V is for Variation and Vegetables

I decided to make some Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni, but I didn't want just what I'd get from the box. I also was going to use more than a pound of hamburger, so I grabbed a box of Larry the Cable Guy's Bacon Mac-n-Cheese to expand the quantity as well as a can of corn and a can of tomatoes with mild green chiles. Of course, the box of mac-n-cheese had "liquid" cheese in it instead of powdered like the Helper, so I had to change things a bit in how I put it together. I also increased the quantity of water the Helper called for because I was going to be adding more uncooked macaronis to the pan.

I browned the meat and added the cup of hot water plus the pasta. Then I added the two cups of milk plus the cheese seasoning mix. Realizing I'd need more water to cook more pasta, I added another almost two cups of water. In hindsight, maybe half of that should have been milk for more flavor. But it still turned out OK. When the pasta was all cooked, I added the can of tomatoes with mild green chiles (think Rotel mild) and a can of corn that I had drained. I stirred it all together and then opened the package of "liquid" cheese from the second box into the mixture and stirred it until that had melted into everything. (If you've seen Cheez Whiz, you know what consistency I'm talking about.) I let it simmer on the very lowest flame I could (and the pasta STILL stuck to the pan!) and finally turned it off and served myself a bowl. I texted my daughter to come eat, too. I had made so much.

We have often added vegetables to our Hamburger Helper. It saves on having multiple pans that

need to be washed afterwards. Our favorite veggies to add are: tomatoes, corn and green beans. I wouldn't mind adding limas, but Deb's not a fan. Broccoli is also a possibility, but I'd probably have to partially cook that before adding it because HH is a quick meal and broccoli isn't quite as quick to cook.

By the way, despite my love of bacon, this particular kind of thing with added "smokey bacon flavor" is NOT improved by the addition. I'm glad I opted to add other items to the combination. 

But, that's where my variation and vegetables come from for this A to Z Challenge!

U is for Ungrateful

I got this idea from another Bubblewer. I needed to write my "U" and the one I wrote yesterday vanished because of site maintenance. So, I decided the comment I left her on her post could also be my article.

I've been accused of being ungrateful. I'm sure at times it was true - I'm human and I make plenty of mistakes. But, one person who frequently makes it a point to claim that I am ungrateful is someone for whom I am the MOST grateful to have in my life. But, sometimes, he doesn't think he gets the recognition he thinks he deserves. I know that part of it is that he has developed some insecurities, so he needs constant stroking to feel legitimized, But other times, it's just plain annoying. I really hate having to quantify my actions in order to prove gratitude. Like today, he called and asked me if I wanted anything from the store. I sent him a text with the few things that were on sale that I wanted and one thing that I needed. He brought them over and I do appreciate it since I don't have a car. But, I had told him I needed sandwich bags. He got me snack bags. I can't use them at all. They're way too small. But, I hated to bring it up to him because he views that as not being grateful since he went out of his way. First of all, he offered. I didn't ask. Secondly, he didn't get what I needed. He got something totally different that I can't use because they're too small. But, because I point that out, I'm not sufficiently grateful. I don't know how to even break even with thinking like that. It isn't that I don't appreciate the effort, but when I can't use the result, I'm stuck.

Fortunately, I have the receipt and as long as I get a ride to the store, I can exchange these for the size I need.

T is for Telling Your Children the Facts of Life

A friend sent me a joke today that I'll add at the end of this story. I responded to her that it reminded me of when I told my son how babies got inside mamas. He was way little, but he kept asking how babies got inside mom's bellies, did the dads cut them open to plant the seed, etc. Very precocious for a 2 yr old!! I explained as simply as I could (because the traditional simple answers just weren't cutting it for him) and the next time he and his dad went out for a drive, his dad came home absolutely FURIOUS at me!! He started telling me I was teaching Paul perversions, etc. I was shocked at how unglued he was over something like this. Believe me, I wasn't all that comfortable relating the information, but I've always understood that the time to tell a child is when they're ready to be asking.

Well, it seems they went down to look at the "girls" who hung out on 25th street and, Paul being such cute little guy, girls would pay attention to this adorable kid and dad would soak it all in. Well, Paul says to his dad, I know how ladies get babies in them. His dad looks at him and says, really? How? Paul says, "Men pee in them!" 

