Blast from the Past: Over the River and Through the Woods. . .Thanksgiving Commercials!

Okay, this is an experiment that might just peter out before I can make a full-length post. I'm going to try to find some good ol' vintage Thanksgiving-themed commercials. The product is unimportant, and can range from Stovetop Stuffing to holiday specials or "very special episodes" of old TV shows. My goal is just to find 6-12 Thanksgivingy nostalgic nuggets for you to peruse. Let's see what happens!

1. Stovetop Stuffing (1980) - This one was obvious, and the first thing I thought of. It's an ongoing campaign running at least back to the 1970s: stuffing or potatoes? I don't think I've ever had a Thanksgiving without both! Still, this is a bit of a fail, because I couldn't find a vintage one specifically about Thanksgiving. Close, but no tom turkey. Moving on. . .

2. Butterball Turkey (1974) - This is better! Though Melissa Gilbert only mentions a "holiday," we're getting closer.
 

3. Cool Whip (1969) - Finally, we're  spot-on for the Thanksgiving holiday, and surely this one sparks some nostalgic memories for people out there old enough to remember!

4. Durkee French-fried Onions (1993) - Another one that is specifically Thanksgiving, and since we're four-clips deep, this topic is at least half-way viable! And I love these things, straight out of the bag. Nom-nom-nom.
 

5. MetLife Insurance (1989) - Charlie Brown and the Peanuts characters had a holiday special), and they also were hucksters for MetLife for many years (maybe still?).

6. Quaker Oats (1980s) - Wilford Brimley brings his folksy charm to oats. . .which really have little to do with Thanksgiving (or diabetes), other than that this is a Thanksgiving-themed ad!
 

 

7. Alka-Seltzer (1970s) - This one is for after Thanksgiving! I can't believe I at the whole thing!
 

And that will have to do it, because though this search might turn up some more fun memories, YouTube's search feature is terrible at sorting this subject out for some reason. Anyway, here's to a short work week (unless you're unlucky enough to work for a greedy retailer), and a very happy Thanksgiving!

Travelogue, Part the Second

Fun times on the beach.

The Google Blogger software is eating this post worse than the food we were consuming in mass quantities on our just completed trip. I don't even remember what my intro was, other than to say that we spent several days in Yachats, Oregon, and then drove back to Oakland to fly home. We got the Cliff's Notes tour of San Francisco, including lunch at the Wharf. Here is what remains of my post, I know not where the rest went. . .

Friends we were traveling with were expert "foodies," so the eating was a large part of the trip. We ate in great restaurants, and had one incredible home-cooked meal. The six of us have been travel buddies many times in the past, so it was quite an interesting adventure to visit two of them, now ensconced in a tourist destination of their own, separate and apart from Las Vegas.

Homemade grilled peaches with prosciutto!

It will not be possible to encapsulate the trip, its pleasures and its warm memories in this post. Particularly not in the waning hours before returning to work on Tuesday morning. Let it suffice to say that a great time was had by all. And though we spent a small fortune between us, we are now eagerly starting travel funds to do it all again!

The "Gone Fishin'" banner will remain until Tuesday evening, to allow me until then to recharge and start blogging again. Until then, as you were!

See you soon. And thanks to my friends for a wonderful experience.

See what I mean about the diet?

A Low-Carb Diet Success Story (and Survival Guide)

This week will mark 6 months of successful maintenance on my own modified version of the Atkins diet. I call this a success story because I intend to prolong that six months, and have already met the challenge of encroaching weight. Let me explain.

Don't let this happen to you!

This was (at least) my sixth go-around of low-carb dieting. Of those six, only four--counting this time--were successful. But the mere fact that I'm on it again is a testament to the curse of most any diet: falling off the wagon. The weight returns faster than it comes off, as almost everybody knows. And after you hit a certain weight in the wrong direction, our response is often, "Oh, what difference does it make now?" That kind of attitude can cause an even bigger problem, pun intended. It seems that each time we fall off a diet, our "ceiling weight" goes up. I found after my last backslide that I couldn't even exercise the weight off without also dieting. My 5' 8+" body was finally pushing the scales past 180 lbs. And with my endomorphic frame, that just didn't work. If I stay at that weight long enough, it spreads around to my face, my legs, even my fingers.

