I am a retired Web Developer, Blackboard & Canvas Administrator at Fayetteville State University, which is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina.
I had a simple Cucumber & Sweet Onion Salad tonight. I’m not sure I think of it as a “salad,” but I’ve grown up with it since I was a child. My Aunt Sis made it, and it is so simple: sweet onion, cucumber (with or without the skins), vinegar & sugar (or in my case now, sweetener). Maybe a little salt would cause the flavors to “pop.”
*I’m not sure of what kind of onion my aunt used, because we didn’t grow up with Vidalia onions, and “sweet” onions only came along after the Vidalia became popular. My guess is that the “sweet onions” don’t take the name Vidalia because they aren’t grown in the “Vidalia” region of Georgia much like certain wines or chesses can’t take on a specific name because they don’t come from a specific region of France, or Italy, or elsewhere. *Now that I think of it, we didn’t grow up with English Cucumbers either, but I don’t recall regular cucumbers as being as bitter as they now are.
But then I came upon an Asian Cucumber Salad online that piqued my interest. So much so that, I got up and made a test sample to see if it would have a distinct flavor… and boy, IT DID!
First, you’ve got to know that I’ve fallen in love with the flavor of “Spicy Chili Crisp.” I found this while looking for something to add to my Stir-Fries, as a “change-up” flavor. It is about the cheapest chili oil that you can find, and it only costs about $5 at Walmart. And I like it just from the jar. It has an earthy flavor.
My version:
INGREDIENTS
English Cucumber
Spicy Chili Crisp
Toasted Sesame Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Garlic Powder
Splenda Sweetener
Salt
Sesame Seeds
Romaine Lettuce (if you have it)
I’m thinking that this sauce would spiff up more than just cucumbers. Maybe Cannellini beans, or even green beans, or the two combined. Maybe this direction is based upon me thinking about a 3 Bean Salad, where beans are combined with vinegar & sweetener. Kidney beans & Garbanzos?
I have some pork chops that I think would go well with this Asian Cucumber Salad. Another thought, is using this sauce either on raw or roasted cauliflower. I’ve had something like this on roasted cauliflower, but I didn’t have the sweet vinegar. I think that is exactly what it would need. Oh wait, the roasted cauliflower had turmeric & garlic. I usually prefer sweet to savory flavors.
Spicy Asian Cabbage
I had steamed cabbage tonight and added Spicy Chili Crisp, sweetener, toasted sesame oil, and white sesame seeds. I may have liked these flavors together better than the Spicy Asian Cucumbers. I ate this with a pork chop that had agave nectar and some lime juice. I did not add soy sauce or vinegar, although that should be at least one taste test later on.
Yes, I do like the Asian seasonings with the steamed cabbage. I have made this about three times and I like it each time. I’ve also tried “smashing” the cucumbers to provide more surface area for the sauce to stick to. After I smash them, I sprinkle on some salt and set it in the fridge. After a while I pour off the liquid that has leached from the cucumbers and then add the Asian seasonings.
Broiled pork chop, charred onion, pickled beets and Asian Steamed Cabbage.
Note the one fried peanut (the red bean) that comes from the Spicy Chili Crisp.
I can think of few gifts from a friend that are better than “the wrong gift.” Why would I be happy to get the wrong gift from a friend? Well, isn’t it obvious?
It shows that they were thinking of you and wanting to please you and get you something special. How much more of a gift could you want?
I have given many gifts in my life and most of those gifts were probably the “wrong” item. They probably weren’t appreciated because what I placed value upon wasn’t necessarily what “they” thought was of value. “My bad!” I guess I’ve waited about 40 years to say that phrase willingly, “my bad.” I made a mistake, but it doesn’t mean I love you any less. Or cherish our friendship any less. You’re special to me, and I am very thankful for all our years of knowing each other and you welcoming me into your home and life. I hope there will be many more, although neither of us are “spring chickens.”
So, I’m going to be looking up recipes that use Wasabi Powder… a lot of frigging, stinking Wasabi Powder;-)
I drop into the IGA in Lillington, North Carolina, every so often, when I am passing through. Actually, I have to make a slight detour because I am normally going between Fayetteville and Raleigh on Hwy. 401, and this IGA is on Hwy. 421. If I was going to/from Sanford, or to/from Raven Rock State Park, then I would be on Hwy. 421, but there are also lots of winding country roads along the way.
