Shrimp Yakisoba / Mountain Top Sunset

 

Song:  Another Park, Another Sunday

Group:  The Doobie Brothers

First of all...

these are superior scissors...

better than any other I have ever used.

I got them off of Amazon...

because I cannot stand scissors which simply do not cut well.

As you can see...

they are very thick and rock solid.

None of the stamped metal scissors are worth having...

none.

The metal runs down the length of the handle...

so cutting is done so without bending of the silicone handles.

They are perfect for the kitchen.

These will last a lifetime.

I was just so impressed by them that I had to spread the word.

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I decided to eat a little early today as plan to go on a mountain top trike ride with Bandi...

for sunset.

I made Shrimp Yakisoba today.

Once again...

buy the Yakisoba WITH the sauce packets included

(many are just the noodles...

check the packages carefully).

Each ingredient comes in a hermetically sealed package.

I usually add sesame oil to help with the searing of the meat...

as well as to add flavor.

I then added 1 lb of shrimp and seared them on high heat

(I use already cooked, deveined and de-shelled shrimp from Safeway...

so, I'm not cooking the shrimp...

but merely searing the outside).

This is the amount of searing I like.

I then make a center opening in the wok so I may add the noodles.

I lower the heat to medium high for the rest of the operation.

Just break apart the noodles...

...add the sauce...

...stir them together and sear to your liking.

Ummm...

So good!

While beef is still my favorite Yakisoba...

shrimp and chicken Yakisobas are still delicious in their own right.

--------------

Just half an hour before sunset...

Bandi and I triked up to the top of the mountain to view sunset.

While the weather was nice when I left...

by the time I got to the top of the mountain...

the wind had picked up considerably.

It was gusting 20 - 30 MPH...

and the temperature dropped suddenly...

anywhere from 20 to 30 degrees.

For a short while...

snow was blowing in on the wind from the Northwest...

just for a few moments...

and then it stopped.

But that is when the temperature really began to drop.

I was wearing my balaclava...

but I put it back in its bag below the bottom two lights...just before leaving.

I turned on my night running lights and prepared to go back home.

By the time the sun had set and I was going back...

it must have been near freezing.

However...

as soon as I got off the top of the mountain...

and on the other side of it...

the wind dropped considerably.

My hands were still almost numb though.

Bandi did so well running the whole way.

She was so excited to be back on the road

and running fast.

She sleeps so well after her runs up and down the mountain.

She especially loves sleeping on my bed since I had gotten an extra thick mattress topper 

(which is 5 inches thick of ultra softness).

I put it on top of the other 3 inch pillowy mattress topper I had before...

so we now sleep on 8 inches of pillowy softness as if were sleeping on a cloud.

Bandi just loves stretching out on it...

and I sleep much more comfortably now as well.

They are so worth having.

They make all the difference in the world in comfort...

and in sleep quality.

Beef Yakisoba / Bandi's Smooth Jazz Sunset

 

Smooth Jazz Guitar BGM

YouTube Channel:  My Space Music Studio

As I had a pound or so of roast beef left in the fridge...

I decided to make beef yakisoba.

It is now my favorite beef and noodle dish to make at home.

When you go to an Asian market...

be sure to look at the Yakisoba bags closely.

Many do not include sauce...

just the noodles.

Always get the sauce with the noodles.

I find this brand to be very delicious and easy to make.

It comes in a three pack set...

and for a normal meal for me...

I will use two packets.

This meal is so simple and quick to make...

that I will be eating it far more often now.

Whenever I make roast beef...

I always make enough to last for several meals afterwards.

I just place the leftovers into the fridge...

and take out whatever amount of beef I wish to consume...

and then slice the meat into thin bite sized pieces...

and add them to any dish I wish.

For this particular meal...

just heat up a wok or large pan...

add about 2 -3 tablespoons of sesame oil to the pan...

and then add the meat slices to lightly sear them...

and then add the noodles and sauce packets.

In less than five minutes...

the meal is ready.

Beef Yakisoba is such a delicious and hearty meal.

You will want to stock up on the Yakisoba...

as they will keep unrefrigerated for months in your panty.

Although you may also use shrimp and or chicken with your noodles...

I found this particular dish to be the absolute best.

From slicing the meat...

and cooking everything up...

it is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes.

If you are a man...

you will want to use two Yakisoba packs...

and about a pound of roast beef.

----------------

As I was typing up this article...

I noticed the sun was just half an hour or so from setting.

So...

I opened up the third deck door in the loft...

