The Publix I usually go to, just down from Harris Teeter in the Tallywood Shopping Center, discontinued their Deli salads a few years ago. I enjoyed this Quinoa Salad, but also they had a Wakame Seaweed Salad that I liked. I found a jar of Seaweed Salad at Hex in Cary but it has to be “doctored” to take on the flavors that I liked from the Publix salad. Add: soy sauce, red wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes. This reminds me of of the Dolce K Sweet Olive Mix at Whole Foods. Not because of the flavors but because of the complexity that makes up the mix.
I was just on the Publix web site and here are the listed ingredients for their Quinoa Salad.
Ingredients
Quinoa Salad {Quinoa, Lime juice, Canola Oil And Extra Virgin Olive oil Blend, Water, Lemon Juice, Sugar, Contains 2% Or Less Of The Following: Orange puree (Orange Pulp Cells, Concentrated orange Juice, Water, Orange Peel, Orange oil) Sea Salt, Sesame Oil, Spices}, Dried fruit And Nut Mix (Cranberries{Cranberries, sugar, Glycerin, Sunflower Oil}, Peanuts (Peanuts, Canola Oil), Roasted Pumpkin Seed {Pumpkin Seeds, Canola Oil}) Spinach, Edamame {Soy Beans}.
Edamame and soybeans are from the same plant but edamame is picked from the immature soy plant in July and August before it is fully mature. “It’s like picking a tomato that’s still green.” Green edamame is harvested from a still-ripening soy plant.
*I have made this Quinoa Salad at home successfully, but not it quite a while,
As I read the first paragraph I think on how diverse my palate is. Seaweed salad, Quinoa salad, Dolce K Sweet Olive Mix, smoked oysters with homemade hummus, turmeric & vinegar added to tomatoes, sweet bell pepper and sweet onion. Chicken livers & gizzards. Beef/calf liver. Souse and liver pudding. Goat & cow cheeses.
I’m also reminded of the changes that have occurred to the Tallywood Shopping Center since I first came to Fayetteville about 30 years ago.
On the corner was a small garage that I went to for basic maintenance. I don’t recall the name of the place, but the building, after several years of being vacant, was torn down and a drive-thru coffee shop built. Next to the coffee shop location is Biscuitville, which recently (is that one or two years now) replaced the Hardees. And a MiCasita which had been next to a carpet store. But in the back where the new Publix was built were several smaller shops and a (was that?) Belks. One of the smaller shops was School Tools Of Fayetteville NC, which moved for a few years over on Robeson Street, but now is just down from the Harris Teeter and the Post Office.
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The first Publix I recall visiting was in Georgia some years ago when I was visiting either my dad, or my half-sister Donna. Don’t recall what I bought, but after visiting another Publix, elsewhere, I noted that they were a “cut above” and with greater choices. I like this Publix and have a good rapport with the bakery. They will half a loaf with no grumbling. I like the Round Bone Lamb Chops that they have imported from New Zealand.
I also like the frozen shrimp that I use for my Zucchini/Kielbasa/Shrimp dish, but more than once have found that they either don’t have a clue that they sell this product, or can’t manage to put it on the shelf (in a timely manner). And “on the shelf” is rhetorical because the shrimp are in a freezer with a see-thru door. After asking about these, I found myself in a Cary Publix where I had no problem getting the frozen shrimp. *The shrimp come in a resealable bag, but sometimes I divide these into about 15 shrimp in smaller bags and then put them all back in the big reseal bag. Then I just have to put the smaller bag into the microwave under the “2.0” defrost setting. It takes less than 15 minutes to thaw the shrimp, and that allows for the time to cook the pasta (the small shells) . And both of those happen as the kielbasa, onions, and zucchini (with a little tomato to color the sauce) are cooking. *This process reminds me of the precise process I use to make my Pastrami Reubens (Rachels) which turn out perfectly almost every time.
Butter the outsides of the two slices of seeded rye bread and toast’em. Flip them over after the butter and bread are browned and put on a slice of Swiss on each and melt the cheese. Squeeze out the moisture in the sauerkraut to be put on the sandwich, but also put some more sauerkraut on a plate to be mixed with the homemade Thousand Island dressing. *It came to me that if the sauerkraut and dressing were good on the sandwich, they would be good together as a side dish, and they were/are.
The Thousand Island dressing consists of: Dukes Mayo, Heinz Ketchup, Relish, finely diced sweet onion (Vidalia), some hot sauce (Texas Pete not Frank’s), S&P.
I don’t heat the Pastrami but place a slice or two on each toasted slice of the rye bread. The idea being that the melted Swiss and the Pastrami will both keep any extra moisture from leeching out from the sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing and making the bread soggy. And, this works!
The sandwich has a lot of flavor and it isn’t messy, although it could be. Add some chips and a Ranch Dill pickle and maybe a side of the sauerkraut & dressing, and you have a good lunch.
And the Ranch Dill (spear) is easily made. Buy a cheap jar of the Dill Spears at WalMart. Buy a cheap package of the Ranch Dressing powder (about 50 cents at Food Lion) or the Hidden Valley packet for about $1.50. You can drain the juice to mix with the powder and then pour it all back into the pickle jar. Seal it, and put it in the fridge for a day and then enjoy, as needed.
IGA currently has a small, but not single serving size, bag of Wavy potato chips that only costs about $1.48.
The rye bread and the chips are a “splurge” for a Type 2 diabetic, and the salt and fat in the Pastrami…
Did I mention that the plastic container that the Hillshire Farms Pastrami comes in is reusable? If you can buy the Pastrami at WalMart for less than $5, then that makes the reusable container “a deal.” And the company has intentionally made this container easily reusable. Their advertising is printed on a cardboard sheet which is attached to the red “see thru” lid with some of that stretchy gluey stuff. Peels off easily. I have quite a few of the Rubbermaid Easy Find storage containers, but the Hillshire Farms tubs work well for many other things. I recently put some homemade hummus and black bean hummus in a single container. The differences in color of the two hummi (I’ve never used the plural of hummus before, and am not sure if there is a plural… but I know that it ain’t “shrimps,” but “shrimp” looked good in the container. But these smaller containers also work for leftovers, and now that I think of it, I put my bacon (uncooked) in one of the Hillshire Farms tubs. I slice the bacon in half and both halves then fit easily in the small tub.
I spent about 11 months in rural Alabama in 1984. This was the time just after I had attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky but left after two and a half years. The S.I.F.A.T. farm was located between Lineville and Wedowee Alabama.
S.I.F.A.T. = Southern Institute for Appropriate Technology – or – Servants in Faith and Technology.
While there, we visited Auburn University which was about an hour south of us. I wasn’t interested, but they were just beginning to research growing Tilapia, a fast growing fish, in farms. I’m not sure when the first time was that I tasted Tilapia, but I think my impression was that it was rather tasteless. *The above link to S.I.F.A.T farm is actually a link to the videos I took back in 1984, when I was 30 years old. They were created with a VHS camera and later digitized and then posted to YouTube.
Now, forty years later, (and I am surprised by counting the number of years since I was down there) I am starting to buy, prepare and eat Tilapia at home. And, today I fixed a small fillet (about 3.5 ounces) which I had bought at Harris Teeter for only $1.8X. This had a slightly pinkish flesh which surprised me. I even asked the fish monger about this color and he said that the fish was “wild caught” and the color was probably due to what the fish had eaten. *The Tilapia fillets I have been buying at Fresh Market are much larger, and they have a distinctly whitish flesh. I took them to be much like the flesh of a flounder.
Today I fixed this filet by baking it in the oven at about 405 degrees for about 10 minutes. I first soaked the filet in some homemade buttermilk (regular milk with a little vinegar added) for about 10 minutes. While it was soaking I put some Panko bread crumbs in a shallow dish, added some grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, dried cilantro, marjoram, cayenne powder and S&P. I then put the soaked filet in the plate and flipped it adding some more of the flavored crumbs, patting them down so they would stick. At the last, I put a few tiny dollops of the Spicy Chili Crisp. I then put the filet on the wire rack that Mary Ann had given me some time ago and put it all in the heated oven. I set the timer for 10 minutes and went to play a game online.
It seemed like it took almost no time before I started hearing the timer’s beeper start. I got up and checked the filet. There was some slight browning on some of the bread crumbs. *Oh, I had also steamed about six or seven thin asparagus spears to have with the fish.
Oh my… it was so good! There are few things I have made, for the first time, that actually are so pleasantly surprising. I wanted to add the Spicy Chili Crisp to this fish and it turned out great. I can’t imagine adding fish to my regular diet, but this may be a game changer. And, because this fillet was so inexpensive, I’ll be returning to Harris Teeter. *I may fix some cabbage slaw and also some baked beans. I may have to leave off the baked beans for dietary reasons, but the slaw & beans are perfect for fish.
I just checked online and you can freeze fish that have been marinated in buttermilk. My thought is that I can buy three filets at HT for about $6, and freeze two of them after marinading them in buttermilk first. Doing this would mean that slipping fish into my meal rotation would be super easy. Hamburger, pork chop, lamb chop and chicken and now fish. I haven’t wanted to fry fish and baking it has worked twice already.
