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Post by stepper on Jan 20, 2014 20:37:48 GMT -6
I'm sure that'll work out fine Joxee. All I can say is that it's an easy way to cook bacon and is much faster than frying. It might be faster than using a microwave since you don't have to fuss with it. I used to have a microwave plate expressly for cooking bacon but I don't remember that it worked all that well.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 24, 2014 7:34:27 GMT -6
Wow - bacon in the oven! Who would've known? I almost wish I didn't know now, because I can see myself cooking it more often, which I'm sure, will do wonders for my cholesterol level. Using the old frying pan method was such a pain in the behind, bacon was a rare commodity on the kitchen table....a fact that LX blames as being the reason for her new found bacon addiction at college.
Apparently, the dining hall in her hall will put bacon on anything.
I saw a commercial yesterday on the Food Network, what I think would be the coolest job ever. Anyone ever see the show "Chopped"? If not, in its most basic description, it's a contest between four chefs who have to cook an appetizer, entree, and dessert using ingredients found in a "mystery basket". The ingredients in the basket are often weird, or don't seem like they'd go together to make anything palatable or even edible.
The commercial was for a credit card...one used by the woman who shops for the ingredients for the mystery basket. How cool of a job is that?! Going through the grocery store, picking out weird and exotic items...I could do that! Especially since that someone else has to do the cooking.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Jan 24, 2014 7:52:08 GMT -6
MMMMM....... Bacon. Too bad I'm on a diet. pfft.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 24, 2014 7:55:23 GMT -6
I'm sure they make bacon-flavored rice cakes. Yum!
(sarcastic eye-roll)
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Jan 24, 2014 7:58:57 GMT -6
Pfft. That's today's favorite phrase of the day. At least I get to eat blue berries.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 24, 2014 8:04:49 GMT -6
"Pfft!"...I'll definitely try to weave it into conversation throughout the day. I'm sure it won't be too difficult.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Jan 24, 2014 10:39:20 GMT -6
Don't forget to add the eye roll......"Pfft. (eye roll)"
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Post by Phalon on Jan 24, 2014 14:11:53 GMT -6
Oh, you mean like...
I am going outside today in sub-freezing temperatures and 552 mph winds. Pfft! (eye-roll)
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Post by stepper on Jan 24, 2014 20:15:46 GMT -6
Pfft! Mist and freezing temps beginning around 5PM last evening. Today began with the alarm clock going off. It was the only thing working because the electricity went off at some point. The power came on about 20 minutes later and the first thing I did was check the TV. Schools that weren't canx were starting at 10, and reporting times to the bases were all delayed too. That was enough of a reason to go back to bed for me. (eye-roll) See? I worked them both in.
So, eventually it became evident we weren't getting the whole day - just a couple hours in the morning. It (the extra time) didn't make any difference. I went out to the truck and it was still 28 degrees. (No wind thank goodness.) The truck was one large ice cube meaning I had to chip my way into the truck.
After I broke my way into the truck and got the door pulled open, I flicked the electric switch a couple of times to lock/unlock all the doors. The driver side door froze up in the closed position while I still had the door open. Oops. I figured out there was a problem with the door about the 3rd time I tried to close it and I got a resounding WHOMP! without the expected closed door result. It took me even longer to put together that I couldn't pry the rocker up to the open position unless I lifted the door handle to release it first. And the temperature hadn't changed from that stupid 28 at all. Last night the lights kept flashing. The TV guy said it was happening all over town and people were calling in so they wanted to explain - the insulators on the electric poles were arcing. All I can say for certain is that when my battery powered alarm went off, nothing in the house was on. The entire block was out. I guess the power went out shortly after 4 and it was about 5:15 when it came back on. I turned on the TV to see what they had on the news. What we have is video proof that God made stupid people. They were on the news this morning. Evidently two days of warnings on every radio and TV channel that the bridges and overpasses would freeze up wasn't enough. Nearly every overpass - even the ones that are stacked four or five lanes high - had multiple stuck and spun out vehicles on it. I'm wondering if somewhere there is a vehicle company where the owners imbue the cars and trucks with their own personal traits - and the owners are lemmings - so when one vehicle goes up and spins out the next one just has to do it too. But no snow. Not a flake in sight.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 25, 2014 4:05:47 GMT -6
It's a bit quiet now, but ice was hitting the house earlier. Temps have been down in the single digits. Wind chill factor below zero. Supposed to warm up a wee bit for a few days, and then back to the single digits again. The wind is killer.
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Post by stepper on Jan 25, 2014 12:10:11 GMT -6
Hopefully things will settle down weather wise - we could all use a break from the more severe cold. We're supposed to have a few days where it's a touch warmer and then it takes a nose dive again.
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Post by Siren on Feb 17, 2014 15:03:55 GMT -6
After days and days of grey, cold weather, we've now had several sunny, mild days. My BIL celebrated by firing up the grill yesterday, and FILLING up the grill - steaks, burgers, weenies, sausage. Delish!
