McGann's Big Game

Secret Treasure Loaf

2009-03-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

A loaf of ground Spam cubes with a Velveeta cheese center topped with a layer of hot Velveeta.

...and other fine treats just in time for market and carnival season!

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

Sure, Buddy, Coming Right Up!!!!!

2009-01-29T15:16:00.000-08:00

Obama Icons

2009-01-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

I finally have cable again so I can spend my time doing very important things such as this:

http://obamiconme.pastemagazine.com

I Love Fonts

2009-01-11T18:38:00.000-08:00

...and these these are free.......

http://www.smeltery.net/

Another T-Shirt Post

2009-01-01T22:22:00.001-08:00

Salve. Semper Ubi Sub Ubi, Nautae.

My New T-Shirt

2008-12-28T10:26:00.000-08:00

Not really...Can't wear the F-word......this voice still echoes in my head:

"Now, you girls, you don't say that horrible F-word, do you? DO YOU?"
-Becky Guinsler, 1989

Snowbound

2008-12-21T23:50:00.000-08:00

I was so bored I made PINCUSHIONS!
Now who the hell do I give them to?

Weiner Takes All

2008-12-02T08:53:00.001-08:00

The cuthroat life of a competitve Dachshund.

Watch Wiener Takes All: A Dogumentary - Trailer #1 in Funny Videos, Animal Videos, and Entertainment Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

My New House...Someday

2008-11-29T11:20:00.000-08:00

If at some point I decide to change coasts, I'm going to live here.

Manchester, Vt.
$550,000

Address: N/A
3 beds, 2.5 baths
Size: 1,800 sq. ft.

The cottage has cathedral ceilings with beams and windows allowing plenty of light into the large rooms.

Green Delight

2008-11-28T10:35:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to encounter this little number on the Thanksgiving buffet yesterday, mini marshmallows and all..... affectionately named WATERGATE SALAD.
Here's the recipe... just in case you feel inspired.

My Resume

2008-11-19T09:12:00.000-08:00

It hasn't worked so far, but I suspect I'll have a new job soon.

EVOO

2008-11-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

I have always secretly despised Rachel Ray.....now I have a reason besides the wretched "EVOO"

Anthony Bourdain Blasts Rachael Ray's Doughnut Deal

Anthony Bourdain, he of the brilliant cuisine and the caustic mouth has blasted Rachael Ray's new deal with Dunkin' Donuts.
RACHAEL Ray is getting a royal dunkin' from Anthony Bourdain for her big-bucks endorsement deal with Dunkin' Donuts. The prickly chef and "Kitchen Confidential" author says of the Food Network cutie in next month's Outside magazine: "She's got a magazine, a TV empire, all these best-selling books - I'm guessing she's not hurting for money. She's hugely influential, particularly with children. And she's endorsing Dunkin' Donuts. It's like endorsing crack for kids."

Bourdain adds: "I'm not a very ethical guy. I don't have a lot of principles. But somehow that seems to me over the line. Juvenile diabetes has exploded. Half of Americans don't have necks. And she's up there saying, 'Eat some [bleeping] Dunkin' Donuts. You look great in that swimsuit - eat another doughnut!' That's evil."

PS - The add that this photo spawned from was pulled because Rachael's scarf loks too "Arab"

Meijer's Thrify Acres Before Prom Circa 1991

2008-11-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

They kicked us out for taking photos in the store.
Jason Simpson, Newark Catholic's token Ricky Schroder look alike.....

I'm so excited I just might wet my pants

2008-10-27T08:45:00.001-07:00

LOST Season Five Official Trailer #1 - Free videos are just a click away

She's warm now, but she hates me........

2008-10-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

See? It actually looks like she is telling me off.

I'm Going Scanner Happy

2008-10-17T08:51:00.001-07:00

I am finally putting all of the hours I spent in photoshop class at UW to good use.........The colors have been adjusted a bit...but the silly smirks are real....I swear.....

