Keeping Your Spirits Up. . .

For those of you who've read Cooking for Adventurers, it's no secret that I like cooking with various forms of alcohol.  Whether it comes from fine wines or brown bottles, people have been using alcoholic beverages to enhance the flavor of food for an exceptionally long time.  Wines boil down quite easily, concentrating the flavor and adding either a sweetness or acidity (depending on the type used).  Aside from adding flavor, sauteing with wines is a good way to reduce the fat content of a recipe; substituting wine for part or all of the oil.  Even cake mixes can benefit, substituting white wine for oil entirely, giving the cake a lighter texture.

Now, before we delve into this too deeply, I feel the need to bring up a point of etiquette; a notion I like to call "pie with a fork".  In some parts of the world, it is acceptable to just scoop up a piece of pie and eat it by hand (assuming it is of the well-crusted variety).  In other parts, it is not, and eating in such a vulgar manner could be considered insulting, or at least disgusting.  Ergo, wherever you go, be prepared to eat your pie with a fork.  Why is this relevant?  Allow me to explain. . .

It should be noted that just because something is thoroughly cooked, doesn't mean the alcohol has been completely evaporated!  Alcohol evaporates at 172°F, which means that, with sufficient cook time, sauces or gravies should come out fine.  Baked or roasted foods, however, can still have between 5-25% of the alcohol remaining, depending on variables such as cooking time and exposed surface area.  If you find yourself cooking for small children, pregnant mothers, recovering alcoholics, people with specific medical conditions (such as diabetes), or people who do not believe in using alcohol for anything other than its medicinal purposes, there are several non-alcoholic wines or beverage substitutes to chose from.  Be considerate!

One of my most consistently-used recipes is a simple sauteed vegetable combination to accompany the meat and potato dishes that our house usually sees.  I rough cut a good-sized onion with a couple of bell peppers (any color) and toss in some sliced mushrooms.  I start them cooking with a small amount of oil, but when the onions just begin to get soft, I'll pour in about four or six ounces of beer and sprinkle the entire mess with some seasoned pepper.  Reduce the heat and simmer the beer away, taking care to not let the veg scorch.

Red wines will give onions and mushrooms a deep flavor accent, making them the perfect addition to any gravy.  Basically, saute the mushrooms and onions as above, then use them in any gravy mix you like.  An easy variation is to add a cup of broth and whisk in about a quarter cup of flour.  Simmer the mix down to the thickness you want (if you go too far, adding a little water will help.  Season with salt, pepper, and parsley.

We've all worked with less expensive, leaner cuts of beef.  Let's face it, not every meal can be filet of beef or prime rib--sometimes you just end up with a hunk of flank steak.  The simplest way to make a piece of meat that has a lot of personality more manageable is with beer.  The slightly acidic nature of the brew makes it an excellent tenderizer.  Place the meat in a zip-sealed bag and add beer, marinating for anywhere between 4 and 12 hours.  

A bit more complex and flavorful marinade that can be made into an accompanying gravy or used as a fond for roast beef is found on page 9 of Cooking for Adventurers:

Mix--

1/3 cup red wine

1/4 cup beef broth

2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 Tsp. coarse, black pepper

3 minced garlic cloves

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Marinate beef (steak or roast) in a gallon-sized zippered bag for 20 minutes to an hour (or longer, for tougher cuts of meat).  To use as an accompanying sauce or fond for gravy, bring the reserved marinade up to a simmer and reduce to your desired consistency.

Cooking rarely has to be expensive or difficult (unless you actually want it to be).  I seldom use expensive wines and, though I do like the more interesting brews, beers can be found cheaply, too.  One thing I usually don't skimp on are spirits--even if you're only going to use them for sauces and marinades, cheap whiskies and bourbons can ruin recipes (you are going for flavor, after all).  As far as which wines to use with what, that can truly be up to you.  One of my favorite action movies involved a scene where the master spy figured out who the Russian agent was because he actually ordered red wine with fish!  Horrors!  True, reds are usually paired with red meats, as the tannins in the wine act as a palate cleanser for some of the bolder proteins and white wines are paired with white meats, as they tend to be a bit more acidic and compliment the proteins well (like a squirt of lemon on baked fish).  In the end, though, go with what you like--just remember, those for whom you cook may have different tastes or convictions.  Pie with a fork!

Protein Bombs and Other Weapons of Mass Construction. . .

Fitness is an important part of life.  Whether you do it for stress relief, improved performance, greater stamina, or just aesthetic reasons, working a fitness routine into your life is just a good idea.  Whatever your approach, you are going to need proper fueling.

Now, the jury is still deliberating over whether eating pre or post workout is the best, but my experience as a personal trainer has shown that morning workouts with a post-workout meal are the best for both weight management and muscle gain.  Everyone is different, so there is always some required fine tuning, but a good rule of thumb is a meal of protein and carbohydrates within a window of 15-30 minutes, post activity.  The obvious exception to this would be if your workout includes cycling, running, or some other form of moderate to intense cardio--in these cases, you would want to eat 30-45 minutes before the workout begins composed of easily digestible carbohydrates and a small amount of protein.

That being said, what can you make that will be substantial enough to get you into your day without having to fret over prep time?  For mornings that I cannot cook, I fall back on peanut butter sandwiches (two tablespoons has about 7 grams of protein).  Sliced turkey would be another good staple to keep around for quick sandwiches, also.

When you CAN cook. . .

In Cooking for Adventurers, I went on and on about the wonders of the common egg.  Eggs can be as complex or as simple as you want to make them, and can be prepared in as little as a couple of minutes.  One of my favorite post workout meals is a bit of a fridge cleaner, as I tend to use leftovers for an extra protein punch.

Cluster Scramble--

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 smallish onion, chopped

2 oz. chopped mushrooms

1-2 eggs, beaten

Pepper, basil, cayenne to taste
A sandwich-sized portion of whatever leftover protein you have in the fridge.

Dice or shred whichever protein you selected (it could be steak, turkey, even fried bologna or spam, if that's all you have).  Heat the olive oil until it begins to shimmer, then saute the onions and mushrooms, stirring constantly until the onions start to become tender.  Add the meat, stirring until it has warmed thoroughly, then pour the well-beaten eggs over the top of all of it, seasoning as you see fit.  Remember to pull your eggs across the pan, rather than trying to flip them; this gives them a fluffy appearance, plus it helps get them thoroughly cooked  in a timely manner.

