It’s true: I’m working on building a one week vegan meal plan with a shopping list. This plan will be challenging. However, if former President of the United States Bill Clinton can stop eating cheeseburgers, then changing my diet has to be possible. After watching Bill Clinton talk about diets on The Rachael Ray Show I decided to open a new category on my weblog called, “My Vegan Challenge.” For those of you have been reading this weblog for a while you probably remember my six week experiment with vegetarianism during March and April of 2010. I’m on my own to eat breakfast and lunch every day. If I can build a shopping list and plan out items that both easy and portable enough to take to work, then I just might be able to make this one week vegan meal plan work. My plan is build a heart healthy one week vegan meal plan and see where it goes from there…
Food
Lemon Walnut Pesto Recipe
The basil growing in the kitchen
Joni and I allow basil plants to grow in the kitchen. We are therefore pretty much required to make pesto. Consider for a moment that store bought basil (especially the organic kind) is more expensive per ounce than gasoline or cheap Scotch whiskey. I thought that now would be as good a time as any other to share the current test kitchen version of my lemon walnut pesto which includes:
2 cups of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup walnuts without shells
1/8 cup EVOO
1/4 cup lemon juice
5 cloves of garlic or 1 1/2 tablespoons
salt and pepper based on personal preference
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Theoretical preparation directions provided for educational purposes only:
1. Use a food processor with at least two cups capacity to chop up the walnuts then add the garlic
2. After processing the walnuts and garlic in the food processor add the EVOO, lemon juice, salt & pepper, and then the basil leaves
3. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag (additional lemon juice can be added for storage)
If you come up with any alternations, then please feel free to let me know via the comment section of this post.
The search for digital content and a Saturday Costco run
Cutting the cord on cable creates a situation where finding content over the air waves becomes very challenging. Over the air (OTA) content does not support on demand viewing. Finding a source of on demand content without a cable or satellite subscription requires turning to either physical media or internet content. For example, anybody with a Netflix subscription could easily push play on “How Beer Saved the World” which happens to be an amusing 2011 documentary about beer. This creates a scenario where new content has to be described. For better or worse the exposure to new content involves experiencing a combination of entertaining and disappointing content.
Dinner tonight will involve grilling some steaks imported to the great State of Colorado from McGonigle’s Market in Kansas City. Grilling outside will be possible today thanks to some surprisingly warm January weather. Before the grilling process begins a few large baking potatoes will be placed in the over at 350 degrees for about an hour. The potatoes will receive a couple ventilation holes courtesy of a fork and they will probably be given a lite coating of Lawry’s seasoning salt. One large question about dinner still remains. Will the requisite vegetable side dish be grilled, baked, or sautéed. A quick visit to a Whole Foods Market on the way to Costco will quickly answer the vegetable side dish question.
Who has a great steak rub mixture they would be willing to share? The following recipe is for entertainment (and or educational) purposes only and should not be misconstrued as professional culinary advise. The steaks from McGonigle’s Market were allowed to reach room temperature then grilled over charcoal while it was snowing.
Outback Down Under Inspired Steak Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
This recipe includes a limited amount salt. Please adjust the salt level based on personal preference. The recipe yields 5 1/2 teaspoons of seasoning or about enough rub for 4 steaks.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo + A Lunch at Rudy’s BBQ
Twitter is much easier to use for capturing a single thought than taking the time build a complete mobile weblog post on the go. Here is an example from my twitter feed @nelslindahl “When will the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo get a honey badger? I’ll donate $50 to help get one.” Naturally, everyone enjoys random thoughts about honey badgers. From what I can tell only one zoo in the United States has a honey badger in captivity. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has a honey badger. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs probably should get a honey badger. I understand the zoo staff would have to stay out of the honey badgers cage, but what could be more fun than a rocky mountain honey badger exhibit?
I digress. We should turn our attention to the second part of the story. After visiting the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for a relaxing morning walk Joni and I decided to purchase lunch from Rudy’s “Country Store” and BAR-B-Q! Sure I might have had lunch at Rudy’s on Friday, but who judges somebody for having barbeque for lunch on back to back days? Joni enjoyed a BBQ turkey sandwich and some peach cobbler. I am seriously considering adding Rudy’s BBQ to my restaurants favorites list.
Rudy’s BBQ Day
Lunch today happened to include a visit to Rudy’s “Country Store” and BAR-B-Q! Backstory: Apparently, during an early morning climb up the Manitou Springs Include a couple of weeks ago David (from England) had a singularly unique eureka moment. Within that moment of epicurean bravado David concluded that a lunch visit to Rudy’s BBQ should be scheduled.
