Grilled Hawaiian Style Pizza Sandwiches

One of my favorite combos on pizza is Canadian Bacon and Pineapple, so I thought I would try that combo on a sandwich. With a twist. I added grilled chicken into the mix! The sandwiches were awesome and I can't wait to make them again. Heres what I did

___________________

Grilled Hawaiian Style Pizza Sandwiches

Ingredients
- Sourdough bread
- Butter
- Chicken - grilled
- Sliced Ham
- Your Choice Pizza Sauce
- Shredded Pizza Cheese
- Mild Yellow Peppers
- Crushed Pineapple


Instructions
- Pre heat grill to a medium/high heat
- Grill your chicken. I used boneless Chicken breast strips
- Take your sour dough bread, spread pizza sauce and start adding your grilled chicken, a layer of ham, pineapple, yellow peppers, cheese and a little more sauce based on preference.
- Butter the outsides of the bread and place them on the grill
- Grill for a bout 4 minutes or the bread is a nice golden brown.
- Flip the sandwich and repeat until done.
- Enjoy
_______________________________

These sandwiches were awesome. Next time I think I will get big deli sliced Canadian Bacon instead of deli sliced ham lunch meat.

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Cream Cheese Poppers

These things were rockin! If you love Buffalo Chicken, I would recommend trying these. I was a huge fan. They are super simple to make and loved by all. Here is what I did.

_______________________________

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Cream Cheese Poppers

Ingredients
- 1 Grilled Chicken Breast Diced Up
- Frank's Red Hot
- Celery - Not Finely Diced, but pretty small
- Cream Cheese - 4 oz
- Ranch Dressing Powder - 2 teaspoons
- 1 container of Pilsbury Crescent Rolls
- Corn Meal
- Ranch Dressing

Instructions
- Pre heat Your Grill To A Medium to High Heat. Put your Pizza Stone on the grill so it heats up at the same pace as the grill.
- Grill Your Chicken and when done, dice up.
- Toss Chicken in Buffalo Sauce
- Mix your 4 ounces of Cream Cheese with your 2 Teaspoons of Ranch Dressing Powder.
- 1 at a time, lay out your crescent rolls flat and spread it out a little.
- Take a some of the Cream Cheese mixture and spread it on the Crescent Roll
- Add some of your diced up celery
- Top it with some diced Buffalo Chicken
- Bring up the sides of the Crescent Roll so everything is wrapped up and pinch it closed at the top.

- Repeat for the remainder of rolls
- Throw some Corn Meal down on your pizza stone so the Poppers don't stick
- Cook for about 12 minutes or until the poppers have a nice golden brown color to them.
- Serve with Ranch Dressing for dipping.
- Enjoy

Eelpout Festival 2012 Was A Success

With another year of my favorite festivity ever in the books, I can proudly say it was awesome! We had a awesome cabin, drank just the right amount of beer, the weather was perfect, good food, good friends, good times. I took a ton of pictures. If you have read my previous posts about Eelpout Festival or are just curios, you can check out all my pictures here

2012 Eelpout Festival Pictures

&


2012 Eelpout Festival Pictures Part 2

Grilled Honey BBQ Lime Chicken Slammers

The other night I made some rockin awesome chicken sandwiches on the grill. They were so good, I ran to the store and bought some more chicken so I can make them again this weekend. Very easy to make. Heres how I did it

_________________

Grilled Honey BBQ Lime Chicken Slammers

Ingredients
- Boneless Chicken Breast or Thigh's
- Silver Dollar or smaller hamburger buns
- 1/3 cup Honey
- 1 Lime or Lemon - Juiced and Zested - 1 Teaspoon of Zest needed
- 1 Cup BBQ Sauce - I used Famous Dave's Sweet & Spicy
- Garlic and Herb Pepper Mix
- 2 Tablespoons Butter

Instructions
- Heat grill to a medium High heat
- In a sauce pan, melt the 2 Tablespoons of butter. When melted, add Honey, the Lime Juice, Zest, BBQ sauce and the Garlic and Herb Pepper mix and simmer.
- Place Chicken flat on the grill
- With a brush, brush on a generous layer of the sauce you just mixed. Flip the chicken and baste again. I like to baste quit a bit until its done.
- When the chicken is done, pull it off, throw it on a bun and enjoy!

____________________________

Let me know what you think

Extreme Grilled Pigs In A Blanket

I couldn't decide what to call these things. I was teetering between Extreme Grilled Pigs In A Blanket and Hotdog Calzone, but Hotdog Calzone makes it sound kind of gross! These things turned out super awesome! Way better than expected, and way better than I thought after the assembly process! They are super simple to make, and man were they good! Here is how I did it

___________________________

Extreme Grilled Pigs In A Blanket

Ingredients
- Hot Dogs
- Pilsbury Pizza Dough
- Ketchup
- Cheese
- Pickle Relish
- Yellow Peppers
- Corn Meal

You can use anything you like on hotdogs. This is just what I like!

Instructions
- Pre Heat your grill to a high heat and Place your pizza stone on the grill so it heats up at the same rate as the grill.
- Open the canister of pizza dough and roll it out onto a large baking sheet.
- Take a strip on the end of the dough the length of a hotdog. Smear on your toppings. On the dough I put Ketchup, Pickle Relish, Peppers, and cheese. Once you have your toppings, place a hot dog on top of the toppings.
- Start at the end and roll the hotdog up in dough just until it is completely wrapped. Pinch the edges together along the seam and at the ends so it is completed enclosed. (Remember, your toppings and hotdog are going to make this hard to handle without breaking. This where my comment of how they turned out better than I thought they would after the assembly process. They are going to look like a mess, but they will all come together.)
- After it is rolled up, cut the newly made hot dog roll off of the rest of the dough and then repeat the process.
- Your grill should be warmed up by now, so take the Pigs in a Blanket out to the grill with the corn meal.
- Spread some corn meal over the pizza stone and place your Pigs In A Blanket on the stone.
- Let them sit for a bout 5 or 6 minutes and then flip them over. The side that was on the stone should be a light golden brown and be nice and crispy. Once the other side is the same, and the dough doesn't feel to "doughy", pull them off and enjoy!
- These suckers will be hot inside, especially if you added cheese. Be careful!



