Food!

[down_home]

We are tired of everything! Fast Food is enemy number one.
I have ate enough hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, steak, ham, and everything else.
I want something different! If I had the energy I would open a restaurant and call it Something different. Anyone who ordered a burger, might be banned for life?
Out here in the desert especially the options are even more limited Micky Ds and Cracker Barrel. I know the menue by heart! Don'' ask me though.
Wife isn't into cooking, on the road this trip.
I don't believe a steak wold whet my appetite after a week, right now.
I want something different.
What is it and where can I get some...within 50 miles???

[hokeypokey]

Our grandsons had the confidence to cook when they went to college since their parents taught them. Nothing fancy, just good & filling food. One worked at a truck stop where he could buy all kinds of things to eat but always brought leftovers from home to heat up. People he worked with said “it smells good, you know how to cook ?” Its so important to learn.

[jjuliajul]

I'm very tired of fast food. For a while, I was even a vegetarian. I really enjoyed eating soups, lots of fruits and vegetables. I took vitamins for vegetarians ( on Canada Drugs there were vitamin complexes which consisted of vitamin D, B12, Omega-3, Iodine, Calcium and Iron). I realized that I couldn`t be a vegetarian so I started eating different foods (but not fast food!) but I didn`t stop taking vitamins because they have a good effect on my body.

[down_home]

On one trip after parking the RV, we searched out every Restaurant on the GPS the Garmin, I think. Not one was still in operation, not one, in the reasonably sized "small town." The Amish places, are now in name only, with the trappings suggesting they were or are including waitresses' dresses and caps. No Amish would put up with the food at home.
I may have posted it here before but near Jaemsport, Missouri to the west I think, we ate at a small Mennonite run restaurant .Food was astoundingly good and hot and service was fast. Cousin made booms and such ans sold them on the Internet in Jamesport. In a couple of small towns in southern Michigan, I posted ages ago about the good food. I can't find the log we kept. One was a bar and restaurant together. You ordered what was on the stove that day. Near the Su, we went to a family run restaurant. Food on hot platters and so much I couldn't finish it. I had roast beef whipped creamed potatoes, very hot, and green beans, that were properly ripe when harvested and home made bread. We ate slowly to enjoy the simply gret but simple food.e
North of Salt Lake City, we stopped to eat. Ordered scrambled eggs, ham, potatoes and biscuits. They did no know what "Country ham" was.
The ham was great and so big it covered the platter and was not thin. Half a dozen eggs I think. The home fries were done just right with peppers and such.
We could not eat it all. We vowed next time to order just one plate/platter and split it. haven't been back, and don't know if we ccoudl find it, and probably out of business.
I keep intending to keep the journal again. But so far of late nothing great in restaurants to report.

[propchef]

Avoid the chains and you've avoided 90% of the bad restaurants.

[ppine]

Maybe you need to learn to cook Bub.
I like to make ethnic food in a Dutch Oven. Italian, Mexican, Indian, French, etc.
For a quick supper when camping a big salad with interesting greens, smoked salmon, nuts, boiled eggs and Asian dressing.
Look at some cook books. google some recipes. There is a world of food out there that has nothing to do with bad restaurants.

[Fisherman]

down home wrote:
I said within 50 miles but that wasn't relevant. We ate at Black Bear or something last evening in Kingman. Wife and I had steak, Medium wife medium well and BL mMedim rare.
It was thin as a shoe sloe and as tough and gristly and cooked to death. The mashed red potatoes had no daily at all. We could have butter or gravy. A Corn Bread muffinas a big hunk of corn meal and sugar.
The Mess Sgt in the army would have been demoted to E1 and been put to task burning s---.
In the Army of my familiarity were fed well when not in the field,and they couldn't furnish anything but rations.
When they bough the kitchen to the field the food was just as good as n the kitchen.
I believe if I was starting a restaurant..I would hire a Mess Sgt!
These so called restaurants...well I just don't know? maybethey are hiring kids who worked at McDonlds.
I'm not kidding a Mess Sgt that would have served the garbage we were presented last evening would face a tough future.