Pros:
- Rudy’s sells pretty decent barbeque.
- I am seriously considering taking Joni to Rudy’s on Saturday after visiting the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
- The line service format is strangely compelling.
Cons:
- I do not understand why the proprietors of Rudy’s have decided to forgo selling deep fried potato products and onion rings.
- Enjoying the BBQ from Rudy’s did involve having to concede to several coworkers that decent BBQ does exist outside Kansas City.
Salsa Gordo Perezoso del Hombre Revised Recipe Update
Salsa Gordo Perezoso del Hombre Revised Recipe Update
Test kitchen recipe update v8.02
The current test kitchen version of the salsa includes:
12 scotch bonnet habanero peppers,
30 serrano peppers,
67 jalapeno peppers,
16 bell peppers,
6 poblano peppers, and
8 Anaheim peppers.
Other than the wide variety of peppers:
2 whole onions,
9 garlic cloves,
2 tablespoons sea salt,
3 bunches worth of finely chopped cilantro,
2 1/2 cups of distilled vinegar, and
204 ounces of peeled whole tomatoes (without juice).
This recipe yielded about 13 quarts of glorious salsa.
Basic Salsa Preparation Instructions
1. Make sure you have all of the ingredients and about three hours of free time to complete the cooking process. This batch included the use of a food processor.
2. In multiple food processor batches combine the diced pepper mixture with a chopped up onion and the garlic in a large mixing bowl.
3. Use the food processor to process the peeled whole tomatoes and store them in a separate mixing bowl. In the tomato-mixing bowl, pour one cup of distilled vinegar, two tablespoons of salt, and about half a cup of finely chopped cilantro.
4. Bring all the ingredients for the salsa to a boil for about an hour or simmer the salsa for two hours.
5. Of course, the salsa has to be canned, refrigerated, and stored for about a day before it is ready for consumption. Some people do not boil the salsa and just can the salsa cold, but I have found that it never has exactly the right taste without proper boiling or simmering.
Planters Cheez Balls Discontinued
On the discontinuation of Planters Cheez Balls:
Why did the ‘evil’ Planters Corporation discontinue my favorite snack in a can product, “Planters Cheez Balls?” Whereas people all over the nation are unable to satisfy a specific food hunger: now is the time to take action by introducing a total boycott of all Planters Corporation products. My household will be officially boycotting all Planters products until the Planters Corporation decides to bring back Planters Cheez Balls. I would even accept an online order only product launch that sidestepped national distribution.
Wine Tasting Notes 20110409
Who knew an alumni association event could be so much fun?
This evening the Colorado Springs Jayhawks alumni group sponsored an event entitled, “Rock Chalk Wine-Tasting and Silent Auction!” The event occurred at the US Air Force Academy stadium press box. Overall, the press box provided a wonderful location for an event.
Wines for the tasting were selected by Ivars Spons of Sovereignty Wines. The wines were served by the glass with notes provided on the fly during the tasting.
1. Six Hands Winery Sauvignon Blanc
2. August Briggs Chardonnay
3. Alias Cabernet Sauvignon
4. Joffre Reserve Malbec
5. T-Vine Zinfandel
6. I am still working on hunting down the last wine of the evening. It might have been the 2007 LEO Eiswein “X-treme Sundowner,” but the exact wine has not been confirmed.
After experiencing the wine tasting event, I am thinking about signing up for more events. A wine tasting event can either be driven by the product or by the host. Without question, a vertical wine tasting of a world class wine can define an event. At the same time, a great host can define a wine tasting event.
Maybe signing up for a sommelier class would be fun?
Fajita Seasoning Recipe
Joni decided that tonight would be a good night for fajitas. The following recipe was deployed in the test kitchen for testing purposes. Before using this recipe, please consider that this recipe is still in beta at version 0.10.
| Percent | Ingredient | 1 oz | 1 cup |
| 34% | chili powder | 2 tsp | 5 1/2 tbsp |
| 16% | salt | 1 tsp | 2 1/2 tbsp |
| 16% | paprika | 1 tsp | 2 1/2 tbsp |
| 16% | sugar | 1 tsp | 2 1/2 tbsp |
| 8% | onion powder | 1/2 tsp | 1 1/4 tbsp |
| 3% | garlic powder | 1/6 tsp | 1/2 tbsp |
| 3% | cayenne pepper | 1/6 tsp | 1/2 tbsp |
| 3% | cumin | 1/6 tsp | 1/2 tbsp |
| 1% | crushed red pepper flakes | 1/8 tsp | 1/6 tbsp |
Revised Salsa Recipe
Salsa Gordo Perezoso del Hombre Revised Recipe
Test kitchen recipe update v7.42
The current test kitchen version of the salsa includes:
8 scotch bonnet habanero peppers,
20 serrano peppers,
25 jalapeno peppers,
12 bell peppers,
3 poblano peppers, and
4 Anaheim peppers.
Other than the wide variety of peppers:
1 whole onions,
6 garlic cloves,
1 tablespoons salt,
2 bunches worth of finely chopped cilantro,
1 cups of distilled vinegar, and
102 ounces of peeled whole tomatoes (without juice).
