Big Day

Whether you call it the end of my first half-century, the 20th anniversary of my 30th birthday, or the culmination of my journey to AARPhood, today was a big day. Yes, my 50th! … 😯 It doesn’t seem possible. I feel like I’m about 30. I’m told I look about 40 (I think they may just be sucking up, though ;)). And, my kids are far too young for me to be 50! How has this happened???
Well, despite the complete shock of my chronological age, I really had a great day. It started with an early morning jaunt to Caveboy’s school for the Friday assembly where he received the most coveted award the school gives to it’s students: The Star Student Award. Considering he has only been attending the school for 2 months, it was a very pleasant surprise to have his hard work recognized. Not sure who was prouder, him or his folks. But, I couldn’t have asked for a better B-day present.

Afterwards, I ran a few errands and took care of some business. Then, I headed over to Westlake to do a few hours of Bass fishing. There, I was met by a fishing buddy named Mark “Chief” Torrez, a Pro Bass angler and a really nice guy. It was a gorgeous day, but the fish weren’t in a totally playful mood. Still, I was able to land four fish, the largest pushing 4 pounds, and had a much larger one snap my line on the dock he was hiding under. Most of all, I had a great time getting my line wet with the Chief.

Chief lost a couple of big fish before he could land them, but he did score the first buzzbait fish of the season. All our fish were quickly and safely released.

Afterwards, I headed home and, as I walked in the door, I was greeted with streamers, balloons and myriad other decorations, accompanied by screams of “Surprise!” from the Caveclan. There were hand-made cards, gifts, pin the tail on the donkey, Popcornopolis Caramel Corn, and homemade Caprese Bruschetta. It was an absolute blast!

We then loaded up the van (Yes, we have a van. I dare you to have two little kids without one! :lol:) and headed over to Sushi Yusho for a raw fish feast. Well, for me, at least. The herbivore Cavewoman got her usual Veggie Tempura roll with avocado and Cavegirl went for the Chicken Teriyaki. Caveboy, however, decided to try some sushi for the first time! Unfortunately, most of it didn’t go over well. Though, he did like the Shrimp a lot and he helped his sister finish off what was a huge portion of chicken for a kids plate. My order included Hamachi (Yellowtail), Spicy Scallops, Uni (Sea Urchin roe), and one of their proprietary rolls called the What? Roll (Crab, Shrimp Tempura, Avocado and a special sauce). No, I didn’t bring the camera … Knucklehead that I am!
Before heading home we decided we had to get in on a sure thing … the Lottery. The MegaMillions was up to $224 Million! I was having a stellar day!! And, it was my birthday!!! How could we lose?!? 😆 So, we “invested” a few dollars, and then went back to the new cave to round out the big day with some Cavewoman-made birthday cake and some lotto results.
Of course, on our way home, we discussed how we were going to use our soon-to-be-found wealth. College educations were paid for, we weren’t going to move again, and my life dream of competing on the Pro Bass tour was in the works.

The cake is two-toned because the Cavekids aren’t fans of German Chocolate cake (my fave), but love the traditional type. I must say, that the cake decoration was the only “You are older than dirt” connotation that they pulled on me today. No Senior Golf Tour or food-gumming jokes! I truly appreciate being let off the hook when I could have been ridden hard all day about qualifying for Senior Discounts.
As allowed by my rights as the birthday boy, I made a wish, blew out the candles, and scarfed the first slice of cake. It was gooooooooood! Just as we finished up the last crumbs, the MegaMillions drawing came on the TV! And, the numbers started popping up. The excitement and tension was palpable.

Despite the stellar day. Despite the milestone birthday. Despite all our great plans for our new-gotten booty, our numbers didn’t come up. Amazing, huh?!? In fact, out of all our entries, we got just one number. But, it didn’t put a dampener on the day, the party or the fun of the first day of my 2nd half-century.
By the way, I have decided that birthdays should only be counted in 50 year segments. So, next year, I will be 1 year old and will continue to count until the next 50 are complete. I know this is a new, novel and unconventional approach to logging our ages. But, something tells me there might be great support out there for this idea. 🙂

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Easy Peasy Cherry Crumble Cake

Cavewoman is back with another great dessert recipe. This is goooooood!

