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Nasty Little Habits


chefreit

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Ah, MarketStEl! Your talk of potato chips has reminded me of the glorious chips I had when I was in NC last year! Lay's (I think) Dill Pickle flavor. I haven't been able to find any up here in Northern NJ, but I'm sure they're out there somewhere. They had the perfect balance of seasoning, salt and grease.

Is saliva bad for keyboards? :unsure:

"If you've heard this story before, don't stop me, because I'd like to hear it again." --Groucho Marx

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Up until I decided to REALLY learn how to cook a couple months ago (as opposed to occasionally slapping a couple of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a skillet, dousing them with store-bought marinade, and cooking 'em to death), junk food (from fast food joints, pre-prepared microwaved items, and pre-mixed convenience food) featured prominently in my diet.

My guilt levels were low, except for two items: The Steak, Egg, and Cheese Bagel from McD's, and Hostess Ho-Hos (or Little Debbie Swiss Rolls, which are identical).

Even in the darkest days of my culinary wasteland, when I was regularly (and quite happily) eating $2.00 vending machine sandwiches at work, I still felt pangs of guilt whenever I'd chow down on a super-greasy-but-oh-so-delicious Steak, Egg, and Cheese Bagel (and I upped the grease factor by having 'em put it on a McMuffin instead of a McBagel). Every time I order breakfast at McDonald's, I order two. Because one simply isn't enough. Unfortunately, two is, as it happens, too much, so I'm usually bloated and miserable after the 2nd.

As for Ho-Hos, they sometimes show up in the vending machine at work. And I quickly empty them out. Little three-packs of god knows what sort of chemicals holding the thing together, which I can wolf down in about 90 seconds.

As I learn to cook, and learn to eat less crap, my junk food habit will continue to fall by the wayside (as it already has, in the main -- I've eaten a home-cooked dinner at the table every night now for the past 10 days in a row).

But they can pry my Ho-Hos and my Steak, Egg, and Cheese McMuffins from my cold, dead hands...

* AB drinks one of those "Guiness Pub Draught" beers, with the nitrogen cannister in the bottom of the can.

* AB wonders what Budweiser would taste like with one of those...

<AB> . o O (Like shit, still, I should think.)

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....

As I learn to cook, and learn to eat less crap, my junk food habit will continue to fall by the wayside (as it already has, in the main -- I've eaten a home-cooked dinner at the table every night now for the past 10 days in a row).

But they can pry my Ho-Hos and my Steak, Egg, and Cheese McMuffins from my cold, dead hands...

Don't be too surprised if the day comes when you no longer want them. This time last year, my New Year's resolution was to eat a minimum of 3 servings of fruit, and 3 of vegetables every day, plus to just generally improve my eating habits.

So one day in late February, when the grocery, the night before, had had only bright green bananas and I was in banana withdrawal, I decided to treat myself with something I only rarely would allow myself to have. You know those little powdered sugar donuts that come 6 to a package? I had a passion for those things. There was a time in my life when I had them for breakfast every day, and often had to talk myself out of a second package. (And not always succeeded.) Mid-morning at work, I broke open the package, poured myself a fresh cup of coffee, and proceeded to chow down.

Ugh. What had been a craving was now a loathing. They tasted heavy, strange, and artificial, and I couldn't stand them. I even had a second bite to make sure I wasn't imagining things. But it had happened: my palate had changed because of all the fresh fruit and vegetables I was eating, and I no longer have any desire to have anything to do with them.

That's a good thing. I think.

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McD's fries were fantastic when they were still fried in beef tallow - those are the fries everyone remembers (can you say congestive heart failure). Clam strips from, I forget, was it Church's or Popeyes's - I think it was the latter. I will occasionally be driving down an Interstate and get a craving for a Big Mac - about every 2 years - then I wonder why. I'll still eat McD's double c'burgers when I'm going down the road, but at no other time and won't eat a 1/4 pounder cheese. Oh well. go figure.

From Dixon, Wyoming

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For us, run for the border.

When I was in my early twenties was transported to CA and fell in love with the place (twenty five cents per item, you could pig out on a couple of bucks).

Always missed them after returning to the East coast.

Now that they are everywhere, we go about once a year and spend about $35-40.

Mostly on the low end stuff (simple tacos and burritos) and engorge for three or four days.