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Post by Phalon on Feb 18, 2014 7:06:38 GMT -6
Oh-my-gosh, Siren, that sounds wonderful. There is nothing comparable to steak or burgers that have been cooked on the grill; pan or oven cooked is just not the same.
The last time Hubs fired up his grill was around Christmas. LX was home for winter break, and finally got her braces off. To celebrate, she asked for something she really hasn't been able to eat (with the gusto it deserves) for nearly 3 years - steak! Even the thought of how it smelled, makes my mouth water now.
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Post by Siren on Feb 20, 2014 22:16:15 GMT -6
When our niece, JoJo, was wearing braces, she dreamed and dreamed of popcorn. The day she got the braces off, they stopped at a movie theater on the way home.
Such a WINDY day here yesterday, they declared wind advisories. Had to pull our hats down tight!
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Post by stepper on Feb 23, 2014 14:38:06 GMT -6
I agree. I've got a neighbor who spends most of his time in his garage. Nearly every night he rolls the grill just outside of the garage door and fires up. It smells great every time. Even if I'm not hungry that smell makes me think of cooking something anyway.
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Post by Phalon on May 23, 2014 6:03:11 GMT -6
What Food Is Stuck In Your Teeth?
Not food, but cappuccino. Not in my teeth, but in my ear.
Seriously?
Yes.
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Post by stepper on May 23, 2014 19:39:56 GMT -6
Okay, this story simply cannot stop here. (I feel like a hungry fish looking at a worm - unable to resist - I'm going for it.)
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Post by Mini Mia on May 31, 2014 19:55:25 GMT -6
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Post by Mini Mia on Jun 1, 2014 22:21:36 GMT -6
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Post by Phalon on Jun 11, 2014 7:15:50 GMT -6
It's not really much of a story. Exhausted from work, I stopped one evening on the way home to grab a cappuccino; nothing like a shot of espresso for a jolt of 'wide awake'. I must not have put the lid on properly, or squeezed the cup too hard when holding it against me when I shifted the cup to the crook of my arm so I could open the mini-mart door and put my change in my wallet at the same time. Or I should know by now, trying to multi-task while tired is probably inadvisable. The hot, sticky cappuccino shot out of the cup like a geyser, and into my face, hair, and of course, ear. The counter guy saw it all, and waved me back into the store. Yay, I thought! I was sure he was going to offer another cup "on the house". Boo, it turned out! All he offered was a sink and paper towels.
I have to say, I have since stopped for many-a-cup without incident. No food in my ears, hair, or anyplace other than its intended destination when this weekend, we went to a graduation party. The boyfriend of the graduate is Hispanic; his mother and aunts made all the food for the party - trays and trays of traditional Mexican food; every time we turned around they were bringing out something else. OMG and thud from eating so much!!!! Sounds really, really bad, I know, but I don't even particularly care for the graduate; she's the sister of LX's best friend who I adore. The obligated monetary graduation gift to someone I don't like was more than recouped in the wonderful food I ate at her party. Shameful.
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Post by Scrappy Amazon on Jun 11, 2014 8:46:01 GMT -6
Pfft.....no shame. I have often traded one bad visit for exceptional food. I call it fair and equitable.
My department at work is having a "Summer Salad" contest in a couple weeks. Three categories: Potato, Pasta and Other (ie Fruit slaw etc.I won one category in the salsa contest and the deviled eggs contest (sort of). I'm thinking potato salad and something special. Any suggestions?
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Post by Mini Mia on Jun 11, 2014 15:47:54 GMT -6
I haven't tried this, but on the IMDb Food & Drink board, some are soaking their chicken pieces in dill pickle juice overnight before cooking. Someone claimed that's what Chick-fil-A does with one of their dishes. Could probably also soak the chicken in pepper juices as well.
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Post by stepper on Jun 11, 2014 16:22:45 GMT -6
Phalon: thanks for scratching the itch - I have to admit a was a tad curious.
Scrappy - Sh!t Chicken Salad is the only thing I can think of as a suggestion.
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Post by Phalon on Jun 12, 2014 6:17:54 GMT -6
Oooo, sounds like fun, Scrappy. And a belated congrats on your award winning salsa, and your sort-of winning deviled eggs.
BOLL. Psst...it's "It's the Sh!t Chicken Salad" which is wonderful; "Sh!t Chicken Salad" sounds like it tastes like cr@p, and would probably make the ever adverbally correct Q cringe in more ways than one.
It's the first thing I thought of too. Also thought of some of that guacamole I had this weekend; it was more of a salad (or that's how I ate it anyway) than a spread or dip with big chunks of avocado and tomato, and quite spicy. Don't have the recipe for that, though.
But oh! Oh, oh, oh! My friend gave me a recipe for beet and bean salad; it's more like a slaw, and the beets are fresh, not cooked or pickled. It's oh-my-god-I-can't-believe-it's-beets good; I happen to love beets, but even my boss who can't stand them, raved about the salad. Let me know if you want the recipe; it'd definitely be something out-of-the-norm to take.
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Post by stepper on Jun 12, 2014 16:04:27 GMT -6
Note to self: "It's the" makes "Sh!t Chicken Salad" okay - check cook books for explanation. A minor grammatical modification should not change the taste, and Q loves me and would forgive my faux pah.
