The Big 3-0!

My birthday was last Wednesday and it was the 30th ... damn just typing that out makes me feel old!  Some people were telling me that I should make it a big party or celebration since it's a big milestone, another word that makes me feel old ... "milestone."

I was going to try to plan a party in this place I found in the city but that didn't end up happening since the place never called me back and it would have been a good amount of money to put down anyways.  There was really no plans for that night, the only thing I knew was that my dad was cutting up the stuff for the lumpia that he was going to cook for me that night.

It just so happened that Wednesday was also my volleyball game night that I could not miss since we were already short a few people.  Here at work, I tried to keep it under wraps as much as I could because I didn't want them throwing me a surprise party at work, that's what we usually do when it's someone's birthday.  The plan was for me to go straight home after volleyball to have dinner with the fam, well we can plan as much as we want but that doesn't mean it's always going to go as planned.  Right after the game the team decided to go to a local bar and get me some shots for my birthday, and that they did.  After four shots, I had to call it quits and head on home, but I couldn't take the subway in my state so I decided to call for a car.  Arvin was with me and for some reason I had a weird feeling that something was up and planned.  When we were in the bar Arvin came from outside saying that we had to go because my dad just called him looking for me.  That was strange to me since I had signal but no phone calls ... but the liquor was working it's magic so I quickly forgot.

On the ride home I was joking with Arvin that I hope there isn't a surprise birthday party for me ... and he didn't respond.  I said it again and he ignored me ... my spidey senses were going off again.  Finally got to the house after traffic and as I was walking down the stairs to the front door, I saw people peeking in the window and thought that was strange but didn't really think much of it.  Diday has to open the door since I had my keys in my jacket and my jacket was all the way in my bag.  

In the traditional Simon routine I would start taking my shirt off right before I came through the door because it was hot, good thing this wasn't one of those times that I did that!  As I walk in through the door I saw a whole bunch of family and friends in my house, I don't even remember heading "surprise!" because I was in shock from everyone there.  

I think this was actually the first surprise party that I've had thrown for me!  I joked with Arvin in the car ride that I hope there isn't a surprise party because with my luck I'll have a heart attack from all the excitement!  There everyone was eating and drinking ... some of the food was already gone because I had gotten there two hours late!!!

Here I was in my volleyball clothes, smelling of sweat and liquor with everyone around me.  As I got my gifts, I started to wonder something ... why were all of my gifts food!?  I'm not complaining by any means, but is that what I'm known for, food? lol

The first gift was the "monwich!" which was insane!  To this day I'm still not even sure what was in it, but this is what I think was inside that monster of a sandwich.  There was McDonalds hamburger patties, clam strips and chicken rings from White Castle, Spam, cheese and I garlic mayo!  It was heavy when I held the entire sandwich in my hand, but oh so good when I got a bite of it!  The combination of foods doesn't sound appetizing to some, but it's good stuff.  Ody then handed me his gift ... the beast!  Damn people are trying to make me have a heart attack, but I'm not complaining!  I couldn't touch the beast that night, I had to wait until Thursday night to eat some of that beast.  There is still some of the monwich left, but that will be gone pretty soon.  Loan got me an M&M cake that I wasn't able to eat, but I did get a taste of that famous dip that she made!  Just a taste!  Apparently in my two hour tardiness, the surprisers consumed most if not all of the dip and also the chips!  I used the monwich to clean up the bowl with the remaining dip ... that was a good combination too!

Part of the family culture that we have liquor.  I've always tried to stay away from it and well when I do have some, you know that I don't drink much!  Here we were blowing out the candles and I was given a shot of some Southern Comfort.  Then another ... then another.  good thing there wasn't that much left or else I'm afraid the shots would have just kept on coming!  After a few minutes needless to say I was using the walls and other people for support.  There were instances of yacking but luckily I was able to keep everything down, it would have been a waste of all the wonderfull food I just ate!  

I'm not sure what I started saying but I hope it wasn't too revealing and it seems that when I drink and it starts to take it's effect, I end up on the floor for one reason or another.  Wednesday night was no exception.  

It was an awesome brithday party and thank you to all the people who came and put it together!!!  

I remember finding a nice spot on the carpet where I just stayed for a little bit until everyone ended up going home for the night.  But I still had people coming over!  G and his cousin were still on the way and we ended up going to Hooters for a little bit.  Chicken wings and sangria ... the combination of champions!

So here I am, the dirty thirty.  Just that word really makes me feel older ... I prefer this to be my one year anniversary of being 29.  

The next day was work and I still have no idea how I made it into work ... with the famous words of many individuals who have ended up on the bad side of a drunken night ... I'm never drinking again.  

+ mon

Beauty in the Beast

Ever since one of my friends took me to Rutgers to the grease trucks, I have recommended the Fat Cat sandwich to everyone, even though it is a good drive away.  They have variations of sandwiches and I always call it an entire meal between bread, and it's really good combinations!

I don't get to have the Fat Cats that often as it's a good trip into NJ, but when I do, I love eating them, just not enough to eat three in a row ... well perhaps I will try that one day, maybe!

