Pueblog USa
Friday, April 30, 2010
Gladiolias
Something for the Tech Support folks at HP.
Enjoy….
Sunday, November 15, 2009
PCC Buffet — 091108
A Sunday feast
Last Sunday, there was a luncheon buffet at the Pueblo Community College Student Center.
Held in the ballroom, it was a veritable feast ranging from soups and salads through toothsome entrees to mouth-watering desserts. Not to forget a cash bar that actually knew what a ‘kir’ was. Indeed. They offered a ‘kir royal’.
And it was all done by the students going through the Culinary program at PCC.
Here are some shots of the event.
This NEXT Sunday, 22 November, they’re going to put the students through what is called The Grand Buffet. If you don’t think you’re going to get enough turkey over the coming holiday, THIS is going to be the place to be. However, I do understand they’ll be offering beef and pork as well.
Monday, November 09, 2009
You Get What You Pay For
Or so the old adage goes.
So, when I read this item about Pueblo West considering getting a ‘computer specialist’ in Saturday’s Pueblo Chieftain....
Resident Phil Weber, who has an extensive computer background, said the district will have to pay more for someone who knows what they are doing. “For $40,000, you’re going to get a jerk,” he said. “Think $70,000.”
But Weber, a retiree, said he would do it for nothing.
....I had to ask myself, so what would Pueblo West get for paying ‘nothing’?
Not that I know Mr. Weber. And I do admire his willingness to volunteer to do for free what he thinks people should get $70K. BUT, the logic of his statement just stood out to me.
On the other hand, I’m surprised that Pueblo West doesn’t ALREADY have such a person on their payroll. But if they don’t, I highly recommend they hire someone who is familiar with Macintosh as well as Windows platforms and works to facilitate BOTH operating systems in the metro-district plans.
As for compensation….
....someone who gets NOTHING for their efforts can turn around and walk away without a second thought. Just having a ‘bad day’ with the ‘boss’ could trigger it. Whereas someone who is getting good pay and other important benefits….think the new health care legislation and the requirement, as stated last week, of having to pay $15K per year for an individual policy or face jail time….would likely think at least twice about walking away.
As for Mr. Weber?
I highly recommend the city consider him as a consultant with a decent compensation for his expertise in this important area. And put him on the committee to select the full-timer, too.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Thoughts on Public Discussion
A Less Than Satisfactory Experience on the Web
As promised to someone in the media, here is an item on the bane of censorship on civil discourse in the media.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Cauliflower-Cheese Soup
Another inspiration from the GPA cafe at Pueblo Community College
Had another great lunch at the GPA yesterday. Four courses around an entre of fillet mignon. The dessert being a pumpkin torte. At any rate, the soup was this cauliflower-cheese. And it was delicious. So I had to try to ‘hack’ it. Here’s what I came up with….
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Dining with the ‘Kids’
A great lunch and maybe a lot more.
The distaff invited me to dine with her over lunch yesterday. A place called GPA.
Not your usual diner in Pueblo. Rather, a place where people who are SERIOUS about cooking go to learn and practice the craft. Or maybe it is better described as an ‘art form’.
Good food has been a passion of mine since I came out of that ‘spa’ the Army operates, a.k.a., the Ranger Course. Nowadays, after that particular ‘diet plan’, I pay close attention to food. Maybe TOO ‘close’. But I do appreciate a great dish. And I have to tell you that these people at the Pueblo Community College Culinary program are learning a LOT of great things. Indeed, after the Steel City Diner shut down….much to my dismay….these people are close contenders for the best dining experience in town. AND THEY’RE JUST LEARNING!!!
Look at this for lunch….
And THAT’S just ‘looking’. The flavor was EXCELLENT!
And THEN….
...there was desert as well.
And that for only $5 per place setting.
Tom Rose….
....does an excellent job instructing these aspiring chefs in how to make the best impression.
