Matt in the Middle: Pop Tarts and Upside-Down Cake MM Good!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Pop Tarts and Upside-Down Cake MM Good!

The Pop Tarts Cafe opened Tuesday in Times Square in New York City.

Kellogg was one of the first stocks that I ever bought and I still have the shares that I purchased. So, on one hand I am really glad they are trying to stay innovative with my portfolio but on the other hand I kind of wish they would go the healthier route. Some of their menu items at the Pop Tart Cafe include: Pop Tart sushi (different kinds of Pop Tarts crumbled up and rolled inside of different Fruit Roll-Ups), Fluffer Butters which are frosted fudge Pop Tarts stuck together by Fluffer Nutter spread and Cinna Munchies which are cinnamon rolls covered in cream cheese and Cinnamon Roll flavored Pop Tarts. Kellogg's website (www.kelloggcompany.com) states, "Our founder, W.K. Kellogg, had a strong commitment to nutrition, health and quality. His vision continues to drive improvement in our products and processes, with the goal of providing great-tasting, nutritious products that meet the most rigorous quality standards." I am sure Mr. Kellogg was thinking about Fluffer Butters and Cinna Munchies when he envisioned nutrition and health. Probably not ironically, Tuesday was also National Smores Day. Shouldn't that day always fall on a weekend so we can have campfires?

Sugar Momma got home Tuesday night from her trip to Effingham. Now, early Wednesday morning I have to drive her to the MIDDLE of the orchard (ORD - O'Hare International Airport) so she can go to Tampa, Florida. Thursday is her birthday and she will be there until Friday so we had her birthday tonight. She got a new I-pod Touch and I loaded all of my movies and songs and podcasts on it for her for her trip. I also made Pineapple Upside-down Cake; which she wanted. Was the upside-down part a mistake when the first person made upside-down cake? Either way it would be healthy enough to be on the Pop Tart Cafe menu.

Speaking of Cafes. I spend the evening at the open

mic night last night at The House Cafe. I know I am starting to sound like I am the official blogger for The House but I pretty much blog what I do and what I observe and Monday night I observed The House again. What a great time I had. I got there at about 6:30 PM and had one of their great veggie pizzas and a beer and watched the show. It was a cross between American Idol and The Gong Show. There were great acts and good acts and some acts that were entertaining but are still works-in-progress. There was: slide guitars and poetry and Grand Ole Opry soliloquies and an eleven-year-old hip-hop/freestyle artist and belly dancers and electric guitar solos... I left at 10:00PM but the show was still going strong when I left and it was going until 1:00 PM. The show's host, Matthew Clark, kept the show moving and entertaining for everyone. I had a great time and I will probably go back next week. Splenda has been there several times before and said she will go with me next week so I don't look like such a creeper. I will bring my balloons and airhorn as requested to the crowd by Emcee Extraordinaire Matthew.

Come on out for a little bit...it's a blast. ** Look at this picture of Matthew and hip hop artist Little Greg. At the right of the photo toward the back of the stage there is a little whitish/clear orb. I have a couple different photos that have orbs floating at the back of the stage. Some of them with larger orbs that this one. Those ghost hunter shows and the movie The Sixth Sense tell us these are spirits. Maybe I should be having my October 30th seance at The House? If I were a spirit this is where I'd hang out. But I'd be a hip spirit...now that I think about it I already am hanging out there. Maybe I'm like Bruce Willis and I don't know it yet? Time to do some history research. The other photo shows the fortune-telling banjo and mandolin I blogged about yesterday. **

It was a good start on our lottery eight-ball in Illinois. The numbers I told you to pick, and that I bought a ticket for, were 1, 2, 12, 14, 22 and mega number 5. The numbers were just drawn and they were: 2, 14, 26, 50, 56 and mega number 12. Pretty good start - got 2 of the 5 and the mega number was one of the regular five numbers. Overall, we got 3 out of 6 on our first try which pays ZERO. I am going to stick with these numbers every Tuesday and Friday until I win the big one. Maybe one of you in a different state or country will win this week. It's worth $2.00 a week for the entertainment-value alone.

