Stop Writing the Letters!

Evidently, the Dr. Pepper slurpee already exists. Just not anywhere near me.

A Post in Three Parts

Part the First: General Tso's "Chicken"

The Pedant and I stumbled out of the and I went to ChinaBlock this weekend and enjoyed some good food. We had a good veggie soup with tofu that was a clear broth (but surprisingly tasty), spring rolls, and the best part: General Tso's Chicken. The catch: The chicken wasn't real! And it was so well done, I made TP check it before I continued to eat it. We both really enjoyed it. Super tasty and super spicy. Also, don't get a "flaming volcano drink for 2" from a Chinese restaurant. I think we had half a bottle of rum in this drink, because it was not for 2, but rather for 5. Needless to say, TP and I stumbled out of the restaurant even without finishing the drink. We did get super long straws which made it worth it.

Part the Second: Sandra Lee's Drunkenness

Saturday night, TP and I watched an Iron Chef and then stayed for the "Sandra Lee Grilling Show" which was an excuse to make fun of Sandra Lee and her drunken revelry. Basically, she grilled some meat that was way too rare, was super perky and made an iced-tea beverage that was so alcoholic. It was a perfect way to poke fun at Sandra Lee. The potato salad looked good, but not enough jalapenos.

Part the Third: Crock Pot

TP a cookbook for and I received several gifts from my fantastic Aunt and Uncle, one of which is a crock pot. We are super excited to use it, and while perusing Barnes and Noble yesterday, we came across a cookbook: vegetarian crock pot recipes. Mostly because the non-veggie one all included trief or mostly meat, which neither of us cared about. Now we are excited for winter to come to cook crock pot meals! Yay!

Sloppy Joseph

My mother makes sloppy joes by mixing ground protein (sometimes it's veggie) with ketchup, mustard, and a spice blend.

Other people use Dr. Pepper, hot sauce, and tomato paste. It doesn't sound too bad, although it might be more of a risk with textured vegetable protein than the ketchup/mustard recipe.

I Readed It!

Many people know I like grammar. I do, after all, have a higher degree in languages and really enjoy grammar for classes, probably more than vocabulary (because in life, you get a dictionary). My sister hates when I correct people's grammar (including her own) and I usually say, "Bad Habit" but I like knowing that an adverb ends in -ly and that you and I will laugh at someone who tells you they feel good. (The two things I still get confused with: less vs. fewer, were vs. was. I just can't remember the rules without stopping to think!)

This article caught my eye. Although I enjoy kid's books (I may even still have my collection of the Bearenstein Bears, and when I frequently reread The Babysitter's Club I lament Ann M. Martin's use of contractions! Formal writing, damnit!) I have never heard of this series and the debate poses an interesting question. Should we just let our children read these books with bad grammar or fight the man! Looking at the ALA's website for banned books (prompted by the article), this I would assume is the only one that has to do with incorrect grammar. The others are all content-related, spurred by middle American close minded Fundies.

In other news, I saw Hairspray last night with Smel and it was ohsogood! I loveded it!

Only The Onion Left, Now

The internet tells me that the Weekly World News, that newspaper of alien sightings and all-new Nostradamus predictions, is shutting down.

Sadly, I am not surprised; I am the kind of convenience store-goer with poor impulse control that would be the prime market for the Weekly World News, and yet, of late, I haven't had the interest.

I think it's because the newspaper was no longer the crazy paranoid dreamworld of the red-state heartland (my favorite: "KKK Skeleton Found in Titanic Life Preserver," intimating that the KKK worked with the Nazis to sink the Titanic). It became more like The Onion, a paper of fake news with a leftward bent. And The Onion has a better staff.

Although there has been much going on recently and many food-related events, the food was all the same: Middle Eastern goodness.

On the menu:
Humus
Tehini (the underdog and under appreciated, mostly because it is high fat and ohsotasty)
Babaganush
Moroccan Eggplant Salad
Tabuli (not my favorite)
Olives (ditto)
Falfel (I like anything fried)
Burekas (fried and cheese filled: even BETTER)
and a new favorite...
Majedra

It's a middle eastern rice and lentils dish that is really good (mostly because there are caramelized onions on the top). It's super tasty.

Also, I have a new found love for homemade baklava. Mmm...

The Dr. Pepper Slurpee

Diana of Princess D'Tiara wants to petition for Dr. Pepper-flavored Slurpee™s. This is a plausible position, as 7-Eleven already carries Coca-Cola® and Mountain Dew® flavored Slurpees.

However, Dr. Pepper is, domestically, the Dr. Pepper/Seven Up Corporation, a subsidiary of London-based drink maker and clucking bunny purveyor Cadbury/Schweppes (how do I know this? It's at Dr. Pepper.com, folks!). Sadly, this may mean that they are locked into a franchise deal with one of the two Atlanta-based vaguely sinister megacorporations (Ted Turner founded the other before he started trying to rip people off with not enough buffalo at Ted's Montana Grill - I won't go back to your Atlanta restaurant again, Mr. Jane Fonda!).

Still, for those of you willing to hope against hope, the 7-Eleven webpage offers the following succor:

Sell to Us: If you have a unique product or service that would appeal to 7-Eleven customers, we want to know about it.

7-Eleven, Inc.
Corporate Headquarters
P.O. Box 711
Dallas, TX 75221-0711
Phone: 972-828-7011

I could not find an equivalent address for Dr. Pepper; their site is limited to a feedback form. You could try that form, or you could write Cadbury-Schweppes:

Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages
5301 Legacy Drive
3rd Floor
Plano, TX 75024

So, folks, that's where your heartfelt letters go. Let me know if you send one.