In Search Of The Best Roast Beef Au Jus Sandwich

Song:  Ready To Take A Chance Again

Artist:  Barry Manilow

Today...

since I had rested in bed until late morning...

and my back was feeling better...

I decided I would go into Woodland Park to their large hardware store...

as I wanted to pick up waterproofing supplies for the fence and retaining walls on my property

(As I will later explain...

I will be using a tried and true...

over one hundred year old wood preservation method...

instead of using modern waterproofing mixtures...

as they are not only absurdly expensive...

but they also do not last nearly so long as does the old method...

but just for the fence and retaining walls...

as they are already a dark wood...

and this method further darkens the wood).

So...

before leaving for town...

I researched for a place that had roast beef au jus sandwiches.

I just love this type of sandwich...

and as I had a craving for one...

I thought I would go to a highly rated pub

 which served a type close to what I was looking for

( I just went for the food...

as I do not consume alcohol).

This is the pub which has a pot roast au jus sandwich.

Right next door to the pub is a gun store from which

 I will most likely buy my 10mm semi auto Glock...

with mounted flashlight (in a month or two)...

and a chest holster vest with a built in multiple mag holder (I will buy multiple mags as well)...

and several boxes of 10mm ultra high power...

hard case Bear Loads.

I will open carry it when I take Bandi out to her forest bathroom area...

and when I trike around my mountain.

Just some months ago...

a lady hiker was killed by a large mountain lion near Pikes Peak...

and just a couple of weeks ago...

another hiker in Woodland Park was killed by a large moose...

and there have been numerous run ins with bears throughout the year.

I entered the pub...

and they automatically give every customer a large glass bottle of chilled water.

It was a very nice touch...

as I just love tinted glass of all colors.

They keep the complimentary water in a chiller.

As I sat at the bar...

(it was lunch time...and all the desirable tables were taken)...

I just looked upon one of the large screens at the Soccer World Cup.

Although I am not a big sports fan...

it kept me occupied until my food arrived.

I ordered battered mushrooms with ranch dip...

as an appetizer.

I didn't particularly like their version of battered mushrooms.

They were more like mushroom falafels.

My Shredded Pot Roast Sandwich Au Jus.

My sandwich was okay...

but it was simply not what I was looking for.

It was filling...

and the meat was tender...

but...

the Au Jus was not nearly so filled with flavor as I have had before.

Even though it was a good effort...

I will just continue my search for the best Roast Beef Au Jus sandwich.

While my food cravings don't completely occupy my life...

to have strong cravings which can then be sated...

adds such a deep richness to life.

To have the satisfying effect of having sated a strong craving...

is to feel a source of deep energy rising from your center...

and flowing through your core and out your legs and arms.

And...

it is a source of body happiness for days on end.

And if it is good enough...

a soul satisfying meal is fondly remembered for a lifetime.

And...

yes...

I am a typical man in this respect.

We all LOVE good food.

It is a fundamental deep seated drive and craving...

which simply must be satisfied...

for without which...

we become tigers on the hunt...

and go on the prowl...

willing to travel long distances to have that one magical meal.

I can tell you one thing for certain...

upon my death bed...

as my most magical moments...

and my greatest loves in life are relived...

my most memorable feasts are going to be there as well.

What I really did love though...

was this orange cream soda (I had two).

It was so fresh and flavorful.

I also loved the bottle wrap design.

The colors and art work were just superb.

Such a flavorful orange cream soda deserved to be represented 

by such a classy product piece of art as is its signature label.

And...

this is the reason why...

just look at the ingredients.

It was the best orange cream soda I have ever tasted.

As I had spent over an hour sitting on a bar stool...

my back felt on the verge of seizing...

and so...

instead of going to the hardware store and loading tens of pounds of equipment...

I just decided to head home.

My view from just outside the pub...

just before going to my car for my drive home.

--------

Right now...

I have my windows open with a cool mountain breeze

flowing through my room.

As I will just have to take it easy for a day or two longer...

I will just relax in bed and watch some old shows or movies.

And so...

another lazy day.

 

Bistro 28 - Mexican Food Excellence From The Grocery Store

 

Song:  Pleasant Valley Sunday

Group:  The Monkees

Today...

I went to the post office to pick up a couple of packages.

On my way back...

I decided to stop in at The Market in Cripple Creek

(10 minutes from home).

They are under new ownership and management.

I had only gone there in the past for fruit pies...

as everything else was overpriced.

I had heard that the new owners lowered the prices and have added new products.

I was pleasantly surprised with the new selections...

and with the prices.

I decided to try a Mexican food kit

(it included all the ingredients...

just put them together and bake)...

and I bought some fruit pies.