McDonalds use to serve good Fast Food and real CocaCola etc. That was June, I think 2006 or so...about the tiem they caught a McDonalds in Minnesota selling counterfeit Coca Cola products.
Good food or bad I just get tired of the same things for 72 years.

Have to agree with you,most restaurant food is borderline garbage, greasy, salty and disgusting. I visit a restaurant maybe once a year on the DIL's birthday, that's it. I do about 95+ % of the cooking at home, from scratch. None of that **** in the box. I cringe at the amount of "microwave or reheat food" people buy. Probably too lazy to learn how to prepare food that's healthy for you. Same with the processed junk, so much salt you could melt snow at -20.

[doxiemom11]

The hot chickens from grocery stores are good. They usually have a variety of sides you can buy. Myself, we make instant mashed potatoes, gravy and a vegetable or salad to go along. How about the soup and salad bar many grocery stores have. Go to the deli counter. There are also many good microwavable meals now in the stores. Stouffers or Marie Calendar, Boston Market etc.

[garmp]

At home I got into smoking meats. Brisket, pork butts, chuck roasts, baby back ribs, etc, etc. Take a meal size portion and vacuum seal it & freeze. We were just on a three week trip and only cooked uncooked meat once the entire trip. We always have a great variety and it's almost instant and tasty.

[LindaAnn]

I am a big fan of Slow Cooker/Crockpot cooking. Put whatever you want early in the day and let it slow cook. I love to make chili (there are lots of good "chili mixes") or beef stew or vegetable soup (frozen veggies with some chicken broth...add meat if you like), a roast with Campbell's French Onion soup (great for 'now' or for sandwiches 'later'...you can even shred some for Tacos), chicken breasts that can be used in soups or as a main dish with sides...or...add BBQ sauce for a good sandwich. The internet has lots of recipes, some with just 2 or 3 ingredients. Try this site:
www.pillsbury.com/recipes/slow-cooker-recipes

[down_home]

OkieGene wrote:

down home wrote:
We are tired of everything! Fast Food is enemy number one.
I have ate enough hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, steak, ham, and everything else.
I want something different! If I had the energy I would open a restaurant and call it Something different. Anyone who ordered a burger, might be banned for life?
Out here in the desert especially the options are even more limited Micky Ds and Cracker Barrel. I know the menue by heart! Don'' ask me though.
Wife isn't into cooking, on the road this trip.
I don't believe a steak wold whet my appetite after a week, right now.
I want something different.
What is it and where can I get some...within 50 miles???

Where are you? You don't have to say exactly, but a close enough yet still vague description will help to identify and suggest what foods might be available in that area.

Here are some ideas: Fish Tacos, Beef Stroganoff, Shepherds Pie, Goulash, Chili, Green Chile Stew (New Mexico dish). White Chicken Chili, or beef chili, or turkey chili, etc. Chicken Pot Pie.

Stuffed Bell Peppers. I have no idea where you are located, but my local Costco makes, from scratch every other day in their kitchen, Stuffed Bell Peppers. I love it, buy one every 10 days or so. It's really good.

Ham and Beans, with Cornbread, and even with Fried Potatoes.

Calzones are good. Fish dinners, Halibut, Catfish, Salmon, etc the list goes on. Don't eat Talipia, they are usually farm raised and nasty and not healthy. Otherwise Tilapia would be fine.

Stuffed chicken breasts. My local Sprouts Grocery makes them from scratch and puts them in the fresh meat case. Take home and bake it. Mighty fine.

Macaroni & Cheese. Variants include adding Green Chiles, I like to chop up a Brat and add, also a mild hot link like Earl Campbell Hot Link (the regular, not the Red Hot one)

Go pick up Chinese to go, get the lunch specials, in fact get an extra for the next day or so. Cheap and good.

When all else fails, just make breakfast, no matter what time of day it is.

Chicken Salad.

Got a Crock Pot? It's the original Set It And Forget It cooking thing.

Get the crock pot out, throw in a whole chicken, add a bag of frozen veggies, later throw in a tube of biscuits. Great Dinner. Just Google that. You'll love it. Save the broth, make home made chicken soup.

We were near Kingman,Az left yesterday though. Just ordered steaks from Big Texan..in Amarillo.

[2112]

down home wrote:
It was thin as a shoe sloe and as tough and gristly and cooked to death.

