Mixed Drinks? Non-alcoholic ones?

There are times I enjoy a mixed drink. With me, my mixed drinks never involve alcohol. Some might say that it was a mixed drink. I say it is because I am mixing two different drinks and creating a new flavor / beverage. 

I like having orange juice in the morning but cannot have too much since I am diabetic. I fill the cup half way with orange juice and then add a different beverage. Sometimes I like to add Sprite Zero. Other times I like to add Fresca. With citrus beverages, I like to add citrus soda's (especially the 'diet' version of them). I think it gives them an extra 'kick' to them. It is not just orange juice but other juice beverages like Ocean Sprays cranberry varieties. 

I also like the blend different flavors of powdered drink mixes. There are a variety of flavors and companies that make them. I would add the powdered mix to have a pitcher of water then use a soda or seltzer water for the other half. I think it really enhances the flavor, and gives it a little 'kick'. 

Adding seltzer water to powdered drinks don't always work. I have tried it with Crystal Light and it tasted great. I have tried it with (sugar free) Kool Aide but it wasn't as successful as I hoped. I think it is worth trying the different combinations. 

Coca Cola's Freestyle machine is about mixed drinks. Some of them are premixed. I have tried Mellow Yellow with different combination; as listed on the screen. One can also combine different combinations by filling ones cup partially with one flavor and then another till one fills up the cup. 

Big Goofy Guy

a big guy who likes Goofy

TomLeeM - art store at Cafe Press

Peanut Butter Milk? Peanut Butter Chocolate Milk?

I found a product - actually my sister did  - called PBFit. They make one that is peanut butter and another that has both peanut butter and chocolate. It comes in powder form; at least the ones I found at the store. 

If one can make chocolate milk with powdered chocolate (aka; Nestle Quick), why not use the peanut butter or peanut butter / chocolate powder to do the same thing? I did. It wasn't bad. Perhaps I did not add enough powder to it. I use skim milk since it is what I have but it can seem watery. I like using whole milk since it is 'thicker' and just tastes better. I have to give it another try with whole milk. Perhaps give it a try with one of the other 'milks'; almond, soy, etc. 

I have used it in other things and plan to use it in other ways. I used it in my pancake mix to make peanut butter pancakes. Another time I added it to my pancake mix and also added a banana. Another time I added it to my pancake mix then ate it with different jelly or jams between the pancakes. It was good. I added it to pancake mix with marshmallow creme to make a 'smores' pancake. It was good. 

It seems that at the PBFit site, they show it being used in pancakes. Theirs sound better and it seems it is made from 'scratch'. It looks better too (never claimed to be a good cook but I survive on what I make and others have too). 

Their smoothie looks really good. Perhaps a future blog. I do have a blender but have not really used it much. This will give me an excuse to use it more. I also have a mixer and a stand mixer. 

I wonder how well it would taste in a protein shake; also at the PBFit site. 

I wonder if one could add it to cake mix or a muffin mix? I think it has a lot of potential. Perhaps ideas for a future blog. 

Perhaps one could use it to make peanut butter ice cream? Now I am making myself hungry. More future blog ideas. 

I think there is another company that makes a similar product. I am still looking for it. 

Big Goofy Guy

My personal site about who I am and what I am interested in. 

My Art On Things That Can Be Used

my Cafe Press store

Add More Flavor To Flavored Seltzer Water?

I have come across different brands of flavor packets for bottled water. I think they can also be used on seltzer water and flavored seltzer water (the flavor in the flavored seltzer water seems - to me - rather weak).

I think the liquid flavoring is easiest to use with seltzer water. One still has to be careful for it not to spill over the top when adding it. One does not have to shake the bottle to mix it like the powered version; which can have messy consequences when one opens it (come out like a volcano).

With the powered version of the flavoring, I tried to pour a little bit of the seltzer liquid into a cup then mix in the powered flavoring. After making sure it is dissolved, I carefully pour it into the bottle (or better yet a cup) to combine it with the rest of the seltzer water; too quickly it could 'erupt' all over the place (had that happen a couple of times. I try to do it over the sink so there would be less to clean up.

