Where is Georgia?

Posted on 06/10/2022 by Grumpa Joe

If you ask the question in the title of a group of friends the answer might be “she is in the powder room.” Or if you ask a truck driver he would probably answer, it is north of Florida, and if you asked a native of east Europe they would answer between Turkey and Russia. What does it matter? Not a damn thing. It is just one of those rhetorical questions that fall into the category of trivia depending upon what your ethnic roots are.

Recently Lovely and I shopped at a deli of her ethnicity. She loves food from her own country or region. As a curious by-stander, I shopped the shelves of liquor and wine. I noticed a large selection of wines from places like Armenia, Moldava, Georgia, but none from the country that this deli was fronting. Since Georgia the country is geographically close to Ukraine and Russia, and since Ukraine is currently kicking Russia’s ass in a war no one seems to understand, I purchased a bottle of cabernet wine from Georgia the country. The idea was to understand just what was being consumed in that region that would want to make them go to war.

I presented the bottle to my club with a challenge, “open your taste buds to try this rich red wine and tell me what you think.” To my surprise several members jumped at the chance. three of them thought the wine was good, one thought it to be average. I thought it to be smooth. That could mean the the wine was well aged and the tannins had softened the harshness of a young cabernet. After reading the label I learned that it is a blend of 50% Cabernet and 50% Saperavi. What the heck is Saperavi? Most likely it is a local variety of grape that doesn’t grow any where else in the world.

The bottle of Georgian wine went empty in record time as several members liked it so much they went for seconds. I was one of them. On my next trip to this deli, I will sample wine from Armenia and Moldava, two more postage stamp sized countries in the region. These countries have existed for centuries. Their people have been making wine for just as long, and they must know how to make it good.

Nevertheless, I will enjoy drinking wine with my friends on Tuesday nights for as long as I am able.

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Do We Want To Be A Muslim Nation?

Posted on 09/09/2013 by Grumpa Joe
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My bike riding buddy Lou from Georgia sent this list of facts which I edited slightly to make it more accurate than it already is.
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EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT CATHOLIC… THIS IS EYE OPENING.
When the Catholic Church was founded, there were few hospitals. Today, one out of five people in this country receive their medical care at a Catholic hospital.When the Catholic Church was founded, there were few schools. Today, the Catholic Church teaches 3 million students a day, in its more than 250 Catholic Colleges and Universities, in its more than 1200 Catholic High Schools and its more than 5000 Catholic grade schools.Everyday, the Catholic Church feeds, clothes, shelters and educates more people than any other organization in the world.

The new Obama Health Mandate could end all this and the tax payers would have to make up the loss.Also, all Catholic adoption services would come to an end; a human disaster.There are more than 77 million Catholics in this country. It takes an estimated 50 million Catholic votes to elect a president. I am asking all of you to go to the polls in 2014 and be united in replacing all Senators and Reps with someone who will respect the Catholic Church, all Christians, and all Religions with the exception of Islam.

**Mr. President, you said**, “The USA is not a Christian Nation”. You are wrong we are a Christian Nation founded on Judeo-Christian values allowing all religions in America to Worship & Practice Freely.

Something Islam will never do.Oh, by the way, on MUSLIM HERITAGE IN America …Have you ever been to a Muslim hospital?Have you heard a Muslim orchestra?Have you seen a Muslim band march in a parade?

Have you witnessed a Muslim charity?

Have you seen Muslims shaking hands with a Muslim Girl Scouts?

Have you seen a Muslim Candy Striper?*

*Have you ever seen a Muslim do anything that contributes positively to the American way of life?*

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( Editor’s note: Actually, I have seen a few Muslim medical people working in hospitals, most are Doctors who came to America to become doctors, and wisely decided to stay in the good old USA. Today they are silent, and loving Muslims. However, once their numbers reach a significant level of ~3-5%, they begin to spew the need for Sharia law and lean toward radicalization. It is happening all over Europe and the natives are sick about it.)
*In God We Trust! …… Not Obama!!!!!
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Frankfort Loaded with Abandoned Homes

Posted on 08/03/2012 by Grumpa Joe

Walking the streets of Frankfort, Illinois makes one wonder what is going on. Everywhere, abandoned houses prevail. What is it about my town that causes alien residents to leave perfectly good homes to decay? In the coming weeks the aliens will return to feed off the area. No doubt, they will need new homes. Will they rebuild those abandoned last fall? Not likely. They will scrounge more material and hastily construct new ones. Some will look trashy while others will be neat and trim. Some will decorate the interiors with soft materials for lounging. Most will be under heavy cover and concealed from view.

The aliens arrive from places like Mexico, Costa Rica, Florida,, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Georgia. They come for the great conditions provided them by our Creator. They breed several families during the time they are here, and forage Frankfort to feed them. While they tend to their young, they stay solitary and territorial. When it is time for them to leave they crave socialization in large numbers.

One day, as if by rigid schedule the aliens disappear leaving Frankfort scattered with abandoned homes.

On Charrington Drive

On Old Plank Road Trail

On Pfeiffer Road

A skyscraper on Ginger Lane

This one came stocked with food.

The first alien of spring, freezing his butt off.

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I Love My Nu-Wave

Posted on 13/03/2011 by Grumpa Joe

I Love My Nu-Wave Cooker

Cooking is something that eluded me until I was forced into it. Then, I wanted to be Emiril overnight. I began watching cooking shows on TV to learn. Between the Food Channel with Emiril, Rachel, Mario, Bobby, Paula, Julia, Martha (yes I confess I watched Martha), and the memories of watching my mother in the kitchen I learned the basics.