I highly recommend anyone wanting a top-quality lunch to consider going to the GPA to enjoy themselves and give these students an opportunity to refine their skills in pleasing their customers.
UPDATE: GPA is open for lunch, T-F, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm and for dinner on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm, during Spring and Fall semesters. Reservations recommended for dinner. 549-3326 for reservations.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Eat Your Chocolates!
More good news for chocolate lovers everywhere!
In a study that will provide comfort to chocoholics everywhere, researchers in Sweden have found evidence that people who eat chocolate have increased survival rates after a heart attack — and it may be that the more they eat, the better.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
It’s That Time of Year!
High School is back in session…..
....and that means Speech Meets will be coming up.
I’ve had a LOT of fun being a ‘critic’, i.e., judge, at such competitions. And I’ve learned a lot too.
One of the things I’ve learned is that there are a lot of intelligent and articulate people coming down the pike, in the form of the next generation. More than I had hoped, based on all the reports of behaving badly we keep getting from the ‘media’. Another thing learned is what the schools are teaching. Some of that is not as good as I had hoped. But that’s another topic.
What I’d like to do here is offer the opportunity to everyone who reads this to join a group of people interested in (1) helping the coming generation, (2) learning about history and current events, (3) humor and drama, (4) logical, civil discussion, (5) possiblly politics and (6) fun.
What does it take? Well. There are requirements. Some are specified. Others are implied. Here are a few:
• An ability to write plainly. The critique sheets require you state your judgment of each contestant.
• An unbiased observation. You need to set aside your political and moral judgments and just listen to what is being said and how it is said in order to evaluate a competition as fairly as possible.
• A stop watch or other timer.
• 3x5 cards with numbers to show the contestant how much time they have remaining.
• Understanding the ‘Rules’. Which can be downloaded from CHSAA’s Speech Web-Site.
• Time to spend on Saturdays and some occasional Fridays. The Fridays come in later in the season for the state championships and national qualifications events.
Events are held all over the state by just about every district. Some driving may be required. For example, if you want to judge an event in Colorado Springs ore the state championships, which frequently occur in northern Colorado. [Note: The location of this year’s state championship is yet to be determined.]
If you enjoy good acting you’ll love the interpretive events of humor and drama.
If you like to follow current events, you’ll get a kick out of extemporaneous speech, which comes in two flavors national and international.
If you like the cut and thrust of a head-to-head competition of wills, you’ll be blown away by debate. REM’s famous It’s the End of the World As We Know It was based on watching a Cross-Examination Competition. The speed at which the verses are sung is indicative of how fast some of the debaters in Cross-X present. But don’t be intimidated. There are also Public Forum and Lincoln-Douglas debate forms as well. But they’re all interesting.
If you want more information, drop me a line by clicking on my name.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Making It Cheaper & Better — Sour Cream (Cultured)
Another example of how to save money and provide superior product for yourself in a time of economic distress.
If you think making your own healthy yogurt was simple….
....just wait!
Sour cream is so much easier.
You pay about $4.50 for five pounds of sour cream at Sam’s Club. And, if you’re not into restaurant or catering activities, it can likely go moldy on you before you use it all up. And if you’re not a member of Sam’s Club, it’ll likely be half again as expensive in regular grocery outlets.
What to do??????
There’s an oh-so-simple solution…..
Monday, February 09, 2009
Making It Cheaper & Better — Yogurt
Tired of paying too much for good yogurt?
What’s yogurt cost, anyway?
I seem to recall that a 6 oz. bottlette of some flavored yogurt cost around $.79. And I thought it had too much sugar in it. [Note: I avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague. Last time I tried something with that stuff in it, I saw stars.]
Then, if you’re interested in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking, you need plain yogurt. But if you buy the quart-sized container, it can go ‘south’ on you before you use it all up. And there is undesirable waste.
What’s a body to do?
Try making it yourself…..
