Matt in the Middle: Brown Chicken, Brown Cow

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Brown Chicken, Brown Cow

Absolute Peppar and blue cheese olives, YUM!

Happy Valentine's Eve! Last night, after a tough day of basketball for Fabio, Sugar Momma and I went out for dinner. Fabio didn't want to go with us so he stayed home and kept the world safe of zombies and commies on Black Ops! We went to Johnny's Char-House in Dekamore! I will have to review it on Yelp over there in the right margin. I kinda forgot about Yelp but I just added the Hollywood Palms Cinema review I did at MIDDLE MOVIE REVIEWS a few moments ago. When we got to Johnny's and the place was packed...I can't even remember from my morning blog where I mentioned how restaurants are gonna be really busy for Valentine's Day. I guess people are getting it out of the way two days early. These are probably the same people that open their Christmas presents two days before Christmas. Oh darn, a half-hour wait...hmmm...decisions, decisions...."we'll wait at the bar." Sugar Momma had her usual, Bombay Sapphire (ching) and Tonic and I had one of my eleven usuals an Absolut Peppar (ching) Bloody Mary with blue cheese olives (stirred, no shaken). It's like a salad in a glass. We actually like sitting at bars...we went to Southern Illinois University, you know (thank goodness it is a religious school now that Splenda goes there). Wow, the drinks were fantastic and the glasses seemed to have leaks in them so we kept making them fill them up. Our dinner table seemed to be ready in no time. I will get around to reviewing the restaurant part in the next day or two and I will let you know when it's on Yelp. We had a great dinner. She had shrimp and lobster and I had the manliest sounding dish I could find - Shrimp Onassis. I was wearing my Jackie O-face glasses so I felt it appropriate.

I honestly think he was innocent!

After dinner we went to Fatty's Pub and Grill back on solid DeKalb turf but we didn't go for the grill part. Sugar Momma had a few more of her usuals and I switched to Diet Coke (ca-ching and a smile). Sugar Momma made a new girl friend at the bar who was an off-duty bartender there. We couldn't find anyone we knew so we went home after a couple. So endeth the story for this blog's purposes ;) Her new Harlequin friend didn't come back with us so knock it off but thanks for giving me the street cred!

While not sleeping in the MIDDLE of the night last night I turned on the boob tube (TWSS) and found what I am getting Sugar Momma for Valentine's Day! Don't tell her...it's a surprise.

Today we have to head back up to Lake Barrington for more basketball. Just Fabio and I because Sugar Momma has a huge project she is trying to get done for work. She'll probably go to lunch at Fatty's - not really but a perv can dream. I think Fabio and I may go early and stop by the Nike outlet store in Aurora (swoosh-ching). If you were up at the tournament looking for us yesterday there's little chance that you would have found us. Those people have a lot of money up there and their field house is bigger than our whole town and we have a university here. It has a food court and indoor baseball and soccer and football fields and a huge weight room and about 8 or 10 basketball courts. I didn't even go downstairs so I can only imagine what they have down there. It was busy and loud. I can't wait to get back there today, not!

Enjoy your Sunday; hopefully you can take it easy today. I have plenty more to podcast, I mean blog, and I will hit you again in the morning before my Valentine's lunch. TTTVD....MITM (north bound and down - Aykroyd or Reynolds?) cue the music

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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!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Brown Chicken, Brown Cow

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