The Hershey House

Of all the exciting things that have transpired this week, I have decided to write about chocolate.  That tantalizing treat made from milk, coco, and sugar that really hits the spot.  It comes in ice cream, cakes, cookies, and even beer.  You can also get it in coffee (my favorite type of designer coffee, which I discovered in New Orleans almost 10 years ago.). When chocolate goes camping it get mashed between two graham crackers and a marshmallow creating the s'more.  Chocolate reigns king over holidays, valentines day (what says love more than roses and chocolates, Easter (the Cadbury egg, and chocolate bunny), Halloween (no explaination needed), Christmas (Martha washingtons, chocolate cake, and my favorite - chocolate covered cherries).

Chocolate is more than just a holiday treat, tonight it was desert, but before it was desert my chocolate was a little house.

Chicken Fried Steak Festival

In the event you did not know this, I grew up in the great state of Texas.  As such I like to keep tabs on what is happening down south, it is like a whole other country.  That is what their tourism board or association advertise anyway.  One event that I recently found sounds very tasty, and I would have loved it in my college days.  Amy will back me up on this, anytime we went to eat I ordered chicken fried steak, unless it was the Olive Garden, because they just did not have it on the menu.  Chicken Fried Streak became my favorite dinner out meal when I was a kid, and it remained that until a few years ago.  It was not a change of taste that changed my thoughts of the chicken fried steak.   It was in fact my increasing knowledge of how healthy a chunk of meat that has been battered up, then deep fried in hot oil or grease to a crispy golden brown.  It becomes even more healthy as you add the cream gravy, mashed potatoes (covered in gravy) and corn on the cob (dipped in butter).  

The town of Lamesa has an annual Chicken-Fried Steak Festival, this year it is being held on April 25-27 at Forrest Park.  Below is a list of the 2014 Events.  I have heard of Greek Festivals, Beer Festivals, Albuquerque has a ballon festival, and Roswell, New Mexico has a UFO Festival.  There are a variety of water mellon festivals,  Jazz Festivals, and the like, but this is the first Chicken-Fried Steak Festival I have ever see.  So if you enjoy a good helping of aartery re-enforcing food, travel on down to Lamesa, home of Barry Corbin for the festival.    

2014 Events

• Chicken-fried steak dinner
• Chicken fry cook-off
• Hot air balloons
• Classic car show
• Vendors
• Pet Contest   
• 5K Military Run   
• Arts and crafts
• Live music
• Much more

Pi Day

In case you missed it, today is Pi day.  A day for all of my math and science loving friends.  Pi is a mathematical constant which represents the ration between the circumference of a circle and it's width, or diameter.  Pi is equal to 3.141596... While computers have defined the constant out to a trillion places, I stop at just 6.  That gives me the precision that I need for my calculations.  Upon hearing that it was Pi day, I inmedentatly thought of Marian (my grandmother) who was a mathematics and geometry teacher.  This was back in the day of overhead projectors.  Not only did she use an overhead projector, but she used sharpies to write on the glass and acetone to clean the glass off.  Then again, the teachers were allowed to smoke in the teachers lounge, and we drove vehicles with leaded gasoline.

This should not surprise anyone, even though u was a bit shocked when I found it on the World Wide Web, there is an orginization that promotes Pi day.  The hyperlink is below if you want to learn more about the celebration of the ration between the circumference and the diameter of a circle.

http://www.piday.org

Here are a couple of circles that I have with me most of the time.  This was taken during the heat of battle as I charged up a hill for my cause, inside of a conference room...

A Morning at the Museum

The Museum is a great place for kids, especially the fine arts museum.  They have lots of things that the kids can touch and climb all over.  Oh, wait, I was taking about the Museum of Art is not like that.  You have to be quite, not touch anything, and there is nothing to climb on.  Even with those obstacles the kids and I went down to the Museum of Art and saw some neat things, and some beautiful art work.  While Mr. C and Ms E may not appreciate the artistic value in all of the recycled material that was hung on the wall as part of Come On Down, by Lisa Hoke, they did enjoy watching the time-lapse video of its installation.  (You to can watch the time-lapse video of this exhibit, from the comfort of your home by clicking on this link.)  It was a very unique work of art, and on Saturday Mornings, there is a group of individuals doing Yoga in the exhibit room, we were not among them.

