Saturday, November 18, 2017

Ipswich Chowder Festival in Ipswich MA

I went to the Ipswich Chowder Festival in Ipswich MA. It is near the Ebsco building (which has some nice art on some of the walls of the building). 

It is in a nice little town of Ipswich MA. It is a quaint little town. It is a nice place to explore. 


Here is the photo of the main tent that had the different restaurants giving samples of their chowders. I tasted everyone of them. Most were good. There was a couple that I did not really consider to be chowders but they were also good. One chose which one that you liked best and voted for that one. 

I did not think I would be full when I tried the samples. There were many places giving samples. It is easy to fill up on them. 

I liked the variety of styles. There was a variety of flavors. It was fun trying them all. 

Below are photos of each of the 'stations' that gave out samples of their chowder. One can barely see the name of the company / restaurant that made the chowder. Perhaps one could enlarge each to read the name. 











There were other tents / parts of the festival. One crossed the bridge and there were crafts and such in a small park. There was a historic house that had an art gallery show. There were a couple of classic cars at a garage (seemed sad few saw the cars, probably more interested in the chowder than anything else). There was a martial arts demonstration too. There was food for those not really interested in chowders. 





Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Steak Tips and Sweet Potato Fries at Starboard Galley in Newburyport MA

I had supper at the Starboard Galley in Newburyport MA. It is a nice place that has a view of the Merrimack River. There is seating on the inside and the outside (weather permitting). There is parking in the back of the restaurant. There is a sign that directs you to the parking area. The parking area has a nice view of boats (when in summer), and of the Merrimack River.

Here is the plate of bacon wrapped scallops, steak tips, and sweet potato fries. It was really good. I think it was just the right portion without it giving a feeling of being stuffed.

The bacon was not overdone. There are some who like it crispy. At times so do I but this was cooked so it wasn't too crispy or work against the flavor of the scallops. It is a great combo.

The steak tips were cooked just right. One has a steak knife to cut it with but the tips weren't so big that one would have to use the knife to cut them with. I did anyway.

The sweet potato fries were very well done. Once one east sweet potato fries, one would be reluctant to go back to regular fries. In stead of ketchup or mayonnaise (I prefer mayonnaise instead of ketchup), they had honey mustard sauce to dip the fries into. I think it was better than ketchup or even mayonnaise.  




This is what one sees from the road. It does not look like it would have any parking but the parking is in back. It does not look like it would have a lot of space inside but it is very roomy. One passes through the bar to the dining area. 














Seafood Lasagna at Century House in Peabody MA

I went with a friend to the Century House in Peabody MA. It is a nice place. It felt warm and comfortable. The staff was friendly and courteous. 

It was crowded when I was there. There is a lot of parking but it was not easy to get a parking space since it was almost filled to capacity. I dropped the person off at the door and found a spot farther away from the entrance. 

I like decor of the restaurant. It was very nice. It was very comfortable. The decor was not in excess in any way (at least the part of it that I saw). Next time I go there, I hope I can see a different part of the restaurant. 

It did not take long to get seated or get our menu's. Even though there was a crowd, seating was still available (or at least our timing was good - there was two of us).

Here is the seafood lasagna that I had. For some reason it only covers half the plate. It does not seem like a lot of food but it was enough for lunch. 

It was really delicious. The seafood did not overwhelm the dish. The lasagna was cooked just right. There was a lot of sauce but it did not overwhelm it. It did not have any fishy taste to it all. I would definitely consider getting it again the next time I am there. 

I did not photograph it but I also had a salad. The lettuce was crisp. The salad dressing was good. It was something that one would enjoy before a meal but won't fill you up to the point where one could not eat the main entree. 













Wilbur's Down East French Toast and Orange Pineapple Muffin

I sometimes like to go to Wilbur's. It is near my doctors office. If I have to fast to get some blood work done, I go there to eat breakfast. I like the variety of specials that they have on their menu board. One could order from their menu. 
It is a small place. The entrance is just to the right of this photo.


