OK, so I drew up a maze with a Leprechaun and a pot o’ gold, because… Stereotypes. I thought it may be a fun activity for people who celebrate their Irish or Celtic heritage this time of year. I do love to rock the Celtic Shenanigans 🍀 playlist on random more often than usual this time of year. You can spare me your “dusting off” Dropkick Murphys/Flogging Molly jokes. I have heard them all, and I listen all year. (I also don’t drink much any more, but my Beer 🍻 playlist also feels stereotypical and apropos.)
🪙☘️🪙🌈🪙🍀🪙
I also made a shamrock maze & a four-leaf clover maze, for a fun quick activity, & I uploaded them to my TeePublic & RedBubble shops. Everything is on sale right now at TeePublic, including these two designs. Get T-shirts for $16, stickers for $3, or all kinds of other cool stuff. You can even customize the colors of the products, so you can have a black hat or T-shirt, a green one, or whatever you prefer.
Which one do you like more, the shamrock (three-leaf clover) or the lucky four-leaf clover? Should I add this leprechaun maze to the shops too?
☘️🍀
Check out all of these mazes, in a printable black & white if you’d like:
🍀☘️🍺🤘🍻☘️🍀
They work great as adult coloring book pages too. You can fill in the dead ends to find the path, or just color ’em however you please. I’m a big fan of anarchy.
You can check out my playlists on your preferred streaming service with these links from Tune My Music:
I made some ham n’ bean soup. I liked it more this time than last time. Here’ the recipe…
Every once in a while I get hungry for this. I make it slightly different every time. This time was pretty god, so I may replicate it. Or at least attempt to.
Ingredients:
2 freezer bags of leftover ham from Easter, cubed.
2 globs of Irish butter using a tablespoon.
Spanish onion, diced.
A stick of celery, chopped
Shredded carrots, chopped even smaller
1 red bell pepper, cubed
1 tsp. of minced garlic
7 cans of beans. I used the Giant Eagle brand. I got butter beans, black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, great northern beans, & cannellini beans. I thought about garbanzo beans and black eyed peas.
I’m impatient so I didn’t use dried beans and soak the overnight while standing on my head facing east while reciting a mantra about not farting after eating this soup or whatever you have to do to do all that properly. Ain’t nobody got time for that. I did drain & rinse them really well. I’m sure this would be fine with ham steaks but the roasted ham from Easter was delicious.
The Method:
I dumped all the beans into a colander and mixed them, then rinsed them pretty good with cold water. I set that aside on a bowl for a minute.
I globbed the butter into the stock pot, put it on a burner, and cranked that shit up to medium-high.
As the butter was melting, I added the onions, and let them sautée a bit. I added some onion powder, garlic powder, and a bit of salt here.
I added the carrots, celery, & bell peppers, then sautéed a little more.
This is where I added the rest of the spices to taste. Use whatever floats your boat. I added the minced garlic last so it didn’t burn.
I tasted this before I did anything else and did so by setting aside a spoonful to cool while I moved on to the next step. I could have eaten just this.
I dumped the canned potatoes along with the water into the mix.
I dumped the beer into the mix.
I got 8 cups of water into a giant mixing cup & added the “better than bullion” and soup base stuff. I went a bit lighter than the directions specify because I always end up making the soup too salty. I also didn’t use a measuring spoon. I used regular spoons & serving spoons. What is this, baking?
I added all the beans, and 4 more cups of water.
I added the ham last as I cubed it. I think at some point I cranked the heat down to medium.
After adding the ham, I brought it to a boil on high, then let it boil on medium-low for 20 minutes, lid off, then pulled it off to rest.
If you’re worried about the taste, take a bite way too soon, scorch your tastebuds, and it won’t matter anyway.
This was pretty tasty. I would only maybe add bacon? Manybe peas or something? What would you add? Would you switch anything out? I’m sure chicken bullion or broth would be good here too.
I like to serve this with some buttered rolls, or even a sandwich. Maybe cornbread would be good too?
So, I have blogged about it before, but that was more just the method. This time I actually measured stuff. Usually I just eyeball a bag of fresh green beans if they look good. Still don’t have a good name for it. Ham, Green Beans, & Potatoes? Ham , Beans, n’ Taters? Grandma’s Special? Daddy’s Favorite? Is it a soup or a stew? It’s delicious is what it is. I generally make enough to have a stunningly large amount of leftovers. I always try to get the ham bone, this time my son & I each got one. He’s a copycat.