My favorite exhibit was by far the Dale Chihuly Glass, it is not that I do not like paintings I really do, the exhibit just captured my imagination more than the rest.  The simple elegance of glass, blow and colored into may different shapes and sizes.  The lighting that was used help to accent and compliment the glass work.  Giving the glass work a feel of being alive and full of energy.

They had backpacks that kids could have taken which had paper and crafts to do.  Also, the Museum offers all manner of kid and family art classes on Saturdays.  My kids favorite part was taking pictures of the glass sculptor in the entrance.  I have included a few of their photo's below, not the highest quality, we were using the iPhone.  Enjoy...

I will be going back to the Museum soon, since they have an Ansel Adam's exhibit opening on Friday, I informed the family that I would be going back to look at it, with or without them.  I will probably do both, since the Museum is within walking distance of my office.

America's Test Kitchen

I have always had a bit of a fascination with cooking shows, even back when I was in high school.  Back in the day before entire networks were committed to illustrating the culinary arts.  In those days, enlightening Culinary arts shows were limited to Public Broadcasting (PBS).  As Americans grew into watching more and more specialized channels like ESPN, The Weather Channel, and Music Television, the Food Network and Cooking TV arose.  Brining with them personalities like Paula Deene, Emeriald, Bobby Flay, and Iron Chef.  (In all honesty I would hear people talking about iron chef, and assumed that is was a show about cooking with cast iron.  Little did I know that it was a competition between chefs with wild ingredients.  The original series, shot in Japan used ingredients like eel, peaches, octopus, really interesting dishes.  Just think of the challenge in including eel in your desert).  The channels had good programming that was entertaining, yet informative.  While they did not cook anything like Honey (my mother) or Marian (my grandmother, yes there is a story why we called her by her first name, no time here to discuss it) they showed the possibilities of cooking.  Food combinations, food pairing, what you could do with truffles (and for me and explanation of what truffles are).  

Then like all other networks, they fell prey to the realitaty TV.  Now you can watch a chef with a British accident berate restaurant owners for a variety of issues and problems at thier establishment, without giving much in the way of useful information to the home chef.    There is nothing about the wait staff, or ambiance of my dinning room/kitchen that will change the clientele eating at my house.  No matter how many ways I try to cook zucchini, one of my regulars will have nothing to do with it.  They all like grilled steak, pork chops, and grilled chicken.  This change to "reality" cooking has left foks like me who want to learn while watching moving back to the tried and true PBS.  

A few weeks ago I had written about America's Test Kitchen, and was given a nice new apron with America's Test Kirhen on it.  I made an attempt dressing like the host, however I think the beard throws the look out.  Or perhaps it is only the glasses. So many thanks for the new apron, not only is it from a great show, it is in one of my favorite colors!

I consider myself to have very conservative views when it comes to government spending, size and intrusion in my life.  I fully support government funding, which makes up only part of the current funding, of public broadcasting.  Mr C and Ms E have learned all sorts of things about the world around us by watching Nature, NOVA, NOVA Science Now, and even Seasme Street.  When you move to adult programming, there are very informative and thought provoking shows.  Programming that showcases real Americans and their challenges.  If you want to learn about America and it people, take a peek at American Experience, or POV.  If you are concerned that a little NPR or PBS will transform you, it will not.  Some of the shows will be entertaining Dowington Abbey, others will provoke you to ask questions that may change the way you look at things.  You will leave filling more fulfilled than even watching an episode of Seinfield.

The Hobbit

It is done, finally.  I have read a litatary classic written by J.R.R. Tolkien (or at least the first book of the trilogy).  Normally the books I read are not of the caliber of The Hobbit.  Recent readings have typically been fast paced spy novels, which have normal characters with complex relationships.  The Hobbit was a book that had complex characters, and even more complicated relationships.  

I was challenged, in that, this book was not one I could pick-up for 15 minutes every other evening.  Nor, was I able to pick it up and the pick the book back up a couple of weeks later.  This is not a microwave book, it is much more like a slow cooker book, or even a "I am going to spend all day smoking ribs" book.  