Here is the down east French toast that I had. It had bacon on top of it. There was syrup to put on it but it tasted too good to put the syrup on it. It came with a small cup of butter. I used it on the toast. It was really delicious. It seems they used 'Texas toast' which is thick bread. It seemed to have a filling that I could not recognize but really enjoyed. 

Here is the orange pineapple muffin. It was toasted. I think it made it even better. It came with a small cup of butter. I put it on and it melted into the muffin. 

The dining area has a lot of tables to chose from. It is not a huge place but it does have that down home feel to it. It is not smug or arrogant. 

The staff are friendly. Every time I have been there, they have treated me well. 










Eggnog Ice Cream at Harbor Creamer in Newburyport MA

There is an ice cream store that has not been opened for very long. It is the Harbor Creamery. It is located on Pleasant Street in Newburyport MA. I read that they make the ice cream in small batches. The quality of the ice cream reflects this since - the ones that I have tried so far - are very good. 

They have a reward card that one gets stamped each time one makes a purchase there. After the card has its squares all stamped, one can get an ice cream for free. I completed my card and this purchase was free. 

They have seating inside and a couple of benches outside. It is not a huge place and they don't have a lot of seats but they are comfortable. 

The ice cream I bought was the eggnog flavored one. I tried it before buying it. They have small spoons that one can get a taste of the ice cream so one isn't wasting ones money buying ice cream one might not like. 

I think the price is very reasonable for ice cream of this quality.  


Here is the eggnog ice cream with whipped topping. It is the small cup but one still gets a lot of ice cream. One cannot really see the ice cream because of the whipped topping.

Here is the eggnog ice cream with part of it eaten away. It was delicious. One could taste the eggnog. One can see the ice cream.

Even though it is cold out, I still like to get ice cream. It is my reward for exercising. I think eating something cold triggers the body to produce more heat; which keeps me warmer during the cold. At least this is my reasoning for having some during the colder months. 





my web site but it needs a lot of work.

my store that has things with my art on them.
I need better photos of my art. 







Monday, October 23, 2017

My Egg Concoction of 10-19-2017

I like trying different combinations of things. I use different food items that I find in the kitchen or in the food larder. Sometimes it is good and other times it is interesting. This is one of those times it was good.


I started with two eggs. I put them in the bowl and whipped them up. I used a fork. I think it works better than a spoon (just my opinion).

I like adding flax seed meal and bran meal to my pancake mix. I was told it makes it healthier. I don't think it impacts the taste, at least not in a negative way. I do not use a lot of either. I get them in small bags from the grocery store. 

I added some corn meal. I bought it at a grist mill in Plymouth MA. It is a historical mill. I bought a small bag of it. Adding it gave the omelet more of a pancake look to it. 

I added a few dashes / small spoonfuls of sweet relish. I thought it would be neat to make an omelet with it. It added some nice taste to it. It was a small jar of it and I wanted to use it before it went bad (actually it was past its expiration date but still very good (at least it smelled good before adding it). 

I went a little weird and added a little bit of mayonnaise to it. I think it made it a little creamy. I think it was a store brand mayonnaise. It wasn't bad and did not have a negative impact on the flavor of the concoction. 

I added some milk to it. It was not much. It was skim milk. It is a gallon container of it. 

I cooked it on a grill on the stove top. I used a square skillet with a non-stick surface. I cooked three of them. I put shredded Parmesan cheese between the layers. It looked more like pancakes than an omelet. It smelled like quiche. 

I also grilled two hash brown patties. I put two slices of cheese on it just before removing it from the grill. It melted the cheese. I ate it with some ketchup. It was pretty good. I got the hash browns from the grocery store. They were in the frozen food section. I kept them frozen till I grilled them. 

It was a nice breakfast. I don't know what to call it besides yummy. My tastes are different from others. What I might consider good tasting might not be so with someone else. 

