Monday, April 20, 2020

420 Celebration - High Times & Recipes

Acapulco Gold, Texas Tea, Panama Red, Maui Wowie, Mary Jane, chronic, ganja, pot, weed, grass, dope, herb, joint, blunt, roach, cannabis, reefer, spliff, fatty, jay, doobie, and locoweed, are just some of the euphemisms for marijuana.


Many pot shops have a green cross or green type somewhere on their building. This comes from when marijuana was first legal in L.A. for medical purposes only - I guess it's a play on the Red Cross?

Click on any photo to see larger.

This month 420 is celebrated and I missed the Smokeout because I was shooting marijuana store customers in line and store facades for this blog post...how ironic is that? I don't blaze up every day anyway.

Patients/customers practicing social distancing with masks during Covid-19.

If you're are out of the loop, 420 or April (4th month) and day 20, is an international celebration of all things marijuana. The term "420" supposedly originated in 1971 here in California by a bunch of high school buddies who would meet at 4:20pm to smoke weed. You can read about it here.


When California introduced medical marijuana legally in 1996 I waited a couple of years before I got a prescription. Like a lot of locals, I was paranoid about putting my name in a database of users. But after a while, I realized that I'm never gonna run for President or head the FBI.

FYI my medical condition was a pain in the...elbow.

Getting a prescription was a farce really just pick your ailment and the doctor charged $100 bucks back in the day. Now it's legal in California so that song and dance is no longer played.


I've been a contributing citizen to the economy and a creative artist most of my life so all the boogeyman stories of reefer madness don't fly here.

When I was in high school I primarily used it when listening to music, as it was the 1960's and getting high brought a heightened experience and meaning to the lyrical and sonic content of songs by The Beatles, Rolling StonesThe Kinks, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, etc.


And it was just a fun thing to do with friends on the weekend and long summer dazes.

Just watch my Mom's recipe for Tex-Mex Enchiladas to see my high school buddy Marvin and I have a 1960's flashback hanging out and listening to album rock in my bedroom.



These days I like a cannabis-infused edible from time to time. They will last an hour or so, just right for an art show, movie, or musical concert at the Hollywood Bowl.


Check out some of the concerts I've seen there, including a Willie Nelson concert where I've never smelled so much marijuana in my life!



I'll leave you with another recipe should you be in need of some munchies while celebrating 420  - that is, not my recipe but my brother from another daddy, the Swamp Chef plus our nephew Zak! Check out a tasty cheesy Cajun Nachos video!



Thursday, April 16, 2020

My High School Diet 4 During Coronavirus

Today it's a combination of good old American ingenuity and Mexican comfort food. I picked up old school eats for Grab & Go on Day 4 from my local High School during our Covid-19 pandemic.


The Eggo was created and introduced to San Jose, California groceries in the 1950s as frozen waffles. I remember how delicious they were during my High School years, and after my first taste in decades...they still are so "Let go of my Eggo!"


Classic Eggos commercial from the 1970s

Whereas the Bean Dip with Cheese and Corn Tortilla Chips has been around for who knows how long?  Even today they are still a go-to sports game day appetizer.

I have no idea what schools are feeding kids these days so read on to see for yourself. I'll be sharing a different breakfast and lunch meal every few days. I think you'll be as surprised as I am of the good, the bad, and the ugly...oh boy.

Click on any photo to see larger.

These meals are Grab & Go from my local High School. I'm sure regular school cafeteria fare is different (better?) than the ones I am getting carryout at the drive-thru lane. You can click here to see the first meal I had at my neighborhood Grab & Go.

The GIF above is a drive-thru Susan Miller Dorsey High School's Grab & Go.  

There seem to be plenty of meal bags laid out on the tables and once I asked if they ever run out and the attendant replied emphatically "Never!"

Breakfast - Eggos, Chortles, Tangerine, Milk (always Milk) and Apple Juice.

