I knew that Sunday would be a busy day. Busy and domestic at the same time.
I was reminded of it when I walked into the front door way too early in the morning.
Having had a birthday last week, we got to go out to lunch finally. Instead of doing the regular repeated thing where we'd do a Nice Restaurant For Dinner and end up having a Nice Posh Burger, it was time to step outside of the box. The phrase Posh Burger fit, and frankly it got tired. Way too many restaurants with the same food over and over, I insisted on Indian food.
As we walked into the dimly lit building I smiled at the romantic imagery carved into the door in white. A Turbaned man, elephant, and some intricate graphics greeted us. The scent of savory curries wafted on the breeze.
It is incredibly easy to fill yourself stupid on Indian food. There is much more vegetable fiber and dairy protein than the usual American diet, and it will give you a good change of pace. I've made my own attempts at a curried dish, with varying results. I was still full the next morning when I opened the front door at breakfast. I do have a rule though, never dine out on something that you can do better at home.
My own burgers aren't salt laden. "Meat, Heat, and Eat" is my own way to cook them. I'll stick with the big blue grill in the back yard for a while, but I can't make a good lamb and spinach curry to save my soul.
Enjoying the strongly perfumed food, we finally headed home. The afternoon would be like one out of childhood. The night before we went to the supermarket and got 14 Roma tomatoes, sliced 12 of them, and roasted them in the oven. The other two would do duty on my home made hoagies. Two quarts of stewed tomatoes joined the Roma tomatoes in the blender with some garlic and fresh basil. The Recipe itself is not terribly difficult, it simply takes all day to make it well. What you end up with is a large pot on the stove simmering all day and into the night. Any Italian mother worth her wooden spoon will tell you, cook it low and slow or you'll scorch your sauce!
Here I was well past my childhood experiencing a flashback. We could have opened the windows to share with the neighbors those scents, but I am glad we hadn't. For a couple days the house will smell of richly savory tomato sauce. That large pot stayed on the stove all day and was only emptied when the water was cooked out to render the proper stick to your pasta thickness.
Anything you make at home can be better than what you buy at the market. It merely takes time and care. The salt levels in most prepared sauces is punishing, you can get a day's worth of salt in one small serving, and most people don't have one serving at a sitting. I never was a fan of over salted food at a restaurant anyway.
This was more of a journey than the destination. I saw a smallish bowl of red sauce that greeted me when I opened the refrigerator door. A bit surprised that it cooked down that far, I did promise myself to try it at dinner. Until then, I'll have to enjoy the hint of it that lingers on the air.
An Open Letter To My Sister, or Whatever Pops Into My Head at the Time...
Monday, May 5, 2014
Sunday, May 4, 2014
The Bar On The Tenth Floor
The Bar on the Tenth Floor
So, a bar was situated in the 10th floor of a building. Quite unusual, but it had a great view and lots of people came there to just chat and have a drink at evening.
One friday, a man walks in from the door and comes to the bartender. "A double whiskey with ice, please." The bartender obliges, gives the man his whiskey and goes back to polishing the glasses. The man takes the whiskey, drinks it down with one gulp, and then knocks the bar desk three times. The bartender turns to look at the man, and then continues with his business. The man then gets up, walks up to the window, opens it and jumps down.
After a little while, the very same man comes back, opens the door and walks to the bartender. "A double whiskey with ice, please." The bartender rolls his eyes and gives the man his whiskey, which he, once again, drank in one gulp. He then knocks the bar desk three times, gets up and jumps out of the window again.
Lo and behold, the same man walks in from the door again, to the bartender when another man runs to him with wide eyes. "Dude! What the hell? How do you just jump down from the tenth floor of the building and come back unscathed?!" The man from earlier had ordered another whiskey and just stared it a little before turning back to the other guy. "Well, I'll tell you a secret: If you order a double whiskey with ice, drink it with one gulp, and knock the bar desk three times, you can do ANYTHING." The other man gasps in surprise and then turns to the bartender excitedly. "One double whiskey with ice, please! I gotta try this!" The bartender pours the man his whiskey, which he proceeds to drink in one gulp. He then knocks the bar desk three times, makes a bolt to the window and leaps down.
After a while, the man from earlier still sat by the desk, sipping his whiskey in peace. The bartender then leans closer to him and whispers, "You're a real jerk when you're drunk, Superman."