I had tried something like this but using a waffle maker. I forgot to spray it before putting the mix in. It did not come out so well. It stuck to the waffle cooker. It was not a pretty site but it wasn't bad tasting, just odd looking. I did not photograph it. It was the merciful thing to do. 









I like Goofy but I think I am more the size of Pete; Goofy's friend
(in Goof Troop).

my art on things for sale in my Cafe Press store.

My Egg Concoction of 10-23-2017

I like to try different things. I mix things together in the kitchen. I either cook them in the microwave or on the stove top in a pan. This is one of those creations. I call it my egg concoction. I do not have a better name for it, yet (still working on it.



I like the canned meat called Spam. It is not the unwanted e-mail one gets and complains about. I used the regular Spam in the concoction above. I used four slices(about half a can) and cut them into little pieces. I like it and am trying the different varieties that they sell. 

I had made some baked chicken (actually my sister in law Sheila Mullins made it and I helped a little). The recipe called for Parmesan cheese. She used a shredder to shred the whole block of cheese. There was some left over and I used it in the concoction above.  

I was told that adding flax seed meal and bran meal to my pancakes makes them healthier. I have been doing that. I also used them in this concoction. I usually get the flax seed meal and bran meal at the grocery store in small bags. Since I only add a little bit each time I use them, they last a while (many pancakes or concoctions). 

I added some corn meal. I bought some corn meal from a grist mill in Plymouth MA. It is a replica mill. It is made to look like the one that was at that location many years earlier. It is at that location since there is a stream and man made dam / lake that powers the mill. The grind different grains during the weekend. They have a store that has that plus other things that they sell. 

I used two eggs. I used the whole eggs, not separated. I beat them so they were blended. I get my eggs from the local grocery store. In this case, it is Market Basket. I got the inexpensive eggs; store brand. 

I added a small amount of milk. Like the eggs, it was store brand. It was skim milk instead of whole milk. I use the milk for other things. It was a gallon size container but it gets used quickly, somewhat. 

I like to make things in the microwave. It usually because the oven I had before was broken and baking in a toaster oven was not easy. Now that I have an oven, I was not sure how to use it. Now that I do, I will be baking more often. I also figured out how to use the timer. 

I figured out how to use the microwave to make an omelet. It is usually a hit or miss type of thing. This time it was more hit than miss. I put the concoction in the microwave. I had set the time for 5 minutes and 30 seconds. I set the power at 70 percent. It came out pretty good. I think it helped that the concoction was well mixed. 







my web site - still being worked on
(sort of lazy on my part).



I have my art printed on things. Cafe Press makes them and I get a little bit of money.
The photos are okay but need better ones.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Margaritaville Volcano Shrimp

I saw this in the grocery store and wanted to try it. I like spicy hot food; aka, food that bites back. It is the Margaritaville volcano shrimp. I have visited their web site and they seem to have a nice variety of items. I will look for them in the stores that sell groceries. 

I like to shop. I like to shop at grocery stores. It is unusual since I am a guy and people don't normally associate shopping with guys. I have known some girls who don't care for shopping. I guess there are exceptions for both. I am not one for stereotypes. 
 It is in a bag inside the box. One just opens the box then the bag. It is all one has to do. It is already prepared for you. 

Here it is arranged in the pan as per the instructions on the box. It was easy to bake (which - per some - healthier than frying). One preheats the oven and place the pan in the then bake it for a certain amount of time (one can tell by my description that I am a single guy who doesn't normally do baking / cooking but I am expanding my abilities (and unfortunately my 'horizons'). 

The shrimp was coated nicely. They had a nice crunch to them. It has a nice bite to them but not excessive (while I don't mind 'excessive', some would which is why I mentioned it). I think this would make for a nice appetizer for one or two people. 

I like the coat the pan with a cooking spray. It makes it easier to remove the cooked item from the pan and makes it easier to clean. I used a non-stick surface pan. That helped too. 

I
After it was finished baking and cooling (didn't want to burn myself by eating it when it was too hot). It was really good. It had some nice bite to it. 