Alright I have to get up early to drive the MITM (matt in the middle) limo to O'Hare. Have a nice humpty, I like my oatmeal lumpy ridiculous day! I still need a Medium for that seance if you know someone. Maybe we can do a seance at Open Mic night at The Hizzety House! Blog you later roller skater!

** buddy the elf photo snap, crackle and popped from reelguys.podbeam.com **

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Matt In The Middle Blogssary

47% Rule - Matt in the Middle is 47 % estrogen
53% Rule - Matt in the Middle is 53% testosterone
Agitator (the) - Matt's podcast name (revealed in blog and podcast number 2
B. S. - blog stuff
Big Sexy - Jay Cole's drink of choice (Jack and Coke) - doesn't necessarily have to be Jack
Blogcast - our podcast (Dirty Laundry)
Bloggestion - now in Urban Dictionary meaning something suggested on a blog or taking a few minutes to understand (like suggested or digested)
Blogging Suit - like a NASCAR driver's racing suit with all of the sponsors patches
Blogssary - blog glossary
Blogisodes - episodes of this blog
BWAK - blogged with a kiss
Ca-Ching - the sound of the cash register as I try to gain sponsors that will never actually happen (I'm not really that delusional) - same as ka-ching
Cha Cha - revealed to be Sugar Momma's new name on premier podcast
Cheese & Quackers - our resident ducks. she is cheese and he is quackers
Ciaoloha - MITM's new mega-word "discovered" on Columbus Day 2011. It combines "hello," "goodbye," "love," "podcast" and "blog" into one happy little package!
Copyright - something that I think is clever and original that needs to be protected as original intellectual material (like it would really hold up in court)
Dirty Laundry - our podcast/blogcast launched 4/1/11
Discomboobulated - a word Bret Michaels used on Celebrity Apprentice when he meant discombobulated though discomboobulated is an actual word
Fabio - the name my son preferred being called on the blog (the artist formerly known as Sparky)
Judii - the sister I never had but wish I did (my unofficial sister)
Ka-ching - the sound of the cash register as I try to gain sponsors that will never actually happen (I'm not really that delusional) - same as ca-ching
Kajunkles - used for people who don't know how to run correctly. Body parts moving against one another rather than together for the common goal of running (could be a noun, proper noun or a verb). Trying to accomplish something against seemingly impossible odds.
The Lost Sock - Cha Cha's brother (and my brother-in-law). One of the best people I have known in my life.
MADYM - One of my very good friends - Mary. She was given this name based on an acronym of her name by one of my other very good friends Stacee. Together they came up with the MITM theme song idea. She was also our maid of honor or matron of honor (I don't know the difference).
Middle - anything average or center (Middle of the country, Middle of life, average intelligence, a regular joe (or joan)...)
MITM - Matt In The Middle
Ms. Peabody - Maisy (our dog) because of Mr. Peabody
Nature Girl - Another very good friend- Sue. Given this name because of being a combination of Diane Fossey, Caroline Ingalls and Danielle Boone (lady Daniel)
Patent / Patent Pending - something that I think is clever and original that needs to be protected as original intellectual material (like it would really hold up in court)
PFT - Plasma Fun Time - donating plasma - twice a week.
Roz - my pink/fuchsia i-pod nano. Named for Roz Kelly who played Pinky Tuscadero on tv's Happy Days. She goes with me everywhere to play my life's soundtrack and measure my steps with her pedometer.
Sparky - my son's blog pseudonym (see also Fabio)
Splenda - my daughter's blog pseudonym
Sponsorship Patch - when I mention a known product to try to get sponsorships and want to put a patch on my blogging suit
Stacee - a friend from high school that is a great inspiration to me continuously. The Cosmos keep bringing us back together electronically (MySpace, Facebook, Blog...) even though we haven't "seen" each other for nearly thirty years.
Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheels theme song of MITM. Idea suggested by MADY and Stacee
Sugar Momma - my wife, Jill
Trademark - something that I think is clever and original that needs to be protected as original intellectual material (like it would really hold up in court)
TTTT - Ta Ta 'Til Tomorrow
TWSS - that's what she said
WTF - why the face?

