Culinary no-no #610

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Culinary no-no began on Father’s Day 2007, a beautiful summer day, when I wrote about grilling brats. And eating brats. And topping those brats. I was inspired by my wife, Jennifer who, in my admittedly unscientific opinion, ruins brats by squirting ketchup on them. Other dining taboos quickly came to mind. The original idea was to take this concept only a few months, till the end of summer and then pull the plug. Then the unexpected happened. People started reading Culinary no-no. Lots of folks. So we keep doing the no-no.

Please raise your hand if you’ve ever heard the following:

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

The reliable website, WebMD claims to provide credible information, supportive communities, and in-depth reference material about health subjects, and that it is a source for original and timely health information.

WebMD is  aware you may not have time for the most important meal of day. So…

If you can’t find time for breakfast, consider setting your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier. Then follow two simple rules. First, make sure breakfast includes at least one, preferably two, servings of fruit. Next, help yourself to high-fiber foods like toasted whole grain bread, high-fiber breakfast cereal, or oatmeal. That’s all you need to be well on your way to a daily helping of good health.

WebMD says breakfast provides better physical health and feeling better both physically and mentally if they had a bowl of cereal flakes daily.

Researchers have also discovered according to WebMD that individuals who reach the age of 100 tend to consume breakfast more regularly than those who skip the first meal of the day.

To repeat, the recommended breakfast servings by the so-called experts include at least one, preferably two, servings of fruit. And high-fiber foods like high-fiber breakfast cereal, or oatmeal.

Let’s make this personal.

Servings of fruit?

Sure, if stuffed in a donut or pie.

High-fiber breakfast cereal?

Could I have Cocoa Krispies or Cap’n Crunch instead?

Oatmeal?

I’ve hated since I was a kid. I mean just look at that gunk. It’s about as appetizing as poi. I don’t care how many palm trees are swaying in the background.

So let’s say we (I) opt for something different.

Here’s my usual breakfast routine. My wife packs it for me. This is actually quite healthy.

When I get to work, albeit usually 2-3 hours after I wake up, I toast, and then spread butter and some jam or jelly on…

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Of course an occasional drive-thru at the Golden Arches is quick and convenient.

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But if a Hardee’s is nearby…

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A Kwik Trip is very close to our Franklin home. So a stop for gas can lead to…

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A pretty good donut.

What about a restaurant for a sit down affair. For example our usual Sunday morning visit to Meyer’s Restaurant in Greenfield.

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The Smokehouse Benedict, with smoked sausage. They’ll do a cheese sauce or the traditional hollandaise.

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That’s the Grilled Salmon Filet on spinach served with homemade hollandaise sauce, two eggs, and baby red potatoes at Mad Rooster Cafe in Milwaukee near Miller Park.  Whatever you order there, you must also have the red potatoes, the best in our area.

And at the Cheesecake Factory, I recommend…

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The Monte Cristo sandwich. Kyla goes for the Creme Brulee French Toast.Image may contain: food and indoor

Can we agree that those are all popular breakfast options?

Eggs, sausage, bacon, french toast, etc.

The Internet is a beautiful thing. Need to know how to prepare Steak Diane, or Oysters Rockefeller, or Chicken Tetrazzini, whatever. A gazillion ideas are just a few computer clicks away.

Regular readers know a common Culinary no-no routine. Many photos leading up to the main point.

About these photos, did you notice any lettuce, tomatoes, onions?

MSN.com believes it’s on to something.

“Meet the new and improved morning meal; the breakfast salad.”

A deliciously fresh and invigorating avocado citrus salad with honey lime vinaigrette. It's creamy, tart, sweet and refreshing! I howsweeteats.com #avocado #citrussalad
An avocado citrus salad. Juicy, tart citrus. And then, creamy avocado. Tangy pickled red onion. Finished with a honey lime vinaigrette. Described as “super refreshing.”

 

kale sweet potato breakfast salad in a mixing bowl

Pan fried sweet potatoes, bacon and chopped hard boiled eggs with toasted pumpkin seeds in a simple garlic vinaigrette.

Bacon Brussels & Cabbage Salad in a serving bowl with tongs

Shredded Brussels sprouts and chopped cabbage salad topped with crispy bits of bacon and chopped pecans.

Those are just a few recipes MSN has posted.

The website goes so far as to claim salad for breakfast is the new…

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I say NEVER!

CULINARY NO-NO BONUS

The Legend of the Vomelet

 

Photos of the Week (05/19/19)

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A pictorial week-in-review posted every Sunday.

