Joe's Pasta Carbonara

Great stuff! And so easy, even I can make it!

The ingredients you will need are:

one large onion
one clove of garlic (or two, if you like)
one pound of bacon
black pepper
one pound of angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti
2 cans of chicken broth
a tiny bag of peas (use a cup or so)
1 or 2 cups of parmesean cheese

Dice the onion. Dice the bacon. Put the bacon, garlic and onion in a frying pan on low. Everything is done on low. Add the black pepper, a ton of it, and maybe a little bit of crushed red pepper if you like. Let the bacon 'melt', cook down. Stir it occasionally, cook it slow. You don't want it to fry, you want the onions translucent. Let it 'melt' for an hour.

If it gets dry, crack open a can of chicken broth and add some.

After the hour, add about a can and a half of chicken broth; let it reduce by 1/2 to 3/4.

Boil the pasta in a separate pot. Salt the water, use a couple tablespoons of kosher salt if possible. Taste after five minutes. Keep tasting it until it is done so you like it.

Before straining the pasta, save a couple cups of the water.

Throw the peas into the pan with the bacon and onions. Then throw the cooked pasta into the pan. Remove from the flame. Mix it. Start folding in the cheese. If it looks dry, add starch water from the pasta.

Serve it with a salad and maybe some thick crusty garlic bread.

Mangia!

But Mom! My room IS clean!

I could barely find him in his room. He's laying on his floor, surrounded by toys, covered up with a comforter, sound asleep!

Remembering the Shuttle Challenger

www.nasa.gov


The NASA family lost seven of its own on the morning of January 28, 1986, when a booster engine failed, causing the Shuttle Challenger to break apart just 73 seconds after launch.

The crew of STS-51-L: Front row from left, Mike Smith, Dick Scobee, Ron McNair. Back row from left, Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, Judith Resnik.


Michael said...

Ah yes.

If the engineers and scientists had been in the driver’s seat, these folks would still be with us.

But no, administrators and bureaucrats are involved, dragging politics and vanity into an equation in which they do not belong…

Such as the amount of prestige to be gained by the appearance of launches being executed on schedule.

Tribute to you valiant seven, like Icarus, brave explorers on the leading edge of life.

Outsourcing

I was depressed last night so I called Lifeline. Got a call center in Pakistan.

I told them I was suicidal.

They got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck.

Email Joke Compliments of Ma. Who knows where it originated... :D

How to Eat a Chocolate Chip Pancake

...served with hot cocoa, of course. When I sugar the kid up, I do it right!

Macaroni & Cheese

This recipe is for really great macaroni and cheese. Don't read any further if you are on a diet.

The ingredients you will need:

2 1/2 c. cold water
1 c. dry milk (Carnation tastes the best)
2 c. macaroni (wheat macaroni will do fine, if you like it)
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, diced
1/2 c. cold non-fat milk (made from the dry powder) with an extra 1/2 c. dry milk added in.

Remember, milk burns. For the best results, assemble the ingredients first, then your attention can be completely devoted to constant stirring. :)

Make the cold skim milk with the extra dry milk added in first, and put it in the refrigerator. It should be very cold by the time it is added. Don't ask me why, it just works better when it's cold.

Measure everything out, dice the cheese, and then fire up the burner.

Bring the water to a boil. When it is at a full rolling boil, quickly add the cup of dry milk. The water should not stop boiling. Continue stirring constantly for a minute or two to break up any lumps of dry milk, then add the macaroni. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes, then add the butter and pepper. Reduce the heat so it still simmers while you are stirring, but is no longer at a full boil. Continue stirring, stirring, stirring, until most of the liquid is gone and the macaroni is cooked. It will be about 10 to 12 minutes. It won't be mushy cooked, but will be chewy and good. Turn off the burner. Dump in the cheese and salt, stir it around, and then add the cold dry milk mixture from the fridge. Stir it well, then cover it, and let it set, on the hot burner, for about five minutes. (If you have an electric stove, you must remove it completely from the heat or it will burn.)

Remove it from the burner, stir it as well as you want (some of my friends prefer that I leave little lumps of cheese in there, some of my friends like it smooth), and serve.

Some like it with paprika on top. It's really great with applesauce and a salad.

Goodbye, President Bush

Just a rather cynical, but final, thought about the End of an Error...

I wonder how much of the "new home" Dubya and his wife "recently purchased" in an "upscale" neighborhood in Texas was indirectly paid for by the hard-earned dollars robbed from the American people at the gas pumps and in their home utility bills.

Goes to show you how eight years of unregulated, selfish, thoughtless, irresponsible decisions can erode the trust we should be able to have in our government.

Thankfully, It's Finally Over.

An Era of Responsibility

I listened to our new President's inaugural address on NPR. President Obama spoke of the challenges we face as a nation, and how we must begin to act responsibly in our duties to ourselves, our nation and our world. His speech was thought-provoking, and left me feeling hopeful that we will be ushering in an era of change. He left me thinking that things that concern me, like the economy and health care, will be addressed, swiftly and surely.

I think he is going to be great. I do realize that he will, on occasion, let us down. He is human, and the challenges he faces are tremendous. But I think he is just what this country needs, someone who will make intelligent, responsible decisions in an effort to fix the problems we face.

