Broasted Chicken at the Island Cafe, Island Lake, Illinois

The other day after our usual bike ride the group stopped at the Island Cafe; they don't have a website so here's the pertinent information about them:
310 East State Road, Island Lake, Illinois (it is just across from Culvers) 847 526 7797 It is almost a standard diner; with all the usual food and lots of it. Why is this one different? Well, they serve Broasted Chicken. On Wednesday, they serve an all you can eat Broasted chicken meal for an incredibly affordable price. Before you go and decide that you are going to try the chicken with thoughts of ordering more...understand that this chicken is cooked to order and it takes 25 minutes to prepare. Order your seconds well before you want them so they are ready when you are. I read somewhere once that it takes 20 minutes to satisfy your appetite, so you should probably order seconds almost immediately upon receiving your first plate. Anyway, I got to thinking about Broasted chicken; which I think is fantastic. I know that it is chicken that is fried under pressure, but that is about all. I discovered it first on a road trip through Pennsylvania; and always stopped there again and again when I was driving through. Sadly, that place has since closed down, but now I have rediscovered it here at the Island cafe. Go there and see if it isn't the best and healthiest fried chicken you've aver had!

Here is some more information that you probably didn't know and may actually have you seeking out a place that serves it. Genuine Broaster Chicken begins with the finest quality chicken, carefully marinated and coated with specially formulated Broaster ingredients. Then, as each order is received, the chicken is placed inside the Broaster Company manufactured pressure fryer, designed to cook each individual piece of chicken "under pressure" in the chicken's own natural juices, limiting the absorption of cooking oil and driving the marinade deep down to the bone while searing the chicken with a golden, crispy-crunchy coating.

Broaster Recipe foods provide all of our popular seasonings, coatings, and flavorful marinades in a full line of high quality foods that are quick frozen for the delicious and distinctive taste that can only be Broaster. It is actually lower in calories and lots lower in fats than your usual fried chicken, see the claims here.

Ok enough, if you want to find a place near you, go here

Here are some shots of the meal. Oh, this diner also makes it's own bread, we got the wheat bread and it was divine!

Chicken and Dumpin soup...homemade...wonderful
All this, plus soup and dessert for less than $9.00. You cannot beat it!
Marlene is one happy camper!

Biking in St Charles, Illinois

Our biking group got together for a 20 miler on the Fox River trail from South Elgin to Geneva. The weather was perfect and the trail was mostly blacktop...which translates into an easy ride; except for three gigantic hills here and there! The work out was good because we stopped in St Charles for lunch at a place named Pub 222 right on Main Street. Take a look at the size of the sandwiches they serve up here! I opted for the Chile and didn't need dinner at all later in the day.

Woo Pig Sooie

That is the PIG CALL that razorback fans here in Arkansas do at the games, but for me it is the call for the roasted whole pig that I was fortunate enough to have several times in my life.

Yesterday, we went to an authentic pig roast (this baby was a BIG ONE!) How big was it you ask? Well, the professional cutter was trimming and slicing it for over three hours! I got on line in time to get a few succulent pieces of the tenderloin section....MMMmmmm Good. About half the pig was still on the table and I could not resist snapping off a piece of the crisped skin...we called them cracklins' Missouri...oh man was that good! Then the guy who was slicing handed me a chunk about the size of my hand. Lordy, lordy I know I hurt myself eating it but it was all worth it.

Here is what it looked like early on in the slicing process

New Computer...Still a bad hair day

So most everybody knows by now that I got a new MacPro laptop computer and so far so good. It does way more stuff than my old one. For example, I was just sitting here with my birdie on my shoulder and went to a thing called photo booth and poof! I got several pictures just like I was in one of those old machines that you would see at the local 5 and 10. Amazing!




It is STILL a bad hair day weeks after the damage was done ;-(

Bad Hair Day

I've been using a national chain to get my hair cut for the last year or so. It's because I travel so much, I am usually not in my familiar home territory when the need arises. Most times it is an at least acceptable job but once in a while...well, it leaves something to be desired.

So I discovered a location even closer to me here in Wauconda than the one I had been using in Lake Zurich so I went there. The sign outside said "No Wait".