One of my early reasons for stopping into this IGA was that they carried the cheap cans of Polar Smoked Oysters. But, that was when those cans were either a dollar or $1.25 each. They no longer carry those.
My last visit, I bought some Bright Leaf Bacon, which is often the cheapest bacon sold at various stores, but I find it consistently good bacon. I think it was only $4.99 per package (1 lb.) and I bought a couple. *And remember, “a couple” means “two,” like in “two makes a couple.”
If I haven’t visited this grocery in a while, I might forget how impressed I can be with the look & feel of their “green grocer” section. The fresh vegetables section.
Beans, beans, beans.Ken’s Salad DressingsAssortment of veggies.
They have other food, including a BBQ chicken wing counter nearby, but the IGA in Erwin has a better selection of wings.
I saw they had a large selection of dried beans & peas. I took pictures and fed them through ChatGPT for the following table:
Type
Brand
Price ($)
Baby Lima Beans
Best Choice
2.28
Black Beans
Best Choice
1.48
Blackeye Peas
IGA
1.98
Cranberry Beans
Super Star
1.84
Field Peas
Super Star
1.28
Great Northern Beans
Best Choice
1.96
Great Northern Beans
IGA
3.25
Great Northern Beans
Super Star
3.18
Green Baby Lima Beans
Super Star
2.73
Large Lima Beans
Best Choice
2.48
Large Lima Beans
Dixie Lily
2.75
Lentils
Super Star / Best Choice
1.30
Mixed Beans
Best Choice
1.58
Navy Beans
Best Choice / IGA
1.39
Pearled Barley (Quick)
Quaker
2.85
Pinto Beans
HamBeens (Artificial Ham Flavor)
2.98
Pinto Beans
IGA
1.18
Pinto Beans
Super Star
2.18
Red Kidney Beans
Super Star
3.20
Yelloweye Peas
Super Star
3.20
15 Bean Soup Mix
HamBeens
3.19
Someone takes special care in displaying all the items in this section. The other thing I noted during this visit was that the actual quality of the produce seemed to be better. But this comment is from someone that noticed when, a few years ago, Food Lion started selling smaller colored sweet bell peppers at the same price they had been selling larger ones, $1.49. And WalMart sells them at that same price. I’m not sure how much the larger bell peppers would have cost. Maybe $2@.
I’ve written about this type of change-up at the grocers regarding the size of yogurt containers (many years ago) and Spaghetti Sauce Starters (e.g. Hunts, DelMonte, Rao). The small yogurt containers may have held 6 oz. of yogurt and then they were resized to about 4.5 oz. Hunts & DelMonte sold their starter sauces at $1 per can, but then one of them started selling a slightly smaller can at the same price.
Oh, and RAO was never part of that because they were selling their glass jar of starter sauce at $9. But, they do have a better starter sauce, and I justified buying that by only using a half jar of Rao’s for making my spaghetti sauce at home.
For years, I made spaghetti sauce at least once a month, but having gotten more serious about my Blood Glucose Levels & A1C, I have severely cut back on the number of times I have pasta, and much smaller portions also.
NOTE [10/08/25]: I’ve recently been fixing a small side dish of medium pasta shells (50 shells per serving) with a little RAO’s Marinara Sauce. Oh, and I cool the pasta before reheating, in order to produce some “resistant starch.” It may only be about 7% RS3, but every little bit helps. [end NOTE]
I liked starting with a starter sauce and adding a can of diced roasted garlic tomatoes. Dicing up some onion and yellow or red bell peppers and adding some ground beef and or maybe Italian sausage. And because Italian sausage has fennel seeds, I add more fennel seeds. Garlic powder, red pepper flakes, some sweetener, and S&P. For years I added a small can of mushroom pieces, but that has fallen out of flavor favor.
