Scrappled Scrambled Eggs - My Own Creation

 I like to cook and eat scrapple. It is not often one hears of people like it but I do. I like to fry it up, eat it by itself or with other things. It is not easy finding scrapple at the store. One really has to look for it. Lately it is in the frozen section. 

I remember being able to get the beef scrapple or pork scrapple. Lately I can barely find it at all - just the pork scrapple. I don't really mind since I think the pork scrapple is better tasting than the beef scrapple. 

I wonder if haggis is just a type of scrapple that uses lamb or mutton parts? I always want to try it. It seems really cool yet disgusting to some. 

Here is the end result; almost. 

I took some scrapple and cooked it in the frying pan. I like using my cast iron pan but sometimes I use my copper pan. I fried it up but it doesn't take long since I preheat the pan. I use a timer to wait about 5 minutes before starting cooking. I spray the pan with cooking oil and a little bit of butter. I use the spatula to 'chop it up'. I don't want it to become one big piece of meat but lumps of meat. 

The egg mixture is 2 eggs, grains (flax seed meal, wheat bran and oat brand), baby spinach, a little bit of milk (I don't really measure it), some oil (I don't measure it either, just a 'splash' of it). I stir it up with a fork. I think it works better than a spoon (not a 'professional opinion' but just something I like to do). 

I pour it on the cooking meat / scrapple in the pan. Instead of an omelet (one big piece), I scooped it and chop it while it is cooking. It doesn't take long to cook this either. I keep using the spatula since if it lays too long on the heat, it seems to over cook / burn on one side. 

I think it is pretty good. It might not be what a real cook wood do but I am usually just cooking for me so it doesn't rally matter. I post this to show how strange my taste can be. 

This time I decided to 'doctor it up' with some cheese and some ketchup. I like putting ketchup on my scrambled eggs; even the scrambled eggs looks really odd and not really like scrambled eggs. 

I thought it was good but others might not care for it. I am okay with that since I cook for me and thought it would be neat to blog about not just what I eat but also about some of the unique foods I consume. 

PS I wonder if one cook make Hamburger Helper using scrapple instead of beef? It would be interesting to give that a try. It would be another blog about it; after I gave it a try. 

TomLeeM 

TomLeeM at Cafe Press

 

My Version of Banana Nut Bread French Toast?

 I like banana Nut. There are times I had it made it for me. I have not made banana nut bread, yet (it would be neat to give it a try and post the results - good or bad - here on my blog). It might not be perfect but I like it. I like some strange things. It might not appeal to everyone or even most. 

I was at a restaurant that had banana nut bread that they used to make French toast. I thought it was really good. Unfortunately the restaurant that made it is no longer in business. The restaurant was nice. I am saddened by their closure. 

I believe it was closed before the pandemic. There are a lot of restaurants that have closed - directly or indirectly - because of the pandemic. It is sad that it has happened. Why this happened is for another blog. 

I was given banana nut bread. Friends made it for me since they heard of the restaurant I went to that had it as a basis for French toast. I had tried this before. This is the first time - that I remember - I had taken photos to post on my blog. The results isn't always the same; the recipe isn't always the same since I don't go by an actual recipe. I just wing it. 

I take two eggs, different grains (flax meal, wheat brand, oat brand), baby spinach (sometimes when I have it), some milk (I don't measure it, I just pour some in), cooking oil (which depends on what I have on hand and I just add a 'splash' of it). I mix it all together. The photos that is above does not show spinach but there are times I added it and it shows. 

I have a cast iron pan. It is really neat. It is not light. It is not easy to lift but I do like cooking with it. It has a non-stick coating but I still like to coat the bottom with a cooking spray. When I cook eggs, I use some butter too (in addition to the cooking spray). 

In the photo one can see one of the banana nut bread after it had soaked a little bit in the 'sauce' (I couldn't think of what to call the liquid that one puts it in before frying). This is before I added the second slice of banana nut bread; it was still soaking in the 'mixture'. I try to not have it cook too long. I have it burn on one side if it was too long. 

Here one can see the 'mixture' or 'sauce'. One can see the different grains that is in it. One can see the other banana nut bread above the container that is going to get dipped / soaked. Perhaps a little out of order - in how I made it. 

I use the leftover mixture to make scrambled eggs with it. Sometimes I add stuff to it to make it even better. I did this time but I will post it separately. This time was even more unique than the times I did it before. There are times I just add the extra mixture to what is frying on the pan to make it thicker. It is all depends on what I feel like doing. 