OMG - the spit almost literally hit the fan!!! But, it's still funny because I didn't go into GREAT detail because I wanted it to be a basic and simple answer. Well, Paul put two and two together and using what HE knew about his anatomy, came to the only logical conclusion. But, it sure did get me into a world of trouble!!!

How did it turn out when you told YOUR kids??

Here's the joke that made me think of this:

An 8-year-old girl went to her grandfather, who was working in the yard and asked him, "Grampa, what is couple sex?"

The grandfather was surprised that she would ask such a question, but decided that if she's old enough to know to ask the question, then she's old enough to get a straight answer.

Steeling himself to leave nothing out, he proceeded to tell her all about human reproduction and the joys and responsibilities of intercourse.

When he finished explaining, the little girl was looking at him with her mouth hanging open, eyes wide in amazement.

Seeing the look on her face, the grandfather asked her, "Why did you ask this question, honey?"

The little girl replied, "Grandma says that dinner will be ready in just a couple secs."

+BirdsAndBees +FactsOfLife +Children +Sex +Jokes +Introuble

Photo is mine. It was taken in 1984 at my parents' house on my son's 3rd birthday.

S is for SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING!!

When I wrote this, we were right in the midst of a "severe thunderstorm". I hate these things!! The cats heard it before I did. They were not really happy about it, but they deal better than I do. When I got a storm warning from Weather Channel, I knew it wa an ugly one. The kind that's one lightning strike after another with rolling thunder. 

It figured because I finally got the TV back in working order (I remembered I had to plug the audio and video cables back into the digital antenna after taking them out of the DVD player). Even though I should have unplugged it, I hate being alone in these storms, so it gave me other people to listen to. It didn't feel like it was just me.

I was concerned for my daughter, though. She had to work at her second job. She's a valet for a reception center. So, she was parking cars and running to retrieve them when the festivities were over - whether it was raining or not. I hate thinking of her out in this kind of storm and being so vulnerable in an expansive parking lot. Not that she's a child any longer, but she's still MY child.

The image is from Wikimedia Commons and is very much like our lightning is right now (although since I started typing, it seems to be moving farther away.)

Previously published on Bubblews.

R is for Racism

I hate racism with every fiber of my being!! Perhaps I shouldn't use the word"hate" considering racism is a form of hate. But racism is a cancer on the world. It's first cousin, bigotry, shares many of its characteristics. A primary characteristic is fear of others who are different. They look different, so they become the objects of hate. They sound different, so they become the objects of hate. They wear "funny" clothes, speak a different language, eat their food differently - even eat different food. No matter what it is, that "difference" marks them for hate in the eyes of those who fear.

I can't think of any one human characteristic that I despise more than this one. We are HUMANS!! It doesn't matter what color our skin is, what religion we believe, what nationality we are, whether we're born with a perfect body or a birth defect.....we are HUMANS!! We breathe the same air. We bleed the same blood. Our bodily functions are identical. We get pregnant the same way, babies develop the same way, we're all born naked, we fall in love, we laugh, we sing, we play, we have injuries, we develop illness, we die. ALL THE SAME!!!

I wish to God I could wipe this human flaw from the face of the earth! There is nothing more vile or debasing than hating someone because of their mere existence. It makes me want to just scream!!

Q is for "Q" Words - New Vocabulary

Although I'm not a fan of using lists for this challenge, I'm just not in a mood for deep thinking this morning. This should have been done yesterday, but my mood combined with Bubblews's downtime delayed things a bit.

Q is one of those letters that we sometimes wonder about - why does it even exist when we can phonetically replace it with K? I'm sure the etymology goes back to the original Latin or Germanic and those origins have been carried forward to today. Still, as simple as using "K" might seem to be, English is an already confusing enough language what with all the homonyms we have that are often mixed up. A few you might recognize are: two, to and too; their, there and they're; to name a few of the most obvious. I've even seen "are" written instead of "our", but that's not a true homonym - that's just allowing a regional pronunciation of "our" dominate. My daughter says "sell" instead of "sale" - I've seen people actually writing that same error, so I know she's not alone in that.

