lesfen

An empty wine rack that I have never used and a fly swatter. I'm too short to reach anything up there anyway.

Mine is still on my porch, under a cover, and will remain there until after Christmas. We usually have a second Christmas dinner the day after with my step-son and I always grill up some pork tenderloins. The brats were wonderful! I boiled them off in some beer and water and then threw them on the grill until they were crispy. Nothing fancy. The wind didn't kick up until well after we were in bed, so the actual grilling went off without a hitch. Served them up on some squishy hot dog buns with spicy mustard and tater tots. Oh yes. Tater tots. Unfortunately they were baked, as I didn't want to stink up the house with the deep fryer, but they were still really good. My husband had some coleslaw and I had some cottage cheese on the side. At the end of the day it was all about the comfort food.

LOVE that place, altho' I don't get up to Cleveland as often as I'd like. The West Side Market usually ends up as a quick side trip if we're already up there for something else. And yes, those really are the best brats ever! These brats actually came from Hartville and they're pretty darn good... but I don't think I've ever had a bad brat.

My Christmas' haven't been the same since I met my husband. We still have a great time at Chrismas, don't get me wrong, but I miss the old days. When I was a kid, my parents always had kind of an "open house" Christmas Eve. My mom would make a big meat and cheese tray for sandwiches, cheese balls, chips and dips, cookies, etc... easy stuff to keep out for the visitors that would be wandering in and out over the course of the evening. After my parents went to bed, my siblings and I would creep out into the living room and wait for an appropriate time to wake them up again. We thought that 2:00am was perfectly reasonable! We would sit out there in our PJ's and go through our stockings, shake presents, watch crappy Christmas videos, and just talk until they came out. I'm not kidding... we did that until I was about 28-years-old, and we would still be doing it if my husband's family didn't have a family reunion every Christmas Eve. Actually, now that I think about it, my brother and sister still do it without me. After the presents are opened, my dad makes eggs, bacon, home fries, and toast for breakfast. This is about the time that I show up... just in time to help mom start Christmas dinner. We always have roast beef and it's always the best roast beef of the year. The rest of the day is spent eating, drinking, playing Euchre, and playing any of the board games that we received.

I'm having brats tonight, baby! I'll be the crazy one grilling in my snowsuit.

I gotta move. Those pictures are making me lightheaded... keep 'em coming.

Is it BAD for me to actually be hoping for a holiday potluck, this year? I just want to acually be able to photograph some evidence.

My husband is very supportive and is usually delighted in the things that my obsession produces. He does not cook, but he's a gadget geek at heart and loves to play with all of my toys. My family is more amused than supportive. They will eat, and seemingly enjoy, the things that I make but will always throw out a "Les always makes fancy food.", which embarrasses me. I brought my pepper mill with me at Thanksgiving and my dad kept demanding "Les' fancy pepper". So funny.

I made a nice pot of tortilla soup last spring for a house full of guests, one of whom was not someone that I enjoy entertaining. I was a little on edge, as the offending guest was running her mouth in the next room, and while chopping some cilantro, I took off the tip of my index finger. Yeowch. I threw away the cilantro, bandaged the finger, sterilized my knife and board, and started over.

Corn dogs with hot Chinese mustard.

Oh Sandwich, my sandwich. That is awesome.

After a bit of a rough patch, my two-year-old will eat almost anything that you set in front of her. She LOVES veggies, but I'd be willing to bet that if I asked her what she wanted to eat she would say "chick-en nug-gets... french fries". (You have to imagine this coming at you from a two-year-old princess with a squeaky voice... yet enunciated like Forrest Gump. )

Hey Grub... I don't think that looks bad at all. How did it taste?

