There were lots of GREAT entries, but this pretty much sums it up. Congrats Katie @ Dishin and Dishes!

I’ll be sending you a copy of Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed A Dream very soon. Just let me know if you would prefer a digital download or a physical CD. You can email me at detzelpretzel[at]gmail.com

I think I’m going to do all my Christmas shopping on Amazon this year.

I can’t figure out what to call this. If you can name it something I really like, I’ll give you a copy of this:

As we approach this Holiday of Thanksgiving, it’s a good time to remind ourselves of the things we are truly thankful for. Family, friends, health, new beginnings, and much more. These are the things that should be springing towards the forefront of your mind when you think of what really matters in life.

But what about the strange things? For instance, I’m extremely thankful for cigars. Now, before some of you get all “What Would Jesus Do” on me…knock it off. It’s very annoying when you say that.

I’m thankful for the last couple of years that I’ve really began to KNOW about cigars.

I’m thankful for a new challenge in figuring out what makes a good cigar.

I’m thankful for the hunt that comes with finding different types of cigars from all over the place.

I’m thankful for friends and readers who share this hobby (a reader actually sent me 20 cigars once!)

I’m thankful for a new collection to replace my Hot Wheels, Yo-Yos, and Comic Books.

I’m thankful for the times I can sit down with friends for a smoke and a great conversation.

I’m thankful for a Cigar’s ability to slow down my fast-paced life so that I can sit and think.

I’m thankful for the prayer and study times I’ve been given as a cigar burns slowly.

It may sound strange, but cigars have a spiritually-helpful presence in my life.

What is something that you’re thankful for that might seem a little strange?

]]> http://www.thisisreverb.com/2009/11/thankful-for-strange-things.html/feed http://www.thisisreverb.com/2009/11/thankful-for-strange-things.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThisIsReverb/~3/BUiaW29mApA/going-rogue.html http://www.thisisreverb.com/2009/11/going-rogue.html#comments Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:17:44 +0000 reverb http://www.thisisreverb.com/?p=4670 rogue |rōg|

noun
1 a dishonest or unprincipled man : you are a rogue and an embezzler.
• a person whose behavior one disapproves of but who is nonetheless likable or attractive (often used as a playful term of reproof) : Cenzo, you old rogue!
2 [usu. as adj. ] an elephant or other large wild animal driven away or living apart from the herd and having savage or destructive tendencies : a rogue elephant.

• a person or thing that behaves in an aberrant, faulty, or unpredictable way

No, I’m not talking about Sarah Palin’s new book. I’m talking about not being afraid to do something different than it’s traditionally been done. Going rogue is typically thought of as a bad thing…but it doesn’t have to be.

Take this poem, The Calf Path by Sam Walter Foss, for example:

One day, through the primeval wood,
A calf walked home, as good calves should;
But made a trail all bent askew,
A crooked trail, as all calves do.

Since then three hundred years have fled,
And, I infer, the calf is dead.
But still he left behind his trail,
And thereby hangs my moral tale.

The trail was taken up next day
By a lone dog that passed that way;
And then a wise bellwether sheep
Pursued the trail o’er vale and steep,
And drew the flock behind him, too,
As good bellwethers always do.

And from that day, o’er hill and glade,
Through those old woods a path was made,
And many men wound in and out,
And dodged and turned and bent about,
And uttered words of righteous wrath
Because ’twas such a crooked path;
But still they followed — do not laugh —
The first migrations of that calf,
And through this winding wood-way stalked
Because he wobbled when he walked.

This forest path became a lane,
That bent, and turned, and turned again.
This crooked lane became a road,
Where many a poor horse with his load
Toiled on beneath the burning sun,
And traveled some three miles in one.
And thus a century and a half
They trod the footsteps of that calf.

The years passed on in swiftness fleet.
The road became a village street,
And this, before men were aware,
A city’s crowded thoroughfare,
And soon the central street was this
Of a renowned metropolis;
And men two centuries and a half
Trod in the footsteps of that calf.

Each day a hundred thousand rout
Followed that zigzag calf about,
And o’er his crooked journey went
The traffic of a continent.
A hundred thousand men were led
By one calf near three centuries dead.
They follow still his crooked way,
And lose one hundred years a day,
For thus such reverence is lent
To well-established precedent.

