What a week it was!

It was a historic week for those of us in the the good ‘ol U.S. of A! Millions of American citizens made their way to the polls; subsequently some celebrated the results and others called their physicians for anti-depressants. Meanwhile we here at Eve-101.com kept plugging along. If you are just resurfacing here is the week in review:

Pageantry and Punditry:

Election 2008 was the Mother of all Reality Shows, complete with developed characters for our viewing pleasure.  We had Joe Six Pack, Joe the Plumber, the Maverick, the Hockey Mom, a-nother Joe (Joey B so you’re not confused), Shrillary and the Not-So-Token Black guy.  Seven individuals all picked together to fuel their campaigns and find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting desperate.

Git ‘er dun!:

Ahhh, endless hours of mind numbing escapes from reality…otherwise known as the new American pastime which is Reality TV.  Being one that rarely flips channels I had no idea there was such a vast array of options. Seemingly endless guilty pleasures all scripted to make the average, quasi rational person feel as though their life is beyond spectacular in comparison to the train wrecks seeping through the cable box.

Darling, won’t you go and cut your…foreskin?:

Dear Eve,

I am dating a wonderful, wonderful man.  He is successful, romantic and fun.  We get along and share many common interests.  We have a great physical chemistry.  Or we did.  This is the reason I am writing, I am hoping you or your readers might be able to help me with my phobia.  This man and I were intimate for the first time ever about two weeks ago and I discovered that he is uncircumcised.  I have never even seen a penis like his before and honestly I just didn’t know what to do with it.  I know I am acting strange, we haven’t been intimate since then, but I know he can tell I am avoiding it  And next weekend we have an overnight trip planned. Do you have any advice on how to get over this fear?  I can’t help it, I don’t like it and I wish I could ask him to take care of it but I realize we haven’t been together long enough yet.  Also, I know I couldn’t marry him unless he did get it taken care of, should I just break it off now?  Or should I sacrifice for now and hope that I can change him later?  And last of all, do you have any tips for dealing with an uncircumcised penis?

Colon Munchers:

It’s a stinky topic and certainly not one that’s appropriate dinner conversation. Nonetheless, ignorance is not bliss when it pertains to the overabundance of Protozoa, Trematoda, Cestoda and Nematoda living in your guts. Are you aware that 85% of Americans are contaminated with itsy-bitsy, mass-multiplying, burrowing aliens that are making Swiss cheese out of our innards? Sounds delicious, no? Wait! Don’t go…I’m here to help you rid the worms from your bowels.

Rushio and Hesitette: A Cautionary Tale:

When we are young we often have poetic notions of love swirling around our minds, like a Hollywood movie playing on repeat. It is idealistic and impractical, yet we seek it out just the same. But when we enter into a relationship with these idealist notions in mind, we often lose ourselves in an attempt to “become.” We cast aside our own vulnerable identities and try to be what we perceive to be our partners ideal, fearful that who we truly are might be too much…or not enough at all.

Food Porn For Thought:

Preparing and cooking a meal can evoke incredibly passionate feelings.  For some, those feelings are, ‘I love my family.  Nothing makes me happier than when we all sit down to a homemade meal.’  For others it’s closer to, ‘Holy Shit!  You can microwave bacon?!’…the latter usually surfacing around 2 a.m.  Either way or in between our bodies are our temples and some of us hold sacred the act of feeding them their daily bread.

There you have it folks, the Eve-101 week in review.

How was your week? Were you satisfied with the results of the Presidential race? Would you consider getting married at a demolition derby? Do you think it’s reasonable to ask a man to remove his foreskin? Is colon cleansing a fad or a necessary evil? And what’s in your fridge? So many questions so much to discuss. Let the games begin…

Happy Sunday!
Kiss-Kiss
Love-Love,
Eve-101

Mmmm…Mmmm…Tasty!

“Mmmmm, Carol, I just love your meat!”

Get your minds out of the gutter, folks! These are, however, popular words when it comes to my cooking. Granted, there are countless ways to marinate, tenderize, flavor and cook every type of meat known to man. Almost all of them are more detailed and time-consuming. Martha Stewart would probably farm-raise her cattle and add 187 steps to the process.

Cooking should be fun. For most, that means easy, as well.

My goal today is to share an easy recipe of mine that has garnered many a fan during the past few years. It is fantastic for a small family and is easily doubled or quadrupled for larger gatherings.

Proving that some of the tastiest dishes are pure and simple, try this Italian Beef on for size. I prefer to serve it on toasted Kaiser rolls or French bread. I melt a bit of smoked provolone, mozzarella or sharp cheddar cheese onto the bread while it is toasting. What? I like my beef with a little cheese! Truth be told, I use whatever is stocked in my refrigerator.

The three most common side items I serve with it are pasta salad, mashed potatoes or spinach salad. It depends totally on if my mood is carb driven or if I feel like lighter fare. Today, let’s get to the meat of the matter.

Buy a roast. I use shoulder roast, typically. I love it when I find it for $1.99 per pound. Value in my meals makes me unbelievably happier to cook them.

Buy a multi-pack of Good Seasons or store brand mix for Italian Dressing.

Buy a jar of pepperoncinis or even mild-banana peppers. Personally, I think the pepperoncinis lend a much better flavor to the beef.

Now, this is the challenging “cooking” part.

Throw the roast into a crock pot. Add two packages of the Italian Seasoning mix and half a jar of peppers or pepperoncinis. You will also add about half the juice from the jar. On larger portions, I have been known to pour a bottle of beer into the mix, as well.

Cook it all night long. The next day, it should fall apart with a fork. If it does not, cook it a few more hours. This is not a science, it’s cooking. And, yes, I realize there are those to argue my view on the subject.

Once it is falling apart, let it cool down. As you take the meat out of the crock pot, taste it. Take a couple of bites and figure out if you want to add more Italian Seasoning, salt, pepper or anything else. If anything, I usually end up adding another half a pack of the Italian Seasoning. Do not add it to the crock pot, yet.

While you can do this part with utensils of some type, I am a fan of doing it with my hands. I am sure somewhere in the actual Cooking for Dummies, there is reference to wash your hands. I trust you all do this with as much anal-retentive attention to detail as I do.

Removing the meat from the crock pot, separate it fully and remove any fatty pieces still in tact. I also remove the cooked peppers/pepperoncinis. Why? Because they do not look pretty. Seriously.

Use a large spoon, cup or ladle to add some of the yummy sauce back to the meat. I tend to put a strainer over the meat to catch any fatty fragments. In other words, I don’t ladle. I just pick up the crock pot, pour the whole thing over a strainer and let the juices cover the meat.

Now that the crock pot is empty, I put the fat-removed, oh-so-tasty beef and all the juices back into the crock pot. I add any additional seasoning I deem necessary, as well as the other half jar or so of reserved pepperoncinis/peppers. Do not add any more of the juice from the jar.

Italian Beef can sit and cook as long as you like. It does not require a timer. Thirty minutes is plenty of time to cook the fresh peppers into the meat.

The meat will be ready to serve whenever you get your toasted bread out of the oven. It will look pretty and taste great. Maybe, just maybe, it will leave you feeling satiated and more satisfied with your performance in the kitchen. Serve and enjoy!

Are you still awake? With all this talk of beef, I don’t know whether to ask if it makes you hungry or horny! Anyone willing to cook this at home and report back on their success?