CLAMS AND TATERS

Happy Thursday Guys and Dolls:

It has been crummy week weather wise with thunderstorms and showers most every day; at least I don’t have to water the flowers. Only two more work days to go and it will be the weekend, but let’s not talk about that today, because today we are talking clams and taters. Yes it is “NATIONAL CLAMS ON THE HALF SHELL” and “TATER DAY.” I’m not a big fan of clams I find them chewy and gritty. Now there was a restaurant in Trenton called Crecco’s who made a great clams casino that I liked. The clams were diced and covered with all those great toppings of onions, green peppers and bacon. So those of you who enjoy clams celebrate the day by having a dozen or two. I’ll be waiting for National Mussel Marinara Day; I’m a mussel marinara man all the way. They are soft, easy to chew and that sauce is great for dipping that Italian bread into and getting every drop of the Marinara sauce left.

Now it’s time for TATERS, it’s the way the good old Southern folk call their potatoes. How do you like yours? JoeyZ is going to lay down his favorites before you:

Mashed – l like them nice and thick and don’t mind a few lumps. Have to have some gravy on top for flavor.

Fried potatoes with onions – my Dad was a cook in the Army during WWII and he made some great fried potatoes for Mom and me at dinner time.

Hash Browns but don’t serve them to me al dente, they have to have a nice brown crust on top and moist underneath and I like them topped off with some ketchup.

French Fries – I like them nice and thick. My grandmother had an old pot and she would fill it with oil and take potatoes and cut them into four slices and cook them in that oil. I don’t know how they cooked to perfection but she took that secret to heaven with her along with her salmon cake recipe. Don’t serve me shoe string potatoes they are a pain to eat; falling off the fork you have to eat those by hand. A man needs a potato that can withstand the plunge of a fork like a gladiator’s sword. Seasoned curly fries are okay in a pinch, along with tater tots.

Scallop Potatoes – love them.

Baked Potatoes – serve them to me with loads of butter and sour cream; throw a few chives on top, but keep that sour cream close for more doses.

Sweet Potatoes – like them for Thanksgiving only and I’m not a fan of sweet potato fries.

Boiled Potatoes – like those little red ones, than fry them lightly with a little butter and onion. Well that’s how JoeyZ likes his taters, have a great day and evening Speakies.

NEED A LITTLE HERE

FOR YOU TRENTON, NJ FANS WHO ENJOY READING MY BLOG, I'M ASKING YOU FOR A LITTLE SUPPORT TO HELP OUT MACK AT HIS BLOG. HE TAKES THE TIME TO TRAVEL, TAKE PHOTO'S AND BRING ALL THOSE "BURG" MEMORIES BACK TO YOU READERS. IF YOU CAN HELP I'M SURE MACK WILL REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I WOULD HATE TO SEE ALL HIS LABORS GO TO WASTE. HIS SITE IS: MACKSTRUCKOFWISDOM@BLOGSPOT.COM AND IT IS ALSO LISTED ON MY BLOG FOR DIRECT OPENING. THANK YOU ALL.

HOMEWORK AND DOGS

HAPPY HUMP DAY SPEAKIES:

I’m getting this message out early so you Guys and Dolls can call up the schools and tell the teachers today is “NO HOMEWORK DAY.” Yes the words kids love to hear, “class there will be no homework tonight.” If your kids come home with homework don’t blame JoeyZ he gave you orders to follow early in the day. I hope the teachers know this it would be a nice surprise for all the students.

Now for the food holiday today, drum roll please it is “NATIONAL HOT DOG DAY.” One of my favorite comfort foods. Did you ever think about how many hot dogs you’ve eaten and the way they were prepared or what condiments you put on them? I know when our boys were small they loved hot dogs mixed in Spaghetti-O’s and as they got older the famed Casino Dog (Italian Hot Dog) became a favorite. The Casino Restaurant will be a place we will hold dear in our hearts forever. Now I’m going to try and remember the many ways I have eaten dogs and with what toppings:

Now as far as the dogs go I prefer not to have a crunchy casing, I just want to bite into that soft dog and enjoy.

The Chicago Dog – is still one that I have to try but like I said I’m not into a crisp casing.

The Chili Dog – I like mine with fine hot dog chili and onions only.

The Regular Hot Dog – I like mustard, relish (regular green or special hot dog relish) and a few chopped onions.