A moral lesson this might teach
Were I ordained and called to preach;
For men are prone to go it blind
Along the calf-paths of the mind,
And work away from sun to sun
To do what other men have done.
They follow in the beaten track,
And out and in, and forth and back,
And still their devious course pursue,
To keep the path that others do.

They keep the path a sacred groove,
Along which all their lives they move;
But how the wise old wood-gods laugh,
Who saw the first primeval calf!
Ah, many things this tale might teach —
But I am not ordained to preach.

Or take these Turkey legs for example:

Tradition would have none of it. Tradition would say that you’ve got to bake a 30lb yard bird at 700 degrees for 9 hours, or just long enough to create a Turkey-shaped sawdust formation that no one really wants to eat except as a vehicle for Grandma’s homemade gravy.

Maybe you’re good at roasting a Turkey. Few are, and to those who are successful - I applaud you.

Some of you suck at roasting whole Turkeys. You just stink at it. It’s time to admit it and veer off the calf path into the land of deliciousness. Roast Turkey Legs instead.

* Rub them down with herbs, spices, and olive oil
* Sear them on all sides for a minute or two to create a nice crust
* Fill roasting pan with a few cups of Chicken stock, a couple of sticks of Butter, and herbs/spices
* Roast Turkey Legs in the oven @ 350 degrees for 1 and a half to 2 hours
* Experience Turkey Bliss…Viking-Style

Almost everyone wants the legs anyways, but for the white meat snobs you can add in a few Turkey breasts. Separate legs and breasts are available at almost all grocery stores this time of year.

Stop bowing down to tradition. It’s harmful to your creative health.

-> I’m planning on growing my beard until 2010. We’ll see what it looks like when I get there.

William Elliot Whitmore rocks my socks. His album, Animals In The Dark, has been on repeat for weeks.

Ava has the turbo flu with a temperature up into the 104 degree range. Thankfully, she’s not throwing up. I have to admit though, as bad as having sick kids is, there’s something very special about being able to comfort them and pay extra attention.

Finn is about to be 4 months old. He’s rolling from his belly to his back and his back to his belly…like a madman. He just switched over from breast milk to formula a couple days ago. He’s loving the bottles almost as much as he loves the booboos. He’s already wearing 9 month-sized clothes and I’ve got a feeling he’s going to be a bit taller than my towering 5 feet 9 inches.

Allison and I are getting ready to try out P90X…God help us.

Here’s a photo of Allison and I last weekend at a reverse raffle / fundraiser deal.

Allison was so excited because she won a wallet with $100 cash in it from a silent auction. She was going to buy some new clothes with the money, but then she gave it away to someone the next day instead. God spoke to her and encouraged her to give away the money to someone who really needed it…and she did. That’s my girl.

This is my friend Jon. He turned 40 the other day. He’s one of the finest human beings I’ve ever known.

-> The Kingdom of God is all about looking for the things God is already doing, and joining Him.

-> Eggs Benedict has been calling my name for a month and I’ve not eaten it. I will fix this soon.

-> If you volunteer in some way, shape, or form - and yet you don’t have joy in your volunteering - you need to stop volunteering in that particular area.

-> I am very pleased that Chef Jose Garces beat out Chef Jahangir Mehta in The Next Iron Chef last night. Chef Mehta appears to be a sinister little man.

-> Anything you forget to feed will die. Feed the important things if you want to keep them alive.

See this?

You have to get one. Don’t have an extra $250 laying around for a Le Creuset? Yeah. Me neither. That’s why I bought —> This one. I got it at Sam’s Club right as they were closing them out last year for about $30. It’s of great quality and it’s about 1/8 of the price. Gitcha one.

See this?

It’s an Immersion Blender aka Stick Blender aka Smart Stick aka Boat Motor. A ridiculously cool kitchen gadget is what it really is. I’m going to be using one for my sauce today. Gitcha one.

See these spices?

Click da pic.

Click da pic.

I’m going to be using them for the forthcoming food and I’d highly recommend purchasing them from www.thespicehouse.com — I really should be making some money for how much I’ve been pushing this company lately.

Dear Spice House,
If you’re reading this. Please give me some free stuff.
With Love,
Ryan Detzel

Moving right along to…

Creole Spinach Pasta!