1) Workers demolish the former US embassy, 20 years after it was attacked by protesters in 1999. The protests came a day after US forces struck the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during a NATO bombing campaign, killing three Chinese journalists. Thousands of Chinese gathered in the streets outside the US embassy for two days, many hurling paving stones and attempting to break into the embassy.  Photograph: Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

2) Joe McEwen (right), a demolition machine operator with Veit & Company, Inc. and Dan Maher, a demo superintendent stand near the high reach demolition excavator being used to take down the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Photos: Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

3) An evacuated passenger records on her phone as firefighters arrive at the scene after Myanmar National Airlines flight UB103 landed without a front wheel at Mandalay International Airport, Myanmar, in this still image taken from social media. Photograph: Reuters

4) A graduate wears a Make America Great Again hat amidst a sea of mortarboards before the start of commencement exercises at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Drake

5) A full scale model of the Statue of Liberty’s foot made in 1896 is displayed in a gallery at the new Statue of Liberty museum. Photograph: UPI/Barcroft Images

6) British Chelsea Pensioners who are veterans of the World War II Battle of Normandy, code named Operation Overlord and best known today as D-Day, pose for a group photograph during a D-Day 75th anniversary at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. Photo: AP

7) Visitors sit in the cabin of a 1958 Lockheed Constellation airplane restored as a cocktail lounge at the newly opened TWA Hotel at JFK airport. Photograph: Kevin Hagen/Getty Images

8) An aerial view shows the Arkup houseboat, a green-energy luxury floating home that can allow owners to adapt as the sea level continues to rise, in Miami Beach, Florida, on May 14, 2019. The Arkup, built by the founders Arnaud Luguet and Nicolas Derouin, is a fully solar-powered and sustainable luxury, livable yacht that has four hydraulic pilings that stabilize the vessel on the seafloor and that can also be used to lift the living quarters above rising ocean waters. Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty

9) General manager Genevieve Vermeulen (right) helps Rebecca Yi of Brookfield pay with a credit card at Goddess and the Baker, located in The Corners in The Town of Brookfield. Photos: Michael Sears / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

10) A robin protects her young chicks in their nest in Nyack, New York. Photo: Reuters.

11) In Gunjani, Bosnia and Herzegovina, an orphaned baby bear named Aida is seen in its shelter. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

12) A guest sits inside a garden themed installation inside a pod on the London Eye ahead of the Royal Chelsea Flower Show. Photograph: Simon Dawson/Reuters

13) A participant of the World Beard and Moustache Championships taking part in Antwerp, Belgium. Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters. Here’s one from 2014 in Portland. Yes, those are Cheetos. Photo: The Guardian

14) Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) wait for the game-winning basket by Leonard to drop in during game seven of the second round of the NBA Playoffs last Sunday. Photo: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

15) Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett presents a proclamation honoring Ernie Johnson Jr. who grew up in Milwaukee and followed his father’s career footsteps into broadcasting. Also pictured are former NBA standouts Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley. Photos: Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

16) A person pays tribute to the late actress Doris Day on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, May 13, 2019. Photo: Reuters

Week-ends (05/18/19)

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A look back at the people and events that made news the past week. Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of  This Just In…

HEROES OF THE WEEK

Rocker Gene Simmons

Natalie Barnes

William Shuttleworth

Dental hygiene students

Aldo Cataldi

VILLAINS OF THE WEEK

Ruben Houston

Clarisa Figueroa and her daughter, Desiree

Illegals from Canada

Frederic Pechier

Nancy Morgan

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“It’s going to be a bad problem for Iran if something happens, I can tell you that. They’re not going to be happy. If they do anything, it’ll be a very bad mistake. It’ll be a bad problem for Iran if something happens I can tell you that. They’re not gonna be happy. They know what I mean by that.”
President Trump. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan reportedly presented a military plan at a meeting of top national security officials that would send as many as 120,000 U.S. troops to the Middle East in the event Iran strikes U.S. forces in the region or speeds up its development of nuclear weapons.

“I hope not.”
President Donald Trump said he hopes the U.S. is not on a path to war with Iran amid fears that his two most hawkish advisers could be angling for such a conflict with the Islamic Republic

“To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God.”
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey after signing a bill into law that would make performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases and contains no exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Supporters hope to launch a challenge to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that made the procedure legal.

