Living on $2.50 a day

This morning I was scrounging the pantry for something to eat, and nearly came to the conclusion that I didn't have anything.  Then I remembered one of my favorite meals; rice and beans. It is easy, good and way cheap.  I used pinto beans since that's what I had, and spiced them up with paprika, pepper, and a Chiltepin pepper.  This is considered one of the hottest peppers in the World so only one the size of a pea was enough for the whole dish.

Turned out great, and can't believe I almost thought there was nothing to eat when I could make one of the most consumed meals on the planet.  Sometimes we lose sight of how wealthy we really are, and think there is nothing to eat in a pantry filled with food.  Over three billion people (half the earth) live on less than $2.50 a day.  I bet they could find some meals in my pantry.

Ballast Point Smoked Lager

I ran into this Abandon Ship Smoked Lager at Green's in Columbia SC.  I first had some brews from Ballast Point when I was visiting my brother in San Diego a few years ago.  This was a cool brewery that was inside a home brew shop.  They had tastings and growlers, but not really a bar.  Now my growler station in Columbia has picked up a keg which is awesome.  Growlers really are taking over, cans and bottles are going the way of Urban Meyer.

Scotch on the snow

You don't get many chances at this in Greensboro NC, but this weekend provided a rare opportunity.  On the snow is Dewers which is an especially snow worthy Scotch.  Had I known I was drinking this on the eve of Josh McDaniel's final day at the Broncos, believe me I would have had another.

Butternut squash soup

After having some butternut squash soup at Whole Foods last week, I decided to make a little for myself.  This time without the unshaven pretentious college dropouts that inhabit an otherwise good grocery spot.    I mean really, who eats vegan buffalo wings.  My soup was pretty easy and was in no way a political statement. I didn't really have a recipe but here are the basics.  Now I get to eat it in my hotel room for a few days and don't have to go out.   

1 butternut squash peeled and seeded

1 onion

fresh garlic

salt/pepper

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoon thyme

chicken broth

Once cooked and pureed, add some cream, brown sugar and butter

Y Fenni - Red Dragon Cheese

 Bush tax cuts are extended, time to break out the $25/lb cheese. This is a great cheddar cheese with mustard seeds and Welsh ale. I like cheese and beer and when you put them together that works too. I would really like to try this on a grilled ham and cheese some day.

Coffee Cake

I made this Bisquick coffee cake for breakfast this morning. Not everything has to be super hard or time consuming to be good. Some things just require butter and a hot cup of coffee. Both went perfect with the Sunday Morning Show and a snow covered yard.

Cookie day 2010

Yesterday was cookie day 2010, the twenty-first consecutive year my mom and her friends have got together to bake Christmas cookies. While I did not bake anything, as I usually do not, I continued to serve in my all-important role of tester. This year I helped cook a little lunch to keep the bakers well nourished and a maximum production. Here are a few pics of the results, which I've been grazing on every few hours since.

BBQ Pork and shrimp - Pho Viet

Second time to the Vietnamese place for lunch this week. Had the Pho the first time, which was much better than this. Both left me with a mouth of fire from the Sriracha sauce.

Duck Confit at Hunter Gatherer

Enjoyed this duck confit at the Hunter Gatherer in Columbia SC for dinner tonight. Duck was atop a polenta which didn't go to well with my low carb diet, but neither did the Ye Olde Bastarde ale I took down with it. Sometimes you just have to get a good meal and a good beer and shelve the low carb B/S. Finished off the other half of my growler from last night for good measure.

Butternut squash soup

It's finally getting cold in Columbia, so I've been craving some soup all morning. This is a pretty good apple butternut squash soup from Earth Fare. Just glad my organic bowl didn't have a Wikileak in it.