So, a bar was situated in the 10th floor of a building. Quite unusual, but it had a great view and lots of people came there to just chat and have a drink at evening.
One friday, a man walks in from the door and comes to the bartender. "A double whiskey with ice, please." The bartender obliges, gives the man his whiskey and goes back to polishing the glasses. The man takes the whiskey, drinks it down with one gulp, and then knocks the bar desk three times. The bartender turns to look at the man, and then continues with his business. The man then gets up, walks up to the window, opens it and jumps down.
After a little while, the very same man comes back, opens the door and walks to the bartender. "A double whiskey with ice, please." The bartender rolls his eyes and gives the man his whiskey, which he, once again, drank in one gulp. He then knocks the bar desk three times, gets up and jumps out of the window again.
Lo and behold, the same man walks in from the door again, to the bartender when another man runs to him with wide eyes. "Dude! What the hell? How do you just jump down from the tenth floor of the building and come back unscathed?!" The man from earlier had ordered another whiskey and just stared it a little before turning back to the other guy. "Well, I'll tell you a secret: If you order a double whiskey with ice, drink it with one gulp, and knock the bar desk three times, you can do ANYTHING." The other man gasps in surprise and then turns to the bartender excitedly. "One double whiskey with ice, please! I gotta try this!" The bartender pours the man his whiskey, which he proceeds to drink in one gulp. He then knocks the bar desk three times, makes a bolt to the window and leaps down.
After a while, the man from earlier still sat by the desk, sipping his whiskey in peace. The bartender then leans closer to him and whispers, "You're a real jerk when you're drunk, Superman."
Saturday, May 3, 2014
An Opening for an Assassin
An Opening for an Assassin
The FBI had an opening for an assassin. After all the background checks, interviews, and testing were done, there were three finalists, two men and a woman. For the final test, the FBI agents took one of the men to a large metal door and handed him a gun.
"We must know that you will follow your instructions no matter what the circumstances. Inside the room you will find your wife sitting in a chair. Kill Her!” The man said, "You can't be serious, I could never shoot my wife." The agent said, "Then you're not the right man for this job. Take your wife and go home."
"The second man was given the same instructions. He took the gun and went into the room. All was quiet for about five minutes. The man came out with tears in his eyes. "I tried, but I can't kill my wife." The agent said, "You don't have what it takes. Take your wife and go home."
Finally, it was the woman's turn. She was given the same instructions, to kill her husband. She took the gun and went into the room. Shots were heard, one after another. They heard screaming, crashing, banging on the walls. After a few minutes, all was quiet. The door opened slowly and there stood the woman. She wiped the sweat from her brow.
"This gun is loaded with blanks," she said. "I had to beat him to death with the chair."
The FBI had an opening for an assassin. After all the background checks, interviews, and testing were done, there were three finalists, two men and a woman. For the final test, the FBI agents took one of the men to a large metal door and handed him a gun.
"We must know that you will follow your instructions no matter what the circumstances. Inside the room you will find your wife sitting in a chair. Kill Her!” The man said, "You can't be serious, I could never shoot my wife." The agent said, "Then you're not the right man for this job. Take your wife and go home."
"The second man was given the same instructions. He took the gun and went into the room. All was quiet for about five minutes. The man came out with tears in his eyes. "I tried, but I can't kill my wife." The agent said, "You don't have what it takes. Take your wife and go home."
Finally, it was the woman's turn. She was given the same instructions, to kill her husband. She took the gun and went into the room. Shots were heard, one after another. They heard screaming, crashing, banging on the walls. After a few minutes, all was quiet. The door opened slowly and there stood the woman. She wiped the sweat from her brow.
"This gun is loaded with blanks," she said. "I had to beat him to death with the chair."
Friday, May 2, 2014
Got Windows? Hit Windows Update - Even Windows XP
So that bug I have been banging on about?
The one that is a bug of doom, effects every version of Internet Explorer from Version 6 through present?
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows 8
and
Windows 8.1?
Yeah, the fix is in.
Microsoft has relented since 1/4 of the entire PC Market is still running Windows XP. Not to patch this one would cause havoc on the Internet and crash web servers, and make little babies cry.
This morning, I started finding messages in the security blogs that mentioned it. This bug, the 1776 bug, with a rather nasty hole has been exploited.
As far as XP is concerned, Microsoft has said in the past that while support has ceased for it, they may at their own choice make patches to it in the future. Since this was a big one, and it is the future, take advantage of it.