At any rate, I thought just introducing a few "Q" words with their meanings might allow this listing to be more educational than a simple list would be. Here is that list.

Quagmire - Yes, that IS the name of a character on Family Guy (giggity!), but the true meaning is 1) a bog where the ground is semi-solid but gives way to pressure; 2) a situation that's difficult to get out of.

Quintessential - the pure essence of a particular thing or the perfect embodiment of (My mother was the quintessential housewife.)

Quandary - similar to quagmire. A difficult situation that is hard to resolve.

Quesadilla - a cheese tortilla; a Mexican grilled cheese. Can also have marinated and grilled meats and veggies added. Served with salsa and sour cream.

Quinceanera - a Hispanic "coming out" party where a girl who is turning 15 is introduced to society, celebrated with a large fiesta, a church Mass, dancing and lots of food.

Quinoa - a grain or seed from a tall crop plant grown primarily in Peru, Chile and Bolivia. Can be used in place of rice. Word origin is Incan in the Quechuan language.

Queue - a line or an established order based on time of arrival. Pronounced simply "Q". 

Quadriplegic - a person who has lost the use of all four extremities (legs and arms). Usually the result of a severe spinal injury.

There are lots of other Q words, some even without the "u", but this should give you an idea of the variety that can be found.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Post first published on Bubblews.com.

P is for Pickles

I don't like pickles. There was a time, when I was a little girl, that I would eat them, but only the centers of the slices, leaving the rind ring behind. I don't know why. I also used to suck the pimento out of olives, but never eat the olive. Don't do that anymore, either. Won't eat either one (black olives are ok, though). Things change, tastes change, new ways of approaching those things are introduced into one's life. That is what this post is about.

I bought meat yesterday in order to make German Rouladen. It is thin sliced beef (often pounded thin to tenderize) that is spread with stone ground mustard and then rolled around a center of onions, a pickle spear and bacon. I still won't eat pickles, but I've had rouladen and thoroughly enjoy it. Even my daughter ate it and she hates anything with vinegar in it.

The image I chose is of pickles sliced lengthwise. I'm thinking of using them for this recipe rather than a thick spear (1/4 of a pickle). That's what I used before and it gave the meat the bite it needed without being overwhelmingly "pickle-y". I mean, the beef is the dominant ingredient, right? All these other ingredients should enhance the meat, not compete with it.

That's the plan anyway, although I have a backup plan waiting. If I can't get to the store to get these pickle slices, I have pickle relish that I can spread with the mustard instead. That might even work better since I won't have much leftover to have to find a use for. It's a small jar.

My mother liked to put vinegar into her chili and on her green beans. I'm going to have to look the chili one up to see if it was a personal flavor discovery of hers or if it's maybe a regional or ethnic option that I never knew about. I just knew that when we'd have chili, the vinegar cruet had to be on the table. She was the only one who used it.

So, do you like pickles? Or anything that is pickled? I actually do like three bean salad which is kidney beans, green beans and yellow beans that have been pickled. I like it with my lettuce salad. And, I like fried pickles. That surprised me when I learned that - but the frying really takes over that sour pickle taste that I dislike so much. I even like vinegar on my fish and chips (or any fried fish). That's another thing that changed as I matured.

Credit for the photo goes to Kudos Kitchen By Renee. I needed the perfect photo of the pickles I wanted to use and her blog had it. I've included her link because what she does is make a rather tasty looking oven-fried pickle with those slices, so if you are interested in trying it, you'll find her recipe and instructions by clicking on the link in this paragraph.

O is for Online Grocery Shopping

One of our local grocery chains allows you to shop for groceries from home. You can get all the current sales prices, have access to everything in the store and get to have someone else deal with the crowded aisles. They charge $10 above the regular prices. If you want delivery, it's another $5.95. This is great for people who can't get out like they used to or people like me who don't always have easy access to a car to go do shopping. 

When I was living with my mother taking care of her, I placed her grocery order several times online because I didn't want to leave her alone too long - and I take a while when I shop. So, they'd do the shopping for me and then I'd go pick up the groceries at the selected time. All it took was the time to get there, pay and come back home. Mom didn't have to be alone for very long that way.

