Morning Lasagna (and evening, too!)

Cindy's lasagna---Wonderful Any Time of Day

Cindy made her scrumptious lasagna for dinner last night.  It is so decadent that we only feast on it about once or twice a year.  The recipe she uses makes quite a bit, so there was plenty left over.  Naturally, I could not resist the temptation this morning of digging into the remaining delicacy.
 Now, I know lotsa' folks roll their eyes at the thought of something like lasagna for breakfast, but I am unencumbered by any such restrictions of thought when it comes to food.  Hells bells---if it was really good for dinner, it is gonna be really good for breakfast. 

Anyway, the above picture is my breakfast plate consisting of lasagna and garlic bread.  Oh yeah, babe.......it's gonna be a good day!

I got a few of her notes on this recipe....

---1 1/2 lbs ground beef with 1/2 lb Italian sausage

---Boil lasagna noodles until pliable and allow to continue cooking during baking

---Add chopped fresh parsley and fresh grated parmesan cheese to ricotta cheese with one beaten egg

---Use Ragu traditional spaghetti sauce in jar---less ingredients (preservatives) than other brands

BON APPETIT!





Cracker Barrel, Next Exit!!!

An American Interstate Tradition

Cindy and I have traveled extensively in the United States since we first met.  On our first trip together by car, I quickly discovered that she had a preference in eateries on the interstate---Cracker Barrel.

Have a rockin' good time on the front porch

Oh, of course we have eaten at establishments as varied as Waffle House and high-end restaurants; but day in and day out, we find that Cracker Barrel rules when it comes to consistently high quality, moderately priced meals that are predictably uniform state to state.  The service is generally fast and friendly.  Specializing in "southern comfort food", the chain operates in 41 states out of 591 locations.

Billing itself as "Cracker Barrel Old General Store", each facility is a combination general store with restaurant.  The store part specializes in knick-knacks, assorted crafts, canned goods and whatnot that mostly appeals to women. 

The country store is a magnet for women

As a guy, I can tell you that while Cindy is moseying all over the store, touching and feeling all their wares, I just want to eat and get away from the spicey smells of the store, which obviously acts as a magnet on the female of the human species.  Whatever.

The hearth and surrounding walls feature memorabilia

Oh---one other not insignificant thing---their restrooms are usually clean and nice---not a small consideration after having been in the saddle for hours.

As you await your order, play this little game

But let's get to the point, shall we?---the food.  They have a menu that is the same in Kentucky as it is in Illinois and Louisiana.  After you've been there a time or three, you know what you want.  Cindy can not only recite the Twenty-Third Psalm, she also knows the Cracker Barrel menu by heart.  In fact, there have been times she has corrected our waitperson on the contents of our order....."You forgot the grits", and "We were supposed to get gravy with the chicken fried chicken."  It's fun to watch.

What a way to start the day---Uncle Herschel's Favorite

We have pretty much decided on our standard breakfast of Uncle Herschel's Favorite for me (two fried eggs, grits ((yes---I like 'em)), buttermilk biscuits, preserves, hashbrown casserole and fried ham or chicken with gravy); and for her, the Sunrise Sampler (two eggs scrambled, grits with sawmill gravy, apple butter, fried apples and hashbrown casserole, and a sampling of bacon, country ham and smoked sausage).

Cindy's Chicken and Dumplings

Yes, my friends, after you've washed that down with two mugs of hot java, you're in no condition to be driving.  However, we hit the road anyway and pray that we can remain conscious until day's end, when we will probably look for another CB near our hotel.

My Chicken Fried Chicken

Dinner at the Barrel consists of chicken and dumplings for her and chicken fried chicken for moi.  Believe me, by the time you've downed the meat and the sides with cornbread, you are ready to crawl into bed. 

Tomorrow is another day.

Halloween Party!!!!

Me with my snake tattoo and fried/frizzed hair



Frontal shot of me with biker shirt and handcuffs

 Two weeks ago, our neighbors, Sandy & Ray, asked Cindy & me and two other neighborhood couples to attend a Halloween party at their home.  We told them we would be there.  For days, we discussed how we would dress up for the party.  We had a lot of fun just planning on how we would look.

Well, yesterday was the big day.  As you can see in the pictures, I decided to go as a "punk biker" type personna, and Cindy dressed up as a combination Betty Boop/Good Witch/Socialite.  It took Cindy a couple of hours to get my hair totally fried and frizzed and colored black.  She also drew a snake tattoo on my face.  I had on a biker shirt I have had (but never before worn) from a 1997 biker rally in myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Got me some handcuffs hanging from my belt, made me a phony marijuana ciggy, and I was ready to go.