“I think this bill, frankly, is shameful. It is callous. This bill uses rape victims and victims of incest at all ages, even minors, as political pawns.”
Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama condemned the state’s new abortion ban as “extreme” and “irresponsible.”

“In the pro-life movement,  we acknowledge the horror of rape and the trauma that sexual assault victims must endure. But, however, we know that our humanity doesn’t depend on the circumstances leading up to our conception, that you’re wanted-ness or the circumstances surrounding your conception don’t change your value. You have value simply because you are a human being. And all human beings have that equal right to life.

“Because we don’t issue points on birth certificates where you’re ranked higher based on your parents’ income, or marital status, or level of education or whether or not there were candles lit when you were conceived. It doesn’t work that way. Either all humans have a right to live, or none of them do.”
Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America

“This is so Venezuela, Congresswoman.”
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews roasting Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) on air after she claimed President Trump is going to be jailed for not releasing his tax returns

“Madam Speaker, did you bring your handcuffs?”
Attorney General William Barr asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) if she brought “handcuffs” for him Wednesday at the Capitol, following her accusing him of lying to Congress earlier this month. Pelosi smiled and said the House Sergeant at Arms was present if an arrest was necessary, to which Barr laughed and walked away. Some congressional Democrats have called for Barr to be jailed after the House Judiciary Committee voted to hold him in contempt when he ignored a subpoena for the unredacted Russia report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

“Democrats, either do something or stop talking about it. I just think you’re making yourselves look weak. You’re just making yourselves look like people who talk and talk, and don’t do anything.”
Liberal comedian Bill Maher challenged the opposition party to either bring their actions into alignment with their dramatic rhetoric (impeachment), or to stop talking

“Under my Administration, we are restoring @NASA to greatness and we are going back to the Moon, then Mars. I am updating my budget to include an additional $1.6 billion so that we can return to Space in a BIG WAY!”
President Trump

“You would need five cramped Priuses to carry all the democrats currently running for president. Four years ago, you would have needed six Ford F-150s to carry all the Republicans running for president. It seems as if these supersized fields of candidates are the new normal; maybe in 2024 the out-of-power party can be the first to hit three dozen. Meanwhile, at the local level, it’s often getting harder to find anyone willing to run for office. A Rice study found that 60 percent of all the 2016 mayoral elections they looked at featured just one candidate running unopposed — a number that’s been on the rise since 2000.”
Joshua Benton, director of the Nieman Journalism Lab

“The rise in the number of presidential candidates in recent years results from divisions within the party coalitions and from easier access to vital campaign resources — money and media — that were not present in previous election cycles. In the past, candidates were reliant on the media to publicize their candidacy and get their message to voters. Party leaders and elites consistently have better connections with the media establishment and use those connections to promote preferred candidates.

“But today’s media environment allows candidates to bring their message directly to voters. Social media bypasses reporters and editors and those who have connections to them so more candidates have easier access to this key campaign resource.”
Florida State political science professor Hans Hassell

“The sad thing honestly is here, 60 years after Brown v. Board, so many Black, Latino, poor kids are in schools that are as highly segregated as was true 10 years after Brown v. Board. One of the reasons we’ve returned to such high levels of segregation is we refuse to believe that separate is inherently unequal.”
Noliwe Rooks, professor of Africana Studies at Cornell University. A study released last week by the UCLA Civil Rights Project reported that by 2016, 40 percent of all black students were in schools with 90 percent or more students of color. New York, California, Illinois and Maryland are the four states in which a majority of black students attend 90-100 percent nonwhite schools. In fact, segregation for black students has expanded in all regions of the country, except for the Midwest.

“Kwik Trip”
According to GasBuddy the cleanest gas station bathrooms in Wisconsin are here

OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK

THE Ohio State University

MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK

Women for Trump

MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK

Alabama is evil

MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK

The wrong wine

Abortion; news media bias; Trump’s economy; Police officers

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Here are this week’s highly interesting reads:

Today’s highly interesting read (05/17/19) : I am the 1 percent used to justify 100 percent of abortions

Today’s highly interesting read (05/16/19): Alabama is showing the way to protect all human life from abortion

UPDATE: Today’s highly interesting read (09/05/17): Jumping the Shark: The News Media Way

UPDATE: Today’s highly interesting read (05/13/19): Trump Has a Strong Economy to Proclaim. In Wisconsin, It Just Might Work.

Today’s highly interesting read (05/14/19): How dangerous is it to be a police officer?

