The Moose Factory - Virtual Bar and Grill - Version 3

[Vigilante1987 180]

Gesundheit

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

My wife cooked up some jambalaya tonight, with andouille sausage, pork, green peppers, and celery.  It's got some heat, so be prepared to sweat!

[Wiimeiser 452]

I somehow managed to render Cities: Skylines unplayable and had to reinstall it. Now I need to calm down and figure out what to do next.

  Edited November 13, 2019 by Wiimeiser  

[PaPa-J 778]

Love me some jambalaya!  Haven't had any since the last time I was in New Orleans back in 2010.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

We started watching Downton Abbey this week and have found it to be quite stimulating.  In recognition of this, we'll prepare a pleasant pheasant dinner, with potatoes, some kind of souffle, and a cake of some sort for dessert, I don't know, some sort of very British-- I mean, English cake.  This feels like a very English show.  Very English.  Well, my last name is pretty English, so I guess it appeals to my DNA.  Pleasant pheasant!

[PaPa-J 778]

Pleasant indeed!

[catty-cb 4,412]

Have watched all of the Downton abbey series... just waiting for the movie

 

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

It's proven to be a very good show, we are quite enjoying it.  I didn't know they were making a movie, now that is something to look forward to.

 

For tonight's Curry Sunday, we'll be having slow cooker brown curry, we'll set in some nice mutton chops, potatoes (of course), onions (of course), and mushrooms, and we'll serve it over basmati rice.

[catty-cb 4,412]

Downtown Abbey took place over 52 episodes .... the movie is set to take place a few years after the last episode.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

I'm in the mood for something humble tonight, humble and simple.  Shepherd's pie will thus be our special for the day in all its meat-and-mashed-potatoes goodness.

[Vigilante1987 180]

13 hours ago, NMUSpidey said:

I'm in the mood for something humble tonight, humble and simple.  Shepherd's pie will thus be our special for the day in all its meat-and-mashed-potatoes goodness.

sounds perfect!

[catty-cb 4,412]

Its been a nice day here so I thought I'd get the outdoor bbq and grills going at the "moose factory"

Baked apples, chicken, fish, steak, etc outside cooking and various salads, bread + drinks are in the bar

[PaPa-J 778]

I'll have a steak, medium, and a Corona.

 

Thank you!

[catty-cb 4,412]

Coming right up 

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

So THAT'S what this place looks like on the outside!  I've been in here for so long I've forgotten it!  How wonderful!  Nice to not have to cook tonight, too!

[catty-cb 4,412]

8 hours ago, NMUSpidey said:

So THAT'S what this place looks like on the outside!

Yes .... bit of a surprise to me as well, have got into the habit of just coming straight into the bar after work is over for the day ... I must have been down at the end of bar grounds at some point as I'm pretty certain we used to have more land between us and the ocean

I'm guessing a winter storm sometime in the past has washed away some of the land that used to be down there ... got talking to a guy called "embx61" who says if we can come up with the materials including a ton of sand he can build us an artificial beach at the end of the property which should stop us losing any more land ... will just have to top it up with sand every spring to keep it looking nice.

He's given me a picture of a previous beach he's built looks quite nice, but it certainly would put a dent in the "moose factory" finances

-catty

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

Hm...  An artificial beach.  It does look snazzy, and if we're worried about money, I wonder if Mr. Moose has left a trust for us to help run things here.  We should be able to spring it, if anyone has any time to take a quick look in the books.  As for me, I have to busy myself in the kitchen again because...

 

IT'S CURRY SUNDAY!!!!  For tonight's curry, let's go with a curry fried rice, serve it alongside some steamed vegetables, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and we'll add some egg rolls and soy sauce as a side.  And to wash it down, let's go with a plate of manjuu, sweet bean paste inside a dough skin.

[catty-cb 4,412]

Curry night my favourite, I'll have a bit of everything thanks then I'll head up to Mr. Moose's old office and check thru the "factory's" paperwork to see what the finances are like.

[catty-cb 4,412]

On 11/25/2019 at 1:42 PM, NMUSpidey said:

....I wonder if Mr. Moose has left a trust for us to help run things here...

Mr Moose files made for very interesting reading and It turns out yes he did leave a trust (and trustees and accountants) to run the place in his absence, and it seems the orchards on the left-hand side of the "moose factory" are on moose land, it also turns out the trust holds the monopoly on rice growing in the region so along with the money Mr Moose left in the trust which is earning interest it seems we have been receiving a steady yearly income .... certainly enough to pay for building maintenance and also ongoing supplies for the bar and grill.

There is also insurance on the building and land, unfortunately the insurance agent while he agreed we had to do something before we lost the outdoor grill area doesn't think building an artificial beach is covered under the insurance policy .... seawalls tho is a different story and those are covered under the insurance policy, he's suggested I contact the people that build the port and see what's involved in adding seawalls.