I think the liquid has a slight advantage over the powered since it is easier to mix but one tends to use it up faster since it is not premeasured in packets. The liquid is easier to add to the seltzer water but the powered gives a little bit of exercise when adding it to regular bottled water (in shaking the bottle to mix it).

I have tried some of the Dasani liquid flavor packets. They are pretty good. I have not tried them all. It seems no all flavors are available in one location.

I have tried the Crystal powdered flavor packets. I think they are pretty good. I have not tried them all. Like the other one mentioned above, it seems not all flavors are available in location.

The above is just two examples. There are other flavors that I will be looking for and trying. I like to seek out new things and give them a try. For me, half the fun is searching out new things and the other half is trying them.

Big Goofy Guy

my personal web site created by Homestead software / site.

It is not fancy but I wanted it to be able to be seen on cell phones and tablet computers.

My Art On Things For Sale at Cafe Press. 

perhaps a practical way to enjoy my art?

Powdered soup mix as flavoring for ramen noodles?

I like ramen noodles. It says it is a soup but I just cook the ramen noodles and drain the water. What I don't really care for is the seasoning packets that come with it. I think it is way too salty. I think of ramen noodles as a bachelors or bachelorettes friend. I think one can make it in a dorm or at the office. 

There are times I cook it then only add butter or margarine and some soy sauce (being careful to not too much since it can overwhelm the flavor - at times I did and it really overwhelmed the flavor [another blog]). 

 I think ramen noodles are easy to make. I like making it in the microwave oven. The time to cook it varies; I tried different amounts of time and water. It also depends how powerful ones microwave is. The more powerful it is, the quicker it cooks. Lately with the 1200 watt microwave that I use, I cook it for 3:33 minutes, stir it and then an additional 3:33 minutes. Results will vary for everyone (saying this in case someone cooks it like me and gets a totally different result). 

I have tried Lipton's Cup of Soup  cream of chicken soup. It worked really well (according to my taste buds) with the ramen noodles (I sometimes add a little butter or margarine - being careful not too add too much since it too can overwhelm the taste - at times it really did). I tried to not drain too much of the water after cooking the ramen noodles (it helps the soup mix to blend with the pasta). There are times I also ad a can of chicken.  I liked the results but others might go 'yuck' at just the thought of it. 

In the past I had used the Lipton Cup of Soup tomato soup but I can no longer find it; at stores or even online (at least the Lipton site does not have it). It was really good. I sometimes added a can of diced tomatoes. It was good both ways. 

I have tried it with some of their other soup mixes. The results varied. Sometimes It was good and sometimes it was a bit on the strong side. I tried it with their Recipe Secrets; some were better than others. 

While looking for a place to buy the tomato soup version of the mix, I found a company that has a variety of dried soup mixes. It is called  Batchelor's Cup of Soup. It seems it is a British company (from what I read about it - Premier Foods?).  They have a tomato soup.  British Food Depot has it (an USA company?). It seems Amazon has a big variety of them. When I get some of them - either online or at a store (I thought a British or Irish store would have it but not one near me but other locations might), I will blog about it. I like to try new things. 

I remember Campbell's had a ramen noodles at one time. I had tried them but it has been a long time since I have seen them at any grocery stores. It has been awhile but I do remember thinking that they were pretty good. Perhaps they either stopped making them or just a regional item. I have lived and visited a few places. The area I am in now has a grocery store in different locations and some of the locations would have some items not available in their other locations. There are also grocery stores only in a particular region. Perhaps a topic for a future blog? 

Big Goofy Guy

I am using Homestead to create my personal site. It is a neat way to create ones own personal web site (or a business or non-profit site or whatever you want it to be site). I am still learning about it (just a beginner with a lot to learn and my web site shows it). 

My Art On Things That Are Usable.

I will create more art for my 'store' and improve the photos for my art (higher density so that it can go on more items to sell). Why have art that just hangs on the wall when one can use it or wear it. 

Canned soup as pasta sauce?