Monday, March 03, 2008
Pueblo’s May Preservation Month Activity Calendar
May is National Historic Preservation Month and, as usual, Pueblo historical and preservation organizations have outdone themselves! The list is long and interesting.
MAY PRESERVATION MONTH ACTIVITIES FOR PUEBLO, COLORADO
Saturday, April 26th – El Pueblo History Museum’s “On the Road to Denver’s Little Italy,” includes a tour of the Colorado Historical Society’s exhibit, “The Italians of Denver,” and a tour of the Italian District. A box lunch is provided. The bus will leave EPHM at 9:00 a.m. and return to the Museum at 5:30 p.m. Cost per person is $50 for members and $55 for non-members. Reservations are required. Please call 583-0453.
Saturday, May 3rd – El Pueblo History Museum’s “On the Road to A Victorian Mother’s Day.” Tour the McAllister House in Colorado Springs and Miramount Castle. Enjoy High Tea at Miramount. The bus will leave EPHM at 11:00 a.m. and return to the Museum at 5:45 p.m. Cost per person is $50 for members and $55 for non-members. Reservations are required. Please call 583-0453.
Saturday, May 3rd, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, May 4th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.- Hose Co. No 3 Fire Museum, 116 Broadway Ave. The Pueblo Firefighters Historical Society will sponsor two open house weekends at the Hose Co. No. 3 Fire Museum during May’s Historic Preservation Month festivities. In addition to the exhibits at the museum, they will have several historic fire trucks on display, including the 1928 American LaFrance Aerial Ladder Truck. Admission is free.
Saturday, May 3, 2008- Rosemount Museum presents “A Peak into the Past” will be held at Rosemount Museum in celebration of Historic Preservation Month. The museum will offer half price tours for all visitors throughout the day. The museum opens at 10 a.m. and the last tour of the day is at 3:30 p.m. Groups of 10 or more people need to make reservations in advance. Tentatively, there will be other activities available on the grounds that day. Regular museum prices are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors (60 yrs. and above) and $4 for children 6 - 18 yrs. Prices will be half that on May 3.
May 2, 3 and 4 - The Pueblo Archaeological and Historical Society will be assisting the Colorado Rock Art chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society with the Rock Art Symposium that is being held in La Junta on the weekend of May 2,3,4. In connection with the symposium, Larry Loendorf, a well-known archaeologist who has done extensive work in Southeastern Colorado, will be giving a presentation on rock art at the main library on Thursday, May 1st at 7p.m. with the presentation at about 7:30p.m. For more information, please contact Charles Booms, President PAHS at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Sunday, May 4th, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Reservations & payment by Thurs May 1st)
Historic Pueblo, Inc. presents “The Thatcher’s Historic North Side Neighborhood Walking Tour”
Come take a stroll through the streets of Pueblo’s historic North Side. We begin at the site of the once Mineral Palace at the north end of Mineral Palace Park. Learn about the palace, why it was built and what happened to it. We’ll walk along the streets that were scraped out of the prairie lying to the north of the down town business district. The hill at 15th and Greenwood gave Mahlon Thatcher’s Hillcrest a grand view of the surrounding area. Many of the earliest houses were the residences of Pueblo’s upper class who sought to remove themselves from more developed neighborhoods that lay closer to the down town area.
The tour begins at the north end of Mineral Palace Park; cost includes light refreshments provided at the end of the tour.
Cost is $10.00 per person, make checks payable to HPI. Reservations should be mailed to: Historic Pueblo, Inc., 201 West B Street, Pueblo, CO 81003, OR taken to the Heritage Center at the above address. Tour Guides are Susan Adamich and Laurel Campbell. For information please call 719-406-0785
Thursday, May 8th, Dinner, 6:00 p.m., program, 7:00 p.m. The Pueblo County Historical Society will hold its annual Historical Preservation Awards banquet and program at the Elks Club, 6th & Santa Fe; dinner will be followed by the award presentations at 7:00 P.M.. Reservations are necessary, please call 543-6772. The PCHS annually honors individuals and businesses with their prestigious award that signifies exceptional effort in preserving, promoting and protecting Pueblo’s history.
