GCC Convenience Store ~ Somebunny

[Somebunny]

I'm working on getting this posted

 

[Somebunny]

There were a couple of things that prompted the way I came up with the menu for this challenge. One was that most of the convenience stores where I live sell a lot and I mean a lot of milk, eggs and cheese, this is due to our proximity to a resort area (cabins, condos, camping etc.) and our proximity to Canada, where presumably these items are spendier. All of the 10 gas station/mini-mart/convenience stores in our little town of approximately 4000 want to “cash in” on that “cow” and “chicken”. Pun intended! So I knew that I would be using those items “ad-nauseam”, hopefully no pun intended here!

The first drink that I thought of was an orange Julius style beverage, which does make an appearance later, but I happened to see sour green apple slushy or squishy or whatever their name for it was, anyway I immediately thought Appletini! This in turn made me think of the second inspiration for this meal.

Two, years ago our dear friend (my husbands best friend of nearly 40 years passed away much too soon. While he was battling Cancer, I was always trying to think of ways to fatten him up. On many occasions I prepared Scalloped Potatoes as a side dish, sometimes taking it to his home, where he and dh would grill some sort of beast or fish, or sometimes the whole meal was at our home, maybe with Prime Rib or Ham as the star, but several versions of Scalloped Potatoes often made an appearance, they make an appearance here today made from Potato Chips and Funyons.

Oh! I neglected to tell you why the Appletini idea made me think of Bob. It was because he was the person who introduced me to the Martini, in the days long before we knew he wouldn’t be here to drink them with us now. Of course neither of us would ever dream of drinking these sweet Martinis that are so popular now days. We both loved the “old fashioned” dry Gin Martini, shaken not stirred, glass strait from the freezer served with 3 big olives. Unfortunately for me, there is a funny story about “Martoonis” as Bob liked to call them for fun…………but maybe another time!

I digress; the sour apple slushy did none the less make me think of Appletini, then Martini, then Bob. So Appletini it was.

Thinking about all the eggs, cheese and milk for sale in the convenience store made me think of Soufflé, now I have never made Soufflé, but I thought that mini Soufflés would be the perfect appetizer. I think I was right they turned out perfectly! I did think that the appetizer could use some beefing up, so I served a plate of cold meat and cheese. Diagonally cut Landjaegger Sausage and skewered Slim Jim bites along with cheese stuffed ham roll ups.

I needed some meat for my potatoes. Spam seemed to fit the bill, kind of “almost ham” with “almost potatoes” It worked for me. “Scalloped Potato Chips and Spam” was born. Remember, I had all that milk and cheese. Technically they are Au Gratin, but what would I call them then?

A side dish, what in the world could I make for a side dish? There aren’t any fresh veggies in a convenience store, at least none of these. They did have canned vegetables though, so what about a corn, bean, summer salad. Argh! I would have to do it without onions though. I have a hard time cooking without onion. To my surprise I found some Green Giant Mexican Corn, which I knew would have some flavor besides corn and also found a can of Caribbean Black Beans in well….yes a Caribbean sauce. So with the addition of canned green beans and canned garbanzo beans, Viola’. “Corn and Bean Salsa Salad” I had purchased a package of Vegetable Chips while searching for a potato chip that would stand up to “saucing” I used some of the potato ones in my main dish and thought the tomato and spinach ones would make good “dippers” for my side as well as lending some color to the plate.

So remember I told you I had been thinking about an Orange Julius type drink? Well I decided to serve one with the main meal as the Martini was finished with the appetizers.
I purchased a small bottle of OJ and a carton of ½ and ½ and blended it with some ice. The perfect refreshing drink for our rather rich meal. (there is a lot of fat in a potato chip)

Dessert……..ah dessert. I’m not a big fan. My first instinct was to do something with Hostess Brand goodies of which I am even less a fan. Had to go with deep fried Ding Dongs and Zingers served with a melted Cookies and Cream bar drizzled over and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

There is so much fat in this meal that I could hear my arteries crying for mercy! But I think it turned out pretty well. It was edible and my husband said he would eat it again. I think I heard his arteries saying over our dead body!

Apparently I had too many pictures everytime I deleted some of them I would get a prompt saying I still had too many, so I am submitting without pics and will respond to this thread with the pics and our critique
btw I used the following from my pantry:
Salt
Flour
oil
cumin
vinegar
baking powder
I forgot to mention that the butter I used for the bechemel that was used in the souffle and in the scalloped potatoes came from the convenience store, I think I neglected to get it in one of the pics.

