Category Archives: Food

Gonna Rise Up

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Find my direction magnetically lightspeed
Gonna rise up
Throw down my ace in the hole

Whew! Where did the week go? It was like one minute it was Monday and uploading a blog and then it seems as if I turned around and now its Saturday evening. That was a fast week and I honestly have no earthly idea why.

There’s been lots of talk the last few weeks about how George Lucas sold the Star Wars franchise to Disney. Disney has announced that JJ Abrams will direct the next Star Wars movie slated to come out 2015. For those of you not sure JJ Abrams redid the last Star Trek movie that came out a couple of years back chronicling a young James Tiberius Kirk and how he got into the star fleet academy. I actually like Abrams version of Star Trek and thought it was well done. I know and realize a lot of the purists of both Star Trek and Wars probably wont agree but I think Abrams taking on the new Star Wars movie is a move in the right direction. We’ll soon see, I am sure. Don’t get me wrong. I would consider myself a Trekkie and I grew up watching all the Star Wars films, but I’m not some cos playing douche who dresses up as Lord Vader to go see my favorite science fiction movie at midnight on the day of release. However I am excited. Sorry, not sorry.

Last week I made some pork tenderloin with apricot mustard reduction. It came out pretty good. Usually whenever I get my swine on its strictly low and slow BBQ with either ribs, butts, or hams. I don’t eat a lot of pork chops, or loins nor cook them inside but this time I gave it a try and it came out well. Roasted red potatoes and squash rounds out a healthful meal.

I’ll close this up and hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend.

Be good to each other.

Let ‘er rip, tater chips!

I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you fuck with me, I’ll kill you all.
—Marine Corps General James Mattis

I paint a picture of the days gone by…

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When love went blind and you would make me see
I’d stare a lifetime into your eyes
So that I knew that you were there for me
Time after time you there for me

The year was 1989 and Skid Row was exploiting the popular trend at the time of the heavy metal power ballad. Its a toe tapper. Now I feel dirty.

I must hurry and change the subject to more manly items.

My niece and my brothers dog Spook.

Spook_Charlotte

She’s almost two and thats my brothers pit bull hanging from his rope. There is a small knot he bites and hangs there. The dogs half retarded and has breath that smells likes ass but he’s a good dog, and has never been aggressive towards Charlotte. Charlotte isn’t afraid of him and they play and tolerate each other. Being reasonable dog owners my brother isn’t very far when the two are together, but in any event, this is proof breed has nothing to do with the perceived notion of dog aggression. How you raise a dog and your pet responsibility holds all the cards to how your animal will behave around people.

Something else comes to mind and seems to work the same way. Guns. Imagine that. We can pass and or overturn breed specific dog laws and ordinances, but somehow we think if we eliminate certain assault weapons then we’ll magically be safe. Anyone see the irony in this?

Ugh, people are stupid, particularly the ones working in Washington DC.

People for years have asked me about computers, help them with computers, ask what computers to buy. I make no bones that for many years I have made a decent living making Windows based Microsoft products work. I don’t look that good fortune in the gift horse mouth. However anyone that has asked me in the last five or six years what computers to get I answer in the following way.

If money is an issue and you don’t care about shit software, constant vigil over virus protection, and operating system upgrade or patch up, then go with Microsoft Windows. You have some extra money, and want something that just works and is not a pain in the ass go spend your money on Apple.

MacBookPro

Six years ago, I got rid of every single Microsoft product in my house and I haven’t looked back. Today I have continued that trend and upgraded my 2007 MacBook with a brand new model MacBook Pro. I have some work projects coming up and worked a deal with the ol’ employer. I am as happy with this new laptop as I was with the first one six years ago. You pay a premium for Apple products, but there is a reason. Its not junk. Fit and finish, function of the operating system and it blows Windows shit out of the water.

I’ll continue to earn a living making Microsoft products work. When I come home and want to use a computer though, Its going to be an Apple product. Call me a fan boy, I don’t care. Show me what you can do with your Windows product and I’ll show you I can do it better faster and easier with Apple. At twice the price, but I sleep at night knowing when I use my Apple products they will work without aggravation.

