Car Update

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As some of you have seen via FB and/or my other site “GiveToFriends“, my car’s transmission is on hiatus, I thought about selling the car to a mechanic or a friend of a mechanic, but instead I am going to get it fixed myself. I found a transmission specialist that can bring my tranny back from it’s impassive state. So while I’m saving up the $1,200 needed for this overhaul, I’ll be temporarily driving around a baby-blue VW Beetle-Bug convertible with a license plate frame that reads “Nana” on it… lol.

Back to normalcy: T minus 3 weeks… sweet. :)

Don’t Get Sick – Vitamins are the Answer

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For most of my life I have never given much credence to vitamins. “Anthony take your vitamins after supper.” , “yes mom”. That’s all the motivation I ever had towards vitamins. It hasn’t been until recently that I have fully grasped the importance of them. Just a few weeks ago I put this theory to the test. I was working on a home repair that involved a huge amount of mold. Not just any mold either… black mold! The first day of contact I had with it was only for a few hours. I immediately felt my glands swelling up signalling the beginning of sickness. I went home and took the following:

Vitamin-C 1,000mg (as Ascorbic Acid) x 3
Echinacea – Golden Seal Complex x 4
Vitamin D-3 5,000 IU (as Cholecalciferol) x 1
Probiotic Complex (Acidophilus 3.2 Billon CFU) x 1
Raw Apricot Seeds x 4 (Apricot seeds cure cancer! Click here to find out how)

After a few hours I felt the swelling in my glands start to go down. The next day I needed to return to the mold so I decided to prepare my body. Before I left in the morning, I took the vitamin regimen from above before exposing myself to the mold. By the time I was done with the moldy job, my entire body (and lungs) were covering in the mold. I was entrenched in black mold! yes I wore a mask, but there was just no way to keep all that bad air from entering my lungs. Once I got home, my glands began to swell almost immediately (Swollen glands are a sign of your body fighting off an infection.) I again took this vitamin regimen. And again, the swelling went down.

I continued taking this vitamin regimen once a day for the next week. I never did get sick. It’s my belief with the amount of exposure I had, I should have been deathly ill for a while, possibly hospitalized. My body didn’t even have a chance to develop the sniffles.

Vitamin Therapy does work. This is my testimony.

Renting Rant

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I have made a few shifts in my life. Some big, some small. Changes in my career path, changes in my friendships, changes in my living situations… It’s funny how something bad usually has to happen for us to realize it’s time for a change. This one is related to geography. It’s getting to be time to move. Renting a house, or an apartment in my case, has it’s advantages, but it certainly has its drawbacks. Having a landlord who is unreasonable and spiteful is probably just as bad or worse as having a boss with those same negative traits.

It’s time to buy. [rant] I hate that one person can have so much control over such a large area of my life…[end of rant] I know it’s a good time to buy, but I’m unfortunately just not ready financially. So starting today, that is my primary goal. Save up enough money to take control of my living situation and buy a house. Just thought I’d share.

Chicken Wrapped Asparagus

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Cooking Supplies:

  • 13×9 pan or similar.
  • Frying pan.
  • Meat hammer (for flattening chicken)
  • Knife & cutting board
  • Wooden skewer 6 inches (or toothpicks)… 6 skewers

Ingredients:

  • Chicken: Boneless/skinless… 6 breasts
  • Asparagus… 1 pkg
  • Provolone cheese… 6 slices
  • Prosciutto… ($13-14 per pound)… 6 slices
  • Mushrooms – white or portabella… 8oz
  • Marsala cooking wine… 1/8th cup or 5 tbsp.
  • Chicken Broth… 1 can
  • Beef bouillon cube… 1 cube
  • Butter… ½ stick
  • Flour… ½ cup

Prepping: Cut mushroom in quarters for later use. Pound the chicken until flat (but not falling apart); cut asparagus in half discarding the bottom half. Lay one breast of chicken flat as if you’re ready to make a burrito. On top of the chicken, place a few asparagus, a slice of prosciutto, and a slice of provolone cheese. Roll the chicken around it like a burrito. Use a wooden skewer to hold the end of the chicken in place by skewering all the way through. Preheat oven to 350° while making the Roux

Making the Roux: Turn the stovetop to high; melt butter in frying pan until liquid. Add flower 1 spoon at a time until “mash potato” like consistency. Remove from pan.

Making the Sauce: Turn the stovetop to high; add chicken broth and bouillon cube to frying pan. Add Marsala wine. Once bouillon cube is dissolved, turn down heat to med-low. Add the roux 1 scoop at a time and mix thoroughly until sauce appears to thicken. Consistency should be creamy but still slightly watery. Remove from heat.

