Seventeen days away from work and I’m all the merrier to be back at my desk basking under the cold glow of fluorescent lights. This place, I have missed so deeply it’s disturbing. My heart fluttered when I walked in the door. When I saw all the familiar faces I fought back tears. Such a joyous reunion. I’m feeling good. Damn, I’m feeling so fine. Boy howdy did I miss hearing about good ole Jimmy and his rotten bowel movements and weak bladder. How he almost urinated himself at HEB just the other day. Never have I been happier to be back. You should see the Cheshire cat grin upon my face.
For this lovely blog I’m focusing on all the food a drink I had over the break. Don’t think lesser of me when you see how much I consumed. Cry for my bank account though. She took a hit.
Jalapeño
Starting the break with a real treat, filet mignon. I made a balsamic glaze to go with it. Sprinkle a little feta cheese on top and what a delicious meal. Don’t ask how much those steaks cost. I feel ashamed just thinking about it.
Christmas Eve tamales. This has been a family tradition for about as long as I remember. I was supposed to have a little get together but it fizzled out. Tends to happen.
Christmas morning we have chocolate & biscuits. This recipe belongs to my grandmother. Funny, my mother has made this for years and only just recently found out that my grandmother hid a main ingredient from her but happened to share it with my uncle’s wife? Favoritism? Maybe? I know this doesn’t sound all that appealing to many people. You have to try. It’s a really good meal. The sauce is so fluffy and rich. This was the first time Bekah has ever made it and she passed the test. My heart swells.
Since it was only 4 of us on Christmas we decided to try something different rather than make the big spread. Someone mentioned Chinese earlier in the week so it kind of stuck. I made some Sesame chicken for the family. It was a hit. I made my own portion spicy. How says you can’t get a little adventurous on Christmas?
Loco Moco on the mind? Loco Moco but deconstructed? I don’t know? Looks like a heaping pile of rubbish but the flavors were fine. I can’t be expected to make all my meals presentable, now can I?
Time to eat out. Angry Cactus. I have had many of bad occasions with this spot but I’m always willing to try a place again. I don’t know why. Some of the other stories I have heard from friends should be enough to warn me away. I suppose I’m a fool that doesn’t learn his lessons. I ordered the chicken burrito and I sure got a burrito. It was like a freaking baby on my plate and once I completed it I felt bloated. It was delicious though. But you really could feed two with that plate. So this restaurant is now 3 for 3.
I wanted pasta abut I also wanted tacos. Then why not make a taco pasta? This was a success in all ways possible. I will do it again very soon. F***ing carbs. Why do they have to hate me?
Cork & Pig. One of my favorites. I usually order a chorizo pizza but had a hankering for their Cuban sandwich. I think they are the only one in town that have this menu option. I was satisfied.
Pot roast for dinner. Ummmmmm… I let it cook down a little too much. It was mush. The texture was a little off putting. Kind of like someone chewed up the meat and spit it on my plate. Not a proud moment for me…. Just look at that mess will you? Disgusting, isn’t it?
Hooters! What a strange place. And I was not feeling well that day. Bekah had fed me too many shots the night before. Not to mention a great mixture of various liquors. A san man does not mix. An intelligent person does not mix. Amateurs mix. What happened to me? I was in bad shape. I craved nachos!! After a beer, which didn’t help with the recovering process like I had hoped, the nachos arrived. They were excellent. I like that they use nice fresh jalapeños. Real treat. My hangover subsided for a little while before it came back full force and shut me down. The beast I had to bare.
I was a shell of a man. I knew this was going to happen at least once on the long break. I wrote about it in a previous blog. Bekah, being the dear wife that she is, made me some comfort food. Fideo. I couldn’t have been happier. It was time for a hot bath and sleepy time. I was broken. Had to admit my defeat and hope for a better tomorrow.
Chilies. I was not 100% and wanted some enchilada soup. I did not get a picture. The soup was a delight. It was needed.
Baked spasagna. This is a recipe that I ripped off from Cheddar’s. Talk about carb overload. You basically cook spaghetti noodles, mix them with a 4 cheese blend and bake it. I top it with a meat sauce and some Alfredo. I need insulin. Lots of it. Carbs………
Funny thing, the next day I actually went to Cheddar’s. Had I known I would have not made the spasagna. Mine was probably better though. Yes, I guarantee it was better. Anyways, it was Jody’s birthday so some of us from work took her out for a treat. I ordered the bourbon glazed salmon. The fish was good. The broccoli & rice under cooked. I did not get a picture. It was a fun time.