I've spoken many times of the horrible potlucks that I've endured at the hands of my co-workers, so I won't go there... until I actually have some pictures to post. The worst thing that I have ever brought to a potluck could have been prevented if I would have just taken a moment to think about the people that I would be eating with. I think it was Thanksgiving with the in-laws... anyway, they told me to bring a veg. I kept thinking that the only veg dishes I had ever seen on their tables were lima beans, green bean casserole, and corn. Yawn. Boring! I had come accross a recipe for a tomato and artichoke bake that I thought sounded wonderful. Tomatoes, artichoke hearts, S & P, butter, and a bread crumb crust on top. Simple, full of flavor, can't miss!! When it was complete, I tried it and it was really good. A little tart, but still really good. I was excited. When we arrived and I uncovered that dish... oh, the expressions on their faces... you would have thought that I took a crap in a casserole dish and tried to pass it off as dinner. No one would touch it. No one. Not even my husband!!! I was the only one eating it and BEGGING for anyone to just TRY it! Nope. Sigh. I've learned my lesson. I'll just bring the beer and be done with it.

Ohhhhh... sweeet! I love venison. I never notice any gaminess... it's just it's own thing. I treat it like beef and I will sub it as such.... not to mention the jerky. Oh I am so envious.

Wow... this is addictive.

Fried chicken breast cutlets would be good. So would the Popeyes. I'd say chicken fried steaks too. And fried pork chops. ← Oh snap... pork chops! That should be the winner.

Mmmm... I vote for bratwurst. There's something magical about syrup and sausage. Edited to add that I don't eat bratwurst for breakfast, so it's different and therefor should be an option.

Relish Tray!!! Hell yes!! Lesfen family relish tray includes: Dill Pickles (no one in the family likes sweet (or brean 'n butter) pickles Green Olives Black Olives (size not important... we'll make 'em fit on our fingers) Pickled Cauliflower Hot Peppers That's it. The problem... no one in the family has canned peppers or cauliflower since my Uncle Tom passed away. I don't know what we're gonna do when our supply runs out... which will probably be this year.

Bud Light isn't really the best that light beer can do, but it's a solid mid-range example of what a light American lager tastes like. A lot of the putdowns light beer get are because of misunderstandings. For one, if you view it from the context of traditional beer, it seems bland, kinda like vodka to a whiskey-lover. To appreciate light beer you have to look at it as its own category with its own goals. Another problem is that a lot of people mix up the drink with the sort of people who prefer to drink it. Don't knock it till you've tried one mixed properly. Mix up a good Skip & Go Naked, a Flaming Dr. Pepper, or one of those other declasse 80s drinks that everyone always stereotypes. You might be surprised. Here, I'll even get you started. "Skip & Go Naked" 2 ounces gin 1 ounce Rose's lime juice 12 ounces Bud Light Combine in a pint glass and serve. ← Our version of "Strip & Go Naked" involved a can of lemonaid concentrate, the same can of vodka, and six beers... altho it has been disputed on many, many occasions. Nasty. It was good 10 years ago.

NOOOOOO!!

Dear Santa (or hubby/mommy/MIL), I'd really like another Santoku hollow edge knife. I've never been more comfortable with a knife than I am with the one than I have now and it's a crappy Kitchen Aid. I also need a meat thermometer... bad. Thanks. Les p.s. I'd also like some candy. I know that I just gorged myself on Halloween candy, but I'd really like some more.

Sorry Melissa... two years is a long time to go without thinking about Mike's Place. I too lived within riding distance of Mike's place... actually, two apartments in either direction! Now it's just a short car ride away. Sigh. I just wish I could get a menu to post. It really is the perfect menu for this thread. As for the dump breakfast, I can't remember everything that's in it, but I know that involves homefries, various breakfast meats, eggs, and hot pepper rings. Ugh. I have heartburn just thinking about it. I actually let them cater my wedding, if you can believe that!

Damn it... There's a local greasy spoon that has a HUGE (and hilarious) menu that I wanted to post, but they've taken it off of their site. Damn. Their most popular breakfast item is "The Dump Breakfast". It's four pages and the type is microscopic. Each item has a little blurb about it written by Mike. I wish I could get my hands on the damn thing... it's so perfect when you see the outside... Yeah, that's a model X-Wing Fighter. But wait, there's more... Yeah, that's a bus. They have booths in it. Yeah, that's a castle. They have a banquet hall in there. I had my rehearsal dinner in there. It was quite... um... regal. Yeah, regal.

Oh Snowangle... you are one lucky Mommy!! That is a gorgeous pie!! My 23 month old can now identify coriander, mustard seeds, and rosemary on sight from my spice rack. (Sniff) I'm so proud.