School cafeteria Ranch Burgers
made on low-carb bread.

It's not a good look for me. So, last September 6, I decided I was going low-carb again, and this time I approached it with the same fervency that I gave quitting smoking: no excuses. I kept my carbohydrate intake at no more than 20-25 carbs at all times. By late October, I had shed 25 pounds. And by Thanksgiving--11 weeks after I started--I was down to 150, which is at least 30 pounds, possibly a little past that. Since then, I haven't ever gotten heavier than 154 (briefly), or lower than 147. My high school weight of 140 does seem out of reach, so I've given away all of my sub-32" waisted pants, and all of the over-33" ones!

Cheesy Faux Potato Bake.
We're almost never without it.

I've instituted and rule, a rule that is certainly not as challenging as "no more cigarettes." That rule is, if the scale even approaches 155 (a weight which I thought was "heavy" when I was in my 20s), I step up the diet and exercise. An addendum to the rule is that if I've maintained 150 or lower for a couple of weeks, I can have a cheat day. More on that in a minute. And so far, it has worked. Barring a catastrophic event in my life or my family, I intend to keep these rules. My goals are now at monthly intervals. I'm shooting for a year. And I'll take it six months at a time like that until this is just life for me. After all of these tries at the diet, I feel like I'm finally in a pattern that works. So, here are some of the things that have helped me keep the weight off, if you're trying the diet too.

• Start the diet by ridding your house of snack foods, and most any tempting high carbohydrate product.
• Be on the lookout for carbs/sugars in things that don't seem like they'd have much (they put high-fructose corn syrup in everything these days, even some "diet" items).
• Be wary of "serving sizes" of even low-carb foods. Sometimes a tiny package will claim it has seven servings.
• Remember that you can subtract fiber grams from carb grams to get your "net carb" number. If the food has a lot of fiber, it will cancel out and equal number of carb grams.

Cauliflower Faux Fried Rice &
Stir Fry. Amazingly good.

• Stock up on diet friendly items that can relieve any suffering you might be having on this restrictive diet, such as:

• Pepperoni slices (which you can microwave on paper towels, if you're scared of all that fat)
• Cheese in cubes, slices, bricks. There are some carbs in some cheeses, but most are very low.
• Eggs. Buy the 60-egg flat at Sam's or Costco. Eggs are a wonderful meal any time in many varities, and can be used in egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, and on and on. Bacon is also good in all of those salads!
• Dill pickles, in full, spears, hamburger slices or gherkins.
• Cauliflower, radishes, turnips, lettuce, green onion, green beans, broccoli. Turnips and cauliflower can often be used as a substitute for potatoes, in roasts and bakes.
• Butter, for recipes.
• Bacon, cook your own, pre-cooked and/or crumbled (for countless recipes).
• Hamburger patties.
• Hot dogs, bratwurst, sausages (just check carb counts first).
• Meat, from roasts, to pork loin, to London broil, to steaks. Prepare a lot on the weekend, and package lunches or freeze portions for later.
• Seafood, if you dig it (I don't).
• Flax meal, if you're a baker. There are countless recipes for breads, muffins, pizza dough etc. online.
• Powdered diet drink mixes (check the label).
• Atkins diet bars and drinks (but more about sugar alcohols below).
• Mission brand low-carb white tortillas (all other low-carb tortillas I've tried tasted awful. These are good!).
• Chicken wings. Read nutritional info to be sure of the carbs. I love Tyson tequila lime, and I sprinkle some Cajun seasoning on them, and cook them longer so they're crispy.
• Kroger brand (also Ralphs, Smith's, etc.) Carb Masters yogurt. 4 carbs each, and delicious! 
• Beef jerky, but check the ingredients. Jack Links Original has only 3 cars each.
• Ingredients for homemade soups. You can make chicken or hamburger soups that are delicious and low-carb, and use egg drop for noodles! See here.

Pizza on a flaxseed crust. Tastier the
second day. Personal pizzas on
Mission low carb tortillas are better.