Eggo Blueberry Pancakes are soft and fluffy more so than regular pancakes. At about 2 inches across you get about half a dozen per package.


The flavor is slightly sweet with an extra-strong yolk flavor. They are tasty pucks of pancake. No small squeeze-package of syrup was included, darn it. But I have that at home.

 As for blueberry, you won't find them but there are blue splotches of fruit flavor.


You can eat these Eggos right out of the package or quickly microwave to warm. They hold up well to a quick zap.

The ingredient list is short and sweet with natural ingredients and flavors including whole wheat flour and blueberry juice.


I had a Tangerine for my last Grab & Go Meal, too.  A Tangerine serving is a tasty addition. I seldom have Tangerines and was happy to have it here. This Breakfast reminded me how much more I like them over an Orange.


I like Apple Juice and don't drink it enough. This 4-ounce carton is 100% Apple Juice of the filtered kind - I do prefer unfiltered though, but this is fine.


And it's Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert, although these are the smallest cookies I have ever had!


Called Chortles these "Mini-Mini Graham Crackers with Chocolate Chips" are like a regular cookie of the packaged and dry variety. That is these are not moist like homemade but that's okay.


Like most of the baked goods and desserts from L.A. School District the flour is whole wheat but sugar comes in a close second, then chocolate chips.  I guess the whole wheat flour is a nod to a healthy diet...Hmmm, I don't buy it, but it's a start.


As for the pebble-sized Chortles, let's just say my sweet tooth was singing a happy tune! The cookie is sweet with a light graham cracker taste but you have a chocolate nib in only a few of the cookies. The chocolate nibs are very small too, so the cookie overpowers the overall flavor.


If you put all the cookie pebbles side-by-side they would form a very large cookie.


Lunch - Bean Dip with Cheese & Corn Chips, Milk, and Turkey Breast Stick


Pinto Bean Dip by Los Cabos is mild, with no spicy heat and creamy like restaurant Mexican-style mashed refried pinto beans.


Similar in texture from what you can get in a can of refried beans from any grocery store.


The mix of white jack and yellow cheddar cheese is a nice addition to the Bean Dip. This is a small serving at 3.35 ounces.

The balance is right between bean and cheese. When heated in the microwave the cheese covers the beans, so you get it all when you scoop it with the round Corn Chips.

Normally I prefer Tortilla Chips but these Corn Chips are a nice change. Most of the salt comes from the Corn Chips. While tasty they are awfully salty...whew! The flavor is quite good - a nice crunchy Corn Chip, very similar to Fritos Corn Chips. You may have half the bag left after using up all the Bean Dip.


The ingredient list is a long one, but some of that is cheese which contains many ingredients to help the aging process.


I used the leftover chips for a crunchy Huevos Rancheros the next morning. You can use the whole thing, beans and cheese, for Huevos Rancheros. Just watch my video below to see how I do it.



Included in the Lunch bag is a Turkey Breast Stick by Jennie-O. It is 5 1/2 inchs of deliciousness. Smokey and tender, all turkey breast should be prepared this way.


And it has the texture of real turkey breast, not some mystery meat blend.


I've had Jennie-O meats before and they make a quality product. I don't know if the turkey is really slow-smoked or a shortcut is done with liquid smoke, but it is nicely done regardless.


I would purchase these at my local Dollar Tree or 99c only Store if they show up.

For reviews or info about the purveyors of these food items you can check out Fooducatejust enter a product food name and see what pops up about it: https://www.fooducate.com/

And you can learn about Los Angeles Unified School District's Cafe LA (which supplies a lot of the packaged food) here: https://achieve.lausd.net/cafela

And do check back in a few days for more of my latest food series High School Meals.
 Be safe & keep your distance!


Monday, April 13, 2020

My High School Diet 3 During Coronavirus

It is a chocolaty start for Day 3 of my series on High School Meals during Covid-19. Along with a steady diet of Chocolate Milk, you have the makings of adolescent chocoholics. Can't say that's a bad thing though.


