Food Fridays

Two weeks ago when we made the Spinach and Pancetta Stuffed Shells, we had some leftover Asiago cheese. I found a recipe for Chicken and Bowtie Pasta with Asiago Cream Sauce on allrecipes.com (you can enter an ingredient or a few and it will give you recipes that use them). It reminded me of a dish we had at Carino's and it was definitely restaurant quality.

Another note: Riley loves chocolate! She even has a little chocolate shimmy. She recognizes the Ghirardelli squares and Hershey's Kisses and will come over and "beg" if we are eating one. She usually gets the tip off the Kiss - it must be a chocolate tax.

6 Things

I really wasn't officially tagged, but I like this one because you actually can write and learn something about someone.

1. The glory days: In high school, I did all sorts of stuff. I played on the tennis team and played tournaments in the summer. I was ranked at one point (you had to play enough tournaments to be eligible). My senior year, I was tired of the coach (we never drilled, so our team did less with more talent than any other team even though we were one of the top teams in the state) and decided to try high jumping. During the three month season, I cleared 5’10”, 2” under my height. I was drum major (director) for the marching band (I played tuba/sousaphone and marimba and was all-state on tuba my freshman year). I won two state championships. Ok, nerdily, it was for Junior Engineering Technical Society. I was in Key Club, National Honor Society, and Science Bowl and am an Eagle Scout. I took 7 out of 8 science classes my HS offered (Bio, Chem, Physics, Bio II, Chem II, Geology/Astronomy, Microbiology/OChem) and won the most outstanding science student my senior year. I didn’t want to take Anatomy/Physiology – too much memorization and they dissected a cat (although maybe I would’ve liked it because I don’t like cats – allergic).

2. I have certain preferences for my beverages. I like ice-cold milk in a glass. I think that when milk is in a plastic cup it doesn’t taste right. I like skim milk. It’s refreshing. If you want a little fat, make a milkshake. I drink a glass of orange juice every morning. I hate OJ from concentrate. One of the last luxuries that I would give up is real OJ. I prefer Tropicana Grovestand (lots of pulp). I love fresh squeezed OJ (Frontier in NM). I used to not like OJ. Once I went to college, my brain convinced me that if I drank OJ for vitamin C, I would not get sick. I don’t know if it’s the vitamin C or the placebo effect, but over the years, I feel like it’s done a good job. I like root beer. I like Mug, A&W, Barq’s, in that order.

3. I am a little sappy for things that improve people. I get a little choked up sometimes during Biggest Loser and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I don’t feel like a sissy watching chick flicks. Some of them are pretty good, like Emma. Some are really lame though, following stereotypical plot lines with new actors and a similar situation. I usually watch action or comedy movies though.

4. One thing that gives me the heebie-jeebies is running my face into the spider (or some worm?) strings that are strung early in the morning. I mean, do I look like an insect to eat? It must be funny to see me run into one because I think I look like I’m falling backwards after getting hit in the face with a tree branch with a beehive on it. I jump back and wave my hands around like a crazy man and grab at my face to get it off.

5. I grew up with 4 sisters, no brothers. Maybe that has something to do with me doing one of these tagged things without really being tagged (unless you count Suzanne who tagged anyone that wanted to do it). I usually had more friends that were girls than were guys. As mentioned, I played non-contact sports. It took me a little while in college to get used to my frat brothers (yeah, it was a frat, but church sponsored – ΣΓΧ - Service to God and Country) rough housing and flag/tackle football. One time, I tried to start to wrestle with one guy and he asked, “dude, what are you doing?” “Wrestling.” “Uh, no (with a look of ‘what is wrong with you?’).” I guess I still hadn’t really figured out the protocol for appropriate rough housing.

6. I had braces for two years, with a jaw surgery in the middle. I have six screws in my lower jaw. It took two years to get the surgery approved through insurance because they said it was TMJ (it wasn’t) and wasn’t covered. I had an under-bite and the dentist said that my teeth would wear out in 10-15 years and I would have to get dentures. Sometimes it’s nice to have adopted so that gene doesn’t get passed on. My mom was determined that I would not lose weight during the eight week recovery (I was basically 6’ 125# all through HS). She made milkshakes that had 800-1000 calories in an 8 oz. glass. Don’t know how that worked, but I know that it usually had a banana, peanut butter, wheat germ, breakfast drink powder, etc. A nice side effect of the surgery is that now I can get enough air through my nose while breathing (before, I had to breath some through my mouth, but the surgery opened up my nasal cavity a little bit).