Even if you don't use Internet Explorer, you will want to get this fix.
The steps are simple. You may have already downloaded the fix and there could be a message waiting for you to either shut down or restart your computer to apply the fix
If not, just:
Click Start
Click Control Panel
Click Windows Update
Click Install Updates
and you're on your way!
Now, if you will excuse me, my computer wants to be restarted. I guess I really do need to take a break anyway!
The one that is a bug of doom, effects every version of Internet Explorer from Version 6 through present?
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows 8
and
Windows 8.1?
Yeah, the fix is in.
Microsoft has relented since 1/4 of the entire PC Market is still running Windows XP. Not to patch this one would cause havoc on the Internet and crash web servers, and make little babies cry.
This morning, I started finding messages in the security blogs that mentioned it. This bug, the 1776 bug, with a rather nasty hole has been exploited.
As far as XP is concerned, Microsoft has said in the past that while support has ceased for it, they may at their own choice make patches to it in the future. Since this was a big one, and it is the future, take advantage of it.
Even if you don't use Internet Explorer, you will want to get this fix.
The steps are simple. You may have already downloaded the fix and there could be a message waiting for you to either shut down or restart your computer to apply the fix
If not, just:
Click Start
Click Control Panel
Click Windows Update
Click Install Updates
and you're on your way!
Now, if you will excuse me, my computer wants to be restarted. I guess I really do need to take a break anyway!
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Annoyed With The New Firefox Look And Feel? Here Is How To Fix It.
Ok, this isn't a Hey You Kids Get Off My Lawn thing.
Change is sometimes good. When someone looks long at how something works, makes a tweak, you will know if it is right.
If it isn't right for you, then sometimes there is a way to fix it.
When I was presented with the opportunity to give my computer a wholesale upgrade, I thought long and hard about going to Windows 8.1. I don't like it, many of us don't. So why bother? I installed Classic Shell, and now my Windows 8.1 looks like Windows 7.
I did it because the new full-screen Modern or Metro apps are useless to me, the live tiles are worthless to someone who lives on the Desktop, and they are a vector for advertising that I have not found a way to block. I completely uninstalled most of them and since I work very heavily on the desktop, I feel no loss.
Windows 8.1 is faster, slightly, than Windows 7, so I'm enjoying the minor slight speed bump. I'm still not liking it any time I have to jump into the ugly block land of the Metro apps, but it is only when I have to fiddle with the system that I have to go there.
Why the Windows nonsense on a Firefox post? There's a reason.
Firefox changed the way everything looks on the newest update called "Australis" on Windows 8.1. The old "shine" is gone. Everything is flat and mostly "Primary colors".
I describe it as simply ugly. The old shine had a great effect, you could find things at a glance on a very busy screen easier. Granted, you were trained to recognize that the individual elements were separated by color and separators were very visible as a dark line, the most current tab of a tabbed interface was lighter, the other tabs were darker, but did not blend into the background which was a third color.
There is a good reason for this. Humans are good at pattern recognition. This is why the "Big Dipper" is a constellation resembling a dipper. It LOOKS like SOMETHING. It isn't a random pattern, although in actuality it really is since some of the stars in the Big Dipper are much closer than others.
So when Firefox upgraded, they went with a new look and feel. It looks very Windows 8.1 Metro Modern. Which is to say "Flat and Blocky".
I don't like Flat and Blocky. I have open dozens of tabs at any given moment, sometimes more than one hundred. It slows me down.
If you want to fix that and find it ugly and want to go back to the old school way of doing things, thankfully Firefox recognizes that you still can. It is even in their official documentation how to do so. This update is all about giving you the power to customize the browser.
Unfortunately they removed the add on bar at the bottom of the browser completely and that broke my weather app that I depended on heavily for current conditions. I'll have to go out and write a webpage to monitor the weather itself. While I could use the practice in HTML 5, I'd prefer it not to have been forced upon me.
You can follow their instructions here.
Simply put you will be adding an "Add On" to Firefox. It will change it back to the way it looked "yesterday" before you did the upgrade by default. Install it and you are done. Add Ons typically work on all versions of the browser, although I haven't tried it out on my Mac or my Linux machines, I expect this will not be a problem.
All I wanted was my old square edged tabs back in grey with the current tab bright silver, and it gave me that back.