Saturday, May 10th 10:00 a.m.– 12:30 p.m. (Reservations and payment by Thurs, May 8)
Historic Pueblo, Inc. presents “The Historic South Pueblo Walking Tour”
Walk the streets beyond the bluff of the Mesa Junction. General William Jackson Palmer laid out South Pueblo in the 1870’s and homes began appearing in the early 1880’s. See the original street names and the enchanting homes built by entrepreneurs and emigrants alike. The tour will take us past the Walter’s Mansion (of Walter’s Beer), the homes of Pitkin Place, and on to the Orman/Adams mansion. Hear stories of rags to riches, and back again; a passenger on the Titanic who once lived here and a home lost in a wager!
The tour begins and ends at the corner of Abriendo and Jackson near the Abriendo Inn, cost includes light refreshment provided at the end of the tour.
Cost is $10.00 per person, make checks payable to HPI. Reservations should be mailed to: Historic Pueblo, Inc., 201 West B Street, Pueblo, CO 81003, OR taken to the Heritage Center at the above address. Tour guides are Susan Adamich and Laurel Campbell. For information please call 719-406-0785
Saturday, May 10th, 8 a.m. to 12 Noon – Pueblo Pioneer Cemetery’s Annual Cemetery Clean-up Day
Saturday May 17th, 10:00 a.m.- 12 Noon (Reservations & payment by Thurs May 15th)
Historic Pueblo, Inc. presents “The Thatcher’s Historic North Side Neighborhood Walking Tour”
Come take a stroll through the streets of Pueblo’s historic North Side. We begin at the site of the once Mineral Palace at the north end of Mineral Palace Park. Learn about the palace, why it was built and what happened to it. We’ll walk along the streets that were scraped out of the prairie lying to the north of the down town business district. The hill at 15th and Greenwood gave Mahlon Thatcher’s Hillcrest a grand view of the surrounding area. Many of the earliest houses were the residences of Pueblo’s upper class who sought to remove themselves from more developed neighborhoods that lay closer to the down town area.
The tour begins at the north end of Mineral Palace Park; cost includes light refreshments provided at the end of the tour.
Cost is $10.00 per person, make checks payable to HPI. Reservations should be mailed to: Historic Pueblo, Inc., 201 West B Street, Pueblo, CO 81003, OR taken to the Heritage Center at the above address. Tour Guides are Susan Adamich and Laurel Campbell. For information please call 719-406-0785
Saturday, May 17th, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, May 18th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.- Hose Co. No 3 Fire Museum, 116 Broadway Ave. The Pueblo Firefighters Historical Society will sponsor two open house weekends at the Hose Co. No. 3 Fire Museum during May’s Historic Preservation Month festivities. In addition to the exhibits at the museum, they will have several historic fire trucks on display, including the 1928 American LaFrance Aerial Ladder Truck. Admission is free.
Saturday, May 17th, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m -Pueblo County Historical Society’s “Pueblo New Deal Bus Tour.” Enjoy a bus ride around town to the various New Deal project sites in Pueblo. Your tour guide, George Williams will tell you about the history of these projects which were carried out throughout the Pueblo area. The tour includes admission to Pueblo Zoo and a catered Lunch. Cost is $20 per person.
Meet at the Pueblo Zoo, City Park, Pueblo CO by 9:30 a.m. Enrollment is limited. For reservations please call Bill Crain at 546-1443. Payment must be received by Thursday, May 15th and should be mailed to PCHS, 201 B St., Pueblo, CO 81003.
Saturday, May 17th, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. -The First United Methodist Church of Pueblo, 310 W. 11th Street, Pueblo, CO, was designated as a City of Pueblo Historic Landmark in 2007. The Church will host tours of the sanctuary. Light refreshments will be served and some members will be in historic costume.