Another way to sneak protein into your post-workout morning is in pancake form.  Some recipes are rather involved, but if you take a page from every backpacker's guidebook, you'll see that many of the dry ingredients can be pre-mixed for quick execution.  These are a couple of recipe variations that I've used frequently.  The first is a bit more traditional pancake, while the second utilizes some special ingredients that not everyone has lying around.

Banana Nutbutter Flapjacks--

Mix (this can be done ahead of time):

1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour

2 Tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 Tsp. salt

Mix:

1 1/4 cups milk

1 mashed banana

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 Tbsp. canola oil

Dash cinnamon

Begin heating your griddle as you prepare to mix together the ingredients from both sets above.  Whisk everything together thoroughly, then pour out about a quarter-cup of batter per pancake.  Cook until the edges start to dry and air bubbles form on top.  This will take anywhere from 2-4 minutes, depending on the griddle you're using.  Flip and keep cooking until both sides are golden brown.  Each pancake comes out to be just under 5 grams of protein.

"I'm Not Messing Around" Protein Pancakes--

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup egg whites (or two more eggs--we'll talk about this in a little bit).

4 Tsp. baking powder

1 Cup oats

1 Mashed banana

2 Tbsp. flax meal

1-2 scoops protein powder

1 Tsp. vanilla

Begin heating the griddle as you blend all of the ingredients together.  Cook in the same manner as you would any other pancakes, keeping in mind that these have a much different consistency as a regular flapjack.  Note that each pancake comes out to around 5 grams of protein before considering the protein powder.  Every powder is different, so results may vary!

A note on egg whites--The easiest way to get your half cup of egg whites is to use a pasteurized egg white substitute.  An egg white is about two tablespoons, which means you would need four eggs to get enough egg white for this recipe.  A whole egg is the equivalent of 2 egg whites, so adding two more eggs to the mix (4 eggs total) would work, though it may make for a thicker batter.

Quick substitutes abound, though you should be wary.  A banana and plain yogurt is a good combination, but most flavored yogurts (in the cute, little single-serving cups) are very high in sugar.  In a coming entry, we'll cover making our own energy bars, and talk a little about some workouts that can be fit into the week's adventures with little effort.   Until then, stay active, stay creative, and don't forget your morning coffee. . .

I have no idea who made this meme, but they know me quite well. . .

What's So Difficult About this Parenting Thing?

Saturday night, I came home from work and noticed that there was a basketball in one of our pine trees.  As there is no pavement anywhere close by upon which to even piddle around with a basketball, I asked my kids the inevitable question, "Why is there a basketball in the tree?"

The answer came from my oldest son in a very matter-of-fact tone, "We used it to get the frisbee out of the tree".

My next question was a bit transparent, but I asked it anyway:  "Didn't you try to get the basketball down?"

The answer that followed was, "we tried to use the frisbee, but it almost got stuck again".

I don't care what anyone says, these are the parenting moments that I live for.  All of the bedtime arguments, squabbling over chores, teen angst, etc. are more than made up for by the times when I actually have to wonder if I am hearing Calvin and Hobbes logic, or my sarcasm lessons have taken hold.

Over the years, I have done my best to teach them what I could, as it is a parent's job to make certain their children can operate in the real world when the time comes.  It's all well and good to teach them to play myriad sports, but the best thing you can do is teach them how to work things, fix things, deal with problems life is going to hurl at them.  Life is so much easier to deal with, simply from a financial standpoint, when you don't have to huck $300 or more to a plumber when your drains clog up.  My kids know what a plunger is for, and they know that boiling water is sometimes all you need for a stopped up kitchen sink.  My youngest has developed an affinity for livestock care, and my oldest son would probably gain weight if you dropped him off in the woods with a knife for a week.  Everyone can cook for themselves, when the need arises, and they are also fair hands with gadgets.  If the power goes out at night, you will likely see a milk jug full of water with a headlamp strapped to it for area lighting.

Today, we celebrated father's day with my parents with a ride and cookout.  Lacking charcoal, we used forest detritus for our fire, and the kids followed my "if you're going to grill it, mean it" rule and made do when we didn't have a pot for the baked beans.  Zack even fussed at me for using a regular can opener, rather than the one on my multi-tool.  There was swimming involved afterwards, and the kids even got to learn how to remove a leech with minimal effort and no puking.  It was a good day.  I hope yours was, as well.  Next time, I'll share my recipe for Ultimate Showdown Potato Salad.  For now, good night, friends and happy father's day.

The Upcycling Foodie, or How to Turn Garbage into (Mostly) Useful Stuff. . .

Anyone that has followed me for a time, either here or on my YouTube channel, knows I have a thing for upcycling.  I literally cannot stand to see anything go to waste.  Cans bother me, food scraps are utter torment, and don't even get me started about wine corks.  Everything is made for a reason, and most things can be recycled, like tin, aluminum, plastics, etc., but it takes a special bit of your imagination to come up with a better use for something.

First of all, there are tin cans.  The wondrous technology available to us includes can openers that will cut off the lid of a can in such a way that it can be replaced, and all without leaving an exposed, sharp edge.  This opens the door for all kinds of shenanigans!  Of course, there are the obvious uses--pen cups, craft storage, etc.  My personal favorite use for cans is making camping gadgets.  I learned to make lanterns and camp stoves from tin cans in the Boy Scouts, back before they were afraid of people getting hurt doing such things.  Two different designs I've made can be
found here and here (be warned, the last one was one of my first videos, so it's not very exciting).

Another nice little use for tin cans is, of course, a survival kit.  The average sized tin can is capable of holding enough small gear to make the expert survivalist feel like he or she is staying in a luxury suite with mosquitoes.  For the average Joe, it carries enough equipment (if you know how to use it) to make you possibly feel like you are just on a lousy camping trip, rather than dying slowly in the wilderness.

Cooking on a tin can stove (a.k.a. "hobo stove") can be challenging, to say the least, as you have a very small space in which to start and maintain your fire.  Larger cans can be used to obtain bigger cooking surfaces and fire space, but the bigger you go, the more difficult it is to pack small and light.

