Matt in the Middle: A Nap & Broccoli - What a Great Friday the 13th!

Friday, February 13, 2015

A Nap & Broccoli - What a Great Friday the 13th!

Jeff and I are so much alike sometimes

I did not do anything today that I had planned to do. Fabio has been sick for the last three or four days and I was feeling run-down so I lied down and fell asleep. I think I slept from like 1000 to just a few minutes ago (1354). I slept for almost four hours. I barely sleep that long most nights (mornings). I feel much better now that I am up so maybe I was just tired. Since today is sort of my Sunday I guess it was like any one of you normal people taking a nap on a Sunday afternoon.

Unreal... just as I finished writing that last paragraph a commercial came on the television that caught my attention. It was a commercial for a guitar store. If you read yesterday's blog you know that I had planned to go to Rockford today to Guitar Center to get some new recording equipment for Dirty Laundry Podcast. Guss what the commercial was for - unbelievably it was for Guitar Center.Thanks a lot karma! I was also going to get some new tactical pants but that was just because I was going to be in Rockford. I don't really need them. Maybe I will lose more weight this week and need a smaller size next week anyway. Now I have something to do next week.

I made a dinner reservation at Tribella for Cha Cha and I in three hours for ~~Friday the 13th~~ Valentine's Day. I work tomorrow night so we will beat the rush and let the chefs practice on us. I have not eaten anything today, which is bad, because I fell asleep. I think I am going to have some peas or steamed broccoli so I am not complete famished when we get to the restaurant.
We also have tickets to see a movie right after dinner; we are going to see Fifty Shade of Gray. Of course, I am kidding! I would not see that movie for the life of me and neither would Cha Cha. She hates it more than I do and she knows some about it. We are really seeing Kingsman: The Secret Service. I like to put all my plans here so that if somebody is trying to kill me they know exactly where I am so the chance of innocent people becoming collateral damage is diminished. If you are going to kill me tonight please wait until after dinner and, if you're as cunning and wise as I hope, you'll do it before I see the film and pick-up more pointers to foil your plan.

I never put the dinner and movie together with getting lucky until now

I didn't go to the dentist either. I could not find my dental insurance card so I rescheduled that before I conked-out. I called Delta Dental and they are sending me a new card. I probably could have just given the dentist the new number and they would have taken me but I am changing dentists and they why would they just trust me? Maybe I just hate the dentist and karma was doing me a solid. So, I will still go but just not on Friday the 13th!

Why would they make a Hot Tub Time Machine 2? Now that I think about it - why would they make a Hot Tub Time Machine 1?

Okay, full-disclosure time. I went with the steamed broccoli. Delicious! I just put Lowery's Salt and pepper on the broccoli.

I must have been sleeping pretty deeply because I actually dreamt or dreamed. It always mildly angers me when Spell-Check tells me that dreamt is not a word. DREAMT IS A WORD!!!!! Anyway, I DREAMT that Cha Cha and Splenda and Fabio and I were at a parking garage and couldn't find our cars. I cannot remember it too well now but I think we all had driven separate cars and we kept finding the ones they had driven but could never find my car. I think I woke up shortly after that so I don't think I ever found my car.

Hey, the broccoli is working already!

I think I am going to go take my shower now and get ready. I may play a quick Texas Hold'em tournament first. I prefer tournaments over sit-and-gos because the players tend to be a little better. Believe it or not playing against good players is better than to play against bad players. I could tell you why but there are so many reasons. I wonder if Cha Cha would want to go to Hollywood Casino after the show. I had a nap, you know! Have a great rest of your Friday the 13th. I will probably blog again tomorrow so I will wish you a happy Valentine's Day then. TTT V-D Day...MITM (out) TA!

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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!

Friday, February 13, 2015

A Nap & Broccoli - What a Great Friday the 13th!

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