One can see the Minion table mat. It is below the bowl. It was produced by my sister. There is also a colorful table mat that one can see above the bowl. She made that too. She is into quilting (something I want to do too - eventually). 

It might be a New England thing but it is not easy to find food in the northeast that has any real bite to it. It would indicate it is spicy hot on the menu but not really spicy hot but just spicy flavorable. Although good tasting is great but not when one is expecting some bite to it. 

My sister in law and now me think that food can be spicy but not in the heat area. There are lots of spices that one can use / bake with / cook with that does not have any bite to it all yet people equate spicy with the heat. Food can be spicy flavorable but not spicy hot (not talking about the heat when something is just out of the oven or off the grill but the bite of some ingredients). It is a pet peeve of my sister and I think it is becoming mine too. 








Cookie Dough Ice Cream at Harbor Creamer in Newburyport MA


There is a small ice cream place in Newburyport MA called Harbor Creamery. There is some seating in the inside and some on the outside. It is a nice cozy place with a variety of flavors to chose from and some nice topping choices. The staff are friendly. The prices are competitive. I was told that they make their ice cream on the premises and in small batches. One can taste the quality. 

I ordered the single scoop with the whipped topping. The whipped topping was only 50 cents more. 

I ate some of the whipped topping to reveal the cookie dough ice cream underneath it. I found it to be quite tasty. 

I am trying different flavors that they have. They have a nice range of flavors. I have tried a handful so far. Each one has been good and tasty. They also have different size cups and cones. If one just wanted to taste it to see if one likes it, they will give a small spoon of it to you to try without costing you anything. I think this is good since one won't have to buy an ice cream flavor only to find you don't like it. 

As a diabetic, I 'earn' (by doing a lot of walking - usually to and from the stores) my one scoop of ice cream. It is my motivation to get out and walk. I learned this in my diabetic education class (anyone who is a diabetic should take a diabetic education course - it is really helpful).





Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Barber Foods Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I found this at the grocer store. It is broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breasts by Barber Foods. It was in a freezer section of the grocery store. Unlike - it seems - most guys, I don't mind shopping. I am amazed what one can find if one just looks around. 


Here is the box with the broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breasts. The box wasn't too big for what was inside. The items fit snugly within the box. It was easy to open the box and remove the frozen items from the bags. 

One has to be careful opening boxes like above. Once I cut my finger trying to get the box open. It was a minor cut but I learned a major lesson. One needs to be careful when opening these types of boxes. 


Here they are about to be placed in the oven. As per the instructions, they are not only out of the box but also out of the bags they came in. It is hard to tell the size of each one but they are not really big. Perhaps each one is a portion size.

I like to spray the pan with a cooking spray. I like using Pam but also like using the store brand. It seems both work quite well and are easy to use. 


Here it is sliced open after they were take out of the oven (after resting for a minute or two). One can see the broccoli and cheese. It was stuffed with a good amount. It was easy to cut open. It was tender. It was not dry but it wasn't too moist either. It was in between. It was delicious. The broccoli was cooked just right; not too long or too little. The cheese was not overwhelming the chicken or the broccoli. 

The portion size was good. For me, both breasts would be one portion. For other people, a single stuffed breast would be one portion; they might have eaten other things with it. 

Since I have learned how to use the oven, I am into baking more. I was using the range for making things and not it has expanded into using the oven. It was easier than I thought it would be. It is electric so I don't have to worry about fumes (something I worried about in the place I had / lived in before; it had a gas stove but no vents for the exhaust. 




home site of Big Guy Eating
I am more than a big guy who eats



my Cafe Press art store
where images of my art is printed on items for sale

Barber Foods Scallop and Lobster Stuffed Chicken Brreasts

I was at the grocery store and discovered this. It is by Barber Foods. Not all their products were at the grocery store. This is the first time I came across this version. It is scallop and lobster stuffed chicken breasts. Their web site has a bigger selection than I have found at any one grocery store. To try them all, one would either have the grocery store order for you or order it directly from their site. 