PS One can tell that I an not a professional cook; or even an amateur one. I just like to cook since I like to eat; a good combo in my opinion. When it comes to cooking, I have a lot to learn. I like to experiment too. Since I have strange tastes in food, I usually don't have a problem with what I make (there are rare times even I wouldn't eat it - yes it was that bad). 

TomLeeM

TomLeeM at Cafe Press.

Honey BBQ and Honey Mustard Wings From Wing-Itz in Hampton NH

 There was a Burger King in Hampton NH that had closed and later made into a Wing-Itz restaurant. The Wing-Itz restaurant had moved in and converted it from what it was before. 

I had not had the chance to try it till just recently, it hasn't been opened long. There were other places that they had restaurants but this one was near where I normally travel. 

I found this online. 

While there was seating, I decided to have it to go. They have a menu one can take home. I just took it outside while I was deciding what I wanted. I didn't want to take up any seats inside since I was planning on taking it home (more seats available for others so more business for them). I was just outside when I viewed the menu and made my choices. I went in and placed my order and paid for it. It was told 10 to 15 minutes for it be ready. I waited in my car since it was cold out. I went in when I thought the time was up and it was waiting for me inside. 

I believe they had spaces for when one orders so they would comply with social distancing. A face mask was required for entering. I believe they cleaned the areas to also comply and make things safer.

It was not easy on the way home since I could smell the honey BBQ and honey mustard. I was able to get it home. I shared it with my brother. We both had some. I had ordered enough for both of us.

I ordered 15 wings. One can chose two sauces for the wings without having to cost more. One can have the sauce on the side or have it tossed with the wings. I chose to have the honey BBQ and honey mustard sauces. I had half of them with one and the other with the other. I had them tossed in the sauce instead of on the side. One can get a side (for dipping) of either ranch or blue cheese. I chose the blue cheese. It was really good dipping in the blue cheese but I also ate the wings just by themselves. It was good without the dipping sauce too. 

Here is the back of the menu. It showed the chicken wings and the different sauces that one can order. It was not easy to order two since there seems to be a lot of good ones listed. 

Here is the front of the menu. It shows a lot about the restaurant; hours, and items one can buy.

Here is the inside left of the menu. It shows they have more than just wings. I want to go back and try their other items. I want to sit inside and eat. 

Here is the inside right part of the menu. It shows more options. It shows a kids menu. There are a lot of choices.

I think this is a neat idea. It is a 'loyalty' card. I believe it gets stamped or punched whenever one eats there (I haven't checked but I assumed this is what happens since I have other loyalty cards that do this).

Here is the back of the 'loyalty' card. It has some information on it.

Thomas Lee Mullins

TomLeeM at Cafe Press.

Jumbo Shrimp and Fried Clams at Woodman's in Essex MA

 My brother and I was going to go to different restaurant in Essex MA but it was closed by the time we arrived. We saw this on the way to the other restaurant and wanted to give it a try. It is Woodman's in Essex MA. 

It seems Woodman's has been around for quite awhile. The receipt indicated 100 years. 

Woodman's was still open. We were able to go in an order what we wanted and were able to find a seat. We wore face masks when we entered, ordered and sat down. We took off the face masks to eat but wore them when we departed. They cleaned the tables before we sat down and after we left. It wasn't crowded. Since it was late and there was a lot of room - both downstairs and upstairs, they can accommodate quite a few people safely. They also have outdoor seating that will be great when it gets warmer out.  

When one entered, there is a counter where one ordered the food. One gets a receipt for ones purchase. One waits till they call your number when the food is ready. They call your number when it is ready. Near where one picks up the food is the area where one gets accessories; ketchup, napkins, forks, salt, pepper, etc. Near where one orders the food is a refrigerator where one gets the beverage that one ordered. After getting the food, one can sit anywhere permitted. 

This is what my brother ordered. He ordered the fried clams. It was called Chubby's original fried clams. He really enjoyed it. It is not minced but whole clams.

I was able to try a fried clam. It was an 'exchange program'. I got one of his fried clams and he got one of my jumbo shrimp.

He also got the New England clam chowder. He said it had a lot of clams in it. It seems he got more than I did.

This is what I ordered. I ordered the jumbo shrimp. It comes with both onion rings and French fries. I also ordered sweet potato fries and a cup of New England clam chowder.

The jumbo shrimp was big and there wasn't too much breading on it. It was good. I tried it with and without the tartar sauce. I enjoyed it.