Scrappy, call it Yummy Nummy Chicken Salad if that would be the politically correct title for the group you’re dealing with.
I'm not a fan, but Steppet likes beets too. Usually, she'll also drop in a couple of hard boiled eggs.
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Post by stepper on Jun 28, 2014 20:37:43 GMT -6
Ever hear of a Dump Cake? This one is technically not a dump cake because it requires a little work, but here you go. (It's the combination of different Dump Cakes I know about.)
You need.... 1 can each cherry pie filling (I use Lucky Leaf) and crushed pineapple 1 box Yellow Cake Mix - although white cake mix would be okay too if you prefer that 1/2 stick Butter 1 stick Margarine Whipped Cream - Dump cherry pie filling into baking dish. Dump crushed pineapple into baking dish. - Stir together. - Sprinkle cake mix over the top of the fruit. Slice margarine into patties and dump (okay - distribute evenly) over the surface of the cake mix. Slice butter and dump/distribute evenly over the surface of the cake mix. (Sound familiar?) Sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios, your choice) on top if you are using nuts in your dish. I get either cashews or pistachios and then snack on them while I'm waiting. Bake at 325 for glass or dark no-stick baking dish, otherwise 350, for 50 minutes to an hour. I suggest the full hour unless your fire alarm goes off in which case you'd want kill the heat and remove it from the oven.
I also suggest you allow it to cool but I've been known to go into attack mode while it's still warm. And since this isn't something you'll eat while on a diet, top that sucker off with whipped cream. I like the spray can version so I can make a pretty design on top. (Pretty wide, pretty tall, and pretty darned good.)
You can thank me later.
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Post by Phalon on Jul 13, 2014 8:57:01 GMT -6
I've heard of dump cake, but have never had it. Hubs dumped a bunch extra ingredients into burgers last night - bunches of blueberries. Huh!? Never heard of that one, and I asked what possessed him; the mixture of beef and blueberries sounds totally unappealing. He'd just picked the berries from the low-bush variety that I have in one of the gardens, and dumped them in the beef mixture on a whim. It was too late to stop him; he was already grilling when I got home from work. The girls, of course, wouldn't touch them. I saw their point - it was kind of weird to be eating a burger and get a bite of blueberry, but other than that, the burgers were actually quite good. And come to find out, blueberry burgers are a "real" thing.' www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/09/blueberry-burgers-recipe.html
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Post by stepper on Jul 14, 2014 18:29:18 GMT -6
I'm a burger fan, and I like blueberries, but I'm not sure about blueberry burgers. I would have tried it just to see what it was like. Maybe with bacon. And cheese - Mexican shredded four cheese melted on top to offset the sweetness of the berry? And a slicker - if it's got blueberries in it sure as shootin' I'd find one ready to squirt hot juice on my shirt, pants, shoes, and down my back.
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Post by Phalon on Aug 6, 2014 6:08:10 GMT -6
One of my co-workers came in with an armload of squash yesterday, begging me to take some. I had to decline; my fridge is already overflowing with summer's bounty. We've got cherries that my brother brought from their vacation to Traverse City, which holds the National Cherry Festival each July and produces most of the tart cherries in the country, as well as a lot of sweet cherries. The fridge is also well-stocked with blueberries just coming into their peak in time for Blueberry Fest here this weekend.
There is a boatload...or at least a vegetable keeper full of potatoes; Hubs showed our nephew how to dig potatoes this weekend, and he got a little over zealous. We've got beets! It's the first year we've been able to grow them; our soil has always been way too sandy to grow root vegetables, but last year I put in a couple of the raised beds filled with compost and topsoil and that did the trick (we've got parsnips too, but those will be picked later). And with beets come beet greens - two big bags of them, and I've been putting them in everything; last night they went on chicken pizza. Surprisingly, BP loves them. Last week, she called me at work to ask how to cook them; she wanted to make up a batch to have for lunch. (Score one for Mom; sometimes eating healthy sinks in!)
There's fresh green beans (another score - both girls prefer them over canned); Hubs can't pick them fast enough. And of course, I had to buy local corn-on-the-cob that the farmer's market the other day, and although I've still got a bit growing, I got lettuce at the grocery store....to go with our few tomatoes that were pink enough to pick at ripen on the counter! Oh-my-god, those are the best of the bounty.
I noticed this morning a few of the blackberries are starting to turn ripe. And the start of apple season is right around the corner!
There is no better time of the year to eat than summer.
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Post by stepper on Aug 10, 2014 17:21:42 GMT -6
Agreed - with the exception of Thanksgiving. You can't beat turkey legs. Ever.
I can agree with not being able to pick them fast enough. Mom used to send me out to pick green beans and especially pole beans for supper knowing that I wouldn't eat them when cooked. She also knew that I'd eat my share (and then some) while picking them. And carrots fresh out of the ground too - but I strongly suggest rinsing them off first. I'm not a fan of beets - they turn your lips funny colors and they're mushy. Steppet likes them, but she's strange so maybe that explains it.
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