Granted, if you are cooking on a hobo stove, you most likely are boiling pine needles or small animals, not attempting Lobster Thermidore.

Now, for a truly useful object, wine corks come in a very close second.  As a cooking adventurer, you just might have an abundance of wine bottles passing through your kitchen over the course, leaving you with a collection (if such is your way) of both real and synthetic corks.  These can be used for everything from floating eyeglass lanyards, to bulletin boards, and even bath mats and furniture tops.  I keep a couple in my survival pack to use as fishing floats and fire starters.  Wine cork keychains have kept my keys from hitting the bottom of the lake on more than one occasion, and simply made coasters keep your houseguests from ruining the finish on your prized coffee table.

The end-all recyclable from the kitchen is food, itself.  Where vegetable matter is concerned, there is almost an endless parade of possible continued uses.  Romaine lettuce, pictured here, is easily rooted in water and will soon provide more leaves for several sandwiches before finally switching to "survival mode" and growing spindly.  If you keep it around for a while longer, it will provide seeds to plant, starting the process over again.  Potatoes are another easily planted scrap food.  If you cut chunks of potatoes and plant them (the parts with the growing "eyes"), you will find that the vines are quite prolific.  There are several ways to raise potatoes, each one accommodating your particular space.  Indoor potato planters can produce year-round, if given proper sunlight and water, though you may not necessarily grow massive bakers.  Peppers and tomatoes give seeds that are quite eager to grow, also adapting to pots and buckets just as easily as the garden.
The point I am trying to make here is that everything has its use and, sometimes, it also has a litany of other uses.  We are living in a world of filling landfills and failing ecosystems, so the planet could stand a little less garbage.  Before you pitch an object, think to yourself, "could this still have purpose?"  We'll talk about this a little bit more in the near future, including a use for bottle caps that even Uncle Scrooge would find impressive.

Good night for now, fellow adventurers!

Prepping for the Months Ahead. . .

Yes, I know.  The average person hears the word "prepping" or the term "prepper", and the first thing that comes to mind is that semi-unstable guy down the road with a basement full of canned goods and water jugs and the tendency to dig holes in his yard at odd hours of the night.  This is not about anything like that.  Though I do advocate having a store of non-perishable foods for emergencies, all we're going to talk about tonight is keeping yourself in tomatoes and veg for the year.

When you have a large family, groceries take up an enormous chunk of your monthly budget.  With all the soups, stews, and pastas we make, it is truly staggering just to think of the amount of tomatoes my family consumes in a year.  This is why I garden.  Let's face it, quality produce is sometimes hard to come by.  Either produce was picked to soon, so as not to ripen before reaching its destination, or it arrives in a little sad shape to the grocery store.  Some items can even be off the trees for nearly a year before reaching the grocers' shelves, spending most of its life in cold storage, or what not.  This is not to rag on commercial growers--they're doing what they need to do in order to ensure the crop remains sellable when it hits the store.  I'm just saying that it's not always the best when it arrives.

That's what makes local farmers' markets such a wonderful thing.  Many farmer's markets are stocked with locally grown produce and some domestically grown items (meaning they shipped things in that can't be easily grown in that area).  These market are usually run by one or two people you can actually get to know well enough to get the lowdown on everything they sell.  Some other types of markets look the same, but will only have one or two "local" items, and the rest of the stock is shipped in from all over the planet.  You can still get some good produce, but pay attention to labeling.

 The absolute best produce to have is, of course, your own.  Today, I ventured into my greenhouse for the first time since the snow flew, taking stock of seeds I had left out for the winter temperatures to set, and looking over the onions that I had left to go dormant.  It is the second week of April and we are still looking at the possibility of snow on the Copper Island, though the temperatures should be steadily increasing over the course of the week.  The itch to garden is becoming maddening!

Were I still down home, my garden would already be tilled, as the Kentucky Derby heralded the start of the planting season.  Up in the hinterlands, there is no telling when winter will let go of you, plus the threat of frost is real up to and sometimes through June.  With such a stunted growing season, you have to do what you can to artificially extend summer for your plants.

The first step is, of course, to make a plan for the season.  It's more than just putting some seeds in the ground and standing back; you have to work for it.  Whether you have acres to till, or just a postage stamp-sized yard, you have to figure out where things are going to go, and when.  Do you till a row for potatoes, or do you put in a spud box between the privacy fence and the central air unit?  What about frost?  Which plants will survive and which ones need more coddling?  I always begin the cycle with the plants that we depend upon the most:  tomatoes and peppers.  I'll plant seeds in starter trays to get the jump on the warm weather.  When they've reached a good transplant size, I'll put them in tilled soil (usually, the snow has abated by then) or in planters.  As long as the threat of frost exists, I have a portable greenhouse that I sit over them for protection.  Once we're beyond that threat, in go the onion sets.  That spud box I mentioned?  I'm using one of those this year, just to see how it works out.  I will still be putting potatoes in the ground, for sure, but you never know what might come in handy.

For anyone who has grown tomatoes successfully, you are aware that they will start producing slowly then, all of a sudden, it looks like a tomato bomb has hit your garden, and you start looking for people go give the fallout to.  Peppers come in a close second, and onions never make it to that point, as I have an awesome recipe for onion soup.  As for leafy greens, I will be planting spinach in elevated planters and lettuce will just be strewn, ornamentally, about the yard.  I am literally turning my yard into a side salad.

Over the course of this adventure, I will be applying some massive amounts of science to different techniques, up to and including the canning of our harvest.  I am going to be experimenting with different methods of composting, and a biomass heater that may or may not keep me growing through the winter.  During this little romp, I welcome open discussion, both here and on the Cooking for Adventurers Facebook page.  I'd like to hear what has and hasn't worked for you in your own gardening experiments.  I will, most likely, be offering to build spud boxes, for a price, on the Copper Island Makerspace Facebook page, also.

