First, an update from Soonergrunt:
Chest hurts a little bit, but the pain drugs are working very well. They took the drain out earlier this morning, and I passed right out and slept until a few minutes ago. I’m in a regular ward and I hope to go home on Saturday morning.
I read the posting about the 12 Soldiers in the 2-2 Stryker Brigade. I don’t have anything to say about that right now. I’m reading the article in the Army Times in another window. I fade in and out a bit so it may take a while. I guess I was pretty loopy last night.
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers, and hug your loved ones for me.
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And then to our regularly scheduled TaMara posting:
The week has been a bit emotional. As you may know, there is a large wildfire burning in Colorado, near my community, and it has affected several people I know. 170 homes are lost, 6500 acres burned. I spent the morning on the phone offering assistance to those I know whose homes were lost. Yesterday I stopped at the Humane Society to drop off much needed food and supplies. I was heartened when I added my meager offerings to a mountain of donations they’d received in just 24 hours to help take care of displaced animals – I may be the only one who included people treats with the puppy and kitty treats. The staff is working hard to take care of everyone and I thought they could use some chocolate. High winds are predicted tonight, so we are all holding our breath and hoping the area will soon be contained.
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Tonight’s menu was a request I was glad to fill. These little sandwiches are called runzas in the Midwest, but I’m sure if you’ve made them before they’ve gone by different names. Whatever you call them, they’re tasty little sandwiches. And who couldn’t use a little strudel? Put your lederhosen on and enjoy.
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On the board tonight:
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German Pocket Burgers
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Apple Strudel
As ever, recipes and shopping list at the link.
arguingwithsignposts
Go soonergrunt!
RedKitten
Seconded! Best wishes for a speedy recovery, soonergrunt!
TaMara (BHF)
Soonergrunt is definitely made of hearty stuff. Don’t know why I was so worried about him. So glad he’s doing great.
I’m having a bit of a surreal evening. Earlier they told us we might need to evacuate our offices and I was prepared to go back and help get things ready in case we did. We are downhill and a few miles from the burn area, so it seemed an unlikely event. Then the city of Boulder agreed and drew the line a few blocks north of us. And just as I was relaxing into that, they once again told us we could be evacuated.
Either way, 50mph winds are making things unpredictable.
What is everyone cooking tonight/this weekend?
Just Some Fuckhead
My daughter made the cross country track team today. She wanted beef stew – made with a T-bone steak – and fried squash. Anything for my gladiator.
kommrade reproductive vigor
Get well soon -er – Grunt!
(Seriously, take it easy and get better.)
Kirk Spencer
Tonight was baked seafood burritos. Simple white sauce with a little white wine and monterey jack. Pollock (aka fake crab) flaked. Put a little sauce in with the fish, roll into tortillas and place in a baking dish, pour the rest of the sauce over the top, sprinkle on some more grated monterey jack, and bake in a hot oven till bubbly; 12 or so minutes.
TaMara (BHF)
@Just Some Fuckhead: You’re a good parent.
SiubhanDuinne
So glad to hear the encouraging news from soonergrunt. Would it be churlish of me to observe that he was a lot funnier when he was wasted on meds.
Just Some Fuckhead
@TaMara (BHF): I wouldn’t go that far.
Violet
Soonergrunt, glad you’re doing well! Keep resting and get better. Keep us posted.
@TaMara (BHF):
Are you anywhere near Chautauqua? Been there several times and just love that place. I hope it’s safe. I feel terrible for everyone in Boulder. What a great place it is.
SiubhanDuinne
@JSF: Congrats to Miss Fuckhead.
@RedKitten: What’s new on the SamKitten Excellent Ambulatory Adventures front? Last I heard, he was chasing soap bubbles or something before he remembered he didn’t know how to walk, and promptly fell on his bum. So? Did he up and try again? Are you now padding every sharp corner in your house just in case? Most crucially, are there photos (or, better, video) of SK walking?
