No on Prop D ads on YouTube

See the ads for those opposed to Prop D. They want no Permanent Alcohol Ban and want to keep Our Beaches Free. This is for San Diego, up until a temporary ban was put in place, this was one of the last areas in California where you could drink on the beach legally.

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recession/depression soup

recession/depression soup

Soup solved two problems for me by helping me lose weight and save money. That wasn't the intent at first. I had to eat soup after I got my wisdom teeth out. I noticed it filled me up and I lost a few pounds.

The disadvantage though was all soups have really high salt content. And what's the deal with the nutrition label on canned soup being for two servings? Do people really only eat half a can? So I started making my own soup that's healthier. The wedding gift that we got that I use the most is the crock pot. We actually got two, one is solar... It's just not that sunny in San Diego. I haven't used it yet. Plus I would have to put it on the roof.

Costco leftovers also lend themselves well to soup. I usually make the soup a day or two after the Costco run. This will make about 8 good size servings (two weeks of workday meals for me). It's more like a spicy chili than a soup if you get technical...

1. Set the crock pot to low heat for four hours.
2. Add olive oil and work it around to lightly cover the bottom
   
3. Add two cups of brown rice
   
4. Add a handful of whole grape tomatoes (what wasn't used for salads the week before)
5. Add a handful of sliced grape tomatoes (what wasn't used for salads the week before)
6. Add 1/2 packet of chili powder (packets are ~1 and last at least two batches)
7. Add couple of teaspoons of cumin
   
8. Add couple of teaspoons of garlic powder (not salt)
9. Add pepper as you like
10. Add sliced and whole mushrooms (what wasn't used for salads the week before)
11. Add dried shiitake mushrooms (big bag at Costco ~$10 and will last 10+ batches
    
12. Add water to cover everything and mix
13. Let this cook for two hours stirring occasionally
    
14. Cut broccoli to small pieces and add (what wasn't used for salads the week before)
15. Let this cook for one hour, stir as needed
    
16. Add two good size frozen chicken breast (Costco!)
    or Add 8 turkey meatballs (costco)
17. Once the chicken is pretty much cooked, remove and slice or shred and return to pot
18. Cook until chicken is done (not pink)
19. Examine the rice, most seem to cook around the 3:30 to 4 hour point. Extend cooking time as needed for rice to puff
20. Remove and package

I use plastic containers and freeze about half and the other half in the fridge for this weeks lunch

Wing Review: Wings n' things

We went downtown last night. The original goal was to meet up for a little boat party at the Hyatt. Long story short, there's more than one Hyatt near a marina in San Diego. Since Alison was meeting up with friends for a girls night and I was to drop her off, we went to have a drink at the Top of the Hyatt. As usually, we went to the wrong bank of elevators the first time, but we eventually made it up there. We had a great view of the midway.

I dropped her off at Sushi Deli on Broadway and was craving BBQ, so I headed over to Phil's BBQ. It was about 8 pm on a Saturday night, but I got a spot with out a problem. My hopes were high until I rounded the corner and saw the line. I've never eaten here before, just have had the food when someone else has picked it up. I'm not patient enough to wait in line, so I hoped back in the car and went to my backup plan: Wing's n' Things.

I haven't been here in years. I used to go more often when they had a shop in PB and even more often when I worked for Sharp near Convoy. The smell hit me as I walked in. I ordered 16 hot wings (I skipped the breadsticks) to go and sat down to wait patiently. That's when I noticed a sign in the next shopping area over "Wing Street". Oh, what have I missed? Then I saw it was a Pizza Hut, so I assumed I wasn't missing much.

I should have eaten then there for maximum freshness, but I wanted to head home first. Was I trying to tease Shelby? The smell filled the car and spilled out on to the streets as I motored home with the top down. First bite reminded me what a good traditional wing sauce tastes like nice and tangy. In the to-go container the are swimming in sauce, and this is a good thing. I can tell you I spent a little too much time in the sun yesterday as my chapped lips were quickly on fire. My nose started to run and my eyes teared up. Despite this, they weren't uncomfortably hot. No really, I mean it. I regret not getting a few bread sticks to soak up the extra sauce. Other than that, it was a great meal. Ranch was good and the celery carrots were cold, crunchy and fresh.


3445 MIDWAY DRIVE
SAN DIEGO, CA 92110
619-226-0185

Wings: Boll Weevil Restaurant

On a whim, we went to the new Boll Weevil Restaurant in Bird Rock. This spot used to be a swanky place that never seemed to have a crowd. It was funny to see how different it looked. We each had a couple of beers and split a burger and wings. I was surprised that the bill was nearly $40. This was mostly due to the pricey beers.

Out waitress warned us that the wings were spicy and a lot of people send them back because of this. We chalked that one up to the clientele, families with young kids. In fact, we skipped the main dinning room when we saw all the families. Nothing against families (I'm in one myself), but there was a nice big empty bar that was separated from the rest of the place by a wall. I bet a lot of people think the wings are like McD's nuggets.



Back to the wings, they came with fries and a buttery ranch dip. The fries were nice, crisp and hot. This was another place where there was no sauce applied after they were fried. They looked harmless, like nuggets, but they had a kick to them. They were really hot and tender, but tiny in size and not many were included. The fries had the job of filling you up.

With all the choices we do have around here, I don't think we would go back. The burger wasn't impressive, the ranch was too butter and there was no celery or carrots. Or server was nice, and got us to order before the kitchen closed (9:30!).