I kept playing the above smooth jazz on my computer...

and kept an eye on the clouds for deepening colors...

and I just mellowed out in the computer chair.

As it turned out...

although the sunset was not spectacular...

it had a nice mellow amber and blue to it.

The temperature was somewhere in the 40s F...

and with a very light, but refreshing breeze.

Bandi loves to sit out on the third floor deck to bask in the overall ambiance...

to breathe in the fresh mountain air...

as well as to keep an eye on "her" property. 

I was sitting in the computer chair when I turned around to see Bandi

just enjoying the sunset as she lay on the third deck.

The clouds through the front cathedral windows looked nice.

I went out on to the third deck to enjoy some of the sunset with Bandi.

Bandi was just so mellow and relaxed.

We could hear the smooth jazz out on the third deck...

and it was all so nice.

With the light mountain breeze on my face...

and with Bandi laying there all content...

it all just made me so happy inside.

Bandi was just so happy being on the deck...

as she surveyed "her" kingdom.

After the colors faded...

I just came back in to finish up typing this article.

It is now almost fully dark...

but Bandi is insisting on continuing her enjoyment of the third deck.

Bandi just seems so happy...

so...

I'll just wait until she comes in on her own.

A Sunset Drive To Russ' Place

 

Song:  Willow's Song

Artist:  Aythis

Earlier today...

as sunset was nearing...

I had this strongest craving for a cheese burger.

My favorite place for burgers is in the town of Divide...

which is but 20 - 25 minutes away from home...

and worth the drive...

for they have the absolute best burgers there.

I just put on my music list...

and take a scenic country drive...

which in and of itself...

is one of my great pleasures in life...

just driving and admiring the countryside...

with the wind in my hair...

and singing my heart out.

I had just gotten on the main road towards my destination.

I decided to take the country cutoff in the evening and night hours from now on...

as it is far less crowded...

and as it is winding...

headlights are far less likely to be in my eyes.

I will still use the full scenic route during daylight hours.

Nearing the end of the country cutoff.

I was on the highway...

just less than a mile from my destination...

when I noticed the clouds turning colors...

and so...

I pulled off the highway to take some photos.

I never take beautiful sunsets for granted.

The richness of the colors...

the pure grandeur of a magnificent sunset

 fills me with such happiness that I simply cannot resist them.

Beautiful sunsets are part of life's great simple pleasures.

Always make time for them.

They are part of what makes life so wonderful.

This is Russ' Place in the town of Divide.

They have colored lighting on the outside of their establishment...

which change every few seconds.

The owner understands the importance of colors...

of how it entices people...

and of how it sets the mood for what is to come.

This is just another example of why Russ' Place is my favorite burger place...

and where I will go whenever I get a mad craving for the best burgers around.

This is my go to place for the rest of my life for burgers.

I have simply never tasted better.

I took this photo from inside while seated at my table.

Their outside seating is popular in warmer weather

(Pikes Peak in the background).

My favorite appetizer at Russ' Place is the battered mushrooms.

I tried (for the first time)...

their Double Swiss and Mushroom burger.

It was pure magic on a bun

(They bake their own buns every day).

I used thousand island dressing on it...

and it was so delicious.

This is a man's burger!

They make the absolute best burgers...

and it is but a short country drive from home.

I have found the holy grail of burgerdom. 

Russ' Place is now my place for great burgers...

for the rest of my life.

I then tried their Tiramisù...

which was so surprisingly light...

so supremely tasty...

that I would not have expected it anywhere but in a specialty bakery...

a niche coffee shop...

or a very high end restaurant.

I usually don't like Tiramisù...

but this I loved so much that I will be sure to get more every time I visit Russ' Place.

I loved this dessert so much.

What a delectable delicacy!

And...

it came in a man's sized portion...

and very reasonably priced.

A great quantity of great quality...

I can't ask for more than that.

The motto of Russ' Place...

I understand his flag now  :)

---------

Very few things in life gives me the feeling of great satisfaction

than that which a great meal provides.

And...

with my great hunger sated...

I will now tune up my 12 string...

and begin...

once again...

working on my next cover song

(of which will still take a long time to finish).

What another beautiful day...

just one of so many I have here.

By simplifying your life...

it greatly magnifies all of the magnificent simple pleasures within it.

Leave behind all sorrows...

look forward to the future...

so you may fully live in the now.

Love your life...

or change it.

You only have this one...

so make the most of it.

It is all worth it.

You will never tire of the great happiness which will naturally become the result.