"HOW YA DOING HON?" -- AIR FRYER

"How ya doin hon?"

I was greeted yesterday morning at the grocery check out by an older gal with a smile on her face and a "how ya doin hon?" We joked. Talked of good weather and times returning to normal after the holidays and the super bowl. She bagged up the few items I had, set them in the cart and said "have a nice day." She was working that morning, but you would not know it. She was more like a kind person passing through my day. I very much enjoy talking with folks like this.

Some gals can nail this interaction. Southern gals can do this the better than most. I have always liked being called "hon" by a gal who says it from the heart and w/o effort. A wonderful term of endearment. 

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DARK SKY

Have you seen this weather site. Easy to pull up on desk top or use as an App. This is all I use now.  Give it a look.

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ARROW STOPPERS

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AIR FRYERS

We have been looking at Air Fryers for a few months. Close friends swear by them. We chose one in the price range we thought about right. Would we do it again? Yes sir!!!

Test Meal

Two regular cut pork chops, bone in. 

Placed two chops on a plate and pushed  a paring knife through parts of the chop next to bone separating the meat from the bone. This is where the chops always seem not to get fully cooked. -- Seasoned both sides with salt and pepper--mixed one egg with a splash of water for 15 seconds--egged both sides and edges of the chops and then breaded (any choice of seasoned breading) the same way. Gently pushed breading into the chops on the plate--make sure to get breading on the edges as it is yummy.

Pre-heated the Air Fryer per instructions. Placed both chops onto the tray fitting as best as I could. Touching the sides of the pot worked out ok,--Turned at 10 minutes and cooked six minutes more at 390 degrees.-- Turned off Fryer and let chops rest inside for 5 minutes. 

My rating scale will be a 0-10.

Ease of Air Fryer first use.                10
First recipe.                                     10
Crispness of chops.                          10
Tender/moistness of chops.                8.5
Prep and cooking time                      10
Flavor.                                            10
Eating meat off of the bone.             10
Ease of clean up.                             10
General overall personal score.     9

Next time will cook same cut of chops at 390 degrees for 14 minutes, turning at 7 minutes. I think this will improve tenderness while keeping the crisp. I do not think there will be any issue with the chops being fully cooked.

For the very first time using with a little time spent on the net looking at recipes, I am most happy with this new kitchen tool. It appears from first cook s to be best suited for two people. Cooking for 4 people would mean putting some items in the oven to keep warm while cooking the remainder of the recipe in the Air Fryer. This would not stop me from purchasing again. Just have to adapt.

No need to continue with the details of other first meals. All have turned out fine and it appears that cooking time and temperature need to be adjusted for best results. Second tries at some of our favorites have proven to improve the meals 100%. 


The air fryer needs a space in the kitchen. It is easy to move to a cooking spot on an island or counter, clean when finished and put back. 

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TROUBLING 

I did not get published last week and offer no excuses. 

The video below has taken up some thinking time for me. Digesting and jumping down the rabbit hole of concern. Concern hell!! This is serious. What to do? 

I have read and heard stories of the Fukushima radiation leaks. This video below is very hard to watch. But if for no other reason than to be informed. You will neither hear nor see anyone talking of this!!  https://youtu.be/Hn-P3qnlB10 

This problem is not going away and makes every media news story nothing-burgers. The media is fake and with a story like this, the truth would be helpful. This problem will become global. 

Suffice it to say that I feel the wind out of my sails for the past several weeks. A crap winter is wearing on me, too, and also a part of my funk. 

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Ahhhhhhhh, to be  young again!

Getting out the house more; sunshine, outdoor warmth, a driveway w/o fracking ice and another glass of German Riesling may help turn the mind tide here. Getting the drone up will help me focus for awhile on just one thing; completely. 

Thanks for the visit.

BILLION ROUNDS OF .22 AMMO

".....For those of us who like to be prepared, it is a stark reminder.

We fight, and win or lose, our battles with the equipment that has been deployed in quantity.