Whoopsy, Daisy

Just a quick note. I usually bring leftovers for lunch. Don't you love when you put them in the microwave for 2:00 minutes and about 4 minutes later wonder why it hasn't beeped and look up and see you put it in for 20:00 minutes? Whoops. Seems to not have hurt my pasta too much.

Sharp Knives

At my parent's house, there is a drawer full of knives. Dull knives. I remember using all my weight and strength to push a dull chef's knife through cheese. Really, it was just a metal sheet pushed with enough force to create a slice. I got the $25 special set from Wal-mart when I went to school - the type that says you never need to sharpen. Of course you can't because they are somewhat serrated.

When I met Becca, I was introduced to my first Cutco knife. It really wasn't the brand that mattered, but it was sharp and so easy to use. I had heard of the elusive sharp knife before - on the food network, in the dark aisles of the library, from the little bird that flew by, but never really knew that I would live to see the day where I would hold, let alone use, a sharp knife. I enjoy the bliss of cutting through a tomato with a chef's knife (not serrated) and using only the gentle force of gravity tugging the knife downwards. I chop through herbs and mince garlic with ease. I slice super thin roast beef because the blade could hold its edge. And the cheese? Well, I usually just buy it pre-sliced.

Food Fridays

Hog Island Deli (1612 Lavaca): We tried the Philly Cheesesteak and the Old Italian Hoagie. The bread was good - tough on the outside and chewy in the middle. You didn't even have to chew the shaved beef in the cheesesteak and with onions and cheese was pretty good. The Italian sandwich had good meat, but was a little overstuffed with lettuce and hard to eat (the tomatoes were on the top of the lettuce, so there was no way to enclose them in the bread). It did have roasted red peppers that were quite good, but there was a hint of balsamic vinegar that could have been omitted. I liked the atmosphere because it seemed like a small neighborhood deli in a big city. The downtown lunch rush was loud and exciting and made you feel the energy of inner-city business.


This week we tried a recipe for raised waffles. They didn't raise so well in the waffle iron, but the starter may have not sat as long as they should have. They tasted really good though, almost like a sourdough waffle. I'll give the recipe out if we get them to raise right next time.






I like my egg salad the same way I like my deviled eggs and the same way I like my potato salad - mustardy and pickley. Of course, the potato salad should have eggs and other stuff like onions, but a copious amount of mustard and some pickle juice always makes or breaks it in my mind. Usually I like my egg salad sandwiches virgin, but that would make for a dull picture, so I added some tomatoes, a pickle slice, and lettuce. After eating it, I think I'll forego the accoutrements next time.

Baseball

I just finished reading Boys of Summer (by Roger Kahn), a perspective written by the man who covered the Brooklyn Dodgers in the early 1950s for the Herald Tribune (newspaper) - the team that had Jackie Robinson. He writes about his experiences as well as followup visits with the players 10/20 years later. It kind of gets you into the mood for old school baseball - before the grand commercialism, player agents, and performance enhancers. I guess it's a pretty good read in the spring when baseball is starting up and hopes for the season are high.

I find baseball the most relaxing major league sport to watch (live). There isn't constant action, so you can just sit and watch the game and talk to friends and smell the grass and the fresh air. One good memory was when I was in Scottsdale, AZ during the spring break of '00 (I was 19) and I rollerbladed down to some spring training sites in Tempe and watched a game (White Sox vs. Giants if I remembe correctly - Barry Bonds did not play but Frank Thomas did). I didn't bring shoes to change into, so I got a $5 ticket to the grass berm in the outfield and just sat and watched in my socks.

Now, I don't love baseball. I would say that I like it. I watch the playoffs and maybe a few of the regular season games, but that's about it. 162 games for the major league teams (excluding the playoffs) - too many to care about. I enjoy good controlled pitching and crisp fielding. I like small ball and strategy. Sure, an occassional blast is nice, but so is a suicide squeeze or hitting for the cycle. I played little league for three years. The last year I played, I developed a flip in my wrist that made the bat swipe above the ball and the slump led to my retirement. I've only played softball since. I would rather take a little speed off and hit a well placed ball into short right field than hit a ball that nearly gets out of the park and is caught by the outfielder.