The steps are simple:
Don't worry, if you want to turn off Classic Theme Restorer, you can within its own preferences found in the Firefox Tools Menu.
It will install the theme restorer. With that you can change a lot more of the way Firefox looks. If you really do like the curvy tabs, you can put them back by selecting the proper theme elements. My biggest problem is that the visual clues are not at all obvious with this new "Australis" theme. The break between the inactive tabs is much less obvious and the result is that it slows me down.
With Classic Theme Restorer, I can put that back. There is a Curved Alternative Theme that looks almost exactly like Google's Chrome tabs so if you like that, feel free. I just tweaked it to look that way now, and my browser looks like a file drawer full of old grey Manila folders inside Pendaflex holders.
Skeuomorphism to the rescue!
After all, if customization was the goal, I took advantage of it. I bent the browser to my will and customized it - back to the way it was.
Useable.
Change is sometimes good. When someone looks long at how something works, makes a tweak, you will know if it is right.
If it isn't right for you, then sometimes there is a way to fix it.
When I was presented with the opportunity to give my computer a wholesale upgrade, I thought long and hard about going to Windows 8.1. I don't like it, many of us don't. So why bother? I installed Classic Shell, and now my Windows 8.1 looks like Windows 7.
I did it because the new full-screen Modern or Metro apps are useless to me, the live tiles are worthless to someone who lives on the Desktop, and they are a vector for advertising that I have not found a way to block. I completely uninstalled most of them and since I work very heavily on the desktop, I feel no loss.
Windows 8.1 is faster, slightly, than Windows 7, so I'm enjoying the minor slight speed bump. I'm still not liking it any time I have to jump into the ugly block land of the Metro apps, but it is only when I have to fiddle with the system that I have to go there.
Why the Windows nonsense on a Firefox post? There's a reason.
Firefox changed the way everything looks on the newest update called "Australis" on Windows 8.1. The old "shine" is gone. Everything is flat and mostly "Primary colors".
I describe it as simply ugly. The old shine had a great effect, you could find things at a glance on a very busy screen easier. Granted, you were trained to recognize that the individual elements were separated by color and separators were very visible as a dark line, the most current tab of a tabbed interface was lighter, the other tabs were darker, but did not blend into the background which was a third color.
There is a good reason for this. Humans are good at pattern recognition. This is why the "Big Dipper" is a constellation resembling a dipper. It LOOKS like SOMETHING. It isn't a random pattern, although in actuality it really is since some of the stars in the Big Dipper are much closer than others.
So when Firefox upgraded, they went with a new look and feel. It looks very Windows 8.1 Metro Modern. Which is to say "Flat and Blocky".
I don't like Flat and Blocky. I have open dozens of tabs at any given moment, sometimes more than one hundred. It slows me down.
If you want to fix that and find it ugly and want to go back to the old school way of doing things, thankfully Firefox recognizes that you still can. It is even in their official documentation how to do so. This update is all about giving you the power to customize the browser.
Unfortunately they removed the add on bar at the bottom of the browser completely and that broke my weather app that I depended on heavily for current conditions. I'll have to go out and write a webpage to monitor the weather itself. While I could use the practice in HTML 5, I'd prefer it not to have been forced upon me.
You can follow their instructions here.
Simply put you will be adding an "Add On" to Firefox. It will change it back to the way it looked "yesterday" before you did the upgrade by default. Install it and you are done. Add Ons typically work on all versions of the browser, although I haven't tried it out on my Mac or my Linux machines, I expect this will not be a problem.
All I wanted was my old square edged tabs back in grey with the current tab bright silver, and it gave me that back.
The steps are simple:
- Start Firefox
- Surf this page to get Classic Theme Restorer.
- Click the green "Add This To Firefox" button.
Don't worry, if you want to turn off Classic Theme Restorer, you can within its own preferences found in the Firefox Tools Menu.
It will install the theme restorer. With that you can change a lot more of the way Firefox looks. If you really do like the curvy tabs, you can put them back by selecting the proper theme elements. My biggest problem is that the visual clues are not at all obvious with this new "Australis" theme. The break between the inactive tabs is much less obvious and the result is that it slows me down.
With Classic Theme Restorer, I can put that back. There is a Curved Alternative Theme that looks almost exactly like Google's Chrome tabs so if you like that, feel free. I just tweaked it to look that way now, and my browser looks like a file drawer full of old grey Manila folders inside Pendaflex holders.