So all of you I have steered towards Apple products, I just want you know, I practice what I preach.

Today is TGIF. Its also pork tenderloin with apricot mustard sauce dinner day. I’ll snap a few pictures if it turns out ok and post it in the recipe section. Pork is pretty lean and I’ll throw in some squash and zucchini to health it up a bit.

Let ‘er rip, tater chip!

Take Away This Ball and Chain

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Well I’ve searched and I’ve searchedLuke
To find the perfect life
A brand new car and a brand new suit
I even got me a little wife
But wherever I have gone
I was sure to find myself there
You can run all your life
But not go anywhere

Another Monday and another arduous start to another week. Ugh. Hang in there we’ll suffer together. Strength in numbers and all that good stuff.

First things first. Good news not so good news regarding the new Golden Retriever I was going to adopt. Good news is I found out his real name. Its Endo. Traveller is really Endo. Not so good news I didn’t adopt him from the animal shelter. Good news is last weekend his owners showed up and claimed him. I was a little bummed but more then anything I was happy Endo found his real owners, or more accurately his real owners gave a small shit about him and came looking for him. Glad he’s back where he belongs with his family. Folks if you have pets particularly dogs do the following:

  • Put a fucking colar on them with at least a goddamn tag and phone number
  • If your dog is an escape artist, or you’re a retard who lets the dog run free microchip the dog
  • If you’re going to let your dog stay outside,think aggressive flea and tick control
  • If your dog is sick, take him to a vet

So Endo went back home where he belongs which is good. Hopefully his family takes a little better care of him. The real happy ending is that what the animal shelter is there for and trying to do protecting and getting animals back home or to a good home is actually working.

Moving along…

I did not watch the Golden Globe Awards last night. I couldn’t give any less of a shit about what the Hollywood elite was wearing or their imbecile thoughts on say, global warming, or how bad Taylor Swift is in bed who keeps scaring off men and then writing songs about it. I swear if that broad could go down on some junk as well as she can pen an new blistering song about the poor bastard that took a try with her, I would champion her music until they found Jimmy Hoffa.

What I did do this weekend however was quite monumental. In fact it deserves trumpets and angels playing harps! It’s so big I question whether I have the strength and words to convey such amaze balls here on this little blog. Can you guess what I did? Are you sitting on the edge of your seat? Are you sweating bullets waiting for the big reveal? Are you reading along skimming forward a few words at a time for a spoiler about what I did? Are you screaming in your head “YES, YES, YOU SON OF A BITCH TELL ME WHAT YOU DID!”

Are you ready?

Are you sure?

Better sit down.

I pressure cleaned the driveway. My driveway has returned to middle class white suburbia with a nice fresh look. No longer am I that house with the mildewy driveway. I am now back in the ranks of “hey some clean give a shit dude must live there driveway”. I won the war against my driveway pressure cleaning procrastination. It was a long fight. I was up against the ropes from about October through December, but damn it, I fought the good fight. I was knocked down with power naps, NFL, Moonshiners and Axe Men but I got back up each time. I said to myself “you can do it, follow your dreams Brock, don’t let any nap or intriguing TV tell you that you cant have a nice clean driveway again”. So I kept fighting and getting back up like Cool Hand Luke and I was like “Kick a buck, Kick a buck” adding money to the pot in the poker hand of Brock versus the pressure cleaned driveway. Driveway and life against me all folded and got out of the game, and I won, with nuthin’ because sometimes having “nuthin’ can be a real cool hand!”

Then I made some raisin bread. See?

That’s about it for the weekend. Productive. Hope yours was too.

Peace and love or at the least non-violent acceptance in a friendly manner.

Let ‘er rip, tater chip!

What happened to the sweet love you and me had?

