Text 17349, 187 rader
Skriven 2008-12-04 14:13:00 av Michael Loo (1:18/200.0)
  Kommentar till text 17263 av Carol Shenkenberger (23698.cooks)
Ärende: picnic stuff 316
========================
 > Yep, times is tough. And I've been in a dying profession for
 > close on 40 years. Doesn't really bother me, I've been doing
 > mostly what I want, without being tied down.
 CS> Not a bad life at all!

But the bank account is not, shall we say, big. That's the
downside.

 > I think that some of us are grateful that you're thinking "inexpensive"
 > (I don't mind, for sure, though my situation isn't so precarious as
 > some) - and also that, by the sound of it, you're thinking maybe this
 > year.
 CS> Yup on both counts but can not obligate til I have a job then can be
 CS> sure i can get Thursday-Sunday off.  I'll be new to the job and with
 CS> little accrued vacation time as of yet.

'k.

 > Beer I know. I didn't realize that a Jackass samwich was actually food.
 > We've had horseshoe sandwiches before at echo picnics ...
 CS> It's huge, fatty, delicious, and wierd as hell.  Think thin cut roast
 CS> beast (pork and beef) with cheese, mayo, peppers, something from th
 CS> cabbage family, grilled like a grill cheese and so fat it's hard to
 CS> eat.  Definately messy to eat.

I always thought a jackass sandwich was a metaphor, sort of like
the ugly stick.

 Cant get my mouth that far open ;-)  Am
 CS> told the name is because you look like a jackass as you try to get your
 CS> mouth that far open?  Has bits of practially everything you might want
 CS> to add, in there. 

There used to be a (non-Kosher) deli in Cambridge called Elsie's
that served something along those lines: it was called "the Fresser"
and had 3 kinds of meat, 1 or 2 kinds of cheese, Russian dressing,
pickles, cole slaw, and fixin's ... it cost some enormous amount
like $2 when its Big Burger (like a Big Mac only twice as big and
fresh made) was 59 or 79c. I never had one.

 CS> cab. (avoid Bow Creek Inn please, they rent by the 1/4 hour).
 > But is it cheap? :o
 CS> Hehe last I heard, 20$ per hour or 7$ for 15 mins.

That's about what the 5* hotels charge. Of course, you're going
to use the 5* for more than an hour or two.

 -=> Carol Shenkenberger said to Dale Shipp <=-

 > Actually, the nice thing about fidonet and echos is that the medium
 > lends itself to creating a level playing field for people from all walks
 > of life.  It is good to try to plan the picnics with that in mind.
 CS> Absolutely.  I think it's much more interesting to have our group be
 CS> mixed from all walks of life and such.

For sure, and that means a location which people can reach
at reasonable cost.

 >  CS> Ruth, Steve, and I face major job changes (mine may work out to more
 > When is it that you muster out / convert to civvy or whatever you are
 > going to call it?
 CS> Should be retirement ceremony right about 17 March.  Exact day not yet
 CS> set. Simpler ceremony as i have asked to not make a huge production.

Congratulations, 3 months in advance.

 >  CS> As I contemplate a picnic here, I am looking closely at how many may
 >  CS> want to stay here for free and how many I can put up.  In the right
 > Glad to hear your train of thought.  Do you have a time period in mind?
 CS> I wish I could obligate right now but until work is settled (apt not
 CS> to be til Feb or so) I cant arrange a set time when I can be off.  I am
 CS> thinking beast season for _here_ is late April or early May but can
 CS> stretch to early June.  Any later and the northern flowers will wilt. 
 CS> Fall is possible but hurricane city here just about when the temps fall
 CS> back in line and before it gets too cold for us southern critters ;-)

I am not free the first week in May, but late April and later in May
should be okay. If not, as I said, I could conceivably host a picnic
in Massachusetts in June or July.

 CS> The reason for the temps being critical is that my house isnt that
 CS> big, though I think of it as big.  The only really usable way to do it
 CS> here, is on the screened porch.  It's right off the kitchen and outside
 CS> is the smoker/grill.  Backyard *well lit* with 6 floodlights.