[NOTE 02/17/25]: It has been a while since I baked a tilapia at home, but I took a frozen, buttermilk marinated filet out of my freezer yesterday and thawed it. It still had good flavor, and I coated it in the flavored Panko/Parmesan coating with a few dollops of Hot Chili Crisp on top and baked it for about 10 minutes. Turned out good again. I had fixed some Asian Cucumber Salad and also did some Stir Fry Green Beans. It all worked together for a light meal. [end NOTE]
[NOTE 07/27/25]: A tilapia filet from Publix. I did the same breading as above, but baked at 450 because I couldn’t find the temp in my previous writing. This time I had corn on the cob and steamed cauliflower. I seasoned the cauliflower with Spicy Chili Crisp and some toasted sesame oil. Once again this was a delicious meal combination. I should fix it more often. [end NOTE]
I don’t want to forget to write about my trip to Asheboro, NC yesterday. I had breakfast at David’s again (second time) and their special was less than $6 before tax, but this also included your drink (coffee). This breakfast came with two pancakes (sugar free syrup) a couple of eggs (over medium) two small sausage links (I forgot to ask for patty.) and hash brown potatoes. Not sure how they can afford to make any profit while only charging less than $6 for this meal. *The David’s Breakfast Special(s) have gone up, but they are still delicious.
I went to the Asheboro Public Library afterwards and looked through a cookbook, taking pictures with my phone as I did. The Library was going under extreme renovation and even part of the inside was taped off limits. There was a tall crane but I didn’t see what they were lifting. It might have been heating/air equipment replacement.
I went to lunch about 2:00 pm and was looking to waste some time so that I could visit a nearby Ice Cream Creamery that opened at 3 pm. I guess they open the ice cream shop about the time school is letting out.
I first looked for a restaurant that served a Lamb Gyro (Mediterranean) but only found a food truck so I didn’t want to eat there. I then just decided to drive around town and stop somewhere that caught my eye. Eventually I came to a shopping area and saw a Chinese restaurant.
I really enjoyed my meal, a buffet, there. The food was reminiscent of several other Chinese places I had frequented through the years. I even had a banana, some jello and a chunk of cantaloupe. The cantaloupe was perfectly ripe and with a little salt so delicious. I had an egg roll and they had the hot mustard which almost blew my brain apart. Just the way I like it. I had some soup, egg drop mixed with the wonton soup and a few chopped spring onions. I had the chicken on a stick, and the jalapeno chicken, etc. I was so full after the buffet that I decided not to go for ice cream.
I am looking for the Hershey’s Raspberry ice cream like I had at the little ice cream parlour that is in the back of the Pharmacy in Newton Grove. They only charge $2 for a scoop of ice cream on a cone, but they discontinued the Raspberry which had little chocolate cups filled with raspberry gel. Not sure if the Hershey’s Company stopped making it, or if the shop just wanted another flavor. *I just found the name of this ice cream online: Roadrunner Raspberry – White chocolate ice cream with raspberry swirls and raspberry filled chocolate cups. **I finally bought a half gallon of the Roadrunner Raspberry ice cream from Publix. It was good, but I ate the whole thing in a few days. Not good.
IRONY: I just used the the online Hershey’s Ice Cream Store Locator to try and find the nearest grocery that carries the Hershey’s Roadrunner Raspberry ice cream, and ironically… it is the Kinlaws Grocery Store. The joke is that this store burned down a month or so ago. *It is 07/27/25 and the Kinlaws lot has been cleared, but nothing has been rebuilt yet.
I was looking for Hershey’s Ice Cream sources, but then just a day or so ago, I was googling and found that Publix carries a “Roadrunner Raspberry” flavor of ice cream, that’s not the Hershey’s brand, but their own brand. Today I was in Publix waiting for extremely fresh Sourdough Bread to cool and walking around the store and thought to look for the ice cream. Sure enough, there it was. The price is a little over $6 for the Half Gallon size container.
But, the problem isn’t the price, it’s the half gallon container of ice cream. It has been a long time since I bought any ice cream to bring home and put in my freezer, and currently, there isn’t enough space for a half gallon of ice cream. Still, I am probably going to buy this and either put some in small containers, that will fit, or throw some away. This is a splurge, and I don’t need the great amount of sugar, nor the calories. *It would be better if the ice cream shop in the Newton Grove Drug Store just brought back the Roadrunner Raspberry ice cream, and charged the $2 for a single scoop in a regular cone. That was a deal! But they discontinued it some time ago.
[06/25/25]: So I was in Publix this morning, and it’s promising to be a really hot day. Looks like we may have a week’s worth of days with the temperature reaching 100 or higher. I wasn’t planning on buying anything in Publix, but I just wanted to “touch base” with a familiar place for shopping. I looked at breads, rolls and muffins in their bakery. I took some pictures of a lot of their wines, thinking I would try to have Gemini (AI) give me an extensive inventory from the photos I had taken. There were no “round bone lamb chops.” And then I was closed enough to their Ice Cream aisle that I thought to see if their Roadrunner Raspberry had returned. It had. It was less than $7 for a half gallon and that was the only thing I bought, going through the self-checkout quickly and thinking that I had bought ice cream on one of the hottest days this year. I also was thinking that I didn’t have any room for a half gallon container in my freezer. I moved stuff around and it did fit, but the freezer is packed.
Harris Teeter “Roadrunner Raspberry” Ice CreamMini Chocolate Cup w/ Raspberry Jam Filling
I scooped out a small bowl of Roadrunner Raspberry and even took a picture of what it looked like in the container. You could see a couple of those mini sized chocolate cups in which is supposed to be raspberry jam. There were swirls of raspberry going through the vanilla ice cream. It was good. I missed it.
*I had a couple more egg rolls today. Bought them out and brought them back home and made my own hot mustard. I had them before I fixed my Tilapia.
If I could just flavor my eggplant fritters in a way that pleasantly surprises me like the Tilapia did today, oh boy. *As I was re-reading the previous sentence it came to me, why not flavor the eggplant fritters like I did the tilapia, except for the Spicy Chili Crisp… maybe even with the Spicy Chili Crisp.
I drove to Benson today and bought some thick cut pork chops (two 2 paks) and bacon (2 of the cheap bacon & 1 of the peppered bacon) at Lee’s Fresh Market. The chops were “on special” again, and were less than $2 per pound. When I came back to town I stopped at Harris Teeter and bought 3 small Tilapia fillets, took them home, marinated them in homemade butter milk (regular milk & vinegar mixed). I then packaged two of the fish fillets in sandwich bags and put them in the freezer. The third fillet I coated with the seasoned Panko crumbs and baked it at 405 degrees for about 15 minutes. I also put some of the Spicy Chili Crisp on the fillet. Once again the Tilapia fixed this way was delicious! For dinner I heated a portion of the thick cut pork chop that I had bought previously (not today) and I fixed a helping of mashed potatoes from a very small Russett potato. I put just a tad of the Spicy Chili Crisp on the mashed potatoes and it made them even better.
Eggplant? No eggplant at the IGA in Benson, or the Food Lion near the Mall. Harris Teeter had a few very large eggplants, but I didn’t need them that big. The eggplant was the only thing on my grocery list that I didn’t come home with. Recall I’m going to try and season an eggplant fritter like I did the Tilapia. I’ve never had good fortune in making eggplant at home. *I’ve had delicious eggplant at a few restaurants throughout the years, and go home with the intent of repeating those flavors at home… but no. I liked the texture of the eggplant fritter I made a few weeks ago, but they were a little heavy, and the flavor was okay, but not great. Also, what sauce am I going to put on them? I’ve put marinara sauce on fried eggplant before, and that would probably be good.
I actually could bring the seasoned Panko encrusted Tilapia into my meal rotation, and took those first steps today. Two in the freezer, and I know what to mix with the Panko: add some grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, dried cilantro, marjoram, thyme, cayenne powder and S&P and a little Spicy Chili Crisp.
I had ordered a VinChef wok today, and it arrived TODAY, before 10 pm! That is amazing to me but I am guessing that since we now have a working Amazon distribution center a few miles away that “Black Friday Specials” are already stored locally, and can be delivered that quickly. I had seen a YouTube video where a chef was cooking something in a very nice looking pan. This got me looking for the vendor that sold those pans. I noted that there was a hexagonal pattern in the bottom of the pan, and around the inside border was an ornate repeating flame pattern. This looked really elegant to me. I wanted a pan that I could put in the oven, and hopefully in the dishwasher.
Above: The new Amazon Distribution Center in Fayetteville, NC.
Version 1.0.0
Let me say that “out of the box” this wok looked great! It is a good look all around. It has a glass lid and the handle came unattached, but had an odd shaped wrench to finish the job of attaching the handle to the wok body. *I haven’t tried it yet, but have already placed another order for the same wok to use as a present for Chad and his bride to be. I checked and the “Black Friday” special price was still on so I pushed through Checkout quickly and it should arrive by Monday. I was planning on getting them an electric wok, but this may fit the bill, AND it was inexpensive. Only $43 and some change. *I have a book that gives ideas on how to do stir fry. I’ll need a couple of utensils and I still may try to get them a nice knife because having a good knife (the right tool) makes things so much easier. **It is amazing how my mom and me never had a large kitchen knife, or at least I don’t recall one that we ever used. Even on a large, tough ham bone, or some other tough cut of meat we would use a little kitchen knife. I have quite a few good knives from WÜSTHOF, but rarely use them except for the small tomato knife. I might not buy WÜSTHOF if I was starting out again. I might have preferred a different handle style.