Here comes a known secret that I have just recently been told about!  I heard about this from my niece and nephew when I called and they told me they were at "Cherry Valley" and for some reason it registered as they were in Cherry Hill in NJ.  Then they told me it was a deli in Whitestone and they have insane sandwich combinations there, again I brought up Fat Cats and how they are the bestest ever!

Cherry Valley
1229 150th street
718-767-1937 www.cherryvalleydeli.net

Saturday night came and after some last minute late plans for bowling, we made our way to this Cherry Valley deli that I heard about a few times before.  It was about 3am and I saw that there were a lot of people in the deli ... hmmm reminded me a lot of the grease trucks when I first saw it.  My mouth was watering, I do admit that.  Before leaving the house I looked at their menu and saw what was in this "Beast" and that's all I could think about all night long. 

There had a huge menu of different sandwiches and other fast food type items, I almost couldn't decide but I went with ... the beast.  The contents of this "sandwich" was chicken cutlet, bacon, swiss cheese, onion rings, topped with gravy on a toasted garlic roll/hero bread ... sounds good?  Just reading that over makes my stomach want it right now, seriously it's making noise.  Now you add a special side of extra gravy and you have yourself a knockout, dipping the sandwich ... errr I can't call it just a sandwich, it's an experience.  So dipping this experience in the extra gravy is just wonderful. 

Pictured below is half of the beast ... and you can't tell from the picture but the taste is an explosion of awesomeness in your mouth!  If you're skilled enough, look passed the picture and see the beauty that's within the beast.  The extra gravy is almost so good you want to "accidentaly" drink it thinking it's hot chocolate!

Have you ever seen a unicorn or seen a rainbow and tried to get to the very end of it to find that pot of gold?  Well if you haven't, then go to Cherry Valley and get some experience (sandwiches)! 

I can't tell you how good it is, but I do want to go again.  I'll have to limit to once a week though, as I don't think my body can handle more than that.  There is something else there that I want to try, it's called their loaded fries.  It's either waffle or regular fries topped with bacon and then ranch sauce! 

So ... who wants to go and when!?  I'll drive you get my food!

Taste : 9.5
Price : $ out of $$$
Restaurant : 8 (small and a little crowded at 3am, but clean)

+ mon

Wrong Place and Wrong Time

You know me ... I'm an eater, a big eater and I really don't have any "rules" about eating, but I do have one.  Subways are off limits with me eating, there's just something about the place of the subway that's dirty and sometimes the people that are in the train with you.

As I sit there minding my own business (after taking the picture of the guys crotch), I look across from me and see this lady just sitting there.  The train was a little crowded and people were around her, but she decides to whip out a sandwich!

Comeon now!  That sandwich is sacred and should be treated as such, but I guess when you're hungry, you're hungry and who am I to argue with that? 

She ends up eating the whole sandwich ... well most of the sandwich in "stealth" mode.  Taking little bites as if she's really not and trying to hide the fact that there's a sandwich in her hand.  All the dirty particles from the subway and the people who are in it, and have been there, are now sticking to that sandwich. 

The sandwich is consumes almost fully before I get off my stop, lucky for me since I get to take another picture of her making "baon" (doggy bag) with some of the sandwich.  I guess she was saving it for a late snack, but she kept some of the turkey on her jacket.

See I'm not that mean where I'll take pictures of you eating on the subway, complain and blog about it, without telling you that there's some meat on your jacket!  Comeon now people, I had to tell her!  If I didn't, she would have gotten up, that piece of meat would have fallen on the floor and it would have just gone to waste!

Here I am, trying to make eye contact with her to let her know that there's something on her jacket.  She is refusing to make eye contact with me, so I wave my hand towards her and point to her jacket and then do a gesture of me brushing it off the jacket (using my own jacket as an example).  Miscommunication is one of the things that cause a lot of conflicts and there was a big miscommunication with her last night.  Apparently she thought I was asking for some food!  But to her credit, she was nice enough to just offer some even though she didn't know me.  There was some left in her plastic wrap and she reached out to give me the rest ... but I said no.  Everyone on the train was now looking at us having this pantomime conversation only using our hands and gestures. 

After a few back and forths, I again signal to her jacket where she finally sees the meat.  With some embarassment (but not that much embarassment) she picked it up and ate whatever was left on her jacket.  For the next 2 minutes of my train ride, she refused to make eye contact or even say thank you as she was probably embarassed from the whole ordeal.

Geeze, I can only imagine what kind of dirtiness she ate with that sandwich!  And she had the nerve to offer me some ... trying to make me break my one and only rule about food!  For shame sandwich eaten on the subway lady!  For shame!

+ mon

Food Combinations - Good or Bad?

A friend of mine suggested a topic for an entry and I definitely agree that it's a good topic of having different food combinations and if they are good or bad.

He reminded me of the back in the day sandwich, this was good anytime and anyday!  We could eat this after our day full of activities as a kid, and even as "adults' we can still have these.  It's quite cheap too, really cheap!  I know that a lot of people reading this blog know what I'm talking about ... it's crunchy (depending on if the bread is toasted), it's sweet and it has a buttery taste.  You got it!  Butter and sugar sandwich!  These were one of the best things EVER!  I prefer to have them toasted and with the edges cut off, omg these were so good.  I haven't had them in a while, but I think I'm going to be making some soon!  They are also Lent friendly MmMmMmmmm ... I wonder if we can use Splenda and if would taste the same?