“A couple” means “two,” like in “two makes a couple.” A few years ago I was travelling down in Florida and stopped at a Hardees Restaurant. A young man asked me for my order and I said, “I would like a couple of hamburgers.” His reply confused me, “And will that be two or three,” as he quizzically looked back at me. I didn’t say anything and he brought me two hamburgers. How could someone not know that “a couple” meant “two?” But then a few years later I was ordering “a couple of eggs” for breakfast at Famous Toastery in Southern Pines, North Carolina. My young waitress then asked me, “Will that be two or three eggs.” If I had asked for “a few” eggs, I might understand the follow-up question, but once again “a couple means two.” But, she never got that message and others had the same misunderstanding. And when I was at Famous Toastery ordering breakfast, I would have to stop and instead of asking for “a couple of eggs,” I would change the way I ordered and say, “I would like two eggs.”
Through the years, when I was growing up, and mom and I would pass this place, she would usually mention that Governor Lindsay Russell, a distant relative, was buried up on the hill. I don’t ever recall us actually stopping to visit his grave. That would occur many years later, probably long after mom had died. Mom died in December of 1981.
I don’t recall when I first drove up on the hill and walked around Governor Russell’s gravesite. His wife is also buried there. There was an ornate wrought iron fence & gate surrounding their graves. But as I visited at later times, I would note that someone had removed much of the wrought iron. I remember, and have a picture somewhere, of a closeup of the wrought iron gate. I noted that there was a dog’s head as part of the gate.
Palo Alto Plantation – Swansboro-Belgrade Road, Onslow County, North Carolina
After Daniel Russell’s mother died, he came to live with his maternal grandfather at Palo Alto Plantation. I seem to recall reading that he had his own pony that he rode around the plantation. He had a black nanny and that was one reason for his attention to slaves. I think he also attended a military academy.
Years ago, probably at least 20 years, I became interested in my family’s genealogy. I then came across a posting online (early Web) that said there were images of David Ward Sanders & his wife, Alice Mitchell. They were the owners of Palo Alto Plantation, and Daniel Russell’s grandparents. I ended up spending $10 for each TIF image, which I sent to Tennessee to the Daughters of the American Revolution, and they mailed two CDs back to me. They had taken photos of two large oil paintings of the Sanders, and these were part of a publication of famous persons.
When he was running for Governor, the News and Observer Newspaper published several “racist” cartoons of Russell, one in which he had long claw like fingers.
Governor Russell was a Republican governor, who was sandwiched between two Democratic governors. He wrote that when he and his wife arrived at the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh, it had been left in a mess with empty alcohol bottles thrown about. He made a resolution to leave the Mansion is a better condition for his successor, which he did. Charles B. Aycock was Russell’s successor, and they had a much better relationship than Republicans and Democrats do currently. I think they focused upon both being lawyers and the things they had in common. *I stayed in Aycock dorm when I attended UNC-Chapel Hill. Years later the name “Aycock” would be removed from this dorm due to Aycock’s racist activities.
After becoming Governor, he was returning to the Wilmington, North Carolina area in order to place his vote. It was revealed to him that some of the “Maxton Red Shirts,” planned to kidnap him from the train he was riding, and perhaps do even worse. But, Governor Russell outwitted these “hooligans,” and exited the train at one stop earlier than he had planned and the Red Shirts were left wondering where he was.
NOTE: I think it is a shame that this Governor’s resting place is so neglected. *The image of Daniel Lindsay Russell shown above is from family photos and is probably before he became the Governor, and while he was practicing law in Wilmington.
One of my earliest Christmas memories is of going up to a store at Palo Alto. Mom bought me a Tonka Cement Mixer toy from the store and I got it as a present for that Christmas. No, I don’t recall which Christmas it was, but that is the earliest toy I recall that I know was a Christmas present.
We would usually have Egg Nog, probably from Maola Milk Company, and a real Christmas tree. We would watch “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” on TV.
*I also recall the story that Burl Ives once stopped his boat in Swansboro while travelling the Intracoastal Waterway, maybe to gas it up, but he was impolite, and the people he was impolite to, did not appreciate his impoliteness.
The images below remind me of Christmases I celebrated as a child.
I bought this on Amazon a few months ago. I’ve put it on the door knob in the hallway for easy access. Because it has a good flashlight included, I don’t need the little flashlights, and you have the reading lights also. I like that it has a hand crank for recharging the unit, but will also recharge by USB cable, or solar, or you can add AAA batteries.
