Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Odd, ends, and bacon

A very pleasant day at Nutwood, and there was much puttering taking place. I got everything done on my list, so I'm pleased about that.

This was one of the headlines in the online version of our local paper today (I presume it was in the print version, too):

Stabbing, toilet intruder lead to arrests at Polish Festival

The story goes on to note that "A man is accused of stabbing one man and hitting another in the head with a belt buckle, and another man was subdued with a stun gun after police say he was trying to take pictures of women inside portable toilets."

You know, I really have nothing more to add to that, other than I guess that must have been some festival!

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I renewed my subscription to Taste of Home magazine a while back, and they sent me a little cookbook of beef recipes. (Mmm, beef.) As I was looking through it late one night, I came across a recipe for Beef Fajita Salad. Sounds fairly yummy, but what really struck me was the picture. (Click to embiggen.)

Beef Fajita Salad

Are you seeing the same thing I saw? Take a good look at it, and in the meantime, I'll write about some other stuff and then get back to this.

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A question. Is writing about 9/11 in a work of fiction off-limits? I'm following one of my favorite authors, F. Paul Wilson, on Facebook and Twitter, and he wrote today that he's already gotten mail about his newest book (another book in the Repairman Jack series) from people who are not pleased because he utilizes 9/11 as part of the plot. I responded that I don't understand their anger, because that is part of our history now. He obviously loves New York, and I'm certain that however he uses the tragedy in his novel, it will be appropriately respectful. In Stephen King's recent short story collection, one of the stories is about 9/11. I don't understand why anyone would be angry that an author would write about it. It is certainly part of our collective conscious as a nation, and it definitely changed our lives and the way we go about our daily business. You can't just ignore it and pretend that it never happened. As Roland says in King's Gunslinger novels, the world has moved on. We may not like what happened, but it did change the way we live, and we'll never go back to the lighter security of pre-9/11. I'm just wondering what you all think, because I found it odd that people would be upset by that.

I guess you could also call it the pre-shoe removal days. Remember when you didn't have to take off your shoes at the airport? Haha! I almost always wear slip-on shoes now, usually the kind with no backs. I often wear toe socks with those, so it's kind of weird to be standing there and walking through security with half-socks on my feet. But then I've also been randomly selected for a pat-down, so I guess being seen in my half-socks isn't all that bad.

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I had a package in the mail from Shane today and look what he sent me!

Bacon Salt

How awesome is Bacon Salt?! I can hardly wait to try it. I thawed out some chicken breasts for dinner tonight, and however I prepare them, you can bet I'm putting on some Bacon Salt! Their trademark saying is Everything Should Taste Like Bacon™. From your lips to God's ears, Bacon Salt! Oddly enough, it says it's a low sodium product, and it does indeed have only 6% sodium per serving. That's much less than many of the canned or boxed products you buy. It's made with sea salt, too. I think I just might have a favorite new seasoning! I'll let you know how it tastes. I'm trying to think of what it wouldn't be good on, and I can't think of anything! Eggs, meat, potato salad...maybe I'd leave it off of my cottage cheese and just use regular salt. I think it might be good even on that, though. Shane got it at Meijer, if you have one of those near you, and he said they also have peppered bacon salt.

I think they need to branch out and start selling Bacon Butter.

Thanks, Shane. You made my day!

~~~~~

We made another sale today from the garage sale! When I went outside today, there was a note on the door from a lady interesting in a picture printer. She'll stop by tomorrow morning to pick it up. I chatted with Neighbor Dave today, and he asked if we could sell something for him at our next garage sale, and also told me several times about how people went right by our driveway and how I need to put an arrow on the sign next time. Okay, Dave. [grin] I told him that it would be quite some time before we have another one, and he said, "That's okay, I'm not goin' anywhere." As far as being hard to find, I've mentioned before that that is not necessarily a bad thing. If I want you to find us, I'll make sure that you do.

~~~~~

Back to the Beef Fajita Salad. Here's another picture pointing out--so to speak--what I saw.

Beef Fajita Salad revised

Does that look exactly like a severed, decomposing finger, or what?! Did anyone else see it? Ken saw it eventually, but I swear, when I first looked at that recipe and picture, that finger just jumped right out at me. Certainly a lovely manicure, but still a decomposing-finger lookalike. I suppose I'm a little warped to have seen it, and no, you really don't need to weigh in on that. Please do tell me if you saw it, though!