The onion rings was cooked well. Like the shrimp, it wasn't too heavy on the breading. It was good. I tried it with ketchup and ketchup with tartar sauce. It was good both ways.

I enjoyed the sweet potato fries. It was really good. It - like the French fries - wasn't too salty but was really good. I ate them with ketchup and with ketchup and tartar sauce. It was good both ways.

I had a side of New England clam chowder. It came with oyster crackers. It was really good. I liked the amount of clams it had. I am glad it wasn't too thick. It was delicious.

Woodman's Menu. 

Thomas Lee Mullins

TomLeeM at Cafe Press.

Greek Pistachio With Greek Salad and Kale and Artichoke Dip at Red's Kitchen and Tavern in Seabrook NH

 I finally got to try the Red's Kitchen and Tavern that is in Seabrook NH. It had replaced the restaurant that was there before. It replaced the Applebee's. Since Red's opened, there was a crowd there. It wasn't until just recently that I got to try it. 

The restaurant is next to the Staples store on route one in Seabrook. It is not difficult to see. It is a nice size building. The interior is really nice. 

The staff was friendly. They wore face masks when working. The cleaned the tables before one sat down. 

Once we arrived and checked in, there was a short wait, about 15 minutes. It was not long since it was just me and my brother. We wore our face masks going in and leaving. Once we were seated, we took our face masks off. We were given the menu's; food and drink menus. We got some bread while we searched the menu and we got some water that came in a glass cup that had the shape of a big can. I think that was nice. 

We chose what we wanted. I ordered the kale and artichoke dip as the appetizer. I ordered the Greek pistachio with a Greek salad. 

Here is the kale and artichoke dip that I ordered from the appetizer list. It was really good. The chips didn't have a hard crunch but somewhat a soft one. It was good. I could have eaten them by themselves. I put the dip on them and it was really good. The dip was warm and really delicious. 

This shows the kale and artichoke dip on the menu with the description. The chips are seasoned Greek pita chips. It was way better than regular chips.

Here is the Greek pistachio that I ordered. It shows the salad in a separate bowl. 

I ate the salad first. I took out the black olives since I am not a fan of olives (which is weird since I don't have a problem with olive oil).  It was a delicious salad. It was - in my opinion - just the right sizie for a side salad.

The Greek pistachio was really good. It is like a Greek version of lasagna. The pasta was cooked quite well. The layers were quite good together. There doesn't seem to be a lot of it but it was quite satisfactory to my taste buds that really enjoyed it. 

Here is the menu listing for the Greek Pastichio. It shows the description. It is why I ordered. I am it was as good as it sounds. I think the price is very reasonable. 

My brother ordered the fried calamari. My brother ordered the sandwich (I forgot which) that comes with fries.

Here is the fried calamari that my brother ordered. It was a lot more than he expected. The first ones that ate was hotter (spicy hot wise) than he expected but the rest didn't have the bite and was more flavorful. I tried a couple but didn't get the spicy hot that he had on the first couple. It really filled him up. He was only able to eat half the sandwich and half the fries of the entrée. 

I think the problem with some restaurants is that their appetizers are way too big. It is supposed to whet the appetite and not fill you up to the point where one cannot eat ones main meal. 

Here is the sandwich that ordered. He was not able to eat all of it because of the appetizer being so big but what he did eat he enjoyed. He saved half to take home.

 I helped with the fries. I thought the fries was really well done. It wasn't over cooked or under cooked. It wasn't too salty. They were a nice size. It was great with the ketchup they had. 

I think Red's is a great place to eat. I will be going back to try other things; not right away since there are so many places to try.

I hope everyone goes out to eat; not every day or at only one place but every so often at different places. I think this 'pandemic' has hurt a lot of restaurants. There are those that have closed to never re-open. I think - as the rules let up - people should support the restaurants that have endured so they can continue to endure with our help. 

Thomas Lee Mullins

TomLeeM at Cafe Press

The Ultimate Spam Cook Book - Future Source of Blogs

 I like SPAM but only if it is the canned variety and not the unwanted stuff one gets in ones e-mail. I have eaten it in the past and will continue to do so. There are those who don't like it but I am not one of them; otherwise, I wouldn't be blogging about it. 

I have used SPAM in different ways. I have heated it up and added it to macaroni and cheese. I have chopped it up and added it to my version of an omelets. I have chopped it up and added it to pancake mix before cooking them (perhaps not everyone's idea of good but I liked it). I have made my version of grilled cheese and added cooked slices of SPAM to it. Perhaps I can do them again and make future blogs about them? I think I will.