Sunday, May 18th – “On the Road to Denver’s Tribal Paths.” Tour the Tesoro Indian Market and Powwow. A box lunch is provided. Tour the Colorado History Museum’s Tribal Paths exhibit. The bus will leave EPHM at 8:30 a.m. and return to the Museum at 6:00 p.m. Cost per person is $50 for members and $55 for non-members. Reservations are required. Please call 583-0453.
Saturday, May 24th - Bessemer Historical Society’s The Fourth Annual Coal Camp Excursion will hit the road for an in-depth look at the mine and campsites located in Huerfano County.
This very popular program of the Bessemer Historical Society (BHS) has visited the sites of company coal camps in Florence, Huerfano and Las Animas Counties in the past. This year’s return to Huerfano County will highlight not only the physical sites, but also look into the lives of the people who lived in the camps (towns). Many of these individuals were first generation Americans from a variety of countries. They faced
hardships and happiness. They endured strife and strikes, and many went on to economic prosperity. Their descendants now populate the cities and towns of Colorado and are from every socio-economic level of society.
There are over 90 mine sites in Huerfano County including: Pictou, Walsen, Cameron, Ideal, Rouse and Solar. Some of these sites are only depressions in the earth, while other feature the remains of structures,
or perhaps only foundations.
Due to weather the tour route is tentative, but will include a side trip to the screening plant at Rocky Mountain Steel Mills’ Reservoir #3 at Stem Beach. This reservoir, along with Reservoir #2, has supplied the Pueblo steel plant with water for over 100 years. Lunch will be in Walsenburg following a tour of the Walsenburg Mining Museum.
Excursionists will meet at 8 a.m. Saturday morning at the Steelworks Museum of Industry and Culture, 215 Canal Street, Pueblo. Cost for the tour is yet to be determined, but includes a continental breakfast, guided tour, companion tour book, lunch, and refreshments on the bus. Seating is limited and reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information call the Bessemer Historical Society at 719-564-9086 or visit http://www.cfisteel.org.
Saturday, May 24th and May 31st – El Pueblo History Museum’s “On the Road to Pueblo’s Historic Cemeteries.” Continental breakfast at EPHM, with a tour of the Museum’s Descansos exhibit. The bus will tour Pioneer Cemetery (with possible costumed interpreters) and Roselawn Cemetery with guide. A box lunch will be served at Roselawn’s Hall with a lecture. Meet at EPHM at 9 a.m. Bus will return at 4:15 p.m. Cost per person is $40 for members and $45 for non-members. Reservations are required. Please call 583-0453.
Sunday May 25th 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Reservations & payment by Thurs. May 22)
Historic Pueblo, Inc. presents “The Historic South Pueblo Walking Tour”
Walk the streets beyond the bluff of the Mesa Junction. General William Jackson Palmer laid out South Pueblo in the 1870’s and homes began appearing in the early 1880’s. See the original street names and the enchanting homes built by entrepreneurs and emigrants alike. The tour will take us past the Walter’s Mansion (Walter’s Beer), the homes of Pitkin Place, and on to the Orman/Adams mansion. Hear stories of rags to riches, and back again; a passenger on the Titanic who once lived here and a home lost in a wager!
The tour begins and ends at the corner of Abriendo and Jackson near the Abriendo Inn, cost includes light refreshment provided at the end of the tour.
Cost is $10.00 per person, make checks payable to HPI. Reservations should be mailed to: Historic Pueblo, Inc., 201 West B Street, Pueblo, CO 81003, OR taken to the Heritage Center at the above address. Tour guides are Susan Adamich and Laurel Campbell. For information please call 719-406-0785.
May 26, 2008, 9:00 a.m. Pueblo Pioneer Cemetery - Memorial Services will be held at the Cemetery, including posting of the colors, a memorial prayer and music. The public is invited.
