Camping, Princess Style

[Shelby]

2 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

If you mean the big barrels, I think those are for tasting and supply. They pour into the squarish bottles of the size you choose, and then give them a special stopper that requires a bodacious press to shove it in. When I wondered aloud how I'd get the stopper back in once I'd opened a bottle, she told me that it has a built-in pour spout. I haven't taken the wrapper off one to see it yet (each bottle has a black plastic shrink-wrapped cap atop the stopper) but when I do I'll show you a photo of it.

Well.  I think someone should start making those barrel containers on a smaller size.  I think the oils would keep for longer.  Plus it's cool.  

[Smithy]

Amusing signs seen around Alamagordo:

 

[Smithy]

1 minute ago, Shelby said:

Well.  I think someone should start making those barrel containers on a smaller size.  I think the oils would keep for longer.  Plus it's cool.  

 

It is cool! The first winter in my new house, years before I met my darling, friends came up for a winter camping and skiing trip. They brought a mini-keg of beer as a house-warming gift. It's too long ago now for me to remember its size, but it was probably a couple of gallons' worth. Opening it was a bit of a mess because none of us had messed with something like it before, but the mini-keg was cool and it did keep the beer in good condition. Not that the beer lasted long enough to go off. 🙂

 

[ElsieD]

@Smithy  Are the vinegars balsamic?  If yes, i have a bunch of fruit flavoured infused ones and love them.  Wise buy on the kalamata olive oil - i love the stuff.  I also use a butter infused olive oil.  

[Smithy]

1 minute ago, ElsieD said:

@Smithy  Are the vinegars balsamic?  If yes, i have a bunch of fruit flavoured infused ones and love them.  Wise buy on the kalamata olive oil - i love the stuff.  I also use a butter infused olive oil.  

 

They had several balsamic vinegars although I can't swear that they all were. My problem is that I buy these things thinking they look like a wonderful idea, then don't get around to using them for donkey's years. At least the vinegars shouldn't go off, but I know I have bottles of citrus-infused balsamic vinegars at home from trips we took at least 10 years ago. I'm kinda like a culinary magpie: it's shiny, I pick it up, then take it off somewhere to stash. 🫠 I'm trying to change that, and one way is to stick with the more straighforward stuff I know I'll use. I do like and use the varietal olive oils.

[rotuts]

@Smithy

 

thank you for taking the time to show us the tour of that store.

 

I visited my sister in TX , north of Austin.

 

the H.E.B. in her town ( Georgetown ) had a Tortilleria , not quite as impressive.

 

the I visited the H.E.B in downtown Austin :

 

theirs was as impressive as the one you visited.

[Shelby]

24 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

They had several balsamic vinegars although I can't swear that they all were. My problem is that I buy these things thinking they look like a wonderful idea, then don't get around to using them for donkey's years. At least the vinegars shouldn't go off, but I know I have bottles of citrus-infused balsamic vinegars at home from trips we took at least 10 years ago. I'm kinda like a culinary magpie: it's shiny, I pick it up, then take it off somewhere to stash. 🫠 I'm trying to change that, and one way is to stick with the more straighforward stuff I know I'll use. I do like and use the varietal olive oils.

I think we're definitely related.

 

I bought a fancy brand chocolate sauce that I've saved for "a special occasion".  The other day I had some vanilla ice cream that I wanted to eat and decided that it was a good day to just break that out.  Why wait?

 

It was moldy 🤣

[Smithy]

1 minute ago, Shelby said:

I think we're definitely related.

 

I bought a fancy brand chocolate sauce that I've saved for "a special occasion".  The other day I had some vanilla ice cream that I wanted to eat and decided that it was a good day to just break that out.  Why wait?

 

It was moldy 🤣

 

Oh boy, I can relate! Laughs and frowns, all around!

[ElsieD]

I too am prone to pick up "shiny objects".  The other day I found a salted caramel chocolate drink mix in the cupboard.............dated Best Before 2023.

[YvetteMT]

Add me to the shiny culinary club.  And the save it for special club. 

