Archive for the ‘hobbies’ Category

Recipe: Ultimate Goop Stuff

Posted: January 31, 2010 by datechguy in hobbies, personal
Tags: ,

This is what I cooked for dinner tonight:

What you need:

  • Two Frying Pans
  • 1 Whole Pork Tenderloin
  • 1 Sirloin Tip
  • 1/2 of one Chicken Breast boneless
  • 1 Large Onion
  • 1 Green Pepper medium-large
  • 1 pkg McCormick Taco seasoning (mild/regular or hot per your taste) 1.25 oz.
  • Garlic Pepper
  • Onion powder
  • 10 oz Shredded Mexican and/or Mozzarella cheese
  • A 6 oz jar of your favorite brand of Salsa
  • 1 pkg soft Tortilla wraps medium (16 wraps)
  • One Tablespoon minced Garlic (fresh if possible bottled is ok)
  • Olive oil

Prep work:

  1. Heat both frying pans to medium heat add olive oil to coat each pan
  2. Slice Chicken Breast into strips 1/4″ width and 1 1/2-3 ” long
    Slice Pork Tenderloin into 1/2 inch disks and then half the disks.
    Slice Sirloin Tip in 1/2 cubes and then half the cubes
  3. Dice the Whole Onion and Pepper

Directions:

  1. Add Sliced Chicken to 1st Frying pan
  2. add onion powder, garlic pepper and 1/8 pkg McCormick Taco spice (.15 oz if you want to be exact)
  3. Pan Fry 10 min stirring regularly
  4. While Chicken is frying add Peppers and Onions  and Garlic to 2nd frying pan
  5. Add onion power, garlic pepper and 1/4 pkg of the remaining McCormick Taco Spice
  6. Pan fry on medium/medium low heat stirring frequently
  7. Add Pork to Chicken Mixture
  8. Repeat garlic pepper, onion power, McCormick per step 2
  9. pan fry additional 10 min stirring regularly
  10. Add Sirloin tips to meat mixture
  11. Repeat garlic pepper, onion power, McCormick per steps 2/8
  12. Pan fry 15 minutes mixing regularly
  13. Empty pan with Vegetable mixture into the pan with the cooking meat, Add Salsa
  14. Pan fry 10 min
  15. Add Cheese to the top of the Mixture
  16. Take now empty Frying pan and invert it over primary cooking pan until cheese melts into mixture (like goop)
  17. Microwave Soft Tortilla shells 1 min
  18. Remove pan and scoop mixture into Tortilla shells as desired

Serve with Rice Pilaf  Yield 16 servings

Variations:

Frozen Chicken strips can be substituted if this is the case then add the chicken to the mixture last.

If you have “fussy” eaters the veg and meat can be kept apart, prepare a small 3rd frypan and add enough meat and veggies to the pan to satisfy the non-fussy eaters and cook as above, simply skip the salsa & cheese steps and let the “fussy” eaters add their own cold to the mix

If you live anywhere near the Border Grille & Bar, or the Southside Grille & Margareta factory — Border specialty sauce may be substituted for Salsa if you like it hot.

I’ve never cared for Spanish Rice but if you prefer it you can use it instead of the Pilaf.

If you perfer a single meat then remove any of the meat(s) listed and adjust cooking times accordingly.

My review of the Mafia Board Game Blood Feud In New York is available at Amazon.com here.

Although the chance to rule New York might prove irresistible be warned in a 5+ player game this game tends to be very unforgiving to both the too timid or the too bold.

I’ve noticed our group rarely plays it anymore suggesting that although it is a fun game its replay value is less that you might expect. If you are looking for a more “family friendly” and less complicated way to fight the mob wars there’s always Family Business.

Munchkin Quest 2: Amazon Review

Posted: January 10, 2010 by datechguy in amazon reviews, gaming, hobbies
Tags: ,

My review of the Expansion for Munchkin Quest; Munchkin Quest 2, Looking for Trouble. Is available at Amazon.com here.

If you like me have constantly played with a group above 4 you will need this. We played with 7, to do that we added a d8 to replace the color die and when the monster belonged to the “seventh” color, they just appeared without a base.

If you are not familiar with the franchise, this game is a parody of D & D. All the fighting, all the treasure, none of the role playing. And of course silly stuff.

This game is fun, and that’s really what it’s all about.

My review of master game designer Reiner Knizia’s board game Ra is available at Amazon.com here.

My weekly game group was short this week leaving us with only 4, we learned this one on the fly and was able to get in two games in under an hour. When a fifth showed up a few hours late he was able to grasp the game and join in one more game before we called it an early night finishing before 11:30.

The measure of a well balanced strategy game system is:

On that contains different paths to victory

Regularly rewards the best players

Contains enough luck so the outcome is not guaranteed

Ra certainly does the trick but with a max of 5 players we likely won’t be getting back to it for a while.