And, just in case you forgot why we're here in the first place, here's something you can do with all of your newly-grown tomatoes.  This is a bit of a modification on the recipe you'll find in the pages of "Cooking for Adventurers":

MARINARA SAUCE

• 1/4 Cup pinot grigio (or, for a lilt of flavor, a white zinfandel works nicely)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Small onion, chopped well
• 2 Garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped
• 3 Cups diced tomatoes
• 6 Oz. tomato paste
• 3/4 Tsp. salt
• 1/4 Tsp. coarse ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Chopped basil
• 1 Tbsp. Oregano
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms, if desired

Heat the oil in a 4 quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.  Add the mushrooms and keep stirring for a minute.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer (don't let it scorch!).  Stir in the tomatoes, wine, tomato paste, salt, and pepper, then heat to boiling.  Reduce the heat to a slow simmer, add the basil and oregano, and stir occasionally for fifteen to twenty minutes to blend the flavors.  This sauce freezes well, so don't be afraid to make extra!

We'll get into the ins and outs of making your own tomato paste and other sauces in other posts.  For now, it's time for bed and dreams of warmer weather.  Here's to a good start to your gardens this year, fellow Adventurers!

Something Fishy This Way Comes. . .

I have fish and the ability to make fire--why should a little snow stop me?

The biggest thing about living on the country's northern frontier is that you never know what the weather is going to do to you, from one day to the next.  The first and second weeks of spring were much colder and snowier than the 50° days we experienced the last week of winter.  Despite the cold, despite the snow, my grill has been begging to be used for quite a while, so today salmon met fire.

Now, out of all the proteins, fish may seem to be the most daunting to successfully grill, but a little practice and some handy tricks make the whole chore quite easy:

• Learn to gauge your temperature!  This makes all the difference between a nicely-cooked salmon fillet and unintentional sushi.  We'll talk about this in a minute.
• Clean your grill!  No matter how tiny, any leftover debris is going to stick to your fish.  Heat the grill to loosen any stuck-on debris (use a wire brush), coat it with oil, then scrub it again with some soap and water.  Wipe it down with an oil-soaked paper towel before use.
• Brush the fish with an oil or marinade.
• Make certain the grill is good and hot before placing the fish on it.  The instant sear helps keep the fish from sticking.  Placing the fish across the grill bars will also minimize the amount of contact.

As far as heat goes, you should shoot for a 'moderate' range, as determined by the "hand thermometer" method (you did read "Cooking for Adventurers", didn't you?  That's on pages 54-55).  At this temperature, the fish will cook thoroughly without needing to be turned.  How long it takes will depend on whether or not you can trap the heat in with a lid, or if you are cooking on an open pit.  The fish will flake easily with a fork when done.  One last thing to note is that, if you are cooking fillets, you should leave the skin ON.  You won't lose any meat because it stuck to the grill, and it will peel off easily when the fish is done.

Now, how should you prepare it?

The simplest way to prep a good sized salmon fillet is to just give it a little pepper and smear your favorite barbecue sauce on it.  Barbecue sauce will glaze well in the grill, especially if you aren't cooking directly over the fire, and will blend well with the flavor of the wood smoke.

With the proper temperature, salmon will cook in a closed grill in the neighborhood of about 15-25 minutes, depending on the size of the fillet.  Don't forget that wind and ambient temperature are also factors that could slow cooking.  Today, it took me around 30 minutes to cook these fillets, but the temperature was in the low 20s with a 15 m.p.h. wind.  Cooking outdoors requires a bit more attention than cooking in a climate-controlled kitchen, for sure!

Another way to prepare your fish before cooking is with a simple marinade.  Try this one:

• 1/3 Cup beer
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tsp thyme
• 1 Tsp ground mustard
• 1/2 Tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 Tsp Salt & Pepper

Place the fish in the marinade for about 20-30 minutes, prior to cooking.  Grill at moderate temperature until meat flakes with a fork (again, usually about 15-25 minutes).

If the weather outside is just too ridiculous, or you just can't dig the grill out of all of that snow, both of these prep methods can be translated to the oven.  Place the salmon in an oiled, shallow baking pan for 15 minutes at 450°, or in the broiler for about 10 minutes.  These methods work the best if your fillets are completely skinned.

And that's it!  Serve immediately with whatever side items you like.  I tend towards baked potatoes and mixed veg, but the possibilities are endless.  The main rule, like with anything else, is to not overthink things.  The first time I grilled fish over a campfire, I was so worried that it wasn't going to cook thoroughly that I almost flipped it over.  Thankfully, it broke apart, indicating that it was completely cooked.  Had I flipped it, it would have stuck to the grill instantly, making more of a mess than a meal.  Learn from some of my mistakes--you can't possibly make them all yourself, can you?

Pick up your own copy of Cooking for Adventurers and help the author keep cooking!  You can get one here!

Wrangling Mealtime. . .

It's a somewhat chilly spring day, rain soaking the ground in a constant blatter, and you've been working since early in the morning, stopping only for a cup of coffee when your brain became conscious enough of the time.  We've all been there.  For me, working today meant finishing up some woodworking projects and trying to make a little more progress on the workshop, itself.  It's spring break, so the kids have been helping me--there's nothing that keeps you apprised of mealtimes so much as four kids asking "what's for dinner" in quadraphonic stereo.

In situations like these, you find yourself wanting to take the easy way out, because cooking a full meal means more work.  Well, that's usually the case, but today I had my mind on some "cowboy" pork chops that I had recently acquired and wanted to be creative with.  Despite what one would think, pork is probably one of the easiest things to cook, especially if you pair it with simple items.  Tonight, we baked potatoes and garnished with sauteed onions and mushrooms, but I'm getting ahead of myself. . .

A "cowboy" cut is, simply, a rib-eye style pork chop, cut straight off the rack with the bone left in.  It is usually thicker than your average pork chop, and very well marbled.  They are excellent grilled or fried, but when you want to take the easy route, baking is the way to go.

Now, the guidelines on what is "done" have changed a bit for pork, but they are pretty straightforward.  As I mentioned in "Cooking for Adventurers", it is impossible to tell by sight alone whether or not your protein has been thoroughly cooked; for that, you need a meat thermometer.  For pork, it must be cooked to an internal temperature of 145° and allowed to rest for three minutes.  You might prefer to cook it to a higher temperature, as this could still leave a bit of a pinkish cast to the meat, but that is entirely your call.  Pork chops usually are done within 20 minutes if baked at 450°, but these chops are quite large, and I have allotted more cook time.