After the NCAA tournament (March), the 3 month long (TIC) NBA finals (really, the western conference final), and Wimbledon, we enter the black hole of sports. Baseball is in mid-season and no one cares, the Tour de France has been overcome by scandal (and even with an American favorite, I'm only mildly interested in the peloton), and football season is a month or two away.

Voting From The Middle

Whenever I take one of the political compass tests (here, here, or here are examples), I always end up pretty much in the middle. Not liberal, conservative, liberaterian, communist, left, right, green, yellow, or blue. Of course, in places like Utah, this would be far left, but that's another story. I guess this is sometimes nice because I never feel like I have to vote with a party. I can study the issues (which is hard for most candidates to face or give firm answers on anyway - try asking them about energy) and vote for the person that I feel is best, regardless of party affiliation. In fact, I dislike the 2 party system and would much rather have the multi-party systems like they have in Europe. Or just bring back the whigs (not the platform, just the head gear).

Early voting for the presidential primary started today in Texas (and this year, Texas's late primary does actually matter). Texas is generally a Republican state except for Austin (check most previous election maps and the whole state is red except for Travis County). You don't have to declare your party until you vote in the primary and with the Republican nomination pretty much wrapped up, I decided to vote in the Democratic primary because the vote could count for something. So, if you are in Texas, you have until the 29th to vote early or you can wait until March 4th for the real primary day.

Wormholes: Living Through the Stretch

These are the equations that I have to solve for my Ph.D. Sometimes I ask: 1) What did I get myself into and 2) Besides me, are there 100 people in the world who care? 50? Do I here 20? I won't go into what they mean (if you really want to know, go here), but sometimes I wonder what I would've been/done in a parallel life in an alternate universe (by the way, my work has nothing to do with wormholes or the title above). I came up with the following vocations:

• Meteorologist
• National Geographic Photographer
• Gardener
• Freelance Blogger (oh, wait, already do that) - let's say freelance columnist/writer
• Sports Commentator
• Race Car Driver
• Tennis Pro (the guy that gives tennis lessons at a country club)
• Sandwich Shop Owner
• Chef

What are your dream jobs (I guess to expand your horizons - if you didn't have a family or bills, or hadn't grown up)?

Socks

"There is one item of G.I. gear that can be the difference between a live grunt and a dead grunt. Socks. Cushioned sole, O.D. green. Try and keep your feet dry. When we're out humpin', I want you boys to remember to change your socks whenever we stop. The Mekong will eat a grunts feet right off his legs." - Lt. Dan (Forrest Gump)

I used to only wear crew length socks. In middle school, you had to crinkle them just right. Wearing crew length does have it's problems. In high school, I would train in the summer for tennis tournaments by practicing in the New Mexico sun from about 11-2 (or somewhere around midday to increase my stamina and resistence to heat). After that, even when I wasn't wearing socks, it still looked like I was wearing socks. The tan line was so strong that even through my mission for two years wearing pants, I still had a pretty good line. It was like I was wearing hairy tan leggings. Becca says she likes my legs, so I decided I would wear ankle socks for athletic endeavors. Last spring, I gave in and pushed through the white/tan ugliness when I rode my bike and by the end of our high adventure trip in San Angelo, I had a fairly uniform tan and had ridden myself once and for all of my tan line abomination.

For some reason, I don't like changing socks during the day. I will change socks after getting dirty, like after a mountain bike ride or lawn work, but that's always because I shower. If I'm wearing a pair of socks and don't need a shower, they are the socks for the day. I don't know why I have a thing against "wasting" socks.

Sometimes on Sunday, when I'm wearing dark socks, we will decide to go for a walk on a nice day and I'll just keep the same socks on and wear them with my tennis shoes and with shorts. Hey, the Europeans do it! But as Becca says, "we're not in Europe, you look like a dork, and we are going out in public." At least I don't wear socks with sandals, or worse, flip flops.