You’ll need:

Olive Oil
1 Large Shallot
6 Cloves Garlic
Small Bag of Spinach
Handful of Fresh Tarragon
2 Cups Chicken Stock or Broth
1 Cup Cream
Creole Seasoning
Parmesan Cheese
Pasta of Choice

First, add a few tablespoons of Olive Oil to your pan over medium heat…

We’ll get things going with a Large Shallot and 6 Cloves of Garlic chopped…

Oh…hold on a second. Allison is swinging Finn around and he’s laughing…

Now add a small bag of Spinach leaves to the pot…

Keep cooking over medium heat until the spinach gets nice and wilted…

To that, I’m adding a nice handful of fresh Tarragon…

And then 2 cups of Chicken Stock or Broth…

1 Cup of Cream…you can use half and half if you prefer…

And let that all simmer together for a few minutes…

1-2 Tablespoons of Creole Seasoning can be added to the sauce…

1 Cup of grated Parmesan would do well here…

And now it’s time to buzz it all together!

This will finely mince up all of those Spinach Leaves and Tarragon stems into a nice, creamy sauce…

Let the sauce simmer until you can add your cooked pasta of choice…I’m using Fettuccine…

And there you have a new creation, Creole Spinach Pasta. This smells dangerously tasty.

Next up is a delicious and delicate, farm-raised Turbot. It’s good to eat and it’s a sustainable fish…

Seasoned liberally on both sides…go big or go home right? I’m using Back of the Yards seasoning…

Here, I’m implementing a “bronzing” technique as described in this post. Sear the Fish on one side for about 2 minutes and then pop it into a 375 degree oven for about 6 minutes without turning the fish over. I cut my Turbot in half to fit in the pan properly.

While that Turbot is in the oven, I might as well use something to pick up that extra seasoning from the plate…how about Scallops?

Crusting the top and bottom…

Hot pan with just a small bit of oil…

Sear on each side for about 90 seconds…

And that’s it! Let them rest for a couple of minutes and they’ll be perfect.

Time for the fish to come out of the oven…

Flip that fish over to reveal the beauty…

Dinnertime!

As for the picky eaters? They loved it.

This post is forever long and I’m sure I’ve missed stuff…feel free to ask questions if something is unclear! Other than that…Bon Appetite!

Holy stink, these things are addictive. Super easy too.

All you need is a non-stick pan on medium heat and a slice of Provolone Cheese. Drop the slice of cheese into a dry pan and you’ll begin to see bubbles soon.

The bubbles will get smaller as the fat renders out of the cheese…

You’ll be ready to flip the cheese over once the edges begin to get nice and brown. This takes about 2 minutes over medium heat…

My oh my…this is shaping up to be something beautiful already…

Another minute or two on that side and you’ll be ready to eat your delicious Provolone Crisp.

But wait…

You can do so much more with it…

What about…

An upside down pizza?

Add some Pepperoni, a favorite pizza sauce, and some herbs…

Kids will think they’re awesome. Wait, so will adults. I think I ate 4 of them in a row.

Want something creative and scrumdiddlyumptious for a party?

Get a Provolone Crisp going in the pan…

And then while it’s still warm and pliable, form it into a cup, bowl, ramekin, or whatever else you can find and let it sit there for a minute to harden up…

Take out your newly acquired Provolone Cheese Crisp Cup and let your imagination run wild…

You could fill this thing with a little bit of Caesar Salad, or maybe a Meatball, or perhaps a Guacamole!

Try this method with a small pile of grated Parmesan too…see what you can come up with, it’ll be fun.

Oh…and don’t worry, I’ll have another Food Week post up later on today.

Something a little more tricky is being able to find it in bulk. I got mine in Cincinnati at Jungle Jim’s.

Couscous is already a pretty cheap item, as most ethnic staple foods are, but if you can find it in bulk you’ll really save some money inserting this stuff into your meal rotations. Not only is it inexpensive, it’s a perfect comfort food. Couscous is highly popular in Morocco and Libya, as well as many other countries for it’s unsurpassed SOPABILITY. Okay, I just made that word up.

But Couscous IS PERFECT for sopping up all things saucy. It’s easy to make it great, but it’s also easy to make it gummy or gritty. Here’s the method of how to make it perfect…by my standards anyway.

Let’s make some perfect Couscous.

We’ll begin by pouring a cup of dry Couscous into a casserole dish.

The reason we’re putting the Couscous into a casserole dish is because we can achieve more surface area that way. This means that while the Couscous is cooking, it won’t get squished down by the weight of more and more Couscous on top of it. Do you know what I mean, Vern?

