Apparently screws are a meat additive now?

Last night I went with my family to Cheeseburger in Paradise on Southport Road (4670 Southport Crossings Drive, Indianapolis IN 46237, Phone: 317-883-4386, Fax: 317-883-4086) because my 3 year old really liked it the first time we went with my parents a month or two ago.  Last time they served up the best Mushroom & Swiss burger that I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot) so of course there was no argument from me.

So we got our food, ate our diner and everything was great.  I wasn’t terribly hungry so I cut my sandwich in half (left side above) and boxed the rest up to have for lunch on Saturday (today).

So around lunch time today (Saturday) I headed to the refrigerator to heat up my leftover sandwich, my 4 year old’s left over mini-burger (right side above) and my fries.  As I took a bite of my sandwich I immediately felt something hard in my mouth and thought that it might be gristle.  As I cleaned off the meat around it I suddenly realized that it was not gristle, but instead something metal.  I spit it out of my mouth immediately and was floored to see that it was some sort of small screw (next to the mushroom above).

Then I called the restaurant to talk to a manager who took my information and was going to get in touch with his supervisor and get back with me.  This is where we are now.

As I’ve thought about this more and more over the past hour I am getting more and more angry about this.  While I didn’t get hurt (hopefully there’s nothing on the screw or it was sterilized by the heat) what if this had been in one of my children’s sandwiches?  While my 3 and 4 year old would hopefully spit it out, I’m not sure that my 1 year old would.  And it’s just redicilious to have to worry about this when going out to eat.  I know that accidents happen, but this is downright insane.  Am I wrong?

Anyway, we’ll see what response I get back from Cheeseburger in Paradise.  In the meantime I’d suggest taking a metal detector with you when you go out to eat.

But the strangest thing that I saw was related to the menu.  They now offer combos that come with a salad or a slice of pizza.  A decent sized salad or a normal slice of pizza.  Pizza just doesn’t seem like a good option to go along with my Fettucini Alfredo and stack of bread sticks for more than one reason so I opted for the salad.  Maybe we’re a test market (which we often are), in which case I doubt that will be an option the next time I go there.  But that struck me as odd and I made a note to myself to blog about that and see what everyone else thought.

• Jeff & I had a DJ gig which was fun and interesting at one point. It’s just a hobby and both of us are extremely busy, so don’t expect that to be a common activity for us. And for those of you wondering, I’m the DJ, he’s the rapper. (And if you don’t get the reference you’re either too young OR you’re too old.)
• I had dinner at Hard Rock Cafe for the first time since the sale and I have to say I like the old menu better and the prices seem even higher than before.
• I saw Trans-Siberian Orchestra down at the Fieldhouse. Great two hour and forty-five minute show. A little loud at the end (how old am I?) and probably not for everyone, but if you’re into “rock opera”, you’ve got to check it out.
• My wife and I celebrated our anniversary. (Christmas weddings are awesome by the way.) Man, do the years pass quickly and looking back at the photos, there’s no denying that I’m looking older.
• I saw Sweeney Todd (for my anniversary). If you’re not familiar with the story line I’ll just say that it’s NOT appropriate for children AND it is NOT appropriate for some adults. Johnny Deep did an excellent job and Tim Burton worked his usual magic. But it is a bit bloody and “dark”, so don’t see it solely on my “thumbs up”.
• I ate at the Rathskeller for the first time (and also for my anniversary). German food is excellent, though I’m not sure why it is a bit pricey (at least it has been at the German restaurants that I’ve been.)
• Christmas shopping, Christmas parties, Christmas get-togethers’ & family time.
• My wife and I had our annual viewing of How the Ghosts Stole Christmas, guest staring Lily Tomlin and Edward Asner, while we wrapped presents on Christmas Eve. Even if you’re not a fan of the X-Files, this is a must see episode and in my opinion the best of the bunch (and I’ve seen them all).
• For the second year running, I watched It’s a Wonderful Life by myself very late Christmas Eve while I was finishing up my own wrapping and Christmas projects (that’s what happens when you procrastinate). This year it occurred to me that this is more of a “guy movie” and why just about every female I know would prefer to watch White Christmas or Holiday Inn (both of which I don’t have to watch every year). But It’s a Wonderful Life resonates with me and I’d guess that’d be the case with just about every male who has a family to take care of. And the whole small business vs. big business conflict also draws me in.
• Also late Christmas Eve I put in the short old version of Miracle on 34th Street. Classic.
• I watched A Christmas Story with some friends. That movie never gets old. “My old man … worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium; a master.”
• We watched The Polar Express while we put up the tree. Excellent family movie.
• We watched The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. Nowhere near as good as the first two and I’d only suggest buying it to complete the trilogy.
• Jeff & I recorded a few Trolley Dodgers and Utter Oddcast episodes.
• The Future Karnies of America wrote, recorded, mixed and released Karnie Christmas 2007 (a.k.a. Karnie Christmas 3). A fun time was had by all. (#2 is still my favorite, though the recording of #3 is a step up.)
• I started some new blog ventures which should be a bit more “there” within a few months.
• Football, football and more football. Man I love December and January football.
• And of course the usual being a husband, father and small business owner.

