Hamburger, French Fries and Coke

 I had a couple funny conversations this week that tied together, inspiring this short prose. First, on Wednesday we commemorated the 53rd anniversary of Man's Walk On The Moon. 53 years really...wow that's about one food service career. If you asked me what I wanted to eat the first 25 years of my life it was Hamburger, French fries and Coke. Ironically my career started at the McDonalds on 175th and Indianapolis Blvd in Hammond Indiana. Graduating MSU Hotel school and eventually working in the industry as my career. 

The "store" as we called it had a huge stockroom in back with shirts and hats we put on everyday. Most times they were clean sometimes you got the last shifts. On Saturday mornings Lou Nazzaro (owner of all the Region stores) would come in and make himself a double cheeseburger. Wow...the owner. Lou had a Caddy convertible with leather interior and 4 stores. We wanted to be Lou back then.

Well I wasn't Lou. I was the fryman ...after working all the stations I fit best there and flourished. In the old days we cut our own fries. We soaked them in the 3 compartment sink and peeled them in the Hobart peeler above. Cut them, blanched them (pre cook) in beef tallow (fat) and hung them in rack baskets waiting to finish them when you ordered. They were the best...eventually they became frozen consistent potato sticks from Idaho. They were cooked in a Proctor and Gamble styled liquid fat (think Fry Max). They were supposed to be healthier...the jury is still out on that one. I made 95 cents an hour and all I could eat on my two breaks. I would work open to close Saturday and Sunday. Leaving Sunday night after the Sherwood Club Wild Goose concerts... the patrons would storm us for their late night munchies. 

I worked the Saturday Ronald McDonald came to visit we went through all 3 racks bagging fries for 4 hours. What a party that was.

You're fired!

That day (moonwalk) was not without drama at the store. The management choose to cross train me on the grill and I was buried deep in burgers while everyone was listening to the moonwalk on the office radio. Yep portable radio. I asked for help and they shusssed me. I made a snide remark and suddenly it was about me. You're fired I was told. First time being fired but not too scary. 17 year olds firing a 15 year old. I used the office phone to call my Mom to come get me. I was unemployed one day. They forgot I was their best fryman and they had no one to cover the Tuesday night shift. The rest is the career. 53 years...smiling.

Cars, Cars and more Cars

 I know I know where have I been? Doing nothing really and the Tao says "do nothing and nothing remains undone". I did have a New York Strip from Stonnington Farms. Very nice... today I sauteed 2 dozen Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp for my weeks protein. I'm developing more recipes too.

BUT...this last few days the Cruisin the Coast buzz has been growing. My BEMA (Big Easy Mopar Assn) guys are prepping their cars. One of my FB groups asked what the most scary car following you was...the consensus was a Dodge Charger cop car lights blazing. I posted our twin 2011 Dodge Father/Daughter Nitros with the Scatpack tags. I did get the "not really very scary" comments which made me want to challenge with my car history. I did. I am.

Since Chrysler acquired AMC in 1987 they are a part of the MOPAR Group too. So my 1969 AMX two seater 390 cu 4 speed Hurst with Drag Pack qualifies. Very fast and I did get to race it in Cincinnati. It was my first restoration. That was in college. It was my last "hi po vintage machine"

Speaking of drag racing my track was US 30 Dragstrip (https://lostindiana.net/2001/08/01/us-30-drag-strip-hobart/)      4 miles east of Gary (IN) on highway US30. Where the "great ones run" on

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!

The Cuda below is pictured on a different track. This is actually the landing strip at the old US ARMY airbase Fliegerhorst Caserne Hanau West Germany. The car was shipped over and raced by one of the NCOS. I had a 1971 340 CUDA myself in orange. It was fun going to the Army drags. One Sunday afternoon the races were stopped to land a plane.

Topics come up hourly on the FB groups asking all sorts of questions. One was "What wheels were the best?" The Cragar S/S Mag wheel has always been the number one wheel in my book. Shown below off their website, Ironically I owned the Gold Supertricks shown on the AMX above.

But the question I responded too I answered "Fenton mags". I bought a set of Fenton Slotted mags for my 1968 Dodge Charger. They were popular and I paid about $25 a piece for them used. I should have bought the car they were on too...a 1968 Ford Galaxy Convertible. 

I've had a few cars and all of them have stories. We're not finished driving yet...unless I get money, a limo and a driver then it's like the Rock and Roll Express Disney ride. Taylor and my favorite.

See ya in my rear view mirror...the lights green.

Busey Bank Shout Out

 

Just want to shout out to my banking team. Years ago when we moved to Florida we opened an account in Punta Gorda's Busey Bank. Eventually Emerson came as assistant manager was promoted to manager and then manager of Punta Gorda and Pt Charlotte branches. The kids grew up our family moved to Tampa then Long Beach (no the other Long Beach MS). We sold our house and and had some unfriendly interaction with a big city bank. I asked Emerson to keep our money. It's not much but it's all mine.

The pandemic came and Emerson helped get the PPL worked out for my business and now my contact is Merica and Meryca and their manager Jackie. When ever there's a need they jump in and follow-up. Today we had a minor issue with a debit card. We don't use them enough it seems. Althea jumped in and even the Regional Jenni called me to pitch in. Who gives service like that. They do. 

It looks like they may have a shot at my retirement account as well. All they did was ask. Meanwhile locally I couldn't get change for 6 hundred dollar bills...I didn't have an account. Could I open an account...go home and apply online. Thankfully Busey Bank has been there for me. 

