French Toast

Well I have a new crush in my life, Ree Drummond (the Pioneer Woman) makes cooking look so easy and as a red head I enjoy watching.  Her french toast recipe was the main subject of our Easter morning breakfast.  It's quick and easy enough that even dad can impress his family in a hurry, enjoy.

the recipe - 4 egg whites

2 cups of 1/2 and 1/2

2 teaspoons vanilla (the little spoon)

zest of 1 lemon (its optional but makes a difference)

1 tablespoon sugar (the big spoon)

all the ingredients

on a buttered griddle at medium heat

serve hot and enjoy!

Healthy Gut Buster: quick trick to treating heartburn - a 4 ounce glass of water at the onset of heartburn helps by diluting acid in your esophagus and flushing it back into your stomach.  David Peura M.D., Univ. of Virginia.  

makin' mojo

My good buddy Matt out in Indiana mailed me a bass guitar amplifier a couple of summers back. He mailed it to me and it collected dust for a couple of years. It didn't work but it was something pretty special called a portaflex. The amp flips inside out, it stores inside of itself and opens up to play. It is from 1968 and is the type that all Motown and Stax records were recorded on. Matt mailed me the amp because he did not have a speaker cabinet but i knew i could build one. Well it is 99% done as of this weekend so i wanted to share it with you.



now you see it



now you don't

ported and shelfed to "thiele" standards

Healthy Gut Buster: Juicy facts- aim for 8 oz of juice a day.  Look at the "Nutrient Density" level, for example: Orange 303, Pineapple 98, Grape 30 and Apple 28.

it'a called the Old Man's

Hey all, JSC introduced me to Bagel Shack in Lake Forest.  I had no idea there was so much more to a bagel than bread.  My personal favorite is the Lowers (egg, cheddar, tapatio, and sausage) on an Asiago Bagel.  The overall people's choice is definitely the Old Man's (cream cheese and avocado) on a Jalapeno Cheddar Bagel.  It doesn't sound like much, but with a simple secret ingredient (lemon pepper) the open face avocado sandwich is over the top.  Now it is a known fact that I have the greatest avocado tree in the world, so i ventured into making my own Old Man's with Lemon Pepper.  Enjoy the inspiration.

 

the tree that giveth, planted 1954

Michael Family Old Man's, Enjoy!

 Healthy Gut-Buster:  When people consumed 13% of their daily calories from cheese, the saw no rise in the total or LDL cholesterol levels, a study in the American Journal of Nutrition found.  The fermentation process in cow's milk cheese may be responsible for negating cholesterol raising effects.  So go ahead and have three deli slices of cheese a day.  It's a great way to boost your protein and calcium intake.

A Blogging Re-Birth...Hendricks California Michael

Hello friends, i have taken some time away from blogging since my father's passing.  I wanted to jump back into it and share...Hendricks California Michael.  My son was born Mar 1 at 4:08PM, 8.7 lbs, 20 in., bats right, throws right.  Michelle (MY WIFE) is doing well and healing perfectly.  Take a moment to enjoy the boy!!!

Hendricks looking sly!



HCM with DAM looking over us!

Healthy Gut Buster (yuuup, this is back too):  When people swap their favorite sugary soft drink for the diet variety, they eat more desserts and more bread than people who swap their go-to beverage for water.  Artificial sweeteners in crease your hunger for sweet things.  North Carolina University at Chapel HIll.



 

life-this is what it has become

so we all grow up bullet proof.  the realities of slowing down and having different priorities sneak up on you but as a dad i guess i wouldn't have it any other way!  this recent volkswagen commercial pretty much sums it up.  enjoy!


Healtthy Gut-Buster:  Fill your plate from the stovetop.  You'll likely eat up to 35% less than if you shovel it from a serving dish on the table, say Cornell University researchers.

Be on your toes!!!

Hello all, this is your first test of the new year. Valentine's Day is just around the corner and if you wait too long your big plans won't come through. Keep it simple and traditional, roses, love letters - effort and timliness go a long way! So check back often and the widget will keep you on your toes. Good luck!

Also, thank you all so much, my Blog has been viewed 598 times in it's first month. I definitely feel the love!

A Good Old Time - Wilco & Popeye

Welcome back all, the other day i found this pearl in my email.  It "Dawned on Me," a new source of strenth, and it aint even green.  Enjoy folks, it's Wilco!!!

If you enjoyed that little bit of fun take one more link and dig the boys on Conan.

On anothr note i wanted to share another shout out in the name of my Pops!  RMF found this in Google. 
http://www.hiuroyals.com/article/158.php  Thanks for checking it out.

Loss - R.I.P.