Tonight's meal also calls for the use of a dry rub.  I used a grilling blend that I normally reserve for red meats but, as I said, I wanted to get creative.  Here's what I did tonight:

COWBOY PORK CHOPS

• 1 Cowboy chop for everyone in your group
• 1 Large onion, cut into petals
• 6 oz. fresh mushrooms (or 1 can, drained)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• Seasoned pepper (to taste)
• Dry rub of your choice (try 1 Tbsp. each of Garlic powder, Onion powder, and  Black pepper with 2 Tsp. Cayenne and Sea salt)
• Barbeque sauce (approx. 1/4 to 1/3 cup)
• 6-8 oz. any type of beer

Heat oven to 450°.  Rub chops with one Tbsp. olive oil, then massage in a generous amount of dry rub.  Arrange on a baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes.

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a saute pan, then cook onions, stirring constantly, until they just start to become tender.  Add the mushrooms and continue to saute for about another two minutes.  Add beer to the pan and sprinkle with seasoned pepper.  Reduce heat just enough to keep the beer simmering, energetically.  The goal is to just about cook off all the juices.  If you're really good, you'll time this just so as to finish the garnish at the same time as the pork chops!

Take the chops out of the oven at the 20 minute mark, but leave the oven on.  Coat chops on the top and sides with barbecue sauce and put them back in the oven to cook for 12 minutes more.

And that's basically it!  Like I said, we went with baked potatoes to go along with them, but the plate could just as easily be finished out with baked or sauteed veg.  How complex you want to be is entirely your choice.

Meals fit for adventurers do not have to be complex, nor do they have to take up your entire day in the preparation.  Don't forget to subscribe to the email list (the link is off to the right) so you don't miss any of my frequently infrequent posts.  While you're at it, you can visit the Cooking for Adventurers FB fan page here, and you can even pop over to the store at Copper Island Makerspace's website and buy my book!  You will help feed the starving author, obtain a valuable learning tool, and help pave the way for my next couple of books, "With Great Food Comes Great Responsibility"

and "AAAAAIIIGGGH! and Other Noises your Electrician Shouldn't Make".

The Needs of the Many. . .

While writing "Cooking for Adventurers", I came to a realization--I no longer find cooking for a few easy.  Normally, it is just the opposite.  Normal people can cook for themselves and one or two people easily, yet have difficulty cooking for large groups.  I have been cooking for a houseful for so long that I have difficulty scaling things down.

Our weeks are, like most families', ridiculously hectic.  The kids have school and after-school activities, Kim has her girl scouts, and I work, literally, all over the place.  At least once a week we make something that generates huge amounts of excess servings, in order to accommodate the need for lunches and quickie meals when making something new isn't an option.  Large pots of chili, Brunswick stews, or burgoo usually fit the bill well.  In fact, burgoo will generate more than you can handle with storage containers and reused butter bowls alone, so you have to invite friends and family over when you make it (I'm pretty sure the word, "burgoo", is probably an old, Native American word for "you are going home with leftovers").

Today, we took advantage of the excellent weather and drove to a favorite spot of ours, up north.  Though there is still an abundant pile of snow on the landscape, many places that were buried have begun to open up, thanks to some unseasonably warm weather over the last couple of weeks, including one of my favorite fishing holes.  It was getting pretty late by the time we made our way home and my father, who is diabetic, had to eat pretty soon after we arrived, so I needed a fairly simple solution.  We had been discussing the absence of salmon in our recent diet, so the decision was made:  Salmon patties!

Now, don't get too put off by the size of this recipe.  I was cooking for four adults and four kids tonight.  I'll tell you how to cut it down, also.

SALMON PATTIES

4 Cans Salmon (14.75 oz.)
1 Cup bread crumbs
1 Medium onion, diced
4 eggs
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

Dice the entire onion and saute in olive oil until they become soft and semi-translucent.  Set aside to cool.

Mix Salmon with bread crumbs, eggs, and Worcestershire Sauce, then mix in the onions.  Form into patties,  This amount of ingredients will yield approximately 20 hamburger-sized patties ( 2.5" diameter x .5" thick)

Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat and cook patties until done throughout (they will be a golden brown on both sides)--this usually takes 3-4 minutes on each side.  Adjust your heat if they are browning too quickly.

IF YOU'RE NOT COOKING FOR A SMALL ARMY. . .

1 Can Salmon
1/4 Cup bread crumbs
1 Smallish onion, diced
1 Egg
2 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Follow the directions above!

Don't be disappointed if they don't want to stay together the first time or two you make them.  There are several factors that will affect the mixture, including the natural juices in the salmon and even the absorbency of the bread crumbs.  Once you become skilled at making the patties, you can actually make little salmon loaves out of this mix (or one big one, if you use the larger recipe).

Those of you with large families will understand the struggle of downsizing what you would normally cook.  For us, I'm not entirely certain what we are going to do when the kids are all grown and out of the house; we'll probably have friends over for dinner more often.  If you get an invite from us, bring your own empty butter bowls. . .

Breaking a Few Eggs. . .

Admittedly, I get lazy sometimes.  The whole reason I wrote a cookbook was because of the idea to organize all of my recipes into one well-ordered location.  On that note, this has been a difficult week--work has been especially demanding, some sort of alien space plague has been circulating through the members of the household, and in situations like this, cooking complex meals is sort of a low-priority interest.  It's times like these when the adventurer falls back on simpler times.  Thoughts of ramen-fueled college nights and your fondness for fried bologna start to pop into your head when you come home after a 12 hour shift and have to make certain everyone is still alive.  It's times like these when you remember how good "breakfast for dinner" can be.

I learned a long time ago that, if you needed something good and quick, eggs in the fridge were your best choice.  As a rule, unless you insist on being complicated, eggs cook up quickly and easily; plus, with the myriad of ways they can be prepared, you could eat them every night (or morning) of the week and have something different each time.  Eggs have, on average, 6 grams of protein each, which also make them a good post-workout food.  That being said, eggs have been on both sides of the nutritional fence over the last several decades, due in no small part to the fact that they have, on average, 187 mg of cholesterol each.  The thing is, your body makes its own cholesterol, so it will be in your system whether you eat that egg or not.  Some people have high cholesterol because their bodies do not recognize that they are ingesting it adequately enough through their diet, and it doesn't slow down its own production.  On the other side of the coin, you can also have high cholesterol from eating too much and leading a non-active lifestyle.  Good rule of thumb:  visit your doctor once and a while.