Skeuomorphism to the rescue!
After all, if customization was the goal, I took advantage of it. I bent the browser to my will and customized it - back to the way it was.
Useable.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Now Homeland Security Suggests You Stop Using Internet Explorer Especially With Windows XP
You know things are getting dicey when the Department of Homeland Security gets involved.
Personally I never liked Internet Explorer. It's the browser that is baked into every version of Microsoft Windows out there since Windows 95. The problem is that it's a single point of failure. If there's a deep problem with the browser, your whole computer is at risk. Slowdowns caused by Internet Explorer are common, and in my own experience it runs like a "Lead Sled".
I try to use another browser wherever possible.
Now a little more tech jargon. You may have read about some shadowy problems. A "Zero Day" or "0-Day" attack. Simply put, it is an attack at that low level of your software. You won't even know that you "got hit" and will be added to a hacker's portfolio.
Every version of Internet Explorer that is in use since version 2 is involved in this mess. No matter what version of Windows you are using, you are at risk. Since they aren't updating that old software, you really should have upgraded that old copy of Windows 95 well before now.
There is a fix from Microsoft, and you can now get it in Windows Update, and it didn't even whine at me to restart Windows 8.1. Until you do there are a few things to consider.
First, get a second browser. I prefer Firefox, others choose Chrome, still more choose Safari, and there is always Opera. Pick one and use it. It is your choice!
Second, if you are on Windows XP, you need to upgrade, Now. Windows XP will not be fixed at this point. Microsoft may go back on its word, but you are at this point vulnerable.
Third there is another wrinkle to this mess - Flash. It's the most common way most people look at those cute cat videos and the video that I embedded below about this bug. It has its own Zero Day exploit and needs to be upgraded to version 13. This Flash Bug is also a problem for Mac OSX and Linux, so I will have a busy day upgrading things around the house. Basically everyone gets hit by this one no matter what computer you have!
With Windows7 and Firefox, you can check by following these steps:
Microsoft has a fix out now for Internet Explorer, but you really do need to get a different browser. One that supports ad blocking since they're also a vector for spyware and viruses.
The video from USA Today is at this link if you want to see if your Flash has been updated.
Personally I never liked Internet Explorer. It's the browser that is baked into every version of Microsoft Windows out there since Windows 95. The problem is that it's a single point of failure. If there's a deep problem with the browser, your whole computer is at risk. Slowdowns caused by Internet Explorer are common, and in my own experience it runs like a "Lead Sled".
I try to use another browser wherever possible.
Now a little more tech jargon. You may have read about some shadowy problems. A "Zero Day" or "0-Day" attack. Simply put, it is an attack at that low level of your software. You won't even know that you "got hit" and will be added to a hacker's portfolio.
Every version of Internet Explorer that is in use since version 2 is involved in this mess. No matter what version of Windows you are using, you are at risk. Since they aren't updating that old software, you really should have upgraded that old copy of Windows 95 well before now.
There is a fix from Microsoft, and you can now get it in Windows Update, and it didn't even whine at me to restart Windows 8.1. Until you do there are a few things to consider.
First, get a second browser. I prefer Firefox, others choose Chrome, still more choose Safari, and there is always Opera. Pick one and use it. It is your choice!
Second, if you are on Windows XP, you need to upgrade, Now. Windows XP will not be fixed at this point. Microsoft may go back on its word, but you are at this point vulnerable.
Third there is another wrinkle to this mess - Flash. It's the most common way most people look at those cute cat videos and the video that I embedded below about this bug. It has its own Zero Day exploit and needs to be upgraded to version 13. This Flash Bug is also a problem for Mac OSX and Linux, so I will have a busy day upgrading things around the house. Basically everyone gets hit by this one no matter what computer you have!
With Windows7 and Firefox, you can check by following these steps:
- Start Firefox.
- Follow this link to the Plug In Checker. It will open in a new page or browser window.
- Any plugins that you run that are out of date will show up with a red button on the right that says "Update Now" - click that button.
- It will open another page for Flash.
- Click the check box to refuse the offer of McAfee Security Scan Plus since you just do NOT need that software.
- Click the Yellow Install Now Button.
- It will open another page, wait a bit, then ask you to save a program.