______________________

I hope you enjoy these. Let me know what you think.

Buffalo Club

I have always thought I was on top of the cool party games and that I had played them all, but I was wrong. We were listening to LMFAO's song "Sorry For Party Rockin" and there is a line in the beginning of the song that goes "I got a drink in my hand and it just got Buffaloed". I had no idea what that meant so I looked it up. Thank you Interweb. I never heard of it before. This is what Wikipedia states

__________________

History

The history and origin of the Buffalo Club are obscure and many versions are in existence. A folk origin of the game states that Buffalo Club stems from the gunslinging days of the Wild West where the use of one's right hand (the shooting hand) was at times a matter of life or death. Thus, recreational activities such as playing cards or drinking were done with the left hand only to avoid severe consequences.

__________________

Rules

The rules are fairly simple, though widely varying, and involve which hand a player may use to drink. One version of how to play the game is as follows:

1. A player can hold their drink with either hand, but may only drink from it with their non-dominant hand. If any other Buffalo players spot them drinking with their dominant hand, they call Buffalo on the player and that player must finish their drink as quickly as possible. If the player hesitate to finish their drink, the other players will usually proceed to make a ruckus chanting "Buffalo!" and banging on the table until the player finishes.

2. If the player calls Buffalo on somebody when they are actually drinking with the proper hand (or have an empty drink or are not drinking an alcoholic drink), they may return with a call of "False Buffalo" and the player is obligated to finish their own drink. If the buffalo-er does not currently possess a drink, the False caller must drink the nearest alcoholic drink available. Special care must be made when drinking with left-handed Buffalos because of this rule.

3. Once a player begins playing Buffalo, they are playing it for the rest of their life.

Nobody needs to declare that the game is on. At least in principle, if rarely actually done, if the player spots a complete stranger drinking with what the player thinks to be their dominant hand, and the player calls Buffalo on them, they will either be confused or immediately know that they have transgressed the rules in the presence of another Buffalo player and are obligated to finish their drink or return a false Buffalo, if applicable.

_____________________

With Eelpout this weekend, I think it is a prime occasion to try it out! Has anyone ever played this? Do I have it right?

Eelpout Festival 2012

And so continues the worlds most unproductive week! With Eelpout right around the corner, I am accomplishing next to nothing in anticipation of leaving Friday morning! Aside from the wandering around from encampment to encampment drinking, here is the itinerary for what all is happening this weekend.

______________________

THURSDAY

- Opening Ceremonies - 5 - 10 PM - City Park
- Torch Lighting 7PM - City Park
- Coors Light Keg Castle - 5 - 10 PM - City Park
- Festival Goer's Appreciates - 6-7 PM - Coors Light Keg Castle
- LIVE BAND - Shirt N Skins - 8:30-12:30 AM - The 502 - Chase on the Lake

_______________________

Friday

- Official Scale Times - 9 - 5 PM - City Park
- Coors Light Keg Castle Open - 10AM - Midnight - City Park
- Miller Lite Ice Palace - 10AM - Midnight - Chase on the Lake
- Mechanical Bull Riding Competition - 3 PM -7 PM - Miller Lite Ice Palace
- LAPHROAIG Tasting with Master Ambassador Simon Brookings - 5:30 pm - LAPHROAIG Lounge - Miller Lite Ice Palace
- Live Band – Rock Bottom - 8-Midnight - Coors Light Keg Castle
- Live Band – Billy D and the Crystals - 8-Midnight - Miller Lite Ice Palace
- EAT ‘TILL 2 at the 502 - 11am-2am - Chase on the Lake

_______________________

Saturday

- Official Scale Times - 9 - 5 PM - City Park
- Coors Light Keg Castle Open - 10AM - Midnight - City Park
- Miller Lite Ice Palace - 10AM - Midnight - Chase on the Lake
- Eelpout Fishing Show - 10:30 AM - Coors Light Castle
- UV Party Parade - 11:30 AM - In front of Chase on the Lake
- Eel Pout 500 “on-ice” Auto Race - Noon - Garfield Lake, Laporte
- Ice Auger Races - Noon - City Park
- Eelpout Rugby - Noon - City Park
- Polar Pout Plunge - 1PM - In Front of Chase on the Lake
- Eel Pout Derby - 1PM - City Park
- Miller Lite Bar Stool Ski Races - 2:30pm - In Front of the Chase
- LAPHROAIG Peat Parade and Bonfire - 3PM - Starts out in Front of the Chase, Ends...."on the rocks"
- Mechanical Bull Riding Competition - 3PM-7PM - Miller Lite Ice Palace
- Bikini Ice Fishing Team Fashion show - 4PM - Coors Light Keg Castle
- Bikini Ice Fishing Teams Main Show - 6PM - Northern Lights Casino
- KISS THE POUT - 7-8pm - Miller Lite Ice Palace
- Live Band - 8-midnight - Coor Light Keg Castle
- Live Band – FUZE - 8-midnight - Miller Lite Ice Palace
- EAT ‘TILL 2 at the 502 - 11am-2am - Chase on the Lake

__________________________

Sunday

- Award's Ceremony - 10:30 - City Park

____________________________

This list doesn't include all of all the side parties going on, the different events all of the bars have and everything else going on. Until you go to Eelpout Festival, I can't really describe it. If you go, you'll get it! Hope to see you there!

Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly and Banana Sandwiches

I love grilling, and I love making things that are simple yet still awesome on the grill. Sometimes you make some things that aren't so great, and sometimes I make things that are super sweet! One of my experiments this weekend was to make PB&J&B sandwiches on the grill. I have always loved them non grilled, so why wouldn't I love them grilled. Heres what I did

_________________________________________

Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly and Banana Sandwiches

Ingredients
- Sourdough Bread
- Peanut Butter
- Jelly
- Softened Butter
- Banana's

Instructions

- Crank your grill on to a medium heat.
- Make your sandwich as you always would. Peanut Butter, Jelly, and slice bananas on it.
- Butter the outside of the sandwiches
- Place on grill and flip after about 3 minutes or when the outside of the bread has a nice golden brown look.
- Flip the sandwich and repeat!



________________________________________

It can't get any easier than that to make a awesome grilled sandwich that everyone will love!

Grilled Ham And Cheese With Yellow Peppers

I have decided I am going to make all of my sandwiches on the grill from now. They turn out way better than I could of imagined. Way better than using a Pannini press or some other type of sandwich maker. My entire meal last night was made up of things I made on the grill. Check it out!

__________________________________________

Grilled Ham and Cheese

Ingredients
- Sour Dough Bread
- Your Choice sliced Ham. I love Boar's Head Honey Ham
- Your Choice Cheese - I used a Sharp Cheddar
- Yellow Banana Peppers
- Pickles
- Butter or Olive Oil
- Salt/Pepper
- Dill Weed


Instructions
- Pre Heat grill to around 400 degrees (Medium to High Heat)
- Take 2 pieces of bread, and based off of your preference, cover the outside of the bread with a light layer of either butter or Olive oil.
- Put a generous layer of ham down on the non buttered side of the bread. Sprinkle cheese on top of ham.
- Put a layer of yellow peppers down followed by a layer of pickles. How many or how thick depends on your love for pickles or peppers.
- Cover with another layer of ham and put the other piece of bread on top of the sandwich with the butter or oil side on top.
- Place of the grill for about 5 minutes and sprinkle the Salt/Pepper and dill on the sandwich then flip. The bread should have some awesome grill marks, a nice golden brown color and have a good crispness to it. Place on the other side for about 5 minutes until that side is toasted.
- If the cheese does not see melted at this point, push the sandwich to a not as hot part of the grill and let it sit until everything is melted.



_____________________________________________________________

Home Made Dill French Fries on The Pizza Stone


Ingredients
- 5 or 6 Large Potatoes - Or 1 per person you are prepping for
- Dill
- Seasoned Salt
- Pepper
- Olive Oil

Instructions
- Place Pizza Stone on Grill so it heats up at the same rate as the grill
- Microwave the Potatoes for 5 minutes just to soften them up a little
- Slice the potatoes however you want. I like to cut them in half lengthwise and then slice them into flat thinner fries.
- Place in a bowl and toss with Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper and Dil
- Place the fries in a single layer on the stone with little to no gaps between the fries.
- Leave them on the grill for a minimum of 50 minutes, longer for the crispier you want them.



--------------------------------------------------------

Grilled Angel Food Cake With Fresh Grilled Strawberries

Ingredients
- Fresh Strawberries - Sliced
- Teaspoon Sugar
- Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Tinfoil
- Store Bought Angel Food Cake Or Pound Cake
- Butter
- Whipped Cream



Instructions
- Place your sliced strawberries on a sheet of tinfoil.
- Sprinkle your sugar and pumpkin pie spice onto the strawberries.
- Fold the tinfoil up into a pouch with a small hole at the top
- Place the strawberries on the grill on indirect heat for about 10 minutes. Your just trying to warm them up, not cook them
- Cut the Angel Food Cake or Pound cake into about 1 inch slices.
- Put a light layer of butter on each side
- Place the slices on the grill for a bout a minute or 2 on each side or until they get a little crispier and brown up with good grill marks.
- Remove from the grill.
- Put a slice on a plate with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh grilled strawberries and enjoy!


__________________________________________________

Next, I am going to make Peanut Butter and Jelly And Banana Sandwiches on the grill. Tomorrow I hope! Stay tuned!

Top 10 Concerts Of All Time

Now, this list isn't every concert all time, just mine. But, in all fairness, I have been to a lot of live shows. I love going to live shows and I miss the days of the super festivals like X-Fest where there would be tons of bands over 3 days. Now I have to settle for individual shows. Here are my top 10


#10 - Korn 1996? 1st Avenue Minneapolis MN - This was when Korn was first coming out onto the music scene. I was still in High School and it was a loud rockin concert. It made become the fan of Korn that I am today.

----------------------------

#9 - Ozzfest 1997 - It was supposed to be held at the Apple River Amphitheater in Somerset Wisconsin, but Marilyn Manson was creating a stir and it was moved to the Metrodome in Minneapolis instead. We got there early (as did the other 30,000 people), and we were waiting outside patiently to get in. A voice kept coming over the speakers telling us "Welcome to Ozzfest, the doors will be opening shortly". After about 3 hours of waiting and listening to this announcement every 15 minutes, the crowd was getting agitated. When that voice came on again, I snapped. I took the bottle of water I had in my hand and I threw it as hard as I could.