There are a few items that only certain people on a low-carb diet can eat and drink without disrupting their diets. I'm one of the lucky ones who can have everything in this list (don't hate me because my digestive system is efficient!). So if you have any of these things, add them a little ways into your diet, and see if they make you stop losing, or actually gaining:

• Nuts, particularly peanuts and almonds. My favorites are dry roasted peanuts, and smoked almonds.
• Alcohol, like vodka, whiskey. Red wine doesn't seem to hurt my diet either. Low-carb beers in moderation are also okay. Probably should avoid all alcohol in the first two weeks. Watch out for sweet liquors or flavored rums too.
• Caffeine. Dr. Atkins said no, I said, "Screw you, Dr. Atkins, you're dead!" And I've had no issue.
• Diet soda. Many people are concerned about artificial sweeteners, their affect on the body, on hunger levels, and whether they are safe. I figure I've been drinking them since the 80s. If they're gonna kill me, they're gonna kill me. And can they really be worse than high-fructose corn syrup? I drink it like a fish, and I still lost 30 pounds.
• Diet ice creams and other treats (like Atkins bars and drinks). In these items, you start with the carbohydrate grams, subtract fiber grams, and also subtract sugar alcohol grams. This is sort of controversial, and apparently doesn't work for everybody. But it works for me, yay!

Flaxseed focaccia cheesy bread.
Not outstanding, but pretty good.

My saving grace this go-around has been the internet. Since the low-carb diet craze faded, and people moved to other things, there are fewer companies making low-carb items. So getting some recipes was essential. In addition to recipes I've invented myself, I've got quite a variety of things I can eat without getting bored. I have highlighted several of those recipes on this blog in the past, and if you go to this post, it will link to others, which will link to others. . . My favorites are the Faux Cheesy Potato Bake, the Cauliflower faux fried rice, and the Low-carb Pizza (both on Mission tortillas and on Flax crust). And if you don't find what you're looking for within those links, or the ones below this post, you can type, "low carb," "Atkins" or "cauliflower" into the search box at the upper left of this page for more targeted searching. Feel free to write me for advice or questions!

Now, about the cheat days. There are two types. The first is a scheduled "anything goes" day. This is particularly good for big holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, or littler ones like birthdays and summer cookouts. If you've been really good for a while, hit a personal goal, etc., go ahead and splurge. Even turn it into a weekend if you want. Then go back on the diet and exercise full-bore following your scheduled "time out." The worst damage you're going to do is a couple of pounds, and the cheat--for me anyway--often seems to jump-start the diet. The second type of cheat is to use carb blockers, like Carb Intercept, which is available at Wal-mart and other stores, or can be bought cheaper online. Now, I have no idea about the science behind this product, but it allegedly prevents the absorption of carbohydrates by the body. I don't even care if it's a placebo (don't tell me!), because it seems to work. I take these on days where it is difficult to avoid carbs (popcorn at the movies, special events), when I'm not looking to jump start, not looking to go nuts. I still try to limit these events. But "cheat days" overall can save your sanity. Let's be honest, can you give up potatoes, rice, bread, cake and cookies for the entirety of the rest of your life?

PS. I should note that The Other Half--who had gained quite a bit of weight over the past 10 years decided to join me on the diet this time around, after saying "it doesn't work for him." This time, he stuck to it, and it did work. He's lost over 50 pounds! And he started in October.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that I exercise 5-7 days per week, most weeks. And by exercise, I usually walk 4 miles, or about 45 minutes on the treadmill. If I do it at the gym, I follow with a little swimming. I really ought to do more at the gym, but suiting up to just go walking is so much easier and less time intensive!

Blast from the Past: Diet Commercials

I was having trouble coming up with an idea for this week's Blast from the Past, and then my stomach grumbled. As I just posted a while ago, I made flaxseed-based pizza and focaccia low carb food this afternoon, as part of my continuing Atkins diet. Atkins was once a "fad" diet, so popular for a while, damage was even done to bakeries financially, in 2004. But there have been a lot of diets over the years. Let's see how many I can find. . .




1. Ah yes, the AYDS diet plan. As the title card says, it is perhaps the most unfortunately named product, ever.
2. The Hollywood 48 Hour Miracle diet is more recent, but the fad never got as big as Atkins.