- When your download is complete, run the installer to update. Flash does not do this behind the scenes. You will find it in your downloads directory and you will have to run it separately. The program it downloaded was called "install_flashplayer13x32_mssd_aaa_aih.exe" but it will change through time and versions.
- It will ask you if you want to install it, and personally I tell it to tell me to upgrade instead of doing it automatically. Personal preference.
- When you get the green check and the "Installation Complete" message, you can click Finish.
- It will then bring up a message saying that you're done and ask you if you want to get this fantastic deal from someone who I can't see because my ad blocker has blocked it. Shoo, Adobe, I don't want your deals!
Microsoft has a fix out now for Internet Explorer, but you really do need to get a different browser. One that supports ad blocking since they're also a vector for spyware and viruses.
The video from USA Today is at this link if you want to see if your Flash has been updated.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Crock Pot Curried Chicken Recipe
I was getting static about the chicken I had thawed. Someone had had quite enough chicken lately and wanted nothing to do with my usual recipes.
No Caribbean Jerked Chicken?
No Barbecue Chicken?
No Grilled Chicken?
*Sigh* Ok, I'll figure something out.
With the food that came into the house from all angles, plus the Manwich we made, the Chicken sat in the refrigerator one too many days.
I had to cook it, this was too much to waste and it was from a really good supplier.
I woke up that morning thinking I should just get the crock pot. Rack, my dog, was hovering around his bowl and the crock pot caught my eye, just two shelves above it.
I threw this together in about 10 minutes, everything but the chicken took me all of about 3 minutes. I was able to get my coffee done in the interim.
If you're not into Chicken and are one of my Vegetarian friends, and you know who you are, this can easily be made with Tofu, Smoked Tofu, Quorn, or a suitable substitute.
I will say that when I had it for lunch instead of dinner, it was excellent. So much so that I brought a bowl over to the neighbors and I don't think it lasted past the time it took me to walk across the street! Seeing that this was a "Mild Curry", the next time I do make this, I will double the curry powder to two tablespoons - personal preference. One Tablespoon is a good first try for most.
Now, while it looks like "ABC Food", you know Already Been Chewed?, it tasted great!
The ingredients are:
For the first step
For the Second Step:
For when you unplug your crock pot and are just about ready to serve:
Why do I make it complicated by breaking it into three steps? Simple, I like crunchy vegetables. String beans in the can turn into mush if you cook them too long, and every veg I have ever found in a can was precooked.
Yes, you can eat kernel corn uncooked out of the can in an emergency. Or so I have been told. Same with Green Beans... and of course your mileage may vary so read your can first.
The Process:
To your Crock Pot, add the following ingredients in order:
Plug in your crock pot and turn it on for low at the short time setting. Mine has a setting for 8 hours and I was finished early.
Chicken is cooked at 165F according to the USDA. I found that my chunks were cooked after 4 hours to 180F, but your time will vary depending on the wattage of your crock pot. Check the temperature of your chunks with an instant read thermometer at 3 1/2 hours and every 15 to 30 minutes or so after. Or if you trust your crock pot... don't! Personally I hate overcooked chicken so I'm glad I did check! Chunked chicken cooks faster than a whole breast or parts.
At 1 hour short of when you intend to pull the plug on this, add the following ingredients:
Stir everything in to the mix. The rice will soak up the extra moisture in the crock pot.
When everything is done and ready to serve an hour later, unplug the crock pot and add the Can of String Beans. Stir well and serve.
No Caribbean Jerked Chicken?
No Barbecue Chicken?
No Grilled Chicken?
*Sigh* Ok, I'll figure something out.
With the food that came into the house from all angles, plus the Manwich we made, the Chicken sat in the refrigerator one too many days.
I had to cook it, this was too much to waste and it was from a really good supplier.
I woke up that morning thinking I should just get the crock pot. Rack, my dog, was hovering around his bowl and the crock pot caught my eye, just two shelves above it.
If you're not into Chicken and are one of my Vegetarian friends, and you know who you are, this can easily be made with Tofu, Smoked Tofu, Quorn, or a suitable substitute.
I will say that when I had it for lunch instead of dinner, it was excellent. So much so that I brought a bowl over to the neighbors and I don't think it lasted past the time it took me to walk across the street! Seeing that this was a "Mild Curry", the next time I do make this, I will double the curry powder to two tablespoons - personal preference. One Tablespoon is a good first try for most.
Now, while it looks like "ABC Food", you know Already Been Chewed?, it tasted great!