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Against the door he leans and starts a scene, jimiarrest
And his tears fall and burn the garden green

And so castles made of sand fall in the sea, eventually

This post has nothing to do with Jimi Hendrix other then it was the first song I happened to hear today via the alarm clock.

I dont know why I bother to even set the alarm clock because I and awake and up before the alarm goes off every day anyway. I guess its just insurance for that first time in my life I happen to actually be asleep when I need to wake up.

I wouldn’t say that I am a morning person in that I wake up and feel great, ready to take on the day with a smile and a million bucks in my pocket. No not me. Not before I take the dog out, brush my teeth, take a shit, and get at least two cups of strong black coffee.

Then I am Hercules and ready to conquer what the world puts in front of me. I’m a morning  person in the fact that I rather get up early and get started early to finish early. No matter what it is I am involved in whether its normal day to day work, vacation, weekend chores I rather get going first thing and get shit done. Even if its my intention to not do shit-all, I want to get a fresh early start at it. A strange dichotomy.

A week into 2013 and I think someone forgot to tell Florida its winter. Mid 80’s all week. Air conditioner is still on. Sorry all you northern readers. Hope you’re not too cold. If it makes you feel any better, I may have worn long pants once since October. Didn’t need to of course, it was just to make sure I didn’t forget how to put long pants on. Got to keep those skills up. Use it or lose it and all that stuff.

I made hamburgers last night. I have been grinding my own meat for hamburgers. Damn that sounds funny or obscene depending on my state of mind. Yes, I have been grinding chuck roasts, brisket, and anything else that looks better than the pre-ground stuff. Its not any cheaper as far as I can tell. It does however taste different. I know this is crazy talk and I am still trying to really and unequivocally explain why this is the case. Its the same thing if you buy ground meat as compared to a steak or roast. However I assure you if you try and grind your own meat and make fresh hamburgers or meatballs or meatloaf it tastes better. To me it does anyway. It might just be purely psychological and in my mind. I am probably tapping into the primeval urge to hunt and kill my food and by cutting and grinding my own meat it somehow satisfies this genetic urge and somehow trick my mind into thinking my meat is somehow better. Ok, I know my meat is good, but really is it better then store bought meat? Have you noticed I am just trying to say meat as much as I can here? Meat meat meat meat. Ok Ok, I really did make burgers, see?

Well thats about it for this morning. Time to Hercules this day away. Be good.

Let ‘er rip, tater chip!

 

 

Happy Almost New Year

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JellyBeansEveryone feeling fat and happy? I hope the holidays and Santa were kind to you, the faithful reader. I have no reports of domestic violence or homicide so I can only assume everyone got along with their families and enjoyed each others company. It was quiet and low key here which is the way we like it. When Christmas falls in the middle of the week, unless you take the entire week off as most people do, you really cant or at least I can’t seem to get too into the old Christmas spirit.

I got jelly beans for Christmas.

As another year comes to an end I have been reflecting and thinking about the new year to come. Everyones making new year resolutions, wanting to change this thing or that situation. I really don’t have anything special I want to do differently. I try and live life to the best of my ability. Sometimes my best may not be much, and circumstances in my control and not  in my control may dictate otherwise, but I really try and make the best of what comes my way. What’s the point otherwise? Is there things I want to change? Sure there are. I wish I was better looking with a smaller penis, but guess what? I can’t change those things with which I was born. So I might as well make due with the circumstances as best I can. Right?

What about eating more healthy? Ok sure. If by healthy one means the food I enjoy eating isnt made in some Chinese factory with lead paint and child slave labor pee’ing plutonium into the food, sure. I’ll eat more healthy by not buying that crap. I’ll just make it myself without the lead paint and plutonium pee. Easy enough.

I guess what I am trying to say in a less then articulate way, is if I have a resolution it is simple. Keep on living life without regret. Life’s not going to be perfect and frankly sometimes it may outright suck. I’ll make more mistakes, I’ll live, learn and keep moving forward, but I’ll do it in a way that makes me happy. Oh and if being assholish makes you happy, don’t intentionally hurt anyone else. Its a pretty simple theory.

