9:36 PM >> Sliver, Bruce, and Balz



No full moon in the sky to explain. It was a sliver tonight. The sky loomed. I stepped out into the parking lot and was mowed down by a runaway grocery cart. It slammed into my hip knocking me flat to the ground, the hard uneven pavement of suburbia. A pebble ripped through the skin just between my thumb and wrist. Blood followed. I watched it drip to the pavement and heard the screech of a Dodge SUV Death Machine square off to me in the parking lot. It was these two (pictured) looking me dead in the eye. Their own eyes the color of the blood dripping from my hand. The both let out screams and then the tires of the Death Guzzler howled as they plowed towards me at 60 miles an hour. 60 MPH in a Target parking lot is insanity. 60 MPH targeted on a helpless, bleeding me is twisted.

I had one chance. One chance to save myself. To live. And that was to make quick peace. I scribbled a bloody SOS on a concrete retaining wall that closed me in from any escape. I scribed in blood the words: "Complimentary Ice Cream." I prayed that they couldn't resist. Satan himself would call halt to his hell hounds to enjoy a creamy free treat.

There with an unscalable wall behind me, a Dodge Locomotive of Doom rushing in, and images of the 5th year of my short life flashing in my mind it happened. The sky flashed blue. That's all I remember. When I came around these two - C. Bruce and The Balz where stopped in front of me, just short of ramming my body into the concrete wall. As if a heavenly hand dropped down from the clouds and held off my assailants.

They exited the beast and approached me. In a brusk, hurried breath Bruce asked, "Where's the complimentary ice cream?" The Balz blurted out that this had "better not be a put-on, bro." I stood and assured them that no, this was no joke. I pointed across the lot to Jason's Deli. They followed my bloody, dripping pointing hand to the deli situated between a nail shop and a cell phone dealer. Toghether they huffed, "Let's go."

I paid for sandwiches for the three of us (which came with chips and a pickle) and I showed them the soft serve machine where a sign read:

COMPLIMENTARY LOW-FAT SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM

We silently ate our sandwiches and then went behind the salad bar to claim our free 4oz. styrofoam ramekins of ice cream. Balz and myself had vanilla/chocolate swirl and Bruce just chocolate. After dinner they went over to Borders to browse around a little and I told them that I really had to get home.

Moral:
Tonight it may seem that god's hand came down to save my sweet young life through the opening from the sliver of the moon in the sky. But the truth is that you must always remember that Jason's Deli serves free 4oz. portions of soft serve ice cream to their patrons. It may one day save your life. Tonight it saved mine.

9:05 PM >> Mirral 2.1

3:35 PM >> Soy crayon

Hey, quess what? They now make soy crayons. Engineers at Purdue University have figured it out. The sons and daughters of farmers in the midwest have made use of their time and figured out how to turn soy into crayon. Genius guys. Keep up the good work.

SOYA

[LINK TEASER] >>
Soy crayons have the following advantages:

• Soy crayons are easier to use: they glide smoother and don’t flake.
• The colours of the soy crayons are brighter.
• They are safer for children (less toxic).
• Soy crayons are better for the environment.
• Soy crayons are completely biodegradable and are made from renewable resources.

10:14 PM >> Pods and an ongoing mirral



My Gevalia pods have arrived. They are full on caffeinated Columbian single serve pods. No more trying to create my own because that experiement was a 65% failure. I can now pop my Gevalia pods right into my Senseo pod system for a perfect cup. The best results are when I add about half a packet of pink sugar substitute at the bottom of the cup just before it drips in. Uhmmmm.

I've also started an ongoing mural on my bathroom medicine cabinet mirror. I call it a "mirral."



The first installment features my very own self-outline using a wax pencil (red). A day or two later I added a pair of Ray Ban sun glasses (black) and I filled in the beard and hair a little using the same close-one-eye tracing technique. I have currently three colors of wax pencils >> red, black, and yellow. I haven't used the yellow yet. I'll wait till inspiration strikes.

10:22 AM >> Spyglasses


Always have your spyglasses handy. You never know what may be lurking far away that you need to get a closer look at. Plus this model has the see-through-clothing feature.

10:19 PM >> Two words, two salads, and a martini

TWO WORDS >>
These two words came from the final pages of the Ben Franklin biography that I just finished.

They are 1) Chicanery - (Sh-i-can-ery or Ch-ick-anery) n : the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them), deception by trickery or sophistry, a trick; a subterfuge; and 2) Babbittry - n: a narrow-minded, self-satisfied person with an unthinking attachment to middle-class values and materialism.

