I had a bit of an awful time trying to work on Charley Project stuff today; the internet keeps blinking on and off. I doubt it’s the weather. Although it has snowed some, that huge storm that was predicted hasn’t hit my area yet. It sounds like it will tonight, though. A lot of businesses in town are expected to be closed tomorrow in anticipation of the blizzard.
[Ahem…maybe I should have done more than just stuck my head out the front door. It seems there’s a Level One Snow Emergency going on right now, meaning no one is allowed to drive. What Michael and I will do for dinner I don’t know.]
Anyway, internet — dunno what’s going on, but I was having such a hard time cobbling updates together that I thought I’d quit while I was ahead. So there isn’t much, but what there is I posted.
The Charley Project Blog 
If you have a box of mac n cheese or a frozen pizza, you’re good. If not…just throw what you have in a pot/pan and see what happens! Many great culinary creations have come from sheer desperation lol. Good luck!
I’m bored tonight, so revisiting old cases and I noticed a watch mention…….not sure if it was on another list, Donna Manson, Bulova. I really, really hope I get email back soon so I can bother other people lol.
Go the Tex-Mex route — if you’ve got potatoes, eggs, and soft tortillas, you’ve got a meal! Just dice up some potatoes and sautee them in a hot pan with some canola or other vegetable oil. When they’re just starting to turn golden brown, season them with salt and pepper. While the potatoes are browning, crack some eggs in a bowl and scramble them up. I don’t like the idea of fortifying eggs with milk or cream so I fortify mine with a combination of salsa and water. I also make sure not to overwhisk the eggs or add salt to the raw eggs. To warm up the tortillas, you just need a burner on a gas range. Just set the flame to medium/medium-low, set the tortilla down, and move it about every five – seven seconds until the whole side has been warmed up, then flip it over (with tongs) and repeat that process. Keep them soft and warm by folding up some kitchen towels to create a pocket, then putting the tortillas in the middle of that pocket. Turn the other flame (with the potatoes) down to low when they’re all an amber-colored brown and move them about to get rid of some of the residual heat, then pour the eggs into the pan. Sprinkle salt on top of those eggs right then and there, then try to move them about as little as possible to keep them as fluffy as possible. Then serve the potato and egg mixture on plates with tortillas on the side, and I’d recommend washing all that down with coffee.
Another idea if you’ve got corn tortillas and wieners — make crispy dogs! Just soften the tortillas up a little in the microwave so they’ll be pliable and lay the wieners out on paper towels to blot the excess moisture. Grab a skillet and pour canola/other vegetable oil into it until you’ve got about 1/2 an inch of it covering the surface of the skillet, then use medium heat to heat up the oil. Turn your attention back to the tortillas and wieners; place each wiener toward the bottom of a tortilla so you can tightly wrap it up inside the tortilla to create a roll-up. Use toothpicks to hold the roll-up in place. Repeat the process with all the tortillas and wieners, then check to see if the oil is sizzling hot. Fry up the roll-ups until all the sides are golden brown and the tortillas are as crispy as chips. You’ll have some time while the roll-ups are being transformed into crispy dogs, so make a simple little dipping sauce by combining ketchup and mustard together. Place the crispy dogs on paper towels to blot up any excess oil, then serve along with whatever you’d like — tater tots, macaroni salad, baby carrots, whatever sounds good or is available to you! I will also make sure to keep the oil in the skillet and let both cool down while I’m eating, then I funnel the oil into a container that I’ll keep in the fridge so I can reuse that oil. i don’t consider the oil “dirty” and find that it still works great.
Those are just two simple ideas I’ve got. Of course, an even simpler thing to do would be to just fix some steamed, buttered white rice and serve it alongside some reheated frozen or canned veggies for an even simpler dinner idea, but I’m pretty sure you’ll already know about that….