The ingredients are:
For the first step
- 1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1/2 Cup water
- 1 Tablespoon of Curry Powder - or to taste. 1 Tablespoon is mild or just "Savory".
- A dusting or pinch of garlic powder to taste.
- A dusting or pinch of "Chicken Seasoning" to taste.
- Dehydrated Onion Flakes to taste (Optional)
- 2 to 3 Pounds Chicken chunks
For the Second Step:
- 1 cup Basmati Rice
- 1 Can Kernel Corn
For when you unplug your crock pot and are just about ready to serve:
- 1 Can String Beans
Why do I make it complicated by breaking it into three steps? Simple, I like crunchy vegetables. String beans in the can turn into mush if you cook them too long, and every veg I have ever found in a can was precooked.
Yes, you can eat kernel corn uncooked out of the can in an emergency. Or so I have been told. Same with Green Beans... and of course your mileage may vary so read your can first.
The Process:
To your Crock Pot, add the following ingredients in order:
- Cream of Chicken Soup, Water, Curry Powder, Garlic Powder, Chicken Seasoning, Onion Flakes.
- Stir the ingredients up until you get a good even mix.
- Add the chicken chunks and mix again to coat everything.
Plug in your crock pot and turn it on for low at the short time setting. Mine has a setting for 8 hours and I was finished early.
Chicken is cooked at 165F according to the USDA. I found that my chunks were cooked after 4 hours to 180F, but your time will vary depending on the wattage of your crock pot. Check the temperature of your chunks with an instant read thermometer at 3 1/2 hours and every 15 to 30 minutes or so after. Or if you trust your crock pot... don't! Personally I hate overcooked chicken so I'm glad I did check! Chunked chicken cooks faster than a whole breast or parts.
At 1 hour short of when you intend to pull the plug on this, add the following ingredients:
- Can of Kernel Corn
- 1 Cup uncooked Basmati Rice
Stir everything in to the mix. The rice will soak up the extra moisture in the crock pot.
When everything is done and ready to serve an hour later, unplug the crock pot and add the Can of String Beans. Stir well and serve.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Rack, It Has Been One Year Since We Got You
Walking out of the room, I had to apologize. You saw that I was looking at you and you just rolled over onto your back. Stepping closer, I rocked back onto my heel for balance. You wagged your tail as you always have and managed to put it right under my foot.
Just a slight bit of pressure, you were too absorbed in the act of getting attention, having your belly rubbed, in the hallway and under the air conditioning intake.
Another normal day here.
I've had dogs with me since 2001. You are a very different soul. A bright and cheery puppy. A truly gentle and sweet personality. You came into my life a year ago. I had just lost my Lettie. You helped to fill that void. She and I battled for control all her life and eventually established a balance until she was too old to hold her end up in that bargain. Then she rolled onto her back once and only once and told me in that one time, that one time only, that her days were growing short.
You were shuttled from an uncaring owner in Rome, GA to a veterinarian's office where you were surrendered. From there, you made the trip to Ocala where you sat for 36 days being more confused. A McNab Dog is way too intelligent for that sort of abuse - sitting in a concrete bunker of a room, your personality spiraled away in fear. Then the Dog Liberator found you on the same day Lettie left me. I didn't know you yet, but within a week I would find you.
You see, I was told to find another dog. It was a very rough time for us, and you helped us as much as we helped you.
You are no longer shut down. In fact you have the reputation of being that puppy that jumps six feet in the air.
I'm sure we're getting talked about. There's one cranky woman with a Jack Russell here in town who crosses the street. You know that dog, the one who starts growling three houses away? I'm also thinking she needs to work with her dog a bit more.
In that year you shook off the depression you had from being abandoned. I'm sorry, "Owner Surrendered" is what they called it. Some people shouldn't own a picture of a stuffed animal, let alone a dog as intelligent as you are.
The Pit Bull attack two weeks ago is healing. You have on a T Shirt of mine since the scar is healing and itchy. That will fade, and we've allowed you use of the house again. I'm no longer on duty watching you every second.
We constantly are told how beautiful you are. That's the breed, but it is also you. Pure black and pure white, glistening in the sun. We are always told that you look healthy and well. That came with some effort. The Orijen food you turn your nose up at helped you heal and get rid of the mange around your eye. We purged your system of the worms, got your shots, changed to another kind of food that you could actually digest.