TWO SALADS >>
These are two salads that I made recently after going grocery shopping. The most expensive item I bought shopping was Tide color safe bleach. The box was like $10 (rip). I did get a good deal on a bag of toasted soy nuts. I think they cost me about 92 cents and should last for a pretty long while as long as I don't fall to a soy binge.

Pretty Tasty Salad
Mixed Boston and Romaine lettuce with sliced black olives, onions, tomatoes, shredded carrot, sometimes parmesean, toasted cinnamon sugar oats. Dressed (correct verbage for the application of salad dressing?) with some splashes of red wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil and mixed in with either roasted habanero pepper jelly or Bronco Bob's Tangy Apricot Chipotle Sauce (who's ingredients inspired the habby pepper jelly). Served along with toasted Italian wheat and grain loaf topped with either roasted garlic, butter, thyme, pepper, and basil or with habby pepper jelly.

Rating: 5.91

A MARTINI >>
I created a martini inspired by my favorite pickle dealer. Sechler's was founded back at the beginning of the 1900's in St. Joe Indiana. Their pickles and selections of other things pickled rock. Currently I'm about to make a pickle apple cake from a recipe that was included with a Sechler's mailing. For Christmas I shipped my brothers boxes of Sech's pickles. And I recently just got a shipment of my own. They rock.

The martini I call the Sechler's Sweet Heat Mixed Pickles Vodka Martini (version 1a). It contians a couple of shots of vodka shaken with some ice. Then I added two items from the sweat heat mixed pickle jar, which were a pepperocini and a red pepper. I also spooned just a little of the sweat heat pickling juice in there.

7:29 AM >> Ben Franklin 300

For those of you who enjoyed my drawing of Ben Franklin check out Scott Holloway's website. He's another artist recently inspired by Ben Franklin. He created A new portrait honor of BF's 300th birthday. The portrait was used for the New Town Seal of Franklin, MA; the first town to name themselves in his honor.

On his website you've got to check out his drawings that are all done on notebook paper they are great great amazing.

1:30 AM >> As per your request

Your request: "Does your QT Beverage Recipe booklet contain a recipe for Black Forest Coffee? If so, please send."

I checked the QT recipe booklet in my truck. And...no dice.


This was the closest that I could find.


I belive that the Black Forest Coffee is posted throughout the store on display placards. I would check there. Good luck.

Sorry, Corporal.

11:58 PM >> Toasted oats tip #1

For those of yous that are fans of toasted oats >>

TOASTED OATS TIP #1

9:23 PM >> Two habanero peppers go a long long way

Lots and lots of crazy cooking going on lately. Sorry I don't think I took any pictures. That's my fault. In most cases my fingers where so dirty from the cooking that I didn't want to grease up my camera. The two tiny little habanero peppers that I bought really went a long way. You'll see.

I know now that garlic can really do a number on one's stomach. Really. Enjoy. And though I've never said so feel free to try out these recipes yourself. Or vary them up if there are parts of them that are too out there for you.

Roasted Habanero Pepper Jelly

** NOTE: I FOUND THE PHOTOS. REPEAT. I FOUND THE PHOTOS.

Two roasted habanero peppers heated over the stove top till they took on jelly form. The following were mixed in: soy sauce, apricot spread, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, roasted garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt and pepper, fresh grated ginger, and half a shot of bourbon whiskey. Eat with crackers, celery, carrots, and as a sauce for other creations.

Rating: 5.89

** Inspired by Bronco Bob's sauces.

Mexican Pig In A Blanket
A honey buckwheat pancake (just add water mixture) sandwiched around a sauteed hotdog and roasted habanero pepper jelly then baked in the oven for a bit.

Rating: 6.23

Sauteed Shrimps Over Pasta

Lightly floured shrimps sauteed in basil olive oil and butter. Then mixed with tomato, onion, scallion, tomatillo, roasted garlic gloves, habanero pepper jelly, and tri-color rigatoni pasta noodles.

Served with Italian bruschetta things, which were little slices of Italian wheat and grain loaf with mixture of tomato, onion, scallion, tomatillo, and roasted garlic applied to top and baked in the oven. Great meal. Very hot. And lots of stomach rumblings the next day. Lots of mechanical sounding grinding going on in there.

Rating: 6.78




** Here's some interesting shrimp finds:

<<the fairy shrimp>>

<<more fairy>>

<<hairy lobster variety>>




Sauteed Spinach Habby Pasta
Spinach sauteed with mixture of tomato, onion, scallion, tomatillo, roasted garlic gloves, habanero pepper jelly, and spicy Tabasco katsup, and a little red wine vinegar. Served over tri-color rigatoni pasta noodles.