The grocery store is one I go to on a regular basis. It usually has lower prices than other grocery stores or stores that sell food. Each area has some low cost food stores. In my area, it is Market Basket. Other areas might not have heard of Market Basket and I might not have heard of other area's low cost grocery store. Fortunately most similar items.  

Here is the box that it came in. It has the simple instructions on the back (or is it the side?). One just takes it out of the box and out of the bags. One preheats the oven to a certain temperature. One sets the timer for a certain time. One lets it sit for a couple of minutes and it is done.

Here it is just out of the oven. One places the stuffed chicken about 2 inches apart. I like to spray the pan with a cooking spray to make it easier to remove from the pan. It was really easy to lift it out and put on a plate. Each chicken does not seem very big. Perhaps it is assumed that each one is a portion size? With me (not exactly a little guy), two would be a portion size. 


Here they are on a plate. They are sliced open. One can see how they are stuffed with scallops and lobster. It was really good. One could taste the scallops and lobster. I think it went well with the chicken breasts. 

I guess they would be a single portion - a single stuffed chicken portion - if one had other things with them; like a salad and/or vegetables; making a 'square meal'. Since I only had them, two was a single portion for me. If one at only one plus small portions of other food (appetizers, salads and/or deserts), it could be a single portion part of a balanced meal. 

Knowing how to use the oven has been a boon for me and expanded what I could prepare, cook and eat. It has expanded my horizons and - unfortunately - my waist line (but I am working on the waistline). One must balance out the food with the exercise (walking, bike riding, etc).  

I will be searching for the other varieties that they have online at an off line store. There are different ones in my area so I will be checking with each one to see what variety they carry. Once found, I will prepare, cook and dine on them with the intent on blogging about them; both here and on Facebook. 

Big Guy Eating is both eating out and eating in. Since I like to eat and I like to blog, why not a blog on eating. Perhaps one day I can figure out how to make money with it so I can just do what I like; eating and blogging. 

a site about me
like me, a work in progress


my art that Cafe Press has put on items
that they sell through my store. 

Milford Valley Stuffed Chicken Breasts - Chicken Corden Bleu

I found some chicken cordon bleu in the freezer section of the grocery store. It is by Milford Valley company. They have a product similar to one I had by Barber Foods. I went to their web site and found they have other products. It seems not all those products are at the store. 


Here is the box of the Milford Valley. It shows that what is inside is chicken cordon bleu. It was in the frozen section of the grocery store. The price seemed reasonable. I have no doubt the price varies from grocery to grocery store.

Here it is after I took it out of the oven. It was easy to do. I sprayed the pan with a cooking spray. I placed them on the pan the suggested two inches apart. One just preheat the oven and cook it for a certain amount of time. I let it sit for a couple minutes. It came out with a nice golden color.

I cut it open. It was tender and delicious. It was easy to cut open. The contents was warm and delicious. It was a good combination. Each one was - or seemed to be - on the small size. I had one and I shared one. It was small enough one could pick up and eat. The person I shared it enjoyed it too. It was not over cooked and it was not under cooked. 


Now that I can operate the oven and in a way that does not burn food, I am trying different foods that need to be baked and not microwaved. Some foods are raw and cannot be microwaved or need baking in an thermal oven because of the nature of the food (like cakes, etc). 



a web site that is a work in progress


my art on things that are for sale


Port City Cowboy Up and Southwest Chicken Soup

One of the places I like to eat is the Port City Sandwich in Newburyport MA. It is a small cozy place near the Merrimack River. One can eat in or one can eat on or near the boardwalk. One can view the boats coming and going. It is opened all year long, unlike some places that are open only during the summer (like many places in Hampton Beach NH). 

They have specials in addition to what they have on their menu board. They have a really big menu board with a big variety of sandwiches. 


