Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Hot Dog Buffet

Was at a major event yesterday, complete with luncheon. Ran into The Mole, who asked if said major event luncheon would be hot dogs served buffet-style. Which raises the question, "How many roller grills would it take to feed 2500 people one hot dog apiece?" Which raises another question: "Could you get 2500 people in one place for a luncheon if they knew roller grill dogs were the entree, no matter how spectacular the speakers were?" Just asking...

Sunday, January 31, 2010

'Tis Spicy Meat ...

Thanks for giving me permission to eat as many hot dogs, sausages, and brats as I wanted for the month. And thanks for letting me share my experience with you. Now I can focus on what remains of my 100 Day Wellness Challenge, which pretty much stood in opposition to Hot Dog Month.

However, in the spirit of saving the best for last, I bring you the Shakespearean sausage sonnet my son wrote in 2006 for AP English when he was a senior. He won honorable mention in the Shakespeare Festival sonnet competition that year. His sonnet was a welcome departure from all the over-romanticized, flowery submissions that actually won.

"'Tis Spicy Meat Encased in Something Gross"

'Tis spicy meat encased in something gross
Yet sausage still enthralls my taste buds fair
It tops the pizza style I love the most
About its taste loud trumpets soundly blare,
Yet sausage in the morn I care for not
Its blend of spices make my stomach churn
While eating I can feel my vessels clot
The time of day causes my heart to burn
I long for sausage with my pasta dish
The taste combined with sauce, it is divine
The sausage rest'raunts serve fulfills my wish
When I am 21 I'll eat with wine
All I can say is thank you, Jimmy Dean
For making sausage for this hungry teen.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Culver's Butter Burgers?!



You have to approach this hot dog thing with an open mind. Who knew Culver's had really good hot dogs?! I broke down and ordered French fries to go with it. It was my last Friday in my hot dog month. I decided to go crazy. I understand you can get the hot dogs with works. As you all know, I don't really like the works, but I did refrain from eating it with mayonnaise. Though I do love mayo on my French fries. I've been told that's European. I don't really know. Can you see hubby's French fries in the background? Chili fries with cheese. He probably enjoyed his more than I did.


Tune in tomorrow for my final entry. You won't want to miss it!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Dogs in a Blanket


Seriously, what is not to like about dogs in a blanket? Hot dogs, crescent rolls, cheese, mustard. It's the ultimate comfort food. Now, what I didn't expect was to find a recipe for "Dogs in a Blanket" on CDKitchen.com. Is this a dish you actually need a recipe for?

I was intrigued by the "Pig in Pashmina" recipe. It sounded delicious, especially if you like chorizo.
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/892/Pig-In-Pashmina76916.shtml

In case you were wondering, a pashmina is a shawl woven from fine cashmere wool from the pashmina goat, a special breed indigenous to the high altitudes of the Himalayas. You're just not going to get that kind of detail from The Mole, The Pig, or The Boz.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Tomorrow's My Birthday

Tomorrow is my birthday. It ends in a zero. A really big zero, if such a thing exists. I'm trying to pretend it's a coincidence that these two things arrived in the mail on the same day.

If you'll remember, this birthday is one reason I wanted to be this month's hot dog blogger. As we near the end of the month, I am in awe of my predecessors' ability to down the dogs. I'm not done yet, but The Mole's record is safe. Really safe.



Hot Dog Skillet Dinner


When I was a kid, my mom used to make this skillet thing with rice, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, and cut up hot dogs. It was the ultimate in comfort food. So, that's what we had tonight for supper. In deference to the photo, I didn't cut up the hot dogs. We put the cheese on after the picture, just so you could see the dogs. I ate two. It was delicious.


Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Throwing Caution to the Wind


I think sometimes you just have to throw caution to the wind and open the can of Skyline Chili you've had on the pantry shelf for maybe four years and put it on a hot dog with cheddar cheese so you can have your first chili dog in your life.




Sunday, January 17, 2010

Nirvana


Sometimes you have to go to Nirvana. (See Jimbo's Diner post) Sometimes Nirvana is delivered to your front door.



Came home the other day to find this box sitting outside the front door. (On the deck next to the snow shovel, which has gotten waaayyy too much use this winter. But I digress.)
When I show you what was in the box, you all are going to want my sister-in-law's name and address.




Wiener dog

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Tuesday night

Not to complain or anything, but I didn't know if there was much new ground to be covered in the hot dog world. Especially when the idea of eating a roller dog anywhere but a major league baseball stadium kind of turns my stomach.