Thanks everyone for your patience. I have never downloaded pictures to a board/thread from my computer, i usually just send them directly from my IPhone but that won't work for this.

 

[FrankZ]

Make sure your pictures are resized for the limits. You can do a couple at a time, but we want to see the goods!

 

[Somebunny]

Drink

I shopped at the Quickie Mart, it used to be called "Toads" it's a gas station/convenience store.

Green Appletini
1 sour apple Slushy (it was half way melted by the time I got home, stuffed it in the freezer.
sour green gummy rings for garnish
I did add a splash of vodka (I think this puts me over on pantry items) oops!
Just spooned the Slush into a Martini glass splashed in some Vodka and garnished with the the gummy ring.

It was tasty, I could really taste the sour apple. I don't like sweets much, but it wasn't too sweet. DH liked it too, he isn't much of a Martini drinker.
We both thought it was refreshing.

 

[Somebunny]

Make sure your pictures are resized for the limits. You can do a couple at a time, but we want to see the goods!

argh! Can you help Frank? They don't seem to be loading. I guess I am doing something wrong.

 

[spork]

I like them already just from your descriptions so far, somebunny!
And, vodka IS a pantry item.

 

[Zhizara]

Are you using the browse to find your picture? If so, you have to click on upload.

Then:

Click again on the paperclip icon at the top of your message, and a drop down menu will list the pix you've uploaded. Click on each one to enter it into your message.

 

[Somebunny]

Thanks everyone, I know that the problem is with the size of the pic. I'm working on it.

 

[Somebunny]

I have managed to get some of my pictures loaded in Members photos. I will get as many on there as I can. I am having trouble with my camera software, when I have it fixed I will post the pics here. I intend to get this working if I have to stay up all night

 

[spork]

I'm doing my taxes. I'll be up most of the night, too...

 

[Somebunny]

Thanks for the commraderie Spork! I should be finishing my taxes. I just noticed though that the number of images I have put in members photos, shows in my profile on any of my posts, so for quick access anyone who wants to see them can click on that numeral. It's not as tidy as all of the other challengers posts, but it will have to do for now.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Thanks for the commraderie Spork! I should be finishing my taxes. I just noticed though that the number of images I have put in members photos, shows in my profile on any of my posts, so for quick access anyone who wants to see them can click on that numeral. It's not as tidy as all of the other challengers posts, but it will have to do for now.

Can you e-mail the pics to me? I could post them for you from my computer.

 

[Somebunny]

I shopped at the Quickie Mart, it used to be called "Toads" it's a gas station/convenience store.

Green Appletini
1 sour apple Slushy (it was half way melted by the time I got home, stuffed it in the freezer.
sour green gummy rings for garnish
I did add a splash of vodka (I think this puts me over on pantry items) oops!
Just spooned the Slush into a Martini glass splashed in some Vodka and garnished with the the gummy ring.

It was tasty, I could really taste the sour apple. I don't like sweets much, but it wasn't too sweet. DH liked it too, he isn't much of a Martini drinker.
We both thought it was refreshing.

Drink - take 2

 

[Somebunny]

Appetizer

Cheese Souffle
I have never made Souffle before, but why not try and if I failed at least I would be among friends. I knew the basics so try I did. I started by making a standard 2 Cup bechemel/white sauce and added 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese & 1/2 tsp of dry mustard. I used one cup of the bechelmel, 2 egg yolks and 3 "hand whipped" egg whites. I tempered the egg yolks with the slightly cooled bechemel before incorporating the yolks completely. Then gently folded in the the egg whites. The mixture was poured in to Ramekins that had been lightly greased with butter. They were baked at 400 for 15 minutes and the oven temp was reduced to 350 for another 10 minutes. (I thought they were browning to quickly)
They rose to perfection climbing out of their little dishes and reaching for the sky.
Well they were perfect and they stayed that way long enough for me to get pictures and have the first bite. I am smitten! They were light and airy with nice cheese flavor. I wanted more! And since there were 5 I had another! DH liked them, he said they were "cheesy,light and fluffly, they are pretty good!"

 

[Somebunny]

Here are the pics of the Souffle and the Landjaeger sausage, Slim Jim bites and ham and cheese roll ups The sausages are kind of self explanatory, the ham and cheese rollups were made by sprinkling shredded sharp cheddar on Budig ham slices and rolling up; all came from the convenience store. Dh liked them but said he "prefers pepperoni. I love the Landjaeger sausage. Ham and cheese, well it's just ham and cheese how bad could it be? ;-)

 

[Somebunny]

Can you e-mail the pics to me? I could post them for you from my computer.