This recipe yielded about 7 quarts of glorious salsa.
Basic Salsa Preparation Instructions
1. Make sure you have all of the ingredients and about three hours of free time to complete the cooking process. This batch included the use of a food processor.
2. In multiple food processor batches combine the diced pepper mixture with a chopped up onion and the garlic in a large mixing bowl.
3. Use the food processor to process the peeled whole tomatoes and store them in a separate mixing bowl. In the tomato-mixing bowl, pour one cup of distilled vinegar, two tablespoons of salt, and about half a cup of finely chopped cilantro.
4. Bring all the ingredients for the salsa to a boil for about an hour or simmer the salsa for two hours.
5. Of course, the salsa has to be canned, refrigerated, and stored for about a day before it is ready for consumption. Some people do not boil the salsa and just can the salsa cold, but I have found that it never has exactly the right taste without proper boiling or simmering.
Notes from 20101125
* Joni built a time-based matrix for the preparation, heating, and storage of a complete and total Thanksgiving feast. During dinner, it will probably seem like a good idea to pop the cork on a bottle of properly aged cabernet sauvignon. Within the cabernet sauvignon varietal of wine, I have a strong preference for an aging process of at least 4 years. A good bottle of wine tends to spark my epicurean curiosities and satisfy my cravings for new adventures.
* This bullet point was left intentionally blank.
* The Microsoft Corporation has started to offer some discounts (and or price breaks) on Office 2010 software bundles. Microsoft should probably develop a more complete timeline for software releases to better assist consumers with the decision making process.
Notes for 20101102
After a full day of training, I voted. I purchased two tacos, rice, and beans from a local restaurant for dinner. I am done for the day. I do not intend to do anything substantial for at least 12 hours. In other nonrelated news, no shave November seems to be a passing event. Most of the people who talked about taking action seemed to shy away from the challenge. Maybe no shave November will provide the perfect excuse to grow a winter beard. Speaking of taking action; this week a regular National Football League game defeated a pivotal World Series game in television ratings. Who would have guessed that the World Series would falter? Without question, the NFL now represents the predominant American sport. Baseball might make a comeback, but that reality seems to be an illusory desire of a fallen dream.
Thinking Nachos
Recently all of the Del Taco restaurants in Colorado Springs, Colorado were seized by the City of Colorado Springs due to a failure on the part of the franchise owners to pay local sales and use taxes. The city now faces an extreme shortage of Macho Nachos (a Del Taco menu item) and 39-cent tacos. I am trying to hunt down an exceptional nacho supplier in Colorado Springs. I would prefer a recommendation for a nacho supplier that can provide 24 hour support, but exceptional quality can override availability.
Links to local Del Taco Coverage:
- News First 5 Del Taco Story
- Gazette Del Taco Article
- KKTV Del Taco Story
Colorado Springs BBQ Questions
Speculative inquiry:
After the initial move to Colorado Springs back in 2006 a local barbeque (BBQ) tasting program was initialized. Based in part on location it seemed easier to try restaurants from the east side to the west side of town. Recently, the project has slowed down and needs to be rapidly reinvigorated with epicurean adventures!
What local BBQ restaurants are highly recommended?
More or less today will involve developing a game plan.
At some point today might involve a trip to the local Best Buy and the acquisition of some type of BBQ.
Could this all be related to watching Adam Richman take on Kansas City barbeque?
Does anyplace in Colorado Springs sell burnt ends?
Salsa Gordo Perezoso del Hombre
Salsa Gordo Perezoso del Hombre Revisited
Test kitchen recipe update v7.03
The current test kitchen version of the salsa includes:
5 scotch bonnet habanero peppers,
20 serrano peppers,
25 jalapeno peppers,
20 sweet peppers,
6 bell peppers,
3 poblano peppers, and
3 Anaheim peppers.
Other than the wide variety of peppers,
1 whole onions,
4 garlic cloves,
1 tablespoons salt,
1 cup of finely chopped cilantro,
1 cups of distilled vinegar, and
79 ounces of peeled whole tomatoes.
This recipe yielded about 5 quarts of glorious salsa.