INGREDIENTS

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
1 Can Cherry Pie Filling
1 Stick Of Butter

RECIPE

I absolutely love this recipe. It’s super easy and super yummy. The only problem that I have with this recipe is that when I make it, it’s all that I eat for two days. It’s that good!!

This is so amazingly yummy and so easy to make. In a 9×13 pan spread a can of cherry pie filling. Then a layer of yellow cake mix. Then a layer of thinly sliced cold butter. Warm butter doesn’t work for obvious reasons. 🙂

Cook 350 – 40 minutes. Don’t undercook, it’s nasty raw. I’m all for raw dough, but not with this recipe.

Enjoy!

Prep Time = 10 minutes
Cook Time = 40 Minutes
Serves 8-12

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

BBQ Cod Tacos

Now that the initial hoopla of our Want Beef? Giveaway has mellowed a bit, I can finally post a new recipe – Wooo HOOOO!
I’m always looking for a deal. So, I usually go nuts when something tasty goes on sale and buy way too much of it … this week it was fresh Alaskan Cod! Mmmmm MMMMMM!! 😉

INGREDIENTS

1 Pound Fresh Cod Fillets
1-2 TBSP Butter
1/4 Head of White Cabbage or Iceberg Lettuce, shredded
2 Tsp Herbal Red Seasoning
1/2 Fresh Lime
6 Corn Tortillas
1 Preparation of Rockin’ Guac

RECIPE

Rinse Cod fillets and pat dry. Place them onto large sheet of foil sprayed with cooking oil. Slice butter as thinly as possible into pats, and place on top of fish. Evenly squeeze the juice from half a lime over the fillets. Then evenly sprinkle the TSS Herbal Red seasoning over the fillets, and add a pinch of Kosher or sea salt if desired.

Heat grill until hood temp is around 325°. Reduce the middle burner to low or, if using charcoal, be sure to leave a gap in the middle of the grill for some indirect cooking. Place foil with fish onto center of the grill and cover for 3-5 minutes, until fish has lost most of it’s translucence.

With a large spatula, flip fillets and place directly onto the grill uncovered to give the fish a little grill-crusting on the outside. Just a minute or two does the trick. Take the melted butter that remains on the foil and evenly pour it over the fillets.
I like to give both sides some browning, so I do a re-flip for an additional minute before taking them off the grill.
NOTE 1: There are many ways to heat up your tortillas (a must do unless they are fresh off the griddle). One of my faves is to roll up three at a time in some foil and place ’em right on the grill … very Cavemanesque, don’t ya think?!? ;))

The fish should easily flake up into bite sized chunks. Place shredded cabbage or lettuce (the Cavekids have been on a binge of the latter, lately) onto tortillas, then add fish, and top with some Rockin’ Guac. You can also top with shredded cheese and/or your favorite salsa or hot sauce.

With any luck, you’ll get a response something akin to what the Cavekids gave these. They had each already wolfed one down before I could even get to the table and take my first bite!

