eG Foodblog: lovebenton0, Pam R, snowangel - North of the 30th paralle

[snowangel]

So, we're having grilled sandwiches tonight (I think they are now called pannini!). Paul and I had a discussion about this during our non-dinner last night, and his mom always used Crisco to "butter" (his word) the bread. Now, while I have Crisco on hand for pie crust in case I don't have lard, Crisco on a gilled sandwich? Comments?

[Dejah]

Wow! Thanks for the picture of the Paddle Wheel Cafeteria, Pam. The food looks the same as it did when I used to eat there in the mid-sixties! I had forgotten about that place. We still shop at the Bay, but mostly on the floor with the women's clothing. I remember sitting at one of the U-shaped counters. Are they still the same?

Do you like the malts at the food bar in the basement? They are thick and chocolatety. Once in a while, we'll remember and take the escalator down for one.

Eaton's Grill Room was classier. I miss Eaton's!

[Pam R]

Pam, parts of that lunch look just horrid, but when a working woman's got to do what she's got to do, you eat stuff (or pretend to eat the stuff).

Some of it really was horrid! I was going to take a picture of the remains... but they didn't look so hot. Dinner tonight should (hopefully) more than make up for lunch.

I have a Hudson's Bay Blanket, thanks to a gift from my great aunt Laura.  She and one of her husbands got it in Canada in the 30's.  I've been told it's valuable.

There is nothing better than a Hudson's Bay Blanket.

Wow! Thanks for the picture of the Paddle Wheel Cafeteria, Pam. The food looks the same as it did when I used to eat there in the mid-sixties!  I had forgotten about that place. We still shop at the Bay, but mostly on the floor with the women's clothing. I remember sitting at one of the U-shaped counters. Are they still the same?

Do you like the malts at the food bar in the basement? They are thick and chocolatety. Once in a while, we'll remember and take the escalator down for one.

Eaton's Grill Room was classier. I miss Eaton's!

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I haven't been in the basement in years. I don't remember every having a malt - but I'll have to make a note of it for the next time I'm there. Generally, if I go to the Bay I go to the new one at Polo Park (replaced Eatons) - so I don't get there often.

Eaton's Grill Room was classier. We were talking about that during lunch. The Paddle Wheel was where my grandmother went for lunch during the week (she worked in the Boyd building about a block away). When she met her friends for lunch, it was always the Grill Room. I miss Eaton's too.

[Pam R]

Crisco on a gilled sandwich?  Comments?

Butter. It needs to be butter.

[MelissaH]

Judith,

I think (someone will surely tell me if I'm not correct) that Quinn's the first service dog we've seen in a foodblog. On this side of the Atlantic, many food-related places, such as grocery stores and restaurants, ban animals except for service dogs.

When you're feeling better, could you tell us about any educating you've needed to do in your area so that Quinn's allowed to shop with you? Do you have trouble with people wanting to bother and distract him when you're trying to get your soup-making materials and he's working? Or do you live in a small enough town that after the first introduction, everyone just says, "Hi, Judith! Hello Quinn!" and that's the end of it?

MelissaH

[Pam R]

BTW - mom wants me to point out that she's sure some of the women working in the Paddle Wheel today worked in the Paddle Wheel 40 years ago.

I want to point out that the same can be said for a lot of the customers.

[snowangel]

I just cleaned out the fridge (trust me, you'll see before and after photo). But, I found not one, not two, not three, but FOUR containers of these (this?) in the fridge. Time for you folks to do some guessing!

[lovebenton0]

Judith!  Posole!  Add some hot sauce or peppers, and it will help clean out the sinuses.  May it provide healing powers.  And, hopefully, you're using canned hominy because it is so much less work.

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definitely canned hominy. although this is pretty much the way i was taught by my friend when i lived in central mexico for a summer, about 10 yrs ago... i guess i could call this sick girl's posole. she used canned hominy most of the time also, no shame there. i drain and rinse the hominy because the sodium count is atrocious, and since i'm not using my own no salt chicken stock, i have to remove sodium wherever i can. i used canned lo-so chicken broth for base liquid. here's the posole process so far, until my camera had to be charged.

green is some salsa verde i made last week [canned tomatillos, serranos, cilantro, garlic and lime juice], with more garlic spooned on top. my lips are badly fever burned and raw, so i'll have to see if i can stand more heat, one bowl at a time.

btw... i love those cutting board sheets. really help me to get food to wherever, as well as reducing yucky clean ups.