 

The Barking Lot – America’s Finest Dog Blog (05/18/19)

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The Barking Lot is a regular weekly feature of This Just In…Written by my lovely wife, Jennifer and me.  It opens with the weekend dog walking forecast followed by the main blog from dog lover, Jennifer. Then it’s DOGS IN THE NEWS and our close. Enjoy!

THE WEEKEND DOG-WALKING FORECAST: We grade the weather outlook for taking your pet outdoors.

TODAY:  Cloudy, followed by afternoon thunderstorms. 80% chance  of rain. High of 71. The almost certainty of rain brings the grade down. “D”

SUNDAY:  Windy with thunderstorms likely. Some may be severe. 90% chance of rain. High of 72.  “D”

Now, here’s my lovely wife, Jennifer with this week’s main blog.

Two weeks ago when Kevin filled in for me he posed the following:

“Who doesn’t like dogs?”

The answer:

Turns out, a lot of folks.

This week, a new question.

“Who doesn’t walk their dog?”

The answer:

Turns out, a lot of folks.

That begs other questions.

Why not?

Shouldn’t they be doing it?

If they don’t, are they bad people?

We open our weekly installment with a subjective dog-walking forecast. Kevin has taken some good-natured flak when he grades an “A” when temps are in the 80’s. The thinking is a hot day beats a cold, wet day anytime.  But weather doesn’t seem to play a role in the decision by dog owners to keep their animals at home rather than going on a neighborhood stroll.

So, let’s examine the previously mentioned questions.

Why do people refrain from dog walking? Lots of reasons.

Depending on the size and age of the dog, it may not enjoy walks.

Some dogs may not like being around other dogs they may confront.

Or traffic.

Children.

Noise.

Could be the dog is sick, or just plain tired.

And in many cases a dog owner simply lacks motivation to do the walkin’.

Shouldn’t they be doing it? Well, yes. Exercising is of great benefit. And we know walking can bring comfort and joy to pooches.

If owners don’t walk their dogs, are they bad people?  On that one let’s bring in a Barking Lot favorite, Stanley Coren, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia. He relates an encounter with a neighbor.

“I am a bit concerned about one of my neighbors,” she told me. “She has one of those fluffy little dogs, but I never see her out walking him. So last week I asked her ‘How often do you walk your dog?’ and she told me that she never walks the dog. She just lets the dog out in the yard for 15 minutes two or three times a day and that’s it. That’s really wrong and perverse. I walk Herman twice a day which I feel is the minimum he needs. I can’t imagine not ever walking your dog, and I wanted to know whether I should be reporting her to the SPCA for potential dog abuse.”

Is such a person mean and horrible? The short, simple answer is no.

Coren did some research and discovered several studies on non-walkers. On average about four out of ten owners do not walk their dogs. Some studies came up with a total as high as 70%.

Read more about what Coren found here.  Do read to the end because the last sentence may very well surprise you.
—-Jennifer Fischer

Thanks Jennifer!

Time now for DOGS IN THE NEWS, canines that made headlines the past week.

In Iowa, dog disease that can be passed to humans confirmed.

Extreme weather kills nearly every prairie dog at Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison.

New York fraternity members allegedly forced dog to drink beer.

Woman seeks visitation with dog she shared with ex-boyfriend.

Boy with nut allergy gets life-saving service dog after going into 5-day coma.

4 Things You Didn’t Know Your Dog Teaches You About Leadership.

This is good. Really good. (Nice video, too)

Your furry friends can run up a big tab over their lifetime, but there are ways to keep expenses in check.

A Better Way to Run with a Seeing Eye Dog.

This pop-up playground for pups is every dog’s dream.

This Franklin woman turned a home-based dog bakery into a shop with pet products and gifts in Greendale.

Hello, room service?

Dog Owners Are Obsessed with These Leak-Proof Waste Bags.

He named  his lazy dogs after the Chinese police. They were not amused.

Dog runs away from home to visit friends at doggy daycare.

Milwaukee Pug Fest is this weekend in Franklin.

THAT’S IT FOR DOGS IN THE NEWS.

HERE’S OUR DOG PHOTO(s) OF THE WEEK.

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At this week’s National Police Week at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

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ALSO…


Double amputee dog Cora Rose balances on her hind legs to watch Zach Skow repairing her cart on a street in Washington, D.C. Photo: Reuters

AND…

My human is…pregnant?

We close as we always do with our closing video.

Please check out the video in this news report: Dog ‘bounty hunter’ spends free time tracking lost dogs for pet owners.