Hunger is the mother of all cooking, and it became necessary to reinvent myself as a chef to satisfy that basic drive.

Over the past ten years, my appreciation for cooking gadgets has become overwhelming. First it was a proper knife and cutting board, then a whisk, a thermometer, a timer, and a salad spinner. I learned to use olive oil to saute (fry). Peggy showed me a vertical rotisserie for roasting meat, and a electric roaster oven.

The challenge was to use them all to cook, not just good, but great meals. The rotisserie was the first adventure with a whole chicken. Man did it turn out juicy. The success with the chicken led me to try a beef roast; it became another juicy success.

Thanksgiving turned into a challenge. We invited the entire family; all twenty-four of us. The volume of items being brought to the house in combination with the turkey and stuffing put a strain on our oven. That’s when we broke out the roaster oven and used it to make the turkey.

Among the best cooking gadgets ever invented is the George Foreman Grill. What a great way to heat meat evenly. Our first Foreman grill is worn out. It still works, but the Teflon is gone. During our winter hiatus to Arizona, we missed the Foreman so much we bought a new one.  We used it daily. The new one has removable plates and is easier to clean.

Two years ago, we visited friends in Georgia. I chronicled the trip in a post called Needed Downtime. Our hosts, Lou and Lori made us a huge breakfast of bacon and eggs. They cooked a pound of bacon to perfection in a record time without a mess.

“How did you do that,” we asked?

“We used our Nu-Wave cooker,” said Lori.

“What is that?”

That started them raving about this really cool gadget. They told story after story of how they use this thing to cook chicken, steaks, and even vegetables. Of course, we got a demonstration on how easy it is to use, and to clean.

“I’ve got to get me one of those,” I told them.

Fast forward one year.

Peggy and I are tourist shopping in Branson, Missouri. I should restate that, Peggy was shopping, I was gawking at the young ladies behind the counter and trying not to look conspicuous. The next thing I see Peggy walking toward me with a huge box.
“I bought you a Nu-Wave.”

My reaction was that of a normal husband, “you did what?”

“I bought you a Nu-Wave cooker.”

“How much was it?”

“Never mind, just take it, this box is heavy.”

So began my love affair with the Nu-Wave. We’ve had it nearly one year, and I have used it to grill steaks, chicken, pork chops, pork roast, turkey breast, sirloin-tip roast, potatoes, and fish. The feature I love best is the cooking card that gives me cooking times for both defrosted and frozen items.

Very often, we make our menu decision on the spur of the moment. We can take rock-hard frozen pork chops and put them on the Nu-Wave. I set the timer for ten minutes, then turn them over for another ten minutes, and wallah, we have tasty tender pork chops. While the chops are grilling, we microwave a couple of small potatoes, and some broccoli.  In twenty minutes, we went from freezer to table and made a meal fit for a king.

Here are some photos of a whole 5.5 pound chicken fully defrosted and the Nu-Wave. The cooking time is 15 minutes per pound. In seventy-five minutes the meat temperature is right on.

My Nu-Wave is now the favored appliance in the kitchen. At Thanksgiving, the turkey is in the roaster oven and a turkey breast is in the Nu-Wave.

We still use the grillerator, but steaks, roasts, and whole chickens are better on the Nu-Wave.

ANALOG Model Nu-Wave Infrared Cooler

 

Fully Defrosted Chicken

Chicken Rubbed in Season Salt and Emiril's Essence

Chicken Rubbed With Season Salt and Emiril's Essence in NuWave

NuWave Cooking Chart

Cook Times for Poultry

Control Panel With the Power Locked on FULL, and the Timer Setting

Fully Roasted Chicken With the Meat Thermometer

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Triple Header

Posted on 25/08/2008 by Grumpa Joe

Wow! What a fabulous time Peg and I had last week. My friend Lou and his wife Delores, came in from Dahlonega, Georgia to visit family. We were lucky enough to hook up, so we traded news and recalled old times. Lou is the same guy who joined me on a bicycle trip to Nova Scotia (you can read the account of our trip on my Page titled “Nova Scotia.”) We worked together for some twenty years before he moved to a warm climate for health reasons.

Peggy and I had already purchased tickets for Steppenwolf Theater when we learned of Lou and Delores’ plans to come. I called the theater, the staff was most accomodating. The four of us went to dinner at the Landmark Restaurant immediately across from Steppenwolf. Our meal was fabulous, and the service by Brenna superb.  We sauntered across the street ten minutes before curtain to see “Superior Donuts.”  I thought this play was the best of the collection at Steppenwolf this season. It was serious, comedic, and fast moving. I rate it four stars.

After the show I drove over to Rush Street and then on to Michigan Avenue. I wanted to show Lou and Delores the “Bean, alias Cloud Scape.”  It was not to be. Since I was southbound there was a huge planter filled with magnificent flowers blocking our view. I turned east onto Monroe wanting to come back and pass toward the north.  I couldn;t believe my eyes, there were thousands of people walking down Monroe from Grant Park. Unknown to me, there was a concert, and it had just let out. In a way, it was nice to see so many people walking the streets of downtown Chicago at eleven o’clock in the evening. With all of the confusion, I pointed the car south and got out of there.

The best part of the evening was spending time with Lou and Delores, next was dinner, then Superior Donuts. A triple header, It doesn’t get much better!

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