Now I'm considering doing it again. My daughter has a car and I've put money into it as well so we would have a car to use, but she has plans with it every single night. If I want to use it, it's "I'm going out later, so don't be long." Grocery shopping? It ain't gonna be quick. So, I don't go.

Tonight a friend took me to dinner and we stopped at the one grocery we've been going to recently and I did get a few things there, but I know there are other things that are on sale this week only that I want to stock up on. This is ShopRite's twice-annual can-can sale. Canned goods are super low priced and we use canned goods frequently (corn, green beans, tomato products especially). They also have a sale on London Broil (aka Flank Steak) that's really good. I want to get some so I can cut it into smaller pieces and make beef tips or stew. Already cut stew meat costs more per pound than the price they have right now.

And, I need some more cat litter. I bought a small bag today at the one grocery, but some things there just aren't as cheap as they are elsewhere, even though other things are. Like, bananas were marked down from $.29/lb to $.10/lb. From the looks of it, they got a whole lot more than they usually do and wanted to sell them as fast as possible. They weren't even over ripe!

I was able to buy six pounds of ground beef, marked down, for $8.30. That's just over $1.38/lb for 81% lean ground beef (beef mince). I also got some thinly sliced top round steak that I'm going to make rouladen with. That was also marked down. I got 2 pounds for $10.11. If you're familiar with braciole, you'll have an idea what these are. I think they're just a slight bit thicker. These thinly sliced pieces of beef are then wrapped around stone ground mustard, onions, bacon slices and a pickle spear, secured with either skewers or kitchen twine, and browned. They are then, usually, braised in a mix of beef broth and seasonings until fully cooked and fall apart tender. Now, I do NOT like pickles, but I thoroughly enjoyed this when I made it. And, that's even though I did it all wrong! So, I'm looking forward to the difference doing it right will make. Here's one recipe (whose photo I borrowed for this) that you can try. She used Dijon, which is OK, but the stone ground or German mustard is more authentic. I like her idea of egg noodles, too, since I don't have the patience to be making spaetzle.

Anyway, that's about it for this entry of the A to Z Challenge. I'll be calling the supermarket in a couple days to make sure things work the same at my local store as they did when I lived with my mother. And then, it's a-shopping I will go!

First published to Bubblews.com.

M is for Meatloaf - FIESTA MEATLOAF

I decided to tell you about this meatloaf. I'm a meatloaf fan, for sure. I especially like it cold for sandwiches. But, when my daughter made this meatloaf a few years back, I was skeptical and expected a totally different flavor than what it turned out to have.

No lie - this was DELICIOUS!! At the time, I wasn't a fan of black olives. But, they added fantastic flavor to this. And, don't freak out about the green chiles - the ones in those little 4 oz cans are so mild, and when you also have green peppers in there, their taste is pretty much not noticeable. The salsa adds that tomato-ey goodness we often like in meatloaf as well as onions and moisture. This is seriously good meatloaf.

I am thinking that when I finally get to the grocery, I'll be buying some black olives and green chiles. It might just be time to revisit this one!

Do you like meatloaf? Do you do anything out of the ordinary with yours?

First published to Bubblews.com before posting here. Photo is from a website full of ethnic recipes, this being one of them. recipesethnicfoods.com/fiesta-meatloaf-recipe/.

J is for Just Desserts

I don't come from a dessert eating family - at least, not in the sense that we had dessert after every supper. But, my mother loved to bake and both parents loved ice cream (Dad always had Hershey's syrup on hand for that and for chocolate milk), so some sort of dessert-like sweet treat was usually available. Not to mention all the treats Mom would bring home from the bakery when she was there until closing.

Even when I go out, having something sweet at the end of the meal isn't the norm. Personally, I love finishing off with a dinner roll as much as others like something sweet. But, that doesn't mean there aren't sweet treats I don't like or wouldn't want to try. I'm just not the baker my mother was, so it's unlikely I'll be making them.

To that end, I have a Pinterest pin board dedicated to "Desserts to Drool Over". I have several subscriptions to recipe blogs, so I receive recipes or meal ideas every single day. When I find one I particularly like the looks of, whether it is dinner or dessert, I'll pin it on one of my two food boards. (My main board is "Main Courses That Make You Go mmmmmmm".)