This is the only picture I have ever seen of Grace Emily and Thomas Fleck in which they actually look happy...like they were actually supposed to be together... but at second glance...I'm not so sure.
I think it was more like this:

FLECK: Oh!....someone is pointing a camera at us.....I need to grab my wife and squeeze her as if we have the perfect marriage, even though I ignored her for the entire day today by locking myself in the basement preparing for next years' boy scout pinewood derby races and drinking a case of Rolling Rock. Cheese!

GRACIE: Wha...hey, why is he putting his arm around me? Jesus, Tom, you almost spilled my triple Stoli on the rocks with a twist! Hey! You are smashing my face.....God, he reeks of Rolling Rock. Cheese!

Welcome to the New Economy

2008-10-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

You too can have one of these........

2008-10-05T09:18:00.001-07:00

http://www.neighborhoodies.com/serious-eats-monday-praise-lard-tshirt-hoodie-p-907.html

Which came first

2008-10-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

This is just wrong, but I had to do it. It counts as my yesterday blog.

Broken Dishwasher

2008-10-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Greg, Keith, Linda, Tube Top, and Dan are all coming to dinner at Casa McGann tonight.
I have been cooking for two days, so I THOUGHT I was way ahead, until now. The damned 25 year old dishwasher just broke again. Needless to say, I have little time to blog, as I will be making friends with Dawn and Bounty the Quicker Picker Upper.
This one gets a big 'ol FUCK!!!!!!

Here's the menu....Gotta go call the landlord now.

A Dinner Long Overdue
Friday, October 3rd, 2008

Heirloom Tomato and Dill Soup Shot with Nasturtium Oil

Wedge Salad with Pickled Eggs, Golden and Chiogga Beets, Blue Cheese Dressing, Bacon and Vintage Cheddar Popover with Elstar Apple Butter

Washington Lemberger Sorbet with Concord Grapes and Lavender

Veal and Fontina Canneloni with Porcini Mushroom Marsala Sauce, Tomato Confit, and Sage Oil

Lemon Basil Pudding with Phyllo Crisps and Se’ Decouvrir

Wine Log - 2003 Terra del Grico Rosso

2008-10-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

It's food and wine blog month for Jen and Nat....and I am a day late. I am an admitted addict to Facebook. When I should have been working on this blog, I was taking the "What kind of dog are you?" quiz. A Maltese? WTF? I generally think of myself as a terrier. I think the blond hair threw it off.

I purchased this bottle of wine at the Puget Consumer's Co-op a few months back. The person in charge of choosing wine for this place is brilliant. They find these amazing little vineyards who make small lots and somehow can negotiate criminal prices with the distributor. Probably because they can only get a few cases. So here I am swooning over this little Italian gem, but the last glass is bittersweet...I'm sure the co-op has already sold the last bottle.

But wait....the internet to the rescue! I just found this fabulous website where you and your friends can log wine. I am normally a fan of keeping a notebook for such things, as I love pen and paper, but this is more practical. As with most Italian wines, I cannot tell by looking at the label which words are the grape, the vineyard, the blend, etc.....the year is all I understand.
Problem Solved...just go to
http://www.winelog.net
... type in some of the jibberish, and it sorts it all out for you, while keeping a log of your wines. Sometimes it even has a picture, but this one was too obscure.

This one was an easy drinker.....not my usual "type", as I love big oaky reds, but it had this concord grape essence to it without the sugar that I loved....

I almost never love anything that comes from Italy...most I've experienced remind me of getting the vinegary Easter egg dye in my mouth as a child. This was an exception, and I look forward to many more.

I also just discovered that photographing wine bottles is an art that I have yet to perfect....something else to work on this month.

The Deliciously Evil Benjamin Linus

2008-09-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

I finally finished watching season four of LOST.
I can't believe I have to wait until Spring 2009 to watch more.
What would Ben say to that......"SO?"

What did Jennifer Bring Home to Play with Today?

2008-09-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Twenty of #2 tomatoes at the U_Disitrict"s Farmer's Market......the ones they banish to the back corner of the booth, waiting for you to come pick through them...some are overripe, some have deep cracks, and some just aren't gorgeous enough to earn a place on the display table. Thankfully, some plans I made for this evening fell through, and the boyfriend is in Dallas for the weekend, so I get to stay home and roast my friends for winter storage in my freezer.