Rating: 6.79

1:35 PM >> Free pancakes. Ties not optional.

This past Monday I attended a ties-not-optional-free-short-stack meeting with fellow tie wearers "Puffy Jacket" Libby, "Clean Shaven" Hammer the Hammer, and "Expected to be late" Kloth.

The details of the IHOP promotion are below. And you can view Hammer's photos of the event HERE.

FREE PANCAKES! NO STRINGS ATTACHED!
On February 28, 2006 from 7 AM to 2 PM, IHOPs across the country will celebrate National Pancake Day (also known as Shrove Tuesday) by offering our guests a free short stack of pancakes*. This is going to be our biggest one day celebration in our history.

National Pancake Day has a rich history that stretches back centuries and has always been a time of celebration. National Pancake Day always falls on Fat Tuesday and this year it will be a celebration at IHOP.

So gather your friends, family and neighbors and come to your local IHOP and enjoy a short stack of pancakes on us. All we ask is that you consider making a donation to a great charity like First Book or other local, worthy cause. Where else would you celebrate National Pancake Day than IHOP? See you there.

* Limit one free short stack per guest. Valid for dine-in only, no to go orders. Not valid with any other offer, special, coupon, or discount. Valid at participating restaurants only, while supplies last.

9:38 PM >> Foodstuffs

I've been away recently on vacation. Namely The Ski Jam 2K6. I have been cooking. Here's a bit about the things made as of late.

Ski Jam 2K6 Chili

prepared as group dinner #2 for ski jam 2006 in park city, utah. i browned ground beef and beef chunks in a pot with onions and garlic and pepper. then i put it in the crock with cans of stewed tomatoes, kidney beans, white hominey. i also added some chopped onions and red bell peppers and jalepenos. to season i added salt, pepper, and some chili flavoring packets. Rudy added a Miller Lite after it overflowed the 5 quart crock (my first foray with the 5-er). Served with Dal's cheddar and jalapeno cornbread.

Rating: 7.48

Rudy's Bread Thing

I was not a participant in this creation. But Rudy made a wonderful garlic and butter dip that was intended for all this bread that he toasted in the oven. I respect it so much because this was all bread that we were trying to get rid of before leaving the lodge.

Keep posted for a review of the spur of the moment salsa story that was also an attempt to empty the cupboard before we left but it turned into a major social debacle.

Krusteaz Honey Wheat Berry Homemade Bread

Having some days off from work I got board and inspired while in the grocery store to make some of my own bread with no tricks or additions, just as the package instructed.

Rating: 6.02

Ham and Potatoes Soup

Celery, onions, red potatoes, carrots, ginger, quick cook barley, and chunks of ham. Seasoned with creole seasoning, salt, black pepper, thyme, parsley, and roasted garlic powder.

Rating: 7.34

8:08 PM >> Ben Franklin


People always ask if you could have dinner with any dead celeb who would it be. Mine would be Ben Franklin. He'd also be a candidate for the founding father that I'd like to have email correspondence with. If BF blogged I'd be there. He's a really great guy. Somewhat of a trickster. Very funny. Very entertaining. Ben and Kermit the Frog. They are my two. They are the guys I'd have over for dinner and stimulating conversation.

I don't often give toasts but if I am called upon to give one in the near I've been inspired by Ben's writings and would toast a bit of this following bit that Ben wrote while staying at Passy as a US ambassador in France. He wrote a lot of tiny little bits called bagatelles. Here's a bagatelle “On Wine” that he wrote . In French a bagatelle is like a short little piece of music, a ditty. Ben wrote literary bagatelles which were short little bits often with a moral lesson, quip, or humorous slant to them.

Truth is in wine.

NOTE: I drew this picture of BF on a plane over the plain states. It's based on a famous portrait made by Siffred Duplessis in 1978. Duplessis was not in an airplane when he crafted his original portrait.

8:07 PM >> Replanting cacti


Last night I accidently knocked one of my orphaned cacti out of it's pot. So I was inspired to do some replanting. As you can see I don't have the proper pots so I used some CD spindle covers. If anyone knows that this is a bad pot for a plant to be successful please inform me immediately.

After the repotting I place the whole group of cacti under a 120 watt soft white light bulb for the night. Likewise if anyone knows that this is a bad idea for plant success inform me.

I love my cacti and want nothing bad to happen to them.

3:21 PM >> Senseo podification sans staples

Here's a link to making your own pods for coffee pod systems >>
POD LINK