We may lust for ARs and monometal projectiles but the battle in the trenches will be decided with 10/22s, Marlin 795 semi-autos and bulk packed .22LR ammo and Mossberg 500 pump shotguns."

http://eatonrapidsjoe.blogspot.com/2019/01/good-enough-and-plenty-of-it.html 

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.22 RIFLE PLINKING

This week started with early breakfast down the road with a good friend. A pancake house. Waffle, two eggs sunnyside up, bacon and extra bacon. All soaked with butter and syrup. I can never finish it all. And no, there has never ever been a piece of bacon returned.

We scheduled a late in the week meet at the range. Practice cold weather shooting and for me, practice being out and trying to function in the extreme winter weather passing through the North East this past week. Arm chairing this is easy. Getting out and doing is another story. I wanted to see for myself. 

The photo to the left was taken inside the Dodge early morning, mid week. We watched the temperature drop 10 degrees from the garage to down town in just a few minutes. Photo worthy!

Our morning low temp this past week, is mild compared to the cold that passed through middle states, but -10 degrees will get attention the minute the door is opened and on the quick walk from the parking lot to the store. 

It also causes the heat to be turned on high when returning to the car and a few minutes adjusting before driving away. Maybe adjusting attitude more than anything.

So to see for myself, I talked him into going to the range Friday. Temperatures forecasted to be somewhat improved plus abundant sunshine. 

I put new glass on the .22 rifle and wanted to zero-in plus play with plinking the range hillside. Arthritic shoulders still allow me to shoot a .22 rifle. No kick back. 

The target above right was the final zero at 50 yards. OAT was 15 degrees; no wind. Toes cold and fingers numbed fairly quickly. Fine motor skills gone. Loading the magazine nearly impossible. Getting the magazine out of the bay was impossible with gloves on. Several times, it was gloves off, make an adjustment and gloves back on. And we also cheated by climbing back in the truck to warm hands and feet. Adjusting windage and elevation needed to be done with gloves off for final zero.

It takes no stretch of the imagination, when out in this kind of weather, that doing any kind of outdoor activity quickly becomes out of the ordinary from good weather norms. Once the fingers turn numb and the toes go, further activity is hampered and the longer the duration in the cold, the numbness increases quickly to inability to function.

Hand warmers in the gloves helped, but mandated that hands and gloves were closed around the warmer. Fingertips never came back.

I was most impressed at how fast extreme cold can take away the senses and limit mobility and function. All it takes is minutes. This lesson plinking on the range transfers to any outdoor activity in extreme cold. If you are not fully prepared head to toe, time is limited and will quickly become an emergency.  The .22 rifle quickly turned into a cold piece of metal that should not have been handled w/o gloves on. 

Going through sock drawers looking for the wool socks this weekend. Trying  on several pairs of hiking boots and boot boots with the heavy socks to see if my foot even fits into them later this morning. Also trying on all gloves pairs with hand warmers installed. The use of hand warmers is also a skill that should be natural before going into the extreme cold. More practice and learning this coming week. 

The secret to having to function in extreme cold is being prepared from toes to head. To be able to sustain warmth and comfort for longer durations.

The short of this trip to the range, I was not prepared for longer durations in that cold weather. I would have become a liability with in twenty minutes. 

A BILLION ROUNDS OF .22 AMMUNITION PRODUCED  

Today, the shelves of ammunition are full. The gun cases and wall racks in local gun stores leave no empty spaces. One might think that it will be like this tomorrow and next week. 

Red flag laws are sprouting up in every state and the Left lawmakers are seeking every twist and turn they can think of to limit access of guns and ammunition to the general public. If these bills pass into law, a run on all of these supplies will happen overnight. Especially if waiting periods and background checks are required to acquire ammunition. 


The billion rounds of .22 ammunition produced by Aguila and other ammunition makers will disappear. 

Wall displays will become sparse and future inventories questionable. This was the case just a couple years ago. Twenty-two ammunition had a limit per customer if it was even available. 

This has happened before and with new left-leaning political majorities, it will happen again. History repeats. 

Word on the streets is get it while you can. If this does not interest you or apply, consider investment and barter.  

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THIRTEEN YEARS AGO TODAY

Yep, I watched that one. 

Belichick and Brady noticeably younger and pride shown by NFL players. 

How fast and far we have sunk in such a short period of time.  Even the current Budweiser SB commercial well fits today's times.

Enjoy the video and have the sound up.

Have a wonderful week. Thanks for the visit.