Cooking: In 13×9 pan, add the sauce, chicken (leave the skewers in), and mushrooms. Place in oven for 30 minutes at 350°. At end of 30 minutes, if chicken is not brown on top, set oven to broil for a few minutes to brown top. **Watch carefully as broiling can burn your dinner in a matter of seconds**

Serving: With chicken on plate, remove skewer, drizzle some sauce and mushrooms over it, and add your favorite veggies on the side.

How to Build Cornhole – Basic Cornhole Tutorial – DIY

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Have you been wanting your own Cornhole Set for a while now but too cheap to go out and buy one? Don’t fret, I will show you how to build one for a fraction of the cost. And it will be attractive, durable, and made by you. In this Cornhole tutorial, I will go over making the boards. In a later one, I will show you how to make your own bean bags.

Depending on how much time and money you want to spend, I have I have created two Cornhole tutorials to choose from, Basic Cornhole or Nicer/Smoother Cornhole. This one is the Basic Cornhole. Nicer Smoother Cornhole coming soon.

Tools:

  • Jig saw or router or drill with 6” hole cutter – (to cut the 6” hole)
  • Circular saw or miter saw  – (to cut the frame and legs)
  • Drill with ½” drill bit – (to drill holes for legs and to fasten screws to set)
  • Compass or some kind of stencils for 3” and 6” circles
  • tape measure and pencil

Materials for Basic Cornhole

  • 1 sheet of ¾” plywood – Your budget defines what grade of plywood to get. $20 – $50 for a 4’x8’ sheet. (cut into four 23.5” x 48” sections) *You will have 2 extra surface pieces.
  • 2x4x8 Qty: 4
  • Box of drywall screws 2”
  • ½”x4” bolt Qty: 4
  • ½” nut Qty: 4
  • ½” fender washer Qty: 8
  • 150 grit sand paper

Directions:

When you’re at Home Depot or Lowes picking up your supplies, try to get as many cuts as possible. In fact, they should be able to make most or even all the cuts for you.

  1. [Marking the hole] Let’s make the hole on the surface board. Find the middle of 23.5” and mark it. Now from your mark, measure 9” down the board and mark it with an X. This is where the center of your 6” circle will be. Use a compass and draw.
  2. [Cutting the hole] Cut out your circle. Pre-drill a large enough hole for your jig saw blade. Start cutting with your jig saw.
  3. [Frames] Now with the good side of the surface board facing up, place both side frames (2x4x48”) under it. Make sure the frames are flush with the edge of the surface board. Screw the surface board to the frames from the top. Make sure to “counter sink” the screws so that they lie below the playing surface.
  4. [Frames] Place the top and bottom frames (2x4x20.5”) underneath and repeat step 3.
  5. [Pivot holes in frame] Turn the set upside-down. Now on the “hole end” (top) of the set, measure 2” out from inside of frame as illustrated. Mark it and drill a ½” hole.
  6. [Legs] Cut the 2×4 to 10.75” in length. You will need to rip a half inch off so that your final piece measures 10.75”x3” (3.5” will not suffice). Be careful when using your circular saw to make this rip cut.
  7. [Legs] Measure 1.5” down from one end and mark. Draw a 3” circle from this point. Using your jig saw, shave off the excess. Next, drill a ½” hole at this center mark. Repeat steps 6 & 7 for second leg.
  8. [Leg Brace] With the Cornhole set still upside-down, place bolts into holes, and then add a washer on each bolt. Next, thread the legs onto the bolts. Now you need to create the leg brace. Measure between the legs. Should be around 20 and 3/8”.  Cut a piece of 2×4 to this length (Don’t worry about the “thickness” of this board). Fasten the brace to the legs (2 screws on each end of brace will do)
  9. [Bolts] With the legs already resting on the bolts, add another washer and nut. Now tighten. *Note, you should have a washer in-between the frame and the leg.
  10. [Sanding] Sand all the edges and around the hole. Sand the playing surface until it feels smooth to the touch. Now repeat steps 1 through 10 for your second Board.

New Topic -> DIY

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DIY – Do it yourself. With everyone trying to save a little money, the idea of building something that you might have previously bought is becoming more commonplace. We may not be able to do everything the “professionals” can, but certainly there are a sizable amount of projects we can do with some basic tools and good direction.

This is where I come in. I have decided that rather than just posting pictures of what I have built, I am going to make tutorials for you (my loyal subscribers and frequent visitors), on how to build these things.

