Turkey Fryer

For years I have fried my turkeys outdoors in the typical setup with the propane burner and peanut oil, but last night I splurged and bought an indoor model.

It had the Butterball name, so that gave me a little confidence that it was pretty good, and from the directions, it was suited for a 8 to 12 pound bird.

I will still roast one in the oven, so my larger turkey will contain the stuffing, etc., so I will be doing my first indoor fried bird this year

Pumpkin Pie

Halloween is here, and everyone is getting there pumpkins carved and ready for the big night.
Just a reminder that after the guts are removed and seeds are gone, you can scrape the pumpkin with a spoon and get all that good meat from the inside to make your own pumpkin butter, or add in for pumpkin bread, pancakes, muffins, pies, and so much more.
Also, by scraping the pumpkin, it makes it easier to carve for the younger ones.
If you search around, you could always find a helpful pumpkin like this one to help you...

Happy Halloween !

My A-1 Steak Sauce

Let me tell you, I don't care what kind of sauce it is, or who makes it, when you want something on your steak, you reach for A-1.
Nothing even comes close.
There are some cuts that I just want a little salt and pepper with, and I cringe when I look over and see someone drown a perfectly good piece of meat with ketchup

Most people will agree with me, and will refuse anything else on their meat.
Here in the past few years, A-1 has been advertised as a topping on burgers, and as an ingredient in meatloaf.
I haven't been that far yet, but a few years ago, I got something started at the place I frequent for breakfast, and I always hear a little noise about it when someone new decides to join us to eat.

I always get the scrambled eggs and fried potato's, but depending on the day, depends on what I get with it.
I am in a rural area, so sausage is available fresh, so is the bacon, and some mornings steak.
One morning in particular, our favorite eatery had a surplus of strip steaks, and had put them on the morning specials.
Happy Day ! Steak specials all around !
Naturally, when I applied my A-1 to my steak, I went ahead and and covered my taters, and said what the heck, covered my eggs as well.
This has stuck, and to this day, no matter what I get with my special, you can bet I am covering my eggs with A-1.
There is always the noobie that sits down and looks with the strange face and always makes the comment, but always has to try it.

The Shake

Chocolate, Vanilla, and Strawberry.

On occasion we will get a pumpkin spice, or an egg nog, or a shamrock flavor, but for years the same old big 3 C-V-S

Why not drop the strawberry for banana ?

I would love a banana shake !

Maybe drop the chocolate and switch to coffee, they are pushing all the McCafe stuff, I mean just a thought.

I am just so tired of the big 3.

They do so much to change things up, and keep up with the times at the fast food places, why not come up with another flavor for their ice cream ?

I can see it now, A McRib, fries, and a banana shake.

Oh well, let me go grab some celery sticks.

Tried The Zatarains ?

Have you guys tried this stuff yet ?

We love it !

It is a toss up between the beans and rice mix, and the dirty rice as a side dish when we have some steaks or something, but we started making the jambalaya mix lately and it is great for a fast dinner.

I stop in and grab a pound or so of raw shrimp, and a roll of smoked sausage, fry it all up together in my big skillet, and the mix does the rest of the work.

Just wanted to give a shout to the Zatarains people, I love their stuff !

A Fresh Quarter

I slipped into the drive thru at a McDonald's today right at the peak of the lunch hour, and I was about the fourth or fifth car back from the speaker, so I guessed about a 15 minute wait.
While inching ahead, I was sorting some papers, and I knew just what I wanted, a sweet tea and a quarter pounder with cheese.
I finally got to the window, got my bag, and pulled back onto the road and as I got my sandwich out, I noticed how incredibly fresh it looked.
I hate to complain about a fresh sandwich, but wait a second.
The cheese was still stiff.
Yeah, I said it, the cheese was all stiff and pointy.
I am old enough to remember when McDonald's used to make a lot of burgers, and then slide them under those red lights wrapped up in that waxed paper, and when you got it, the bun was all soft, and the cheese was runny, and it was like burger perfection.
Now, I have a freshly made, cold cheese, cardboard box, quarter pounder.
Hooray for progress ?

Pound Cake

Had to share : )

Wall-Mart Chicken

I found these chicken fillets at Wall-Mart the other day, and decided to try them out.

It's not a real chicken breast, more like a big chicken nugget without the breading.

I put a couple in my George Forman grill, then on a bun with lettuce and some honey mustard dressing and it was great.

I paid about 6 bucks for a bag of 10, so I thought it was a good deal, and now I am planning to get more because my boys have ate them all.

I was also thinking of putting them in my electric skillet, and after cooking them make some pepper gravy to simmer them in. Sounds good with mashed potato's.

I will give it a shot and let you know how it comes out

Big Mac

I had to run a few errands today and was listening to the local news station for updates on the snow storm headed our way

In between the weather reports, I heard a report about a fast food restaurant ban near DC. Prince Georges County Maryland, if I heard it right

They are not planning to shut down existing burger and taco joints, but to stop issuing the required building permits needed to build additional stores.

Their reasoning was to help end the obesity problems, and to control trans fat, and a bunch of other worthless none sense

They also reported that other " sit down " restaurants would not be included in the ban, as the members of this highly educated panel said that these " sit downs " were much more healthy than the dollar menu's we are used to today.

The first thing this report made me want to do was grab a Big Mac.

What happened to choice ? Why is it that we cant decide for ourselves what we want to eat ?

I will support my Big Mac, and the occasional Whopper with cheese.

I will continue to praise the dollar menu.

Sometimes we just don't have the time, or the cash to sit back at the Olive Garden, or the Red Lobster.

I do enjoy those places, but sometimes you need a drive-thru

Buffet Madness

Here is a shot of my dinner plate last night.

Fried rice, pepper steak, honey chicken, fried shrimp, and an egg roll.

I can't stand it.

There are very few places to eat out where I live, so when I make the hour drive up to the big city of Fredvegas, I will make it a point to do it around lunch or dinner time.

As a family we have the vote as to where we go, and I always want Golden Corral.

Sometimes I win, and sometimes I get the dreaded Chinese buffet.

Why do I not like it anymore ? It's the same thing EVERY SINGLE TIME !

The same rice, same 4 or 5 chicken dishes, the same cruddy pepper steak, and the same egg rolls that you could hammer a nail with.

Just once I would like to see something new, something from the Chinese food menu, not like the mystery meat wrapped in pizza dough with some kind of brown gravy on it, and the yellow chicken parts in the greasy sauce, or the apples and raisins covered in mayonnaise.

And at the end of this torture, I get handed a bill that is at least $15.00 more than I would have paid anywhere else.

As we left the place, I told everyone to take a good look, because we would not be coming back