It flew like it was moving in slow motion. It just spiraled through the air for what seemed like forever until it reached its target. The giant MN Twins sign above one of the gates. It hit with a loud thud and the crowd went silent. Then, as if someone flipped a switch on, the crowd exploded. There was bottles getting thrown everywhere, people screaming, bibles on fire (from the people protesting Marilyn Manson), a saw a wheelchair get body surfed across the crowd, and then the guy looking for his chair, it was chaos. I always thought I would start a riot someday, I just never thought I would accomplish it before I graduated High School!

The concert was alright! Sabbath ruled!

________________________________

#8 - Rob Zombie - Mankato MN - 2004? - This was just one of those concerts where everything seemed to go crazy, we drank a ton of beer, girls were walking in vomit, it was a weird venue, we stole a giant road cone, we wandered Mankato looking for Erbert's and Gerbert's for a couple hours even though it was a block from where we started. I always love the chance of Seeing Zombie live.

__________________________________

#7 - A Perfect Circle - Pantages Theatre Minneapolis - APC is one of my favorite bands. I am a huge fan of Tool, so anything Maynard does is pretty awesome. When we went to this show, not only did they search you, but they confiscated everything they deemed dangerous to the theatre. They took my lighter, whatever. I had more in the truck. We went in, awesome place to see a show, APC rocked and we had a sweet time. When we were leaving, there was a woman in the exit with a big bucket. She was giving everyone that left their lighters back. Right as I got to her, she got swamped, frustrated, yelled at people and threw the bucket down on the ground and walked away. She threw the bucket right at my feet. Without missing a beat, I threw both my hands in the bucket, and like a giant scoop shovel, I jammed 2 ginormous handfuls of lighters, disposable cameras, knives, markers, and other stuff into my pockets. It was a good score!

____________________________________

#6 - KISS - This is in my top 10 because KISS was always one of those bands I wanted to see. I was always a huge fan of the music, and I really wanted to see them. Once there, I was not let down. Their stage presence is just as awesome as their music. If you get a chance to see them, check it out.

_____________________________________

#5 - Cypress Hill & The Offspring - This was right when Cypress Hill released Skull And Bones. It was their Rap/Rock album. Both the bands played on stage together quite a bit during the show and they worked perfectly together. I am a big fan of both the n=bands so to see them together on the stage at the same time was pretty sweet.

---------------------------------

#4 - Adema @ The Ascot Room @ The Quest in Downtown Minneapolis. This was a loud rockin intimate show. There was only about 200 hundred people at the show and for the most of it, I was 2 feet away from the band. If my top 3 weren't so awesome, this would for sure be higher on the list.

----------------------------------

#3 - Tool - 1st Round of The Lateralus Tour - Excel Energy Center St Paul Minnesota - Lateralus was a awesome CD, Tool is one of the greatest bands ever, there was acrobats, crazy videos, and the energy of a sold out show. I have never missed Tool in Minnesota, and all of their shows are incredible, but this one blew them all out of the water.

________________________________________

#2 - Rage Against The Machine - Minneapolis MN Target Center during the RNC (Republican National Convention). Here is the equation, The Republican National Convention + 1000's of protesters + A loud politically charged rock band + 100's of cops in Full Riot Gear surrounding the Target Center + the anticipation of things getting crazy = a super charged show that blows every other concert out of the water. Rage is one of my favorite bands, and to see them during such a crazy time was intense. Seeing all the cops everywhere was insane. I have never seen rage play a more intense show!

___________________________________________

#1 - Neil Diamond - Xcel Energy Center - St Paul MN. I know all my top concerts have been pretty heavy, and I know Neil doesn't fit that motif, but I love the guy. I screamed like a 14 year old girl for his 13 minute version of Sweet Caroline! I have tickets to see him in July and I can't wait. I wish I would of went to both his shows last time he was here!

______________________________________________

Grilled Buffalo Ham And Cheese Sandwiches

I love Grilled cheese, I love ham, so naturally I love grilled cheese and ham sandwiches. But, I am always looking for a way to kick it up a notch. On a day I was bored, I threw some Frank's Red Hot on a ham sandwich I was making. I was nervous at first, but I was surprised how well the Frank's could compliment the ham. The saltiness of the ham and the spicy hotness of the Frank's went hand in hand. This time I used a different type of bread and a different type of cheese. I didn't like it. I will go back to my original way. I will put the way I did it this time in the description, and I will add notes for what I would change. If you want to give it a try, here is how I did it.

_______________________________________________

Grilled Buffalo Ham & Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients
- Ham - Any type works
- Bread - I used these kaiser rolls, next time I will go back to using a Panini Style bread
- Cheese - This time I used Pepperjack, but next time I will go back to Swiss
- Frank's Red Hot
- Pickles - I like the sandwich slices
- Lettuce

Instructions

1. Pre Heat Grill to around 450 degrees. Place your pizza stone on the grill so it heats up at the same rate as the grill.
2. Make your sandwich as you would any other. Frank's Red Hot on each side of the bun, ham, lettuce, pickles and cheese.
3. Once your pizza stone is heated up, throw the sandwich on for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bread is crisp.

I like to throw some mesquite chips in the smoker box while I make these sandwiches so they get a little more of that smoky grilling flavor.

_______________________________________

I love making sandwiches on the grill and pizza stone. They turn out so crisp and awesome! I thought the Kaiser roll was to much and the pepperjack also was a little to much. I would use a Panini bread and Swiss cheese. Let me know how it turns out.