Nacho Nacho Man

At the basketball game last Monday, I spilled a little nacho cheese of my shirt. Yes, I'm still trying to figure out how to get food into my mouth. Unfortunately, I was wearing my white Texas shirt instead of my burnt orange one. I guess it doesn't really matter because neon yellow still doesn't go with burnt orange, but it would've hidden it a little bit. Becca has tried everything to get it out - Spray and Wash, Shout Advanced Gel Spray, Clorox Bleach Pen and it is still there. So my questions are:

1) How hard is it to get out a nacho cheese stain? Has anyone had personal experience?
2) If the cheese did that to my shirt, what did it do to my insides?

Ah, hail!

There were severe thunderstorm warnings this afternoon - >58 mph winds, golf-ball size hail, and tornados. I've always like weather and especially severe weather (I guess that like isn't the right word - more like fascinated - it interests me but I don't want to be in it). This morning when I checked the weather, there were three fronts in Texas - a cold front followed by a warm front and then another cold front (by the afternoon the last two had merged). I guess that looking at weather maps joins two things I like - looking at maps and watching the weather.

This is the time of year that we are at risk for severe storms because of cold weather coming from the north and moist air coming from the south. When there is a sever storm coming, I tune in and watch VIPIR radar, which can predict tornados from the spin (you can also see a hook in the clouds on the edge of a storm, but then you have to have someone watching). Of course, you shouldn't be watching TV when a storm rolls through, so I just watch it as it approaches (literally - the windows behind my TV face north and west and that's where most of the storms come from). Of course, Becca thinks I'm a big dork when I get excited by VIPIR.

Preparing for possible hail, I decided that I would try to fit my car in the garage. Usually that side of the garage has junk in it, so I cleared it out and my car barely fit with the lawn tools, freezer, and bikes. It didn't hail, so it was an exercise wasted, but now I know that I can do it. Oh, Becca, good luck getting in your car!

Boring post over.

Fading Light

The other day, Riley and I sat outside enjoying the evening and I decided to play with my camera in low light conditions. I just like how this picture turned out - the light fades on bare winter trees.

Food Fridays

On Monday, I did go try out Little Deli, which was highly recommended online. I would agree. We ordered a mufaletta and a turkey and mozzerella (even though we ended up with a mufaletta and a veggie sandwich because we were discussing it with the guy and then changed our mind at the last minute and he must've still been thinking veggie). They both were actually quite good. I almost never get a veggie sandwich (ok, never), but this one was good and I didn't miss the meat. It had artichoke hearts, grilled eggplant, olives, tomato, avocado, lettuce, etc. Anyway, I'll definitely be back to try their rare roast beef and cheddar, pastrami, and italian sandwiches.

Earlier this week, we made sweet and sour chicken. This is a recipe that has been in my family since my mom learned it at the Ku's school of cooking. They also had a restaraunt that is now gone - so cheap and so good :(. I have made this recipe since college and like to make a lot and have lots of leftovers. Becca says the sauce is, "like candy".

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Cut 3-4 chicken breasts into bite sized cubes

Combine (batter):
2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
2/3 cup water

Add chicken and fry battered chicken in hot oil (it'll probably take 2-3 batches) until the batter turns a golden brown.

Sauce:
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1 lemon (or 3 Tbls lemon juice)
2/3 cup sugar
8 pinches cherry koolaid (1/2 packet) - no, I'm not kidding on this one
Bring to boil and add a cornstarch mixed with water until thickened (use about 1/2 cup cornstarch and add cold water while stirring until it actually is mixed - you might not need to use all of the mixture)

Serve sauce over chicken over rice. I've found that some fresh pepper is a nice contrast with the sweet and sour.

For Valentine's day, I assisted Becca in making a dish she found online called Spinach & Pancetta Stuffed Shells w/Creamy Asiago Cheese Sauce. It was quite good!

Rock Chalk, Jayhawk? Hook 'em Horns!

Ok, so I kind of like the Kansas chant of "Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!" Say it. It's fun. Hook 'em Horns is a little weird for me to say, but it's fun to make the longhorn sign with your hand and chant Texas (one half of the stadium) Fight (other half of the stadium).