Hot Mustard
Sesame Seeds (white)
Sesame Oil – Toasted
Soy Sauce – Kikoman
Spicy Chili Crisp
Stir Fry Vegetables – canned (Walmart)
I think it odd that both Hershey’s Ice Cream and Publix both have a version of “Roadrunner Raspberry” ice cream. But even stranger, is that there currently are two TV shows based upon a French detective series. One show is called “HIP” (High Intellectual Potential) on HULU, and the other is called “High Potential,” an ABC show. For both shows to be on at the same time, is amazing to me. Very many years ago, I was watching a Police show which had an ensemble cast. At some point, I realized that I had heard most if not all of the dialogue in the episode, but I had heard it from different actors in another Police show on a different network. That was strange and I found that the two shows had used the same script.
Still it’s not unheard of for a popular movie or TV show to be remade years later, with a more Hip cast. I watched an episode of “Elsbeth” and realized that it reminded me of “Columbo,” which I haven’t watched or re-watched in years. The current detective hounds the perps just like Peter Falk’s character did back then. And while watching “Will Trent” I realized that the ensemble cast in this show reminded me of “The Mentalist.” I still love the first 10 minutes of the first episode of “The Mentalist.” The classic line said by the main character to his fellow officers as they rush into the room, as he stands in the kitchen where the wife has just put four bullets in her husband’s chest (bright white shirt and all), “Honest, It’s not as bad as it looks.” And they cut to commercial, and I said to myself, “Now that’s great writing. I’m going to love this show.” And I did until, they killed Red John, and then later revealed, it wasn’t the “real” Red John. Once they did that I told myself that they could do that over and over and just keep the audience hanging on forever. But, not me. Several years later I did watch the last episode of the show.
For great writing, I recall the opening sequence in “Diagnosis Murder” the Dick Van Dyke series, where a man has fallen over dead in the aisle of a city bus. His body is blocking the other riders, and someone has bent over him and turns to the others and says, “This man’s dead,” to which one of the other impatient riders, a young male professional says, “So’s my career, but you don’t see it laying in the aisle blocking traffic.” I would love to see that sequence again, and I’ve looked, but haven’t found it yet.
And for something that I’ve looked for, but just can’t remember enough about the classic actors to track down the movie… It was a movie, probably from the 1960s. There is a Psychologist, or Psychiatrist, and he is having a group session with several women. One of the women arrives late to the group. They are sitting around in a circle. The woman starts explaining that her husband likes for her to hum “Show Tunes” while she is giving him head. But, she doesn’t state it as plainly, but the whole audience knows what she is talking about as she describes looking for the sheet music (either at the library or music store). And you, meaning me, sort of goes, “Wow, I don’t believe she just told us that.” *What classic male actor from the 1960s could play that kind of role. I think I’ve seen this movie at least twice, but it has been a long time ago. The doctor might have even been working at a Clinic or facility that had large grounds, and athletic activities, and inside the classic torture equipment that was once thought to help “crazy” people get better… shock therapy, ice baths, etc. And, it wasn’t “One Flew Over the Cuckcoo’s Nest.”
Maybe an actor like Cliff Robertson, or Warren Beatty, John Cassavetes, or Bradford Dillman, or maybe even Frank Sinatra. Maybe I should go for the actress, someone like Maureen Stapleton
It has been a while since I made any bean soup using dried beans. I had several plastic bags from which I had used at least some of the dried beans. Some green split peas, some baby limas and maybe some black eyed peas. So, I was in the mood for some green split pea soup with country ham. I got the half bag off the shelf and almost immediately noted that the bottom had peas that had disintegrated. I thought they might still be good so I dumped a small portion out into a white bowl and went back to get something else. To my surprise when I returned there were quite a few black mealy bugs coming out of the dried peas. I threw them out and then checked the several other bags. All were compromised so I threw them out also. It was then that I knew where the mealy bugs had come from that had ruined my Bisquick. Not sure if they can get into a glass jar with a tight lid, but I have bought one and put a new box of Bisquick in it. *This is a large glass jar, perhaps 1/2 or 1 gallon in size.
[NOTE 08/12/25]: I like the idea of putting dry beans in plastic jars instead of the glass ones. I ordered a 12 pak of plastic storage jars, with metal lids & bands from Amazon. I probably got the idea of the plastic jars from the reused Dukes Mayo jars. But I see that the 12 pak of plastic jars do not fit the yellow Dukes Mayo lids. [end NOTE]
Plastic Dukes / Glass Ball Both holding dry Lima beans.
If I buy any new bags of dried beans, I’ll have to put them in glass jars with tight lids.
I have a bunch of Rubbermaid Easy Find containers with lids, but I’ve also used quite a few Ball glass jars but I put the yellow plastic Duke’s Mayo lid on them when I have those. The plastic lids will eventually break, but it saves having to keep the canning jar lids (which have two parts). *Not too long ago I bought a foam noodle and cut it to put the canning jar bands on. They fit almost perfectly and it makes them more organized when I put them in a plastic storage shoebox.
*A note. I prefer the taste of Duke’s Mayo to Hellmans and now I also have another reason to stick with Dukes. The Dukes plastic lids fit the canning jars perfectly, but the Hellmans lids do not.
I had a hankering (something less than a hankering) for some homemade spaghetti sauce and pasta. I happened to be in Wegman’s in Raleigh about a week ago and they had their own brand of spaghetti sauce starters for only about $1.19 a jar. I decided to try it, but currently I like RAO’s starter sauces, but they are about $9 a jar. RAOs is a glass jar and the Wegman’s jar was plastic. That doesn’t matter.
I found the flavor of the Wegman’s sauce to be like the $1 a can starters I had bought repeatedly through the years. Delmonte was one company that made these starters. At some point, one of the companies started canning their sauce in a smaller can. Like what happened to the single serving sizes of Yogurt. I think the single serving size of yogurt is currently about 3.5 ounces. But maybe 20 years ago the sizes were maybe 5.5 or 6 oz. plastic containers. Of course you can continue to sell your product at the same price, if you actually provide less product to the customer. As long as the customer doesn’t realize the portion size has been reduced, everybody is a happy camper. And, not too long ago, maybe a couple of years now, Food Lion started selling a smaller size of sweet bell pepper (yellows, oranges, reds) for $1.48. It’s been $1.48 for several years now, but if you paid attention, the produce is now considerably smaller in size. If you want to buy a sweet bell pepper that was the size it was, maybe 3 or 4 years ago, you wouldn’t pay $1.48 but probably over $2 per pepper. *Price fixing? Well a sweet bell pepper at Food Lion and Walmart costs the same, $1.48 and both veggies are sized about the same (the smaller version).
So I used half a jar of the Wegman’s sauce, and added about half a can of the Fire Roasted Tomatoes from Hunts. It’s here where I mention again that it is difficult to cook for one when you are making homemade spaghetti sauce, or several types of soups (especially vegetable). For the vegetable soup you open a 15 oz. can each of green beans, corn, garden peas, tomatoes, chop some carrots, dice an onion and brown some ground beef (I like ground beef rather than stew beef chunks in my vegetable-beef soup.) add some Chicken Broth & water, and several seasonings like garlic powder, ground pepper & salt. Maybe even throw in a little margarine or even bacon grease for more flavor. But adding all of those makes the final product enough for maybe six servings, and unless you freeze some of that, you end up throwing half of it away. And that’s even if your soup was especially delicious. *I have also tried only using half a can of each of the above veggies and freezing the rest all mixed together in a Rubbermaid container. Still the frozen veggies usually get lost over time and I open a new can of each item when I start to make another helping of soup.
And the thought just came to me. If in season, I chop up some okra and add them in. And I add some orzo.
For the homemade spaghetti sauce I brown some ground beef, chop up some onion (regular not sweet, because… “any onion is sweet once it hits the heat.”) and add a can of Hunt’s Fire Roasted Tomatoes and some Chicken Broth. Garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, sweetener (maybe Agave Nectar), and fennel seeds (licorice flavor as in Italian Sausage). If I am in the mood, I may add a small can of mushroom bits. *Chicken Broth? I’ve found (as has been mentioned on Americas Test Kitchen) that even if the recipe calls for a beef product, Chicken Broth provides a more rounded flavor than Beef Broth. **I have in the past (maybe only once) tried using three different meats: ground beef, Italian sausage and pork sausage (or ground lamb). I couldn’t tell enough difference to justify the extra cost of three meats, so ground beef is my usual.
Instead of using Angel Hair pasta, as I normally do, this time I bought a good sized eggplant and shredded it. Salted it and then squeezed out the moisture. Sauteed the shredded eggplant, let it cool and then mixed the eggplant with flour (Bisquick), an egg, and some spices like thyme, savory, garlic powder, etc. I normally do not like to fry anything in a large amount of oil, but I had some long-time unused Canola oil and I poured about a quarter inch of oil, heated it up in a frying pan and after it was hot put several large patties of the eggplant mixture in to cook. They browned fairly quickly, and I turned them over and viola. This turned out pretty well. The eggplant fritters had enough flavor to be pleasantly delicious with the homemade spaghetti sauce. *Through the years I’ve repeatedly failed at fixing delicious fried eggplant at home. But shredding it, and making a fritter worked.