Thanks Fi.........I think I've got it now. I am able to post pics from my IPhone. Thank goodness that I took pictures with the camera and the phone. Some pics are better on the phone and some are better on the camera, but you have to go with what you've got! Thanks again for the offer to help, you rock!

 

[Somebunny]

Main Dish

Scalloped Potato Chips and Spam

I used the other half of my Bechamel sauce for this dish. I started by coating the bottom of my baking dish with about 1/4 of the sauce, then layered in Salt and Pepper chips and topped that with a few crushed Funyons for some onion flavor, then about a third of a cup of diced Spam which I lightly fried first. A layer of sauce and repeat with a layer of the veggie (potato only) chips (I just wanted to see, since they seemed to be a much less greasy chip how they would work) another 1/3 of a cup or so of the Spam, more crushed Funyons and a Final layer of Salt and Pepper chips and the last of the Bechamel sauce. I then sprinkled with shredded sharp cheddar (boy that cheddar makes an appearace everywhere) My thought was that by using the Salt & Pepper Chips that I wouldn't need salt and pepper, I was right.

The potatoes were creamy and not salty like I might have expected. They were very rich and you could taste the pepper and slight onion flavor from the Funyons. The Spam gave a nice "almost" ham flavor and really was pretty tasty. Overall I liked it, but it was pretty rich.
DH said "There's nothing wrong with this, I would eat it again. It's good"

 

[Somebunny]

Side Dish

Corn and Bean Salsa Salad

This was a refreshing side made with a can of Green Giant Mexican Corn, 2/3 of a can of Caribbean Black Beans 1/2 a can of green beans and not quite 1/2 a can of garbonzo beans. I drained the black beans retaining the liquid for something else, and hoping that enough of their flavorful sauce still clung to them to give the "salad" some flavor(being limited on what pantry items I could still use). Green Giant corn comes packed in very little liquid, so no draining necessary. I just spooned in what was a little less than 1/2 of the garbonzos sans any liquid, and cut up into smaller pieces about 1/2 of the can of green beans. I mixed 1/2 tsp of dry mustard with 2 T. of vinegar and 2T. of vegetable oil and a couple of grinds of salt. This I poured over the salad. This "Salsa/Salad was served with the Tomato and Spinach chips that I didn't use in the potatoes, they worked well for scooping.

This was very good it was a nice contrast to the richness of the potatoes. I did think it could have had a little more spice to it. DH like it and said " this is good, it would make a good summer salad or side dish".
I said "no kidding, could that be because we have had something very similar the last couple of summers?" Seriously, I have made something like this but with alot more herbs and spice and my beloved onions!

I had really wanted to do the Orange Julius drink, so I served that with the main meal. It was refreshing, but DH said it wasn't orangy enough. It wasn't very sweet which was fine for me, but it probably should have had some simple syrup added. But I couldn't afford another "pantry item"

 

[Somebunny]

Dessert

Deep Fried Zingers and Ding Dongs

I have never eaten a Zinger before, but have eaten a Ding Dong as a child/teen. I have heard of people deep frying Twinkies so I thought I would giv it a shot with the Zingers and Ding Dongs. I started by making a batter with 1 C. of flour 1 C. of milk 2 T. of vinegar 1 T. of oil and 1 tsp. of baking soda. I froze the victims for several hours, when it was time for their hot tub, I first dredged them in flour then dipped in the batter, then it was "everybody into the pool" well not really, it was one at a time so that I could control the heat and figure out what I was doing. I fried them for about 5 minutes turning to brown on all sides. I removed from oil to drain on paper towel. They were then plated and drizzled with melted "Cookies and Cream chocolate bar and served with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. THe ingredients for the batter except for the milk came from my pantry, everything else came from the convenience store.

I enjoyed the crunchy exterior of the Zinger, but thought the Zinger itself was a little to sweet for me. Overall not bad. It didn't need the added sweetness from the chocolate bar. I thought the Ding Dong tasted better, maybe because it wasn't so sweet. DH thought they were "okay, but said why would I deep fry a ding dong when I could just eat it with out all the work?" I think he changed his mind when he later discovered the un-fried mate to the one eaten earlier, took a big bite and said " Boy that's really really dry" I thought the same thing BTW I only fried one of each and DH and I shared some of each.

Pictures are going in the next post, as I am having trouble again! This is the second time I have written this description/critique.......I want to to go bed!

 

[Somebunny]

Here are the dessert pics. Whew! I'm finally done!