Unless you're making a ridiculously complex frittata, most egg dishes can be cooked in a few minutes with little fuss.  Poached eggs take approximately three minutes, and scrambled generally take a bit less.  When I scramble eggs, I usually mix everything into the container I'm beating the eggs in and pour it all into the pan at once (except sausage--you want to make sure it is thoroughly cooked).

POACHED EGGS-->

• Bring water to a steady simmer in a small saucepan
• Add a dash of vinegar to the water
• Crack the egg into a small cup or bowl (this makes inserting it into the water much easier)
• Stir the water in the pan until you get a steady "whirlpool" motion.  This helps hold the egg together when you pour it in
• Pour the egg into the center of the whirlpool, as close to the surface as you can manage
• Don't stir it, touch it, poke it, or even look at it sternly.  It will cook in three minutes
• Take the egg out of the water with a slotted spoon and drain it for a bit on a paper towel

When done properly, a poached egg will usually be teardrop-shaped with a firm white and runny yolk.  Don't be discouraged if it doesn't turn out well the first dozen times you try this.

If you absolutely insist on trying to poach eggs in the microwave (which can, by the way, cause them to explode), crack an egg into a half-cup of water in a small, microwaveable container and cover it with a plate.  Microwave on high for a minute.  If, after a minute, it still isn't quite right, cook it no more than 15 seconds at a time until it's done.

SCRAMBLED EGGS-->

By far, the easiest method, scrambling an egg consists of cracking your eggs into a bowl or measuring cup, and then beating them to within an inch of their lives before pouring them into a hot pan.  The more vigorously you beat the eggs, the fluffier they will be.

• Beat eggs, adding anything you think that would go well with them.  Salt, pepper, sliced mushrooms, onions, cheese, or even salsa!
• Heat around two tablespoons of butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat (or use cooking spray, if butter gives you the heebie-jeebies)
• Pour in the eggs, folding them as they solidify.  With the flipper inverted, pull them across the pan.  This gives them that fluffy, curd-shape.  Keep folding until they are completely cooked.
• Serve immediately!  I'm not sure what the R-value is on the average egg, but they cool off quickly.

Even in "Cooking for Adventurers" I shied away from getting too in-depth with frying eggs.  The method is simple; you crack an egg into a hot pan and cook it until it stops wiggling enough for you to enjoy eating it.  Whether you flip or not depends on the heat and your liking for "Sunnyside up" vs. "Over Easy".  I have, on occasion, used vegetable rings (onions, peppers, etc.) to better contain and flip the eggs, and I have accidentally fried the eggs I intended to use for my chow mien stir fry, because I got way ahead of myself.

One fun note:  People tend to avoid cooking eggs in cast iron pans, as the eggs will (harmlessly) take on a greenish color.

But, there you go--the rudiments of cooking the simple egg.  They're good for when you want to be fancy, or when you're feeling lazy.  The egg doesn't judge.  I've paired them with bacon, steak, and even the aforementioned fried bologna.  We'll get into some more complex recipes in the near future, including a Finnish dessert that everyone loves, and is ridiculously simple to make.  As a matter of fact, I have this weekend off; maybe I'll show you guys how to make your own bologna. . .

Just Wok on By. . .

Second only to my freakish love for Indian food is my love for the other Asian cuisines.  I considered it no small feat when I learned to properly fry rice and noodles, and when I figured out General's Chicken, it was a cause for celebration.

Asian cuisine isn't difficult, though it requires practice and patience.  The first time you fry noodles, half of them will probably stick to the wok, for one reason or another, or you will get too excited stirring your veg and kick a good portion out onto the stovetop.  For me, I would get ahead of myself and realize I forgot to whip the eggs only after I had dropped them in the pan, turned to get my flipper, then turned back to see two perfect sunnyside up eggs looking back at me from the bottom of the pan.

My wok is one of the invaluable tools of the kitchen, but they're not for everyone; you either love them or hate them.  I will actually cross lines of nationality with mine, using it in place of a saute pan whenever the situation allows.  Tonight, for example, I made a version of my quick curry using Tandoori Masala, and did the whole thing up in the wok.

The only difference between this recipe and my "Curry in a Hurry" from the January 14th post is the fact that I substituted the Tandoori Masala for the vindaloo curry powder, and I also simmered the sauce long enough for it to reduce a bit, making for a thicker consistency.  The rice in the picture at right was cross-contamination, as I failed to get a picture before my kids (read:  locusts) started to mow into it.

For more traditional-style stir fries, you have to be a bit more alert when cooking.  Stir frying requires constant attention (obviously since it's not called "watch it frying").  The first thing to do is to heat the pan or wok with oil, then start to cook your protein.  When the protein is cooked through, add whatever sauce you prefer, be it soy, teriyaki, hoisin, or something more involved (see below).  Set the meat aside, wipe out the wok, and reheat it again.  Begin adding your vegetables, with those that take the longest to cook going in first.  Once the veg has cooked, you can add the noodles, stirring the whole mess constantly until it is heated throughout.  Regardless of the flavor of the protein, I will generally use a homemade hoisin sauce at this point, simply because I enjoy the flavor.  As far as noodles go, anything will work, as long as they are prepared properly.  A noodle that is mushy when it goes in the pan will stick terribly--you want to shoot for al dente.  Serve up the stir-fry noodles and veg on a plate and top with the protein.

Now, here's something to play with:

GENERAL'S CHICKEN SAUCE

3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar (can substitute white vinegar)
2 Tbsp. prepared chicken bouillon or broth
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tsp. sesame oil
2 Tsp. peanut oil
3 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Tsp. finely grated ginger
1 Small onion, chopped
Dried, red chilies, to taste.

Mix the first seven ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  Heat peanut oil in pan and cook the last four ingredients until they begin to soften.  Back off the heat if they are cooking too quickly, as the idea is not to let anything scorch.  Add the sauce and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.