I use the Hunt’s Fire Roasted Tomatoes when I am making homemade salsa also. I put a can of the tomatoes in my chopper, add some onion and sweet bell & jalapeno & pablano peppers (sometimes roasting them first for more flavor). If I have more exotic peppers such as a Biquinho, Brazillian Starfish, or Trinidad Perfume they will go in also. *I tried these three peppers a couple of years ago and added them to my seafood chowder and they were great. But, this past season I couldn’t get some of them at the State Farmer’s Market in Raleigh. Maybe next year. **I asked repeatedly about these.
A “kick” I am currently on is the Spicy Chili Crisp that I originally bought for my stir fry concoctions. I buy this from Walmart locally: Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp Hot Chili Oil (also available at Amazon.com) It only costs about $4 for a small jar. It is crunchy but adds a bunch of flavor to a stir fry.
I hadn’t made a stir fry in a while but added some of this oil mixture to my latest. And, while I was eating the stir fry, which turned out really well, I noticed a few peanuts in the mix. I wondered where they came from because I knew I didn’t add them. I even questioned if they weren’t peanuts but maybe the peas from the Sugar Snap peas I had also added. Eventually, I found these peanuts had come from the Spicy Chili Crisp, and a little of that is addictive. I’ve even added some to some Dukes Mayo and put it on a pastrami sandwich, with a slice of sweet onion, and it worked! It was different, delicious and a keeper.
A note. I finished off a previous version of the Spicy Chili Crisp, but had already bought some more. I noticed that the flavor between the two was different. Still enjoyable, but different, so maybe the peppers they use, or how long they cook the mix causes some flavor variations.
[NOTE 11/10/24]: Tried a few different flavors together for breakfast this morning: 1 egg in microwave, seasoned with some of the Spicy Chili Crisp, some chopped onion & sweet bell pepper and some shredded Mexican blend cheese. A couple of slices of polenta, heated in the microwave. Half of a small avocado. Three slices of bacon. [end NOTE]
They are little things, but still they are so important as first steps toward a more organized life.
I like the idea of compartmentalizing things according to their use, but I rarely, or consistently do this type of organizing. But when I do, I feel a minor, but definite sense of accomplishment.
I’ve recently bought 48 clean, new, glass spice jars, with shiny aluminum screw lids and translucent white plastic filters that snap snuggly on the mouths of the jars. They are squared off, and I kept one of the packing trays (there was a tray for both the top and bottom of these jars to fit into snuggly so that the glass wouldn’t “tink” into an adjacent bottle and break. I’ve filled almost all of these jars with either existing spices that I already had, or recently purchased spices that I thought I might like to try.
I’ve moved a bunch of stuff around on the countertop next to the stove on the side where the spices and a small plastic cutting board lie. Most importantly, I moved the paper towel dispenser away from the stove top (and potential fire hazard) and put it next to the side of my refrigerator and next to that I moved the plastic sandwich bag dispenser. This dispenser is indispensable. I use these bags to store food items both after and before cooking.
Oh, and something I’ve just started using for a different purpose is small colored plastic salsa bowls. The kind with the little plastic legs to steady the bowl. I’ve used a few of these (a bright green and a bright yellow one) for many years for when I make homemade salsa, hummus, or guacamole, but now I am also using one for my Greek God’s Yogurt (plain flavored) to which I’m adding fresh fruit that I have blended in my chopper. The raw (not sure how fresh) raspberries that I pureed turned out extremely flavorful, and were a very pleasant addition to this yogurt. *I recently bought (at the exorbitant price of $4.99) a 3-pak of assorted berries: blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. I plan to blend them and put them in the little plastic Rubbermaid containers, in the fridge, until use.
So first I bought, at separate times, a few more of these plastic salsa bowls and then came up with the idea to use them like monkey dishes. I have some dark blue (outside) and white (inside) ceramic muffin cups that I’ve used for years as monkey dishes putting in various liquid and dry ingredients. I have one of these cups in which I put my olive oil brush. This is to brush oil onto a pan surface or my waffle iron before baking a waffle, so that it won’t stick to the surface.
My salt dispenser sits beside the sandwich bag dispenser.
One of the items I have on the other side of my stove is a large ceramic container in which I put an assortment of kitchen tools. But tonight, very early morning, I decided to clear out some of the unneeded items in this horribly cramped container. Surprisingly, to me, I actually took several items out of this and actually threw them away. I did throw away a shiny melon baller, but I don’t think I will actually miss it. I found a cup sized tea ball, which I actually might use now that I know where it is. But I also plan to move this tea ball to a more visible location as a reminder. I do have a coffee, tea and flavored drink packet area on the corner of my kitchen counter.
The other thing I found was a dark metal pair of scissors. My mother had used them, and they are still a really good pair of scissors, and I’ve just used some olive oil on them for protecting their surface, which I see can rust, but hasn’t much. *Sometime in the last couple of years I recall asking myself, “What ever happened to those black scissors.” And the scissors are what started me writing this particular blog entry. I plan to put them in one of my plastic shoe boxes (for organizational purposes) and then put other “like minded” items in that same shoe box. *I do have a small sewing kit, but the scissors might also be used for cutting paper, which I did just a few minutes ago and they still do a fine job of cutting.
I mentioned the spice jars above, but I still haven’t quite got how I want them laid out. I have tried to come up with a 3 letter code to go on top of each jar, but I still have a few jars that I don’t quite recall what the 3 letters stand for, and a jar or two of spices/herbs that I don’t really recall which ingredient it is. But first I had all the jars alphabetically organized from A to Z. But now I’ve put the most used ingredients in the first two rows nearest my cutting board. It seems vaguely that I might want to categorize these spices/herbs even more. “Most Used,” “Warm Spices” for frying apples, and “Peppery Spices.” For a long time, I would sift each of the warm spices from their separate jars onto the fried apples (on top of the Splenda I had already sifted on them), but then I finally mixed all of these spices and put them in a separate glass jar with a sift lid. It just makes it so much easier to sift from just one jar.
Some time ago, I started organizing a few reusable items in some plastic sandwich bags. These items are rarely needed, but nice to have on hand if and when the need arises: assorted rubber bands (different colors, sizes and widths), various plastic bottle tops (My Agave Nectar dispenser has had a couple of broken bottle tops that it was nice to have an extra unbroken one to replace with.), twist ties (both from bread bags or label ties from Sprouts), and I also keep my yellow plastic “Dukes Mayonnaise” jar lids because they fit perfectly on regular sized canning jars.
One drawer beside my stove includes the most used utensils: apple corer, can opener, vegetable peeler, box cutter, etc. I think it was just a couple of years ago that I bought a 4 pack of the box cutters. They came in 4 separate colors and they have proven to be very handy. I keep one cutter beside my easy chair (for opening various plastic bags and Amazon packages). One cutter is in the drawer beside my stove (for slicing open the plastic bacon package, or slicing off the top of a resealable shredded cheese bag). I have one cutter in my car. And, I don’t recall where the fourth cutter is, but I have a suspicion that I gave it away as a present. These are really useful. *How about for slicing through those annoying thick plastic protective seals. The ones that snuggly protect a new tooth brush, or batteries, or…
Oh, every so often my can opener doesn’t work on a can. I think most times it is the design of the can rim, or the softness of the metal that causes the old standard can opener not to take and slice the metal apart as it travels around the can lid. *For those extraordinary times, I have my “John Wayne,” which I have probably had for more than 40 years. Perhaps even more than 50 years. I might have still been in high school when I found and kept the little steel can opener that was supplied to soldiers for opening their C or K Rations in the field. It has been on my key chain for many years, and when the big opener won’t start or finish the job, that little can opener works “every time.” Yes, it takes longer to open a can with this little tool, but it gets the job done.
This reminds me that I’ve recently bought a new pair of nail clippers. But the problem with these clippers is that they are a smidge too small to be comfortable in the hand when in use. And, I’ve checked at a different store and their clippers were also in this slightly smaller size. The smaller size works for adding them to your key chain, but they are an irritation that I plan to find a solution to… Another pair, slightly larger as they were for many years.
Which reminds me. Yesterday when I left home, my phone wasn’t sufficiently charged up for the day, and I didn’t have a charging cable in the car. I had used the short white charging cable that came with my hearing aids in the car to charge my phone. In the apartment, I used the black charging cable that I switch from hearing aids, phone and Chromebook in a round robin match that works. But, I sent the white cable back in the return of my hearing aids.