What is nice is that it will also recharge your phone by the included USB cable. It may take a while to recharge your phone, but if you are in a situation, with no power, and your phone’s charge is low or nil, this will get your through. Enough to be able to make an emergency call. It also has an emergency audio alarm that can get someone’s attention if you are unable to call for help.
*A short time ago my electricity went out during the night and it was then that I realized that this “non-digital” device also didn’t have illuminated buttons, so you had to get another light source to be able to see how to turn it on and tune it. I just ordered and received a Mudder USB LED Light for Laptop, that has a gooseneck and works perfectly for drawing it’s energy from the device and lighting all the control buttons.
I think I bought this more because of having watched many hours of the devastation, caused by Hurricane Helene, in the Asheville, North Carolina area. There were repeated stories of persons and families being stranded with no connection to the outside world. Having a weather radio, and access to regular radio stations for news would be a boon to your survival. But also being able to recharge the unit, if your electrical power was off would be a blessing, and being able to recharge other devices, like your cell phone, would be absolutely essential to connecting to the real world again. And, without power, the night becomes a long hard to endure event, so having a reading light or a flashlight, that would work, without batteries is a must.
I had visited Asheville about five weeks before Hurricane Helene came through Western North Carolina. It was such a wonderful visit. Less than a day really. I arrived in Asheville late on a Monday afternoon, and had dinner at the East Village Grille, then checked into my hotel, a Quality Inn, and had a brief jaunt on the Blue Ridge Parkway, where two black bears crossed my path, a short distance ahead of my car. My hotel stay was very comfortable, and even the toilet was a “quiet flush.” The next morning, I got up early and drove around downtown Asheville, passing through the Tunnel and then finding another way above the tunnel. While doing this new route, I turned into an old residential neighborhood and saw two wild turkeys which quickly disappeared before I could get their picture. The morning air was cool and pleasant, because Fayetteville had been extremely warm for quite a while.
And the last place I visited before leaving Asheville, a little after noon on Tuesday, was the “New Morning Gallery.” I’ve visited this gallery several times through the years and even bought a bowl my last visit. Most of their wares are located on the second floor of the gallery. This gallery is located in the Biltmore Village District, and this was one of the areas severely hit by the flooding. Biltmore Village was a high end shopping area, and seeing it go from haute cuisine, to mud pies is devastating. New Morning Gallery web site.
After I watched the hurricane videos of the flooding, I later re-watched the videos of the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean that came ashore and washed away the lives of thousands. And now, I’ve watched just a few news reports of the California fires and see where whole neighborhoods have been razed to the ground, even those homes along the Pacific Ocean with their million dollar views. Now the million dollar views are available to all who can travel the Pacific Coast Highway. At least until realtors and construction crews start to rebuild.
I’ve been drinking a mix of red wine vinegar, turmeric, fenugreek, Splenda and a little water either before or after each meal for the last few days. Apparently the vinegar helps regulate blood sugar, and may help in weight loss. I had noted online that it was suggested to not mix turmeric & fenugreek because […]
Reader’s Digest: Magic Foods for Better Blood Sugar
One of those books that I must have found at a library book sale for a buck or two. It’s re-enforcing that my choices, for the most part are good and in line with eating better. There is a test on pp. 60-61 regarding my current eating habits, and I think I did pretty well… Yeah, I did. I just checked and I scored a 27 which was pretty good.
But I just read that Agave Nectar is terrible because it causes blood sugar spikes, and a quick google has found nothing positive about using it. But, somewhere inside, I feel that there is something special about AN. If nothing more, that it causes chocolate syrup or honey to dissolve in cold milk. *If you’ve ever tried putting either of those in cold milk you know that they don’t mix well. They fall to the bottom of the glass, but if you add a little Agave Nectar, and stir, they completely dissolve.
I’ve been enjoying the Greek Gods Yogurt with various fruits or fruit purees that I have made. I pureed some raspberries and added a little Splenda, or I pureed a persimmon and had that with the yogurt. And the other night I added some walnuts to the mix. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. Loved it all.
I’ve been eating more oranges. Found the Cara Cara orange at Pate’s to be really flavorful. I bought a zester on Amazon and have actually zested several oranges before eating them. I put some of the zest in a sandwich bag and put it in the freezer, and some in a baggie just for current use. The current use is to add it to my Constant Comment hot tea for added citrus flavor.