 

[Jacksoup]

I was in El Paso a couple of years ago inI July, taking care of my SIL after open heart surgery. Went to the grocery store almost daily because I was making dinner and freezing meals for SIL, brother and adult nephew for after I left. The store was roasting chilies outside and it was always over 100 degrees, pity for the employee tending thre roaster. On one of the store trips, I dropped my phone between the console and seat, reached down to get it and my  left hand got stuck.  I had to sit there with my shorts on, showing most of my upper posterior thigh until I hollered at a nice lady and she came over and moved the seat lever back. Broke the bracelet, but I laughed all the way back to the house 😂

[Smithy]

35 minutes ago, Jacksoup said:

I was in El Paso a couple of years ago inI July, taking care of my SIL after open heart surgery. Went to the grocery store almost daily because I was making dinner and freezing meals for SIL, brother and adult nephew for after I left. The store was roasting chilies outside and it was always over 100 degrees, pity for the employee tending thre roaster. On one of the store trips, I dropped my phone between the console and seat, reached down to get it and my  left hand got stuck.  I had to sit there with my shorts on, showing most of my upper posterior thigh until I hollered at a nice lady and she came over and moved the seat lever back. Broke the bracelet, but I laughed all the way back to the house 😂

 

I've always wondered about the chile roasting season. This Lowe's had a roasting cage that was visible but not active, and didn't look like it had been in use recently. I assumed it meant that the roasting season stopped a few months after the harvest. Clearly, that isn't the case if you saw it in action in July!

 

I love your story! 😂

[C. sapidus]

8 hours ago, Smithy said:

I spent a few days in Alamagordo, New Mexico, which is near White Sands National Park; 

 

 

I am continuing to enjoy your travel reports, so thanks again (and again) for your posts.

 

Have you ever been up to Ruidoso or Cloudcroft? I expect they are probably snowed in this time of year, but they do feature some well-regarded mountain disc golf courses that I would like to play someday.

[Smithy]

22 minutes ago, C. sapidus said:

 

I am continuing to enjoy your travel reports, so thanks again (and again) for your posts.

 

Have you ever been up to Ruidoso or Cloudcroft? I expect they are probably snowed in this time of year, but they do feature some well-regarded mountain disc golf courses that I would like to play someday.

 

Thank you.

 

Ruidoso looks like a nice area, but hasn't been on our (my) list of good options for our visiting times. Same for Cloudcroft, I'm afraid. 

The closest I've been so far has been Tularosa, but I didn't notice any good disc golf courses there at the time. 🙂

 

[Maison Rustique]

12 hours ago, Shelby said:

I think we're definitely related.

 

I bought a fancy brand chocolate sauce that I've saved for "a special occasion".  The other day I had some vanilla ice cream that I wanted to eat and decided that it was a good day to just break that out.  Why wait?

 

It was moldy 🤣

 

The story of my life. I hang onto things too long waiting for just the right occasion.

 

@Smithy, I have never seen a supermarket with a tortilleria in it!! Wow!! I'd still be standing there watching it.

[Smithy]

6 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

@Smithy, I have never seen a supermarket with a tortilleria in it!! Wow!! I'd still be standing there watching it.

 

I'd probably try to buy one if I'd watched it much longer! Wouldn't that be a hoot to have at home, in your outdoor kitchen, right next to the giant grill?

 

Incidentally, that 10-pack of tortillas was only $2.99. Quite the bargain. In case someone's interested, here are the ingredients:

 

 

That's a very different ingredient list than for the flour tortillas I usually buy. The dough relaxers and conditioners are probably why they puffed up so much.

[Smithy]

Brunch today was a smaller version of yesterday's grilled cheese and tabbouli on jalapeno popper sourdough bread. Did you know bulgur would pop when it hits a hot griddle? I didn't, before now.

 

 

Getting back to the tortillas for a moment: there's still the question of just what to do with them. I made a road-food sandwich in Papa's Pan with one of them. For oil I used the salad dressing remaining in the bottom of the bowl after my dinner salad. I didn't bother taking a photo of the interior, but that's all right, because it was entirely forgettable except to remember not to make it again. The filling was several types of sliced meats and cheeses, all melted together in the wrap. I think I included salad greens, which is an unkind treatment for such delicacies. I didn't include pickles because it would be messy to eat. The process of cooking it in Papa's Pan worked well enough; the pan kept the wrap doubled over on itself until the interior set. The difference in color you see here is because I put all the salad dressing on one side and didn't want to make a mess trying to distribute it. I'd made enough mess already, and I'll tell you about that later.

 

 

I had more success once I got here, making a quesadilla of sorts. I tried the ridged side of my reversible grill, because I like the grill markings. Well, I like the grill markings from my panini press at home. I'm not so sure about this one.

 

 

(I think there was cheese in there. Maybe it's just a griddled sandwich.)