3. Nutri/System is still around of course, but it's been around for a long time. The makers were brilliant in that the diet requires you to eat their food!
4. Jenny Craig is still around too, but she used to do her own commercials.




5. Weight Watchers is the grand dame of diet plans, so using the late Lynn Redgrave as a spokesperson was spot on.
6. South Beach Diet was a smaller, but still popular diet around the peak of Atkins.




7. Formula 75 Diet Plan is one I don't remember. But I'd say that since we've never heard of it, it must not have worked very well.
8. Deal A Meal had to be included, didn't it? How could I leave out Richard Simmons?

Okay, so maybe that wasn't my most scintillating edition of Blast from the Past. But it is interesting to see which of these diets have staying power. That's it for me for now. Happy Monday, and have a great week, everybody!

9-9-9 Plan Loophole: Used Food Emporium

Cartoon character and 2012 Presidential Election candidate Herman Cain has been touting his 9-9-9 plan all over America. Economists scoff, poor people shrink in horror, but the rich folks seem to like it. When asked about the severe 9% tax on everything people need to live, Cain said that the tax would encourage people to "buy used." This prompted many people to wonder, "where the hell do you get used food?"  Friend, wonder no longer!

Awesome Low Carb Recipe: Beef Fried Rice (Cauliflower)

This is probably my fifth time around on the Atkins Diet.  And as it is every time I actually stick to it,* it is working. I've lost 15 pounds in five weeks. As usual, I lost five pounds the first week, five the second, and then it took three weeks for the next 5. It could take three more to see a full 20, which is my goal.**  But I'll get there for sure, because this time around, I'm getting very creative.

Ranchburgers

I already know many of the tricks:

- Pepperoni, olives, pickles, cheeses, boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, low-sugar beef jerky, almonds and pumpkin seeds all make great snacks, in moderation.
- Soups that are low-carb ready are easy to make and hard to goof up (see hamburger and chicken soup recipes).
- Low-carb variations of pizzas, tuna melts and my obscure favorite, school cafeteria ranchburgers can be made using low-carb tortillas and breads that are much tastier than in the early days of Atkins.
- These and many other tips are covered here.

Cheesy Baked Fauxtatoes

I've started getting creative this go-around. I'd already made "mashed fauxtatoes" out of cauliflower (which is steamed and mashed cauliflower with butter, garlic, and whatever spices make you happy), and it's okay. But not great. I wanted some recipes that were either good or near great. I'm not expecting the world here, but I very nearly got it with my Cheesy Baked Fauxtatoes. I've already run the recipe twice, I'm so in love with it.

But you know how it is. I wanted more. I've experimented with radishes (fried, with onions and bacon). Passable, not terrific. I've experimented with flax seed meal, to pretty great effect. Flax seed bread is so much better than soy flour breads. I've tried it with garlic and cheese, but I haven't improved that one enough to share yet. So I went back to cauliflower. What if I grated it into a rice-like consistency, and tried to make a Asian-type dish with it?

It's awesome.

Beef Fried Faux Rice & Stir Fry
Click to embiggen.

Low-Carb Beef Faux Fried Rice

Small/medium cauliflower head
Soy sauce
1/2-package of Steak-Ums (or other meat)
Chopped onions (or green onion or chives or shallots)
Garlic
2 eggs
Olive oil

Use food processor or cheese grater to reduce cauliflower head to rice-sized pieces. Set aside.

Beat two eggs in a bowl. Set aside.

Pour some olive oil in a big, flat skillet, and get it hot. Toss in whatever onions you like, and some garlic. I just put a dash of this and that, whatever seems like it would be good. Toss in the Steak-um product (chopped up), or chunks of chicken or pork, or whatever meat you want to use. Just about anything would work. Stir it around for a few minutes until meat is cooked. Drain.

Stir in cauliflower. Keep the fire hot, stirring a lot. When it looks like it's starting to brown, sprinkle in however much soy sauce you want. Scoot the mixture to one side of the skillet, then pour the eggs onto the empty side. Scramble the eggs, and then stir together with the "rice" mixture. You can continue to cook if you think it's necessary. Give it a taste, you decide.