Sloppy Joe Meatball Subs & Grilled French Fries

To carry on with my quest to keep making different stuff, last night I made Sloppy Joe Meatball Subs with Home Made French Fries I cooked on the grill. Let me start by saying it was awesome! But sandwich ever! Maybe not ever, but it was pretty good! The fries were super good as well. I thin k this might be my favorite new way to make fries. Here is how I made everything.


_________________________________________________

Sloppy Joe Meatball Subs

1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning , divided
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper, Ground
Sloppy Joe Sauce of Choice (The original recipe called for a packet of dry Sloppy Joe mix, tomato paste and water, but I used a old family recipe for Sloppy Joe Sauce but you can use whatever sauce you want)
4 submarine rolls (6-inch)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Mix ground beef, garlic salt, 3/4 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning and pepper in large bowl. Shape into 16 (1 1/2-inch) meatballs.

2. Bake meatballs at about 400 degrees until nice and brown and cooked through. Add meatballs to a large pan and add your Sloppy Joe Sauce and remaining 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning; stir until smooth. Simmer 5 minutes.

3. Toast your rolls. I placed them in the pizza oven for a couple minutes. Place meatballs in rolls. Spoon sauce over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Put back in pizza oven to melt cheese.

4. Enjoy

_______________________________________________________

Home Made Fries on The Grill

5 large potatoes
Olive Oil
Seasoning of Choice


Directions

1. Pre heat grill to about 400 degrees. Place your pizza stone on the grill when you start it so it heats up at the same rate as the grill

2. Place your potatoes in the microwave for 5 minutes.

3. Slice your Potatoes into wedges, or in whatever shape fries you want.

4. Once the grill is heated up, place all of the fries onto the pizza stone in a single layer with little or no gaps between all of the fries. Once they are arranged, use a basting brush and put a light layer of olive oil over the fries. Sprinkle with your favorite seasoning. I used a equal part mix of Prime Rib seasoning and Lawry's seasoned salt.

5. Cook for about 1 hour or until your fries are nice and golden brown.



This way gets your fries so crunchy and awesome! Super Awesome!

A New Shot For Eelpout

Every year, we like to bring a shot specific for that year. Lately those shots have revolved around energy drinks and I am trying to get away from those. I feel like things such as Red Bull, while they have increased my drinkability by 40%, are stealing some of the fun drunk thunder. Its hard to explain. But, here are a couple of the shots I was thinking of making.

____________________________________________________

BOTTLE CAP

· 1/2 oz. Raspberry Liqueur
· 1/2 oz. Root Beer Schnapps
· 11/2 oz. 7-UP®
· 1/2 oz. Margarita Mix

I use the double shot cup (see picture) and pour the booze into the center of the cup and the Margarita Mix and the 7 Up in the outer rim of the cup



______________________________________________________

WASHINGTON APPLE

· 2 oz. Crown Royal
· 2 oz. Sour Apple Pucker
· 2 oz. Cranberry Juice

________________________________________________________

And the one I am leaning towards (since we will be partying on top of a frozen lake)

____________________________________________________________

Aqua Man

Equal Parts
- Vodka
- Blue Curacao
- Hpnotiq
- Orange Juice

________________________________________________________

2 weeks and counting! I can't wait!

Garage Sale Scavenger Hunt

I know that it is still january, and we are still a couple months away from the Garage Sale season kick off, but I am excited. I don't know what it is, but I love digging through other peoples crap. Wether its neatly arranged on a table, or on a blanket in the grass along the driveway, I love rummaging. I have a few things I collect, and I like to do some selling of things on Ebay, but mostly I just like meeting people and scavenging.

I think this year I am going to do a couple things. First I am going to try and start putting together a complete 1st edition of Stephen King hardcover books. The older ones will be harder to find, but that will make the search all that more fun. I have a couple other authors I would like to do this with as well. I will also continue to buy old video game stuff, MN sports memorabilia, other books, watches, music memorabilia, Nascar stuff, stuffed animals for the dog, and Sesame Street Characters to pack full of fireworks this 4th of July.

My second thing is that I would like to start a scavenger hunt among all of my friends who like to hit up garage sales as well. I am thinking people will put in a $10 entry fee and they will then be given a list of items they need to track down at Garage Sales. I will open it up so they can go wherever they want, as long as they finish the list. The list will be made of typical garage sale items. Here is what I am thinking of putting on the list so far

- A McDonalds Glass featuring some sort of cartoon character pre 2000 era (1999 and earlier)

- A Pair of Novelty Sunglasses in some sort of neon color

- A Angel or other Christmas tree topper

- A 35 MM Camera

- A T-shirt with a kitten or a fish on it

- Some type of homemade food item (Jam, jelly, rolls ect)

- A themed Beanie Baby (celebrity, Sports, ect)

- A Walking Cane

- A Framed Picture of the Old Man Praying

- A Christmas Record

- Any Madden video game (for any video game system)

Thats what I have so far, but I am not set in stone in any of the ideas. What are some other typical items that are weird that you see at garage sales that I could add to the list. I would like to keep the costs of all these items fairly low. At the end of the day, the first team to finish their list, or the team to get the farthest would be the winners. What do you think?

1st Giveaway In The Books!

I really want to thank everyone who entered my 1st ever giveaway! I love seeing all the new people pop up! A big thanks to my winner Diane! Congrats. I will get that out to you soon! I have a Ipod Shuffle giveaway that I am going to start on Friday, so check back! Thanks again for everything!

Jason

Taco Burgers, The Best Burger Ever!