Cindy in Wig with Spider

Cindy decked out in about two pounds of makeup, a ridiculous wig, black sexy dress, boa on her neck, and a crown that featured a veil and spiders.  (EEEEK!)

Sandy, Our Beautiful Neighbor

Suzan & Diane, Our Neighbors and Friends

Ray and Sandy were dressed for the occasion, as were Wayne and Suzan.  Wayne was the hit of the party with his "rat cap", which featured a dead Norwegian rat inside his cap, with its tail sticking out about eight inches in front of his face.

Wayne Blew Us Away With His "Rat Cap"

We were joined by Mike and Diane.  The eight of us had a blast, with good conversation and food.  The men even had a croquet game in the back yard.  Ray won the game, but there is widespread belief that he perhaps bent the rules a little.  Ha.

Ray Won the Croquet Game, but Did He Bend the Rules?  Ha.

Sandy decorated her home very creatively.  It was beautiful, with all manner of snakes, spiders, body parts and witches everywhere. 

Sandy Knows How to Decorate

BOOO!!!

Sandy's Mantle Above the Fireplace

And the food?  Oh, my gosh.  Delicious pulled pork, homemade baked beans with bacon, the best damn 5-cheese macaroni & cheese with jalapeno & grilled corn I have ever put in my mouth, and all manner of desserts.  The woman worked pretty hard to make this happen, and we had the best time ever. 

Put Some Heaven in Your Mouth

Suzan's Butter Cream Frosted Chocolate Cupcakes with Bones and Body Parts.  Yummm.

Picture of Cindy's Plate---Pork Sandwich, Baked Beans, Mac & Cheese to Die For

Making a scene at the end of the evening were Ray & Sandy's family pets, the very sweet Tyson & Abby.

Sandy Holding Tyson & Abby

We came home very full and thankful to have such wonderful friends.  Thank you, Ray and Sandy, for a beautiful and unforgettable evening!

Boo!!!

NOTE:  Cindy relates her version of events at the party on her blog

Let's Just Call This A Learning Experience...

Our Adventure Began Here

Cindy came home two weeks ago from a shopping excursion and told me about a Mexican supermarket she had discovered.  She said the name of it is "Fiesta", and they have a huge selection of south-of-the-border favorite foodstuffs.

The Food Court!

But the thing she really liked was the looks of the little dining area near the front of the store.  She said it appeared that they had all kinds of prepared Mexican food, which we love; and it also looked like they were inexpensive.  "We should go there!" she raved.

Prepping the Refried Beans

Well, today we did.  It was an experience.  The little cafe had most kinds of Mexican fare, preheated in a glass case.  I selected the tacos, rice and refried beans.  Cindy ordered the enchiladas with a salad, rice and beans.  We had to wait for about 15 minutes for the one server to get our order together.  The woman moved EXTREMELY S-L-O-W-L-Y.  I couldn't believe it.

Parmesan Cheese on Enchiladas?

Meanwhile, other customers were in line to place their orders and were becoming impatient.  When the server finally gave us our plates, she had two plates of enchiladas and no tacos.  I decided to just eat the enchiladas without complaint. 

Why Did God Make the Fly?---And Why Did He Make So Darn Many?

More fun began when we sat down on the picnic style tables they have in the dining area.  There was some dried food on the tabletops and some of Texas' larger flies were aggressively feeding.  We took our seats in one spot where there was little dried food and started to eat as our arms waved continuously at the buzzing insects.  Let me tell you the food was as bland and dry as it could be.  I have never before had Mexican food that was flavorless.  Also, inexplicably, the server had put parmesan cheese on the enchiladas.  I never heard of that, either.  Maybe it was an attempt to infuse some flavor into the dish?  If so, it didn't work.

It Is Important To Keep One's Sense of Humor!

I was so hungry I had to eat at least part of it.  Cindy found something mysterious in one of her enchiladas.  It was round and shiny---looked like the back of a cockroach to me, but Cindy said she thought it was a "gland" of some kind.  From that point on, Cindy ate no more enchilada, but she was also very hungry and decided to just eat the tortilla that surrounded the mystery meat. 

We won't be going back to the Fiesta market---at least, not to eat.  I told Cindy that although this was not a good experience, we will probably remember it longer than if we had had a good meal somewhere else.  I'm already laughing about it.

NOTE:  Cindy wrote about her version of today's lunch events on her blog at Cindy Ellison 

Clint's Dynamic Mushrooms

Ahhhh.......Just a really nice, light repast. Tender medium-sized mushrooms, grated onion, Monterrey Jack cheese, and liberal shots of Louisiana hot sauce and worcestershire sauce. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with your choice of wine and a light salad.

Nutritious and delicious. Easy to prepare. Light and healthy.