Bacon!

In honor of our Farmland Bacon buy one, get one free ($5.79 value) special, we present this idea for a use for all that bacon.

Springfield Sale Items June 29 - July 5, 2011

Farmland

Baby Back Pork Loin Ribs

$3.99 lb.

 USDA Choice

Boneless Rib Eye Steak 

$8.99 lb.

* Made Fresh at Harter House 

* Diet Lean Ground Round - $3.29 lb.

* Lean Pork Cutlets - $2.49 lb.

Smart Chicken - Boneless Chicken Breast - $4.69 lb.

Encrusted Tilapia Fish Fillets - 4 to 6 oz. - 2 / $5.00

Hormel Cure 81 Premium Boneless Ham - $2.49 lb.

* Buy One Get One FREE - Limit Please

* 6 oz. Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin Filet - Save $3.49

* Farmland Seasoned Pork Tenderloin or Pork

  Loin Filets -  19.2 to 24 oz. - Save $9.39

* Farmland Bacon - 12 to 16 oz. - Save $5.79

* Lays Potato Chips - 10 to 10.5 oz. - Save $3.99

* Sara Lee Honey Wheat Bread - 20 oz. - Save $3.19 

and  MUCH, MUCH MORE... 

check out all of this week's Special...click here!

The Top 5 Websites I Visit Every Day

We all have them.  Those websites we go to every day to help us smile, laugh, think, or just forget we are at work for a few moments.   In all honesty, studies have shown, for every 10 minutes of work we perform, 9 minutes of it we are thinking of other things.  With that in mind, here is what I look at to consume 472 minutes of my day:

5.  Cracked.com

You remember Cracked magazine don't you?  The ugly step-brother of Mad magazine.  Well, something strange happened when it went online.  It became funny.  The secret is in its platform.  Lists created by independent bloggers offered to the editors, who then approve them based on its humorous content.  It's a formula that works with articles like:  10 Movies That Famous People Don't Want You To See and 5 Reasons Why Life is Better After 30.  

4.  Rottentomatoes.com

Ever wonder if a movie will be good, but don't want to base your decision off one critic's opinion.  Then Rotten Tomatoes is for you.  Collecting all critics opinion and then creating a percentage of Fresh (good) or Rotten (bad) reviews for you decide whether you want to see the movie or not.  Trust me, I wish I had visited the site before seeing Green Lantern (Rotten).

3.  Funnyordie.com

Just so we are clear, this is not always "safe for work", with videos created by Will Ferrell and company you know you will always get a good laugh.  Make sure to check out the Hall Of Fame with such classics as:  The Landlord, Between two Ferns and Lindsay Lohan's Eharmony Profile.

2.  hulu.com

TV shows available any time you want to watch them, and now that The Daily Show and The Colbert Report is streaming on Hulu, I'm in heaven.

1.  Politifact.com

Whether you are Republican, Democrat, or Space Alien, Politifact is a great place to keep our elected officials honest.  PolitiFact is a project of the St. Petersburg Times to help the public find the truth in American politics. Reporters and journalists from the Times fact-check statements by members of Congress, the White House, lobbyists and interest groups and rate them on their Truth-O-Meter.  Statements are ranked from True to Pants on Fire.  It is strangely addicting.

An example of Politifact

Mister Donut and the Donut on a Stick

When I was a little boy in Springfield, I always looked forward to going to my grandmother's pool on the weekends, and my heart would jump with delight at the prospect of visiting the delicious Mister Donut on Kearney, by way to my grandparent's house.  Mr. Donut had your usual fair of culinary confection:  Glazed donuts, Cake Donuts, and Creme-filled, but it was something special that would make me constantly fantasize about it for the week leading up to that Saturday.

The Donut on a Stick.  An epic innovation of design and functionality.  A donut, deep-fried and impaled on a stick, and finally dipped and sprayed with these nuclear-colored icings that had no reason to ever have been created, other than for decorating a child's toxic breakfast.  I still can remember the waxy residue the icing would leave in my mouth. 

 

 

The infamous donut on a stick, left.

Sadly, the Mr. Donuts left the Springfield area, and the rest of the United States, in the early to mid-80's, but my memories have stood the test of time.  My hope is to one day visit Japan, where Mr. Donut still thrives, so that I may one day partake of the wonderment that was the Donut on a Stick.

 

 Until that day though, visit Harter House on Republic Road and Eastgate, where both bakeries still make fantastic donuts and sweet treats for you and your children to delight, and I will keep campaigning for them to one day make me a Donut on a Stick.

 

Grilling Artichokes

Once you grill artichokes you will have them often because it's so easy!  
After visiting the growing fields of Ocean Mist is in Castroville, CA,
I have made both steamed artichokes and also grilled the artichokes for my family.
 I have a new appreciation!! Do you know that Artichokes have only 35 Calories
 in the whole artichoke and tons of nutrients and fiber.  

Get creative and try a variety of dry seasonings from, Harter House Supermarket, on your artichoke before grilling; Lemon Pepper, Garlic & Herb Seasoning and Herbs of Province (my favorite Italian blend, available at Harter House World Flavors) are some wonderful examples.

 Here’s a great easy recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 cooked and prepared Ocean Mist Artichokes for grilling (See How to Prepare Artichokes for cooking)
Follow the simple instructions on preparing the Artichoke for grilling.
1 second cooking spray
2 teaspoons olive oil for drizzling
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 lemon cut in half (optional)

Directions

Click here for short “How To” Video

Preheat outdoor grill to 350 degrees.
If using a grill basket, spray basket with nonstick cooking spray.
Place cut Artichokes halves, cut side up in grill basket.
Drizzle Artichoke halves with olive oil and season with salt and

pepper or any other dry seasoning that you wish.
Place basket directly on hot grill and let the Artichokes begin to char

(about 4 minutes).
Turn Artichoke halves with tongs (cut side of Artichoke down).
Let Artichokes char on grill for about 4-minutes or until you

receive the charring marks on the Artichoke that you desire. Add an easy and low calorie flavor to your grilled Artichokes by cutting a lemon in half and grilling the lemon halves in the grill basket along with the Artichokes.
Remove hot smokey grilled artichokes to serving platter and serve with your favorite dipping sauce or a squeeze of the fresh grilled lemon!