Tomato soup & grilled cheese. This was comfort food for Bekah. It was a great meal. The soup recipe is very simple. Cook down tomatoes and onions. I add a little spinach, basil, and some parmesan cheese. I can’t tell you the secret ingredient. Nope. Not happening.
Julio’s. I needed a burrito. I stocked up on them to considering this was New Year’s Eve and I would need a good breakfast the following morning. That green sauce was on fire.
Wings from Zero One Ale House. Nothing to write home about.
New Year’s Eve. My mother made some King Ranch Chicken. It was just how I liked it growing up. The green sauce also paired well with it. She is a great cook and thought me a lot of what I know in the kitchen. Much love for the woman.
Twin Peaks. I kind of sound like a pervert. Hooters & Twin Peaks within a week? I promise I don’t usually frequent these places. This just happens to be where Bekah & I usually go following NYE. The beer is cold and we are usually hung over. Man, I needed that beer. Sad thing to admit, needing a drink. Oh well, this is an honest platform. I ordered cheese bites and spicy Thai pork ribs. I was a happy camper. Because of the food, not the ladies. I promise. I promise. It’s the food.
Domino’s pizza and black eyed peas. You have to get that good luck in somehow. What a strange combination.
Okay. Time for some fast food. My brother had been in Vietnam (I know, I’m lame. Much better way to spend a vacation than how I did.) and he sent me a picture of McDonalds. I couldn’t get over how good that little burger looked. I don’t often eat fast foods. But I couldn’t get that burger out of my head. If I was going to have a fast food burger it had to be Whataburger green chili. It was everything I hoped it would be. A+
Green enchilada chicken. Just without the tortilla. Bekah made this and it was fantastic. I cooked the eggs. This is a go-to meal for us.
Decided to try a new place in town that I’ve only heard good things about. Masa’s – sushi bar & Japanese grill. We were right in the area after having seen Jumanji. (Great movie, btw.) This place is fancy. Very well done. The good preparation was basically art. You hated to defile it by eating it. I enjoyed all that we ordered. Tuna stuffed beer battered jalapeño. Well f*** yeah! Two of my favorite things right there. I’m sold on the sushi bar. It was rather mesmerizing watching the chef draw this designs with the sauces. I will have to go back and try the food from the kitchen.
For the evening, Bekah wanted store ramen noodles. The kind you pour hot water on and let sit for a few minutes. Nothing wrong with this. I went to the store that night to retrieve them. We ate them in bed. Who does that? A fine comfort food if ever there was one though.
Woke up the next morning with a craving for some cheesy red enchiladas. I had not been to Ceilo’s in a while so why the heck not. They have some of the best Spanish rice in town. It’s about as good as you can get unless you make it yourself. The cheese was so creamy and delicious. They have a nice bar atmosphere to top it off.
More comfort food. Notice towards the end of my break that’s what became of the menu? Wonder why? Too much rich foods and drinks. We needed comfort foods. Mac & cheese with chicken & green beans. Yum!
I don’t know why but we have a habit of attending Chili’s on Sunday. Could it be that they have happy hour all day? Maybe. Well, we also happen to know the bartender. Friend form Bekah’s past. I ordered some more soup (not pictured) and mixed fajitas covered with queso. Not the best in town by any means but still very edible. Plus, the cold beer.
For the final lunch of my long unhealthy break I went the Taco Bueno. The Muchaco. A staple of my youth. I ate these almost every day while in high school. It’s a wonder I wasn’t obese. For the longest time the only way I could obtain one of these was to travel a distance to some nearby town. They finally rebuilt in our town and I can have one whenever I want. I’ve been on a diet so that hasn’t been very often. But this was the last hurrah so what the h***.
And that concludes my gluttonous holiday leave.
Cocktails of the Weeks: Beer, martinis, old fashions, crown & coke, scotch on the rocks, blue Hawaiian, spiked eggnog, champagne, wine. Really, WTF didn’t I drink.
En Fuego 