location is Peggy's Park Place located close to the new bridge over Bull Shoals Lake. The formal address is 17463 US-160 and the telephone number is 417-546-5845.

It's open 6AM to 10PM just about every day and has a great selection of must have stuff including a very nicely appointed Deli! (I like to stop there to grab a fast sandwich and chips along with some brewski's, of course)! Of course, a business is only as good as the people who staff it and that's where Peggy's really shines! I've found everyone that works there to be of the highest caliber; friendly, helpful and a pleasure to inter-react with. Hopefully, I'll see everyone there on the 6th!

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Critique: Michelina's Chicken Alfredo!

Nothing I could do would improve the pic
In general when I see a frozen entree on sale and for under a buck, I'm cautious. I wonder just how 'nutritious' such a meal-a-deal really could be. But, figuring, what the hey, I grabbed that one up along with another package that indicated I'd be enjoying 'beans and rice'. Yea.

The front of the package indicated that it was 'Delicious fettuccine pasta in a classic rich and creamy Alfredo sauce with chicken and broccoli'. My eyes were drawn to the word Alfredo which is synonymous with 'heart attack' for not a few nutritionists.

Seven grams of fat (3 grams saturated) were a bit of a culinary downer, even as the calorie content was a low 240 grams! Even the 660 grams of salt was not out of the ballpark, but 33 grams of carbohydrates was really over the top for a dieter like myself.

And, while it may not look like very much, the meal tasted OK. For .79 cents is was actually great. Just not a meal I'd serve to friends... unless I didn't like them.

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Lunch at a small Park!

The month of September can occasionally deal out a robustly warm to hot day. The sort of day that keeps many folks inside, in air conditioned comfort. That was what normal folks did. I was cut from a more abnormal piece of cloth, and so decided to head out to see a few sights at a local Park, while enjoying a burger and fries.

I.
 
A half hour before the noon hour found me in a rather short line at a McDonald's drive through just off the main drag in a town called Forsyth, MO. Since it was a Tuesday and many guys and gals were working or in school, thus I didn't have very long to wait and quickly arrived at a little order box that you have to talk into to get any food. A barely discernible and squeaky voice greeted me.

"Welcome to McDonald's, can I take your order?" For my part, I was fumbling in my pockets for my wallet and some loose change. Inevitably, a few coins got loose and fell down into an area between the seats... never to be seen again.

"Uh, yeah. I'd like a Quarter Pounder and a medium fry." I spoke this out in a reasonably loud and clear voice, while hanging half out of my car window. (Order takers seemed to us customers making the effort to be uncomfortable. That thought could have been just in my head, though).

"Would you like something to drink with that?" Came the tinny and garbled counter response. (You could tell that the order taker was a bit bored and had done this routine something like a million times).

'Nope. That's all. I brought my own with me." I could swear I heard a muffled swear word, and then a small electronic window, right across from me, lit up with my order description and the total. As usual I blinked twice when I saw the amount. (Not long ago, the cost would have been well under a buck. Those days were long gone, as it was the 21st Century).

'Please pull around to the pay window", I was instructed, and then was dismissed in favor of the next vehicle behind me. I grabbed the wheel with one hand while holding some bills and change in the other. (Each and every time I'd done this, I reflected that it all seemed a very awkward way to do a transaction. It was well into the 21st Century for chrissakes)! In a minute or two, I had pulled up to the pay window and dutifully handed over a small ransom of hard earned cash. Receipt now in hand, I then proceeded to the next and final window where I would be rewarded with what I hoped was my actual order. (Not a few times, I had driven away with someone else's order of chicken and gumbo rice or whatever). That was always an instant McBummer, each and every time.

Looking quickly into the bag, after it had been handed to me, I caught a glimpse of what looked to be the correct stuff and casually tossed it into the seat next to me. With my repast now safely ensconced in my Jeep, I then drove a relatively short distance down a Park that was situated next to the Bull Shoals Lake. It was a quarter to noon and the fabulously clear day was warming up fast!

II.

I arrived at the Empire Park and was happy to see only a few other people out and about. Lots of water and windless days most always elevated my mood. I pulled into a parking spot and then walk over to a picnic table that was next to the water. There were just a couple of houseboats plying the calm waters and I think food always tastes a little bit better in surrounding like I was in. Apparently, so did a bunch of flies who had also developed a taste for fast food. They attacked my burger with even more gusto than me and were a constant threat. Somehow, I muddled through the meal and at the end the score was me 1, flies 0.

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

The way you look tonight!

Nothing to see here. Just some good sounds.At the end of each re-frame , I would have added 'You look so good'. So, just imagine that actually happened..This song by Michael Buble.

Friday, September 7, 2018

Billy Joel and all things we trust!

Not all that we desire is given or obtained very easily. Love and the pursuit of love, is the ephemeral flame of hope for us all! Love of life, love of family and love of country do form the Holy Trinity. This year, that trust was broken... by those who seek power and control. Note: This video has been altered by the sick fucks we call mass media. No way was this my original effort. Fortunately, I have backup copies, which I intend to publish at at a future date.. You know... When the crud Democrats are removed.

A Mostaccioli lunch!

To all extents and purposes Mostaccioli is virtually the same sort of noodle as Penne Rigate, only without the 'rifling'. So, it's a smooth hollow pasta that I thought would be interesting to try.

Not surprisingly, cooking times in boiling water were very similar; about 10 to 12 minutes. What I really liked about a meal, such as this one is, was the ease of prep. You boil some water, throw in the pasta, stir and that's about as hard as it gets. For a sauce I used Hunt's, right out of the can, adding only a dash of oregano and red wine. The 'garlic bread' was made using a slice of regular bread, minced garlic and a little fake butter. Enjoy!




Saturday, September 1, 2018

Taco deluxe with a salad!

A good crunchy taco falls into the world of things that make me very happy. Give me a couple of those and a beer and I'm pretty much set for the day. Sadly, beer was off the menu for lunch, so I had to settle for a simple salad with red wind vinegar, instead.

My idea of a really great taco is to keep the fixings simple and stupid...

1 hard taco shell
3 tbsp (36g) taco meat
1 tsp chopped onion
2 olives, chopped
1 leaf of Romaine, chopped
1 tsp shredded cheese
½ tsp taco sauce

OK, so not so simple. The salad, on the other hand, was plain Jane Romaine lettuce with a little chopped bell pepper. The dressing was also Red wine from Kraft. Following is the nutritional hit list!


Three hundred calories for a filling lunch time repast is not too shabby.