*But, my goal was to have plenty of orange zest to go into the Dolce “K” Sweet Olive & Fruit Mix (Whole Foods) that I’ve learned to make at home. I haven’t gone back to my test batch that has been in the fridge for several weeks now. I don’t expect it to go bad, but who knows.
Recently, I’ve made some good Chorizo & Lentil Soup, and a good Seafood Chowder. I added more smoked paprika and regular paprika to some Spanish Chorizo (without the skin). I’ve got a basic ingredients list for the Seafood Chowder. The four seafood items currently include: cod fish, chopped clams, bay scallops and shrimp. I also include okra (fresh when I can or frozen), onion, potato, tomato & zucchini.
Since seeing Lee’s Fresh Market ad on TV, and then tracking them down just a couple of miles outside of Benson, North Carolina, I have shopped there repeatedly. It only takes me about 37 minutes one way, back through Erwin to get there. The two things I’ve bought the most there have been their Pepper Bacon and their Thick Cut Pork Chops. As long as the pork chops are on sale, what a deal! I can make at least 3 meals out of each pork chop. If they are a pound each, and even with the bone, you are still going to get a 3.5 or 4 ounce chunk of meat, and they are delicious when broiled in the oven.
[02/08/25]: And, I just broiled one tonight. I found two packages like the one shown above in my freezer and took one out to thaw. I only cooked one for dinner, but yes they still make about 3 meals. Amazing to me how quickly it cooks, being as thick as it is. I think it took about 10 minutes on the first site and then I flipped it for maybe another 4 or 5 minutes and it was done. The meat is still tender & moist on the inside with just a few charred edges, and it’s not raw, but just slightly pink on the inside. I’m now in my Asian seasonings era, so the English cucumber had some Spicy Chili Crisp Oil, Toasted Sesame Oil, Red Wine Vinegar, Splenda Sweetener & Soy Sauce. The Stir Fried Green Beans had Toasted Sesame Oil, Ground Ginger, Red Pepper Flakes and some Soy Sauce.
I look at the image below of the chicken gizzards and yes, they were good. But, I was thinking of buying some chicken livers and Stir Frying them along with some of the green beans. I had a couple of helpings of the Stir Fry Green Beans at the “No. 1 China Buffet” in Asheboro, North Carolina last week.
I picked up a container of chicken livers at the IGA across town this afternoon, but the outside of the container had bloody smears and I couldn’t make out whether the livers were fresh. I put them back thinking I would stop at the IGA in Eutah Shopping Center. That is where I had taken the picture below, previously, of the gizzards. Eggs and chicken prices have gone up, although ALDI’s still has a dozen eggs for under $5, but livers & gizzards are still reasonably priced. [end]
I’ve also bought a bunch of the Sanderson Farms Chicken Gizzards at IGA. They looked good in the store and they translated well in the pot. An earthy flavored delight, that goes well with blackeyed peas and well seasoned collards.
I wanted some collards and blackeyed peas for New Years Day. A little bacon grease starts either, but then I added a white potato to the canned collards. I don’t need to buy a large bunch of collards and cook them down for just one person. The blackeyed peas just need time to morf into something delicious with some chopped sweet onion. The onion goes good on the collards also.
I do eat a bunch of nuts, and some dried fruit. I don’t eat a bunch of dried fruit because of the extra sugars, but I like a couple of pitted prunes (the really moist, shiny dark ones), a pitted date every so often, a few raisins with some roasted pumpkin and walnut pieces. I like the wasabi/soy powder on the pumpkins seeds. I like almonds and cashews, and I love raw peanuts in the shell from Pate’s. I ate them repeatedly for about 3 months until they were no longer available.
I’ve been drinking “Bill’s Drink Mix & Some Real Juice” for months now, and almost every day finishing off a 1 Litre carafe. There are four ingredients in this drink and it doesn’t work for me if any one of them is missing. They include: orange juice, cranberry juice, Pomegranate Lemonade Mix, and Sweet Tea Mix, with water. The majority of this drink is water in which to dissolve the two flavor packets from WalMart.