Prep Time = 10 minutes
Cook Time = 7 Minutes
Serves 3-4

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Want Beef? Giveaway

We are extremely excited to announce our very first giveaway promotion on the C3 site. We have teamed up with Rocky Mountain Organic Meats, purveyors of the finest Certified Organic pasture-raised grass-fed beef and lamb in the country, to offer one lucky winner Rocky Mountain’s “Good Cooking Bundle” – a $138 value! It’s 20 pounds of RMOM’s grass-fed Organic Beef including Sirloin Steaks, Eye of Round Steaks, Cube Steaks, Ground Beef, Ground Beef Patties, Stew Meat, Kabob Meat, Fajita Meat, Chuck Roast, Beef Brisket Roast and London Broil that will be shipped directly to you from Rocky Mountain Organic Meats.
Entering is easy-peasy, as all you have to do is reply to this post with the words “I Want Beef” and you will receive one (1) entry into the grand prize drawing. Want more chances to win? We’ve got that for you, too! You can receive an additional single (1) entry by following Caution: Caveman Cooking on Twitter, and another single (1) entry by following Rocky Mountain Organic Meats on Twiitter (you must have a Twitter account to follow and receive these entries). An additional two (2) entries are available for anyone who subscribes to the Caution: Caveman Cooking “Entries RSS Feed” or “Email Subscription” (yes, you may subscribe to both for a total of 4 more entries). Another two (2) entries may be earned by browsing the Rocky Mountain Organic Meats website, copying the URL/page address of your favorite cut of meat they offer, and pasting it in your comment/reply here. Finally, another two (2) additional entries may be earned if you subscribe to the Rocky Mountain Organic Meats Newsletter, available only through their website.
A maximum of 11 entries are available to each visitor to the C3 website who choose to enter. Please, be sure to mention on your comment/reply which additional entries you are seeking to qualify for so that we may follow up and credit you accordingly!
The entry deadline for this promotion is 11:59 PM PDT on Friday 5/28/2010. At that time we will draw the winner at random from all verified entries received before the deadline. The winner will be announced within seven (7) days of the promotion’s end.
We hope everyone enjoys the “Want Beef? Giveaway”, and we thank you for visiting C3!
Please, read the rules!

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Big Day, Monday!

Sorry for the lack of posting this week. However, much of my spare time has been spent putting the finishing touches on our first giveaway! Woo HOOOOO!!
I’m very excited about it, but I am showing uncharacteristic restraint and will not let the cat out of the bag until this coming Monday morning. All I will say is that it is, of course, food related; is something I would personally like to win; and very Cavemanesque. Actually, I’ve probably said too much. But, I don’t care! 😉 So, stop by Monday morning and see what all the hoopla is about. Hope you all enjoy it!
Also, my voice will appear in the next episode of Rules Of Engagement, this Monday night on CBS. If you cough, sneeze, or burp you might miss it … it’s quick! I am the voice of the “video-game trailer” (if it doesn’t get left on the cutting room floor). The cool part was getting to work with David Spade. The uncool part was waiting around for nearly 7 hours to do 5 minutes worth of work. But, it was all worth it.
So, yeah … Monday is a big day at the Cavehold!
Have a great weekend!!

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Santa Barbara Fun

The line at La Super Rica

Before I begin this post, I must apologize. We went on this fabulous jaunt I am about to describe, yet somehow forgot our cameras. I had to resort to the phone camera, which will be obvious by the lack of photo quality, especially on the food shots. But, the gist ought to be the same. I promise to try and be a bit less of a gel-head in the future! 😉
Now, for the post.
If you have never been to Santa Barbara, you are missing out on a true oasis. It is an old Spanish Mission town, situated on one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline the Pacific has to offer, and contains more delectable eateries per capita than perhaps any other city. A community small enough that you can’t go far with out knowing someone on the street, yet big enough to attract major name talent at it’s various performance venues. It is even a city with enough size to have it’s own zoo. Granted, it pales in proportion to the more well known San Diego zoo. But, it offers an amazing array of animals housed in quite spacious and natural confines.

Fresh Tortillas on the Grill

So, with the Cavekids out of school, we decided to make the 50 minute drive North and spend the day strolling past Elephants, Lions, Giraffes, Gibbons, Gorillas and more. But, before we walked close enough to become a quick zoo-resident meal, save for the safety barriers, we had to stop at one of my favorite dives for Mexican fare … La Super Rica. A regular stop for SB locals, you are likely to encounter a relatively lengthy line even during “off” hours. The wait, however, is well worth it! Cooked to order, authentic south-of-the-border food accompanied by freshly made tortillas, offered at incredibly reasonable prices, make this a worthy destination.

