AU/AS OFF-TOPIC (please don't move!)

[Letter Never Sent]

Here is an off-topic area where those of us with AU/AS can "socialize" about everyday stuff (i.e. movies, food, whatever).

Note to moderators: Please don't move to another area as those of us with AU/AS have our own way of relating to others. And we want a place where we can build friendships with each other... or at least I do.


I guess I should kick things off with something to talk about... ummm... since moving to Texas 4 years ago I haven't been able to find authentic Mexican food that I really like. There was a place in NJ called Don Jose that had the best chips and salsa. It's my favorite food in the world. I really like spicy food. I thought that Texas would have good Mexican food, but it's all Tex-Mex and not very authentic. Well after driving past Chipotle for 4 years we tried it the other day and loved it. At one point we ate there 4 times in 3 days! I didn't find exactly what I was looking for (authentic chips and salsa), but it definitely fills the void left by Don Jose.

I get 3 crisp tacos with chicken, cheese, sour cream on the side. They have the best sour cream! My wife doesn't like sour cream and even she loves it! Then I doctor it up with Frank's RedHOt sauce and jalapeños when I get home. Sooo good!

The crazy thing is that salsa is not that hard to make! I've been trying to duplicate Don Jose's recipe. I haven't "cracked the code" so to speak, but I came up with something that's not too bad. If I could just figure it out I wouldn't miss Don Jose so much!

BTW - when we moved here and met our neighbors I found that talking about food was a good way to break the ice. It's a nice safe topic and we where able to find some good places to eat that way.

 

[Letter Never Sent]

If you're not interested in Mexican food please feel free to hijack this thread with your own topic of interest, that's cool.

 

[MoeSzyslak]

Is that Don Jose's in E Hanover,new jersey? I have been there. I have been there its pretty darn good.

I am surprised you can't find good Mexican in Texas. there is a vibrant mexican/american population there. or is it because it is being made into a tex-mex combination type of thing.

We have some darn good Mexican food in KC. Around my house is OK, but if I drive 20 minutes over to the Sourhwest boulevard area it gets real good.

 

[Letter Never Sent]

Is that Don Jose's in E Hanover,new jersey?

YEAH! I first time I ate there I just though is was pretty good, but then I got addicted to their chips, salsa, and margarita (no alcohol served in NJ)!

I like the environment too! I could set there and eat and drink all day! I even went out and bought a Margaritaville mixer and found the same mix so I can enjoy it here in TX!

I was surprised too when we got here that nothing came close. We have tried so many places. My wife figured out how to find authentic places -- look at the employees! And sometimes the restaurant name too. I gave up a long time ago. Now if I see someplace I want to try I'll just order chips & salsa to go.

You guys must have some good BBQ in KC. What's good there?

 

[dayhiker]

I like most Mex food if its not too hot. I'm in MA

Chipotle I eat here occasionally.
Qadoba is the place I eat most, its closer to my home.

 

[catzetier]

Only Mexican I eat is the make-your-own stuff where the burritos are provided and you put the chicken, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sweet chilli sauce in. I do like it; it's a quick (and easy) meal, and it's not too spicy. Particularly since I am not a very good cook with anything other than pasta. I eat a lot of pasta...

Dayhiker, is Chipotle a place or a food?

Um. Anyone enjoy reading? What's your favourite thing to read? (And that constitutes my attempt to hijack this thread...)

 

[dayhiker]

Chipotle is a fast serve Mexican chain that has the highest quality food ingredients.

 

[MoeSzyslak]

Buffalo chicken wings are the greatest food ever invented.

Am I alone on this?

 

[Letter Never Sent]

Dayhiker, is Chipotle a place or a food?

Both. Chipotle is a smoke dried jalapeño pepper. Ironically I don't think Chipotle has any chipotle on the menu? They have some tomato/salsas available maybe it's worked into one of them? I don't really like their spices, I bring it home plain and doctor it up with jalapeños and Franks RedHot sauce.

 

[Letter Never Sent]

Buffalo chicken wings are the greatest food ever invented.

Am I alone on this?

Believe it or not my favorite hot wings are from the deli at Walmart! (low-end/cheap/scary-at-times grocery store for those of you outside the US) Hope we can still be friends!

My brother called me just last week telling me that he made some chicken wings/drums at home and dipped them in Franks RedHot Buffalo sauce. He was amazed at how good they were! So the next day we picked up some chicken and bought the Franks Hot Buffalo, but something came up and we didn't get to make it. If we make them this week I'll let you know how they came out.