Here is the link to my desserts board. (Desserts to Drool Over) Feel free to check it out and go to any of the recipes the images are linked to if you are interested in making any of them. Mainly, I just look at them and savor the image. 

Are you a dessert lover or just a dessert collector like me?


Previously published to my foodie blog. foodie-speaks-eats-cooks.blogspot.com/2012/04/j-is-for-just-desserts.html before being published to Bubblews.com.

H is for Hibachi Grill, Sushi and Chinese Buffet

Went to dinner tonight with a friend. I wasn't too interested in going here, but it was this or another place I wanted to go to less, so we ended up going to the Teppanyaki Grill and Supreme Buffet. I figured that since it included a hibachi grill, it would be my perfect 'H' topic for the A to Z Challenge.

Now, I learned something while I was looking for appropriate photos to include with this. One is that teppanyaki grill and hibachi grill are not the same things. A teppanyaki grill is basically a flat top grill similar to those we are all familiar with in diners where all the burgers, eggs, bacon, hash browns and other traditional flat grilled items are cooked. Different sections are different temperatures depending on the amount of heat being applied underneath. These apparently began to appear in Japan after the war was over, but because they weren't overly popular with the native Japanese (they offered more Western-style foods), they became popular with the tourists who were now flocking to see Japan. They then arrived in the USA during the 1960s when Benihana began to offer their cooking entertainment to all who wanted to see flying shrimp, balancing eggs and

flaming towers of onion rings. Plus, a flat top grill was a much better place to incorporate rice into the show since there was no grill to fall through. I found an image of a teppanyaki chef to include with this story.

Meanwhile, Hibachi Grills are very similar to our own charcoal or gas grills. I have included a photo of one I found online being sold on Etsy. It looks almost identical to the one my parents bought while we were in Venezuela. My daughter now has it, but I have no idea where. We need to find it because it does no good being stored somewhere and never used. I like that it has notches where the grills can be raised and lowered depending on how direct you want the heat to be on the food. And, because there are two grills, one can be hotter than the other. Or, you can keep a pot warm on the top notch. Perfect for camping, I think.

My friend is a fiend for sushi. He had at least three plates of it when we first got to the restaurant. Then he had raw oysters and clams (or was it mussels?) After that, he had the Teppanyaki chef cook him some steak to order. Then he made the rounds of the various buffet tables for some more to fill his bottomless stomach.

I had eaten the last of my sweet and sour chicken and fried rice for breakfast, so I wasn't really in the mood for more Chinese food, but this restaurant also has roast beef, salmon, ham, Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo and other non-Chinese offerings. I had the roast beef, some ham, some fettuccine and a few pieces of General Tso. I finished that and went back for some fried flounder and something else that I'm blanking out on. Can't believe I can't think of what it was. 

When we finished, we got some ice cream. I had chocolate chip mint.


Hibachi grill photo borrowed from a seller on Etsy because it's identical to the one we own and I can't find that one to take a picture.
Teppanyaki chef photo from Wikimedia Commons.

Previously published on Bubblews.com.

A is for Alpha (my Bubblews plunge into the A-Z Challenge)

Most have heard the phrase "The Alpha and The Omega" - the beginning and the end. This frequently is a reference to Jesus, the Messiah of Christianity. He is the beginning and the end because He has no beginning and no end.

But, the metaphor actually came from the Greek Alphabet (Alpha-Beta). Alpha was the first letter and Omega was the last letter of the Greek Alphabet. Thus, the first and the last, or the beginning and the end.

Alpha is used in other ways as well. I will list a few here.

Alpha - a rank, often followed by "male", showing hierarchy within a group. Alphas are the leaders.

Alpha, New Jersey - an incorporated town in northwestern New Jersey, county of Warren, established in 1911 whose incorporation was signed by Woodrow Wilson, then governor. There are other towns in the USA named Alpha as well.

Alphas - a science fiction series on the SyFy television network

Alpha particle - a form of particle radiation

Alphas - people with the highest intelligence and social status in the Aldous Huxley novel Brave New World

Alpha Quadrant - one of the four quadrants in the Star Trek universe

And, there you have several different uses of the word Alpha. There are more, but I think these might be the most familiar or most easily recognized.

Image is from Wikimedia Commons

First published to Bubblews on July 1.