Tamale de Verduras

When we finally had our turn to order, we went with Carne Asada tacos for the short-people, a Tamale de Verduras (vegetable tamale with corn, poblano chiles, and a special cheese sauce) for the herbivore Cavewoman, Chorizo (Mexican Sausage) and Chuleta (grilled pork) tacos for me, and an order of Guacamole for the table. Add drinks, and our order still came in under $20! Best of all, it was delicious!!
When we had cleaned our plates we made the short jaunt over to the SB Zoo. There we met up with some old friends from my radio daze (sic) in the seaside town. James Taylor (no, he’s not the singer … though, he is the voice of the animated Johnny Test, amongst many others), his lovely wife Allison, and their exquisite daughter Lydia. The kids, as you can see, hit it off immediately. And, it was so nice seeing friends who I wished we got to see more often. We “Oooohed” and “Ahhhhhed” at the various animals, had a blast taking the train ride around the zoo, and laughed as we slid down the little astroturf hill in the kids play area. The only disappointment was that our timing wasn’t right for feeding the Giraffes, an act that takes steady nerves when their 2 foot long tongue wraps around the hand holding the treat.

Chorizo & Chuleta Tacos

Our day of zoological fun came to an end too quickly for all concerned, but our time together was far from over. James and Allison insisted on taking us to one of their favorite restaurants in town. A vegetarian and vegan friendly establishment, that still offers plenty for the carni-crowd, called Spiritland Bistro. The diverse menu is made from locally sourced, organic ingredients and served in a nouveau cuisine presentation.
I was having too hard of a time deciding what I was going to have to pay attention to the rest of what was ordered by those at the table, which now included another friend from the “old days” … Cathy “Zookeeper” (no, she doesn’t work at the zoo). After much internal debate I settled on the Japanese Crusted Halibut – Wild Pacific Halibut crusted with toasted Nori and Gomasio, served on Wasabi Mashed Potatoes with Baby Bok Choy and Citrus-Tamari sauce. All I can say is “YUMMMMMMM!” The flavors and textures blended perfectly to create a distinctly California-style dish that still paid homage to it’s Asian origins.

Spiritland Bistro

For dessert, the Cavewoman and I “split” the Apple-Berry Crisp (Thinly sliced Fuji apples and mixed berries layered on a spiced granola crust served a la mode with Vanilla Bean ice cream). I put the word “split” in quotes because I only got a few bites before I looked down to see it was gone! You snooze, you lose!! 😉

Japanese Crusted Halibut

We said goodbyes that took half an hour, finally loaded up the truck, and headed back to the cave. On the drive home I reflected on our stellar day realizing how much I miss the town in which I spent the first eight years of my adult life and launched my career, the top-notch friends I made there, and the unique lifestyle I left behind. Yet, I was quite comforted by the fact that all of it is now less than an hour’s drive from our new digs. In the infamous words of the Governator, “I’ll be back!”.

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Killer Mac Salad

This recipe won Post of the Day for 4/8/10!

This will have everyone “Oooing” and “Ahhhing” at your next BBQ. Even the Cavewoman, who hates mac salad, loves this recipe! 😉

INGREDIENTS

1 Pound Elbow Pasta (I prefer the large size, not jumbo)
3 Medium Eggs, hard boiled – finely chopped
1 Large Celery Stalk – finely chopped
1/4 Small Onion – minced
1-2 Teaspoon Garlic – minced
1 Large Carrot – finely shredded
2 Tablespoons Relish
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon TSS Texas All Season
1.25 Cups Mayonnaise

RECIPE

NOTE #1: With barbeque season rearing it’s flavorful head, I thought I’d share this family favorite.
Boil pasta as per directions on package – strain and rinse in cool water.

While boiling water and cooking pasta, chop onions and celery, shred carrot and mince garlic. Set aside.

