Tuesday Wrap...

Made my semi-monthly “big shopping” run out to the base today and refilled the larder. As is usual after a re-supply mission, I got motivated by all this fresh food in El Casa Móvil de Pennington and cooked, rather than nuked, dinner this evening. I browned a couple of pork chops in bacon grease, seasoned with rosemary and basil, smothered them in German sauerkraut (brand: Schaller and Weber), and simmered same for about a half hour. Added some parsleyed potatoes and a can of corn, made a large salad, and dinner was served. Quite good, actually. All it lacked was compliments, other than my own.

About that salad: I have a product recommendation for you. If your local grocery store carries the “Newman’s Own Organics” brand of bagged salads, try the Herb Salad variety. The contents are many and varied: Red Romaine, Tango, Lollo Rosa, Arugula, Red Leaf, Green Romaine, Little Gem, Mizuna, Tat Soi, Green Chard, Red Chard, Red Mustard, Red Oak, Green Oak, Frisee, Radicchio, Parsley, and Dill. I have NO idea what half of this stuff is (and neither does MS-Word, flagging about a third of the ingredients as misspelled words), but it sure is tasty! Each ingredient’s name, save the parsley and dill, is preceded by “Organic Baby…,” which gets rather redundant. I get the point: it’s organic, all of it. Small quibble. Big taste.

Further to the Newman brand… I normally don’t buy anything labeled “organic,” for a couple of reasons. First, organic anything is usually more expensive, often times twice the price of “normal” products. Second, I have philosophical objections to the whole “organic” movement, associating the movement’s proponents with tree-hugging, holier-than-thou types that probably voted for AlGore in droves. I’m more of a “Better Living Through Chemistry” kinda guy. I’ll make an exception every once in a while, thus “Newman’s Own Organics” landed on my dinner table this evening. When it comes to organics, your mileage may vary, of course.

I love bagged salads. I’ll admit they are expensive, but consider the alternative. I’d spend a helluva lot more if I were to buy each individual item listed above, assuming I could even find them, and then make my salad. And that doesn’t consider waste, either. I threw out an awful lot of wilted lettuce and other sorts of moldy veggies prior to bagged salads coming on the market. So I think it’s a wash when it comes to the economics. And I love the convenience!

I was somewhat disappointed when I arrived and departed the base today. For at least the second, and probably the third, time I’ve gone out to Cannon my timing has been off. No flying activity. I really enjoy watching the jets take off and land, but it wasn’t to be today. Oh, well. Next time.