So, I’m in Goldsboro with my phone around 25% and falling fast. I don’t want to be without a phone, in case my car “acts up,” or I need to get navigation or an online map, or to check for a product, or location or time of an event, etc. I check for the nearest Dollar Tree and see one. I’m not sure if I’ve been to this exact location before, but I had a slight awareness of where it was located even before using the navigation to drive there. I think it is next to a Walmart, because I saw the Walmart Blue color on the side of an adjacent building, but never actually saw the Walmart name on the building. I was parked askew of that building, and had no need to get a better view. I go into this Dollar Tree and start looking for the USB cables. And they don’t have any. What? The USB cables are always with the assorted smartphone protectors, and the other little, cheap electronic thingys. I look and then I go to the register and ask and the clerk sends me back to where I had been looking. I go back, and they don’t have any, any, any USB cables. How can this be? I go back to the car and google for another Dollar Tree. It can’t be that ALL Dollar Trees in the area are devoid of USB cables. The other Dollar Tree is across town, past Wilbers BBQ. But, this is not an unfamiliar location as I go by it quite often when visiting Goldsboro. There is a dead end road that butts up against the chain link fence next to the Seymour Johnson Airforce Base runway. There are fields on either side of this road and most of the year, except when the crops are tall in the summer, this is a perfect location to come watch the take offs and landings of the fighter jets and the refueling tankers. I’m not the only one who knows of this location and I’ve been there when several others are watching also. Most of the time it is deserted. You might see a white security/maintenance truck in the distance traversing around the runway. I think it may be looking for debris that is on the runway, more than checking on possible intruders.
So I go to the other Dollar Tree and go to the electronics section and here they have at least three different styles of “Fast Charging” USB cables (Type A to Type C). The price on the package is $1.25. I buy one of the fancier looking cables, but would like to buy a couple more and have them about, just in case. My phone was down to 17% by this time, but having the phone hooked up only a brief time, I saw the percentage of charge begin to climb and by the time I was back home I think the charge was close to 60%. I think ALL USB cables should be “fast charging” and cost only $1.25. Why pay $10 or more for this basic cable? *I don’t understand what the difference is between a fast charging cable and a regular (slow charging) one, but it is probably just one extra wire or some such. **Just checked and the fast charging cable is thicker with more insulation which provides a higher delivery voltage, and therefore quicker charging.
On the way back home, I stopped at the drug store in Newton Grove and had a Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, regular cone, for $2 total (including tax). It is $2 for one scoop, but they put what I call one scoop in the cone, and then add another scoop (sometimes it might be half a scoop), but I definitely would call it more than one scoop for the price. Unfortunately for me they discontinued the “Super” Raspberry flavor sometime ago, but they still have enough flavors (probably 20 or a few more) to satisfy. The raspberry ice cream had little chocolate candies filled with raspberry jam. I make this description of the ice cream after having gone online and researched the raspberry flavor. I might be able to get this elsewhere, either in an ice cream shop or in a small container to take home.
Bags of Nature’s Way Farms, Inc. potatoes @ Harris Teeter in Fayetteville
And something else. In the morning, I wanted to go to Nature’s Way Farm near Faison, NC. I checked my phone navigation and turned off Hwy. 13 to head toward the business. It’s out in the country. But this detour took me a different way to a familiar route. I’m not sure if it is a shorter route, but it almost seemed to be. Instead of going into Newton Grove (and circling the round-a-bout a full rotation), I can go this different way and end up on the “on ramp” to I40.
[NOTE 10/29/24]: And so, I guess it continues. I had the desire to have a Lamb Gyro Pita at Pharaoh’s Legacy Restaurant. I normally like to also order the house Greek Salad with this meal. Previously I’ve even made my own version of a Greek Salad, and even made the Italian Dressing at home, and taken it with me to eat in the car, outside of the restaurant. So this time I prepared a sandwich baggy with a few items meant to enhance the flavor of their Greek Salad: an extra Peperoncini, some chopped sweet onion, a Campari tomato, diced, and a few green pitted olives (because I just can’t find any Kalamata olives in my fridge).
From a previous visit, and all the inside fixtures were gone when I poked my head inside the front door a couple of days ago.
I drive clear across town, and park in front of the restaurant and start to go to the front door. I do note that there are no cars parked in front except for some utility trucks away from the front. I pulled the front door open, and there, to my surprise is no restaurant. It has been gutted, and as I start to step back outside, I do see a construction worker come around the corner in the far back. *I should have at least stopped to ask if the restaurant was just being remodeled, or if it was closed permanently. **And, I still don’t know if it is permanently closed because I see nothing regarding their closing on their web site. Maybe a fire, but the place was just gutted and I didn’t smell any smoke.
I decided to drive over to the old, other location. This was the first place I had visited some time before I had my heart surgery. I pull up in front of the other restaurant and another car pulls in ahead of me near the front door. I walk past this person, who is getting out of his car, and open the door. They are open.
I walk up to the counter and get a menu and go over and sit down at one of the dining tables. I already know what I want: Lamb Gyro Pita with a Greek Salad. But, I note that the Greek Salad is more expensive and apparently isn’t available with the Pita as it is at the other location. *I do ask the waitress if the Greek Salad is the full price with the sandwich, and then the waitress explains that this restaurant has different ownership than Pharaoh’s Legacy. I tell her this wasn’t always the case and that when I first visited this restaurant, it had the same owner.
**I do want to mention another thing that I am quite proud of, but not related to this story of Pharaoh’s Legacy. In a moment of insight, I thought about using the old Lazy Susan that I had previously used for my spices. But with the new spice bottles and the matrix that I’ve chosen to use to organize the bottles, I no longer needed the Lazy Susan. The insight was that if it would fit, I could use the Lazy Susan, and place the kitchen tool jar (with my assortment of various kitchen tools: spatulas, juice squeezer, spoons, etc.) in the middle and put some other items: Splenda jar, Sweet-n-Low packet jar, Coconut Sugar jar, corn starch jar, etc. around the outside. This worked excellently! And now all I have to do is spin the Lazy Susan to select what I need to use. [end NOTE]
I can get to Lee’s Fresh Market in Benson, NC in about 37 minutes, traveling mostly “back roads.” This butcher shop is a couple of miles outside of the town of Benson, so if I go into town after visiting this market, my GPS shows that returning home is shorter by going back on I95.
There is a Lee’s Market in Benson that is not related to the butcher shop. This is a vegetable market just about a block down from the IGA. But, this Lee’s Market is related to the Lee’s Market which is located at the State Farmers’ Market in Raleigh. I have been going to that vendor in Raleigh for about 13 years, and I found a picture that I took 13 years ago of some Anaheim & Jalapeno peppers at their stand. *These are just green peppers, but at some point they mostly have not-green peppers, reds, oranges and yellows.
But, I went to the butcher shop to especially buy some more Pepper Bacon. This is really good flavored bacon and I’ve even given some as a present to my relatives down in Hubert, NC. They only had one package of peppered bacon. They come in packages weighing approximately two pounds and the cost is about $14. I asked a nearby staff person if they had any more of the bacon. He said he was a “chicken” expert, but he would go back and check about more bacon. When he returned they had just gotten the bacon they season with pepper and he said it would take about a day for more pepper bacon to be available.
I walked down one isle and around to the next isle. Almost immediately I saw a package of thick cut pork chops, two to a package. I normally do not buy thick cut pork chops because I only need about 3 or 4 ounces of meat per meal. But, these looked good and I then noticed that they only cost $2.92 for this package which I then noticed weighed 1.63 lbs. *I had to do the math at home the next day to see how many ounces I could get from each chop. They were just too big. I was going to have to cut each chop in three parts because cut in two parts there were just too many ounces of protein.
I cooked one chop in my large frying pan that is all metal so that I can put it in the oven. I set the oven to Broil on LO. Normally I cook steak or lamb on HI but those are not usually thick cut. I really only like the Round Bone Lamb Chop because I think it’s flavor tastes better. I figured that the thick cut pork chop would burn to a crisp before the inside was done if I set the Broil to HI. The LO setting worked and I flipped the chop after the top started to crisp up. And, this chop was delicious and tender. I only cut off about a third of the chop and that was enough. I had some fried okra & onion, and an ear of corn on the cob, and some corn chips with guacamole.
[NOTE 10/03/24]: I was just watching an episode of “Diners Drive Inns and Dives” and one of the chefs used some Crunchy Garlic Crisp in one of his recipes. I think it went in a sauce that was used on a sandwich. I’ve only used the Garlic Crisp in my stir fry. There are expensive brands of this, but I get a cheap brand at Walmart and it does the job.
I had a little guacamole left from yesterday and find that with a few salty corn tortilla chips this is a decent side with various meals. It’s not just for Mexican anymore.
[end NOTE]
I don’t recall if the first brussels sprouts that I enjoyed included Balsamic Vinegar, but I recall the waiter said that they had honey. That was at Fatz Restaurant in Cheraw, South Carolina. That Fatz location has been closed a few years. There was another location in Rockingham, North Carolina, but I’m not sure if it is still there.
I did not follow the exact quantities above since I was only making enough for one helping. I cut five sprouts in half. At first I started to fry these on the stove top, but then I realized that the tops probably wouldn’t be cooked through, so I put them in a bowl, covered it and put them in the microwave for three minutes. After these looked tender and I put them back in the frying pan on the stove top and finished cooking them. *I did not add the condiments directly to the pan, but after they were cooked and had a dark brown bottom, I put them in a bowl and added the condiment mixture. I didn’t have enough honey (unless I put some of the crystalized honey in the microwave) so I added some Agave Nectar. Oh, and I added some Splenda to the mix also.