Speaking of June, could people sleep in sleeping bags on the
screened porch?

 CS> Yeah, I did a little web crawling on the local offerings as one would
 CS> see them from far away, and there are some really bad places that look
 CS> good.  That local lodge is not perfect.  It's clean but careworn and
 CS> not all the WiFi reaches all the rooms yet (web will not tell you
 CS> that).  I noted last time many people just wanted a decent clean bed
 CS> and some sort of TV, which this place has.  It also has a small fridge
 CS> and microwave (but no dishes I noticed) in each room.  Some have a true
 CS> kitchenette?  Web shows some complaints about broken door locks etc,
 CS> but they are really old posts and I think the persons making them were
 CS> looking for 4-5 star at 50$ prices. 

Usually broken door locks refer to the secondary or tertiary security
locks. I seldom use them anyhow.

 CS> Most B-n-B places here are not well located to get to my place, being
 CS> 20 or more miles away.  I am still looking though.  Lots of local
 CS> reports on rampant price gouging for terrible places that look nice on
 CS> a web search.  There's one that calls itself a B-n-B and puts you in a
 CS> communal 20 bed attic for example for 110$ a night.  It actually isnt a
 CS> terrible choice for a college student with buddies as it's walking
 CS> distance to the prime area of the beach, but it's not anything any of
 CS> us would want to stay at and it's not as nice as the local econolodge
 CS> private rooms at 60$ non-military rate. 
 CS> Grin, my area is a vacation spot along the shoreline.  For retired
 CS> military, there are some really nice options at Fort Story (all
 CS> non-smoking) but it's a bit of a hop to get to me (15 miles at least).

You should discreetly let drop the name of this terrible place
so we can check out the Web site at least for laughs and to see
how someone can misadvertise.

 CS> When the time comes, I'll scout the beach for the nice hotels and some
 CS> of the 4 star ones tht are closer in.  There's a very *nice* one along
 CS> Bonney road, about 7 miles from me for those who want close and upscale
 CS> at the same time.  I seem to recall it's off season price is not bad at
 CS> all.  We'd be hitting off-season prices too with my dates ;-)

Ooh, nice for cheap; can't beat it.

Special occasion German chocolate cake
cat: dessert
serves: 12

4 oz sweet chocolate; chopped
4 oz ;boiling water
1/2 lb sweet butter; softened
2 c sugar
4 lg eggs; separated
1 ts vanilla
2 1/2 c cake flour
1 ts baking soda
1/2 ts salt
1 c buttermilk
1/2 ts cream of tartar
frosting [see below]

Oven at 350. Butter and flour 3 9" round pans.

Combine chocolate and water and stir until smooth.

In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.
Beat in egg yolks, vanilla, and melted chocolate.

Sift flour, soda, and salt together. Add to batter
alternately with buttermilk.

Beat egg whites with 1 pn salt and the cream of tartar
to stiff peaks. Stir 1 spoonful of this into the batter
and then fold in the rest. Distribute batter among pans
and bake 30-40 min or until they test done. Cool layers
for 20 min in the pans and then turn them out onto racks
to cool. Frost the top of each layer and leave the sides
unfrosted. Serve at room temperature the next day.

Heather Watts & Jock Soto, Our Meals (NY: Riverhead, 1997)

Frosting for special occasion German chocolate cake
cat: frosting, chocolate
yield: enough to frost 3 layers

1 c evaporated milk
1 c sugar
1/4 lb sweet butter; in pieces
1 ts vanilla
1 Tb brewed coffee
1 1/3 c shredded unsweetened coconut
1 c pecans; chopped

Cook first 5 ingredients over low heat until thickened,
10-12 min. Make sure this doesn't boil. Off heat, stir
occasionally until cool. Add coconut and pecans.

Heather Watts & Jock Soto, Our Meals (NY: Riverhead, 1997)


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