Retro Kansas

This is Fred!

When we were teenagers my brother and I got an urge to raise "Wisconsin Jumbo" Bobwhite quail and become rich, so we did!   We bought an incubator for the eggs, built cages and bought a few quail as breeders.  After a few years we got bored with it when we didn't get wealthy, and Fred is one of the last quail that was hatched.  He lived in our house in a cage in the bathroom, though we let him out all the time.  We'd even take him outside, and he'd run around and do all the things quail usually do. For some odd reason he was scared of other birds, even sparrows, and if another bird caught his attention he'd duck down in an attempt to blend in with the ground.   If we went back into the house he'd run like mad for the door because he was afraid of being alone outside.

As I got older, he became a pain because he'd start screeching when he heard the key in the lock when I got home later than I was allowed.  My folks would hear him, and I'd be busted.  He lived for 8 years, and remained friendly his entire life (unlike Farrah!)  

And no, I have no idea why we named him Fred.  Because we were kids?   Most likely!

Iced Coffee

Hate to dump a string of recipes out there, but it's too hot to go out and do anything outdoorsy so I'll do it anyway.  This is very simple to make, and though coffee has always wired me to the gills if I have more than a few cups, I'll take that risk with this delicious beverage.

Ingredients:

Coffee
Water

Simple, eh?

Any coffee will do, though I hear a darker, coarse ground roast makes a tastier beverage.   Of course, you can make coffee per usual and then chill it, but this receipt has a lower acidity and a different flavor than brewed coffee.  Simply take two cups of water and add 1/2 cup of ground coffee, cover and let it sit on the counter at room temperature for 12-18 hours. Strain it through a coffee filter or cheesecloth and mix it with half water or milk, or even cream if you desire a thicker, richer drink.  Pour it over crushed ice and you're done!   If you'd like a stronger drink you can freeze the coffee in an ice tray and skip adding  the ice.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Burritos

I've been making these for camping trips for years now, as they're easy enough  to make and can be kept in the freezer until you need them.  Throw 'em in the cooler before you leave, and 24 hours later they'll be thawed and can be thrown on the grill for a delicious and nutritious breakfast. (Or lunch. Or dinner. Or a snack!)

I use various ingredients depending on what I have available, but always include at least  beans, eggs, cheese, and spices.

Other possible ingredients include:

Sausage
Chorizo
Onions
Peppers
Rice
Avocado
Salsa
Sour Cream

Heck, you can add whatever you like, but it's best to keep it fairly simple.  I almost always use home cooked beans as the canned ones have no taste in my opinion. Refried beans are always an option, but whole beans are easier.   I never measure ingredients, it's best to throw everything together in amounts that look ok and they always turn out great.  You can cook everything separately and add to the tortilla, or simply cook everything in a skillet, (meat first!) and then add the eggs to bind it together.  I'd recommend adding the cheese, avocados and sour cream after the egg mixture.  Roll 'em up, throw 'em in a baggie, freeze 'em and you're good to go!

Another thing I might mention:  I've been buying tortillas for years, but recently they've become ridiculously expensive, the large ones costing around 4 dollars for 8 tortillas. Being a cheapskate, I've been making my own recently.  The flavor is vastly superior, and they're not difficult to make.  I'll add a post about it sometime, or if you can't wait, simply google homemade tortilla.

Retro Kansas: Solar Eclipse

  It was May 10th, 1994, and I was outside with my camera hoping to get decent pictures of the solar eclipse.  Surprised, I looked down and the sun's light had reflected through the leaves and created hundreds of miniature reflections of the eclipse on the ground.  I snapped 10 or 12 pictures in amazement!

New Shoes

I've been looking for a new pair of yakking shoes for some time, as I was sick of the crappy tennis shoes or plastic POS's I've been wearing for years. I wanted something that would drain water as well as dry fairly quickly, and definitely be tough enough to last for more than one season. I'd considered a pair of Adidas Outdoor Boat Shoes (vs indoor boat shoes?  Gahhhh...), as they had received mostly favorable reviews on Amazon. Trouble was, all of the not-butt-ugly colors were sold out in my size. I finally decided on a pair that were neon green, figuring after a few trips they'd be broken in and would lose some of that blinding new-car shine. This is what they look like after a couple of trips and a little drunken kicking logs back into the fire:


 

As can be seen in the second photo, there are holes in the bottom made to allow water to drain, and if you look closely there is a fine screen covering the holes. Surprisingly, no sand was able to make it through the screen, making them more comfortable in that respect than any of the shoes I'd been wearing. They are lightweight, comfortable, the water drains fairly quickly, and they dry fast too.  One strange aspect of these shoes:  They smell like fruit.  I thought it would go away after they got wet once, but oddly, it's still there.

It was only a few days after purchasing these when I saw that Adidas has a newer model called the Jawpaw Water Shoe. Once again, they have high ratings and look pretty darn cool. I'm not sold on the watersock look of the top, but the soles look beefier than the boat shoes I'd just purchased. No regrets buying the boat shoes, but if I were to do it over I might give the Jawpaws a try.