You thank Kirby for that every time you see him. He's one of your favorite people, a true Friendbeast for giving us the suggestion that brought you to robust health. When you see Kirby across the street you charge over to say hello as he pets you and you whine in happiness. When you hear him and his dog walk past the house, you sit up and wag your tail even if you can't see him through the window. Every motorcycle that goes by is Kirby. That little white lie helped you not be afraid of the roar of the motors that are everywhere.
His dog, D.O.G. accepts this and lets you get a little attention. Remember, D.O.G. is a 165 pound Rottweiler and not a sheep to be herded. He is getting tired of being climbed over and clambered on.
It has been one first year of many. There have been a lot of changes in your short life. The bad memories are fading, and replaced by many more good ones.
Keep watching over us. Grumble at the mailman. When the neighbor Bill comes over and I announce "Incoming", go to the front door to say hello.
Oh by the way, "Incoming" isn't his name any more than "Murph" is yours.
It's a busy, noisy, and complex neighborhood with a lot for a smart dog to wrap his head around. As you adjust we'll go further. For now, we'll stick close to the house. There is a lot to see within the mile that we wander three times a day. Sit by the door, wait for us to go out, then you can go. It's not just A Rule, it can save your life.
We're going into the hot season now. I'll let you in on a secret. Your black fur? That gets hot. We won't mind if you jump in the pool while we're out there. Really we won't.
So enjoy the world. It's a big one. There are a lot more things that we can do, when you're ready. You learned that Car can be fun. Walks can be fun. Other dogs aren't always fun but you are figuring out how to read that.
But.. we're fun, together.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
The Bacon Tree
The Bacon Tree
3 men are wandering hopelessly through the desert, having had no food or drink for days. When suddenly up ahead they see a tree.
"A tree!" Says the first guy, " Maybe there's water nearby!"
"Maybe it bears fruit" says the next man.
So they start walking towards it. As they get nearer they are shocked to see that there are pieces of meat growing from the branches.
"Bloody hell, there's bacon growing on that tree!" Says the first guy, and he runs straight towards it. As he gets there, he reaches out to grab a piece of bacon, when all of a sudden...BANG!...the guy is shot dead.
The other 2 men stop dead in their tracks.
"What was that?!" Says one of them.
Second one replies "That's no bacon tree...it's a ham bush!"
3 men are wandering hopelessly through the desert, having had no food or drink for days. When suddenly up ahead they see a tree.
"A tree!" Says the first guy, " Maybe there's water nearby!"
"Maybe it bears fruit" says the next man.
So they start walking towards it. As they get nearer they are shocked to see that there are pieces of meat growing from the branches.
"Bloody hell, there's bacon growing on that tree!" Says the first guy, and he runs straight towards it. As he gets there, he reaches out to grab a piece of bacon, when all of a sudden...BANG!...the guy is shot dead.
The other 2 men stop dead in their tracks.
"What was that?!" Says one of them.
Second one replies "That's no bacon tree...it's a ham bush!"
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Why Can't The Drums Stop?
Why Can't The Drums Stop
A man goes on vacation to a tropical island. As soon as he gets off the plane, he hears drums. He thinks, "Wow, this is cool."
He goes to the beach, he hears the drums, he eats lunch, he hears drums, he goes to a luau, and he hears drums. He TRIES to go to sleep, he hears drums.
This goes on for several nights, and gets to the point where the guy can't sleep at night because of the drums. Finally, he goes down to the front desk. When he gets there, he asks the manager, "Mister, that's it!! Why won't those drummers stop?! I can't get any sleep!"
The manager replies, "No! The drums must NEVER stop. It's terrible if the drums stop drumming."
"Why?"
"When drums stop... bass solo begins."
A man goes on vacation to a tropical island. As soon as he gets off the plane, he hears drums. He thinks, "Wow, this is cool."
He goes to the beach, he hears the drums, he eats lunch, he hears drums, he goes to a luau, and he hears drums. He TRIES to go to sleep, he hears drums.
This goes on for several nights, and gets to the point where the guy can't sleep at night because of the drums. Finally, he goes down to the front desk. When he gets there, he asks the manager, "Mister, that's it!! Why won't those drummers stop?! I can't get any sleep!"
The manager replies, "No! The drums must NEVER stop. It's terrible if the drums stop drumming."
"Why?"
"When drums stop... bass solo begins."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)