Soup – In the spoon & soup in the bowl – and the post dinner text from my 9yo after she said there were too many beans and potatoes. 🤦♂️
Ingredients…
3 quarts water
2 Bone-In Ham Steaks, cubed. (makes about 16 cups / 4 quarts)
1 5 lb. bag of potatoes, cubed. (makes about 16 cups / 4 quarts)
2 “steam in bag” bags of green beans, snapped in ½ or ⅓ (makes about 8 cups / 2 quarts)
The “to taste” is just a few shakes usually. This recipe doesn’t really need any extra salt, so if I have a salt-free blend like Mrs. Dash or the Aldi equivalent, I use that. The bullion is according to directions, I think I measured it out right. I added too much water this time, but I think this measurement is still right. The beef & chicken bullion cubes and even the beer are completely unnecessary, but I feel like it adds a little to the broth. I use a big stock pot with a lid, and an 8-cup measuring cup for the big stuff.
Put your liquids & spices in the pot, put it on to boil, but don’t quite dime the knob.
Cube your ham, dump it in the pot.
Cube your potatoes (don’t peel them!), dump ’em in the pot.
Snap ends off your beans if you have any sus ones, snap them in to bite-size pieces if you want. Or chop them. Or don’t. Dump ’em in the pot.
Boil for 20 minutes.
Simmer for 20 minutes or even longer if you want. Let it cook down & get tasty.
Don’t taste it too early while it is hot and burn your tongue every time, because I definitely do not do that.
Serving suggestion – Serve it up with homemade bread (or store bought fresh baked) and butter.
Obviously, wash the beans & potatoes first. I think I broke down what you need & more details on the method the first time I wrote about this soup(stew?). I use fresh produce beans most often, but the bags are quick & easy to measure. This is also good with leftover ham from a holiday meal.
I like soups, I make them a lot. Well, I make them sometimes, when I have time. If you like this one, check these out:
The wife & daughter are under the weather so I offered to make some home made chicken-noodle soup. Not much is more of a classic and traditional comfort than chicken-noodle soup, right? Around here, the stuff like Eat ‘n Park serves is a comfort-food staple. I love those style noodles. I make soups slightly differently every time, but this seemed to come together quickly and it was very flavorful. I’d definitely do it this way again.
I posted photos to Facebook & Instagram, & thought I’d share the recipe here too. I like to have leftover soup. Here’s what I posted on social media, maybe slightly edited;
This was the cheater method, but these frozen noodles are awesome. I made A LOT of soup. Ha ha. This could easily be halved.
I started with grilling chicken tenders on the panini grill, added a pretty good amount of “rotisserie chicken” spices. Two competing name brands happened to be in the spice rack, so that’s what I used.
I sautéed some shredded carrots, half a Spanish onion, and some celery stalks in a few pats of butter on the bottom of the stock pot.
Then I added some minced garlic (yes, the stuff from a jar soaked in olive oil because I am lazy), & some fresh parsley from the garden. I didn’t measure any of it.
I also used poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, white & black pepper, salt, & a shake of cayenne.
I de-glazed a bit with some chicken stock, then added the rest… 2 boxes of chicken stock, 1 box vegetable broth, 1 box low-sodium chicken broth (because vegetable broth usually has a much higher sodium content), 1 box bone broth. I ended up with 3 different name brands… just to get the mix of slightly different liquids.
I have used chicken bullion cubes in the past to save all kinds of money and use beer in my ham soups all the time.
I brought all that to a boil.
I added 2 bags of the frozen Reames egg noodles, the grilled chicken (that I cut up while it was boiling), and brought it back to a boil, simmered for about 20 minutes as per the directions on the noodles.
This almost overflowed my stock pot, but stirring kept it from boil over. Ha ha.
I have used regular dry noodles or Amish noodles, and even home-made noodles… but the Reaves ones really do taste fantastic and require zero work. Ha ha.
I like the taste of the grilled chicken in the soup. I left it just long enough to get grill lines. I have made it from scratch, using rotisserie chicken, made my own broth from a roasted chicken… I’d put this up against any of those methods and it’s super quick.
(Not-even-remotely-a-)Pro tip… For lunch the next day, all the noodles had soaked up all the liquid. Gonna put some chicken bullion cubes in some water in the stock pot, then add the soup to re-heat. It’s honestly good as-is re-heated in a bowl in the microwave.
If you make this, or your own version, tell me what you think in the comments! What are your favorite shortcuts for making tasty chicken noodle soup?