I enjoyed these brussels sprouts that I fixed the rest the next day, and they were just as good the second time. But, I hadn’t refrigerated those left from the first day and by the second day, one of them had actually started to rot. I had to cut the rotten part off before using the rest.
This turned out great! They were tender and sickeningly sweet and went well with the pork chop that I fixed on the stove top. *I’ve found that adding some Amchur (mango) powder and Tamarind powder, with some vinegar, lime juice and Equal (and/or Agave Nectar) makes a delicious flavored pork chop. The sweet vinegar flavors are echoed between the pork chop & the brussels sprouts. I also cut some grape tomatoes to go with this and they were a perfect balance for this meal. **I probably could have had cabbage slaw or maybe even some guacamole to balance the flavors of this meal out.
ADDENDUM [12/28/24]: I had driven up to Raleigh yesterday. I wanted to get another French Baguette (LaFarm) sold at Whole Foods, and then go to Wegman’s and see if they had Bigelow’s Raspberry Royale tea. Yes they did, and I bought two boxes (20 bags each). *Amazon wants to charge a little over $7 for just one 20 bag count box and Wegman’s only charged a little over $3 for the same. A few years ago I did buy the 6 pack of 20 count boxes from Amazon and gave them away as presents, but I didn’t want to buy that much again, if I didn’t have to. Fortunately I checked online at the Wegman’s site and to my surprise it said they they did have it in stock.
A black woman clerk had come to me in line and ushered me over to the Service Desk where she was working and checked me out there. We started talking and I mentioned that I had come to buy the Bigelow’s Raspberry Royale tea and she then told me the story about how her daughter who had been pregnant said that raspberry tea would force labor. The daughter had drank some raspberry tea and had her baby the next day. I told the lady that the Raspberry Royale had never forced me into labor, and she agreed that it had not forced herself into labor either. She was old enough that she more than likely shouldn’t be having any children. The woman said she had never tried the Bigelow Raspberry Royale. I paid for my few groceries and walked out to my car. There was a slight cold rainy mist, but as I sat in my car and opened one of the Raspberry Royale boxes it came to me, “why didn’t I open the box and give her a couple of bags to try.” So, I took out two bags of tea, still in their pouches, and headed back inside. When I got to the counter the woman was no longer there. There was a younger man, another clerk that asked if he could help me. I asked the whereabouts of the black woman clerk, and he looked around and said he thought she might have just gone to lunch. I handed him the two packets of tea and asked that he give them to the woman when she returned, then I left.
I ate at the Redneck BBQ Lab at McGee’s Crossroads (Exit 319 off of I40) and afterward headed to Lee’s Fresh Market just outside of Benson. It was after 3 pm when I got to Lee’s, but there were still several cars parked outside. I grabbed a red plastic shopping basket as I walked inside the sliding glass door and headed around to where the pork chops were located. A man and wife were standing in front of the “thick cut” pork chops, but they were looking at other cuts of pork. I waited briefly and then said, “Excuse me,” and reached for one of the 2 chop packages of Thick Cut Pork Chops. I saw the price was only $1.79 per pound, so I reached over and got a second package.
I fixed two of the pork chops for lunch today. I’m using my new “oven safe” VinChef wok to broil them. It does an excellent job and cooks them quickly. This wok is beautifully ornate on the inside and on the bottom! As I’ve said elsewhere, I can make two or three meals out of each thick cut chop. Each chop is about a pound (16 oz.) so quartering it would mean each serving would be about 4 oz. And 4oz. would be perfect. The chop was good again, and the grease/gravy left in the pan is delicious also.
If there was a graveyard for the avocados that I have let spoil before I was ready to eat them, it might rival those buried at Arlington Cemetery (people not fruit). One predicament is that if I need an avocado for today, all the avocados at Walmart are rock hard and won’t be ready for 3 or 4 days. Or, I’m trying to think ahead and I’m looking for an avocado that will be ready in 3 or 4 days… and all of those avocados at the grocery are already soft and will start to turn brown by tomorrow. Also, if I buy a medium sized avocado, I don’t need to eat it all, when half would do.
[NOTE 10/31/24]: I think it was a woman customer, behind me at Pate’s who mentioned that putting an avocado in a glass of water (completely covered) and putting it in the refrigerator would make it last longer, so I tried this. Unfortunately, I forgot about this avocado and it was probably two weeks before I pulled it out and attempted to cut into it. At first I thought it was frozen. It was hard and difficult to cut around the kernel, but I did and then left it to thaw before twisting it apart. But later, when it should have been thawed, it was still hard, but not cold. I did manage to pry it apart and to my surprise it was rock hard inside. It looked fairly good, if it had been soft, but it wasn’t soft. Not sure why it took on this extreme rigidity, but maybe just a few days would work to hinder the overripening. [end NOTE]
Finally I thought through this dilemma and decided that I would cut the ripe avocado in half and eat half now and make guacamole out of the other half. I could refrigerate the guacamole and it might last for another couple of days, so I might be able to skip a day between eating the whole fruit. *I try to cycle through the different types of food/meals I prepare. I don’t want to eat steak every day, or chicken every day, or steamed cabbage for every meal, so I try to change my entrees and sides. I’ll eat chicken in a stir fry today, and a pan fried pork chop for the other meal. I might steam asparagus, cabbage or cauliflower for one side and maybe fix a cucumber/onion salad in sweetened vinegar or stewed Roma tomatoes to go with whichever other side I’ve chosen. I may choose a hot side to go with a cold side. I like a microwaved Russet potato with butter & sour cream as a side and I might eat steamed asparagus with that choice. Cabbage slaw made with Dukes’ Mayo and some Half-n-Half might go well with a pork chop. I like a hamburger or maybe a large Sweet Italian Sausage patty that I might put on a ciabatta roll (or half of a roll).
I currently like a simple ciabatta roll sandwich, made with some Dukes Mayo, a couple of slices of Wegman’s White American cheese, a slice of Sweet (Vidalia) onion and some Hillshire Farms Pastrami. Carlie C’s IGA has a small bag of Wavy “store brand” Potato Chips that sells for about $1.48. This is not a family sized bag, nor a single serving bag. I can make 3 or 4 meals with this sized bag, and not eat the whole thing at one sitting. So I put some of these chips in a plastic sandwich bag, along with the slice of onion and maybe a few grape tomatoes. In another bag, I put a wedge of “Ranch Dill” pickle or olives, keeping the dry ingredients from the wet. For the Dukes Mayo, I put some in one of my small Rubbermaid containers that have an “Easy Find” lid. And, a few weeks ago I happened to see and buy a set of eating utensils that fit in a plastic carrying case (metal spoon, knife and fork). So this sandwich is what I fix sometimes when I drive up to Wegmans Grocery in either Raleigh or Morrisville. I actually buy the pastrami, cheese and the ciabatta roll at Wegman’s and make the sandwich in my car. I either eat in the parking lot, or find a nearby city park with some shade. *It is amazing how delicious this sandwich tastes. A bite of the pastrami sandwich, then a wavy potato chip, and maybe a tomato or a bite of the dill pickle. Oh, I also buy a cheap ICE flavored drink (costs about a dollar) and may have brought a half empty frozen drink container with ice that I can pour the drink into to cool it off.
Raw peanuts at Pate’s Farm Market in Fayetteville.
I like various nuts. I have eaten a lot of raw peanuts this summer. Pate’s Farm Market, across town, has a large pile of raw peanuts for sale. There is a scoop, but I use my hand to select my peanuts, and most times I eat a mess of them right after I get back to my car. I also like roasted pumpkin seeds and cashews. *Years ago the Fresh Market offered “Wasabi Soy Cashews” and I really liked the flavor, but then they discontinued that flavor of cashew for about nine years. A year or so ago, they brought the Wasabi Soy Cashews back, but once again they didn’t sell well. I had found that I could use the wasabi soy seasoning powder that sloughed off and put it on roasted pumpkin seeds. And the flavored pumpkin seeds became my favorite over the cashews. I finally found the wasabi soy seasoning powder at Amazon, and now buy a small package about once a month. I can season quite a few pumpkin seeds from (“Wasabi Soy Seasoning Sauce Powder – Kinjirushi Brand) this one package. They are addictively delicious.
About once a month or a month & a half, I buy a whole rotisserie chicken from Harris Teeter. It costs less than $8 for the whole cooked chicken. I can make four or five meals from this one chicken so it is very cost effective. Two breasts (maybe 4 oz. of white meat each), and two drumsticks with some white meat (3 oz. each), and then pick off the remaining meat to make chicken salad. Cabbage slaw and some baked beans would go well with the chicken.
I like various seasoned beans like black eyed peas, large white lima beans, or green split peas, and I am partial to lentils with some carrots & onion. I season the beans & peas with bacon or ham hock. Some time ago I made a delicious “mess” of green beans, white potato and bacon. Beans & potatoes both mess with my blood sugar levels so I don’t fix them quite as often as I would like.
I like the flavor of German Potato Salad which is simple to make: potato, bacon, onion (maybe some celery if I have it) and vinegar & sweetener. I like the flavor, but I can’t have this often because it “messes with” my blood sugar levels.