I also bought 2# of raw peanuts in the shell to BOIL, Mississippi style. What I did NOT know is that this will take at least 4 HOURS!!!!
Guess I'll be up 'til midnight...........

Pretty Eggs

2008-09-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

I got these today at the McLure Elementary Farmer's Market. They are from Biocento Eco farms in Yakima.
I can't wait to see how yellow the yolks are.........

Anna is Certainly up to No Good

2008-09-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

This is Anna, my dear old friend Lori Haff's child. Lori is one of the sweetest, most genuine people you will ever meet in your life. Anna, however, has a bit of the devil in her, most likely procured from the seed of Gino, Lori's husbund. Don't let this face fool you. As you read this, she just might be rifling through your bag and stealing lipstick and licorice.

Home of the Free Lenny Scoop

2008-09-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

A solo afternoon in Fremont took me to The Royal Grinders for Gelato once again.
This time I decided on Pumpkin Pie with a Hazelnut Lenny Scoop (the little scoop on top that acts as a cherry, but better.)
I wished I had gotten the reverse flavor combo. Visit them here:
http://www.royalgrinders.com/

Dan's 40th Birthday

2008-09-05T09:57:00.001-07:00

Cissel and I teamed up to take some pictures for a card for Dan's 40th birthday.....
Happy Birthday, OLY!

Name that crayon!!!!!

2008-09-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

I love this!!!! I am always looking at things in the world around me and describing them in my mind in "Crayola"
Burnt Sienna, Periwinkle, Sea Green, and of the ever perplexing "Green/Blue or Blue/Green" debate. it always bothered me that the "Blue/Green" crayon was more green, and the "Green/Blue" was more blue.

BUT.....WTF? They changed half of the color names!!! I still scored a 33 - beat that!

http://www.crayola.com/promos/64boxBirthday/colorQuizzer.cfm

Learning to Throw the Perfect Spiral

2008-06-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

Tube top is trying to teach me how to throw a football. Not that Nerf, either, but a real honest to goodness pigskin.
I need a couple more lessons, but I have to say I am a fan.

I'm Back!

2008-05-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Because I bought my nephew a fabulous accordian for his birthday, Amazon.com decided I may be interested in this beauty. I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted......
It is kinda sexy, kitten and all.....Also comes in Fuck Me Pink.

Sweet Mama Jane

2007-11-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

"Thank You"

If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.
When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.

Kind woman, I give you my all, Kind woman, nothing more.

Little drops of rain whisper of the pain, tears of loves lost in the days gone by.
My love is strong, with you there is no wrong,
together we shall go until we die. My, my, my.
An inspiration is what you are to me, inspiration, look... see.

And so today, my world it smiles, your hand in mine, we walk the miles,
Thanks to you it will be done, for you to me are the only one.
Happiness, no more be sad, happiness....I'm glad.
If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.
When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.

The Bean

2007-11-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

...Sleeping right through the unrest, as usual.

Violet Beauregard

2007-10-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

Elise on Halloween...and a letter from her mother.

So this morning was Elise’s Halloween parade at school.

"I was really hoping she wouldn’t want to be a princess this year…I have been trying very hard to steer her away from such foof.

Much to my joy, she decided that she wanted to be Violet Beauregard from the new version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Theeennn, I realized that I would have to make the costume. No problem. Only took me ‘till 8:15 this morning.

Elise had a rough morning because she didn’t want to walk in the school parade. When we got to her classroom, she had a total meltdown, rolling on the floor, most of her blue face rubbed off on the carpet, etc. She refused to wear her blueberry suit. I said, “No problem, Dear, whatever makes you comfortable! “ smile, smile…

I went to the gym to wait for the parade, mildly fuming.

One of her teachers was able to convince her to dress up and helped Elise suit up.

Too bad for the teacher she didn’t quite know how the homemade contraption was supposed to look. Elise was a bit…off-center.

Not to mention her wig was itching, so she pushed it halfway back on her head.

It must have been itching her nose as well, since she made scrunch-nosed faces throughout the parade.

Back in her classroom it was time for a group photo.