I bought a new electric wok (Aroma from Amazon) recently, one as a test, and the other as a wedding gift. When I saw the quality of this purchase, I ordered the second one. I go through stages of eating a lot of stir-fries, and then none for a long time, but once I’m into it, they are so easy to prepare the basic ingredients, quick to cook, delicious to eat, and finally cleanup is a breeze.
I like both chicken & shrimp as my protein, but then I want sweet bell pepper, onion, carrots, and a little pineapple. Add some soy sauce and toasted sesame oil, some spicy chili crisp & a little Splenda. If you have the Stir Fry Vegetables great, and Sugar Snap or Snow Peas are icing on the stir fry. And I try to finish off with a slurry of corn starch. Although I love rice, I rarely have rice with my stir fry. I might include a few Angel Hair noodles in the stir fry to soak up some of the juices. *I have stopped by the local Chinese restaurant and picked up a couple of egg rolls to go with my stir fry. These are one of the few fried items I still eat, although some good fried chicken from the Seaboard Station in Hamlet is always appreciated.
I so want tortilla chips to be healthier because I can just imagine that all the ingredients I put in my homemade salsa are healthy: roasted garlic tomatoes, onion, roasted jalapeno & poblanos, some chipotle peppers, some Salsa Ranchera (Herdez) and a little Splenda.
I like making hummus at home. The basic ingredients include: garbanzo beans, tahini, cumin seeds, lemon juice (lime), olive oil and maybe some water to thin it out, if necessary. I like to eat hummus with carrot sticks, some sweet onion & sweet colorful bell pepper. I especially like eating smoked oysters with hummus. The problem is that hummus is high in calories.
I was getting a half loaf of whole wheat, multi-grain bread sliced at Publix and happened to look down and see a bag of Sourdough English Muffins. They looked good, but I knew that regular English muffins were horrible for blood sugar spikes. So, I quickly googled to see if sourdough was diabetic friendly. The AI said, “Yes,” so I bought both items. It has a lower GL than other breads.
I had bought some fresh ham at the Harris Teeter near Pharaoh’s Legacy across town. This ham was pre-sliced and I checked the price online and it was 1.5 lbs. @ $3.99. That’s a great deal. *I have found this ham also at LIDL, but currently it is about $6 for the 1.5 lbs. I divided the ham up when I got home and froze half. I then made an Egg McBill (like an Egg McMuffin, but at my home) using the sourdough muffin. I toasted the bread first, then added a slice on each side of Wegman’s White American Cheese. I heated a slice of the fresh ham, but because it started to “pop,” I only microwaved it for about 25 seconds. I also took a large egg and beat it in a bowl adding, Dulse, ground Long Pepper, salt, and garlic powder. I microwaved the egg for about a minute and a half. **I’ve now tried the Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain English Muffin and it was good, but I prefer the “Knock Your Sprouts Off” – Reduced Sodium, sprouted grain bread from Aldi’s.
I had already put half of the ham on each toasted, melted cheese side of the muffin and I dumped the cooked egg on one of those slices. I put the two halves together and went and ate a delicious Egg McBill. Or is that Bill McMuffin?
Forgive the messy look of this sandwich. The muffin started off distorted and I had to make all the other items fit, but take my word, “This was a very satisfying breakfast.”
I mentioned that the fresh ham was an excellent buy, as was the thick cut pork chops on sale, but another “good buy” is the whole rotisserie chicken at Harris Teeter. I like the meat better at HT than Publix, which tastes a little mealy, and costs about a dollar more. The HT Rotisserie Chicken costs about $7.99, but I can make from four to five meals from the one chicken. The last meal is probably a chicken salad.
*I can also use the chicken carcass & skin to make homemade chicken broth. I freeze some onion tops & bottoms, carrot ends & celery ends (stalk and tips). When I buy a rotisserie chicken I pull off the different meals and then pull off the remaining meat to make a chicken salad, but then I am left with the chicken skeleton. I put that along with any skin I have saved in my stock pot and add the frozen veggie leftovers, along with any fresh carrots, onions and/or celery that I might think is needed. Add some S&P, some garlic or garlic powder and any other seasonings and let it simmer for at least a couple of hours. Strain the broth into containers. I use empty Greek Gods Yogurt containers that have a good snap on lid. I think I filled about 4 containers full with a little left over last time. What’s left in the bottom of the stock pot looks like the refuse that gets caught in a flood.