So, that give a limited idea of what I’ve been up to. Normal posting should resume shortly.

Salivate with me if you will…

Snacks & Appetizers

• Summer sausage, cheese (cheddar, swiss & mozzarella) & crackers (Keebler Club & Town House). And toss in a cheese ball for good measure.
• Deviled eggs. Is there a more tasty, more addictive food that’s not that good for you? I could eat deviled eggs.
• Ham roll ups. My mom has made these for years, usually on New Years Eve.
• Ham salad on tiny pumpernickel bread. Addicting for some reason.

The Main Course

• Turkey and dressing (and possibly stuffing if I’m in the mood). Good tender, juicy & moist turkey with that awesome aroma.
• Spiral sliced, glazed ham. Need I say more?
• Mashed potatoes. The real thing with plenty of butter. Topped with gravy or noodles or just plain, it’s all good.
• Rolls. Warm and soft also with plenty of butter.
• Cranberry Sauce. Yes, I like the stuff that comes out of a can. But if you want to whip your own up, knock me out.

Treats

• Pumpkin pie. I’m not sure what it is about pumpkin pie, but it just hits the spot. And that’s even after being in a pumpkin pie eating contest last year.
• Peanut butter fudge. Truly tasty.
• Bourbon balls. For some reason Jack Daniels laced chocolate treats hit the spot, even for non-drinkers. In the “liquor foods” category these have to be right up there with rum cake and bread pudding (with rum soaked raisins).
• Buckeyes. These aren’t something that are a common staple at functions that I attend, but when I find some you’ll know I’ll dig in.
• Cheap “holiday cookies”. You know what I’m talking about. The box or bag of colored sugar coated cookies that you can pick up for a buck at any grocery store. These aren’t the best thing in the world, but they bring back childhood memories, as my grandma always seemed to have these around. Eat them with a cup of coffee and they suddenly seem a bit more fancy.
• Mint M&M’s. I am so disappointed that these are a seasonal item, but rest assured, there’s an extremely good chance you’ll find a bag of these in my house well into the next fall. Last year I think I bought about a dozen bags and have just now broken into my last one since they’re on the shelves again. (Tip: store these in the refrigerator or freezer.)

So, what makes your personal favorites list? I left a lot of options off of the list, so please chime in.

This ad is from the coupon section found in the Sunday Indianapolis Star in November 2007.  For some reason Thanksgiving ads don’t seem to get much attention as everyone is eager to roll out the Christmas ads the moment Halloween is over.  That said, there wasn’t that wide of a selection to choose from.  But there are numerous Christmas ones showing up (which I promise not to post until after Thanksgiving).

We headed down to Red Lobster a few weeks ago for the fourth year in a row and I kicked my personal “best” up to 82 shrimp this year. I could have eaten more but everyone else was bored of watching me eat, so I stopped while I still felt good (and before I got left at the restaurant).

For those of you wondering what the “trick” is to eating that many shrimp (and a salad and biscuits) AND to not feel miserable afterwards, it’s really quite simple. Here’s what I did this year…

1. Ate some Slyders the night before. I think that those bad boys are the key to an iron stomach…if you can handle 7 or 8 of those puppies , you can handle anything. (Side note: while they are small, that’s really twice as many as I’d suggest eating at one time.)
2. Started the day off with a small “meal”…just some bread.
3. Had a sandwich for lunch.
4. Didn’t drink a whole lot at dinner.
5. Ate mostly Shrimp Scampi. You don’t have the breading that comes with fried shrimp and the garlic butter helps.