Stay tuned. DIY Cornhole plans coming soon.

Jambalaya – by “Chef” Tony

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Jambalaya - Serving size 4, Time 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • Polish Kielbasa – 1 pkg
  • Rice: Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice – 8 oz.
  • Chick Peas – small can
  • Mushrooms – 1 cup
  • Jalapeño – 1 fresh pepper
  • Tomato – 1 Roma
  • Alfredo or Marinara – ½ cup
  • Chicken broth – ¼ cup
  • Olive oil – 2 table spoons
  • Parmesan cheese – 2 heaping table spoons
  • Marsala cooking wine (optional) – 2 table spoons
  • Butter (used only on plate)
  • Cajun seasoning (used only on plate)

Directions:

Prepping: Slice the Kielbasa in small ¼” slices. Slice mushrooms and jalapeño. Dice tomato.

Cooking: Use a large skillet, Wok, or 5 quart pan and turn stove on high. Add olive oil and Marsala wine sauce if available. Sauté the Kielbasa and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add chick peas, jalapeños, and rice* (there is no need to microwave it beforehand). Add chicken broth and either Alfredo or marinara (I used Alfredo this time, but either is a good choice). Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add tomato and parmesan cheese, stir and you’re done.

Serving: take a stick of butter and use the corner as a marker. Draw a “butter line” around the plate as shown. Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning over the butter. Shake loose seasoning away. Use your finger to “smooth” out the lines. Feel free to add a garnish on top. I used a pepperoncini, but a basil leaf would look nice as well.

 

*If you are not using Uncle Ben’s Ready Made pre-cooked 90 second rice (or the like), you will need to cook it first, and then add it once it’s cooked.

My Cornhole Competition Review

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The Competition

  Tailgate Toss XL sold @ Walmart.com $149.99

This review is for: Tailgate Toss XL Platinum Edition Game (Sports)

“The front edge of the frame was starting to chip and fall apart after using the game once. For almost $140 you would think they would use some better materials. I sent it back after one day.

First off, they are using fiberboard with a wood veneer instead of a nice piece of plywood for the top. Not a good choice for an outdoor game since there is a chance it can get wet. Second, they chose cheap plywood for the frame which started chipping away immediately after a single use. This is because the front edge of the frame touches the ground and the board moves back slightly after certain bean bag hits causing the layers to separate. The frame should be a solid piece of wood to reduce the amount of chipping. Finally, they should at least coat the entire board with some sort of paint or clear coat to protect the cheap materials they are using. I also noticed that the board could use some more weight to prevent movement when the bean bags hit it. It kind of jumps up a bit.” (Amazon review)

I am very disappointed because I thought this was going to be a nice quality product”

Cornhole4sale.com $109.99 including shipping

Just look at the quality of the boards (or lack there of). No smooth routed edges, no routed hole, doesn’t appear to be regulation height, rough surface, and screw holes on the playing surface! Not ACO or ACA compliant.

This is not in my league.

Cornhole.com $ 162.09 including shipping – NO bags

These boards are ACA compliant and use a quality plywood top with a poplar frame. Collapsible legs, and routed edges. These boards are more in line with mine. Although there is no protective polyurethane or clear coat to guard against rain (or beer).

This price does not include bags.

AmericanCornhole.com $ 350.82 including shipping & bags

This is my competition. Quality craftsmanship includes 5/8” birch plywood (lacquered), poplar frame, collapsible legs, smooth sanded surface, routed edges and hole. ACO compliant.

This set includes 8 bags (two colors), and a carrying tote bag.

My boards coming soon.

Cornhole Complete!

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Finally after multiple coats of red, white, and blue paint, clear coat, and enough sanding to count as my weekly workout (which really doesn’t exist), the set is complete! I have to give a special thanks to my good friend Kat (an amazing seamstress) for making the bags. Couldn’t have done it in time without her.

I am setting up downtown now! I have them parked right next to my sister’s Segways at North Straub Park. Eventually we might move closer to the water. Happy Independence Day yeah!

Cornhole Construction Commencement

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I have started the build. I have one and a half complete. Routed, sanded, but unpainted. I am pretty happy with how it’s turning out. I’m not quite sure how the painting will go but the set should include red, white, and blue. I am building this set to take down to the water on the 4th of July. I initially wanted the boards to include lights around the perimeter of the board and a siren that goes off once a bag successfully makes it into the hole, but unfortunately these accessories are not going to make the deadline. I will add them later on down the line.

I would like to add that everything I build is also for sale. And I would be happy to custom make a Cornhole set for you. Click here to see the original designs.