Enjoying the weekend with the Tiny Tornadoes.
Teaching myself how to write blog posts on a pad with my arthritic thumbs.
Father’s Day – 2024
Spin
It’s the simple things in life that are priceless.
Braum’s Is the Best American Fast-Food Chain You’ve Never Heard Of
In fact, the milk — and the company-owned creamery where it is produced — is the cornerstone of the Braum’s business model. The chain makes and produces all of its dairy products and bakes its own burger buns, and as such, Braum’s only opens locations within a 330-mile radius of its production facility in Tuttle. From there, refrigerated trucks are dispatched every other day to make deliveries to its more than 300 stores scattered across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri.
Braum’s Is the Best American Fast-Food Chain You’ve Never Heard Of — https://www.eater.com/23165864/braums-best-chain-milk-ice-cream-burgers
The closest grocery store from my house is just a mile away. But anytime I need milk, eggs, or cheese I shop at Braum’s. Their private label bread is better and cheaper than the grocery store. Butter at the grocery store is between $4.00 and $6.00 a pound depending upon the brand. Braums’ butter is $3.50 a pound (but you have to buy two to get this price).
Control of production and lower transpiration costs obviously affect the retail prices. And in a good way.
Did I mention The Bag? https://www.braums.com/menus/bag-of-burgers-junior/
These burgers are Tiny Taste Tester Approved.
Mimi’s Kind of Secret Cookie Recipe
This recipe is the actual inside of a lid from a famous brand of oats. Mimi’s cookie recipe is kind of a secret because of her omissions, substitutions, and changes to the recipe after all these years.
Sometimes she adds nuts. Other times, no raisins at all. Usually more cinnamon. Or most times chocolate chips are tossed into the mix.
The exact substitutions and deletions, types of nuts and/or chocolate remain a secret. She won’t tell me.
Tiny Taste Tester Approved.
Merry Xmas Y’all – 2021
Stress Reduction
Play time.
I’m the flounder.
Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic and Parmesan
Have you ever roasted frozen vegetables? Me neither. But a quick referral to Dr. Google offers up recipes and instructions for this time and money saving technique. Maybe this method actually works (because everything you read on the internet is TRUTH). So a few weeks ago during a Pandemic Pantry shopping trip I picked up a few one pound bags of frozen cauliflower ( a buck a bag). I also bought a small jar of minced garlic which I promised my younger self I would never use because fresh is better until I used some at my son’s house. Hmmm…..
Here’s the original Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan post from several years ago. Here’s what’s in the oven right now:
Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic and Parmesan
One package frozen cauliflower (32 ounces)
Extra virgin olive oil
Minced garlic
Dried thyme
Parmesan Cheese
Salt and black pepper
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place the florets into a baking/roasting pan with sides.
- Spread the pieces into the pan. Make sure they don’t touch each other.
- Drizzle the cauliflower with olive oil. Toss with a spoon. You want a nice thin coating of oil on each piece.
- Lightly salt and pepper, dust with Parmesan and sprinkle with a hint of thyme.
- Add two tablespoons of minced garlic. Toss lightly again
- Place in the oven and roast for approximately 35-40 minutes. Shake the pan or stir/toss every 10 minutes or so to ensure most of the surfaces of each floret get browned (this is why you want a pan with sides).
- When nicely browned add a handful of shredded Parmesan cheese over the cauliflower. Roast for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Transfer the cauliflower to a serving bowl and add more Parmesan.
- Eat.
TIPS – The amount of garlic is personal preference and dependent upon how garlicky you like your food and the number of guests at the table. Same for the cheese but you can never have too much cheese or garlic. This dish is not vegan but if you must, leave out the cheese. Don’t forget the shake and/or stir part because when you use minced garlic it can and will burn.
Lessons learned – minced garlic DOES burn but despite appearances did not taste burned at all. Also, one pound of frozen cauliflower is not a lot of cauliflower.
Unfortunately this dish is also Not Tiny Taste Tester Approved. She was not present for my roasted frozen vegetable experiment.
“Is a Collie Flower a dog?”
2020 Year in Review (10 Things I’m Grateful For)
Our family is happy and healthy. Two in the clan were infected with SARS-COV-2. Thankfully both were mild cases and both have fully recovered.
We welcomed a newcomer back in March. Tiny Human Too has brought much needed joy and happiness to the family.
No worries Tiny Human One. You have also delivered much joy and happiness.
After 34 years The Boss and I are still a team. We spent a LOT of time together his year and learned we still like each other (strange but true).
I lost 20 pounds and The Boss lost 10. We have done some take out meals but the combined weight loss was the result of a lot less restaurant food. More home cooked meals = healthier food = weight loss.
Cooking and grocery shopping skills improved. I’m tweaking old recipes, trying new recipes and shopping more efficiently.
I finished reading 10 books this year. At one point in my life I was reading a book a week. Now I’m reading less and enjoying it more.
My client company extended my contract for 2021. Retirement has been postponed.
TOMC still running well but likely to be replaced in 2021.
Whiskey.
Stay safe and stay well.
Happy Thanksgiving – 2020
Look, I know 2020 has been an awful year. But no matter how bad things seem to be always remember the good in the world. Find at least one thing to be thankful for and let that one thing be your reminder to find other things you are thankful for. And if this doesn’t work imagine you are three years old running in between tall trees, well dressed for the occasion in a stylish coat, a really cool mask, Minnie tucked under your arm. Then there she is right in front of you. Dad! Pick this one!
Tiny Taste Tester and Tiny Taste Tester (in training) -10.17.20
Pandemic Baby is seven months old.
And the original Tiny Taste Tester is now three.
garyskitchen.net 