General's chicken is a two-stage process, as the chicken is usually cut into chunks, batter-dipped, and fried before it even gets to see the sauce.  The batter-dipped part can be skipped, in lieu of just pan-frying, as long as the chicken gets thoroughly cooked.  The easiest way to finish it off is to just mix the cooked chicken with the General's sauce in an oven-safe pan and bake it for 10-15 minutes at about 350°.  This gives you the opportunity to concentrate on your fried rice or noodles, without having to worry about stirring another pan on the stovetop.

And there you go; the mystery of Asian cuisine without having to order takeout.  Other recipes are much easier, while some are more difficult, but the fact remains, if you have an adventurous mind, a lot of patience, and plenty of friends to test things out on, you're in for a rewarding experience.

Does it Have to be Chilly When You Eat Chili?

Another American staple with questionable origins is Chili.  Mutterings about stews resembling chili date back as far as the 17th century, but its origin point seems to be somewhere between Texas and the California gold fields.  Called the "pemmican of the southwest" by chili aficionado Everrette DeGolyer (1886-1956), his records seemed to indicate the birth of the traditional stew happening around 1850, when trail cooks made dried bricks of meat, fat, salt, pepper, and chilies to carry on long journeys that could be easily rehydrated in boiling water.

Whichever story you believe (and there are a whopping lot of them), the simple fact is that there are as many ways to make chili as there are people who like it.  Many like it hot, while some like it mild; likewise, you have the whole noodle/no noodle argument.  There is even a "Cincinnati style", which isn't a chili at all, but rather a Mediterranean meat sauce that is used as a spaghetti or hot dog topping.  A very good friend of mine makes a version called "Fireball Chili" every year around Winter Carnival time at Michigan Tech.  It is a relatively evil concoction which, if not treated with respect, will actually dissolve nose hairs just for being too close to the pot.  It is cooked to the point that the meat nearly dissolves into the mixture--you could feed it to someone with no teeth, provided you didn't care that they burst into flames in the process.

Given that I enjoy spicy foods, I am cooking for others as well, so I tend to back it down a bit.  My standby chili tends to be rather thick, and can be adjusted for heat and group size with ease.  I usually make it with ground beef, but it is excellent with cubed steak or roast, and several different types of meat, such as pork, chicken, or venison.  Cooking is chemistry, so don't be afraid to experiment.

CHILI, V1.0:

1 Tbsp olive oil

Cook on Low for 6-8 hours, if you use a slow cooker!

1.5 Lbs. ground beef (or any other meat you want to try)
1 Large onion, roughly chopped
1 Green bell pepper, chopped
2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 Can diced tomatoes and chilies
1 Can tomato sauce
1 Can light red chili beans (black beans are excellent, too)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tsp. crushed red pepper
Shredded cheese (sharp cheddar or Monterrey Jack)

In a three-quart saucepan or stock pot, heat oil and saute onions and jalapenos until the onions become slightly translucent and the peppers become fragrant.  Remove from pot and set aside.  In the same pan, brown beef and drain off any grease.  Combine all ingredients except the cheese, stirring well to break up tomatoes.  Simmer over medium-low heat for about thirty minutes, stirring occasionally.  Keep in mind, the longer you simmer, the better the flavors will blend.  Sprinkle generously with cheese when serving.
**If desired, the addition of 7-10 ounces of prepared elbow macaroni can be added, or just serve over spaghetti noodles, too**

This recipe isn't rocket science, but how you treat it determines the outcome.  This makes a thick stew with a pronounced warmth.  If you really want to bring out the heat of the jalapenos, rather than sauteing them with the whole onion, liquefy them in a food processor with half of the chopped onion (just remember to keep your eyes and nose away from the finished product).  I do, of course, incorporate other spices and herbs, such as cinnamon, thyme, and Mexican epazote, to name a few (in one version, I even use black coffee).

The point is, however you decide you like it best, Chili is a dish with no season.  Serve it when the snow is piling up, or when the troops come back to camp from  the day's adventures.  Just remember to keep experimenting, and don't be afraid to embrace the spice!

The Many Faces of Brunswick Stew. . .

The origins are hotly debated and recipes differ greatly from place to place, but one thing is certain--however you do it, Brunswick Stew is an American staple.  Brunswick County, Virginia holds the oldest claim to the stew's origin, dating back to 1828 when a man by the name of Jimmy Matthews simmered squirrels "with butter, onions, stale bread, and seasoning".  From those simplistic origins came a host of recipes that, over time, added vegetables and changed proteins, sometimes using pork, or chicken, or even rabbit.  The further south you go in these United States, pork and beef become more prevalent, and the stew becomes more tomato-based.

However you sling it, though, Brunswick Stew is a favorable meal for both cold, winter nights and summer evenings around the campfire.  Some recipes leave it as a soup, while others cook it down to a stew-like thickness.  Still others very nearly resemble a Kentucky Burgoo, in that the stew is reduced to the point that stirring implements will stand up, unassisted.  Most of these recipes also use some form of barbecue sauce to flavor the broth.

I've made mine several different ways.  In "Cooking for Adventurers", I laid out the recipe just as my mother used to make it, with a couple of small changes (my kids hate lima beans, and I added more cayenne).  I've also made the stew more traditionally, incorporating wild game and pork into the mix and reducing the consistency to something you can scoop with a biscuit.  Let's take a look at both:

MAMA'S WAY:

One whole chicken
One ham hock or shank
32 oz. diced tomatoes
8 oz. frozen lima beans (OR substitute green beans if the kids find limas revolting)
8 oz frozen corn
2 large onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. butter
4-5 slices of bread, torn apart
Salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne to taste
8-12 oz. egg noodles

Cover chicken with water in a large stock pot and boil slowly until completely cooked.  When done, remove from pot to cool and add all other ingredients.  Bring to a simmer over low heat and begin to debone the chicken, tearing it into manageable chunks.  Add chicken to the pot and return to a gentle simmer, cooking slowly for about 2-3 hours.

In the last half-hour of cooking, boil egg noodles until done, drain, then stir into the stew.