It is really a great read, I found it a little on the dry side unless I have a 1 hour block to read and become total engrossed in the book.  The other change I made was swapping from a paper book to an ebook.  Having the ebook allow me much more flexibility for getting a few pages in here or there, while not optimal, it did get me to the finish line.  There is certainly no shortages of options about ebooks.  I am of the opinion that format is less important when compared to content, imagination, and the expansion of thoughts as ideas while reading.

The 1 Inch Gaurd

I got to do something tonight that I have never done before.  I used the 1 inch Gaurd attachment on my clippers to trim my beard... I was quite surprised that my beard had gotten that long, but when you think about it, I have not done any maintenance since thanksgiving.  

The whole operation made me think of the pictures of the Civil War Generals.  Men like Ambrose Burnside, Nathaniel Bedford Forrest, James Longstreet, Alpheus Williams, J.E.B. Stuart,  or John Dunlap Stevenson.  For the life of my I have yet to figure out Burnside's beard, all he shaved was his chin, the part of my face which I hate and find to be the most challenging.  

The one dissatisfying fact about my beard is the chin is almost entirely white.  

Ash Wednesday

Yesterday I celebrated Ash Wednesday and the beginning of lent with the kids.  We had a kids worship service at the church which was nice.  Of course, we also had the kids practicing to sing in church this coming Sunday, adding to the challenge of herding kids.  

As I prepare for the celebration of Easter I have committed to giving up chips and hot sauce during lent.  This will be much greater than my first few Lents on college.  During those times I gave up chocolate, and watermelon, neither were much of a challenge.  Chips and Hot Sauce I part of my routine diet, and sometimes account for my supper.  (Hey, I am getting vegetables in the hot suave and grain from the chips, what's the big deal?).   So if you see me eating chips an hot sauce between now and Easter, call me on it...

Texas Independence Day

March 2, 1836, Texas declared independance from Mexico.  Written by a committee, while the Alamo was under siege, by Santa Anna and his forces.  Drafted and written by, George C. Childress, Edward Conrad, James Gaines, Bailey Hardeman, and Collin McKinney, it was voted on by the delegates to the general confrence, being held at Washington on the Brazos.  Santa Anna went on to be defeated by the Texas Rebles at San Jacinto, and Texas became a nation.  While not the onky state that was a nation prior to statehood, Texans proclaim this loudly.  

There are fifty states in the union, all with their highlights, colorful history, and pride.  Texas is a land all it's own.  From the Indians and wild buffalo that roamed the panhandle, to the pirate island of Galveston, it's history is rich.  While part of the new fronter when compared to the East Coast and New England, it was explored by Cabeza de Vaca, who was shipwrecked on Galveston Island, 1528; and the big hitters of exploration: Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and Hernando de Soto.  Becoming a state in 1845.  

Kaisers - American Bistro

The kids and I had an in town adventure today, which included a trip to Kaiser's resturant down (or up depending on where you live) in midtown.  The place has been here since 1918, originally started as Kaiser's Ice Creme Parlor on NW 7th and Robinson.  Opened by Swiss born Anthony "Tony" Kiaser who had the concept: feed people and make them happy.

Mr. C ordered a modified BLT, no mayo, so it was a BL sandwhich.  Served on a bagget and looking much more like a hot dog than a sandwhich it recieved "two thumbs up and a smile."  I managed to get part of the bacon and it was very good.  Ella went with the safe bet, Mac and cheese.  This was actually a side dish, as they do not have a "Kids Menu." Ella gave the Mac and cheese "one thumb down, and a smile."  The smile throws off the critique of the meal, and could have been brought on by the chocolate ice cream she was eating.  They both have he ice cream a "taste good," Ella did not like it because t was cold (go figure).  

I had the Reuben Sandwhich which was very good, perhaps not quite a taste explosion in my mouth, but tasty none the less.  

The dinning area was a bit on the small side, I found the music to be a good selection.  It was somewhat entertaining watching the wheels come off the resturant  while eating, the food server was not happy because 1/4 of the dishes he brought out had to go back.  A couple of times he tried to give the guy at the register the "what for" only to be dismissed by a "...man I don't have time for this..."  Also entertaining was watching the cook hit the bell for the server with exasperation, and a metal plate that was back in the kitchen.  Lunch today came to an end when the dishwasher broke and they ran out of dishes during the Saturday afternoon lunch rush.