Elise was standing up front and was blocking some of the other children. Her teacher asked her to sit down, and she fell/rolled!

Everyone laughed (including me…it was just so funny!) and she hid her head like a turtle. After some coaxing and coaching from her teacher, all was well.

Enjoy the photos. She was so cute, as was Miles, and I win for “worst (and I think “only”) homemade costume of the year”!

Hopefully tonight’s Trick-or-Treat performance will go better.

Betsy"

P-Patch Dinner

2007-08-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots from the Longfellow Creek fundraiser dinner for our P-patch. Thanks to Justin and the SAM crew for the donations!~

Taking a "Natural"

2007-07-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 4:00 AM this morning after some crazy dreams, and found myself wondering how racing cyclists relieve themselves. Thanks to the wonderful world wide web, I am able to bring you this photo. Well, here they are pausing for a natural. Cyclists who have to, well, go to the bathroom, stop on the side of the road. Some, like Christophe Moreau yesterday, do get fined. Moreau relieved himself in a town and was fined 100 Francs for indecent exposure. Usually, the natural is taken in the country. Sometimes an unsuspecting camera man will catch a rider in the act and while riding the bike (this happened today on stage 3 when the camera caught Robbie McEwen doing a natural while on the bike!). I will refrain from describing how cyclists like McEwen do that.

Do We Really Need to Drink Botted Water?

2007-05-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/30/dining/30wate.html?ex=1181188800&en=33411e562c73037f&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Sweet Susanne

2007-05-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

Enough said.
We miss you, friend.

Got Two Minutes?

2007-05-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

Check out this new Sony commercial.
http://www.bravia-advert.com/commercial/braviaextcommhigh.html

The Big Dawg Ain't So Big Any More

2007-05-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

Daniel, this one is for you.
I just can't believe it.

Use it or Lose it Latin Quote for the Day:
Cave canem, te necet lingendo
Beware of the dawg, he may lick you to death.

TF McGann

2007-05-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

The year before he died, my Dad jumped out of an airplane with my brother, Sean. TF was 75 years old. I love this photo.

My New Best Friend from Italy

2007-05-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

I finally did it. It should come by Wednesday, in all its loviliness with its nautical brass insides - a true classic that will grace our kitchen counter for years to come, and I am hopeful that it will pay for itself, or that the birthday fairy will help me pay for it.

Did You Miss Me?

2007-04-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

'cause I sure missed you......

I want one, but haven't found the right one yet.....

2007-04-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

History of Garden Gnomes
Gnomes have been part of German folklore since the early 1400's. The first ever recorded garden Gnome was produced in Graeferoda, Thuringia, Germany in the 1800's. They were generally made of clay/terracotta and were painted in bright colours. They were highly collectable and most were beautifully made works of art. In 1874, the British eccentric Sir Charles Isham brought some terracotta Gnomes to England from Nuremberg, Germany. Only one of the gnomes, Lampy, has survived; the gnome, which is 6" high is insured for £1m.
By 1872 August Heissner and Philipp Griebel were turning out Gnomes in large quantities. Several more Gnome manufacturers sprang up round the town. In fact, Thuringia became known as the Gnome capital of Europe.
When war broke out in Europe the German manufacturers closed their business's to concentrate on other things. The next twenty years passed without any significant production.
The 1960's saw several manufacturers making massed produced plastic Gnomes. They were highly coloured, badly painted and could be bought cheaply in the then 'new' Garden Centres which were opening at the time. The day of the quality garden Gnome had long gone and the Gnome began to lose respect and were known for being tacky, tasteless and irredeemably naff. It is said that by the 1990's there were more than five million Gnomes in British gardens but ten years later saw this figure drop to 3.8million. Sales slumped by 68 per cent, making a market once worth £9million a year now worth less than £3million. Even the Royal Horticultural Society, Chelsea Flower Show banned them on the grounds that they were "too tacky".
From the 1990's to the present day, sales of Garden Gnomes in England had hit an all-time low. Gnomes can still be seen, rarely, sitting on shelves in garden centres and occasionally, you may see them residing in suburban gardens.
Hopefully the trend can be reversed, but in the meantime let us preserve their memory. They have brought a lot of happiness and pleasure over the years to so many people.
Report Neighborhood Tyranny
Have you seen garden gnomes in captivity? Report it here. This information will be made available to the Garden Gnome Liberation Front, the Local, Federal, and International authorities, the appropriate amnesty organizations and will be transmitted into space via a powerful, world-class radio astronomy dish.