On my way home...

...and I was just a little ways from home here.

I had never before seen a meal kit...

of any type.

They are not frozen...

but kept in the refrigerated section of the supermarket.

When it says they are ready in 5 minutes...

they mean to put all the ingredients together.

It still takes 35 minutes in the oven at 350 F.

But...

I must say...

it was so worth it.

I had taken out a couple of sauces to put on the "tacos"

(They were supposed to be enchiladas...

but I made them into tacos)...

but after one bite without any sauces...

I just put the sauces away.

There was no need for any sauce since they were just so delicious as they were.

All six of these scrumptious tacos had only cost $10...

and they were so outrageously delicious.

I had never had anything like it anywhere.

The sour cream sauce was thick and filled with diced mildly spicy peppers.

I had at first thought the sour cream sauce was cheese as the consistency

was such that it resembled melted cheese.

It made a perfect meal for me...

and quelled my previously unsatisfied desire for Mexican food.

I may now have some Mexican food to make at home...

just 10 minutes away.

These are some of the pies I had bought from The Market in Cripple Creek

(I eat these just occasionally...as I don't usually eat dessert).

----------

I have been receiving many large boxes from a delivery van from Walmart.

The first delivery comprised of 15 large boxes filled with many bulk items

I like to keep stored in my storage closet near the kitchen.

I took the rest of the day collapsing the boxes...

and carrying the supplies up the driveway to the front door, and then storing them...

as they had delivered all the boxes in front of one of my garage doors.

But...

 I am not complaining...

free delivery! 

The next day...

I loaded the car with the collapsed boxes to dispose of them at the refuse collection point 

at the community center.

A couple of days later...

I received a few other boxes which had equipment for Milo

(I will go into detail about Milo...later).

In a few days...

I will be assembling the contents of the boxes...

but...

I must first rest my back.

I had strained it moving all of the supplies around...

as some of the boxes weighed between 30 and 50 lbs...

and one weighed 100 lbs.

I am excited to try my new BBQ.

I will first attempt to make a steak...

and a brisket...

and I will then try to smoke some salmon and sausages...

among other meats and veggies.

--------

I was going to drive West to areas famous for the wildflower blooms.

However...

there are numerous wildfires...

some covering 10s of thousands of acres...

 in many places throughout the State...

especially West of here.

Some highways are even closed...

and so...

it looks like I will have to wait until next year to see the wildflowers in bloom.

HOCA Hot Dogs

 

Song:  Mas Que Nada

Group:  Sergio Mendez & Brasil 66

Today...

I made one of my favorite homemade pickles...

HOCA (Habaneros, Onions, Carrots).

As it is simply composed of the top three ingredients...

in a 50/50 solution of white vinegar to the vegetable ingredients...

with added sugar...

it has a tart acidic temper...

with the edge taken off by the sugar.

It is so simple to make in large batches...

and properly stored in the fridge...

the batch will easily last a year.

I have dedicated rubber sealed and locking lid mason jars...

in various sizes...

but for these pickles...

I use the 1 gallon size jar.

Now...

HOCA is not only used on hot dogs.

Because of its slightly tart acidic taste...

these pickles go very well with all types of meat as a side pickle dish.

And...

HOCA pickles are very easy and inexpensive to make...

and last a very long time in the fridge.

It had been a long time since I had made these...

and I had forgotten how much of each ingredient I would need...

so...

I just overcompensated in my purchase.

It turns out that I just needed one bag of carrots...

and two large white onions.

Oh well...

I can use the excess in other meals.

For a one gallon mason jar...

I use half a gallon of white vinegar.

Although the amount of sugar is subjective...

you must plan on using anywhere from 1 - 4 cups...

depending on the amount of sweetness you want.

A good whisk makes this process easy.

After filling the jar halfway with the white vinegar...

Pour in half a cup or so of sugar at a time...

.... and whisk the solution until all of the sugar dissolves...

and then taste.

Keep repeating the process until the desired level of sweetness is achieved.

I use three levels of thickness whenever I make pickles...

Thick

Medium

Thin

The different levels of thickness will determine how long each level will take to fully pickle...

which when making large batches...

is important... as it will allow the thinner sections to be eaten and finished up first...

allowing earlier eating of the pickles than would have otherwise occurred...

and to prevent them from getting overly soft because you couldn't finish them all in time.

I use my dehydrated habaneros to make my pickles

(I had previously dehydrated a large batch of fresh habaneros).

I added one heaping handful of the dehydrated habaneros.

Now...

I normally wouldn't use the pickles for the first few weeks of pickling...

but...

sometimes I have the willpower of a little child.