I used to make spaghetti sauce at home (about every two weeks) but rarely do this now because I don’t need all the starchy pasta noodles. After years of using the cheap starter sauces (from Delmonte or Hunt’s), I heard about Rao’s sauce and now buy their Marinara starter. The cost difference is probably $2 for the cheaper sauces and $8 for Rao’s regular jar, but Rao’s produces a better end flavor. I add ground beef, onion, sweet (yellow or red) bell pepper, and sometimes mushroom pieces. I might add some Italian Sausage, but not always, and I will add some garlic, or garlic powder, along with some fennel seeds. I read that Italian Sausage is seasoned with fennel seeds so I thought to add this as extra flavoring. *It is a licorice flavor. I just saw a review of several starter sauces online and Rao’s was a favorite of several reviewers. I don’t know why it’s that good, but it is that good!
BREAKFASTS
I often fix fried apples and bacon for breakfast. I like using Gala apples and often use bacon grease to fry the apples (sometimes with olive or avocado oil). If I have it, I use some pepper bacon that I get from Lee’s Market near Benson, NC but also like the Gold Leaf (plain not peppered) brand from Smithfield. The Gold Leaf is a cheaper brand at Carlie C’s IGA, but I noted that Pate’s charges about $3 more per package for the same product. *My mother fixed fried apples for me the first time, but I don’t think we had them very often. They only had sugar and ground cinnamon for flavoring, but as I started to fix them fairly often I began to add most if not all of the “warm” spices. So, I added cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace and nutmeg. I later added ground coriander (a lemony flavor) to the mix and each time I fried apples I would sift sweetener (not sugar) on the cooked apples first and then took each spice in turn and sifted it across the apples. Only recently, when I bought a set of empty glass spice jars, I decided to combine these spices into a separate Fried Apple Spice Mix. I also used some Pumpkin Spice mix, but I don’t think it includes any additional spices. *I haven’t tried it yet, or even thought about it until now, but I might try adding Amchur (mango powder) or Tamarind powder as an alternative flavoring. I think either would go well with the sweetener.
I have several flavored teas that I eat with my breakfast: Bigelow’s “Earl Grey” or “Constant Comment” (both of these I have drank probably since 1985 and was introduced to them by Rick & Linda Bell (former Marine Pilot and later a Baptist pastor). Several years ago, while on a trip to Lynchburg, Virginia I tried another Bigelow tea, “Raspberry Royale.” If you had asked me first if I wanted to try it, I probably would have said, “no.” But after I tried it, it was good hot, and good even when it got cold. I actually bought a six pack from Amazon and gave the boxes as Christmas present one year. I don’t know why I bought another brand (Taylor’s) to try some time ago, but I did. As I recall, I didn’t like the “heavy” flavor of “Scottish Breakfast” tea the first time. But, a few days later I tried it again, and I liked it a little and by the third time I tried it, “I was hooked,” and it is maybe my favorite hot tea now, with half-n-half and Equal & Sweet-n-Low sweeteners, Agave Nectar, and coconut sugar. I was reminded about Rooibos and bought a small box of this flavoring in tea bags, and they make a good cup of tea. Rooibos means “red bush,” and I don’t think it is actually tea. Probably like sassafras. *It also makes a good hot drink that goes well with sweetener and creamer. — Remember this, because it does taste better with Half-n-Half.
I also like the Starbucks Brand of “Breakfast Blend” coffee. I get this in a $9 package of their already ground coffee. *In the past, before Covid, I would buy a Harris Teeter brand of coffee bean and grind it at home, but after Covid they didn’t bring this back in bean form. **An interesting aside was that someone (probably Deborah Savage) had given me a pound of ground coffee from Cracker Barrell as a Christmas present. Because I ground my own beans, I had left this package in my cabinet, probably for several years. When Covid struck, I eventually ran out of my favorite HT coffee beans so I went to the cabinet and tried the Cracker Barrell coffee. It had a good flavor. The next day I tried it again, and it was good again. But on the third day, I finally had the thought of how ironic this coffee was. I HATED the Cracker Barrell coffee when I ate breakfast as their restaurants. I hated the flavor so much that I would order (or bring my own bag) tea instead of their coffee. But, here I was enjoying every cup of their coffee at home. But, eventually this coffee would “run out,” and fortunately it ran out just as my second (booster) Covid immunization happened. After I had my shot, I think I had a hair cut, and (maybe not it that order) then went to Cracker Barrell to eat (and buy their brand of coffee). I think they sold a decaffeinated blend and one that wasn’t. The packaging had changed. I think it had previously been a metallic copper colored theme, but now was a metallic aqua color. That may have been reversed also (the color of the packages). So, I got the Cracker Barrell coffee home and brewed a cup, It wasn’t good. I don’t think it was as bad as the restaurant version, but just not worth buying again, or continuing to drink. I spent $9 on various packages of coffee from Harris Teeter, and Walmart, etc. and finally found the Starbucks Breakfast Blend that I’ve continued to drink.
I like to fix egg salad (usually from two hard boiled eggs) for breakfast sometimes. Add a little Dukes Mayo and some margarine (Cracker Barrell Original) to the egg salad. Some polenta and bacon and a few grape tomatoes (or Campari) finish out a delicious breakfast.
Another favorite breakfast includes a microwaved egg seasoned with Dulse, celery seeds, salt and some freshly ground Indian Long Pepper. I add a little olive oil and cook the egg in a plastic onion cooker. This cooker cooks a whole onion, but can also be used for cooking a potato (white or sweet) or maybe even an apple. You put the object to be cooked in the container and it steams inside it fairly quickly (a minute for the egg and about 4 or 5 minutes to cook a potato). The egg comes out round and flat, and maybe has the texture of an omelet (or maybe a scrambled egg). I like English Muffins, but can’t have them often because of my blood sugar, but add this egg to the muffin and then a slice of cheese and a slice of Canadian Bacon and you would have something approximating an Egg McMuffin. *Add some liver pudding (mush), casing removed, mashed and mixed with some sauteed onion. And heat up some polenta and mash it up like mashed potatoes. The polenta becomes the base, and you put the liver pudding & onions on top. Also add some grape tomatoes and this is delicious. **I like tea or coffee with this breakfast.
Not for breakfast, but I also like corn on the cob (steamed in the husk in the microwave in about 5 minutes) with a little salt and margarine. I like fried okra (but I like okra in soups also) without batter, and sometimes add onion to be sauteed with it.
I have a drink that I mix almost every day, and I’ve had it each day for months and months. I have glass carafes that I add water to, leaving some room for orange & cranberry juices mixed. To this I add a packet of Pomegranate Lemonade and a packet of Iced Tea (maybe with Lemon). For some reason this drink mix, which I call “Bill’s Drink Mix & Some Juice” never gets old. I usually make it and have drunk the whole thing before midnight. *Sometimes I run out of one of the ingredients (no OJ, or cranberry juice, or one of the flavored packets [Walmart] ) and the drink is never as good. **I did like the Dragon Fruit flavoring, but eventually stopped liking it much. Walmart at one time had a Lime flavor packet and I really liked having a glass of this after eating out at a restaurant. For some reason, I didn’t like the lime flavored drink at home, but when out and about. They stopped making those flavor packets but for a while I would find one that I had misplaced at home or in the car and I would enjoy it again. No one else makes a lime flavoring.
I haven’t mentioned peppers, or seafood chowder, or a Hispanic or Indian (India) meal. I can chop up chicken, some veggies: carrots, onion, bell peppers & tomatoes and just by changing whether I add Salsa Ranchera from Herdez, or Hot Curry Paste from Patek’s I can go in two completely different directions. Have to add sweetener and/or Agave Nectar to this to “turn it” properly. Either of these would go good on top of rice or mashed sweet potato (with some cinnamon, sweetener and margarine),
Oh, I also created a Polska Kielbasa, Shrimp and Zucchini dish. The only other ingredients are onion, a little tomato (just enough to make a slightly red sauce) and some pasta shells. This also has ground cayenne, or red pepper flakes, or maybe even some diced jalapenos. This is a spicy dish. Sometimes it takes my breath, in a good way. But each item sings it’s part in the show. Not too much shrimp, or too much kielbasa or too much zucchini. Each bite a tiny island of flavor, and the tomato disappears except for the color of the slight red sauce. The onion isn’t a star, but is necessary, and the pasta shells soak up the sauce flavors. Hmmm, hmmm, good, over and over and over.
I haven’t quite mastered my stir fry. Chicken usually, but shrimp, or pork or even beef sometimes. Carrots, tomatoes sweet bell peppers and onion. Toasted sesame oil and some soy sauce with garlic powder. There is a “crunchy garlic” paste that I also like.
[NOTE 10/05/24]: I mentioned to someone yesterday that I liked a simple salad made with turmeric, vinegar, tomatoes, sweet bell peppers & sweet onion. I think I found this on a Mediterranean themed site. The turmeric gives an acrid flavor to this, and eating some olives with this would also work. *I recall that at some point I added sweetener to this. I think I saw a turmeric pickles recipe that caused me to try this. I liked the sweet acrid flavor. *I might try adding turmeric to some dill pickles. I know I like the Ranch Dressing flavor that adds to the dill spears. [end NOTE]
Well, I came up with a meal that works well together. It started with me fixing a version of Jalapeno Pork. I had chunks of pork that were large diced like you do beef for stew beef. To this I added several mild peppers that I sliced and diced in various sizes, and one jalapeno. I think I added some chopped onion to this also and put it all in a pot on the stove top along with a little chicken stock, S&P and probably some garlic powder. This turned out relatively good.