I Wish I Was the Moon

2007-04-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

Chimney falls and lovers blaze
Thought that I was young
Now I've freezing hands and bloodless veins
As numb as I've become

I'm so tired
I wish I was the moon tonight

Last night I dreamt I had forgotten my name
'Cause I had sold my soul but awoke just the same
I'm so lonely
I wish I was the moon tonight

God blessed me, I'm a free man
With no place free to go
I'm paralyzed and collared-tight
No pills for what I fear

This is crazy
I wish I was the moon tonight

Chimney falls and lovers blaze
Thought that I was young
Now I've freezing hands & bloodless veins
As numb as I've become

I'm so tired,
I wish I was the moon tonight

How will you know if you found me at least
'Cause I'll be the one, be the one, be the one
With my heart in my lap
I'm so tired, I'm so tired
I wish I was the moon tonight

-Neko Case

thank you for your candor....

Heather and Eli

2007-03-04T07:58:00.000-08:00

I often wake up on Sunday mornings thinking about who I need to call that I haven't talked to in awhile. For my ripe age of 32, I have had very few girl friends. Under five, to be exact. This is Heather Davidoff. She lives in Granville, Ohio, where we grew up. I met her when I was 18, home on Christmas break from college. We spent the enitre break together. By day she worked our shitty jobs - me in layaway at Hills department store, Heather as a Server at Red Lobster. At night we hung out at her apartment, living on grilled cheese, tomato soup, and beer, making every kind of christmas cookie we could think of, and listening to Dead Shows over and over. Occasionally, her gamer roomate Brian Dumm would put in some Moody Blues and sing, so we would retreat to her bedroom, locking out the roomate and her loser boyfriend, Riedel, who was permanently pickled, and color with a 64 count box of crayolas with a sharpener. Once, a captain crunch fight (with crunch berries) started when we emerged from the bedroom, and we were cleaning it up for weeks.
I was dating this guy code named "Slinky" who was 6'7" and weighed 150 soaking wet, thus the nickname. He was the sweetest guy ever, and he got me midnight blue velvet Chuck Taylors for Christmas, but as much as I tried, I couldn't be atrracted to him. When I graduated from College, I went to visit him at Yellowstone.
Heather is married now, to one of the twin brothers who used to run into at high school parties. She has a wonderful life, lives in the country, and has a great marriage to Adam and an adorable son, Eli, who likes to eat apples from the tree in their back yard. I took this picture on a visit to Ohio last fall.

Gumbo for Breakfast

2007-03-03T10:29:00.000-08:00

Props to Justin Chalk for my breakfast, a spicy andoullie gumbo over Carolina Planatation rice that Sus' parents sent. Breakfast of champions, followed by a bath while watching season Two of Six Feet Under on my laptop next to the tub.

I need to escape the announcers of the Tour de France- Paul Sherwen and Phil Leggit, whose voices are constantly coming out of my TV. There is nothing relaxing about their constant commentating chatter, announcing every time one of the stick figures on wheels shifts gears, takes a drink of water, or passes gas. If I have to hear about how Lance looked death in the face and now he is the strongman, the climber blah blah blah one more time...ahhhh!
An aside -it would be much more entertaining to watch the stick figures if they hadn't loss their asses somewhere along the way.

Use it or lose it Latin quote for the day :
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
I have a catapult. Give me all your money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head

13 Years of Catholic School and Nothing to Show For It

2007-01-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, maybe not "nothing". There is the six years of Latin, and the memories of the nuns in their lace up black crepe soled shoes with their hairy lips and their red pens. My Catholic rearing mostly left me confused, and my confusion manifests itself into endless mocking of the beliefs my parents chose for me.

"Forgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee, and I'll forgive Thy great big one on me."
A Concept Self-Conceived
Robert Frost
1958