So this weekend was the Chaska Minnesota's Fire Departments Annual Fishing Contest, and as is the trend for the past couple years, I didn't catch anything. I did however win big in a side drawing. I walked away with a brand new Vermont Casting Signature Series Gas Grill. This is a nice grill. it lists for a $1000, but we found them on sale for a average of $800! Not to shabby! it worked out perfect because my plan for yesterday was fix old gas grill! Now I had to decide what I was going to make on my new grill. I went with my favorite burger - Taco Burgers! If you love Tacos and Burgers, check this out. They smell so awesome grilling! Here is what you need to do

_______________________________________________________________________

Taco Burgers

Ingredients
- 1 lb Burger
- 1/2 Packet of taco seasoning
- Hamburger Buns
- Tortilla Chips crushed - I use the Hint Of Lime
- 1 Egg
- Taco Cheese
- Assorted Taco Toppings

In a large bowl, mix together your hamburger, taco seasoning, egg, and tortilla chips. Mix together all of the stuff and make the patties to the size you want.

Heat your grill to a medium/high heat. Throw your burgers on and cook them to what your preference is. I like my burgers Medium. Make sure you put a chair next to your grill to enjoy how awesome these smell. Right before you pull them off thegrill, sprinkle them with cheese, let it melt. Top your burger with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy.


__________________________________________________________

It is such a easy thing to make, but it is so rockin good! Flame Broiled Tacos are the way to go! Enjoy. Let me know what you think!

Eelpout Festival Facts

I am twitching I am so excited. I got my official Eelpout button yesterday. For $10, I got a chance at winning a Ice Castle custom fishhouse and other prizes, and I am helping to fund future Eelpout Festivals. So, since I can't get it out of my head, I thought I would throw some Eelpout facts out there for ya!

- Started in 1979 as the brainchild of Walker resident Ken Bresley, the Annual International Eelpout Festival began as a way to try and lure visitors up to Leech Lake during the winter months.

- There was 700 people at the first Eelpout Festival

- The original cost of a button was $3 (now $10)

- Unique Events that happen - Events such as Ice Drilling, Eelpout On-Ice Auto Race, Polar Plunge, Sled Dog Rides.

- The International Eelpout Festival brings more than 10,000 people to Walker every year

- Leech Lake is MN's 3rd Largest Lake

- It has gotten so big, it is now sponsored by brands like Coors Light, Mike's Hard Lemonade, Ice Castle Fish Houses, Red Bull, Northern Lights Casino, Aqua Vu and more

I will try and dig up some more facts the closer we get to the big day. Theres still time to book a flight or find a cabij in the area. You don't want to miss out!

Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes

Let me start with this quick comment "WORST IDEA EVER"! I love Buffalo Chicken, I love cupcakes, and I love trying new things, so when this buzz started on the web about these Buffalo Chicken cupcakes started, I had to make them. They didn't seem to difficult, and sounded interesting enough. The only thing I didn't like was all the Blue Cheese required to make this. I am not a Blue Cheese fan.

I tweaked a few things on this recipe. First off, just in case you are curious to try it, here is the original recipe.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Buffalo Chicken Cupcake Recipe

Yield: 10 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cake:
1/2 cup hot sauce (I recommend a hot sauce that is typically used for Buffalo chicken. Frank's is the classic choice. I used Bella's Medium Wing Sauce.)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sour cream
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
For the blue cheese buttercream frosting:
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
Steps

To make the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a medium-sized saucepan on medium-high heat, heat hot sauce and butter until butter is melted.
Add the blue cheese and mix periodically until blue cheese is melted.
Remove from heat and mix in the sugar.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and egg.
Once the hot sauce mixture is cool enough to touch, mix the sour cream mixture into the hot sauce mixture.
In another small bowl, mix together the flour and baking soda.
Fold the flour mixture into the hot sauce mixture.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
To make the blue cheese buttercream frosting:
Mix blue cheese on high speed until smooth.
Add the unsalted butter and mix on high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Slowly mix in the powdered sugar until fully combined.
Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________


I used Blue Cheese in the batter mix, and I followed all those ingredients and steps to a T. When it came to the frosting, I substituted Cheddar Cheese for Blue Cheese. I thought about Ranch, but then thought that the frosting would be to runny. Also, instead of using a chicken wing on the top, I got some Tyson pre cooked chicken chunks and tossed them in Franks Red Hot and topped the cupcakes each with a few pieces.

I took a bite and almost instantly regretted the trip I made to the grocery store to buy the stuff to make these. It was way to sweet (the cupcake) and the Buffalo sauce did not mix well. I didn't have any complaints about the frosting except for the fact that it was a little to thick. I barely finished one bite!


If you try it, I would recommend finding a substitute for the brown sugar. I didn't mind the Cheddar Cheese in the frosting, but I think I would try mixing in a pack of Powdered Ranch Dressing instead of the cheese. Good luck, and if you make them, let me know what you think.

Walgreens, My New Favorite Place

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I will be honest, I never really shopped at Walgreens up to about a year and a half ago.  I had a bunch of friends who worked there, even one who manages his own store, but I just never shopped there.  I lived in a small town and we didn't have a Walgreens and the nearest one was about 15 miles away.  Not to far, but I passes other drug style stores on the way so it was hard to commit to driving all the way there.

 

Now that a Walgreens has opened up in my home town, I have done a complete 360.  I find it hard to go other places now!  I buy all my every day need items there now, and I get all prescriptions filled there.  I am also pleasantly surprised with the wide selection of holiday items they carry.  If you don't shop there, give Walgreens a chance!

 

Walgreens is offering a special discount on annual membership for its Prescription Savings Club:

 

Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens

For $10 a year, a family membership covers everyone in your immediate family, including a spouse, dependents 22 and younger and pets.  Individuals may join for $5.  Join and receive discount prices on your prescriptions.