My friend Kent and I went to the #11 Texas vs. #3 Kansas basketball game last night. It was an awesome game! It was close almost the whole time and the crowd was pumped up and loud. I think that it was the loudest that I've heard that stadium. We were on the last row of the upper bowl, but it was actually kind of nice because we sat on our seat backs and could stand on a ledge behind us. At times the stadium was rocking (the ground was shaking from people jumping up and down and stomping). Between some awesome dunks and putbacks, blocks, and 4 3's by 6'10" Conner Atchley, it was fun to watch. I bought the tickets a month or two ago thinking this would be the best home game this year, and I guessed right.

Last year, we got the sports pass and student season tickets to football. With season tickets to football, you get an assigned seat to the home games (in the 90,000 person stadium that is usually sold out) and are gauranteed a ticket to the Texas vs. Oklahoma game in Dallas (Red River Shootout). Usually, you can sell this ticket and pay for your sports pass and season tickets (and actually make a little money). The tickets can be resold unless it's on University property. With the sports pass, you also get admission to the rest of the sports (including basketball). I missed the signup date over the summer last year. If you are a UT student, let me know if you are interested in doing this next year (football home games: Florida Atlantic, Arkansas, Rice, Missouri, Oklahoma St., Baylor, Texas A&M). I still haven't decided if I'll do it because hopefully I'll only be here in the fall and I might be trying to finish my work and do job interviews. When we did it last year, we ended up making about $75 per ticket and you can sit with friends at the games. As an investment, it was a 30% return in 3-4 months.

Regular blog post?

I decided that I like blogs that have a regular post mixed in with their, well, irregular posts. Since I find myself regularly posting about food, I was thinking of adding one of the following:

• Mmmm Monday
• Tasty Tuesday
• What Scot's Eating Wednesday
• Trying to think of another culinary 'T' word Thursday
• Food Friday

Basically, I might post about a meal we made and ate (maybe including the recipe), talk about some food topic that I thought about during the week, review a restaurant, or maybe just talk about favorite ingredients.

Also, I thought maybe of doing a post called "Scot's Saturday" where I just say what I'm doing that Saturday. Becca might like this because if I had a post like "Today, I did yard work and then watched basketball", I would be embarassed and do more stuff. It kind of reminds me of the novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich that I read in high school (the whole book is about a man in a Soviet labor camp and only spans 24 hours). Ok, this idea is now nixed. It would be boring and no one would care. If I did something fun, I would blog about it anyway.

I'm still a little undecided, so let me know what you think. Regularity is kind of nice, but what if I don't want to wait until the appointed day to talk about something? Then it becomes irregular and there goes the idea of a regular post that my loyal readers can look forward to (all 7 of you! jk). Wow, I couldn't foresee the dilemnas and great responsibilities I would face becoming a blogger!

Introductions

One of the many mormon cultural traditions is that when you are asked to give your first talk in the ward, you give a brief introduction of yourselves. This works especially well in some wards since they ask you to speak relatively soon after you move in. Imagine it - one of the bishopric members is usually in charge of assigning talks and there are people moving in and moving out. If you snag just one of these couples/people a month and 2 other Sundays are covered by fast Sunday testimonies and a high council speaker, you only have to find one other couple (or two individuals - I'm not saying you have to be married to speak) for the open Sunday. It is a little funny that sometimes you aren't asked to speak for a year, so you've been around for a while, and you still usually introduce yourselves. I like it because you still learn things about the people, so I'm not saying it should be done away with.

So, when a "new" couple speaks, it usually works like this: There might be a youth speaker that gives a talk for about 1.32 minutes. The wife usually stands up and introduces the family - her husband, herself, and any kids they might have. Sometimes it's just where they moved from, why they are here (graduated and found a job, are going to school, etc.), and the age of their kids. Sometimes, their hobbies and other facts are included. Then she talks on the subject for 5-10 minutes. There usually is a hymn that the congregation sings, and then the husband stands up and talks on the subject for 15 minutes or so.

Yesterday, the couple introduced each other (the wife introduced him and then he introduced her). It was actually kind of nice and a good idea. That way, you aren't embarassed about talking about yourself, but the congregation can still learn more about each person. At dinner yesterday, Becca and I acted like we were introducing each other. It was a fun little exercise and made you think about your spouse and their accomplishments and what they like. Of course, our "introductions" would have lasted for about 10 minutes and been a little irreverant for church, but I think we got some good ideas for the next time we speak (after we move of course because we already have spoken a time or two in this ward). Anyway, you should try "introducing" yourselves sometime. It can get pretty funny. Just make sure to sing a hymn between the two!