Trying to think of something that might go with this, I decided upon fixing a tomato chutney, which might also be called spicy stewed tomatoes with some onion, garlic powder, red wine vinegar, a little Balsamic vinegar, Equal sweetener and some Agave Nectar.
Finally, I fixed a form of quacamole in which I included a half of a small avocado, one chopped tomatillo and a little diced sweet onion. For seasoning I added S&P, some ground cumin, celery seeds, Duke mayo, and sour cream. This became the perfect foil to the spicy jalapeno pork. Very cooling.
And, I also had some flat corn chips from Mission that were salty.
Jalapeno PepperAjicitos Dulces Peppers
I hope I can remember what all I put in this meal because it was “spot on.”
Jalapeno Pork
boneless pork chops cut into chunks
a jalapeno diced
a red cayenne type pepper, diced (frozen also)
a couple of the Ajicitos Dulces Peppers diced (these I bought at Compare & froze several)
diced onion
Green Chilies
Splenda & some Agave Nectar
S&P
Cabbage Slaw
Green cabbage shredded
Sweet Onion diced
Half-n-Half (just a smidge)
Garlic Powder
Fenugreek Powder
Dukes Mayo
Splenda
S&P
[04/13/25]: Tonight I added some Mung bean sprouts (I grew myself.), some sweet red bell pepper and a little Agave Nectar. And I had a few blue corn tortilla chips and this worked well also. [end]
[04/27/25]: Red cabbage works well as slaw. High is Vitamin C and antioxidants. More nutritious than green cabbage. I added Mung bean sprouts again, and they are crunchy like the cabbage, and their color looks good in the slaw with the red cabbage. [end]
Jalapeno Pork Recipe (Smaller Portion)
Ingredients:
0.75 lbs boneless pork chops, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced (remove seeds for less heat)
1 red cayenne pepper (or similar), diced (adjust amount to your spice preference)
2 Ajicitos Dulces peppers, diced
2 oz can of diced green chilies
1 tablespoon Splenda (or brown sugar for a richer flavor)
1 tablespoon Agave nectar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil (or your preferred cooking oil)
Optional: 1/4 cup chicken broth (or water)
Instructions:
Prepare the Pork:
Cut the boneless pork chops into 1-inch chunks.
Season the pork chunks with salt and pepper.
Sauté the Vegetables:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the diced onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the diced jalapeno, cayenne pepper, and Ajicitos Dulces peppers. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
Brown the Pork:
Add the pork chunks to the skillet and brown on all sides.
Add Remaining Ingredients:
Add the diced green chilies, Splenda, and agave nectar to the skillet.
If the skillet seems dry, add a 1/4 cup of chicken broth or water to help create a sauce.
Stir everything to combine.
Simmer:
Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the pork is tender and cooked through.
Stir occasionally.
Taste and Adjust:
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add more salt, pepper, Splenda, agave, or peppers to your preference.
Serve:
Serve the jalapeno pork hot, with rice, tortillas, or your favorite side dishes.
I was in the IGA and saw this pork chop on sale. I knew I had a couple of thick cut pork chops thawing in the refrigerator, but this looked so good and I knew it would make the jalapeno pork (without chunking it up) and it did. .69 lbs. would be a little over 11 oz. of meat (with bone) so even cutting it in half would yield about 4.5 oz. for two meals at about a dollar a meal.
Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients:
2 cups shredded green cabbage (about 1/4 of a medium head) Option: Red cabbage for green.
1/8 cup diced sweet onion (adjust to your preference)
1 tablespoon Half-n-Half (just a “smidge” for creaminess)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (adjust to your preference)
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek powder (start with 1/8 and add more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds (adjust to your preference)
Option: Mung bean sprouts
2-3 tablespoons Dukes Mayo (adjust to your desired creaminess)
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon Splenda (or other sweetener, adjust to your preference)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Prepare the Vegetables:
Ensure the green cabbage is thinly shredded.
Finely dice the sweet onion.
Combine Ingredients:
In a small to medium bowl, combine the shredded green cabbage and diced sweet onion.
Make the Dressing:
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the Half-n-Half, garlic powder, fenugreek powder, celery seeds, Dukes Mayo, and Splenda.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Dress the Slaw:
Pour the dressing over the cabbage and onion mixture.
Toss everything thoroughly until the cabbage and onion are evenly coated with the dressing.
Chill (Recommended):
For the best flavor, cover the bowl and refrigerate the slaw for at least 20-30 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together.
Adjust Seasoning:
Before serving, taste the slaw and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Tips and Considerations:
Fenugreek: Since you mentioned fenugreek again, I’ve suggested a slightly broader range. Remember it has a distinct, slightly sweet and sometimes a little bitter flavor. Start with the smaller amount and add more if you enjoy it.
Celery Seeds: Celery seeds add a distinct aromatic and slightly bitter celery flavor. Adjust the amount based on how prominent you want this flavor to be.
Balance: Taste the dressing before adding it to the cabbage to ensure the flavors of the garlic powder, fenugreek, and celery seeds are balanced to your liking.
Makes 1-2 portions.
Approximate Nutritional Value per Serving:
Jalapeno Pork (estimated for roughly 1-2 servings):
Calories: 300-450 (This can vary significantly based on the fat content of the pork chops)
Protein: 30-45 grams
Fat: 15-30 grams (again, highly dependent on the pork)
Carbohydrates: 5-10 grams (mostly from onions, peppers, and the small amounts of sweetener)
Fiber: * Calories: 100-150 (primarily from mayonnaise and Half-n-Half)
Protein: 1-2 grams
Fat: 8-13 grams (mostly from mayonnaise)
Carbohydrates: 5-10 grams (from cabbage, onion, and sweetener)
Fiber: 2-3 grams (from the cabbage)
Combined Approximate Nutritional Value for One Serving of Jalapeno Pork and Cabbage Slaw:
Calories: 400-600
Protein: 31-47 grams
Fat: 23-43 grams
Carbohydrates: 10-20 grams
Fiber: 3-6 grams
Important Notes:
This is a rough estimate. To get a more accurate nutritional value, you would need to:
Weigh all your ingredients precisely.
Use a nutrition tracking app or website and input the exact quantities and brands of each ingredient.
Account for the cooking oil used.
The fat content of the pork chops will have the biggest impact on the calorie and fat estimates. Leaner cuts will result in lower values.
The amount of mayonnaise used in the slaw will significantly affect the calorie and fat content.
Adding blue corn tortilla chips will increase the overall calorie and carbohydrate count.
My Long Pepper grinder has stopped working and I don’t know how or why. *I figured it out. The microplane was rotating with the grinder handle, so no grinding was taking place. I used a small amount of Gorilla Glue on the outside of the grinder and it seated the microplane again, and now it is working once again. **I just did one drop of glue on the outside and not glue all around.
I was in the mood to fix some Jalapeno Pork today and found some boneless, center cut pork chops at IGA. I cut them in long strips and then crosswise to form small cubes. I ate some Blue Corn Tortilla Chips with the Jalapeno Pork I made today. I also ate some cold refried Black Beans and they were very good.
I drove to Lee’s Fresh Market near Benson today (06/25/25) in hopes that I could buy some of the thick cut pork chops I’ve bought there before. I hoped they would have some for sale, and that the price per pound would be low. It was probably about 10 am when I arrived and there were probably 10 customers around the store. I took a red plastic shopping basket and walked around to where the pork was located. I saw a package of thick cut pork chops, but I think the price was about $3+ a pound. Fortunately I continued to look and there was a package at $1.98 per pound, and then I found another at the same price. I think they said something like “Weekly Special” or “Manager’s Special.” But as I put the third package in my basket I noticed that they had another special sticker… “Buy One Get One Free.” Wow! Not only a good price per pound but a great price at half that amount. So I got four thick cut pork chops at about $4 total (plus tax) for the four. I bought 4 packages. I was planning to keep one. To take two packages down to Mary Ann’s and Ray’s tomorrow, and to see if Jeff wanted a pack. I’m not sure if Jeff or Robin eat pork chops, But when I got to Jeff’s and rang the bell and knocked on the front door, I couldn’t get anyone to come to the door. There were no automobiles visible, and although I heard the dog inside, Ashlyn never came to the door. She may have been away.
I ended up leaving a check, and a couple of bags of books for Ashlyn near the front door. I try to get her art related books that might give her ideas for when she becomes a graphic artist. One book was a small one on glass objects. One about brass doors. One about Indian (India) art, and one was a history of England during one or more of her periods of history. I also had a few of the advertising magazines that you find at the front of certain grocery stores like Wegman’s and or Whole Foods. But now that I think about it, I haven’t seen these magazines the last few times I’ve shopped at either store. Odd, I thought.
But, I’m not sure what Ashlyn expects to do as a graphic artist, but I think it would be an interesting profession to work for one of these local color magazines in some U.S. City. You would always be writing copy, or stories, and illustrating each in some way and creating other ads.
Bill Gibson, II 