I also put oil in a second skillet at the same time, and did some stir-fry vegetables, also with some soy sauce. It was awesome. Did it taste or feel exactly like rice? No. Did it taste like cauliflower? No. But was it even a hint of "Atkins blah?" No. It's very, very good. When taking my finished bowl back to the kitchen, I actually picked around the skillet for more morsels.

I should note that this recipe is cobbled from several I read online. It doesn't crib from any one in particular. And I added my own touches. Feel free to take mine, and do what you want with it!


* And by stick to it, I mean that I do the 20 grams of carbs induction phase, move to the slightly more carbs second phase, and if my weight plateaus, I schedule a "cheat day," and then go right back on induction. This works. 


** While a total of 20 pounds lost would be great, and puts me in the "normal" range, it also puts me at 160 pounds--my 30-year-old self's fat weight. If I could get my 5-8½" body down to 155, 150, dare I say it, 145 or below? That would be awesome to do without a major illness! But 160 or slightly less would be a victory.

Product Placement: Collectible KETCHUP?

 I'm aware that there are collectors of almost anything: bottle caps, belt buckles, beer cans, rocks. . .but how many people actually collect ketchup?

Huckabee Defends First Lady Against Sarah Palin?

Image from Reuters

Politics in this country tends to wallow in the stupid, this is not news. But the far-right outcry that First Lady Michelle Obama is trying to be "the food police" tops the list. Every first lady has her "cause," of course. With Nancy Reagan, it was "Just say no to drugs." With Laura Bush, it was literacy. Mrs. Obama's happens to be fighting obesity in America. What could be wrong with that?

Well, right-wing world doesn't like being told to put down the fries and pick up some cauliflower.  And since anything supported by an Obama must by definition be bad, they've amped up their faux outrage to ridiculous levels. Riding the crest of faux outrage is what Sarah Palin does best, so it is no surprise that she'd take a shot at Mrs. Obama. But since she doesn't have an actual political position to squawk from, she has to do it via her reality show (!) or FaceBook.  Gotta hand it to her, she's got a zinger for everything, and the ability to have every thought--no matter how well formed--make a splash in politics.  But, Palin's possible political future makes her a target, even on her own side.

[Excerpt]

Mike Huckabee Defends First Lady in Food Fight With Sarah Palin



Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee knows a thing or two about obesity. Huckabee, who lost more than 100 pounds after learning in 2003 that hew had diabetes, says fellow Republican Sarah Palin maybe doesn't get it when it comes to First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign against childhood obesity. . .

Read more at: AOL

Weekend Update: Turkey Coma

I'm presently having one of the lightest number of blog posts runs in a while. I guess I'm just not feeling it. Thanksgiving time is one of the worst times for finding interesting things to blog about, but to be honest, I'm not looking very hard. I'll likely be back later in the day, and for sure on Sunday. But for now? Still shaking off the sleepies from my turkey coma. Have a great day, everybody.

Another Low-Carb Diet Idea: School Cafeteria Ranch Burgers

Preparing interesting meals for a low-carbohydrate diet is challenging. Especially since the diet has fallen out of "fad" status, and prepared low-carb items are hard to find.  But we Atkins acolytes are resourceful. And we have to be when we share a household with someone who is not on the diet.  "No, those are my low-carb, $4-per-pack tortillas, eat your own!!!"

I've posted a few recipe ideas in the past, from hamburger or chicken egg-drop soup, to low-carb pizzas and tuna melts.  But I came up with a new one today.  Back in school, I was a very skinny, very active kid. I could eat absolutely anything and everything, and not gain an ounce.  At lunch, it wasn't uncommon for me to scarf stuff off of others' trays, if they didn't like what was served (this was before ala carte or vending machines).  Other than pizza, my absolute favorite cafeteria food was ranch burgers.

Kids called it mystery meat, but it was really a ground beef concoction on half a hamburger bun, topped with cheese.  I just loved these things, and a few years ago, I figured out how to make them.  So first is the ordinary recipe, and at the bottom there is a low-carb addendum.

