I Knew This Day Would Come

Posted Dec 11, 2006 by Janine Dorsey

Updated Dec 11, 2006 at 12:18 PM

Followers of this blog might have noticed a trend that I usually contend that my lunch out-ranks whatever Marty is having.

I can’t help it, the proof is in the pudding! Yummmm…. pudding…....

But today is different. My lunch stinks and Marty’s is looking pretty good right about now.

I tried to trick him into switching with me on the basis that it is national “Switch Lunch With the Person To Your Left Day.”

But he’s not as gullible as he looks.

Alas, I will be eating the leftover Kraft Mac N Cheese that my 8 year old daughter prepared all by herself. Even draining the noodles! (which is a challenge because she is super shrimpy).

My lovely side dish is canned corn. Blech.

Grapes complete the meal because they are 79 cents a pound this week at Publix.

Mr. Meaty has New York Strip, which is ironic because *I* am the one going to NYC for the holidays! ... and some kind of cheesy potatoes.

 

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Aiden, Caden, Braden And Jaden

Posted Dec 11, 2006 by Clarisa Gerlach

Updated Dec 11, 2006 at 12:23 PM

Breaking News! BabyNames.com Announces Top Names of 2006.

I love to hear how people come up with names for their babies and what goes in and out of style. I saw “Hannah And Her Sisters” in college and was certain I would name my daughter Hannah. When I got around to having kids, Hannah went from obscurity to being one of the most popular girl’s names.

At my sister’s baby shower a few weeks ago, a friend of hers asked me if I came up with Saylor’s name from Christie Brinkley’s daughter, Sailor. Turns out her daughter (who’s in her teens) is named Brinkley. Very cool name.

BOYS          
1. AIDAN/AIDEN/ADEN =     
2. CADEN/KADEN =         
3. BRADEN/BRAYDEN/BRAEDEN +
4. JADEN/JAYDEN +     
5. ETHAN -             
6. CONNOR/CONNER + 
7. ADDISON +         
8. RILEY +             
9. CALEB -             
10. LOGAN -             
11. HAYDEN -           
12. DYLAN -             
13. NOAH -             
14. AVERY +           
15. JACOB -             
16. RYAN -             
17. CAMERON -         
18. ALEXANDER +       
19. AARON +           
20. TRISTAN +         

GIRLS

1. AVA +
2. ABIGAIL +
3. KAELYN/CAILYN +
4. MADISON -
5. EMMA -
6. ISABELLA +
7. BAILEY +
8. CHLOE -
9. OLIVIA +
10. HANNAH +
11. ISABELLE/ISABEL +
12. GRACE +
13. ELLA +
14. ABBY/ABBIE +
15. CADENCE -
16. ALEXIS -
17. TAYLOR -
18. PAIGE +
19. HAILEY -
20. EMILY -

+ Increased position from 2005
- Decreased position from 2005
= Same rank as 2005

 

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See Joe Shop. See Joe Cook. Cook, Joe, Cook.

Posted Dec 11, 2006 by Jeff Houck

Updated Dec 11, 2006 at 10:48 AM

Sunday was Sports Food Day for me. After I got finished shooting the tailgating video for TBO.com, I ran down to the Sam’s Club on south Dale Mabry in Tampa to go shopping with Tampa Bay Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon.

Maddon is a huge food and wine aficionado, so he told the Devil Rays he he wanted to cook for needy people this holiday season. They hooked him up with St. Vincent De Paul parish in downtown St. Petersburg, and Maddon will be cooking a spaghetti dinner on Tuesday for about 300 people.

That led to a shopping trip on Sunday afternoon with Stephanie Renica, the D-Rays’ community relations manager, team communications V.P. Rick Vaughn and bullpen catcher Scott Cursi.

(Can’t fault a guy for checking out the non-food merchandise.)

What does the shopping list look like when you’re cooking for 300?

Try this list, courtesy of the head chef at Tropicana Field, on for size:

SALAD

30 pounds iceberg lettuce mix (If using other mix, you could cut down to 20 – 25 pounds ... the other mixes are lighter and fluffier, so it takes less to fill the plate)

16 pints grape tomatoes
16 cucumbers
8 red onions
3 pounds shredded carrots
5 boxes croutons
Salad dressing – (2 gallons if you are putting on before serving, 3 gallons if they are putting their own dressing on)

MEATBALLS
50 pounds ground beef
20 pounds ground pork
50 eggs
3 cup dry parsley
5 pounds Parmesan cheese
6 pounds bread crumbs
1 cup granulated garlic
Salt & pepper to taste
(It will take approx 15 man-hours to make 600 – 2-ounce meatballs)

SAUSAGE
75 pounds, 4-ounce sausage

SAUCE
6 No. 10 cans tomato puree
6 No. 10 cans whole tomatoes
6 No. 10 cans crushed tomatoes
6 No. 10 cans tomato sauce
2 quarts olive oil
4 No. 10 cans water
2 cups basil

2 quarts red wine
4 cups garlic
1 cup sugar
Salt & pepper to taste

PASTA
60 pounds (If there will be a lot of kids, you can cut down to 50 pounds)

BREAD
38 20-inch loaves Italian bread

What was the damage at the register?

You’ll have to check out the multimedia report by Julie Pace on Tuesday on TBO.com. (I’ll link to it from here when it’s posted.)

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Rev It Up, I’ll Take It

Posted Dec 11, 2006 by Jeff Houck

Updated Dec 11, 2006 at 08:10 AM

Yes, that’s right; It’s a four-stroke, gasoline-powered blender with a pull-cord starter and handlebar throttle.

I think I’ve developed a serious blender fetish.

 

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Ho-tel, Mo-tel, Holiday Inn. If Your Girl Starts Actin’ Up, Then You Take Her Friend.

Posted Dec 11, 2006 by Jeff Houck

Updated Dec 11, 2006 at 08:02 AM

Losing record nothwithstanding, one of the benefits of roaming with a video camera and a microphone through the parking lots outside Raymond James Stadium on Buccaneers game day: You get to meet some diehard fans and eat some damn fine grub.

 

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