The Earl of Sandwich

Earlier, I stated that I like cheeseburgers. Well, I love sandwiches (I guess cheeseburgers would fit into this category). I don't know if there was a particular experience, but as I transformed into an amateur foodie while watching countless hours of the food network, I started really liking the simple complexity that a sandwich can afford.

Growing up, with five kids and a dad brown bagging it, we generally had the same type of menu everyday - a sandwich, a fruit, and 2 cookies (my dad got 3). As we grew up (moreso the younger kids) other items were added. The definition of a sandwich was a single slice of ham, bologna, turkey, etc. and sometimes a slice of cheese (usually cheddar cut from a 5 pound block - no american) with mayo or mustard (one or the other). Later on, sometimes there was provolone or swiss if we were lucky, but it only lasted a little while.

During the summer, we usually were in charge of planning the meals and grocery list for a week and then cooking the meals. We always helped for dinner every other day as well, making a salad, dessert, cooking noodles, etc. Anyway, sometimes, during lunch, we would create a menu for the kids to choose from and a big favorite was a "deluxe" sandwich. This usually included 2 (!) slices of meat (ham and bologna, for instance), a slice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo AND mustard on buttered toasted bread. This was my first experience of what a sandwich could be.

I worked for a pizzaria that also made subs. In Albuquerque, Dion's is the place to go for pizza, subs, and salads. I love their subs and would get them for my meal while I worked. Turkey and swiss, no mayo, no tomato, extra onions, lightly toasted (pushed halfway through the oven), with ranch instead of greek dressing. That's my order. During my freshman year of college, I almost always made turkey and swiss with lettuce and whatever else I had in the fridge. I felt rich by buying deli meat and cheese.

My love for sandwiches grew as I experienced new tastes and styles. We have a panini maker and it gets used at least once a week. Even a grilled cheese sandwich can be special. The normal cheddar grilled cheese can be spruced up with a slice of ham, apple slices, and honey mustard. The leftover pork loin? Slice it and add red onion, provolone, rasberry chipotle sauce, put that on the panini maker, and you have a "deluxe" sandwich. Meatball, french dip, italian (any sandwich changes dramatically with the addition of pepperoni) - I like to make and eat them all. The only limit is your imagination. Let's just say that I've made a list of meals that we could make (both Becca and I like to cook - she likes to bake more than me and I like making entrees), and one of the categories in addition to chicken, chinese, etc. is sandwiches. I guess it's a dream of many men to open up a sandwich shop, but I don't mind just making them for me, my family, and my friends.

With that, I like trying different delis (come on, Subway doesn't really count) and getting other ideas for sandwiches. On Friday, I tried a new italian deli near campus called Bambinos. My short review - good sandwich, especially the sammy sauce, the bread was a little airy and spongy for my tastes, but the owner/sandwich maker is friendly and even asks your name and wants you to have a good time (he's 25 and a first generation Italian-American). The mob theme was kind of fun and his New York (?) accent was pretty good. The sandwich was maybe a buck too expensive, but it was nice to support a local guy working hard and making a good sandwich.

Other suggestions if you are looking for a good sandwich in Austin:

• Jason's Deli - their mufaletta is great and the pastrami sandwich has so much meat, our friend used the extra meat the next night to feed a family of 4
• Jimmy Johns - the Gargantuan is so tasty and the best part is the dense, chewy bread - don't forget the hot peppers (on the side)
• Texadelphia - pretty good but I think it's overpriced (in other words, I haven't benn there in a while, but I haven't really missed it)
• Manny Hattan's - good pastrami sandwich and they have Carnegie Deli cheesecake. A little more than you would probably pay for a sandwich though
• Flip Happy - ok, this isn't really a sandwich place, but the crepes are stuffed with sandwich-like fillings. So good, great Austin atmosphere (served out of a silver Airstream), and they have dessert crepes.
• Schlotzsky's - ok, so some will say how can you include this and not include a subway/quiznos/blimpies chain? Because their Original sandwich is sooo good. The bread with olives and cheddar melted on it just is so good.