I just had to have HOCA hot dogs today...

as I had a mad craving for them  :)

And...

although there was only the slightest hint of the pickling juice imbued within each pickle...

I still wanted them on my hot dogs...today  :)

I had a very tasty meal...

and with my craving finally satisfied...

I finished off my meal with some delicious cookies.

I love this brand of cookies.

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

With a full belly...

and a sated craving...

I am just going to relax in bed now...

watch some movies...

and just let myself drift away into guiltless slumber.

I am feeling a little lazy right now...

and that is okay...

I have earned my time of pure relaxation.

I will soon have to rev up my schedule...

as many things will soon be happening in my life...

and so...

I must enjoy what lazy days I have left  :)

Cantina Verde - A Rooftop Meal At 7,800 ft

 

Song:  In The Mirror

Artist: Yanni

As I had gone grocery shopping at Safeway today...

I tried out another restaurant.

It is located at Green Mountain Falls...

just a couple miles beyond Safeway.

I wanted to try out the other main restaurant there...

Cantina Verde

(I saw it the last time I was there trying out 'The Pantry" restaurant).

It was another nice day...

and in a relatively short amount of time...

I arrived at the lake at Green Mountain Falls.

In the same complex as is The Pantry...

is this restaurant...

Cantina Verde.

They have an inside...

as well as an outside rooftop eating area.

I enjoyed nice mountain views as I awaited my food...

as there was a nice mountain breeze blowing.

Although the elevation is almost 2,000 ft below mine...

it is still high enough to be substantially cooler than is Colorado Springs...

although it is substantially warmer than is my home area.

I had ordered Poblano pepper and cheese stuffed and fried egg rolls...

with a modified ranch dipping sauce...

as an appetizer.

I had also gotten flank steak tacos.

The flank steak was tender and tasted good...

but...

once again...

it was more of a fusion taco.

I understand why restaurants try new things to attract customers...

but...

especially with Mexican food...

as it has been refined and optimized for simple deliciousness over hundreds of years...

you simply cannot beat traditionally prepared Mexican food...

as it is already in a state of perfection.

New doesn't necessarily mean better...

and the fusion greens and sauces inside of the tortillas just don't go together 

well enough with the meat...

no matter how tasty the meat.

However...

I did greatly enjoy the views and the fresh breezes as I ate.

After I ate...

I again wandered around the back of the lake.

As someone was having a small wedding at the gazebo...

I didn't walk beyond this point towards the gazebo.

The wedding was tastefully small and intimate...

and in a very nice setting.

Good for them.

One man at the end of the lake was trying his luck with a small fishing rod.

As I walked back towards my car...

I saw a few deer grazing just off the trail.

I was just about to my mountain road turn off...

when I saw more of the free roaming cows just happily grazing.

I just pulled off the side of the road and got out of my car to take a few photos...

ensuring I kept a respectful distance.

That is when one of the guardian bulls looked at me...

and then began walking across the road.

Good for him...

he was doing his job...

ensuring the safety of his herd...

and the young calves in it.

Although he wasn't threatening...

as the herd is well used to people in our community...

he was putting himself into position to ward off a potential threat...

which at this time...

appeared to be me.

I simply got back in my car and happily drove off...

happy to put some distance between that guardian bull and myself that is  :)

In another area of my community...

was more of the earlier herd.

There were more young calves resting in the grass as the mothers watched over them.

I love the free roaming animals throughout my community.

It is the country feel that I love.

I have seen many a deer besides the free roaming cows...

and up at my home...

I have seen many a very large stag...

multiple deer...

and once...

a wild turkey...

a small fox...

large raptors in the sky...

and I had heard a couple of large packs of coyotes...

and but once...

I had seen a very...very large coy-wolf...

 as it confidently walked up my ridge...

within 20 yards of my home.

And although there have been sightings of very large moose in our community...

as well as some big horn sheep...

I have yet to see any of them.

Bear have also been sighted near our community.

And in Woodland Park...

multiple sightings of very large Mountain Lions and Bears are regularly seen.

This is the country feel I love.

To have free roaming animals all around...

I get to feel part of the forest and the mountains at all times.

----------

At Safeway...

I bought a large supply of carrots and onions...

in preparation to make another batch of pickled HOCA (Habaneros, Onions, and Carrots)...

as well as a large supply of polish sausages...

and hot dogs and various cheeses.

I have had this craving for these items.

Once I make another batch of HOCA...

I will then use them on the hot dogs.

I will once again...

post how to make HOCA...

as it is the ultimate hot dog or sausage roll topping.

I plan to make some tomorrow.

It is simple and so tasty...

and once fully pickled...

the habaneros may also be eaten...

as they are full flavored...

but with the heat tamed.