One of the best tips I can give you for this recipe is to get yourself a willing (and cute) sous chef. Here, the Caveboy is demonstrating great shredding technique.

Once pasta has cooled, chop hard boiled eggs. If you chop them too soon they tend to get a bit dried out and rubbery. Briefly set aside.
NOTE #2: This is a great utilization for some of those leftover Easter eggs.

You will need an extra-large mixing bowl for this recipe. And, no kitchen is complete without an XL Looney Tunes mixing bowl! 😉

Place pasta and all ingredients into bowl and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours – overnight is better!
HINT: Scoop some onto your plate. Then, drizzle some Killer BBQ Sauce on top … Mmmmmmmmm MMMMMMMM! TASTY!!!

This also works as a great side for Asian and Hawaiian BBQ dishes.

Prep Time = 20 minutes
Cook Time = n/a Minutes
Serves 12-16

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Grilled Pork Loin with Caramelized Apples

A savory yet sweet dish that will have everyone thinking you really know how to cook … but it will still be our secret! 😉

INGREDIENTS

1 Pound Of Boneless Pork Loin, thin-cut
1 Preparation of Balsamic Thyme 4 Mustard? Sauce
1 Preparation of Caramelized Apples

RECIPE

Place pork loin cutlets into airtight container or zip-lock bag. Pour entire contents of “Balsamic Thyme 4 Mustard? Sauce” over meat, making sure to get an even coat. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

When sufficiently marinated, quickly grill or broil cutlets to desired doneness. At this point, also begin cooking the Caramelized Apples.
NOTE: I would normally grill these outside, but the BBQ was under a ton of branches from a much needed backyard tree trim. Luckily, our broiler had just been fixed!

When done, remove from grill/broiler. Take care not to over-cook or meat will end up being dry and tough.

Top with Caramelized Apples and serve with your favorite sides. Pictured here with Rice Pilaf and Sauteed Yellow Squash.

Prep Time = 10 minutes
Cook Time = 7-10 Minutes
Serves 2-4

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Balsamic Thyme 4 Mustard? Sauce

Great as a marinade, or as a topping sauce, for pork, fowl or game!

INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1.5 Teaspoons Sweet Hot Mustard
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Simply place all ingredients into a small bowl and mix well.
NOTE: I almost always use fresh garlic in my recipes. However, there are occasions, such as this sauce, where I don’t want the overwhelming flavor of fresh garlic … just the hint of it (or I’m just too lazy to chop it ;)). That’s when I pull out the jar of pre-minced garlic.
HINT: If using as a topping sauce, be sure to warm it up over a medium-low flame in a small sauce pan before using.

Prep Time = 10 minutes
Cook Time = N/A
Marinates/Tops 1-2 Pounds of Meat

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Caramelized Apples

Featured in Side Dish Showdown #3

This goes great as a side dish or topping for pork, fowl, or game recipes. The recipe can also be used to caramelize pears, peaches, bananas and more!

INGREDIENTS

1 Apple
1 Tablespoon Butter
1.5 Teaspoons Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon White Sugar
1 Shot (1.5 oz.) Brandy or Cognac
1/2 Lemon

RECIPE

Wash, peel, core and vertically slice apple.

Immediately place slices into bowl with two cups of cold water and the juice from 1/2 a fresh lemon. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. This will not only add some flavor to the dish, but will also aid in preventing the apples from turing brown.

In medium (10″) skillet melt butter over medium flame. Meanwhile, drain apple slices well. If they are too wet, the water will make the butter burn.

When butter is fully melted, place slices in skillet. Add sugar and brown sugar.

Cook until edges start to brown, then flip over apple slices and do same to other side. Be careful not to overcook or they will become mushy. Just before they are done, add the brandy, carefully flambe, and saute until the flame in the pan dies out.

Remove from heat and serve alongside (or even on top of) your favorite pork, fowl or game dish.

Prep Time = 12 Minutes
Cook Time = 8-10 Minutes
Serves 2-3

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.