Info Zone - Pueblo City-County Library – Exhibits on Walter’s Brewery. For information on dates and times, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Saturday, June 14th - Roselawn Cemetery Walking Tour, 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 Noon
This walking tour through the park-like setting of Roselawn Cemetery, will take you past the final resting places of many of Pueblo’s finest. The grand monuments remind us of a time when the size of your success can be shown in the size of your family marker. There are governors, doctors, bankers and businessmen, women, children and immigrants, with stories that will impress and amaze. Meet in the parking lot at Roselawn. Tour guide Susan Adamich
Event Location - Roselawn Cemetery, 1706 Roselawn Rd., Pueblo 81006
COST is $10.00 per person 12 years and older, under 12 no charge.
Reservations or information call 719-406-0785
PARTICIPANTS: Anyone interested in local history, children welcome, strollers suggested for young children.
RESTRICTIONS:
· These are one and a half to two hour walks, which may not be suitable for all children. Parents must supervise their children, if they are disruptive you may be ask to leave the tour.
· Wheelchairs are welcome, please note however that some streets are paved and some are gravel, some travel on grass that is uneven.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Part 1: So What Was Going with that Historic District and Council?
I apologize for any errors in the following narration. I have been patiently waiting for the minutes of the January 14, 2008, Pueblo City Council meeting to be posted on the City’s web site, but they are still not there.
Monday, January 14, 2008, Pueblo City Council was presented with a proposed historic district to be called the North Side Historic District. It has approximately 35 properties. The district boundaries had already been redrawn to accommodate people who protested being included.
After “testimony” was heard, Council then discussed the issue and decided that before the District could be finalized, every property owner had to agree to be included with an affidavit. This is not in Pueblo’s Historic Preservation Ordinance. This goes way beyond the noticing that the City was required to do and did do. This is called “changing the rules so your opponent can’t score.”
Personally, I think the whole thing was quite likely manipulated by parties with other agendas. I won’t say it was exactly pre-planned or orchestrated, but under the circumstances, it would be very easy to manipulate.
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Try THIS This Weekend — 071127
More Thai, anyone?
Here’s a great sauce to go with your spring rolls or Chinese pot stickers.
Thai Spicy Peanut Sauce….
Sunday, November 25, 2007
The Brunch After T-Day
One idea for dealing with the leftovers.
We usually do a fairly big turkey in this household for Thanksgiving. It’s usually the only time of year I do such a bird. It’s something ‘special’ and I’d rather not diminish the ritual and ceremony by preparing it other times.
So…we have leftovers. And the leftovers are enjoyed for a while and much is bundled off for later use in turkey pot pies; yummy food for over the course of the winter.
However, over this last year I found some turkey from two years ago buried in the back of the freezer and I was wondering what to do with it. And, in an odd ‘coincidence’, I also stumbled on to a recipe for turkey hash.
Now…I’m a BIG fan of roast beef and corned beef hash with breakfast. A big dollop of that on a plate, covered with a fried egg. A dash of Tabasco and it’s a great day in the morning. So being the curious sort, I decided to try turkey instead of beef. It was SUPERB. Especially with the honey-mustard sauce recommended with the recipe.
So….if you’ve got leftover turkey this morning, I recommend you take some of it and put it together in a skillet with diced potato and diced onion. Along with some olive oil. Then fry it up.
In a separate saucier, mix .25 cups honey, 2 tablespoons dijon-style mustard, 1 dash of steak sauce. Bring up to heat. Then remove and allow to cool. When it is at room temp, mix in two tablespoons of mayonnaise; to give it a creamy consistency and brighten the taste.
Bon Appetite!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Cooking Spices & Herbs HEADS UP!
Saving money with greater value.
Recently revisited the local chain grocer.
Checked out pricing on bottled herbs.
Herbs de Provence, at the chain, goes for about $7 for less than an ounce.
Compare THAT with THIS.
Not only do they cost less…BUT…the quality is SUPERIOR!
Seriously….
....who, in their ‘right’ mind, would pass up better quality for less money?