 

Other benefits include:

-Savings on more than 8,000 brand-name and all generic medications

-Discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers and diabetic supplies

-Bonuses when you purchase Walgreens brand products and photo finishing services

 

Support Walgreens and stay updated by liking them on Facebook and following them on Twitter @Walgreens.  

 

Walgreens on Twitter

 

Walgreens on Facebook

 

Eelpout Festival! My Favorite Time Of Year!!

Well, its almost that time of year! The International Eelpout Festival is almost upon us. For those of you who don't know what A) a Eelpout is, or B) what Eelpout Festival is, let me fill you in. The eelpout is a fresh water fish that closely resembles a Eel. They are very slimy, and anyone who has caught a big one will tell you that they will wrap around your arm if you give them the chance. Super gross fish. Eelpout Festival is a magical celebration that celebrates this super gross fish. It is held in Walker MN on Leech Lake. Leech is one of MN biggest lakes. Eelpout Festival has grown in popularity so much that even Jay Leno did a segment from Eelpout Festival last year. You can find more info about Eelpout Festival here and they also have the Late show clips on the homepage

http://www.eelpoutfestival.com/


This will be my eighth year attending and I don't ever want to miss it. It started out on a whim. While we were at a friends cabin fishing only about a hour away, we decided to grab our gear and head over and try and catch us some Pout. Once we got there and saw what was happening, we quickly realized that our fishing gear would do us no good. One problem, my lonely case of beer was not going to be enough for the day.


The first thing we witnessed was the Polar Plunge. A giant hole cut into the lake, where people throw on some crazy outfits and jump in the freezing water for a chance to raise some cash for charity. There was also, helicopter rides, a rugby game happening on the lake, a ice fishing bikini show, lots of vendors selling Winter gear, and the official Eelpout weigh center. Once we saw the mild stuff, it was time to see where everyone else was going.


We headed onto the lake and around the point and the first thing we saw on the ice was a 30 foot tall inflatable Gorrilla. I knew it was going to be a good day. Everything is set up similar to Vegas is the best way to describe it. There is a giant road on the ice, and on each side are themed encampments. These encampments are usually around 30' x 30' big and inside they have dance floors, fully stocked bars, couches, beer pong tables, flip cup tables, hot tubs, you name. All you do is walk up and down the row and go encampment to encampment to party.



There really is no way to accurately describe Eelpout festival besides some of the most fun you could ever have on a frozen lake! Everyone we have ever brought has loved it and come back with us. I think our group was around 30 people last year! Maybe we will make our own encampment next year! Check It Out!!

Resident Evil 6 Official Trailer US

Resident Evil 6!! Possible Announcement

I have been a fan of the Resident Evil series ever since the mansion outside of Raccoon City. Fighting crazed dogs, lickers, zombies and Wesker on a original Playstation being scared every time I heard a creak. Now granted, the games are nearly nowhere as terrifying as they started out being, and they have even gotten away from the traditional Zombie aspect, but the games have proven to entertain me. I played Resident Evil 4 at least 5 times and we beat RE5 close to 10 times. Great games.

It has been about 3 years since RE5 and now, there are rumors that there will be a announcement today about Resident Evil 6. There is a big Viral marketing campaign going on right now that keeps pointing to a website called No Hope Left http://www.nohopeleft.com/ that shows pictures of desolate destroyed areas with kind of a inverted Biohazard emblem spray painted on walls next to the words "No Hope Left". The date on all these pictures state 1/19/12. Lets hope there is a awesome announcement today! I am ready to get back to not being able to play video games in the dark!

Red Bull Crashed Ice in St Paul MN

{EAV:23e03f780fcfbf88}
This past weekend in St Paul Minnesota, Red Bull decided to feature its new extreme sport they are trying make popular here in the states. Its called Crashed Ice. It's basically a steep luge track that instead of going down in a cart, competitors race down on ice skates and basic hockey pads. Down this nearly 5 story drop track, there is jumps, hair pin turns, moguls, and screaming fans. Speeds reached are near 40 mph.



I guess the origin of the sport goes back to Austria, when a local drunk snuck on to the local Luge track and skated down it. The rest is history. It is still trying to gain some popularity as there is only 3 more red Bull events for this around the world this year, and I believe there is only 2 permanent tracks in the World.



The event itself was cool. The track was sweet, and we got there super early, so we got a prime spot towards the finish line right on the wall. The down sides, no free red Bull. You would be sure that a event they were sponsoring, there would of been some free Red Bull. 93x had a "Crash Zone" set up that was no where near a good view (or any) of the track, and they wanted $15 to get in and have the privilege of buying a beer and watching the event on a big screen. Lame. Another down side was the lagging in action at times. When they only send down 4 people at a time, sometimes 2 people would finish, and then you are just waiting for the rest. They should send down at least 8 people pre heat.



Overall, I am very happy to say that I can check that event of my to do list. The Red Bull events all ways seem to be pretty awesome. If you want to look at more photos I shot that day, check out my photography blog Capturing Minnesota

http://capturingminnesota.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/the-red-bull-crashed-ice-event-in-st-paul-mn/

This Weird Winter

So, the temp today is 0, -8 with the windchill. Just 38 hours ago, it was 52 degrees. In a Minnesota Winter where anything can happen, a 60 degree turnaround in 2 days is just another one of those odd quirks we are finding this Winter. Along with the crazy temp, we are still snowless. At the almost middle of January, it makes me a little worried. A few years ago, our first snowfall was on my birthday (Jan 21st).