that's what both hands look like while i'm cooking, braced and gloved. damn awkward. cut pork in the background, and hominy rinsed in the colander on the left.

you chip off a couple tbsps of cold butter and put in the still-heated pan the onions and pork were browned in, but off heat. then add hominy and stir to coat with butter. side note, the butter is from a local farm in deerfield, il. when you live in kenosha, wi everything around chicago is still fairly local.

replace pan on med low burner and continue stirring while hominy sops up the butter and other goodies. [confession... i could eat a pan of the hominy just like this.] then add some stock or broth and tomatillos/peppers/garlic. etc., or if you're lucky like me, your salsa verde.

then the camera gave out. all is simmering together in the chamba.

now i have to feed quinn and we have to go for his walk, because i can't do it in the dark.

more later. i think i really want some sourdough corn wedges to sop up the posole tonight. if i do, i'll pic that too. and i guess i owe a pic of my fridge. not very interesting right now.

[lucylou95816]

Judith, thank you for sharing Quinn's history with you with us. I can totally appreciate the importance of Quinn's job...I have had hearing problems most of my life, while they are very minor in comparison, I had a recent situation that made me thankful that my hearing problems aren't totally severe. I had an inner ear re construction last June, which is still healing, but in December, I got a severe head cold that really congested my hearing worse than before my surgery, especially with low sounds. I was cleaning up in the kitchen, and using the garbage disposal, and since I was taking all kinds of cold medicine, my head was a little foggy. Well, I turned off the water, and without thinking, because I couldn't hear it, I left the garbage disposal on. It probably stayed on for a good 10 minutes or so, long enough for me to go back to the living room, sit down and start watching tv. The only way I knew that it was on was because I started smelling smoke, and was perplexed since I couldn't find the source. My boyfriend who was in the other room, pointed out that the motor on the disposal was practically on the verge of burning out, and was extremely hot, since I had left it running without any water. It was pretty scary, since I am fearful of fire more than anything. So I am glad that you have Quinn to help you out in those situations..give him a doggy treat from me please!

[lancastermike]

I just cleaned out the fridge (trust me, you'll see before and after photo).  But, I found not one, not two, not three, but FOUR containers of these (this?) in the fridge.  Time for you folks to do some guessing!

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fried rice, or All Bran, it's hard to tell, Susan, the picture is a little blurry

[MarketStEl]

I've made chili in the crock with great success.  I'd reduce the liquid, as you say.  If you're home, just check it periodically and add a little liquid if necessary.  Take some pictures and let us see 

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I've become a total Crock-Pot chili convert. I haven't made chili on the stovetop in years. But I do have to force myself to remember to use less liquid.

Lunch today, was not something to write home about.  I was downtown with my mother today for a meeting, and we parked in the parking structure attached to the The Hudson Bay Companystore.  The Bay has a long history in Canada - and in my family.  My grandmother used to lunch at the Bay's top floor restaurant, the Paddlewheel at least twice a week when she worked downtown (40-50 years ago).  My mother has fond memories of going for lunch with her mother there (though, going to Eaton's Grill Room was better).

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On my one visit to Canada of any length (so far), I visited Eaton's flagship store at Toronto's Eaton Centre, but never made it to the Bay up on Bloor. What happened to Eaton's? I take it it's defunct?

I would think that it would be interesting to work for a retailer with as storied a history as the Hudson's Bay Company. I contemplated buying another point blanket to replace one that my partner lost when he left it at the cleaners too long, but when I went to order it from L.L. Bean (one of two US retailers authorized to sell Hudson's Bay Company point blankets), I found I couldn't afford one.

[snowangel]

I just cleaned out the fridge (trust me, you'll see before and after photo).  But, I found not one, not two, not three, but FOUR containers of these (this?) in the fridge.  Time for you folks to do some guessing!

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fried rice, or All Bran, it's hard to tell, Susan, the picture is a little blurry

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Here's a better pictures, and the container is sitting on a regular 3.5 x 5 recipe card:

You might see this item tomorrow or this weekend!

[C. sapidus]

Here's a better pictures, and the container is sitting on a regular 3.5 x 5 recipe card:

You might see this item tomorrow or this weekend!

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Um, grubs in wood shavings?

[dockhl]

Here's a better pictures, and the container is sitting on a regular 3.5 x 5 recipe card:

You might see this item tomorrow or this weekend!

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Um, grubs in wood shavings?

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LOL! I was just getting ready to type that !