So there you have it. And I can’t take all of the credit as I’ve watched too many “competitive eating” events this year and have gained tips here and there (thanks to ESPN for thinking that eating is really a sport).

And a word of personal advice. If you start to feel uncomfortable, you’ve already had too much and should really stop eating. It’s really not worth it to needlessly feel sick to your stomach and you won’t enjoy shrimp much for a while after that. Just trust me on this one and don’t do it.

So what will next year hold? I’m making no predictions since I’m obviously not too good at that. But you can be sure that my goal won’t be a number, but rather not feeling bad afterward and truly enjoying my feast of shrimp.

The kids took in quite a haul last night since the weather was nice and since we took them to my parents neighborhood again this year since people actually give out candy there (including full sized candy bars…and hot dogs)…for some reason most people/households in my neighborhood don’t partake in much of anything that involves decorating, landscaping, mingling, etc.  That’s fine I suppose, but it makes for a boring Halloween through New Years.

(Our first Christmas in our house I lit up the entire roof with Christmas lights…which made it easy for people to find our house (and gave me quite an electric bill)…but lately I’ve just stuck with some “icicle” lights and can tell anyone who hasn’t been to our house to look for the house with Christmas lights…and I’m not exaggerating.)

Anyway, back to Halloween for a moment…

We didn’t get started until around 7 pm (so much for the “official” trick-or-treating hours) and wrapped things up around 8:15 pm or so.  Last year it was so cold that I think the kids might have lasted 45 minutes (probably less), but last night was truly ideal…a little brisk but not too cold, on the brink of raining but not raining, with the wind howling and rustling leaves down the street.  Very ideal indeed.

But Halloween is over and now it’s time to start talking turkeys, pies, football and Christmas and New Years parties.  There are only three weeks until Thanksgiving and eight and a half weeks left in the entire year.  Where, oh where, does the time go?

So when is the 2008 Valentines Day candy going to appear? I’m having a hankering for Sweet Tart Hearts and buying over priced flowers, aren’t you?

OK, I’m being a little sarcastic (maybe not about the candy part), but is it just me or are the retailers truly pushing out the various “holiday” merchandise much quicker than before? I began to see “back-to-school” supplies in early July (presumably to make way for the upcoming “seasonal” items), Halloween costumes and candy in late August (at both Target and Wal-Mart) and Christmas merchandise in mid-September (at Target and I’d assume the same at Wal-Mart and other similar retailers). Then in yesterday’s paper I saw Halloween and Christmas items in the Kohl’s ad on the same page. (Apparently fall/harvest/Thanksgiving is all lumped together with Halloween.)

Being a “marketing type” and knowing that Halloween and Christmas merchandise are both huge money makers for retailers, I can understand why you’d want these items in front of customers as long as possible. But it’s a little creepy looking at graveyards, skeletons, zombies, mummies, witches, werewolves, vampires, bats, rats, spiders and disembodied heads in crystal balls while hearing Bing Crosby singing “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” in the background. But maybe it’s just me…

This ad is from the coupon section found in the Sunday Indianapolis Star in October 2007.   Simple, nice use of color, and most importantly, it’s going to “save” me a dollar.  (I ran out of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups today, so it’s time to restock.)

Now if only there were a way to do the same thing with the taste of the food…as my least “favorite” restaurant says, “Everyone Deserves a Good Meal.” Now if only they (and many others) could only deliver on that promise the world would be a better place.

Luckily Yats! never disappoints and I’m salivating at the thought as I type this. It may not be “pretty”, but boy do they have some fine Cajun/Creole food at an excellent price.

Oh, and did I mention that I’m not typically a “picky eater”? I’ll try most anything (reasonable) at least once, with the exception of the non-starchy vegetables, and I actively seek out non-chain eateries. I think I’ll have to blog my list of local eats some day. Until then, parents, don’t let your children eat crappy food. And please don’t subject your friends and family to it either. That just wouldn’t be nice.