This bad Winter makes me worry for a bunch of things. Eelpout Festival which is only a month away. A giant party held on the ice. Last year no cars could drive on the lake because of ice conditions. This year may be no different. I am worried about all the fishing contests coming up. A lot of these non profit organizations really rely on these in order to support their causes. Further out, I am worried for the farmers. No snow could equal a severe drought this Spring. Lakes and Rivers will be down majorly, poor fishing, poor Summer recreation. Come on Winter, lets get going!

Beer Ball - My New Favorite Game

So at the bar this weekend, a friend introduced me to a new game that I have never seen before. Its called Beer Ball. It is exactly like Skee Ball, but instead of racking up point tickets to by some cheap stuffed animal or RC car, you can win free beer, pizzas, or even a flat screen TV. For a $1 try, you get 9 balls. 400 points gets you a free beer, 500 gets you a pizza, and if you get a perfect 900, you get a 40" LCD TV. It helped that my friend was already pretty good at the game, and the fact that they had it set to a cheaper setting than a dollar. We got 4 tries per dollar. By the end of the night, we had 30 free drinks (we were drinking tall taps) and 8 pizzas. It was awesome. We couldn't find enough people to give free stuff to. Next time your at the bar, check it out. If your good at those types of games, you could have a cheap night out!

http://www.baytekgames.com/games/details/?id=259

The #1 Tip For Sealing Your Home For Winter

When prepping for the Winter chill, you always want to keep your home protected. You want to keep your family warm and you want to keep your heat bill down, but if you have a big home, it is a long and pain staking process to plastic seal all of your windows and unused doors. Is there a better solution you may ask yourself, I am here to tell you I may have seen the most genius thing ever. Instead of wrapping the windows, why not wrap the entire house in plastic, and then just cut out a door! These people are innovators!

Minnesota Snow Storm

I just got off the phone with a friend living in northern Minnesota near the Canadian border. He said that since early this morning the snow is nearly waist high and is still falling. The temperature is dropping and is at about 15 degrees and the North wind is increasing to near gale force. His wife has done nothing but look through the kitchen window and just stare. He says that if it gets much worse, he may have to let her in …


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA

Grilled Tilapia

One of the hardest things to grill I think is fish, and I always love the chance to take on the challenge. Last night I headed up to one of my favorite seafood stores, Costal Seafood. If you have never been there, and you are a fan of fish and seafood, check it out. There is 2 locations in Minnesota. Minneapolis and St Paul. The St Paul location is in a way less bad neighborhood! Here is a link if you want some more info. http://www.coastalseafoods.com/home

So, I got my Tilapia fillets and I am all excited to do some grilling tonight. Here is the recipe I am going to use

Ingredients
6 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
6 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for brushing
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon hot sauce, to taste
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Place the fish in a large nonmetal dish. Whisk together the 6 tablespoons oil, the orange zest, orange juice, ginger, hot sauce, salt, and pepper, to taste; pour over the fish. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare grill. Brush the fish with additional oil. Grill until fish just flakes when tested with a fork, about 5 minutes per side for each inch of thickness.

The fish will only cook about 10 minutes. It is a very quick thing to grill. I love to crank the heat up a little hotter on the grill for the first minute or so. I put the filet down, and after about 30 seconds, I rotate the fillet 45 degrees so I get the seared criss cross pattern on the fish. Then I turn the heat back down to a little bit lower setting. I love fish on the grill.

Sony NEX5 Camera

For the longest time, I have wanted to get a new camera. Ever since I quit smoking 3 years ago, I have spent that smoke money on new camera. I have finally evolved into a pretty sweet camera. I upgraded from my Canon to the new Sony NEX 5. This camera is rockin. I by no means am a professional photographer, or am I even the biggest wiz with gadgets, but the more and more I play with the camera, the more I learn. It has some pretty awesome features that I specifically bought it for, but I am learning about features I never knew I wanted.

One of my biggest gripes about digital cameras is the screen is impossible to see or view anything if you are outdoors in the sun. I take a bunch of Winter shots outdoors, and the it is overly bright during that time of year. With the Sony, there is a 3" screen that pivots so I should be able to angle it any direction to get rid of that glare.

With my last 2 cameras, the Sony Cybershot and Canon), it couldn't do a feature that my first Kodak digital camera could do. That is the Panoramic picture. I missed that so much! I love taking Panoramic's. With the Kodak, I had to take 3 pictures, and then the camera spent 5 minutes stitching the images together. With the NEX, I just have to select the Panoramic option, hold down the Shutter button and sweep the camera across the landscape. It even shoots 3D Panoramic pictures.

I love Youtube. I love taking videos. Along with wanting a cool SLR digital camera, I needed to have a something that took high quality video. This camera shoots in 1080i quality. Another awesome feature is that I can jump right into taking a video by clicking a button, and I can be back to taking photos with another click. Before it was a matter of switching modes, a pain. The ability to zoom in and zoom out while taking a video is also awesome. The microphone is located right next to the record button, so I spent a bunch of time blocking the sound unknowingly with my finger. Only down fall so far.

The night time settings are sweet. They can really bring out the current light and make the pictures crisper. I am excited to take a bunch of night time shots.

Those are some of my favorite features so far. As I learn more, I will talk more. I can't wait to see all the shots I will get.

Resolution Day 3 Update!

So my charge towards drinking 1 beer every day for the next year resolution is so far as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be. Tonight will mark me trying my 3rd different beer of the year. Granted I have had them before, but the point was to just drink at least 40 different beers, not 40 new types of beer. I love this resolution, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for me!

1. Coors Light
2. Mich Golden
3. Blue Moon

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all my friends. May 2012 bring everything you need and want!