This sounds like you're describing our local Chili's. Worse overpriced dog food in town.

Good food or bad I just get tired of the same things for 72 years.

I can relate. I worked at the same location for 34 years and ate lunch out every workday. Same ol same ol every work day. I was tired of it 20 years ago but kept up the same routine.

That has changed now that I'm working from home, thanks to COVID. I'm eating healthier and consuming less per meal. Among other meals, I have reintroduced myself to P&J and ham & cheese sandwiches for one. Frito chili pie with cheese and onion is another. We don't cook big meals, just simple stuff. No more salt lick burgers and greasy fries for this boy.

[down_home]

I said within 50 miles but that wasn't relevant. We ate at Black Bear or something last evening in Kingman. Wife and I had steak, Medium wife medium well and BL mMedim rare.
It was thin as a shoe sloe and as tough and gristly and cooked to death. The mashed red potatoes had no daily at all. We could have butter or gravy. A Corn Bread muffinas a big hunk of corn meal and sugar.
The Mess Sgt in the army would have been demoted to E1 and been put to task burning s---.
In the Army of my familiarity were fed well when not in the field,and they couldn't furnish anything but rations.
When they bough the kitchen to the field the food was just as good as n the kitchen.
I believe if I was starting a restaurant..I would hire a Mess Sgt!
These so called restaurants...well I just don't know? maybethey are hiring kids who worked at McDonlds.
I'm not kidding a Mess Sgt that would have served the garbage we were presented last evening would face a tough future.

McDonalds use to serve good Fast Food and real CocaCola etc. That was June, I think 2006 or so...about the tiem they caught a McDonalds in Minnesota selling counterfeit Coca Cola products.
Good food or bad I just get tired of the same things for 72 years.

[BarabooBob]

I just threw together a great tasting "Chinese" meal. I pan fried a thin sliced 5 ounce steak, threw in fresh onions, orange bell peppers, some broccoli, a pineapple tidbit fruit cup, added Gen Tsao sauce and thickened with a little corn starch. Served over rice. It took 10 minutes from start to eating.
This is one of my "go to" because my wife does not like it and when she is skipping supper, it is easy to make.

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Well as always to each their own but ........ we are homebody type folks that cook almost all of our meals from scratch (don't care for anything that comes in a cardboard box so to speak). Always have lots of homebaked goodies in the freezer/cupboard to pull on for a quick afternoon tea. We love rich heavy fruit cakes, rock cakes, scones, Victoria Sandwiches (Jam/Cream or Coffee), Various Fruit Crumbles/Pies, Lemon Meringue, Mousse, Cheesecakes, Trifles. Anything in moderation doesn't kill most of us!

For meals: Cottage/Shepherds Pie (one is beef other lamb) - English Style Roast Chicken/Pork/Beef/Lamb Yorkshire Puddings with Homemade Sausage & Onion stuffing, mashed Rutabaga/Swede, Carrots other veggies of choice. Chicken or Beef Stew with Suet Dumplings or Casserole with savory biscuits, Quiche Lorraine, Egg & Bacon Pies, Chicken & Mushroom Pot Pie, Restuffed Baked Potatoes, 3 hour to cook our baby back ribs with homemade coleslaw. Stuffed crust pizza, due to arthritis now use bread maker to make dough loaded to the rafters. Traditional Cornish Pasties, Fish cakes (so easy to make from scratch), Cod in homemade beer batter. Stir Fry, and at least 3 days of the week full english breakfast. Various quick type pasta dishes with meat/alfredo homemade sauces, sometimes baked. Can't beat homemade thick soups in the winter.

We rarely ever eat out and on the odd times we have we've typically been quite disappointed with the overall quality versus price versus service in past couple decades. What used to be a treat to us in the 80's early 90's turned to disappointment so we generally stopped with the exception of a local good Chinese about twice a year and a great East Indian take away with Keema Naan and Onion Bajees.

Seriously start with a one pot meal and start cooking from scratch at home, you'll be surprised just how good it all tastes by comparison to eating out or ready made type meals. Also once you get started and it becomes a habit, it'll all be like second nature especially if spouses do it together as we do now older.