So who has the best wings? I'd rather get them from somewhere other than Walmart if I can!

 

[LovedSparrow]

I like this thread. Let's keep it going.

We have a HUGE assortment of spiders right outside our front door. We keep the porch light on at night and the spiders have taken up residence there all summer long. Huge spider webs around our porch light and my plants. These spiders are big and fat.

Three times I have taken (the same) half-inch long spider back outside because it keeps crawling inside the house.

Apparently, he got back in and is now hiding somewhere in our lazy boy chair. I tried to trap it but he escaped. EWWWW!!!!

Do you guys like spiders? I don't! If you do, I'd be happy to ship this little dude over to you when I catch him.

 

[LovedSparrow]

Update: He crawled out from underneath the chair, and I was able to trap him in a plastic container and bring him outside. I put him far away in our backyard. I don't know if spiders have a way of finding their way back. It's the 3rd time I brought him outside. He lurked by our door and tried to get inside 2 times before.

I wonder with winter on it's way if more will try to get inside. Gross....

 

[MoeSzyslak]

Smush him. He won't be back. I don't like spiders.

moths in our house are catch and release but not spiders

 

[LovedSparrow]

I used to be a bug-smoosher but my husband isn't. He catches and releases them. I guess I feel bad now doing it. He changed my mind.

Before, I had no mercy for bugs.

 

[dayhiker]

I usually don't take the time to catch and release bugs, but I've had some spiders in the house and they have been there for awhile now, as I've not cleaned the corners very well.

 

[MoeSzyslak]

I hate those really large spiders. The ones you can see their eyes move as they look at you. So creepy.

 

[LovedSparrow]

Their eyes are the worst. It creeps me out.

After I see a mosquito or a spider, every thing I feel on my skin, like an itch, my mind tricks me to believe they're crawling around on me.

 

[Letter Never Sent]

Only Mexican I eat is the make-your-own stuff where the burritos are provided and you put the chicken, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sweet chilli sauce in. I do like it; it's a quick (and easy) meal, and it's not too spicy. Particularly since I am not a very good cook with anything other than pasta. I eat a lot of pasta...

Dayhiker, is Chipotle a place or a food?

Um. Anyone enjoy reading? What's your favourite thing to read? (And that constitutes my attempt to hijack this thread...)

My 6 year old daughter loves pasta now, BUT no sauce of any kind! She literally eats it plain! And she eats a lot of it too - probably half the box?

READING - oh boy. For my wife english is a second language and she can read much, much faster than me! I'm a pattern thinker and Temple Grandin was saying we have difficulty reading and it's certainly true for me! Up until the age of 26 I never read anything except Calvin & Hobbes and music magazines. Then I started reading the Bible and a few books on Christianity. I also read The Hobbit/LOTR and the Chronicles of Narnia. I'm not really into the whole fantasy world thing, but I like those books! Even if I'm reading something I like it's like "how many pages until the end?" But a year ago I started reading books on my iPhone and that has helped a lot because there are not a lot of words on the page. It's almost like - instead of trying to eat a 6 foot sandwich just focus on taking one bite. So far I've read 4 or 5 books! One book was Flowers for Algernon. What a great book! Just enough dark and twisted enough without being gruesome or confusing. I would love to read another book like that if anybody has any suggestions. If you do make a recommendation please don't tell me anything about the book. I like not knowing ANYTHING beforehand and just going along for the ride!

BTW - I have Narnia and The Hobbit on my iPhone now and plan on reading them again.

 

[Letter Never Sent]

After I see a mosquito or a spider, every thing I feel on my skin, like an itch, my mind tricks me to believe they're crawling around on me.

Woke up to find about a hundred ants on the kitchen counter and along the wall. Definitely feel a little itchy now!

 

[catzetier]

Letter Never Sent - I love Calvin and Hobbes! It has really good jokes and the pictures are drawn so well. My favourite character is Hobbes because I quite enjoy Deadpan Snarker. Even though he isn't actually listed as an example...!

I've loved reading since I was a child, but I've never read Flowers for Algernon. From the description on the wikipedia page, I don't think I'd enjoy it very much. Sci-fi brain experimentation - particularly with sex involved - isn't really my thing. Although, oddly enough, I really liked the film Total Recall, which does have something like that (without the sex). It's based on the Phillip K. Dick short story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale - perhaps you'd like. I found it online here although you'll probably have to zoom in. I just read it myself and don't think it's particularly dark... but it is twisted! I will have to revisit Phillip K. Dick. (I went through a phase about a year ago where I read everything of his the library had, but I seem to have forgotten the stories...)