Latest HSUS Garbage

Ugh! For those of you who don't know The Humane Society of the United States, (HSUS - NOT YOUR LOCAL SHELTER), released a new "undercover video" today from a Wyoming swine farm. Yes, I watched it & am enraged with them & the workers of that farm. They take one bad farm & slap it as the cover for all hog confinement units. Being a small time hog farmer, I am extremely appalled of those workers & believe they should be fired & never be allowed to work with animals again.  In that camera's position, why did they sit there & let it happen? If they were an employee, they should've gone to their boss with complaints.... oh wait, they were undercover for an organization that is trying to bring an end to animal agriculture!
99% of hog farmers are compassionate about their animals & want them to live their life to its full extent (after all that's how they make money). Farmers are required to adhere to the National Pork Producers Councils guidelines to make sure the animals are being treated fairly. There is also a certification program, Pork Quality Assurance (PQA), which goes over the ethical treatment of our animals through every stage of life & there after. I have been certified in this ever since I was a kid. Then there's the issue of animal cruelty in gestation crates. Well, there are pros & cons to those, as in every situation. It's all going to boil down to pig population, people safety & how much you want to pay for your chops.
If you know anyone that watches that video & gets upset & says, "I'm never eating pork again" remind them that those types of people are very few & usually don't have a job for very long. Please do your research & ask questions before believe an activists 'undercover video' of an isolated incident.

The Blue Moose

 NEW RESTAURANT #3:

The Blue Moose

3030 Wanamaker

Topeka, KS

Friday, April 27th, Paul & I were craving a new restaurant. Something in Topeka that we haven't tried yet...which these days that list is getting narrow. After a post on Facebook for any recommendations, we went with The Blue Moose. Even the name is catchy! However, as soon as we were ready to head out the tornado sirens went off. After 20 minutes of watching the news & waiting for the big red blob on the radar to pass over us we were out, no rain will stop us.
After arriving, the atmosphere was nice, very large place with lots of seating. I even noticed a room for private parties. They also have a bar area.
Price was reasonable for a nice sit-down place. Not cheap by any means. Prices ranged from a small salad for $3.99 to a pasta dish at $12.99 to Filet Mignon at $26.99.
Service was great! Very timely, checked on us but didn't hover & answered our questions.
The menu was large & had something for everybody. They have an after 10pm menu & nightly drink specials (10 bottles of wine for $10 each, $1.50 beer/draft & last nights: $3.50 Moose-ritas). I taste tested the Moose-rita -YUM!!! It looked like a blue margarita. Two things I always have to get when trying a new place: 1. Fried pickles 2. Spinach artichoke dip. This time I went with the pickles (above picture). They were horizontal slices (a first for Paul & I), the breading stuck nicely to the pickle, & the ranch dip was fabulous! Thick & a hint of garlic. Then onto our entrees. Paul & I had a hard time deciding (guess we'll have to return). Paul ended up going with a Chicken Madeira Pasta: "Sauteed chicken & mushrooms in a rich Madeira wine cream sauce. Tossed with tender Campanella pasta & Parmesan cheese." It was amazing! I, being the cheese lover I am, went with the build your own Mac & Cheese (picture below): "Cavatappi pasta tossed in our rich six-cheese sauce. Topped with garlic buttered bread crumbs." I added Pit-Smoked Ham. The sauce was delicious! The ham on the other hand, there was nothing special to it. I will add Sauteed Mushrooms & another meat next time.

For dessert, Paul went with a cheesecake & I did a trio sampler (creme brulee, peach cobbler, chocolate peanut butter parfait). The cheesecake was the more cream cheesy type, not the rich, small kind. The peach cobbler Paul liked, too many oats for my taste. The parfait was rich, but good. The creme brulee, awww-mazing!

We left with full bellies, empty pockets, leftovers, & as couple satisfied critics ;) 

If you're in the mood to try something different I would highly recommend The Blue Moose, because their menu changes up those 'regular' dishes.

04.24.12 National Pigs in a Blanket Day!!!

As soon as I read this I was excited!!
 I LOVE pigs in a blanket & they always take me back to a much more simple time in my life.
Plus, they're easy to make!
I hope all of you go out & celebrate by fixin' up your favorite piggy in a blanket. 

There are many varieties here in the States from Oscar Mayer to Kielbasa to adding cheese & jam to turning it healthy with a turkey dog.

Across the world there are many styles of  the 'Pig in a Blanket'

• United Kingdom: little sausages wrapped in bacon (um...YUM!).  
• German style: Wieners wrapped in a puff pastry (like a pancake) accompanied by cheese & bacon. 
• Czech style: Kolache (pasty with dough edges that hold in the filling) filled with sausage & ham slices. 
• Polish style: Ground meat & rice wrapped in cabbage leaves and braised, usually in a tomato sauce.
• Israel style: Hot dog rolled in a ketchup-covered sheet phyllo dough (paper thin sheets of flour dough). 
• Netherlands style:  Puff pastry dough that's made with shortening then filled with a pork sausage.

~ EAT PORK ~