And in theaters NOW…

That’s it for this week.

Thanks for stopping by.

We’d really appreciate it if you forward this on to other dog lovers you know. Let them have some fun!

See ya, BARK, next Saturday!

Spectators gather to watch the costume contests during

Goodnight everyone, and honor the troops this weekend!

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Every Friday night we smooth our way into the weekend with music, the universal language. These selections demonstrate that despite what is being passed off as art today, there is plenty of really good music available. Come along and enjoy.

On Saturday….

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Armed Forces Day is a day to pay tribute to the men and women who serve the United States Armed Forces.

President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country. On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days. The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense.

This week, military music in the spotlight.

We get started with this CBS News report from earlier this year.

Before Miller joined the Army he was a music superstar. Under Miller’s direction, his original jazz orchestra  produced 70 top ten singles, and 22 number one records in just four years.

Then in 1942, Miller decided to quit his life as a civilian and volunteer his musical talents to the war effort by joining the Army Air Forces. Because of his age, 38, and his glasses, he knew that he would not be drafted, and therefore obtained a commission in the AAF on November 23, 1942. By March of 1943, Miller was commanding a group of musicians that consistently performed live and made recordings of their swing tunes for active servicemen across the country.

Here’s a portion of a radio broadcast of Glenn Miller’s Army Air Force Band from March of 1944.

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The Airmen of Note is the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force. Created in 1950 to carry on the tradition of Glenn Miller’s dance band, the current band consists of 18 active duty Airmen musicians including one vocalist. As part of The U.S. Air Force Band, The Airmen of Note honors those who have served, inspires American citizens to heightened patriotism and service, and positively impacts the global community on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and the United States.

The group recorded this popular Miller march.

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Next up, the U.S. Army Field Band that provides musical support to strengthen the ties between the Army and civilian populations at home and abroad. Since its formation in March 1946, the Field Band has appeared in all fifty states and in more than thirty countries on four continents.

In 1968, Chief Warrant Officer Three Charlie Almeida formed a new performing component of The U.S. Army Field Band, a jazz ensemble he named “The Studio Band.” Fifty years later, the band is known as the “Jazz Ambassadors” and its legacy of service is recognized around the world.

The Jazz Ambassadors is the United States Army’s premier big band and has received great acclaim both at home and abroad performing America’s original art form, jazz.

Here’s their rendition of a Count Basie original.

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Let’s stay with The United States Army Band  featuring their trumpet section along with  The U.S. Army Fife and Drum Corps Trumpeters performing a familiar and fun Leroy Anderson composition at the 2012 National Trumpet Competition at George Mason University.

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Anyone who has ever played in a high school band has probably heard of composer John Philip Sousa. He was appointed leader of the U. S. Marine Band and held this position for 12 years, eventually molding the band into the finest military band in the world.

The 1952 film “Stars and Stripes Forever” is a musical biography of Sousa, who was played by Clifton Webb. Ruth Hussey portrayed Sousa’s wife. Here’s a clip.

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That’s it for this week.

Goodnight.

Sleep well.

Have a great weekend, and by all means thank a member of our Armed Forces if your paths should cross.

We close with more Glenn Miller.

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Friday Night Forgotten Oldie: Beatles on the Big Screen

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What’s better than a Beatles song? How about seven of them.

In 1982 executives at Capitol Records had witnessed the success of the Stars of 45 medleys and the Beach Boys medley from 1981. Capitol had an entire catalog of Beatles’ recordings. So…

This week in 1982 a Beatles medley of clips from their movies had been climbing up the charts up to #12. It would go no further. Still, it was a top 20 hit that simply took some clever editing.

Click here for a video that accompanies the medley.

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Today’s highly interesting read (05/17/19) : I am the 1 percent used to justify 100 percent of abortions

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Image may contain: text that says 'SMILE You weren't aborted. www.radiance.life'

Today’s read is from Ryan Bomberger,  the co-founder of The Radiance Foundation, a life-affirming educational organization.

My biological mother was raped, yet she rejected the violence of abortion. I was adopted and loved instead. I’m not the “residue of the rapist”, as Senator Vivian Davis Figures described those like me who were conceived in rape. I’m a human being with equal worth to anyone planned. I couldn’t control the circumstances of my conception. Could you, senator?

I’m part of a far larger collective of courageous and compassionate advocates for Life who believe in the radical notion that we all have equal and irrevocable worth regardless of how our lives began.

Read the entire column here.