I had a good conversation with a friend over lunch the other day. Some people grow up, bust their ass every day all day and then go home at night to do it all over again the next day. The predominant thought is once you get to retirement or old age etc, you’ve worked your whole life to enjoy the end of it. You know what I say to that? WTF? Why? By the time I can retire, I’ll be half dead, blind, shitting my pants trying to screw cute nursing home staff in broom closets. Thats not something to aspire to with hard work and a miserable life in the salt mines. I am going to do all that anyway. If I make it that long and get there of course. I say, within reason and good sense, live life now! Enjoy it while you can. You can cross the street tomorrow and get wiped out by an idiot driving a bus, lightning strike, cancer or any number of things. Then what? Its too late. When its time to go and leave this earthly existence, we aren’t taking anything with us. What you got in the end is what you’ve done up to that moment.

Resolve to enjoy your life everyday. Even when it sucks, you have to admit its pretty damn good. I have been fortunate in my life so far to travel this world, see other people and cultures, kill some of them, and come home in one piece to know its pretty nice here. I am going to enjoy it as much as I can every day, not just the last few.

No regrets. Do no harm unless its harm to ensure your own happiness and welfare. If the end is tomorrow or in another fifty years, I know I’ll be able to look my higher power, or god, or unicorn rainbow bunnies in the face and say, “I anted up, played the hand I was dealt and left it all on the table when it was time.” I think thats the best you can wish for in any life.

You accomplish all those things, and you get lucky enough to add the love of family, friends, and a good dog in the mix and you my friend are a king among kings.

Let ‘er rip, tater chip!

I hate you Discovery Channel, or how I bought Amish noodles and made moonshine.

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MoonshineI occasionally stop at a local farmers market for fruits and vegetables. Last week, when I stopped in, the proprietors were selling Amish noodles. Basically it looked like wide-ish egg noodle, but I am pretty sure it wasn’t made with eggs. Ingredients listed flour and some other things and that it was from Indiana was about all I could discern. Anyway it looked interesting so I bought a bag. “Its Amish” I thought to myself. How bad can it be? The Amish are a simple people who basically renounce all modern day amenities like electricity and pretty much every other convenience. Humble is the way to the lord and whatnot.

I know what you’re thinking. Brock, what the hell does Amish noodles the Discovery channel and moonshine have in common? I’m getting to it, you impatient hooligans!

Back to my Amish noodles. I get home, make the noodles. I had some leftover pot roast, so on the fly I made some thrown together beef stroganoff. Or as I was in a rather faded and X-rated mood, called it my special beef strokin’ off. Don’t ask me why I called it that. I assure you it had nothing to do with anything with what it sounded like and turned out rather good. I was more just slipping in and out of my fantasy of being a world renowned pornographer turned cook book author, but I digress. The noodles were good, the beef strokin’ off was good, and as I have a tendency to do, I thought about lost love because the noodles came from fucking indiana. I hate my mind. Not the porn fantasy part, the old girlfriend parts.

Ok Ok the damn point.

Discovery Channel has a new series called Amish Mafia. The premiss of the show, is that in and around one of the largest Amish communities in the country, Lancaster Pennsylvania, is this semi-rogue group of Amish, or pretend to be Amish who have assembled their own little Mob/gang/mafia group of Amish thugs. They have cars, cell phones, guns etc. According to the shows footnotes this group of Amish thugs are not generally acknowledged by the true Amish as legitimate, but they kind of just look the other way. They are basically claiming to be the Amish muscle for settling disputes, charging the Amish businesses protection fees etc. Its so ridiculous because the “Tony Soprano” ring leader of this group is the worlds biggest douche bag you can imagine. His name is Levi and he is essentially a dumb assed roofing contractor who essentially saw an opportunity to be a douche bag in the middle of Amish country Pennsylvania. I give him credit for carving out a special and unique niche business where there was none.