But that was before we discovered Jimbo's Diner in La Vista. Jimbo's has naugahyde covered booths, coffee in thick, white, ceramic mugs, and hot dogs in red plastic baskets. And not just any hot dog. 1/4 pound of deliciousness on a warm, buttered-then-grilled bun. I'm telling you, it was enough to make me roll my eyes and utter those little "yum" noises you make when you've just tasted something delicious. Cholesterol be damned!




Now, if you really want a treat, you'll play a couple of rounds of keno while you're waiting for your meal. New libraries and fire stations don't build themselves, people! La Vista needs your gambling dollars.


Sunday, January 10, 2010

Random Thoughts

Where can you do when it's Friday night and you need encased meat with a very short turnaround? Runza serves a delicious Polish sausage. Turns out, they serve Wimmer's! Guess I was on the right track last week. Makes sense, since they're both Nebraska companies.







On another note, I'll get the results from my cholesterol test on Monday. I should have done a pre-and-post hot dog month cholesterol test. You know, for scientific purposes only. I may be limited to turkey (and the occasional chicken) dogs after tomorrow. Stay tuned.













Oh, by the way, did anyone else watch the Buckeyes beat the Ducks in the Rose Bowl? It was a happy day in Buckeye Nation!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Beer Slushies


Not to state the obvious, but you know it's cold outside:














when the Guinness you've been storing in the garage turns to slush. Good thing there was a back-up.









That Guiness was going to wash down a Wimmer's Natural Casing Weiner. Or two. Oh, well. Add onions, relish, kraut, mustard and you have the perfect supper on a miserable night, even without the beer. Because I'm a planner, I've already bought the Little Smokies for a future event. Hot dogs never go bad, do they?


Speaking of Wimmer's, did you know they own Fairbury Brand Meats, too? George Wimmer, Sr. came to Nebraska from Austria in 1914. He and his wife moved to Snyder, NE in 1934 and opened a butcher shop and sausage kitchen. The company is in its 3rd generation of family ownership. Check out WimmersMeats.com if you want to know more.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Cold Enough for a Picnic



What to have for supper on a night when it's zero degrees out? Picnic food, that's what. Cheddarwurst, hamburgers, baked beans, fresh pineapple. (Rest assured, I didn't let a hamburger come close to my plate!) I have to tell you, turkey cheddarwurst aren't nearly as good as the real thing.






When it warms up a little, I'll venture out on a hot dog search. Until then, I just might try some of these wonderful hot dog recipes in my favorite cookbook, "How To Boil Water." Can't you just taste Hawaiian Hot Dogs now?






The Buckeye

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Saturday Night at Home

Since it's roughly 100 degrees below zero outside, we ate Italian sausage and spaghetti at home for supper. It looked kind of like this. Except the plate was blue, the sausage wasn't cut up, and I forgot to put the Parmesan cheese on top. Oh, and we had salad. A little Romaine to balance out the encased meatiness of the sausage.







Friday, January 1, 2010

New Year New Perspective




"Where are the female hot dog bloggers," I asked? "Don't exist right now," said The Mole. Heck, nothing like a new decade, a significant (ends in zero) birthday, and processed meat to get a woman to step up to a new challenge. My bona fides - graduate of The Ohio State University College of Agriculture with a BS in Food Science & Nutrition. Moved to Omaha in 1983 to work for Frito-Lay, Inc. in Council Bluffs (before they tore it down). Moved to Williamsport, PA to work at a Frito-Lay bakery (before they closed it down). Moved back to La Vista to live happily ever after with my husband and two sons. Now work for the Greater Omaha Chamber - dream job that has nothing to do with food science or nutrition. (Obviously, otherwise, I never would have signed onto the nutritional train wreck that is Hot Dog Month.)

I have a long and somewhat troubled relationship with the hot dog. I grew up in what I thought was God's Country - O-H-I-O. My grandfather owned and operated a dairy farm with a herd of lovely Jersey cows. He always had a cow named Barbara. One day when we were at the farm, my grandmother served hot dogs for lunch. I was enjoying my dog when Grandpa said, "We butchered Barbara last week." I've never been good at math, but even I knew 1+1 equaled Barbara for lunch. I'm dedicating the next month to Barbara's memory.

The boys have set the bar pretty high. I'm looking forward to seeing their bar and raising it. Oh, I have a little help along the way as Hubby is enthusiastically joining me on the journey. The photos are from our first venture. That's right. I have two packets of mayo next to my dog. I don't like ketchup or mustard. Or relish.

The Buckeye


P.S. Go Bucks! Beat the Ducks!