Another weird combo that people might find is seen in this one particular movie.  This overgrown man who wears this suit and is just happy as can be!  It was his first time in NYC and he was just having a great time and doing everything and anything, sharing his special recipes with his loved ones ... one of them being Spaghetti and Maple Syrup!  Yes it sounds horrible, but it is good!  At first I tried this treat with Gerard on regular spaghetti noodles and then maple syrup on top which was good in itself, but during the youth fellowship I tried to have it, as you're supposed to have it with the spaghetti, the spaghetti sauce and then the maple syrups.  Oh man, it's some good stuff but it has to be maple syrup and it can't be the cheap syrup.

This next one I found accidently when I'd go with my parents to McDonalds in Queens Center back in the day.  We'd be sitting there having the breakfast and once I found out this mixture there was no turning back!  Having the hot cakes sitting there with the sausage next to it, I'd pour the hot cake syrup on the hot cakes and then it would trickle onto the sausage without me knowing ... until I take a piece of the sausage and it has that sweet taste to it!  Oh my was that good!  Now everytime I have sausage, I put maple syrup on it ... and you can do this with bacon too!  So that's another one for you sausage and syrup or bacon and syrup.

This made a great afternoon snack that I thought everyone knew about until someone saw me doing it but then they had that "wth" look on their face.  It's another quick and easy merienda that you can have, you probably have the food in your house too!  Scrammbled eggs with kethup and toast mMMmMmm I want some now!

My mom taught me this and it seems everytime I bring it up people have this weird look on their face.  The norm from what I can tell is grape fruit with sugar ... but my mom showed me the grape fruit and salt way and I've liked it ever since!

Oh man my list is running out but I'll add this to it!  Mango with soy sauce or bagaoong!  See that's how you get me to eat fruit, you gotta do something like this with the mango or like with the grape fruit.  Now my mouth is watering just thinking about it!  Oh damn ...... I was opening my mouth and now my lips just cracked - dammit!  Now it hurts when I open my mouth and I won't be able to eat that salty food until it's not cracked anymore.  Dammit!

I have more on my list but am forgetting right now because I'm upset that I cracked my lips and now I won't be able to eat anything on this entry without being in some sort of pain!

+ mon

Update on Friday, March 27, 2009 at 10:51AM by MONStar

One thing that I did forget to add on here was something that my mom had introduced me to.  I didn't want to try it when I first heard it ... but when I actually gave it a shot, it was good shiz!

Have you ever made pancakes only to find out you don't have any syrup!?  That's one of the worst things ever ... really it is.  But there's a remedy for that problem!  It's quick and easy, and you probably have it laying around your house!  Simple milk and sugar ... that's right folks!  All you need to do is drizzle the desired amount of sugar on your pancakes, it's up to you as to how sweet you like them, then put some milk on top!  It's that simple and it's so good!

Sorry about that, I got into my little infommercial moment there.  The pancakes get a little soggy, but it's really good stuff - try it!

As for some of the suggestions and the things that you have tried and are still trying ... liver spread with mayo and then dipped in Coke!?  I think you beat me with the strangest combinations of food!  OMG ... I can't even think of how that tastes!  Well maybe it actually tastes good now that I think of it, the only thing I would need to overcome is eating "liver."

Never had the powdered sugar and then drinking soda afterwards ... it's not like that myth where you eat poprocks and then a coke you'll explode is it!?

One thing I did ... again accidently was having smoked salmon which was really good, I didn't think I'd like that but I did!  The mistake was when I was offered red wine or white wine, the only wine I know is the red wine from church so that's what I chose.  It actually brings out the fish taste like there's no tomorrow, as if you have just licked a fish straight out of the ocean, but if you don't believe me, you have to try it!

Update on Friday, March 27, 2009 at 11:47AM by MONStar

This morning being a Friday in Lent made me think about what I could have for breakfast and it was like a light coming down the from heaven that made me think about the butter and sugar sandwich!

Off to the deli I went after getting into work to get two slices of white bread toasted with butter on it.  I got a few Domino sugar packets and back to the office.  It's been a while so I forgot the portions of the sugar that needed to go onto the bread.  I tried a little at first then adjusted the sugar until I got the right taste.  

It's just like Old School, once it touches your lips ... it's just so good!  The only thing is that I only had two slices!!!  I wish I had gotten more ... I remember that I could eat 6 slices of this stuff when I was younger (and that's when I was skinny!), just imagine what I am capable of now ... perhaps an entire loaf of butter and sugar bread.

Forget the garlic bread, we be makin' butter and sugar loaves from now on!

Free Lunch!

Gotta love meeting that get cancelled and it's too late to cancel the food order!  So today we have free lunch, MmmMmmMm and yes that is fruit you see on my plate!  I'm trying to eat a little bit healthier.

+ mon