HungryChris

Linguini with clam sauce and toasted homemade garlic bread. One of our favorites. I don't cut daffodils usually, but these were just flopped over because of the sudden cold weather, so I did.

I would also like to add that in the summer months, Aldi has whole watermelons at less that half the price of any nearby store. As a result, I always have watermelon in the fridge all summer long, something that used to be a complete luxury years ago is now a "pantry staple". I cut it up into sticks for easy eating on the boat, at the beach or on the road. HC

Twin chopped kimchi and onion dogs with ballpark style mustard. These were Kayem Old Tyme Natural Casing cooked dirty water style. Any distraction is a good one when you are doing your taxes. HC

A similar sad commentary here as well. We can only hope that when the sun does come out, it will inspire these plants into a renewed vigor.

Shelby, I wish I could send some of this rain your way! Every morning I look at my asparagus bed and pull anything out that has come up that does not look like asparagus and so far, that means everything. In spite of the nasty weather here, my ramps are up!!

I have jokingly come to refer to this as "firehouse", "VFW" or "benefit" chicken dinner, but joke as I might, it is one of Deb's favorite meals. We are frequent cruisers and when this meal shows up on the ship menu, she is all over it. We recently went on a cruise in the western Caribbean and this meal never showed up on the menu so I decided to replicate it last night. Roast chicken, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, glazed carrots and giblet gravy. I like to take the big piece of chicken fat usually found just inside the body cavity, pound it out flat and make a little pocket under the breast skin and shove the flattened fat up in there to baste the breast as it roasts. You can just make it out under the breast skin on the upper left of this pic. This particular bird had a nasty rip in the breast skin which I attempted to repair with a little impromptu "field dressing". I make a simple mixture of mayo, smoked paprika, garlic powder, assorted spices and Cholula or similar hot sauce and paint it all over the outside of the bird with a pastry brush. HC

The burgers I cooked when we got home from vacation were nothing to look at, but the path I had to shovel to cook them was, perhaps, noteworthy. HC

As a matter of fact it was a crisp white, but I had to switch because even though it was "happy hour", that crisp white cost more than the oysters. Who knew? HC

Happy Hour (4 to 8 pm) at Sam's Blind Pelican, 1628 St. Charles, New Orleans, where you can get a dozen of the most wonderful char broiled oysters for $8.50. We took our time, but managed to march through 3 orders and probably an entire loaf of warm French bread before taking the street car back to our hotel. HC

1/2 doz oysters and a shared shrimp po'boy(dressed) at Acme Oyster House in the French Quarter of the Big Easy, made even better by the news that we missed out on a snow storm back home. HC

It is almost always the first reservation we make. HC

While I have not dealt with them in a while, I have had pretty good experiences with these folks. HC https://www.popswine.com/

End of the line breakfast. No, I'm not next up on death row, but this is the last of the St Patty's corned beef, last two slices of homemade bread (when the crumb goes crumbly, it's toast or croutons or the trash bin) and the last two eggs in the house. Now that the days are longer, Deb's BIL's chickens are really pounding out the eggs, so that will soon be remedied. HC

If you have never been to the Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Wynn Country Club, you might think about that as an option. The food (order the shrimp and grits side) is pretty great. The atmosphere and music, great as well and the views are spectacular. HC

Not sure where I got that from, James Herriot books or the BBC, but it didn't slow me down at all. The simple concept of putting a deposit on the "trolley" (as well as not giving out plastic bags) is just great. I was first introduced to that in Italy, along with the practice of requiring one to put on plastic gloves before handling produce. Watching person after person, rifle bare handedly, through every head of lettuce in a bin and throwing the rejects aside, as if worthless, now really catches my eye, here in the U.S. and makes me wonder how much waste could be avoided by a change in policy. It also makes me wonder how many people have already handled, and thrown aside, that same head of lettuce I am looking at. I find myself going more and more to the items that have been sealed up to minimize the issue. HC

Small snack foods in an effort to clean out the fridge. Hot wings, potato salad and TJ's shrimp pot stickers. HC

I have come to look forward to this American Pale Ale when I want a cold brew, now. HC

I bought six AO Stone Dry last fall on a recommendation from a relative. I still have 4 left. Not anything I would crave at all. I think I grabbed the second one as much to make room in the basement fridge as to quench my thirst from splitting wood. The next time I smoke pork, will probably be the next time I open one up to mop with. HC

The one near me is quite small too. Based on Google Earth map it has parking for 90 cars and appears to be 100 ' X 150 '. HC https://www.google.com/maps/place/175+River+Rd,+Lisbon,+CT+06351/@41.5851505,-71.9949806,157m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x89e67782387bede7:0x6779c0c669900d92

I think I use mayo mostly for spicy kimchi tartar sauce, coleslaw dressing and potato salad. All those have big vinegar components and I am pretty sure I could not distinguish the mayo used. For deviled eggs, not sure, but still don' think so. We are having small snack foods for dinner tonight, potato salad, chicken wings and gyoza. I like that I can buy a Kirkwood fresh chicken wing "six pack" at Aldi for $1.99 per lb. They are well over $3.00 for a much bigger pkg just about everywhere else around here.

Then you should be making your own mayo! I do not believe I have tried the TJ's Dijon mustard, at least not in a long while. I used to always have grey poupon on hand, but not any more. HC

I am also very fond of the Burman's Dijon Mustard, and like the almond and hazelnut stuffed olives as a snack or in a salad. Deb likes the milk chocolate coated butter cookies. HC

What I am saying is that if I had experienced what you mention above, I would not go there either, but this is far from my experience.

So you're comfortable saying that you have higher standards than any folks who are happy with the Aldi in their neighborhood, and that they just don't know good quality like you do? Pretty easy to say, but completely untenable. HC

My experience as well!!!