18 comments:

  1. I thought I saw worms and a beetle, not a finger. Sorry I just couldn't see the finger until after you pointed it out. Are you sure you weren't with those folks at the Polish festival??
    :-)

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  2. Well, you are little, and you are warped, so I guess it is fair to say you are a little warped :o)

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  3. Bacon...Bacon...ooooo, I love bacon but not fingers even if they are polish!I saw roaches so who know what the heck in in that salad!

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  4. I saw chocolate covered bacon on Food Network the other day. Now THAT is somethin' I gotta get!

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  5. Hi Beth,
    Holy moly, if that isn't finger food, what is. Yes, it looks like a decomposing finger. As for the Bacon Salt, hmmm, I have visions of you running around the house yelling "Bacon, Bacon, I just loooove Bacon" and panting profusely ... just like the dog in the Beggin' Strips commercial.
    Best,
    Marty

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  6. i will have to try the bacon salt. i wonder if it's vegan (snicker)???


    xxalainaxx

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  7. It lookes like a bean on top of a piece of beef to me, but maybe it is a finger. Did you check the recipe?

    And that's the famous Russian Potty Peek Festival. I didn't know they were doing it in Poland now.

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  8. I bet Bacon Salt would be delish on popcorn! I'm gonn have to try that stuff! Hope I can get it at Kroger!

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  9. hi beth....

    glad you like the bacon salt! i can hardly wait to fry up an egg or two and try it out, too. hope it was good on your chicken breasts.

    i have to admit, the first thing i noticed on that salad was the onions. the translucent, slimy onions. (you know how much i love onions!) after i got over that, though, the very next thing i saw was that finger! do you think that was a random occurrence? aren't there picture proofers who check this stuff out first? i looked at it and i thought i was gonna die! (insert rosanna rosannadanna voice)

    cousin shane

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  10. Lawerence Block wrote a very large novel about 9/11 shortly after the events, and I reviewed another novel about the tragedy for a website around 2003 (sadly I've forgotten the title). I don't think its a big deal.

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  11. Funny, I didn't see that until you 'pointed' it out!! All I saw was a great looking salad, I must be really hungry!! LOL!!

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  13. Oh where to begin where to begin.
    I, like so many other visitors to Nutwood, did not see the "alleged" finger until you pointed it out. I did however think that the bean atop the "alleged" finger looked a little cockroachish to me.
    Now that you have cut me off food for the day, because I'll be seeing bugs and body parts in every meal, I'd like to talk about the 9/11 issue.
    For me, writing about 9/11 is cathartic, for both author and reader. It has been nearly eight years and if we don't write about it, talk about it, it somehow becomes less. In a work of fiction, it can be the great climax to a story of New Yorkers; it can also be a metaphor for a many things. I think writing about it is good, because it gets people talking.
    Jokes, on the other hand, no. No. Never.

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  14. OMGoodness, it does look just like a decomposing finger! Oh your bacon salt sounds good.

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  15. Even a severed, decomposing finger would taste good if you put bacon salt on it, I guess(says the vegetarian). This whole post made me laugh because I have someone staying here who cooks EVERYTHING with a piece of bacon. Green beans, chicken, he even puts it in grits. I'd hate to see his cardiologist bill in the future, and it is driving my cats insane. Bacon salt could just be the answer for his "problem."

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  16. what i want to hear about is you putting the bacon salt on your eggplant. I have never heard of bacon salt..but i love sea salt. I would have never in a million years noticed that decomposing finger in that salad but now that you pointed it out--EWW!!!!

    i think it is cool you put the monstrosity out and someone took it. People do that around here too....toys, chairs, couches, etc.
    no matter what....someone is always going to be pissed off about something....so if someone wants to be mad about someone writing about 9/11 that is their right but it is also the writer's right to write whatever they want.

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  17. I've never heard of bacon salt but from the other comments it must be amazing stuff!!
    I didn't see a finger but I thought it looked like a slug or something equally as gross. I see nothing wrong with writing about 9/11. You are right, it IS part of history. Authors write about everything else in history and people aren't all riled up about it. Me thinks people just like to find reasons to gripe these days.

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  18. Yes, I noticed something strange in the photo immediately...then when I enlarged the photo...Yikes....lost my appetite. LOL

    I just recently saw Bacon Salt on QVC or HSN...they now sell food and seasonings. Sounds interesting. Let us know if it tastes good.

    Hugs, Rose

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I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you?