Betsy
Soonergrunt, get well
soonquickly!!@TaMara (BHF):
For the weekend, whatever’s good at the farmer’s market Saturday morning. Tonight we were at the end of our produce, so we had a simple dinner of pasta with sauteed onions, garlic, and orange cherry tomatoes with good parmesan cheese. It was quite tasty, though – the hot tomatoes popped in your mouth in a rather delightful way.
SiubhanDuinne
OT but there’s some good judicial news, on stem cells and DADT.
SiubhanDuinne
@TaMara (BHF): Please stay safe. And bless you for providing stuff for the shelter, and for thinking of the volunteers.
freelancer (itouch)
Boomer Soonergrunt! Glad to hear the update. If you feel an onslaught of sudden emotion, don’t fight it. You may have been knocked out, but what you went throughout was traumatic, and your brain knows it. Stay strong, and yes I hugged my friends and family today. For you, thinking of you.
Cain
@Just Some Fuckhead:
Yeah I wouldn’t either. He’s raising a gladiator. That’s immoral.
cain
Cain
@TaMara (BHF):
So regarding your german pocket burgers. There doesn’t seem a lot of spices or anything in the beef. Wouldn’t it be a little bland? Seems like if you put a little djon mustard, garlic and a little wine it might spruce things up a bit.
cain
Keith G
Sooner, glad its going in the right direction. Put on some relaxing tunes, put down the device and relax- damn it.
TaMara (BHF)
@Cain: You know, other than salt and pepper, we’ve never added anything. Though we serve mustard on the side. But I always say, recipes are only a guideline to get you started. Maybe some beer in the mix.
@Violet: Work is close, but the fire isn’t. I love hiking there – saw my first bear there.
@Betsy: That’s so funny, that’s almost exactly what I made for dinner tonight, too.
@SiubhanDuinne: Thanks for the good thoughts.
freelancer (itouch)
@Cain:
Someone needs to visit a Runza.
http://www.runza.com/
Add velveeta and we call that a Runza. Teh awesome.
Anne Laurie
@Cain: And if you used potatoes instead of cabbage, and lamb instead of beef, wouldn’t they be samosas? :}
suzanne
Glad to hear that Sooner is improving. Wootage.
This site is still effed for me on my laptop in every browser. I can get it on my iPhone, but I miss using the laptoaster.
dearolddad
I don’t get the ‘poor displaced animals’ schtick being followed by a recipe that calls for a pound of hamburger
freelancer (itouch)
@dearolddad:
Welcome to Balloon Juice. We’re a tad scatterbrained.
Cain
@freelancer (itouch):
Looks yummy, but no such restaurant exists in Portland, OR. :(
cain
Cain
@Anne Laurie:
Interestingly enough, I haven’t had a non-veg samosa since the 7th grade. (eg back in the early 80s) That was mutton, which I think is what non-veg eaters tend to eat over there. I’ve always been fond of the veg samosa, punjabi style.. mmmmmm.. with some nice hot and sweet ketchup.
I bet we could make some good party samosas using wantons.. I should try that…
cain
Comrade Mary
hugs soonergrunt (gently) and hugs site (hard)
Damn it, I was locked out with an outdated IP address for ages (well, slightly over 24 hours), so I’m jumping in to cheer on soonergrunt. Make sure you eat only the jello you want to eat, sweetie. No one needs the green shit.
dearolddad
@freelancer (itouch):
I’ve been ‘lurking’ for a while now (post John’s epiphany) I found this sight a year or 2 ago looking for Juan Cole’s sight.
dearolddad
@dearolddad:
Damn! ..site instead of site
dearolddad
@dearolddad:
Did it again! site instead of sight….this is why I don’t comment
TaMara (BHF)
@dearolddad: Well I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m glad you decided to “un-lurk”.
Does it help if I tell you all the food I took to the shelter was meat and fish based? Or how about I fed the animals at the shelter and now it was time to do the same here?