Basic Salsa Preparation Instructions
1. Make sure you have all of the ingredients and about three hours of free time to complete the cooking process. This batch included the use of a food processor.
2. In multiple food processor batches combine the diced pepper mixture with a chopped up onion and the garlic in a large mixing bowl.
3. Use the food processor to process the peeled whole tomatoes and store them in a separate mixing bowl. In the tomato-mixing bowl, pour one cup of distilled vinegar, two tablespoons of salt, and about half a cup of finely chopped cilantro.
4. Bring all the ingredients for the salsa to a boil for about an hour or simmer the salsa for two hours.
5. Of course, the salsa has to be canned, refrigerated, and stored for about a day before it is ready for consumption. Some people do not boil the salsa and just can the salsa cold, but I have found that it never has exactly the right taste without proper boiling or simmering.
Notable Previous Test Kitchen Versions
The May 31, 2009 batch of test kitchen salsa included 4 scotch bonnet habanero peppers, 15 serrano peppers, 25 jalapeno peppers, 20 sweet peppers, 4 red bell peppers, 2 poblano peppers, and 2 Anaheim peppers. Other than the wide variety of peppers, the salsa included a whole onion, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons salt, one half cup of finely chopped cilantro, a cup of distilled vinegar, and about 50 ounces of peeled whole tomatoes. This recipe yielded about five quarts of glorious salsa.
The April 24, 2006 batch of salsa included the following peppers: 4 scotch bonnet habanero peppers, 12 serrano peppers, 25 jalapeno peppers, 2 green bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, 5 dried chili peppers, 2 poblano Pepper, 2 hot yellow peppers, and 2 Anaheim Pepper. Other than the wide variety of peppers, the salsa included a whole onion, a whole garlic clove, 2 tablespoons salt, half a cup of cilantro, a cup of distilled vinegar, and about 16 ounces of boiled peeled tomatoes.
The April 15, 2006 version of the salsa recipe also known as the “Salsa Gordo Perezoso del Hombre Extreme,” included the following peppers: 12 Scotch Bonnet Habanero peppers, 12 Serrano Peppers, 24 Jalapeno Peppers, 2 Green Bell Pepper, 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Orange Bell Pepper, 5 Dried Chili Peppers, 1 Poblano Pepper, and 1 Anaheim Pepper. Other than peppers, the salsa included one whole onion, one whole Garlic Clove, 2 Tablespoons Salt, half a cup of Cilantro, a cup of distilled vinegar, and about 12 to 24 ounces of boiled peeled tomato.
The August 10, 2005 salsa Gordo Perezoso del Hombre version included the following peppers: 2 whole Habanero, 12 whole Serrano Peppers, 12 whole Jalapeno Peppers, 1 Green Bell Pepper, 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Orange Bell Pepper, 5 Dried Chili Peppers, and 1 Anaheim Pepper. Other than peppers, the salsa included one whole Onion, one whole Garlic Clove, 2 Tablespoons Salt, half a Cup of Cilantro, a Cup of Vinegar, and about 24 Ounces of Boiled Peeled Tomato.
Vegetarianism Experiment
After the conclusion of the vegetarianism experiment, I thought it would be a good idea to centralize all of my commentary related to the project.
Salsa Gordo Perezoso del Hombre
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 1/40) Breakfast was difficult today; I had to avoid the fast food rush after an early dentist appointment. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 2/40) The big test today will be the drive home from work. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 2/40) Dinner tonight included a roasted potato taco and a spicy bean burrito. Tomorrow should be exciting! #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 3/40) Tonight my work week will conclude without a celebratory taco. The weekend will be difficult. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 3/40) Special thanks should be extended to the Chipotle Mexican Grill for providing a vegetarian burrito. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 4/40) Today started with an early morning trip to the donut store for a dozen mixed. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 4/40) @andyphelan45 Yes the donut run included bear claws, cinnamon twists, and chocolate glazed donuts. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 5/40) Will the snowstorm this week inspire a vegetarian chili rendition? Anybody got a recipe? #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 6/40) This may be a tough week. I think working extra long hours will not support a healthy vegetarian diet. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 7/40) Nobody really sells vegetarian fast food on the way home from the late shift. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 8/40) I really wanted a celebratory cheeseburger, taco, or steak for the IRB news, but alas… #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 9/40) Friday night at the end of the week always seems to be the prefect time for a burger… #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 10/40) Apparently, Burger King sells a veggie burger; so that Friday night burger and fries happened… #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 11/40) Revisiting the Burger King veggie burger seems like a good idea… #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 11/40) The Chipotle Mexican Grill makes a fantastic vegetarian burrito; however, they close far too early… #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 12/40) Last night around midnight the Burger King veggie burger did not come with fresh fries… #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 13/40) Last night involved a bean and rice burrito; it seems vegetarianism requires making a commitment. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 14/40) After two weeks of vegetarianism research both breakfast and lunch seem easier to handle than dinner. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 15/40) The first two weeks of the vegetarianism experiment are complete. Does that call for a tofu taco? #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 16/40) A few beers and a complete bar food menu @The_FoxandHound just might test my vegetarian diet… #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 17/40) The key to the vegetarian diet seems to be early morning protein supplements (and coffee). #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 18/40) I need to break my routines. Eating the same series of foods every week seems monotonous… #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 19/40) Avoiding meat is the easy part; however, going completely vegetarian requires understanding food. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 20/40) For some reason locating an order of nachos seems to be at the forefront of food considerations today. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 21/40) Friday night normally involves tacos; tonight might include a quesadilla, tostada, or bean burrito. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 24/40) The drive to break my vegetarian diet barely exists anymore; I may have turned the corner. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 25/40) Should vegetarians take additional vitamin supplements? #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 28/40) Most snacks devoted to the current March Madness are not vegetarian… #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 29/40) Today and throughout the week a major point of interest will be avoiding energy drinks. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 31/40) Vegetarian sandwiches always seem like a great idea; however, rarely do they ever provide satisfaction. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 34/40) Today will involve vegetarian burritos from Chipotle and DVR episodes of Pawn Stars. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 35/40) The homestretch seems almost illusory. What are the best vegetarian multi-vitamins or supplements? #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 38/40) Only two days left in the project. Unfortunately, last night my celebratory nachos lacked jalapeños. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 40/40) Some experiments turn out to be more difficult and complex than expected… #
Twitter Updates for 2010-03-10
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 18/40) I need to break my routines. Eating the same series of foods every week seems monotonous… #
- Buy Colorado Springs Sky Sox Baseball 2010 Tickets: http://bit.ly/9QQwXC via @addthis #
- The only thing that might help @andyphelan45 today would be an official Chicago Cubs mascot or maybe http://bit.ly/czjApL #
- a view from the GOTG on 20100309 http://flic.kr/p/7JAgtc #
Twitter Updates for 2010-03-09
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 17/40) The key to the vegetarian diet seems to be early morning protein supplements (and coffee). #
Twitter Updates for 2010-03-07
- Don’t forget @The_FoxandHound is having a watch party today in Colorado Springs for the KU vs MU game! #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 16/40) A few beers and a complete bar food menu @The_FoxandHound just might test my vegetarian diet… #
- Could this be @andyphelan45? http://flic.kr/p/7HMaAR #
Twitter Updates for 2010-03-06
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 15/40) The first two weeks of the vegetarianism experiment are complete. Does that call for a tofu taco? #
- How to Prevent Weight Gain as a Vegetarian | eHow.com: http://bit.ly/aBNkgD via @addthis #
Twitter Updates for 2010-03-05
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 14/40) After two weeks of vegetarianism research both breakfast and lunch seem easier to handle than dinner. #
- The home of the future sounds expensive! RT @TelegraphNews The home of the future http://bit.ly/bJJWPr #
- Yeah; so um, I pulled my PC apart only to remember the current motherboard does not have a PCI-e 2.0 video slot… #
Twitter Updates for 2010-03-04
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 13/40) Last night involved a bean and rice burrito; it seems vegetarianism requires making a commitment. #
Twitter Updates for 2010-03-03
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 12/40) Last night around midnight the Burger King veggie burger did not come with fresh fries… #
- In defense of Bo Jackson: Bo knows baseball; @royalsreview must not know Bo. A career ranking of 37/100? http://bit.ly/8Z8tyA #
- Only 45 days until the season opener for the Sky Sox at Security Services Field on April 16 http://bit.ly/dAPoiA #
Twitter Updates for 2010-02-27
- Somehow the process of the pitch remains distasteful; ideas should stand on merit, not on advertisements. #
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 9/40) Friday night at the end of the week always seems to be the prefect time for a burger… #
- Maybe @andyphelan45 deserves a HT for finding this gem of culinary debauchery http://bit.ly/bkhtF5 (NSF Vegetarians) #
- From the GOTG the day after some late evening snow http://flic.kr/p/7FVyrc #
Twitter Updates for 2010-02-25
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 7/40) Nobody really sells vegetarian fast food on the way home from the late shift. #
Twitter Updates for 2010-02-24
- (Vegetarianism experiment day 6/40) This may be a tough week. I think working extra long hours will not support a healthy vegetarian diet. #
