Second Chance Newsletter 9/1/03

House Of Autry

            Back in March, we gave out the link to the House Of Autry home page, http://www.house-autry.com/index.asp . Apparently the recipes there weren't enough for some folks, as they've taken to making their own recipes with the Autry products as one of the ingredients.

            Hushpuppies, for example. Few things say "Southern" to me like good hushpuppies. There's a great recipe on the Johnny Road Trip site for hushpuppies using the HOA Hushpuppy Mix. The only thing I'd change is I'd add diced bell peppers along with the onions. http://www.johnnyroadtrip.com/tailgating/recipes/hushpuppies.htm

            If the name "Captain Billy" makes you think of pirates and seafaring expatriates, youre in the right neighborhood, but the wrong house. Capt. Billy is a charter boat captain who not only has his own website, buy he also shares his favorite fish recipes there. From Ingram Bay in Virginia, here's a great rockfish recipe that can be modified to work for more local fishies: http://www.captbillyscharters.com/recipe.shtml

Tailgating

This word used to be how we described those who followed too closely on the highway. Now, it's used to describe the premier event of the fall social calendar. Forget the debutante balls and country club soirees, they're passé. The real social action now takes place in football field parking lots on Saturdays before, during, and after the game. As a matter of fact, the game is now just a side attraction for many. A successful (i.e., elaborate) tailgating party requires much preparation and equipment; cookers, trailers, coolers, chairs, awnings, etc. are the basic equipment of avid tailgaters.

The previously mentioned Johnny Road Trip Site has a whole section devoted to this new Southern Social Arena, where even the most seasoned tailgaters may learn a trick or two: http://www.johnnyroadtrip.com/tailgating/index.htm

Allegro

Allegro Marinades are a Tennessee based product, and we have a few bottles (maybe 10) of the Hickory Smoke Marinade in stock right now, for $1.75 each, way less then the Big Store Price (BSP). The Allegro story is pretty neat, and their recipes made me hungry. Read about it for yourself at http://www.allegromarinade.com/.

San Miguel De Allende

            About 20 years ago, we spent a few weeks in Mexico, and one of our last stops was in San Miguel de Allende, a beautiful old town. We stayed in La Pasada De Las Monjas (Palace Of The Nuns), a hotel that began as a convent several hundred years ago. We discovered a Mexican disco (complete with lighted floor), tamales cooked on the street, tuna (a sticky green cactus fruit), light pastries, cheap VW cabs ($2 for a trip across Mexico City), extreme poverty, and a lot of kind, generous people. We also found mole (pronounced "moe-lay") in the stores for 20 pesos. The exchange rate at the time was 350 pesos/dollar, so that would make a jar of mole about &&. well, cheap.

            Mole is an unsweetened chocolate flavored with chili peppers, and its used for all sorts of dishes, especially chicken mole. A great chicken mole recipe can be found here: http://www.worldfood.com/mex/recipe/mex_Chicken%20Mole%20Bake.asp

            SCG now has Dona Maria Mole for only $2.00 a jar. Break out of the taco trap and have a real taste of old Mexico this week, and try some chicken mole!

Frankenstein, Wolfman, The Mole People (pronounced "Mole People"), The Blob

            Back when we had black and white TVs, a favorite show came on each Friday night at 10:30, on Channel 13 in Memphis. Fantastic Features showed scary old movies, featuring the likes of Lon Cheney, Jr., Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, and Steve McQueen. That's right, Steve McQueen. He had the starring role in The Blob, and its how he got his movie start. If you doubt it, read all about it here: http://www.theblob.info . Not only that, James Arness (Marshall Dillon) got his start as the main character in The Thing.

            These movies were great, and pretty tame compared to whats on TV today. The only other thing needed was the popcorn, and when we were feeling really luxurious, wed go for the Jiffy Pop. The swelling foil lid made it a little more expensive, but Mother always had a few in the house for special events, like Creature From The Black Lagoon.

            Stop by SCG, pick up a few pans of Jiffy Pop for only 60 cents each, rent a few old movies, and show the kids how it was done in the good ole days, before color TV and microwave popcorn.

Shameless Commercialism And Marketing. Bah.

            Remember how great a movie Shrek was, and how it soon was followed by green ketchup? Yuk. Anything to cash in on a movie's popularity, I suppose. Spiderman spawned everything including underwear. Apparently not all of these movie overkill ideas work, because we just got a big load of Hersheys Chocolate Syrup show up. How are these things related, you ask? Well, the chocolate syrup tastes like chocolate, pours like Hersheys, and is green like the Hulk. Yep, it's Hershey's Hulk Chocolate Syrup, a 48 oz squeeze thing for $2.25.

            While green chocolate may not sound like something youd be interested in, think about vanilla ice cream with green syrup topping that tastes like chocolate. If nothing else, enjoy it while watching Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (a real movie, BTW). The lights are low, the Jiffy Pop's gone, youre glued to the set, and who cares what color the chocolate is?   Nothing goes with cheesy movies better than cheesy marketing.

Some Recent Arrivals

World Harbors Hawaiian Style Teriyaki Sauce, 16 oz, $1.50
Carnation Fat Free Evap Milk, 12 oz can, 50 cents
Asparagus, Cut Spears, 10.5 oz can, $1.00
McCormick Golden Dipt Seafood Marinade, Cajun Style, 8.6 oz, $1.50
McCormick Golden Dipt Seafood Marinade, Lemon Butter Dill, 8.4 oz, $1.50
Certo Pectin, 6 oz box, $1.50
Brill Glaze For Peaches (looks yummy), 16 oz bag, $1.00
Maple Grove Farms Honey Dijon Dressing, Fat Free, 8 oz, 50 cents
Sunsweet Cherry Essence Dried Plums, 12 oz bag, $1.25
Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Crème (for fudge, Rice Krispie treats, etc.), 7 oz, 50 cents
Post Raisin Bran (price depends on size)

Two Last Items

We've got lots of Maggi soup mix pouches. These come in flavors like chicken and rice, chicken and seashell pasta, creamy asparagus, etc. Each pouch makes over a quart of soup in less than ten minutes, for only 25 cents. If you need a quick lunch or an inexpensive lunch without the cooking effort, this may be the replacement for Ramen noodles!

Good Cook brand pans may be the best kept secret in the store. All of these are non-stick, and heavy. That's the first thing I noticed when I picked up one of these pans, they are much heavier than the ones I've used at home for years. The 6 hole muffin pan is $2.00. The large lasagna pan (14 X 10) is $3.50. I dont make much lasagna, but I can see that pan being used for sheet cakes, etc. If youre tired of fooling with old, stained, bent cooking pans, treat yourself to a real frustration saver: new baking pans. And, do it now, while the selections are cheap.

Thanks

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         (If this edition looks a bit odd, or if the formatting is off, please overlook it. I had to resort to using MS Word this issue, and it doesn't translate well to text.)

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