What does the Amish mafia do? Well according to the show and what I briefly described above, Levi and his group of Amish losers, cater to all the normal Amish kids who don’t get to experience much of the modern world. They throw house parties, with x-box, Maytag washers and dryers, iPods, and I think I even saw, heaven help the Amish, a can of  Red Bull and a bong.

Amish kids as I understand it, reach a certain age in their teens, and basically get a year, to go out into the world and fuck off with the full blessing of the Amish elders. Its called something like Rump Shaker or rum shaka, boom shaka. I really have no damn clue and too lazy to Google Fu that shit. One of you teachers pets please hit it up and leave extra credit – take a star from petty cash, comment below for the rest of the class.

So they throw house parties for the kids, extort protection money from the legitimate Amish store and shop owners, backyard illegal MMA fights and gambling. Run off any fake Amish furniture makers and interlopers.

Its crazy. I think its half bullshit and fake, and I hate Discovery Channel because those bastards got me hooked on some cockamamie show. Again.

Yea, they got me with the Moonshiners show too. Now this show I know is bullshit. Bullshit in the way, that while making moonshine exists and is illegal, what and whom they are filming is completely fake and scripted. Technically Discovery Channel cant send camera men and production out and actively commit crime then sell the video of it on TV and make money with it. I am not that stupid.

So, I watch the show, because of a few reasons, but mostly because it looks damn easy to make moonshine. I love knowledge too. I also like backwoods old coots named Mr. Jim Tom. He’s a main character on the show without any teeth. Mr. Jim Tom is like the next old moonshine maker behind one of the greats Popcorn Sutton.

Anyway, this show once you get past all the silly scripted pretend sneaking around, the making of the moonshine is pretty well documented and easy to follow. Its also mildly interesting. Hey, I’m not watching The Voice, or Dancing with the Retards, and by gosh who couldn’t use the skills to make ones very own distilled spirits? Still I have to damn the Discovery Channel for the fake drama and other nonsense, they got me hooked here too. Bastards.

Monday again, Costas is an idiot, Kate is knocked up.

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Its Monday again kids, ugh. They should make a pill for Mondays. Mondays just drag on so long, and serve no real purpose but to remind us just how far away Friday actually is and how fast yesterday seems to pass us by.

Everyone probably knows by now the brouhaha that Kansas City Chiefs Jovan Belcher pulled this past weekend. Kills his girlfriend, then himself with a handgun. Sad and unfortunate, but what is worse is Bob Costas opining about his perceived ideas of gun control and how if Belcher didn’t have access to a gun his girlfriend and himself would still be alive.

Mr. Costas, here’s ba bit of advice. Shut up and concentrate on being a horrible sports reporter. Trust me your hands are full enough in that regard. When you start regurgitating the mental nonsense and intellectual diarrhea of Jason Whitlock, you cant scratch the bottom of the barrel of colossal potato retard any further. You sir have no damn idea what true freedom means. As a supposed journalist in this country advocating for any stricter gun control makes you nothing more then an imbecilic hypocrite. Every time you cash a check for doing the job you so love it is because of the rights of free law abiding men and women in this country that are granted the constitutional protection to own and bear arms. You remember that the next time you freely express your garbage opinions without fear of retribution. Jackoff.

It seems Prince William wasted no time in his royal duties with Duchess Kate. Don’t get me wrong she is a nice piece of royal ass, but does anyone particularly care that she is pregnant? I understand the fascination with the royal family and how it sells gossip magazines at the grocery stores. Honestly though, who cares? Unless of course the kid is born with two heads, hooves and barking fire I have no idea why generally sane people give a squirt of care that she is pregnant.

Now for nine months every time this girl bends over the press is going to fall all over themselves for a shot up her butt to claim they got the first picture of the heir apparent. Nothing else going on in the world to concentrate on I guess.

How was everyone’s weekend? Mine was ok. I made pie.

If you like pie like I like pie, then you should mosey on over to the recipe section and get to making it. This particular pie plays nicely with my pre onset type II diabetes and hey, like all the hipster little idiot kids say now a days, You only live once! YOLO homeys!