I am some unique tastes and am willing to try different things. I am also a bachelor; which means I don't always (actually usually don't) make things from scratch (even I am doing more lately but that is a topic for a future blog). 

I like cooking pasta (not actually making pasta [perhaps something I could do in the future?] from scratch). I like trying a variety of pasta's (why reinvent the wheel when one can just buy it at the store?). Pasta comes in so many shapes and made of from a variety of 'material' (the name escapes me). 

I sometimes use a pre-made pasta sauce. It comes in a variety of flavors and comes from a variety of companies. I have tried them and they - usually - pretty good. I sometimes post about them but this time it is about my using canned soup as a pasta sauce. I started using tomato soup and added diced (from a can) tomatoes. It was pretty good (at least to me since I don't have high standards - I have eaten things that others would have turned up their noses at). It is not to say that it all is good but usually is. 

I like using Campbell's soup (I don't get paid by them for saying that, I just like their soups). I have tried a variety of their soups; tomato, tomato bisque, cream of broccoli, cream of onion (newest one tried), cream of celery, etc. 

There are times I add the vegetable that the soup has in it or is flavored by. I tried cooking and chopping broccoli to the cream of broccoli soup. I added mushrooms (different kinds - usually canned pieces and stems) to the cream of mushroom soup. I sometimes add a can of chicken to the cream of chicken soup. The results vary but I like them. I doubt many others would. 

Normally I take photos but I think just talking about it is good for now. There will future blogs with photos and descriptions. 

Big Goofy Guy

improvements are being worked on, eventually. 

My Art For Sale On Things

I think of it was practical art since it doesn't stay on the wall but

are on things that are used. 

I have strange tastes, in food and other things too.

When I was younger, I would not eat much. I was a 'meat and potato' kid. I was not a daring eater. At one time I did not try one dish because I thought it was onions. It turned out to be cabbage or lettuce (it has been a long while since it happened but I do remember not know what it really was). 

As I got older, I realized I did not know why I disliked something. I realized I should not dislike something until I tried it. I wanted to have a reason for liking or not liking something. I found there were things that I thought I would not like but ended up liking. They weren't strange or odd things.

This led me to try things that were unique or 'strange' to other people. I stated thinking 'what if' with food. It was 'what if I tried this with that, how would it taste?'. I started trying things that others were saying were odd or gross and that they would not eat that. Them not liking something did not stop me from trying / eating it.

I was at an Asian restaurant; a Chinese one with with little bowls and little plates that came around on carts. One paid per bowl or plate. One of these dishes was jelly fish. It did not look like jelly fish. It looked like shredded cabbage. I tried it and liked it. I wonder how many would have tried it? 

There are other times it is just odd combinations. Back when I did not really care for spinach, I tried different ways to 'cover up' the taste. One such way was putting French dressing on it. Another way was to put ketchup on it. The French dressing tasted better. I have since grown to like spinach but I still like adding things to it to see how it tastes. I have added spinach to my pancake mix (that is a different blog) to see how it tastes (green pancakes that I like). 

Another strange thing I eat is in my different sandwiches. While some would not mind a peanut butter sandwich or a bologna sandwich, I put it together as one sandwich. I put peanut butter on one slice of bread. I put bologna, cheese and mayonnaise on the other slide of bread. There are times I put a slice of tomato or some lettuce (or both) on the bologna side. There are times I put pickles on the peanut butter bread. I put the two slices of bread together and eat it that way. I really enjoy it. 

One sandwich that I like that I don't really consider really odd or strange is peanut butter and pickle sandwich. I really enjoy it. I tried it with Tabasco flavored pickles and it was good. I have tried it with a variety of peanut butter (and even some peanut butter that had no peanuts in it - like sunflower butter, almond butter and cashew butter and others) and different flavored pickles. 

These are just some of the foods that I have eaten with others saying they are weird or that I am weird for liking them. This hasn't stopped me from trying 'unique' foods. If anything, it has given me an incentive to try new things. 

Big Goofy Guy

(needs work but still good, simple so it can be viewed on phones and tablets).