[snowangel]

Here's a better pictures, and the container is sitting on a regular 3.5 x 5 recipe card:

You might see this item tomorrow or this weekend!

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Um, grubs in wood shavings?

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LOL! I was just getting ready to type that !

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Getting close. Use?

[Knicke]

Bait!

[snowangel]

Yep, Bait. We have a winner. Depending on weather, you may see it in action. What action?

[Knicke]

Ice fishing, right? I hope so! Never been myself, but I'd like to one day...

[snowangel]

So, let's continue the guessing game. How many types of artisnal bacon do I have in my fridge right now?

And, just what kind of sandwhich was made with the bread in one of my earlier photos?

[snowangel]

Ice fishing, right? I hope so! Never been myself, but I'd like to one day...

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Yep. Ice fishing. And, on a nice winter day that is freezing or just above freezziong and the day is sunny, and there is no wind, it can be one of the greatest activities. We used to date and ice fish, and come home with food! Let's just see how hardy we feel this weekend, there is a trout pound not too far away.

[snowangel]

My dinner photos are weak, and since one of the kids played with the camera, it's going to take some work to get them. Take it from me, it was a success. Reubens for Paul and I, grilled cheese for the kids, and two kinds of cream of tomato soup (one came in a familiar can). Dinner is just flat a busy time around here, and anyone with three kids, who come with homework, needs for yearbook checks, and catchup on the day will understand. It's easier on the weekends!

[maggiethecat]

Crisco on a gilled sandwich?  Comments?

Butter. It needs to be butter.

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Pam, I agree in principle, but what the hey? Let's give Crisco a chance at least once.

[patti]

Ruler.  Every kitchen needs one.

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Agreed. And I am the ruler of mine.

Great blog, ladies!

[Dave the Cook]

Crisco on a gilled sandwich?  Comments?

Butter. It needs to be butter.

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Pam, I agree in principle, but what the hey? Let's give Crisco a chance at least once.

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Crisco was de rigeur growing up -- at least until tub margarine came along. These days I keep softened butter standing by and that's the standard. Should I lapse, though, Crisco is the fallback (well, unless I have chicken or duck fat at hand). At some base level, fat is fat.

[snowangel]

Well, with some help from one of the kids (let's just say the long hair), my dinner photos disappeared. Suffice it to say that homemade cream of tomato soup vs. Campbells was a no brainer. There's something about the familiar about the can that just flat wins out. I lost the battle, thinking that the homemade version, while not as homogenized, was the better bet.

But, grilled sandwiches! Reminder to self to include them on the menu more often. I don't really like melted cheese, but you get the combo going of oozy and crispy, and Oh!

OK, so, the good, the bad and the ugly:

FIrst, the bad:

Try as I might, I could not take a better photo of this can, but Winter Hands. What a pain. I keep getting these little knicks, and splits. This stuff saves my life. Available at most quilting shops. Paul says it stinks, but he still loves me.

Then, the ugly:

Probably the ugliest ktichen floor in the world. The picture doesn't really properly represent the harvest gold hue that the floor has. As I've mentioned uptopic, this is fairly new house to us, and it is the second house that in about 18 months I have denuded of harvest gold appliances. When we moved into this house, it did not have granite countertops. It had harvest gold "leatherette" (read, heavily textured and clean with a toothbrush countertops, which lasted all of two weeks). But, we have had many other things to take care of, like plumbing, gas main fused to electrical, mould, etc., so we have not yet ridded the house of the Floor. The main reason is that there is beautiful oak hardwood under the carpet, and we've decided to replace the HG floor when we rip up and refinish the hardwood.

On the good side, my yellow Crocs. I also have a pair in lime green. I love my crocs, and we've not had so much snow that I've had to totally closet them.

Then, the best thing that happens with dining in our house is The Table:

I love my table, and have for many decades. I grew up with this table. My folks bought it from friends in Thailand when I was about 12. For some ridiculous sum of $100.00. I grew up eating, arguing, loving around this table, and when we moved to MN, my folks brought it with them. But, when they moved to their new house, there was no space for The Table. So, it went on loan to some friends, and as we started moving the boxes into this house with the Ugly Floor, we realized that The Table would fit, so we called the caretakers, who immediately brought it over (with tears in their eyes).

The center thing is a Lazy Susan, which means that you have to be careful as you lay the placemats, place the flatwear, dishes and glasses.

This table has seen a lot of living and loving, and more pots of soup than you can imagine!