Greenlee Gazette's School Cafeteria-style Ranch Burgers

2-lbs. Ground Beef

1 Medium Onion

2 Cans of "Cream of. . ." Soup (I use one chicken, one mushroom)

Salt & Pepper

Hamburger Buns

Cheese

Chop onion, and sautee in skillet. Brown ground beef with onions. Drain fat.  Mix in soups, salt and pepper. Grease a cookie sheet, and set the oven to 350. Lay hamburger bun halves with bread side up on cookie sheet, filling the surface with buns. Spoon even amounts of ground beef mixture onto buns.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with cheese (for authenticity, American cheese slices, or use your favorite). Bake for 10 more minutes.

Low-carb diet addendum:

I use "Net-5" bread from Aunt Hattie's, available in Nevada at Vons, Albertsons, Smith's, and Wal-Mart.  The bread is bigger than a bun half, so you get a bigger ranch burger.  I filled half the sheet with buns for The Other Half, and half of it with my bread, and voila!

Two ranch burgers, using the low-carb bread, amounts to 10 net carbs, plus the small amount from the soups (there are 9-10 carbs in each serving of soup, so we're talking 4 or 5 max for two burgers).

Now, you're probably thinking, "why so much?"  Because these suckers are great to freeze in a sandwich bag, for a quick-and-easy snack or lunch later on.  If you don't do things that way, cut the recipe in half.  Enjoy!

NOTE: I went to Whitehall-Yearling High School from 1980-1984, Rosemore Junior High from 1978-1980, and Beechwood Elementary School from 1971-1978. Ranchburgers were a staple in all of Whitehall's cafeterias, and were a favorite of mine. They were usually served with corn and tossed salad, and probably jello or a cookie.

Bad Idea Department: Nevada Proposal to Tax Food

Sharron Angle has been trying to tie Senator Harry Reid to the state of Nevada's financial woes. But we've had Republican leadership for the past two governors. Former (and recently deceased) Governor Kenny Guinn left the state with a budget surplus, if I'm not mistaken. But current Governor Jim Freakazoid Gibbons has us in a world of hurt.  All his fault? Didn't say that, but it may be more accurate than Angle's position on Reid.  Anyway, the Republican mantra of no new taxes has always struck me as pandering for votes.  Taxes pay for shit, y'all, you know, roads, schools, fire fighting, police. . . 

But a tax that is considered "fair," one that everybody pays, is a bitter pill in today's economy.  A proposed tax on food (by a Republican, no less) would hurt the poorest Nevadans. This doesn't seem like a winner to me.

[Excerpt]


NV GOP Minority Leader Suggests Placing A Two Percent Tax On Food To Close His State’s Budget Deficit



Nevada is currently “facing a projected $3 billion deficit for the two-year budget cycle that begins July 1.” State legislators are wrangling with different ways to deal with the deficit, and efforts have been complicated by conservative leaders signing pledges to not raise taxes under any circumstances. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

What Happens in Vegas: Massive Flavor Enhancer Recall

It isn't the kind of Las Vegas story you're used to. But yes, we have other industries besides gambling, hotels and hookers. Apparently.

[Excerpt]

Salmonella found in flavor enhancer used in thousands of processed foods

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a recall of a common flavor enhancer that could be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.
The product, called hydrolyzed vegetable protein or HVP, is potentially in thousands of food products, including soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravies, seasoned snack foods, dips and dressings. HVP is manufactured by a Las Vegas company. . .

Read more at: MSNBC

No Fuss, No Muss Bacon

This post is thanks to ye Editor's mother. She swears by it.

From Mom:

My friend Sue turned me onto frying bacon in the oven. It is awesome, check out my pictures and instructions below.

1. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet (available where the wax paper is in the store).

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, 425 if you watch closely.

3. "Fry" for about 20 minutes or until it gets as brown as you like.

4. Drain bacon on folded paper towels

5. Put paper towels that you drained the bacon on, on the parchment paper to soak up the grease.

6. Toss parchment paper, put away clean cookie sheet.

ALWAYS flat crisp bacon, no mess. AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy! --Janie

Science is Cool Gross!: Lab Grown Meat

Image from London's Times

*Urp!* Something about this seems like a bad, bad idea.