I have found this Hatfield Ham at LIDL, I think, but I haven’t bought any in a long while because I think the sodium & fat are prohibitive.
Nutrition Facts
SERVING SIZE 3 OZ (84G)
SERV. PER CONTAINER 8
AMOUNT PER SERVING
CALORIES 110
CALORIES FROM FAT 35
% DAILY VALUE†
TOTAL FAT
3.5G
5
FAT FREE
0
SATURATED FAT
1G
5
TRANS FAT
0G
CHOLESTEROL
30MG
10
SODIUM
700MG
29
TOTAL CARB
3G
1
DIETARY FIBER
0G
0
SUGARS
3G
PROTEIN
14G
VITAMIN A
0
VITAMIN C
0
CALCIUM
0
IRON
2
†PERCENT DAILY VALUES ARE BASED ON A 2,000 CALORIE DIET.
I find it difficult to imagine that I’ve not got a page dedicated solely to the Round Bone Lamb Chop. Well, I find it difficult to imagine that I could write a whole posting dedicated solely to anything, as my mind goes off on one tangent after another. I will write something and it will remind me of something else, and something else, and something else…
But, here goes.
I now have a brand new “non-electric” wok from VinChef. It is beautiful on the inside and on her bottom.
I mentioned the “oven safe” wok first because it is perfect for broiling a couple of round bone lamb chops in the oven.
I’m not sure of the first time I ate a round bone lamb chop, but I definitely had several pleasant experiences eating a lunch special at Sherefe in downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina. They are no longer located there but they seared the lamb chop very well.
I do remember going to Sherefe for their round bone lamb chop lunch special one time. It must have been a long time since they had last offered this special, because I order it and when it arrived at my table I saw the char it had on the lamb chop and realized that it was exactly what I wanted. I guess I was expecting it to be boiled.
Sprouts – Australia
I saw a good looking lamb chop at Sprouts recently and took this picture of it. It’s not a “round bone” chop, and it’s from Australia and not New Zealand (as is Publix).
I may have even bought a round bone lamb chop at Sprouts, but normally I buy from Publix because they seem to have the freshest presentation, even though their Greewise brand is imported from New Zealand.
I think I bought the Chorizo at Whole Foods in Raleigh although that shown below is from the Harris Teeter web site.
The Spanish Chorizo already has a lot of smoked paprika in it, but I wanted to add more, of the smoked paprika and the regular paprika. Mexican Chorizo is more anemic. I add onion to most of my dishes. Regular onion if I am cooking it, and sweet or Vidalia onion if I am eating it raw, as in a salad or on a hamburger. And, I don’t want too much tomato. Just enough to add a smidge of acidity.
The other recipe where I add just enough tomato to give the sauce a slightly reddish tint is my Kielbasa/Shrimp/Zucchini Dish. I didn’t want the tomato to overpower the sauce as if I am making a spaghetti sauce.
I just remembered, I added just a little red wine vinegar. I think I’ve read, and Mary Ann has told me she adds a little vinegar to all of her beans. Although I think carrot would go well in this soup, looking at the picture of what I made, I see no carrot in it. Just little red chunks of tomato.
It may not look very inviting, but it is so delicious. A good flavored soup.
I was in Publix and was about to buy some dark, whole grain bread, and while at the counter, I noticed a package of Sourdough English Muffins. I quickly checked online asking, “Is sourdough diabetic friendly.” The answer came back, “Yes.” So, I took half a loaf of the dark, whole grain bread, and a package of 4 (I think.) sourdough English Muffins and headed to the checkout.
I fixed a homemade Egg McMuffin yesterday using one of the sourdough muffins and it was okay, but I didn’t toast the bread. I may have put the muffins in the microwave and melted the cheese slightly, but the sandwich was “lacking.” But I made a mental note that I should toast the bread in the oven.
I made another Egg McMuffin, at home this morning, and this time I toasted the Sourdough English Muffin in the oven first. I used the copper colored wire rack that Mary Ann had given me some time ago. After I got a little char on the bread, I added a slice, on each half of the muffin, of Wegman’s White American Cheese and let it melt a little while I was cooking the egg in the microwave. It takes about a minute and a half to get the egg just right. One minute and there might still be a little runniness, and add another 30 seconds and the egg is cooked, but not dry.