Potato Soup

Ingredients Needed:
1 - 32 oz. box Vegetarian Vegetable Broth (I used Swanson's)
can substitute with chicken broth if you wish
1 - package of Country Gravy Mix (I used McCormick's)
okay to use sausage gravy mix if you wish
1 - 26 oz. package of frozen hash browns

Cook hash browns in a large pot. Cook potatoes until slightly browned stirring often so as not to burn the hash browns. While the hash browns are cooking prepare the country gravy mix as directed on package. Once the potatoes are done to your liking slowly pour the broth into the pot with the potatoes and reduce heat and simmer until hot. After the potatoes and broth are hot add the gravy mix and continue to simmer until thickened. Serve and eat.

** special note...I like it extra spicy so I add an extra package of county gravy mix to the finished mixture and whisk and heat.

Just like I always say - add whatever you want (peas, onions...) and make it your own. And, as always, ENJOY!

Sangria Wine Recipe (reposted from 4/22/10)

I also made Sangria yesterday to honor Earth's goodness (truthfully so I could get lit). I am not a wine drinker because most wines are too dry in my opinion and I am not a big fan of cotton-mouth. I liked the movie "Sideways" though so I want to like wine. I was watching Planet Green a couple of days ago while I was cleaning the kitchen and folding laundry like a real man and Emeril Lagasse was making paella on "Emeril Green". He also threw in, as an after-thought, Sangria so I hit the record button. Well he did it very fast and didn't say measurements or anything but he gave the basics so I came up with my own recipe and I think it turned out well though I made A LOT! Sugar Momma says I am a man of excess - isn't that what "man" means? Anyway, here's my Sangria recipe but I suggest you might want to cut the volume down unless you are having a small country over for dinner:

ingredients (I would suggest cutting the liquids in half)

3 liters of inexpensive Shiraz (Frontera Mendoza 2009)
1 cup of Grand Marnier
1 cup of brandy
1 cup of lime juice
3 limes
3 lemons
2 granny smith apples
2 large oranges
12 oz. sugar
33.8 oz sparkling water (Pellegrino)
64 oz. orange juice
ice

In a HUGE bowl slice the fruit and cover with sugar, mix. Add Shiraz and stir. Add ice to hold the fruit under while it drowns in the wine. Add Grand Marnier and brandy and stir. Add lime juice, orange juice and sparkling water and stir. Let sit for awhile so the tastes blend. Taste and add ingredients to taste (I added a little more lime juice and sugar). Find the biggest vessel you own for storage (mine is a pot like they used in those headhunter movies to cook people which is now sitting on our stove). Sweet and fruity just like me. Share with your friends/neighbors and your boss at review time.

Caprese Paninis

Ingredients you will need:

good loaf of bread (I used Italian bread)
mozzarella cheese
pesto sauce (I used jarred Classico brand - found by pastas)
fresh basil leaves
extra virgin olive oil
tomatoes

And here we go:
slice the bread and brush extra virgin olive oil on both sides of each slice. Clean and separate basil leaves. Slice tomatoes. Grate Cheese. Lightly grill one side of each slice of bread. Flip the bread when lightly toasted. After flipping the bread spread pesto on the toasted side and top with shredded cheese while the other side toasts. Once the second side is toasted and the cheese is starting to melt remove it from the

grill and top with two slices of tomato side-by-side and put a basil leaf on each tomato slice. Remove another slice of the toast with the pesto and cheese mixture from the grill and place it cheese/pesto side down on top of the tomato and basil'd toast to form a sandwich. (They could just as easily be done in a frying pan or on a George Foreman Grill...)

Done! Very simple and delicious!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Pop Tarts and Upside-Down Cake MM Good!

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