The Italian Hot Dog – this one is served on a torpedo roll with the dogs sliced in half, mustard, fried potatoes and green peppers.

As a little JoeyZ my grandmother would by hot dogs from the butcher and I just ate them plain, no roll right out of the frig.

I also remember going to baseball games with my father at old Connie Mack Stadium in Philly and the hot dog guy coming around with that big grey tub of steamed dogs and buns, when you asked for one he opened the lid stuck the dog on the roll and slapped some mustard on it with a brush. That was a hot dog and heartburn at the same time but good. So I will bid you a good day, hope the kids don’t have any homework and have a family dinner of dogs tonight.

JUST REMEMBER NO KETCHUP ON DOGS AMEN.

BYE BYE AL'S I HATE TO SEE YOU GO

Good Morning Guys and Dolls: Welcome to Tuesday in Blog Land and we have some holidays to celebrate today. First I must inform you readers of a pizza place that was one of my favorites until Saturday; Al’s Pizza went down the tubes for me. Roe was feeling tired so we decided to order a pizza for dinner, I drove down and ordered a large pepperoni. Upon arriving home, the BW informed me the pie did not taste hot and behold we could not find any sauce or flavor in the pie itself. We doctored it up with sauce, garlic, olive oil and grated cheese, even putting it in the toaster oven to crisp it up. There was no hope for this Al’s pie. Well Al, it’s adios to your place for good.

Now for the holidays we celebrate today:

VIETNAM VETERANS DAY – I give my respect to those who served our country in this war; I was one of them myself. Say a prayer and remember those who never came back.

LOVE YOUR CHILDREN DAY – This is a no brainer, love them every day and show them your love by guiding them and doing things with them. They grow up too fast, I know I spent Sunday with my son at a baseball game and he is now 31 seems like yesterday he was just 10 years old. To take a quote from the late John Barrymore, “A man is not old until his regrets take the place of dreams.”

NATIONAL MOM AND POP OWNERS DAY – This is trend that is slipping away, I remember when all the candy stores, neighborhood grocery stores, ice cream shops and restaurants were mom and pop places. You called them by their first names and they knew everyone who came to shop in their store. I would like to have those days once again, but progress moves on.

HAVE A GREAT DAY AND REMEMBER GIVE THOSE KIDS A BIG HUG AND KISS.

THANKS JOEY,ELIZABETH AND JOHN

JUST STOPPING BY TO SAY I REALLY ENJOYED GOING TO THE GAME YESTERDAY WITH ALL OF YOU. HAD LOTS OF FUN. LOVE YOU ALL.

KEBOBS FOR ME

Good Morning Guys and Dolls:

Remember that old The Mamas and the Papas song “Monday, Monday”, how I hate that day, well it’s here again and we should be happy we are walking and talking. Hope your weekend was a good one and filled with fun. Today we observe “EAT AN ESKIMO PIE DAY” AND “SOMETHING ON A STICK DAY.” Let’s start with the ice cream one first, I like Eskimo Pies, in fact I enjoy them more than eating a big bowl of ice cream. When I haven’t eaten ice cream in a while I over indulge and feel fat, the pie is just right when I have that craving. The only problem with those Eskimo Pies is they start to melt and I hate chocolate on my fingers. Now for honoring those things on a stick. As a kid I remember enjoying creamsicles, chocolate fudge bars on a stick, ice popsicles and those push-up ice creams in a tube. As we get older other things on a stick are good and some not so good to me:

Shish kebobs with steak, onions, peppers and small tomatoes. – IS GOOD.

Roe makes a great shrimp kebob with some great secret flavoring on the shrimp. – IS VERY GOOD.

Pancakes and sausage on a stick – I think I’ll pass on that one. – NOT GOOD.

Pizza on a stick – pizza has to picked up cracked in half, let that oil drain down and take a bite not on a stick. That reminds me of the Steve Martin movie “The Jerk” when he was eating pizza in a cup. - NO WAY GOOD.

I saw some Japanese street vendors on the net selling, fish on a stick, sushi on a stick and one of my very favorites squid on a stick – NOT GOOD AT ALL.

Now for my least favorite of all “CORN DOGS.” Hot dogs are sacred and should only be served on a bun with either mustard, onions, kraut, chili, peppers or potatoes. Everything leads to food oh well let’s have lunch. Have a great day.