It was true, she took me instantly. I like that. I told her to just clean it up a little, shape it but make it about a half inch shorter. Ok, she said. I was a little concerned when she started at the very front on my head; usually they start somewhere at the crown, but hey, I am not in that business. It looked like she took a little too much on the first SNNNIIPPP, but maybe I was mistaken. (Mental note to self: If you are ever worried at the first snip; get up and leave.)

She continued to cut getting a swatch of already cut hair mixed with some that needed cutting and worked her way around. Just the way they all do. I could see it was too short, but that happens sometimes, nothing to get all worked up about. Then she took the electric clipper to get the straggly hairs on the back of my neck (you know, the ones that are practically invisible...yeah, those.) So, I thought she would remove the cape and we would be done, BUT NO.

Then she took the clipper and a comb and randomly combed what little was left of my hair away from my head and zapped it with the clipper. I am mentally wondering now why she wanted everything to be cut evenly, when she is making it look chopped now. This goes on for a bit and I am thinking to myself...maybe I should just go home and buzz cut the whole thing; at least it will all grow out together. FINALLY, it looks like she is done. Yes, she is; she puts the clipper down and steps back from the chair. My heart is sinking.

The manager, who is working at the next chair comes over to look at my cut. She makes a face, grabs the scissors and starts to make it even, working over the entire haircut...it is really short now. She is making faces and clipping away. There is only about 3/4 of an inch left; when will this end. Just a little more and she too, is finished.

I pay and leave. In the car a take a glance at it and I am horrified to see everything is just standing straight up. Why? Because it is too short to fall gently and create a nice layered look. No, it looks like I have just seen a ghost! Well, this is one place I won't go back to, ever.

Oh, you want a picture? Uh..uh. here it is.



I may never remove my biking helmet.

They call it The Windy City...

And now I know why




it was a little breezy last night. Now that I think of it; I have NEVER seen laundry on a line to dry here in Chicago...

Dyson Hand Dryer

I discovered a new hand dryer. This is nothing like the usual ones found in public restrooms where you have to hit the start button two or three times and still end up with a spot or two that are still wet. No-siree, this one works!

You dip your hands into it,holding them straight with the palms toward you; then slowly raise them up and out of the dryer. The force is rather strong and not too warm. When you reach the top; your hands are dry...all over.

Here's what it looks like

Christmas in the Village Concert

Today was another 'first' to add to my list of "wow I never thought I'd being doing that!" I joined a choral group in October, a first. It was not without its scary moments either. I was always pretty darn proud of the way I could sing...usually in the shower and a bucket nearby to carry that tune...
Anyway, it was always in the privacy of my own mind and as such it gave me pleasure. But this was different; one has to be in tune with the (I can't believe I had to look it up!) voice in this four part chorus. Mine is the second highest...alto. That is when I found out the 'voice' I had been using was much lower than it should have been. My first night of practice garnered several looks with raised eyebrows, but what the heck, this is supposed to be fun. I was fortunate enough to get some private lessons from the choir director, she helped me "find my voice" and today we gave the Christmas concert that we had all been practicing for so hard.

It was a wonderful performance...no, I did not get it right all the time, yes I made many mistakes, but I think no one knew (except the few around me!) and a good time was had by all. Here are a couple of shots of the event:

Follow-up on Gift

Well, I finally finished the gift that I was making for a very special person. I wanted to make a scarf (if you recall) before M&M took off with my project after I had already sunk at least ten hours into it and rendering it trash. I went on the hunt for a simpler pattern and found one. It was so simple that I was afraid that it wouldn't have any "personality" when I was finished but it did.

I found some really nice alpaca and cashmere wool and made the scarf. It was a muted shade of blue; nice but something inside was saying: "This will not look great" on my intended recipient. Here is the first one






It is a very nice scarf but it just doesn't work for who I want to give it to. She wears a lot of black and I saw her the other day in a salt and pepper sweatshirt and that's when I knew I needed to make a black and white scarf. I found just the right angora feeling wool and went to work.

Here's the final product all wrapped up. Leave it to me to wrap it up BEFORE I took a picture of it.




Here it is on intended recipient I think it was a good choice!



Chuck became the proud owner of my first success!