So with that, I shall close for now. Be nice to each other and if you can’t and need to kill someone or yourself, please do not use a knife or pipe to do the dirty deed. Last thing you know we’ll have every talking head in the nation pontificating on more knife and pipe control laws and then we’ll have to cut steaks with a spoon and shit in buckets.

Let ‘er rip, tater chip!

 

Back in Black Friday

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I keep lookin’ at the sky
’cause its getting me high 

By now we should have made it through another Thanksgiving meal and for those that chose to attempt it, the day after shopping on this Black Friday.

In the end I made up some sides and brought them to my folks to eat this year. Yeast rolls as you can see was one of the few things I made. They came out pretty good and I was surprised how easy they are to make. I also made some cranberry sauce and cornbread dressing. Between this and what my folks made we ate pretty damn good and gluttonous yesterday. I’ll put them all in the recipe section later. I am in the process of reformatting all the recipes into a standardized format thats easily printable so you guys can take them with you.

I didn’t bother with shopping today. Not that I ever would. Saw a few reports on TV of the idiots around the country looking for a deal. The mad rush and push to get a cheap flat panel tv or a video game in this country is beyond sad. I am all for getting a deal and times are tough on people, but its stupid to think the only time you can score these deals is the day after or more accurately this year, at nine pm on Thanksgiving night. Much like our national elections in this country, people are stupid.

Really? Over a phone, Xbox, waffle iron? Look closely at this video. These imbeciles VOTE, and make more imbeciles.

Folks, understand this right here right now. Mankind is officially on the downward leg, rapidly picking up speed to extinction. Do not fool yourselves for a second that it is not happening.

Other then that I don’t feel too strongly about the whole matter.

I hope that all the rest of you had a good time with your families and had the chance to sit down and relax with loved ones. Its got to be a little more important and gratifying then standing in some line at the crack ass of dawn and putting up with this nonsense. As a small child I loved Santa Clause and getting gifts at Christmas as much as the next kid, but with all honesty from those moments to this very one, none of that shit mattered more then being with family.

Let ‘er rip tater chip!

Turkey Turkey Gobble Gobble

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It’s that all important day again. What day is that Brock? The day when we’re all thankful for everyone, everything and profess our love for all things peace and beautiful? No not that day. I am talking about the day we sit around all day eating food that some key members of family stood around cooking all day, swearing about how an ungrateful bunch of bastards the rest of the world may be. The day before everyone goes out like a bunch of goddamned maniacs to stand in store lines at ungodly hours in the morning in hopes that you will get a coupon to a free box of tampons or a playstation at a blistering $5 off the retail price.

Oh that day. Yea, buts its so much better and easier to post status updates on Facebook about how you’re grateful for that one time you got a flat tire and the strange man helped change the tire and didn’t kidnap you in the back of his van. That day you didn’t wind up in his basement well, being lowered a basket of lotion and being told. “Its puts the lotion on its skin or it gets the hose again.”

Oh you forgot to be thankful for that one huh?

As every other year, I too have thought about how thankful I am for the people and things in my life. Its the same each year. This year however I have committed to do a little more then tell people I am thankful. This year I will make at least a 10% increase in showing people or things how grateful I am. Anyone can proclaim how thankful they may be, but that crap is forgotten Friday morning while rushing through stores with a Starbucks latte in hand. Go show that person or thing how thankful you may be. It gets a little harder and a little more involved then a status update on Facebook.

I have been blessed with a damn good family and collection of friends. I got a lot of damn thankful to start showing. I’ve never said it enough and I know I have never shown it enough. Reasons and excuses are many just like good intention paves the way to hell. I know my limits which is why I only bid to change my ways and show thanks and gratefulness by a net increase of 10%. May sound small but the way I look at it, 10% of a metric shit ton of thankful and gratefulness to be shown should keep me busy for most of the next year. I’ll report back in November 2013 and tell you how I did. Save the date and all that.