Couscous by itself isn’t very exciting, but it plays well with others. Numerous spice combinations and seasonings work well with it. Today, I’m making enough for 4 people and I’m giving it a little bit of an Eastern flavor. You can try whatever you wish though. Mine goes as follows:

1 Cup of Couscous
1 Cup of Water - Brought to a Boil
2 Tablespoons of Butter
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Curry
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

Add all the ingredients to the Couscous while you bring the water to a boil. Since we’re using 1 cup of Couscous…we’ll need 1 cup of water. It’s a 1 to 1 ratio. Once boiling, pour water over the goods.

Give it all a quick stir and then cover it with plastic wrap for 5 minutes. Seal those edges!

After the 5 minutes under the plastic wrap, take a fork and gently drag it back and fourth like a caring little Couscous farmer to fluff your Couscous into a nice, airy texture.

Mmm…fluffy.

Perfectly cooked Couscous is a perfect side-item.

Feel free to top your Couscous with any sauces, stews, or anything else you can think of. I really like to top my Couscous with a big, juicy Ribeye…score!!

America is obsessed with Bacon, and I say for good reason. It’s worth getting excited over. Unless you’re my friend Kelly…she doesn’t like Bacon. Something might be wrong with her. Hopefully her baby will love Bacon once it arrives.

#1 — How should you store it?

In the freezer. Bacon is one of those items that just does well in the freezer. It will last close to a year in the freezer and it thaws quickly. Especially if you portion out specific amounts that you’ll be using. I like to freeze Bacon in Ziplock freezer bags. 6-8 slices is usually good for us, so that’s how I freeze it.

#2 — How should you cook it?

Hands down, the best way to cook Bacon is in the oven. I’m sorry you die-hard Cast Iron fans. I’ve played that game for a long time and all you end up doing is squeezing too much Bacon into your pan. It takes way too long to cook a good amount of these smokey wonder-strips.

Line a sheet pan with Aluminum Foil if you’re looking for quick clean-up, and lay your Bacon out real professional-like. Slide this into an oven and crank it to 375 degrees. It’s actually best if you DO NOT PREHEAT the oven. Starting with a cold oven in this case will help you to render the fat properly and avoid grease popping/splattering.

Cooking Bacon in the oven will give you the ability to get up to 2lbs of bacon cooked all at once! This is a necessity if you’re serving Bacon to a large group or if you’ve got pork-substance-abuse problems.

15-20 minutes in the oven and you’re Bacon will be phenomenal.

#3 — How should you eat it?

The possibilities are endless!! Get creative and stop using it the same old way. Think, think, think.

How about a Balsamic Bacon Vinaigrette for a salad?

You’ll need:
1 Teaspoon of Honey
1 Tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
Fresh Cracked Pepper
2 Strips of cooked Bacon (broken into little bits)

Whisk these ingredients together and let this dressing sit for about 10 or 20 minutes to allow all that Bacon-y flavor to infuse itself into your salad dressing. Mmm…salty sweet.

Mixed Greens, Parmesan Cheese, Fresh Raspberries, and Balsamic Bacon Vinaigrette. It works!

I’ve been itching to do a “Food Week” series on my blog and what better week than now? This week will be made up of random, food-related posts that might interest you in some way or another. I’d also like to open up the floor today for food questions or topics that you would like discussed.

Today we’re discussing a few ways you can be fancy-schmancy without going broke in the process.

#1 — Use Green Onions, over and over.

I find it hilarious how much I used to hate using Green Onions, which are also know as Scallions, and how much I love them now. Their flavor adds a freshness, crunch, and a nice brightness in color to most anything. But here’s the cool thing:

You can chop your Green Onions all the way down to the white bulbs and use everything, or you can leave a little bit there and they will re-grow in a few days.

Chopped:

4 days later:

Isn’t that cool? Now Green Onions aren’t really expensive, but over time they can be. Especially if you’re trying to store them in the fridge or on the countertop where they’ll wither within a few days.

All you’ve got to do is pop those Green Onions into a container of water and they’ll keep growing…quickly! Not all the shoots will regrow, but most will.

The roots will keep growing too, so make sure that you trim them every few days or they’ll become a tangled mess.

#2 — High-Quality Vinegars made at home.

Do you like using high-quality vinegar for salad dressings and such?

I know I do, but these things can be really expensive! The funny thing is, they couldn’t be easier to make at home. You just need some patience.

All you need to make your own amazing vinegar at home is…wine. You know how you end up with that extra little bit of wine at the end of a dinner or party and it ends up going to waste most times? Just use that and dump it into a mason jar.