Three Day Culinary Basics - - Day 3

I thought it would be a good idea to get a couple of pictures of the classroom that I have been working in for the past three days. So here are two pictures from two of the far corners of the room. Now that I have taken them, I realize that you are not seeing any of the appliances and workspaces along the perimeter of the room. I guess I will just have to take another course so I can get into the room again for some more pictures!

This is a Chuck Roast that we are using to prepare a pot roast by braising. Notice how the edge has some nice fat for flavoring the sauce and in the middle there is a little fat marbling..but not too much; otherwise the dish would get greasy.
We dried it first with a paper towel and seasoned with salt and pepper
Then placed it into a deep pot with a little oil for browning on both sides
Once that was done, we added some diced onions and sauteed until golden brown
We then added some demi-glace that had been thinned with stock to the pot; we deglazed the pan with wine and simmered for a bit before putting the roast back in

We added some fresh cut up carrots, celery and mushrooms
the liquid should only come up about 2/3rds of the meat otherwise it will boil; it should just simmer in the liquid and have the top exposed. We did cover the pot.
After several hours we fork tested the meat and then removed it for slicing. You could just pull it apart in chunks or smaller pieces...we opted for slices.
We removed the vegetables from the liquid and reduced what was there to about half; prepared matching amounts of flour and butter in a paste form and stirred it into the liquid to thicken


Then drizzled it over the sliced pot roast. It was divine!
We also made blueberry almond muffins. Here you see the dry ingredients and the frozen blueberries waiting for the wet ingredients to be added.
First you coat the berries so they don't bleed all through the batter
The wet ingredients need to be blended before adding to the dry...
Then just combine it, as soon as you see a blue color in the dough, you are done
We used an ice cream scoop to put the batter in the baking pans...we sprayed the pans with a baking oil coating to prevent sticking and it worked just fine. After they are in the oven for half the estimated time, they must be turned so they all cook evenly.
We have painted the glaze on them and now just add a few slivered almonds and it is done!
So...you thought salad was easy? Here we are putting hardboiled eggs through a potato ricer to get small even pieces of egg for the tossed salad
We cut up several slices of bread, sprinkled them with oil and some herbs
Spread the concoction evenly on a baking pan and roasted for 10 minutes or so at 350 degrees
Here is what we got! I may never buy croutons again!
here's the rest of the salad ingredients
and there it is in a pretty bowl.
I made the dressing, but since I have no pictures. I won't bore you with the items that went into it. Suffice to say it was great.
Then of course we had to make a really nice dessert...what is better than chocolate souffle? We buttered the ramekins and then sprinkled sugar in each one, it helps the souffle come away from the dish when it bakes. We cleaned off the first 1/4 inch of the inside so the souffle did not get stuck when trying to rise.
The egg yolks, sugar cream need to be blended
The bittersweet chocolate and cream and butter need to be heated and blended gently.
Then poured slowly into the egg mixture so as not to cook the eggs
Then all added back to the pan and cooked some more
Until it is thickened a bit
We whip the egg whites and sugar to get a nice froth

They say if you can turn the pan upside down and it doesn't come out, it is the right consistency




You mix a little of the froth into the chocolate, then




Fold the rest in to get a nice light mixture
Here is what they look like before going into the oven
And thisis the finished product

Actually...THIS is the finished product!


Now, I know we all can make mashed potatoes...but not like this! First cut them into about 1 inch squares, they cook pretty quickly this way

When cooked push them through a potato ricer
Here is what it looks like before any butter or cream/milk
melt the butter in the milk
salt and pepper the riced potatoes then add the milk butter mixture and stir. In moments you will have teh best mashed potatoes you have ever had.
Next we did steaks. I actually had this down pretty good before this class, but I learned that you shoudl blot the meat with paper towels first, then oil and season with salt and pepper

Place them on the grill facing 10 o'clock to sear, after a few minutes just point them towards
2 o'clock..and you have perfect diamond grill marks on that side, flip and do the same on the other side

See.. pretty cool huh?
Here they are all done
Here they are ready for serving

This is Jill my cook-mate for the last three days...what a great time we both had!
Here is my lunch plate of steak, mashed potatoes, pot roast and string beans