As I said, this method tends to make more of a soup than a stew, but it does tend to be a lot easier than most.  If you want a thicker consistency, a little extra time and a little less juice will help things along.  For a more traditional stew, take a list to the grocery store and maybe a trip to the woods for this one:

SUNRUNNER BRUNSWICK STEW

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 2 Lbs. of EITHER:  Chicken, pork, beef, rabbit, squirrel, deer, or any combination you'd like to try
• 8 oz. frozen corn
• 8 oz. frozen lima beans
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2-3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 15 oz canned tomatoes (do not drain)
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1-2 cups barbecue sauce
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt, Pepper, and Cayenne to taste

Melt butter in a large stock pot or dutch oven and saute onions and garlic until tender.  Stir in everything else, bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a slow simmer.  1 ½-2 hours will reduce things down to a stew-like consistency, while tenderizing the meats very well.  Serve with cathead biscuits and maybe some hot sauce.

Whatever you cook in your kitchen, you can cook outdoors.  We first experimented with cooking soup over a campfire eleven years ago and have been doing it ever since.  This is an excellent recipe for a large gathering of family and friends, as it can be increased with just a few adjustments.  It is also a recipe the kids can help out with, regardless of your location, and usually inspires the sharing of stories and, most importantly, a little family togetherness.

Good night, everyone!

The Pantry Puzzle. . .

We've all been there before--Just home from work, no intention of going anywhere else, favorite show on the tube, and what the heck do you make for dinner?  I don't know about you, but for me it usually involves a couple of trips back and forth between fridge, freezer, and pantry in an attempt to piece together a meal that somewhat makes sense.  Though it is a good cheat, I try not to play the "heap a bunch of stuff in a pan and throw in some cream of mushroom soup" card very often, because casseroles, though convenient, can get rather tiresome after a while.  One particular night, I had some chicken in the freezer, some pasta shells in the pantry, and a great idea before Doctor Who came on.

From the pages of Cooking for Adventurers:

FIRECRACKER CHICKEN

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Sixteen oz. can of tomato sauce
1 Ten oz. can of diced tomatoes and chilies, drained*
4 oz. chopped mushrooms
1 Medium onion, chopped
1 Cup small shells
1/3 cup white wine
2 Tbsp. olive oil

*It should be noted, that canned, diced tomatoes and chilies are also available in mild, should members of your group like things a bit more tame.

To taste:

• Salt
• Seasoned pepper
• Rosemary
• Oregano
• Cilantro

In a 5 quart saute pan, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil and cook onions for one minute, stirring constantly.  Add mushrooms, 1/3 cup white wine, and tomatoes & chilies.  Reduce heat and simmer until wine has almost evaporated.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Start pasta boiling.

In the saute pan, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat and saute chicken breasts, seasoning with Seasoned pepper and rosemary.  When chicken is cooked through, add tomato sauce, salt, oregano, cilantro, and reserved mushroom/onion/tomato mix.  Stir thoroughly and simmer, covered, over low heat for about six to seven minutes.  Serve with pasta.

And there you go.  A quick fix after a hard day at work.  This recipe obviously serves two, but can be increased rather easily if you have a larger group to fend for.  Tuck into a plateful with your favorite beverage and a friend or two, and stay warm this winter!

Surviving Interplanetary Maladies. . .

Good evening, everyone!

My conspicuous absence from all things interwebby has, unfortunately, been spurred by my latest brush with the Martian Death Flu, or something just as horrific with a clinically unpronounceable name.

• Do I feel horrible?  Yes.
• Have I been to see a doctor?  No, as I am pretty certain I have a good chance of surviving this on my own
• Am I using Medical Science?  Yes.  OTC phlegm-fighting goodness
• Why are we discussing this?  See below. . .

As we have discussed before, I am a firm believer in the fact that science is the only thing that will save us from ourselves.  I could go on a rant about homeopathic "cures", people who are "pro-disease" (read:  anti-vaxxers), and a host of other "thoughts and prayers" feel-good stories I've heard about this thing or that thing working, but I'm not.  I don't give credence to detoxifying and cleansing foods/smoothies/elixirs, because they tend to do nothing of the sort (unless you consider screaming diarrhea "cleansing")  I have a liver and kidneys for that, and they work just fine.  I just want to make it perfectly clear that my stance on medicine is, usually, bring on the science.

Now, that being said, there is still something to be gained in what I like to call "grandma's kitchen" remedies.  You all know the ones--your grandmother or some other learned relative or friend knew how to make this poultice or that salve which just worked wonders for whatever the heck was wrong with you at the time.  Before medical science had advanced to the point of realizing microscopic organisms were responsible for disease, people had developed an understanding of using foods and herbs to help ward off diseases.  Some foods, such as garlic, cabbage, and honey have antibiotic properties.  This doesn't mean you should rely solely on any of these when illnesses occur (let's face it, strep will kill you pretty efficiently), but they can sometimes help add some comfort when you're on the mend.

As an aficionado of hot foods, my grandmother would always have something in her kitchen that would open my head up even when I had the worst cold or attack of allergies.  As such, when I get into the situation I'm in now, I will tend towards excessively spicy foods for relief and a better breathing experience.  Most of the time, I will snatch a spoonful or three of a homemade barbecue/salsa sauce that probably has enough capsaisin to classify it as a lethal weapon in some parts of the world.  Other times, I will mix up a little concoction composed of water, cider vinegar, ginger (because I like the flavor), and copious amounts of cayenne pepper.  Wives' tales abound about cayenne's curative properties, but the one fact is that cayenne will get the juices flowing.  Ergo, when things get a little stopped up in the head region, I take a shot or two and get back to what I was doing.

6 oz. water, 2 Tbsp. ACV, 2 Tbsp. honey, 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, and a little ginger.

The main thing to remember, though, is that everything you eat or drink causes a change in your body.  Adding a food allergy to your symptoms would not be a fun ride, nor would eating the enamel off of your teeth because you didn't dilute your Apple Cider Vinegar well enough.  How medicines work can be affected by food, drink, or herbal supplements, also.  Before you try an herbal this or an old-fashioned that, you should discuss its effect with your doctor.  Most family practitioners have heard it all, and they are pretty good at determining whether or not Aunt Saidie's Chicken Soup cure will be comforting or detrimental to your treatment.

So, for those of you that have asked, this is the reason I haven't been around much the last couple of days.  The illness is on its way out, and we will get back to our regularly-scheduled programming very soon.  For now, I'm going to go grab some tea and watch some sci-fi reruns.  

Stay warm and cozy, adventurers!