There are a couple of other places that I'd like to try. They are: Little Deli (7101 Woodrow), Foodheads (616 W. 34th St.), Hog Island Italian Deli (1612 Lavaca), and Frizano's Deli (just north of campus on Speedway where it turns and isn't Speedway for that block [104 E. 31st St.]). If you have tried one or have other suggestions, leave a comment and let me know what you thought.

Burgers

I like cheeseburgers. I'm not crazy like a guy on the radio who has tried almost every hamburger in the city and ranked them, but I could see myself doing it if 1) I was not worried about my heart (and with a family history of heart disease, I am), 2) had a lot of money to do it, 3) had the time to do it, 4) was single to avoid spousal mocking, 5) many other reasons.

So far, I like the bacon cheeseburger at Crown and Anchor the most because they have the right amount of mustard and I add Chalula (hot sauce) that just makes it so good (good fries too - one of the cooks adds some special spice instead of just salt). Dirty Martin's is a little greasy. Dan's is right up there (I got the jalapeno burger and man, I didn't know that there would be more jalapeno than meat). I am planning on doing a taste test of the three $1 double cheeseburgers from McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendys, but just haven't got around to doing it (or convincing Becca to eat at least 1 of them since 3 is quite a bit, even for me).

Of course, I like making my own burgers because you can add anything you want to the meat or add whatever condiments you want. We've made basil mozzerella burgers, spicy burgers, etc. One secret is adding a couple tablespoons of brown sugar to each pound of ground beef. We almost always grill the meat, but pan frying works well sometimes too. If you're on the road, I found this great product from Iran that every burger lover needs. Yummy!

Finger Art

Even after 4 1/2 years of marraige, you learn something new. Today, I learned that Becca doesn't like her fingerprints. "They're boring and not pretty." I didn't know that people had opinions about their fingerprints. What constitutes a good looking fingerprint? I mean, it's not really art.

This came up because the FBI is proposing a database of people's characteristics, like eye patterns and palm prints. Before fingerprints, they used your measurements and other factors to determine identities (mostly among criminals). Then they developed fingerprinting and now we also have DNA testing. Maybe it'll be like the movies - they just scan your eye and advertise to you and you can pay for stuff with your eye rather than carry a wallet. Ok, nevermind, it does seem a little weird.

Today I just picked up some fingerprinting merit badges for a few young men that earned it a couple of months ago. I learned a couple things when I got ready to teach it. For instance, identical twins have different fingerprints. They are similar, with similar whorls and loops and such, but there are noticable differences because there is some random part of your fingerprint that depends on the mother's nutrition, position in the womb, etc. The DNA is the same (for identical twins), but not the fingerprints. There actually was a famous case in England where an identical twin was charged for his twin's crime and was finally released by fingerprint evidence.

Well, enough of fingerprints. If your finger art doesn't satisfy you, there's always sandpaper.

Yummy Food Storage

Is your food storage bland and boring? Are you looking for something other than wheat and elbow macaroni? Then this product is for you! Check out this link for more pictures and someone actually eating it.

Super Scouter

Today was Scout day. Our bishop decided that we should honor this day, which means that the scouts and scout leaders should have (italics added for emphasis) worn their uniforms to church. We also decided that if the youth wore their uniforms, they probably shouldn't pass the sacrament (normally they wear white shirts).

So, I went to my meetings before church and of course everyone made their comments about me being in a scout uniform. Let me just say that the young men that I work with aren't super excited about scouting. Most of them would rather play basketball then, well, just about everything, including camping, tying knots, learning CPR, etc. I guess that's why we get the best attendence around this time of year since basketball season is going and they have to show up to find out when the games are.

Well, let's just get to the end of the story. As the bishop said, "we would like to recognize scouting and all it does for our youth and you'll notice a few people with uniforms on for Scout day," everyone looked around and it was me and two cub scouts. That's right, everyone else in a suit or shirt and tie, and there's me, with my scout shirt and neckerchief. I guess only the coolest people got the memo. Anyway, I got a good laugh about it. I think that there was a conspiracy to the effect of, "hey, let's all not wear our uniforms just so everyone thinks Brother Waye is crazy!" Well, here's to scouting!