Someday I may try to make this (probably cut in half) in the pressure cooker, if I can get over how it wronged me on chili.
🥣🥣🥣
Stuff you need:
Countertop grill
Stock pot (and a stove, too I guess.)
Tongs
Spatula
Large Spoon
Ingredients:
(2) small packs of chicken breast tenders
Extra Virgil Olive Oil (I keep some it in a spray bottle and use it to coat the grill)
Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning (or your favorite Season-Salt or Mrs. Dash’s or whatever) – I don’t measure, I just shake it on.
(3) pats of butter
(1) cup (ish) shredded carrots
(1) cup (ish) chopped celery
(½) Spanish onion (I think they’re sweeter than sweet onions, but you’re cooking, so use your favorite onion.)
(1) tsp. minced garlic (the lil’ stuff from jar, or be difficult & use fresh)
Fresh parsley – A small unmeasured & finely chopped bit, I pulled mine from the garden.
(2) 24 oz. bags of frozen egg noodles
(2) 32 oz. cartons chicken stock
(1) 32 oz. carton vegetable broth
(1) 32 oz. carton low-sodium chicken broth
(1) 32. oz. carton chicken bone broth
Spices, I don’t measure any of these… I just shake it in:
So, this past weekend, I finally got a chance to work on customizing my New York Pro, I thought I’d get a bunch of it done all at one time. Well, I hit a roadblock or two as I was taking it all apart. (Of course.)
Once I got my work bench set up on the basement, taking everything apart was quite easy. I just took out all the hardware, and when I went to line up the new pickguard, it didn’t fit. It’s really close, but it doesn’t fit. I’m going to have to file or cut or sand or Dremel or some combination of all of the above.
It’s not the same…
The holes in the pickguard aren’t going to lineup with the screws, either. I’m going to have to maybe 2-sided tape it in place to mark all the holes once I get it cut right. I have no experience taking apart guitars, but it’s odd that the neck doesn’t fit “perfectly” into the body. There’s a weird gap there. It’s also easy to tell (now) that the old pickguard has been cut. There are some other spots where it doesn’t quite line up. I hope I don’t have to route anything out where the pickups go. I got them all from the same place, so I hope not.
Also, I thought I was taking the neck plate off… but it wasn’t having it:
That’s supposed to come off when you take the screws out…
Help?
It’s stuck. I feel like it’s glued on or was put on before the stain dried? I bought all black hardware, including a neck plate. Should I try to get this one off, or just let it go? I even tried to pop it off using a screwdriver through the 5th larger hole… all to no avail.
Any advice on that one?
If you’re interested in checking out my progress, take a look at the Photobucket album that’s my attempt to chronicle the whole thing. (Or, sit through this slideshow…)
The other day I made a Facebook post about Taco Bell‘s commercials. It got people excited, and it got me thinking. Are Taco Bell’s commercials purposely aiming at stoners? I would say yes, but maybe I’m over-thinking it. Maybe it’s a humorous accident. Maybe I just really want to try that Dorito taco shell.
♫♬ Late night munchies... ♫♬
I (of course) decided to write to Taco Bell and ask them about it. Here’s what I sent…
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From: Waldo Lunar <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com> To: Rob.Poetsch@yum.com Cc: Brittany.Hunsaker@yum.com Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 Subject: ⌓ Taco Bell’s Drug Culture Advertising?
¡Hola, hombres from the border!
I’ve been wondering about your advertising for quite some time. With phrases like “late night munchies” and “fourth meal”, are you actively trying to evoke a connection to pot smokers? That “baaaawww” yell in you jingle might as well be the word “bong”. Now with this Dorito taco shell and the kid that drove 900 miles to get one, it’s just pushing it over the edge. Are you planning a film for it in the vein of Harold & Kumar go to White Castle? If not, maybe you should.
I just can’t tell if you’re aware of it or not. It’s genius either way.
If you are aware of it, wow. Way to straddle the subculture line while subliminally (or not so) appealing to what has to be a core makeup of your consumer base. If you’re not aware of it, then… well, maybe you ought to talk to your advertising agency or marketing department or whoever handles such campaigns. They are the true geniuses to behold here.
Maybe I’m just hyper-aware of nonsense or trying to make correlations where there are none… and you really see no connection or intend one with your commercials and stoner culture. I mean, I don’t partake… but consider myself well informed as I have seen Friday, Half Baked, and several Cheech & Chong movies. I refuse to think I’m the only one that sees it.