My Art On Things For Sell At Cafe Press

(the quality of the photos of my art needs to be improved but it is still good for what they are on).

A Disclaimer - of sorts - from a Big Guy who likes to Eat

This is disclaimer of sorts. I just wanted everyone to know that I am not a chef or a cook or personal cook. I did not go to any culinary school. I did not even go to the home ec class in high school; even though it would have been to do so (I don't remember if that was an option since it has been a very long time ago). 

I am a big guy who likes to eat; perhaps too much. This could explain my weight of over 300 pounds. I did not start out liking to eat; at least not a lot of things. As I got older I started to eat more things. Instead of just saying that I like this and didn't like that, I wanted to know why I did or didn't like something. My theory was 'How would I know if I never tried it?'. This led - eventually - to 'if it doesn't move eat it, if it does, stomp on it and eat it anyway' (perhaps not literally but in a figurative manner). 

I do like trying different restaurants, cafe's and other places that offer prepared food; sometimes there are ready to eat food even in some grocery stores. There are so many types and styles of food. Even if the style is the same, they way it is prepared can be different. I wonder if the decor of these places might have an effect on the food they serve? 

I like making food; even though at times it is barely edible (I usually eating it anyway, rarely do I throw it out / compost it). I try things / mixes / recipes from a variety of sources; online, cook books, magazines, etc. There are times I take a mix or recipe and add or change the ingredients (or add and change the ingredient). The success varies. 

I take photos that I post to Facebook then download to my computer then upload to my blog. It gives me a chance to talk about the food both here and on Facebook. I seem to get more replies on Facebook than this blog but I do not mind. 

I just like to blog about food. I am not posting here to get anyone to try them but just to show my opinion; right or wrong, it is only my opinion. I think the taste of food is subjective; it depends on who is trying it. What could taste good to one person could be awful to another. I try not to criticize others because they do not have the same opinion as me. We are just different people with different tastes.  

Big Goofy Guy

This my personal web site. One can learn a little more about me.

Big Guy Eating

My art on things for sale at Cafe Press.

I created paintings. I took photos and uploaded them to Cafe Press.

I created an online store that has items with my art on them (not all of my art but more to come).

One can buy items with my art on it. Since the photo density was low, they are not on my items.

The Chew Is Ending This Year; 2018 Last Season.

There is a cooking / talk show combo that I really enjoy watching. I have found it to be informative. I wasn't watching for long; about two years. It has been on for 7 seasons / years.

I have seen changes in the show and hosts leaving. One because she was pregnant and one because there was some accusers from something that happened in the past. I am hoping the accusers of Mario Bartelli lose and his reputation restored (another post for another blog).

This year is the last season it will be on. They already filmed the episodes for this year and they are done filming. I saw the last live episode; it aired recently. I hope they all - the cast and the crew - are able to find jobs. It is weird having a job for so long then having none.

Actually I watch The Chew on Hulu; perhaps that evening or the next day. It came on at 1ish pm. I like watching it on Hulu since I did not have to be there as it aired to see it. Sometimes I catch up on shows if I miss two in a row.

The show is being cancelled to make Good Morning America to be three hours long. I don't watch this type of show. I am not into morning talk shows. I don't have regular television channels. I have Amazon Prime, Hulu and Netflix on my blue ray player connected to my Comcast internet / cable box (they try to get me to get their television channels but they seem to repeat channels and don't have a lot of what I want to watch - so why pay extra for what I don't use - but that is a different post on a different blog).

It is ironic that The View is still on while a show like The Chew is being cancelled. The View is a hateful group that attacks anyone they disagree with while The Chew is an informative and entertaining show. This is just for another post with a different blog.

ABC.GO.COM.

The Chew on Twitter

The Chew on Facebook.

I am just showing this for the cast. 

I am just showing this for the cast and the logo. I will look for their books online and offline; printed and e-book (I have a Kindle with over 60 books on it and a handful of books on my tablet computer using the Kindle app). 

Big Goofy Guy

TomLeeM at Cafe Press