If you pour some leftover wine (and sure you can just use new wine if you don’t have leftover) into a mason jar, leave the lid a little bit loose so that air and gasses can exchange. Put it into your spice cabinet for a couple of months and voila! You’ve got vinegar. You’ll know when it smells like vinegar. Just give it a swirl around every couple of weeks to mix things up.

And here’s the really cool thing; once you’ve created this vinegar at home, just add more wine to it BEFORE the vinegar is all gone and you’ll have more vinegar in about a week.
This is due to a “Mother of Vinegar” being created and thus blah, blah, blah…

It works! It’s also cool to say you’ve made your own vinegar.

#3 — Gourmet Vanilla Sugar

Have you seen that stuff in the store?

It’s ridiculously pricey. But it doesn’t have to be. All you need is a good quality sugar:

And a Vanilla Bean…I get mine from www.thespicehouse.com for about $2 a piece. This is for some of the highest quality beans on the planet! Super strong.

All you’ve got to do is add one or two of those Vanilla Beans to a container of the sugar (it will really start to taste Vanilla-y after a couple of weeks) and you’ll have an epicurean treat on the cheap. The essence of Vanilla will permeate all of the sugar eventually. This Vanilla Sugar is great for a dessert garnish, coffee, or anything else you want a little nicer touch added to something.

That’s it for today, but stay tuned this week for more food-related posts of all kinds. Remember, if you want to see something particular discussed here…I’ll try my best to tackle it. If I don’t know anything about what you’re asking, I’ll just make something up!

Or sometimes, hardly working for your money.

I’ve had a decent number of jobs. I’ve been working regularly since I was around 12 or 13 years old. I like to go after things hard. Growing up, we didn’t have much money. Lots of people say that, and I realize that we weren’t poor compared to other countries standards, but we were pretty poor for United States standards. I made a decision early on that I was going to do whatever it took to not be poor. It’s led me into some really good places and also into some not so good places.

I thought it might be interesting to list the jobs I’ve had in my short life and also see what jobs some of you readers have had.

Here’s my list of things I’ve done to make a living:

- When I was 6, I created a few snack boxes that went into mechanic shops. I totally lost money.

- Worked with my dad for H. Dennert Distributing (Miller Beer) doing special events work. Ran beer kegs back and fourth, and worked on beer equipment during events like The Taste of Cincinnati, Oktoberfest, etc.. (12 -17 years old)

- Sports Service - Helped out as a porter at Riverfront Stadium (13 yrs old)

- Vinoklet Winery - picked grapes when I was 14, $.50 per 5 gallon bucket filled. I remember one day when my friend Eric and I worked for about 10 or 12 hours and only made about $20.

- Vinoklet Winery - worked at the restaurant part of the winery a server/buser/dishwasher/food prep when I was 15.

- Ritz Camera (16 yrs old) - Worked close to 40 hours a week developing photos and selling cameras.

- Shot photos of people at the zoo and then tried to sell them those stupid see-through plastic key chains deals with the picture inside. We developed the film in a secret room behind the bathroom.

- Gadzooks Clothing store - Added this to my Ritz Camera job during the summer (2 jobs at 16 yrs old)

- Journey Shoe store for a few months leading up to Christmas (17 yrs old)

- Pete’s Photoworld - Employee, Assistant Manager, Store Manager across 4 different locations - Selling Cameras, managing employees, etc.. (18-21 yrs old)

- Taught photography classes after work to groups of 10-20 people.

- Shot wedding photography on the side for several years.

- Went to work for Wet Pets installing custom aquarium systems (long story) and working on large saltwater systems in businesses and homes. Drove a service truck most of the day. (21-23 yrs old)

- Hired on as a full time pastor with Vineyard Westside Church at 24 years old and I’ve been doing that for the last few years.

- Helped start up a Hobby Store with my friends and worked part time during busy seasons.

I KNOW I’M FORGETTING THINGS!!

I’ve made money selling pogs, candy, and baseball cards when I was in school.
I’ve been paid for cooking, catering, photography, officiating weddings, landscaping, designing things, etc…you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do right?

When I look back on everything I’ve done in paying positions, I have to say that being a pastor is by far the most difficult thing ever. It actually seems to be getting harder…but the non-monetary rewards are getting much, much greater.

I’m interested to hear what some of your jobs have been along the journey…

Care to share?