Big Blue Huddle

https://x.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1819061223432040492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1819061223432040492%7Ctwgr%5E493c09a7fb96f634241a8ebddedb3e26d2a521b6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boundingintosports.com%2F2024%2F08%2Famani-toomer-rips-bears-caleb-williams%2F

https://atozsports.com/nashville/volunteers/jalin-hyatt-tennessee-giants-malik-nabers-vols-lsu-tigers-athlete/

QuoteI think @jalinhyatt may have just lost his membership card to the NFL WR club by sharing this sentiment. Told him so, too.

I'm at a stage in my life where I 'm certainly not rich but I can pretty much afford anything I'd like, within reason.  And my Dr. says I am a little anemic but have excellent cholesterol levels.  When I told her I would eat more steak she laughed and gave me the go ahead.

I'm a pretty simple filet mignon guy, and I graduated from buying my meat at the supermarket to going to a very good butcher.  It's more expensive, but the quality makes it worth it to me.  I've been getting 'high choice'.  While it sounds a little gimmicky and there is no such 'official' rating, it seems reasonable that within such broad categories as Select, Choice, and Prime, there is quite a bit of room between categories.  Some countries have significantly more grades.  And it does seem like the meat is better than the choice I can get at the supermarket.

So last time I was at the butchers I picked up a couple of my regular filets, and then just for the heck of it I picked up a Prime filet.  I want to see whether the higher cost is worth it.  And then I got to thinking, which is always dangerous.  For the last several years the buzzwords in the world of beef are Kobe and Wagyu which, while denoting different things, are interchangeable.

There are primarily three different options, American Wagyu, Australian Wagyu, and Japanese Wagyu.  Besides the obvious geographical differences the difference is the genetic percentages.  Japanese Wagyu is purebred wagyu beasts and A5 is the highest grade. Needless to say, it is not cheap. Apparently they have a gene which causes an insane amount of marbling.  American Wagyu is typically 50% Japanese and 50% American, although there is no regulation of the term.  And Australian Wagye is in between.

So I've been thinking about trying one or more of them.  Especially since I found out that Costco, of all places, now sells Japanese A5 Wagyu for $100/lb., which is actually a pretty good price compared to other online outlets.  I'm not sure, but I think they only sell ribeyes and new york strips.

So I'm in a bit of a quandry.  Should I start with American Wagyu, then try Australian, then Japanese?  (None of them are going to become a regular thing for me, maybe a once a year or 6 months)  Or should I get a little of each and taste them side by side to see how the taste and texture match up with cost.

So, does anyone have any experience with these ultra costly, ultra quality steaks?  Or have any comment on how I should go about this?

https://x.com/TheHerd/status/1803526889103040904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1803526889103040904%7Ctwgr%5Eba76c9d1d29f33df8fe718e99c3db3616ccd44dc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boundingintosports.com%2F2024%2F06%2Ftom-brady-reveals-his-ultimate-secret-to-quarterback-success%2F

The first minute is Cowherd blathering, but the rest of this short clip is some pretty insightful stuff from Brady.

I saw this video clip, and knowing what a student of the baseball rules you are I thought you might find this interesting.

https://x.com/jbbrisco/status/1801446226816098601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1801446226816098601%7Ctwgr%5E5ed10d01ecf21eeab72f98c7640cc8df5daf4413%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.breitbart.com%2Fsports%2F2024%2F06%2F14%2Fkc-chiefs-40k-super-bowl-ring-features-embarrassing-typo%2F

I don't come here often but I may change that.  I thought in the past that there was a thread like this but I went back 5 pages and couldn't find it so either it didn't exist or it's time for a new one.

H. L. Mencken Quote: It is the classic fallacy of our time that a moron run through a university and decorated with a Ph.D. will thereby cease to be a moron.

Carl Jung Quote: The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases. (or, as I like to put it, it's not a one-size fits all world)

Bertrand Russell Quote: Even if all the experts agree, they may well be mistaken.

I'll try to come back and add some more, but feel free to pitch in your own favorites.  I'll finish with one that based on my own life I profoundly disagree with:

Jewish Proverb - Love is a sweet dream, and marriage is the alarm clock.

https://twitter.com/JLSports3/status/1760757715284951390?s=20

I have gotten the point, due to a combination of mobility and discomfort, that I seriously doubt that I will ever get on an airplane again.

But a chance conversation got me thinking about traveling a longish distance on a train.  As is my wont, these days, I went off to YouTube to research the ins and out of riding the rails on Amtrak.  My sister lives in St. Louis and had dispaired of me ever visiting because of my no-fly stance.