I started my Thanksgiving cooking. Sort of. My southern roots dictate I bust out a cornbread stuffing/dressing to bring to the folks. We’ll see how that turns out. I’m also making some no-knead Parker House type yeast rolls, cranberry sauce, and possibly another coconut lemon cake. I’ll have to knock a fresh coconut out of the tree tomorrow morning however. I’ll document all these side dishes and desserts as much as I can to include in the recipe section.

Thats where I am right now. Thankful for a lot of things sure, but I rather commit to showing it cause in the past I fail at that more times then not.

Let ‘er rip, tater chip!

 

A Long Long Time Ago

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I can still remember how that music use to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance I could make those people dance.
And maybe they’d be happy for a while.

Is today black Friday? You’re freakin’-A right it is! Hostess Brands the iconic maker of such things as Twinkies, Zingers, Devil Dogs, and Wonder Bread is shutting down and gone.

The company has been in trouble for a couple of years now. When you really look at the numbers from an objective eye to business, this one is a shame. There was obvious management and leadership problems here. It wasn’t too late to fix those issues and the company and board of directors were trying. Want to know what killed this company? The damn unions! 18,000 plus workers get to go home without a job this holiday season and for the first time since 1930 we get to walk through a grocery store and not see a box of Twinkies or a loaf of Wonder Bread for sale.

Being a child of the seventies and eighties, I can tell you these foods were a normal part of life. I didn’t know there was anything other then white sandwich Wonder bread until I was probably twelve years old. In fact there was a loaf of it in my parents house last week. My father still eats it.

Twinkies and Devil Dog snack cakes have an indelible mark on my childhood. My grandmother used to have a dedicated drawer in her kitchen where at any time in history there was a box of Twinkies and or other snacks. Guaranteed! Not just when grandchildren were visiting either. My grandmother as sure as rain had on hand at ALL times Twinkies, Devil Dogs, and out in the refrigerator in the laundry room at least a case of Yoo-Hoo. In fact, I would bet my last dollar right this second that somewhere in Virginia in my grandmother’s kitchen at this very moment is a Twinkie, Ding Dong, Devil Dog, or other reasonable facsimile of a snack cake, junk food, or candy treat with roots to this iconic company. She may not remember it and it could very well be past its published shelf life (which is in and of itself not possible), but I’d bet I am right. If I was there right now, I’d eat that damn thing and sit and cherish fond memories of my grandparents and being a small boy without a care or problem in the world one last time.

It’s a cruel world out there today.

This week I re-visited my homemade pizza recipe and finally published it in the Recipe section of this blog. I have pontificated on New York style pizza and especially making it at home here on this blog in the past. I have come to the conclusion that pizza is pretty much the best food in the world. Getting the basics down and being able pull off a good pie at home is easier then one would think. I tested and retested the basic dough recipe, oven temperatures and cook times. Its a slam dunk. I am now going to move into making my own mozzarella and I have fresh basil growing. I will plant tomatoes this spring. By June of next year, with the exception of the yeast and flour, I fully intend to make a pizza from scratch with everything 100% home grown and or killed. Yes, I will kill a hog and make my own sausage.

Pizza made in the oven, pizza made on the grill, pizza made on the Big Green Egg, I am going to document it all right here. There is too much cheap shitty pizza out there, and I am going to prove we do not need to put up with that garbage.

It just occurred to me. How in the 7th level of hell can we as a country watch the maker of Twinkie and Wonder Bread cease to exist, yet that bullshit Domino’s, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut can survive through a plague?

Well, not on my watch. YOU NEED ME ON THAT WALL! Can you handle the truth? They can have my pizza when they pry it from my cold dead hands. REMEMBER THE ALAMO and THE TWINKIE!

So that’s where we are on this Friday before Thanksgiving. I got a recipe for Turkey shepherds pie. Its a great way to get rid of leftovers. I’ll put it in the recipe section next week.

Be safe, have fun, love one another and enjoy the weekend.

Let ‘er rip, tater chip!