The trustees are still discussing the costs involved in building an artificial beach and also the possibility of selling snacks (ice-creams, etc ) on the beach once its build ... I get the impression they are mainly for the idea but are taking their responsibilities as trustees of the "moose factory" seriously and want to be sure that its something Mr Moose would have approved.

-catty

[catty-cb 4,412]

Trustees decision to building the artificial beach was a yes and work got under pretty much immediately with it being late autumn

At this point it was about three-quarters built which is why there is construction materials in the background ... you can just see at the extreme left of the picture part of the new sea walls

Will have to come up with something for the new planters and in addition the decision was made to update the walls around the "moose factory" to more sturdy slightly taller stone wall

-catty

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

Why that looks lovely!  They did a wonderful job on that, it is a real upgrade.  Once the winter is over I'm sure that will be a prime destination.  So far as planters, it would be nice to see seasonally appropriate local fauna, something to bring a little extra pizzazz to our location, but maybe that will be something to talk about in more depth once the snows have gone...

 

We just had our Thanksgiving holiday.  We made a treacherous journey for a family meal, I ate enough to give myself a good 18 hours worth of severe heartburn, and then journeyed home before the next storm is set to dump more than a foot of snow on us.  So in celebration of this American harvest festival, let's do up our plates with heaping helpings of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, (all with copious amounts of gravy on them), green bean casserole, broccoli-cheese casserole (both with crispy French onions on top), and my beloved Granny's noodles.  If you still have room, there is whipped cream to eat with a little pumpkin pie, and my wife has made a mean pecan pie, something that was my beloved Granny's favorite.  Bon appetit!

[catty-cb 4,412]

7 hours ago, NMUSpidey said:

....Once the winter is over I'm sure that will be a prime destination.  So far as planters, it would be nice to see seasonally appropriate local fauna, something to bring a little extra pizzazz to our location, but maybe that will be something to talk about in more depth once the snows have gone....

They left us a brochure for beach furniture didn't seem much point buying anything this later in the year as it happens shortly after I took those pictures it started snowing

so a turkey dinner sounds great, will have a bit of everything thanks 

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

A fresh snowfall is always beautiful.  I'm eager to see how much we're going to get this year.  Locally here we're slated for 3-5", higher amounts as you head towards Lake Michigan.

[catty-cb 4,412]

We don't normally get snow where I live as its to close to the sea .... but we did a few years back, I think we ended up with more snowmen than people as everyone was out making them.

Probably would be a bit different if it was a regular occurence.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

Yes, when I lived in Japan we had two historic snowfalls within one week of each other and people were simultaneously delighted and intimidated, but unfortunately I did not see many snowmen.  Today we ended up with at least double what we were forecast to get, and I am certain I will see plenty of them around when I'm out this week!

 

Tonight is CURRY SUNDAY!  Let's celebrate with some curried shrimp with a peanut sauce, garlic bread, and steamed vegetables.  For dessert we'll have buckeyes, a local favorite of peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate to resemble buckeyes in honor of Ohio State's annual destruction of rival and overall terrible place full of terrible people University of Michigan.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

Does anyone remember the page flip bug?  I sure do.  That's why we're on the third version of this here Factory.  It's nice that we don't have to deal with it anymore, but I have fond memories of swatting that bug.

 

Anyway, who wants nachos?  We'll pile them high with taco meat, green onions, tomatoes, sour cream, and of course, nacho cheese.

[catty-cb 4,412]

Yummy nachos was wondering what I was going to have for dinner.

I do remember the page flip bug .... long may it stay dead

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

I rendered myself immobile today!  While going down the porch steps to fetch the last bit of groceries from the car this morning, I slipped on the snow and landed at the bottom on my bottom.  I gave myself a rather severe back injury and barely made it back inside.  So I've been lying here mostly helpless while Mrs. NMUSpidey has done what she can to make me less uncomfortable.  So today for CURRY SUNDAY, help yourself to some leftovers.  I'm sure if you root through the freezer there are some preserves of curry fried rice, curried fish, curried kebabs, biryani, mutton curry, green curry, red curry, or curry udon in there to enjoy.

[catty-cb 4,412]

ouch sounds painful, here's hoping you are ok and things are back to normal in a few days, as for the leftovers we have heaps so am just grabbing some mutton curry to eat while I go and watch the workmen outside as the seawall is now being extended down the side of the "moose factory" unfortunately it meant cutting down the fruit trees but long-term it will make the place a lot safer in winter

 

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

I spent the last few days on my back and then I knew there were things I needed to get done at work so I went in this morning.  It was very painful driving there, standing there, walking around there, and sitting there at my computer so I left and noon and went to the doctor.  He confirmed our suspicions that it was a bad lower back strain and prescribed another week's worth of rest (yay!) and then gave me a shot in my patootie and some muscle relaxers.  I feel better but my body is still telling me not to do anything strenuous.  I'm going to follow doctor's orders for sure.

 

Mrs. NMUSpidey whipped up a French-Canadian recipe, tourtiere.  It's savory, it's full of meat and potatoes, and it's served in a yummy crust.  I loved it at first bite.