But after doing my research I just booked round trip tickets from Flagstaff AZ (like most big cities Phoenix has a Union station but ours is no longer used for trains) to St. Louis.  It a 2-segment trip.  The long segment is Flagstaff to Kansas City, about 26-1/2 hours, and for this segment I will be in a sleeper car in a Roomette.  After a 9 hour layover in KC, the second segment will be Kansas City to St. Louis, about 5-1/2 hours, and will be in a coach seat.

The return trip takes a different route, going through Chicago.  The short leg of STL to CHI is about 5 hours, and I will be in a business class seat.  After a 3 hour layover in CHI there is the long leg back to Flagstaff, which is almost 30 hours.  On this leg I will be in a coach seat, as sleepers had been sold out. 

So I'll find out if I can sleep on a train in a reclining coach seat.  This is not as daunting as it might seem for a couple of reasons.  First, the seats are huge compared to airline seats and reclining them (which I never do on an airplane - even in first class) is fine with no issue.  Second, several years back, after some health issues and a surgery, I spent over a year sleeping in my recliner at night rather than a bed, with no problems.  And if it works out it will open up traveling to me again.

I'm guessing that on this board some of you have done some long range train travel, so if you have any advice, tips, tricks, don't do this or that thoughts, they would be most welcome.

It seems like there is a big advertising push for ooni brand wood fired backyard portable pizza ovens.  I ended up getting 2 of a different brand, pizzello, for my 2 daughters.  Anyone have one of these?

This is about my younger daughter, not me.  For reasons explained in her first blog post she has embarked on a Food Challenge wherein each week her husband picks a country and she has a week to research, plan, and cook a meal indigenous to that country.  This is a link to the first post in her blog explaining how it came about.

First Blog Post

If you've a mind to, drop in and check it out.  She writes well, with a breezy style and plenty of humor.  Plus if you do check it out maybe drop her a comment - and be sure you mention you heard about it on a Giants Forum.  She has been True Blue her whole life.  One of the highlights of her college days was meeting Bob Papa at a Senior PGA event that he was broadcasting and for which she was interning.  After telling him she was a lifelong Giants fan they had a nice chat and he gave her the Giants lanyard he was wearing.

If you decide to check it out, thanks.

Rich

 I'm guessing that some of you already know this recipe but I just learned about it and it has been an instant hit among my family.  Best of all it is very easy to make, takes about 10 minutes, and offers limitless options.  It is no-churn ice cream.

Take a pint of heavy cream out of the refrig and whip it to soft peaks.  You can whisk by hand, use a handheld mixer, use a stand mixer, or a stick blender.

One you've beat the cream into soft peaks, beat in one 14 oz. of condensed milk (fun fact, by law in the US & Canada, "condensed" milk is sweetened and "evaporated" milk is unsweetened).

This is the base of the ice cream, which you can now flavor any way you want.  Here are some I've done:

1) Coffee.  2 Tbs. of instant coffee dissolved in hot water.  Cool in refrig, and then fold into base.  Variation:  break up some Bishoff, or other brand cookies, and fold them in for cookies and coffee ice cream

2) Cookies and cream:  2 Tbs of vanilla then break up some Oreos and fold it all together

3) Creamsicle: 2 Tbs vanilla, then let a can of frozen orange juice concentrate partially defrost and then swirl it into the base

4) Mint cookies and cream.  Similar to 2, but Creme de Menthe in place of the vanilla and use mint Oreos for the cookie part.

My next version will involve 2 Tbs of vanilla, dark chocolate chips and broken up Chips Ahoy cookies.

Once you've done the flavoring, pour the mixture into a Tupperware container, snap a lid on, and put it in the freezer for about 6 hours.

The versions with vanilla naturally have some alcohol from the vanilla extract.  If not using vanilla try to use a liqueur with matching flavor like in #4.  I've been thinking about a version with Amaretto flavoring (2 Tbs) and crushed toasted almonds.  If you're not using vanilla and don't have a matching liqueur, just use 2 Tbs of vodka (the cheap stuff is fine).  The alcohol, whether from vanilla, liqueur, or vodka lowers the freezing temperature slightly which improves the texture.  And if you use the vodka you won't taste it.

If you've never made this, give it a try.  A lot of bang for minimal time and effort.  If you have made this, what flavors have you made?

And feel free to post your own favorite recipes on this thread.