GOOD NEWS

THE LADY OF THE HOUSE IS HOME AND DOING GREAT, THANKS FOR ALL YOUR CONCERNS. HEADING OFF EARLY TODAY AND SEEING THE PHILLIES PLAY A SPRING TRAINING GAME. NO SOFT PRETZELS IN FLORIDA FOR ME. HAVE A GREAT DAY, SEE YOU TOMORROW.

I'LL HAVE LOBSTER AND MOONSHINE

Happy Friday Guys and Dolls:

That last day of the work week is here and I want to wish you all a great weekend. Hopefully I will be attending a spring training game on Sunday with son and his wife, seeing those Phillies match up against the Braves. Today is “LOBSTER NEWBURG DAY”, I’m not a big fan of creamy buttery sauces, just give me those lobster tails and claws and a cup of butter to dip them in. The last time I had lobster was on a cruise Roe and I took last year, talking about it is getting me hungry for some right now.

We also celebrate “WAFFLE DAY” and “FUNNY COUNTRY SONG TITLES”, this one I can’t pass by so here is a list of my favorites:

I DON’T KNOW WHETHER TO KILL MYSELF OR GO BOWLING.

IF I CAN’T BE NUMBER ONE IN YOUR LIFE, THEN NUMBER TWO ON YOU.

SHE’S ACTING SINGLE AND I’M DRINKING DOUBLES.

I WOULDN’T TAKE HER TO A DOG FIGHT, CAUSE I’M AFRAID SHE’D WIN.

I’LL MARRY YOU TOMORROW, BUT LET’S HONEYMOON TONIGHT.

IF I HAD SHOT YOU WHEN I WANTED TO, I’D BE OUT BY NOW.

SHE GOT THE RING AND I GOT THE FINGER.

HER TEETH WERE STAINED, BUT HER HEART WAS PURE.

SHE’S LOOKING BETTER AFTER EVERY BEER.

HAVE A GREAT DAY AND WEEKEND.

RAISINS AND THEY ARE CHOCOLATE COVERED TODAY

IT’S THURSDAY, IT’S THURSDAY SPEAKIES:

A good morning to all my Guys and Dolls out there and my wishes for a wonderful day and evening to each of you. As far as food holidays we celebrate “NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED RAISINS DAY.” In my younger movie attending days, chocolate covered raisins were one of the more popular candy treats in lobby. The brand name was Raisinets sold in that rectangular box that we ripped open one side and slid those babies down into our mouths. After the box was empty we saved the box which made great annoying noise when you blew into it. I think I had some chocolate covered raisins about a year ago along with vanilla yogurt covered raisins. Let’s see what other treats we enjoyed at the movies: Popcorn regular or buttered, Ju Ju Beads, those chocolate covered Bon-Bon ice creams, Juicy Fruits and chocolate covered Goober’s Peanuts just to name a few. Some of the movie theaters down here serve a full course dinner along with wine, beer and cocktails the times they are a changing. How could we forget that happy little movies song, “LET’S GO OUT TO THE LOBBY, LET’S GO OUT TO THE LOBBY AND GET OURSELVES SOME TREATS.”

Today is also “NATIONAL FAMILY DAY.” Remember today and every day to show your family members the love you have for them. Be kind, understanding, forgiving but most of all let happiness fill your home each day. Maybe JoeyZ should start a greeting card business when I retire.

A little note to my reader Skipster, glad you are going to give it a try; you’ll do a good job. This one is on the QT if you know what I mean.

Let’s say Happy Birthday to the following people born this date:

Norman Fell – Mr. Roper on Three’s Company, never could stand that show.

Steve McQueen – One of my favorite actors, The Great Escape, Bullitt, The Cincinnati Kid, The Thomas Crown Affair and the Magnificent Seven just to name a few.

Clyde Barrow – That gangster guy who was in love with Bonnie.

Kelly LeBrock –A WOO WOO WOW WOW GAL starred in Weird Science.

Harry Houdini – The escape master.

Left for upstairs today or down there today:

Peter Lorre – Great character actor, starred in many Humphrey Bogart films. One famous line that stands out for me is from The Maltese Falcon when Bogart tells Lorrie, “If a woman slaps you, you’ll take it and like it.”

British General Bernard L. Montgomery – Famous WWII general and to Patton a real pain in the butt. That is it for today; I bid you a nice day once again and be careful out there.

GOODBYE LIZ

LOST A GREAT ACTRESS TODAY IN ELIZABETH TAYLOR. REST IN PEACE "MAGGIE THE CAT."