Hello friends, it has been a while since I posted last.  If you don't already know my father passed away Monday afternoon.  He filled our lives with joy and we will miss him.  Please read the link below.  I will blog another day...Thank you. 
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/orangecounty/obituary.aspx?n=douglas-a-michael&pid=155564773

I've got that "Familly" shirt, nobody can believe I still wear it!

They Scream, Ice Cream!!!

egg+milk+cream+sugar=ice cream... once when i was about 10 or 11 my family BBQ'ed with friends and us men ended up in the driveway hand crankin strawberry ice cream.  we all had to take turns keeping it moving so it wouldn't ice up.  we hand cut strawberries with a pocket knife, ate half of them while we waited, and 25 minutes later we had home made ice cream.  i talked about that day for decades until one day my parents showed up on my doorstep with a treasure they had found; a 1960's sears and roebuck ice cream maker that was ready to churn.  today that ice cream maker has a special spot in the corner shelf of our kitchen and these girls know exactly where it lives. 

two or three times a year we drag it out and spend some quality time makin dessert.  this time lilly and iris created some vanilla chocolate chip!  we found a recipe in the ben and jerry's book from JRF and quickly mixed our ingredients.

next, to the backyard where we pack the pail with layers of ice and salt, tighten in the motor (yes a motor, i don't think we have the desire to crank for 25 minutes) and sit and wait for the magic to happen.

its hard work!  its cold and its loud but every kid loves salt...and before you know...voila! time to mine some ice cream!

now its off to the freezer where we will let it setup till after dinner.  what a special dessert with sooo many memories. of course we will sample a little along the way and there is plenty here to last us for the whole week! 

Healthy Gut Buster:  A study in Nutrition Research found that people who egg it up consume fewer total calories the rest of the day.  I have done the microwave coffee cup scramble twice this week and those days were great!  Gonna try to work it into my routine at least a couple times a week!

Get yer Kogi On!

If you are here in So Cal you have probably begun to make a habit out of eating off of food trucks.  Somebody had the bright idea to clean up a “roach coach” and fill it with gourmet options, baked goods, and desserts.  When 5 or 6 of them pull up in the same parking lot or outside of a microbrew it is time to sample.  The other night JSC and I grabbed some midweek KOGI. 

Kogi is Korean BBQ (short ribs, shredded pork, spicy chicken) in burritos, tacos, or quesadillas.  Don’t roll your eyes…simply amazing, and totally affordable.  Kogi has 12 trucks that can each be found in 3 different locations daily so you can feed your need regularly.  Get there on time or you can be waiting in a line 50 people deep in a matter of minutes.  ShortStop BBQ (smoked turkey sandwich), Bakery Truck (cream puffs), Bacon Mania (Mac’N Bac’n Fries, and Crepes Bonaparte (Spicy Apple Bottoms ) are some other of our other family favorites…you can find these trucks everywhere, track them down on the web and check em out!   

Healthy Gut Buster: Stand up whenever you read or take a phone call at work.  Standing burns 1 and a 1/2 times more calories than sitting does! 

  

Fender Guitar Factory Tour

The other day I took the opportunity to tour the Fender Guitar Factory in Corona, CA.  Growing up in Fullerton, CA Fender guitars are a thing of legend.  The greatest players ever from Eric Clapton to James Burton rely on Fender Guitars to create signature music that stands the test of time.  Fender Guitar grew out of a small radio repair shop in 1950's Fullerton before being being sold to CBS music in the early 60's and bouncing around a few So Cal locations eventually setting up shop in its present home of Corona, CA.  Corona is home to the world famous Fender Custom Shop and newly opened Fender Visitor Center.  There you can join factory tours, experience the Custom Shop and visualize the history that created the largest music manufacturing company in the world.  Fender Corona produces 500 guitars a day while still nurturing the craft of creating one guitar at a time. 

Much of Fender's history is preserved in the Custom Shop where half a century year old practices are still created daily.  The best Fender Guitar Pickups are "Hand Wound" one at a time by Abigail Ybarra who has been building them since the early 50's.  We met her on our tour and she hand signs every pickup she creates.

Here are a rack of Custom Guitars waiting to be completed by Fender Master Builders.

In the Visitor Center you can create the guitar of your dreams and learn as much as you want about Fender Guitar's fabulous history.  Call ahead to make a reservation for your tour, I guarantee you will have a personal connection to Fender Guitars the next time you see one being played!

Healthy Gut Buster: Drink two glasses of water before you sit down to a meal to help fill your stomach and assist in portion control!
(I am trying to get healthier in my old age, and will share a quick & easy tip with you at the end of every post)!

new resoutions

so its a new year with new resolutions.  2012 ought to be big for me and i am trying to make the most of everyday.  i've got kid #3 on the way (more on that later), a diy guitar build in progress, a want to get healthy, and a need to be the best dad and husband i can every day.  i am gonna bring you all along and share how i get through it one day at a time, what can i say its a plaid, plaid world.