I was at the grocery store and came across this book on SPAM recipes. It was an impulse buy and I had bought four cans / tins of SPAM Light. I will be trying some of the recipes. I have looked the book over. I want to try SPAM fries and corn SPAM dogs. 

The photos are really good. One can see how the recipes are supposed to look once one is done. With my experience in cooking, my results don't always looks as good as the photo. I do like trying. I like eating even more; even when the results wasn't all that great. 

I have found that one can order both offline (brick and mortar stores - which where I bought mine) and online (at a variety of websites - just do a search using 'The Ultimate Spam Cook Book'). One can also get it as an e-book (via the app or through an e-book reader). 

Now I have some things for future blogs.

Thomas Lee Mullins 

TomLeeM at Cafe Press

Biscuits and Gravy - My Attempt At It.

 I really like biscuits and gravy. I like to eat it at restaurants. They seem to have their own versions. Most are good but some are okay. One restaurant had biscuits and gravy on the menu but it was port muffins with a drizzle of gravy on it.

This is my attempt at making biscuits and gravy. It is not perfect but I liked it. I made it not from scratch but from two mixes; one from a box and one from a bag. It did not take a long time to make / create it. It did help boost my will to cook. I think it is better to try something simple and succeed than to try something really hard and fail. One should build up to the more complex / harder recipes. 

For the biscuits, I used Bisquick. It is a mix that can be used for so many recipes. This time I chose the simple recipe for biscuits. I used the heart healthy mix by Bisquick. It was easy to make. It was measuring the amount of mix and add the amount of water required by the recipe. One just places it on a baking sheet and cook. It is easy and does not take long. 

For the gravy, I had bought a gravy mix from McCormick. I bought their original country gravy. It was easy to make. One just add the amount of water required in the recipe. One can heat it in the microwave (or the stovetop [which I had tried the first time I cooked it and it worked] but I chose the microwave). One would cook it in 1 minute increments till it was really thick. It took about 4 one minute periods to get it good and thick. It became thicker than expected; since I was making it in the microwave. 

I put them together. I sliced the biscuits in half and put the gravy on top of it. It was really good. There are times I put butter (or what I call butter but isn't really) and sometimes I don't. 

Here is the result of my making biscuits and gravy. One can see that I had already started eating it. One can see the inside of the biscuits; ones that wasn't covered with gravy. 

Next time I want to add sausage or other meats. I really like sausage gravy but have not found any that had sausage in it. I guess that is something one can add. I have tried different sausage brand with it. Each gives it its own uniqueness. I want to try them again so I can blog about them too. 

Thomas Lee Mullins 

TomLeeM at Cafe Press.

Pillsbury Sugar Free Brownie Mix

Pillsbury Sugar Free Brownie Mix. 

 I had bought a box of Pillsbury sugar free brownie mix. I had it for awhile but finally got around to making it. I like to try new things. As a diabetic, I like to try sugar free or low sugar items. With both, one has to be careful with since sugar free items, sugar free doesn't mean carb free. 

I was apprehensive on how long it would take to make it and how well it would taste. I had nothing to worry about. I have made sugar free items - usually sugar free cakes - in the past and they did not come out as well as I had hoped. The were usually too thick.

I should have worried about eating too much at one time. I should have checked the carb count. I guess the taste made me want more than just a serving (that is my excuse and I am standing by it). 

Here is the front of the box. I wondered how many times the front of the box was way better than it actually looked when one made it. It was one of the reasons that I bought it. The other reason was because it was sugar free. Another reason was I miss having brownies. 

Here is the back of the box with the instructions and variations on the recipe. It wasn't complicated at all. It was way easier than I thought it would be. 

I might try the variation. It looks and sounds good too. I will check their website to see if there are any other variations. 

Pillsbury

Pillsbury Baking Sugar Free.

This shows the carb and other related information. I should have read this part before eating half of the batch I made. My brother ate the other half of the batch. It shows that sugar free doesn't mean carb free. One has to do portion control when one is a diabetic.

When one does a sugar free item, the results can vary from brand to brand and to what sugar substitute one uses. This came out way better than expected. It was a lot easier to make than I realized it would. It was so good that I put aside good judgement and ate half the batch. I am grateful that my brother ate the other half; otherwise, I would have eaten too. 

I took a photo of this site even though it doesn't show a lot. I thought I would include it anyway. 

Thomas Lee Mullins

TomLeeM at Cafe Press