This is the cowboy up sandwich. It is a nice size sandwich. The big size made it difficult to eat but it was really worth the effort to do so. It is really filled with deliciousness. This was a special when I went to the restaurant. 

This is the southwest chicken soup. It was really good. I got the the cup size but one can get the bowl size. I got the smaller size so I would not be filled up with the soup and I could have a sandwich too. If I wasn't going to eat a sandwich, I would get the bigger size of soup. 

They also have a nice variety of flavors of chips and a nice variety of beverages that are kept cold. It is a nice place to eat. It is a very popular place since many know how good the food is. 


Port City Sandwich is also opened for breakfast. One of these days I will get up early and one of them. Once I do, I will blog about it. 

The photos might not be perfect but they were taken using my Samsung Note 4. Since that is toast since I fell in the water, I am now using a Samsung Galaxy S 8 Active with a better camera. Even with a better camera, having a good camera app helps a lot. The one that comes with it is okay but there are better ones that take better pictures at the app store. 


my site that is (sort of) being worked on



My art on items that one can buy
I need better pictures so I can have better items
what is there is pretty good but needs improvement. 

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Authentic Asia Shrimp Wonton Soup

I found the Authentic Asia Shrimp Wonton Soup at the grocery store. It looks really good. The instruction seems easy to use. Since it is cooked in the microwave, it seems like it would be not only good at home but also when traveling (many hotels have microwaves in the rooms).

The box has the web site for C.P. Brands. It seems to be an international brand since there are links for different countries. Here is the one for USA. One can go to the site and click on the icon's for other countries.

Here is the shrimp wonton. It was delicious. It was easy to make. This is a stock photo but what I had did not look that much different than this photo. I did not eat it with a spoon. 

Here is the box it came it. It came in a black plastic bowl with lid. I kept the bowl with lid since it looked like it was made from durable (at least to me) plastic.

It was easy to make. One took the bowl and lid out of the box and took off the plastic wrap. One added water to the fill line, a line inside the bowl. One covers the bowl but in a way that allows steam to escape. I used the lid but not covering the whole bow so steam could get out. One heated it for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes in the microwave.  I took it out of the microwave and ate the wantons with chopsticks (I usually have some wooden and fancy ones on hand) and drank the soup. It was really good. It is ideal for a appetizer or snack.  







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I have bought a couple of boxes of Barber Foods raw stuffed chicken breasts. It indicates that they are raw so one would know that it has to be cooked thoroughly. They have a variety of them available. 

It is the first time I have used a regular oven to bake something. In the past, I have used a toaster oven. It is good for baking but limited in size of what one can put into it. With the help of my sister who is a personal cook and uses this oven on a regular basis, I was able to figure it out but it was after I had baked the chicken breasts. The next time I do it, it will be better but this time it was only singed / crispy on the bottom. 

It is in the frozen section of the grocery store. I kept it frozen till I took it out to cook. I am not sure if one could allow it to thaw before cooking. 

I have tried Barber Foods chicken breasts in the past but have not tried this one. It is creme brie and apple stuffed chicken breasts. It came in two separate plastic bags. Of course one removes them from the bag before cooking; otherwise, one would get a heat shrunk plastic wrap to the breast that would probably taste funny.

It was not over done even some small parts were 'crispy'. I chopped up the two chicken breasts. Once chopped up, it does not seem like a lot. I think it could feed two skinny people (who normally don't eat a lot) or one normal size person (like me - actually I am bigger than normal size). I found it to be really good. I should have photographed it before cutting them up but it looked like it does on the package (sometimes it doesn't). 


I have another variety of the chicken breast. I will blog about it when I get it cooked. I will be cooking, eating and blogging about their other varieties (and most other things that I have eaten). My thinking is why just eat something and like it when one can eat something and blog on whether or not I like it or the experience of making it. There are a large variety of their stuffed chicken breasts. It will take awhile to try them all but I will give a good effort to do so.


a site on me - needs work but still good 
will be improved soon


TomLeeM - artist (sort of).