If I see it, surely you see it too? Why don’t you just come out & say it? I have some possible new slogans for you…
⌓ “Cure the munchies with our crunchies!” ⌓ “Get baked at the Bell!” ⌓ “Fishbowl then drive thru!” ⌓ “Open late with a well lit parking lot for shady deals!”
Well, that last one needs some work. I’m anxious to hear your thoughts on the whole thing. Thank you for your time.
At least the employees here agree (if this is indeed real).
I’m anxious to see what they send back. Will they acknowledge it? Will they be shocked? Will they act surprised?
Did they give that kid enough coupons to equal 55½¢ per mile? That’s $500 in Taco Bell Bucks… and depending on the year of that Volvo, he might not be getting that good of a deal on the gas milage.
I know, I’m over-analyzing the thing… but that’s what makes my blog fun.
I feel like they know exactly what they’re doing, but I guess there’s a fine line between finding your market & making overt marijuana references. Perhaps the latter would get some people up in arms. Has weed not become that acceptable yet? I know functioning contributing members of society that smoke… but then again I have seen some people that are consumed by it.
They don't really make tilde characters for those signs, do they?
I guess it’s still illegal… so they can’t tell you to bake up & amble slowly to the border. Actually, a string of “get high responsibly & feed yourself at Taco Bell” ads would be really really funny… or a play on the medical/medicinal angle. Health food to go with your special green medicine & help with that nasty glaucoma?
Do you feel like Taco Bell knows what they’re doing, or do you think it’s a string of coincidence?
Are they advertising to stoners and dirty pot smoking hippies (I use that term with affection), or am I thinking too much?
Would you drive 900 miles for a Dorito shell taco? Would you do it if Taco Bell footed the bill? Have you tried one? Did you like it?
Do you get late night munchies? Do you enjoy a fourth meal? Are you a dirty pot smoking hippie? Do you work at Taco Bell’s ad agency?
I still haven’t done anything with my box of goodies from Guitar Fetish to beat up that New York Pro Strat clone. It’s not that I’m nervous, I just haven’t had time to sit down & get it done yet. I’m also still open to any tips/tricks/advice.
Think it will help? Everyone seems to say it will. I might need a sponge too?
I’ve gotten some decent tips from Facebook, SMG, and Misfits Central. What else do I need to consider as far as pots & capacitors?
How would you connect the dots here? What pots & capacitors would you use?
How would you wire this?
Should I do the 7-sound thing? What if I want the neck & the bridge both on at once?
Should I replace the pots while I’m in there? How do I tell if they’re 250k or 500k?
I’m guessing a wiring diagram with my proposed setup doesn’t already exist out there, not even at Stew-Mac. Looks like these cats will make one for $30, but I think I can do that myself. (Although a very rough one.)
I need a crash course in guitar wiring, I guess. Ha ha.
I also might try to setup a work bench/space in the basement so I don’t ruin the dining room table.
So, I made some really easy turkey noodle soup yesterday. It turned out to be pretty delicious, and I lucked out because a lot of the ingredients were on sale.
My cell phone takes absolutely terrible photos, but trust me... this was delicious.
In the morning, I popped 2 turkey breast cutlets into the crock pot, piled on top of chopped baby-cut carrots & celery. I added some a cup of water with a chickenbullion cube… and piled on some spices; Poultry Seasoning, Season All, black pepper, garlic, sage, and parsley. I should have probably added an onion, but I forgot.
8 hours later, I boiled some wide noodles in 2 cans of turkey broth, 2 cans of vegetable broth, and 2 cans of low sodium chicken broth. When the noodles were cooked, I chopped up the turkey boobs, and dumped the contents from the crock pot into the boiling pot of noodles for the soup… I added a little more water, another bullion cube, and simmered for a while.
Result? Rather effortless yet delicious soup.
I found myself wondering if the broth & noodles would have cooked well in the crock pot. Will noodles cook well without the boiling & just the saturation? Would they eventually fall apart if over-cooked?
I’ve also done something similar with a rotisserie chicken… I’ll sauté the carrots, celery, & maybe garlic & onion with some butter in the soup pot, then add chicken and/or vegetable broth, boil the noodles, & add chicken.
How do you make chicken or turkey noodle soup?
How do you make your other favorite kinds of soup?
Have any secret ingredients?
I generally put in cayenne or something else hot… but I’ve been told to cool it with the spices for a while thanks to G.E.R.D. lately. Sometimes I add beer to soups… just because I can. I dunno if it’d go well in chicken or turkey noodle though?
World (and Lunar) Domination 