It is a compulsion, but I guess this is what this string is all about.

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For us, run for the border.

When I was in my early twenties was transported to CA and fell in love with the place (twenty five cents per item, you could pig out on a couple of bucks).

Always missed them after returning to the East coast.

Now that they are everywhere, we go about once a year and spend about $35-40.

Mostly on the low end stuff (simple tacos and burritos) and engorge for three or four days.

It is a compulsion, but I guess this is what this string is all about.

I've never been able to eat that stuff unless it was just after closing time. Then I'd pig out on the grease.

From Dixon, Wyoming

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MicBacchus

There is a Golden Skillet in Hackettstown, NJ.

They don't offer chicken livers, (if they did,I

would try them) but the fried chicken, particularly

the thighs are unbelievable tastey.

WC cheeseburgers ring my bell.

Italian hot dogs ala Jimmy Buffs ring it also.

Home cooking, there is nothing as quick and

vile as placing a quarter pound of muenster with

the orange rind in a microwave until melted. You

have the saltiest, stringiest, flavorful glob of cheese

best eaten at midnight watching t.v.

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MicBacchus

There is a Golden Skillet in Hackettstown, NJ.

They don't offer chicken livers, (if they did,I

would try them) but the fried chicken, particularly

the thighs are  unbelievable tastey.

WC cheeseburgers ring my bell.

Italian hot dogs ala Jimmy Buffs ring it also.

Home cooking, there is nothing as quick and

vile as placing a quarter pound of muenster with

the orange rind in a microwave until melted.  You

have the saltiest, stringiest, flavorful glob of cheese

best eaten at midnight watching t.v.

The Sizzler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that's all I have to say about that............................................................ :unsure::unsure:

I Will Be..................

"The Next Food Network Star!"

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OK, here goes...........(takes a deep breath)

Sonic drive-through for a cherry limeade, tater-tots, and a hamburger with mustard.

Breakfast burritos with bacon and green chile.....a regional specialty.

At Whole Foods or Wild Oats I treat myself to a cinnamon raisin danish to eat on the way home (if my German Sheppard isn't in the back - because I hate to share this!)

Dominos pizza with mushrooms.

In NYC: Sabbretts hot dog with the works. Preferably in front of the Met. With a Dr. Brown's cream soda. (Chazerai and yet kosher!) :biggrin:

I'm a canning clean freak because there's no sorry large enough to cover the, "Oops! I gave you botulism" regrets.

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Though most of mine have already been listed, I just have to add a few...

Stuffed-crust pizza from Pizza Hut. What could make pizza better than more cheese?

Jreck Sub's seafood sub with provalone, lettuce and tomato on a white sub roll. Only the lettuce and tomato approach real food, but YUM - I love them anyways. :wub:

Wendy's Bacon Mushroom Melt (when they have it, it's a specialty item). Definitely a heart-attack waiting to happen.

Chili's Boneless Buffalo Wings with plenty of blue cheese dressing.

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Jack in the Box Sourdough Burger. I haven't lived in a state with one for almost ten years and still get one everytime I get the chance.

"See these? American donuts. Glazed, powered, and raspberry-filled. Now, how's that for freedom of choice."

-Homer Simpson

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there is nothing as quick and

vile as placing a quarter pound of muenster with

the orange rind in a microwave until melted.  You

have the saltiest, stringiest, flavorful glob of cheese

best eaten at midnight watching t.v.

oh my gosh, I thought I was the only one who did that!! I started melting Muenster cheese when I was a teenager in the 70s - I would lay out one of those double-wide slices on some foil and broil it in the toaster oven till it got crispy bubbly and so greasy! And I would just eat it with a spoon.

I usually nuke it now for speed, but sometimes I still use my toaster oven, since that really is the superior method.

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best --" and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called. - A.A. Milne

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Jack in the Box Sourdough Burger.  I haven't lived in a state with one for almost ten years and still get one everytime I get the chance.

I forgot about this. I get a Sourdough Burger every time I go down to the States (maybe every year or two). Nothing beats a Sourdough Burger, followed by an afternoon of shopping!

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  • 1 year later...

I'm ashamed to admit it here, but I like fast food.

Wendy's double cheeseburger

KFC

McDonald's Big Mac

ETA: I forgot to mention that I'm also guilty of liking fast food breakfasts - sausage egg mcmuffin, Burger King's croissanwich, Steak Egg & Cheese bagel from McD's.

