Cutting Corn

Chef Elaine uses a Bundt pan to both steady the ear of corn and catch the kernels as they succumb to the edge of her knife, making the whole process safer and with much less cleanup.  As the corn-growing season wraps up, it's a great idea to get an extra dozen (or two), strip them, and freeze them for winter soups and stews.  

Santo Tequila

Celebrities are big into marketing their various beverages and rocker Sammy Hagar and chef Guy Fieri have Santo tequila.   There is the Blanco shown below, an oak-aged Reposado, and a Mezquila that features some smokiness like you would find in a Mezcal (hence the name).  Tequila is not everyone's idea of a good sipping drink, but for those who do like Chef Elaine and me, this one is worth checking out.

https://www.santospirit.com

PointWorthy

I recently received an email from Hilton Honors that I had points that would expire soon but it wasn't enough to get a free night so I looked for options to donate those points to charity.  That led me to the PointWorthy service and I was able to convert those points into a $76 donation to our local St. Vincent de Paul social services program.  PointWorthy's mission is to unlock billions of dollars of value in loyalty points for charitable donations which you can learn more about at the link below.

https://www.pointworthy.com

Dougherty 156

The sign below marked our primo parking spot at the season opener of the University of Indianapolis (UIndy) Greyhounds football team.  These passes are distributed by the football team's coaches and players and it makes a great way to tailgate before the game since you're surrounded by the team's friends and family.  It might not be the heated box seat that Chef Elaine yearns for, but nonetheless, it was greatly appreciated. 

https://athletics.uindy.edu/sports/football

Buc-ee's

Combine over a hundred gas pumps, the cleanest restrooms we've ever seen, and a large store full of food and merchandise that never closes, and that's a Buc-ee's.  Started in Texas, the chain is expanding and Ohio will see its first store at the intersection of I-70 and SR-235 sometime in the future.  The recently opened Sevierville, TN store (off I-40) holds the world record for the largest convenience store in the world at 74,707 square feet.  We visited that store and the store in Richmond, KY (just south of Lexington off I-75) during a recent trip south and enjoyed both the store's experience as well as BBQ brisket sandwiches and beaver chips.  

https://buc-ees.com

Brinner

I love breakfasts but rarely eat breakfast, so I'm always pumped when Chef Elaine makes breakfast for dinner, better known as brinner.  The delicious combo below featured an egg, mushroom, chopped bacon, cheddar cheese, jalapeno omelet served with avocados.  A list of other brinner ideas can be found at the link below.

https://www.momtastic.com/recipes/dinner-ideas/691985-21-brilliant-brinner-recipes

Java House Coffee Bar

Chef Elaine walked a couple of down the bikeway in Broad Ripple, Indiana to the Java House coffee shop for our morning pickup.  As the picture below shows, they have an unusual series of taps for their various coffees achieving a large set of options.  Knowing my love of darker blends, she bought me an Americano and it delivered a flavorful kick.  Move over Starbucks...

https://javahouse.com

Spankertown

Founded in 1878, Spanker is an Unincorporated Place in Montgomery County, Ohio around the intersection of Little York Road and Dog Leg Road.  A post office was established there in 1860 and Branston Hutchins opened a carriage shop and manufactured his "Spanker" wagons, hence the name of the town.  The sign shown below still stands and uses the name "Spankertown", which is also listed on the map at the link below.

Big shout out to my son for snapping the photo!

https://www.historicalsocietyvandalia-butler.org/images/pdfs/bt1875map.pdf

Backyard Beautification

The backyard of our neighbor to the north used to be filled with gnarly bushes and unkept shrubbery, but this spring and summer they did a most fabulous job of redoing the entire yard.  After ripping up the old mess they planted hundreds of flowers, put in a new fence, and planted grass along the fence lines.  It's almost a shame that Chef Elaine and I get to stare out at this beautiful sight more than the owners do.

Killing The Killers

I thought today, 9/11, would be an appropriate day to tell you about the most recent audiobook we listened to in the car.  Killing The Killers details the search and elimination of some of the world's most notorious terrorists including Osama bin Laden, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and Qasim Al-Raymi.  This is not a book for the faint-hearted as the details get pretty gruesome, but it paints exactly what this enemy is about and what amazing technology we have to take them out.

https://www.billoreilly.com/p/Killing-the-Killers/Killing-the-Killers/56863.html