Lunch ready to go

Lunch ready to go. The Nuts.com organic pinto beans were down to the last serving in their own juices...mmmm pressure cooked in my Instant Pot to get rid of pesky lectins. Well, that became the soup base for my lunch...integrate 6- 8 tablespoons of my Weekly vege stack...organic celery, carrots, brussel sprouts and vidalia onions baked at 350 d for 40 minutes. Heat garnish with reggiano/ parm mix cheese shred and a nice sourdough bread slice covered in A2 casein Irish butter. I'll mention the cheese later but it is shredded with out the added chemical melamine. Great consistency holds well in the fridge. As usual all was prepped and in the fridge. As most of you know I do my prep on Sunday morning. A nice mental health break. Chopping! 

Black Beans and Chickpeas

 I fired up my Instant Pot and did a cup of black beans and then a cup of chickpeas. Both I purchased at NUTS.com. Great product, prices and prepaid freight at $59. So I get all my nuts, dried fruit and pantry items there.

The black beans were sea salted, some organic dehydrated onion, garlic powder and white pepper added. They will be put on Siete taco shells with Hass avocado, and my Stonnington Farms grass fed grass finished filet pieces I sauteed and reserved for meals. 

https://sietefoods.com/

https://www.eatwholly.com/products/wholly-avocado/wholly-chunky-avocado-minis/

https://www.stonningtonfarm.com/

Check their sites out for the best food, wonderful stories and more products and ideas.

After pressure cooking, the chickpeas portion was split in half, half were baked until crispy and are great to top salads or as a afternoon nosh. They are commonly found at local Chicago bars. The remainder I'll mix with roasted garlic and olive oil and puree for a hearty hummus. Any of the misen place sides can be pureed in or nothing at all for a plain hummus. Enjoy!

Indiana Wants Me

 Chuckling to myself and hearing J Dean Taylor's 1970 classic Indiana Wants Me in my head. I'm once again remembering my birthplace and "home state" Indiana. Why? A number of reasons. The Indy 500 yesterday, a conversation at the pool with a fellow Logansport Hoosier and my usual Facebook friends posts.

First the Indy 500. Jimmy Johnson's debut. Sadly ending in a crash at the end. Ironically with all the places to watch it I thought "let's go old school" and listen to it on the radio. When I lived in Gary IN the Hasting Brothers put up a tent in their backyard on Hovey St and we listened to a little portable. Mrs Hastings made lunch. That was 1964 and that year my favorite driver Eddie Sachs was killed in a crash.

 Wm R LaDow a Facebook friend and journalist from Griffith follows the 500 through out April and May keeping me up to date on lineups and practices giving final comments on the race afterwards. I grew up mainly with the Andrettis, Unsers, Foyt and always thought I should be out there with them. Faint Laugh here. I really have more in common with Don Garlits and the US 30 Dragstip folks. That should be another post. Yes I raced.

While swimming my laps the other day I asked a sunbather near the edge if I had sprayed her with my Olympic Michael Phelps kick. She said no and I said my Olympic days were probably behind me although I think we both agreed they were only in my head. Turns out she is from Logansport. I was born at Memorial Hospital about 50 years before her. So I gave her a historical trip through 60's Logansport. 

We (Dad and I ) would leave the Gary IN terminal on the Pennsylvania Railroad train to Logansport stopping in every burg along the way. We would usually visit the weekend staying with Uncle Ken and Aunt Marge. Taking a Saturday daytrip to Deer Creek and Camden seeing relatives all along the way.

Keitzer's 

So we chatted about restaurants. While I couldn't think of the name initially later I found it...google search. It was Keitzer's Drive In on the West Side, on US 24 at Miami Ave. The best Hamburgers, French Fries and Cokes. My main staple through the years. I also went to the diner where Aunt Marge worked for pie at the counter. That is where she plied me with a promise of a $1 (12 comic books for $1) if I would get a crew cut while I was there (Dad wanted that). We frequently went to the diner on the way to Deer Creek that had juke boxes on the table. I would play "Do the Freddy". My Dad's name is Fred so that totally embarrassed him.

We also liked to go to Riverside Park and ride the Carousel. It had a brass ring feature that if you pulled a ring out as you went around you got a free ride.

 www.casscountrycarousel 

So we had a great chat about Logansport and the changes through the years. We discussed Gary Indiana a bit too. My family moved there in the early 60's. Dad was an accountant at US Steel. More on Gary I'm sure. I mentioned to her a recent story about growing up and we had a good laugh. She's a nurse.

A Facebook from a friend asks "Did you ride your bike behind the Mosquito fogger growing up". We sure did and to top that off Hamlin St in Gary was gravel and every week the city would spray used oil it collected from the mills to spray the street to keep dust down. We rode on that too not including the fact we lived 8.4 miles (google maps) from what is now BP refinery in Whiting IN. The refineries burned off spent waste gases continuously. So I'm been treated to a lot of airborne toxins. Catching my breath.

Memorial Day and Logansport make me think of our family member buried over seas. Private Courtland Williams my Uncle. Six Williams' boys served and one didn't make it home. 

Dad is a Purple Heart winner in Okinawa. Four days in the Sea of Japan before rescued the survivors.  

I'll do more posts about "Growing up in the 60's".  Enjoy the holiday weekend! 

Link to my lectin free instant pot cooking.

 https://wellfitmommy.com/recipe/instant-pot-lectin-free-beans/