Somewhere late in the process, I put a slice of the fresh ham, that I had bought at HT (across town), in the microwave but because it started popping, I stopped the heating at only about 30 seconds. I rarely buy “fresh” ham and I did check the package before I bought this to see how much sugar was included and it said only 1% which I thought was very good. I didn’t think to check the salt content. This ham was already cooked and sliced just a little thicker than sandwich thickness. *I thought of using two slices, but then decided not to, and one slice was enough for this breakfast sandwich.
So, the sandwich was: top of sourdough English muffin, slice of White American cheese, slice of fresh ham, microwaved egg, slice of White American cheese and the bottom of the sourdough English muffin. I think I had some garlic powder, Dulse, and S&P on the egg, and a little olive oil, in the egg, and on the bottom of the microwave onion cooker.
This toasted egg, ham & cheese sandwich was delicious. It “hit the spot,” and I would definitely want to have this again.
The fresh ham I bought was a pretty good sized chunk of meat so I divided it up and froze two chunks in the freezer and had a small amount in a sandwich bag in the fridge. I already know that the dark, wheat bread I bought, even though I only bought a half loaf, is too much for me to finish before it goes bad. I still had a little of the French Baguette (LaFarm Bakery, but purchased at Whole Foods) left in a plastic bag but noticed it had become moldy so I threw it out. The Sourdough English Muffins are in the fridge. *And, I’ve just decided to half the half loaf of wheat bread and put half in the fridge also.
Hatfield Ham @ LIDL
*I see that online this 1.5 lbs. (24 oz.) ham is only $3.99. This seems like an excellent price to me. You could get six 4 oz. servings from this ham. *When I couldn’t get the Hatfield ham at HT I went looking elsewhere. I think I paid about $11 for the same sized package of ham (not Hatfield), but then I realized that the $3.99 price I quoted was probably NOT for the whole ham, but was a per pound amount. **And, I just checked and now HT is showing the 1.5 lbs. ham for $7.99 and that appears to be the total cost. It doesn’t say “per pound.” ***I liked the flavor and texture of the Hatfield ham better that what I bought at Walmart.
[NOTE 02/14/25]: Surprise, surprise! I was shopping in LIDL today and while looking across the meat section I saw that they sold Hatfield Ham. I saw what I wanted, and bought it. I want to see if the ham makes the difference when I am making my “Bill McMuffin.” [end NOTE]
SproutsHarris Teeter
While in the new HT, I also checked the availability and price of the Plain Greek Gods Yogurt (see above – 01/04/25). *And because HT has been out of the Plain Greek Gods Yogurt a couple of times, I went looking for another vendor. Sprouts has the Plain for about 20 cents more, but they have it.
I just had some of the plain Greek Gods Yogurt with some blackberry puree that I made. I added a few walnuts to this and it was even better.
Something I started yesterday was taking a small “shot” of red wine vinegar, turmeric, fenugreek powder, Splenda sweetener and a little water if needed, to thin this drink out. I’ve read before and in the “Magic Foods” book I’m currently reading, that vinegar can help regulate blood sugar. Feungreek may also have this sugar regulating control, and I don’t recall why advantages turmeric has, but I think the term is “Golden Milk,” when you mix a little turmeric powder with milk. When I add a little sweetener to that it reminds me of egg nog. Not exactly, but “on the road to.”
It seems that the mixture of vinegar, turmeric and fenugreek causes the mixture to coagulate. Maybe the fenugreek does this because I haven’t noticed that result when adding just turmeric to milk.
*I was “talking” with an AI, ChatGpt the other day about this drink and “out of the blue” it asked me if I had to shake up the jar when I took it out of the fridge. I didn’t prod it for this observation. From it’s vast databank, it knew that Turmeric did not mix with vinegar or water, and would settle in the bottom of that kind of mix. Sort of like when Gemini realized that I was setting up my 2001: A Space Odyssey HAL 9000 scenario. The can be sharp, and they can be an “Idiot Savant.”
Bill Gibson, II 