So what are High School kids being fed these days? Read on to see for yourself. I'll be sharing a different Breakfast and Lunch Meal every few days. I think you'll be as surprised as I am of the good, the bad, and the ugly...oh boy.

Click on any photo to see larger.

These meals are Grab & Go from my local High School. And even when it's raining out, you can still drive right up.


I'm sure school cafeteria fare is different (better?) than the ones I am getting carryout in the drive-thru lane. You can click here to see what last week's meals were like, too.

\

There seem to be plenty of meal bags laid out on the tables and once I asked if they ever run out and the attendant replied emphatically "Never!"

Well, this week my Breakfast and Lunch Meals are chocolaty and cheesy -- pleasing to any palate, young and old.

Day 3 Breakfast - Chocolate-Filled Cresent, Milk (always Milk for every meal,) Chocolate Flavored Rockin'ola Granola and Tangerine.

There are a couple food items I have never tried before, so I'll fill you in.


Pillsbury Chocolate-Filled Cresent is precooked and ready to go, but I would heat it up on a skillet for a couple minutes like making toast. It's better warmed up with the bread softened and the chocolate filling runny and warm.


The bready Crescent is light and airy like a dinner roll, with a slight sweetness. It's tasty but a bit boring for a pastry.


The chocolate filling is a sweet syrup-like from a Hershey's squeeze bottle you would pour on ice cream. You do get a good amount of chocolate filling. Overall it is a satisfying and lightly sweet take on a filled donut bar.


And you get a second helping of chocolate with Chocolate Flavored Rockin'ola Granola.


It's a Granola I've never had before. Pretty simple really, just dried oats lightly coated with chocolate.


The chocolate is baked in, not coated like a Raisinet. So this is a dry crumbly bite. Kinda interesting concept, but a bit underwhelming. It would be good sprinkled on cereal or yogurt.


And you get to wash it all down with half-pints of lowfat Driftwood Real California Milk. The milk comes in cardboard cartons like the ones I used to have, but they also handout plastic pouches, which hold a bit more milk or chocolate milk.


 A Tangerine serving is a tasty addition. I seldom have Tangerines and was happy to have it here. This Breakfast reminded me how much more I like them over an Orange.


Day 3 Lunch - Pillow Pull Aparts, Chocolate Milk, Carrots and a Pear.


Yesterday for Day 2's Lunch I had Grilled Cheese and today it's Cheese again. At least it is a mild white cheese for variety and it's stuffed into bread squares.


The Pillow Pull Aparts bread are precooked and lightly browned and have dinner roll texture.

And the White cheese is very mild, even milder than American cheese. Each square has a lot of cheese, so this is a satisfying Lunch.


While ready-to-eat, they are best heated up on a stovetop grill, to keep the Squares a little crispy on the outside. You can microwave though, just be careful the cheese doesn't reach a lava-hot molten stage!

And it's more chocolate with a large serving of Driftwood Real California Chocolate Milk. While nonfat, it is super-sweet. As I got older I prefer dark chocolate with very little sugar. But it was fun to slug down a half-pint of chocolatey dairy.


Included is a single serving of Carrots. It's nice to have crunchy Carrots. I can eat one anytime, there's something so satisfying gnawing on a Carrot.


A green hard Pear is included. Interesting selection as pears (and peaches) are not ready-to-eat unless soft and ripe. I guess some like them unripe, but you can hold on to it for a few days and wait. Better Apples and Oranges for ready-to-eat.


For reviews or info about the purveyors of these food items you can check out Fooducatejust enter a product food name and see what pops up about it: https://www.fooducate.com/

And you can learn about Los Angeles Unified School District's Cafe LA (which supplies a lot of the packaged food) here: https://achieve.lausd.net/cafela

And do check back in a few days for more of my latest food series High School Meals.
Be safe & keep your distance!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...