After eight years of irresponsible government that put us along with our prodigy trillions of dollars in debt,

I am finally looking forward to what the future holds.

One Day Left

President Bush's Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program, the biggest change in Medicare in 40 years, was intended to provide "flexibility" in meeting the prescription needs of the elderly. Unfortunately, only about one in six eligible seniors has signed up for the program. The reason seems to be incurable confusion.

A senior citizen must choose from a variety of insurance plans, including some that do not yet exist, and the plans may limit coverage to certain drugs and have different rates of co-payment. Low-income applicants must fill out a four-page form in addition to the normal application. Administration officials cite language barriers as a partial explanation for the lack of public participation.

President Bush's proposed 2007 budget sought to cut Medicare by $14 billion over five years.

- Bad President calendar 1/17/09

It's almost over!

Today in Baseball History

1974

The BBWAA elects former Yankees teammates Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford to the Hall of Fame. Mantle becomes only the seventh player to make it in his first try. His 536 home runs with the Yankees ranked second only to Babe Ruth and he played in more games (2,401) than any other pinstriper, including Lou Gehrig. Ford was arguably the greatest Yankees pitcher of all time, retiring with more wins (236), more innings (3,171), more strikeouts (1,956), and more shutouts (45) than anyone in club history.

-http://www.todayinbaseballhistory.com/cgi-bin/today/today2S.pl

I love this game. Pitchers and catchers report for spring training on February 14th. I can't wait!

Why Parents Drink

Everytime I see this joke come around in my email, it makes me laugh. I know, though, that my day is coming!

A Mother passing by her son's bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was picked up.

Then she saw an envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow that was addressed to 'Mom' With the worst premonition she opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter.

Dear Mom:

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Dad and you. I have been finding real passion with Susan and she is so nice. But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercings, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am. But it's not only the passion...Mom she's pregnant. Susan said that we will be very happy.

She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children.

Susan has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy. In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Susan can get better. She deserves it.

Don't worry Mom. I'm 15 and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure that we will be back to visit so that you can get to know your grandchildren.

Love,
Your Son Paul

P.S. Mom, none of the above is true. I'm over at Dustin's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the report card that's in my center desk drawer.

I love you. Call me when it's safe to come home.

Winter Project

Ian's grandparents recently went to St. Louis and brought back a jigsaw puzzle for him. We finished it today.

Frightening

"Mommy, can I use your hammer?"

"NO!"

I didn't even think to ask him why. He's 8! What on earth could he possibly need a hammer for? I am completely afraid to ask!

Michael said...
COMPUTER REPAIRS!!!!

Serena said...
Oh, boy. Sounds like you're still having troubles out there! :D

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful...

From Meteorologist Don Paul: A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect through Wednesday afternoon. Treacherous driving and walking conditions overnight due to freezing rain. Freezing rain may turn to just rain by dawn along the Lk Erie shoreline, but it's a very close call--assume the worst and set your alarm early.

You know when the weatherman says 'assume the worst', it's not going to be good!

I don't do Blood.

So here I am, quietly loading the dishwasher, listening to WYRK and contemplating the mysteries of the universe, (like, why does sour cream have an expiration date?) when I hear a blood-curdling scream followed by hysterical crying. I go running into the living room, and Ian is coming down the stairs with blood dripping from his eye.

Oh joy, oh rapture, oh melody divine.

I played the "Don't Faint" record in my brain over and over again and successfully did not hyperventilate or lose consciousness. Very proud of myself for that one. I don't do blood.

As I am dialing the pediatrician with one hand and pressing Kleenex to his eye with the other, I asked him to tell me what happened.

I was putting toys in my toy box, he says, and a Nintendo game case fell on my eye and pinched me.

Fell on your eye?

(Hiccup, sniffle, sniffle) Yeesssssss.

Just fell from the sky and pinched your eye?

(Sniffle, sniffle, hiccup) Yeesssssss.

So I told the pediatrician, I have no idea how it really happened, but he reports a Nintendo game case fell from the sky and pinched him in the eye. After the nurse stopped coughing (which sounded suspiciously like she was trying not to laugh, and I'm sure someday I will laugh, too), she suggested I bring him in. Immediately.

He has a deep cut on his upper eyelid, which may very probably leave a scar. I told the doctor, it isn't the first; it won't be the last. She asked if he was on any medication, and I said no, but I may be shortly. :D

She super-glued the cut with Dermabond, and he's good to go. He's hoping this gets him out of having to take a shower.

I just don't understand boys.

Michael said...

"Oh joy, oh rapture, oh melody divine." LOL!!! That's great!!! He'll be fine!

Serena said...

You would not Believe how much head wounds bleed!!!! He's fine already. He is bragging to his buddies about having his eye superglued. All the little boys are suitably impressed.

Michael said...

Yeah, I know how much they bleed. I was also a boy. :D

Just tell him scars impress the girls. :D

Serena said...

Impress the girls?!? Girls have COOTIES!

Michael said...

Not for long. BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!

Serena said...

George Carlin had it right - There is NO GOD! :D

Happy New Year!