Edited by Kris (log)
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Hostess Orange Cupcakes. Frozen.

That cold, chewy bite of brownie-textured cake with the firm frosting, and the cream almost as solid as fudge. The orangey-sweet goodness of the chewing and tasting, the savoring of the texture, the COLD firm candiness of it all.

There's a pack in my freezer right now. I just had a lime yogurt and a handful of colored goldfish, so maybe dessert. . .

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...snip (edited for brevity/clarity)

Red Lobsters ...have disappeared from Quebec...

yeah--does anyone know what that is about? is it a icensing or franchising thing? Red Lobster used to be my (embarassing) guilty pleasure.

Also, there's no KFCs in downtown Montreal anymore--the two closest are decarie and papineau--only in the suburbs. (?!)

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the ocean."

--Isak Dinesen

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Used to be my Monday Night Football meal. Like all good meals, it took time to "prepare." Although in this case, the preparing was mainly driving around:

First to Church's for the chicken and some big fat pickled jalapenos

Then to KFC for the cole slaw

Then to the grocery store for cold beer and Little Debbie brownies

Haven't had this meal in a very long time, but every year, when the nights begin to cool, and Hank Williams Jr asks, "Are you ready for some football?" I think, "Yep, and for my favorite 'junk meal,' too."

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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...snip (edited for brevity/clarity)

Red Lobsters ...have disappeared from Quebec...

yeah--does anyone know what that is about? is it a icensing or franchising thing? Red Lobster used to be my (embarassing) guilty pleasure.

Also, there's no KFCs in downtown Montreal anymore--the two closest are decarie and papineau--only in the suburbs. (?!)

If I'm correct I started this whole thread over RL's Cheddar biscuits. :rolleyes:

Still love'em one gastric bypass later, and 100lb's in the hole!

I Will Be..................

"The Next Food Network Star!"

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....

As I learn to cook, and learn to eat less crap, my junk food habit will continue to fall by the wayside (as it already has, in the main -- I've eaten a home-cooked dinner at the table every night now for the past 10 days in a row).

But they can pry my Ho-Hos and my Steak, Egg, and Cheese McMuffins from my cold, dead hands...

Don't be too surprised if the day comes when you no longer want them. This time last year, my New Year's resolution was to eat a minimum of 3 servings of fruit, and 3 of vegetables every day, plus to just generally improve my eating habits.

So one day in late February, when the grocery, the night before, had had only bright green bananas and I was in banana withdrawal, I decided to treat myself with something I only rarely would allow myself to have. You know those little powdered sugar donuts that come 6 to a package? I had a passion for those things. There was a time in my life when I had them for breakfast every day, and often had to talk myself out of a second package. (And not always succeeded.) Mid-morning at work, I broke open the package, poured myself a fresh cup of coffee, and proceeded to chow down.

Ugh. What had been a craving was now a loathing. They tasted heavy, strange, and artificial, and I couldn't stand them. I even had a second bite to make sure I wasn't imagining things. But it had happened: my palate had changed because of all the fresh fruit and vegetables I was eating, and I no longer have any desire to have anything to do with them.

That's a good thing. I think.

Yeah.

I used to buy every single thing in the cookie aisle at the supermarket on a rotational basis. Oreos (I loved these), Pocky (I can get pretty much every kind of Pocky here, especially if I hit Meidi-Ya or one of the other Japanese supermarkets), anything that had chocolate or caramel etc. Now I'm a snob and I don't eat anything that wasn't made by me. Well, rarely anyway.

I haven't yet lost the craving for McD's fries or hash browns, though. Every time I pass, I think about buying them, but it's a every six months, if that, craving. It does get easier the longer you stay away from them.

May

Totally More-ish: The New and Improved Foodblog

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I'm ashamed to admit it here, but I like fast food.

Wendy's double cheeseburger

KFC

McDonald's Big Mac

ETA: I forgot to mention that I'm also guilty of liking fast food breakfasts - sausage egg mcmuffin, Burger King's croissanwich, Steak Egg & Cheese bagel from McD's.

OMG: Dunkin Donuts #4 special; sausage, egg & cheese on a croissant with a LARGE ice coffee, lots of cream & no sugar. To DIE for! :wub:

"Commit random acts of senseless kindness"

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