[Excerpt]

Mad Science? Growing Meat Without Animals

Winston Churchill once predicted that it would be possible to grow chicken breasts and wings more efficiently without having to keep an actual chicken. And in fact scientists have since figured out how to grow tiny nuggets of lab meat and say it will one day be possible to produce steaks in vats, sans any livestock.

Pork chops or burgers cultivated in labs could eliminate contamination problems that regularly generate headlines these days, as well as address environmental concerns that come with industrial livestock farms. . .

Read more at: Live Science (found at AmericaBlog)

Featured Site: This is Why You're Fat.

I used to work at the Los Angeles County Fair every summer, and I kind of miss the fair food. Of course, I was young then, and I could eat anything without gaining weight. Which is a challenge at a fair, let me tell you. They're constantly trying to top themselves with crazier and more fattening food items. Fried dough, fried onions, fried Twinkies. And that was just beginning.

But I really found the mother lode with this site. This is Why You're Fat features some of the most fattening, funny, sometimes gross out food items. Some look delicious though!


"Sloppy Joe On A Krispy Kreme"

Source: This is Why You're Fat

Well Done: Tired of Embarrassment Over Steak Order

Photo from the Las Vegas Review-Journal

"How do you want your steak, over-done, under-done or done-done?" -- Whoopi Goldberg as Fontaine

Give me some done-done steak! It can even lean toward over-done, and I'll be happy. I'm OK with a little bit of pink, I guess, but I don't like it dripping in blood at all. So why do I feel embarrassed to order my food the way I want it?

Tomorrow night, a friend is taking us to a fancy restaurant at The Silverton Lodge & Casino. The restaurant, Twin Creeks, has been redressed and rethemed recently. It's gone very upscale, and of course, a la carte. That means that your $38 steak only comes with a potato or a salad if you pony up the extra dough. It's a very nice--in fact impressive restaurant.

Last time I was there, my friends just loved the place, and loved the food too. But I was of course faced with the usual dilemma: how do I order my steak without being embarrassed? Invariably, I'll order it medium, with a wink to the "half past medium" to give them the idea that I'd prefer it a little more cooked than the chef wants to cook it.

I've learned over the years that if you order an expensive steak past medium--hell past medium-rare--is often looked upon with derision. You're made to feel like a kid who cuts the crusts off his bread. It's uncouth, unrefined, and immature (apparently) to like cooked beef. This same phenomenon does not occur with chicken or pork, so what's the friggin' deal with beef?

I've made it a mission to try things I don't like over and over again, to reduce the list of foods and beverages that I don't like. I've succeeded too, with the list whittled down to basically liver, mushrooms and some seafood (the kind that look like bugs, mostly). And I've tried the undercooked beef, repeatedly. While I can eat it, I just don't prefer it that way.

Despite this, waiters, cooks and even other diners want to lay claim to my taste buds. Over-cooking steak kills the flavor, they'll say. It makes it too tough. Too dry. Anything past medium means you don't really like steak.

I call bull shit! I like, no, I prefer the taste of well-done steak. I don't care if it's dry or tough (I've never understood either complaint). And liking steak? I love steak! I love beef, period. Steaks, meatloaf, hamburgers, beef tacos and burritos, beef jerky, corned beef, beef teriyaki, sloppy joes. . .I could eat beef every day.

So what is this about? Why is steak the one food that other people will judge you for ordering "wrong?" Why am I looked down upon for how I want my T-bone or my filet mignon? Most of all, why am I too embarrassed to order steak the way I want it, or send it back if it's dripping blood? It makes no kind of sense. And it pisses me off.

Ah, well, maybe I'll just get the chicken. Well done.

One More Before I Go. . .

Photo from Wikipedia

I'm off to my traditional "home away from home" Las Vegas Thanksgiving dinner. As I've done at least 10 times before, I'll be spending it with--as he's known around here--Lesto's (and Mrs. Lesto's) house. It's always a fabulous spread, and unfailingly delicious.

It will also, traditionally, leave me incapacitated for the remainder of Thursday, on into Friday. Therefore, dear reader, the Greenlee Gazette will probably be hibernating right along with its editor. I'll be back tomorrow. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!