Got my knives back.

Got my knives back from Accurate Sharpening of Tempe, AZ. I sent out 6 knives and they all came back wicked shaarp. I think the total cost with shipping was $42. It was a very quick turn around time. I am well satisfied. I have a few others that I am going to send out.

Pumpernickel means Devils Farts

Pumpernickel comes from Wetsphalian dialect for the Devil(St. Nick) and for "fart", this is a high Fiber bread.

It is realy amazing to read about the history behind food.

This information comes from Harold McGee.

Knives and knives and knives OH My

Knives are a cook's best friend. You don't have to spend a fortune for a good set of knives. I bought a Wolfgang Puck set of 4 santoku knives at Sam's club for a bout $40. They are great knives, I love them.

Dull knives are a bad thing. Always keep your knives sharp. I have a hand sharpener with 2 ceramic rods. Before every use I run the knife thru the sharpener about 10 times, then I use a knife steel on it.

Don't put your knives in the dish washer, the heat is a bad thing, and they can get tossed around and damage their edge. I hand wash mine.

Over time, they will need to be resharpened by a professional. I just sent out 6 knives to Accurate Sharpening and Cutlery Sales in Tempe, AZ. I have never used them before. The average cost was about $5.50 per knife plus shipping charge.

I will let you know how it goes.

See Ya

Cheat Night

There are days when everyone's schedule is different from everyone else. From after school activities to sports and meetings, just cant get everyone together for dinner. At these times it is perfectly acceptable to go simple. Last night went to the old standby of tuna helper and veggies.

Everyone enjoyed it but at different times. And Cale around there are no leftovers. He grazes all evening.

Simple can be delicious.

Talk of the Town

I recently went there for lunch with my mom and two brothers. The first time I went there I was sadly disappointed. The hamburger was rock hard and the fries were smoking hot but raw in the middle. I took the family there for breakfast one sunday morning. The foos was good and there was plenty of it. We ordered a la carte. We went back there a few weeks later. This time the food food wasn't as good and the portions were smaller. Due to the past visits it isn't a place I frequent.

This time I was invited to lunch and my brother Max was paying so I went for a free meal. While my mon, Max and I were waiting for Carl, we took a look at the buffet. Usually there are only two buffets I eat at, and that would be the pizza buffet and a chinese buffet. The foods on those change over fairly quickly so usually the food is fresh. I don't want meat loaf that has sat under the hot lights for hours and swimming in grease.

Reluctantly I went for the buffet here partially because everyone else was getting the buffet but the food looked good. The fried chicken was still steaming form being cooked. The salad bar had several options including things like marinated mushrooms. I started there then went for the entrees and sides. There wasn't as mush of a selection as you would find at other places but i think that is agood thing.

I enjoyed the chicken, the potatoes and gravy and the stir fry. I was however a bit disappointed in the stir fry. The waitress warned us that it was spicy but it was sadly lacking in spice. The flavor was good but I was hoping for the heat.

Overall it was enjoyable and the food was good. Have to give them a thumbs up for their buffet.

Canning Trial #2

I decided to get more practice with the pressure canner. I peeled and sliced up a enough carrots for a pint. I sterilized the jar, lid and ring. I put some salt and boiling water in to fill up the pint jar. I locked the lid into place and lit the burner. The pressure built up and the safety valve popped up. Now I have to let it vent for 10 minutes. I thought it was a bit too much heat so I backed off the burner. Unfortunately it was too much and the pressure dropped enough for the safety valve to drop back down. Rather than continue I decided to let it cool down and try again another time. Oh well trial and error.

Day Pickles

Day pickles are pickles that are to be made in the morning and enjoyed all day, even for 1 or 2 days more if you can keep your fork out of the jar.

1 large cucumber

2/3 cup white vinegar

1 tbs kosher salt

1 1/3 cup of water

1 tbs dill seed

1 tbs dill weed

1 clove of garlic minced

I took the cucumber and sliced it thin. I mixed the ingredients and added the cucumber slices to the brine in a bowl. I covered the bowl and let it rest for 3 hours. Then I packed the pickles into a pint canning jar, poured the brine over them and sealed the jar then placed them in the fridge. When you go from the bwol to the jar you will have liquid left over, make sure you get the spices and garlic from the bottom of the brine.

To save time and energy, you can go straight to the pint jar.