Redeemed Riders Overnight Chick Ride

2016 Photo by Donna Stephens
Info meeting at Cracker Barrel

I know I haven't posted in awhile because my life has gotten crazy busy!
Good news is.............I got to ride my motorcycle this week. One ride was to Sullivan, MO for dinner and an informational meeting of all the gals going on the overnight "Redeemed Riders Chick Ride."

That's right, I am going on an overnighter with the girls!
Dinner at Cracker Barrel was a prequel for some Redeemed Rider sister time.  About fifteen of us converged at the restaurant to talk about our destination and routes to Mountain View, Arkansas.

Are you getting a vision of "Wild Hogs - The Chick Version?" 
Well, not everyone is riding a motorcycle. Riding a bike isn't a requirement to go on our ride. Cars containing some of my sisters will be following the bikes. And we hope that being chased by a biker gang isn't going to be part of our story. lol...lol  

Anyway, I indulged my love of southern food at Cracker Barrel.
Fried okra is one of my favorite side dishes. My momma has raised okra in her garden every year of my life. Bet you didn't know that the Missouri Ozarks includes some southern cooking did you? Anyway, I was perfectly happy with my fried okra, fried chicken livers, cheese grits, and hot buttered biscuits. My mouth is happy just remembering what I ate. lol...lol

Now where was I, oh the meeting.
 There are going to be two groups heading for Arkansas, an experienced rider group and a not so experienced rider group. I am riding with the first group and looking forward to an all-day, scenic ride with a lunch stop in Ava, MO. THEN, I get to eat Mexican food in Mountain View for supper. Oh yeah!

As usual, we talked ALOT. 
In fact, the sun had just about disappeared to the west when I rode out of the Cracker Barrel parking lot on my Harley and started my evening ride home.

2014 Chick Ride - Coming home from the CMA Women's Conference in Springfield, MO

2013 Chick Ride to Women of Faith Conference in Kansas City, MO

Blogger and biker Sallee Bonham riding down the highway in 2011

Chick ride to Hardy, Arkansas in 2008? 

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Disappointed in Recommended Kentucky Diner

Bill and I were in Kentucky last week for the Sturgis Kentucky Bike Rally. 
We are on a budget, but we do try to eat out at least once on a trip. I usually try to find a local restaurant that local recommend to me. 

The Roadside Diner is located less than a quarter mile from the Union County Fairgrounds, which is the home of the Sturgis Kentucky Bike Rally. 
Several people at the local motorcycle rally recommended this diner's burgers to me and I was excited to try it. 

Specifically, I was told the diner had a great Mushroom and Swiss burger with very large orders of fries. Mushroom and Swiss burgers are my favorite burger to eat. 

My first impression of the diner as we seated ourselves was - rundown. However, I overlooked that because it was during the bike rally. Thousands of bikers were in town for the rally and I'm sure that the diner had been flooded with customers. 

The waitresses were friendly, attentive, and made you feel at home. 
However, my burger was considerably less than spectacular. It was cold and overcooked with unmelted, shredded white cheese that might have been Swiss cheese, or mozzarella.The button mushroom slices were straight out of a can with no sauce. I was definitely disappointed, but the burger patty was 100% beef. 

The half order of tots was large and taste okay. 

The hubby's tuna salad sandwich was very tangy. He didn't like it. However, I tasted it and it was tasty if you like a generous amount of lemon juice in your tuna salad. 

The bright spot in our dining experience was dessert. 
I ordered the blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert. I loved it! The house made cobbler was tangy, not too sweet and the cobbler crust was tender, flaky, and flavorful. Personally, I would go back just for dessert and coffee.

SalleeShares - Eating at the Rib Crib, Springfield, Missouri

Bill and I rode our motorcycles to Springfield, Missouri this week. The purpose of our day trip was to shop at the Springfield Leather Company on Glenstone Avenue. psst...they sell beads and jewelry supplies too! Click Here to see their website.

After buying glass beads, a small roll of s-lon cord, and assorted leather working items, Bill asked me if I was hungry. Well heck yeah! I had not eaten breakfast, had ridden over 135 miles, AND it was 2:00 in the afternoon. 

We rode our bikes to the Rib Crib  at 1640 N. Glenstone Avenue. What a joy to sit down in air-conditioning and enjoy a glass of unsweetened ice tea! Did I mention it was 85 degrees and sunny? I'm not complaining. I swear I'm not. 

My First Experience at Rib Crib
Anyway, Bill has eaten at Rib Crib before, but this was my first visit. The menu isn't overly cluttered; it is a typical folding menu with sections for lunch, dinner, salads, sandwiches, sides, and drinks. I spent about three minutes looking at the menu. Prices for most lunch choices at Rib Crib are in the $8 to $10 range. 
Click Here to see the menu.

Smokin' Sandwiches Since I was going to be riding another 135 miles home, I didn't want to tackle a combo platter and was hungry enough that I wanted more than a salad. The "Smokin' Sandwiches with Seasoned Fries" section of the menu seemed like a good choice. My sandwich pick was the Smokestack BBQ Sandwich basket with pulled pork.  Click Here to see a picture 

Fast n Friendly Service - Large Portions Even though it was mid afternoon - not prime dining time -  my food order arrived within ten minutes. The friendly, attentive waitress brought my plate and I was surprised to see what appeared to be a half pound of hot, nicely smoked, pulled pork between the toasted halves of a bun. Plus, the sandwich was framed by an extra large portion of seasoned fries. Seriously, the sandwich and seasoned fries I was served looked just like the menu picture. You know how rarely that happens! 

The House BBQ Sauces Two bottles of house BBQ sauce were on the table, a hot sauce and a mild sauce. I squirted a penny sized puddle of the hot and the mild BBQ sauces into the basket and sampled each one. The mild was nicely sweet with a slight tang, too tame for my liking.  I like spicy sauces, but not fiery, melt-my-tongue sauces. My initial opinion of the hot BBQ sauce was that it was slightly sweet and mildly spicy. I applied it to my pulled pork sandwich and started eating. Five minutes later, I realized that my mouth was warm and getting warmer, but not unpleasantly so. 

The Entire Experience
Bill won some points with me. My entire dining experience was pleasant and enjoyable. The waitress was attentive, kept showing up at my elbow to ask if I wanted more ice tea, the food was fresh, and the bathrooms were clean. All in all, a four star dining experience. 

I definitely want to go back to the Rib Crib on N. Glenstone Avenue, the next time we are in Springfield,MO! 

Sallee'sSix - Six Dish Summer Fun Menu!

Summer camping and traveling begins tomorrow! It is Memorial Day weekend, the official start of summer fun! I am sharing a list of six easy recipes for a wonderful summer weekend meal! Create your own summer fun menu from the choices below. 

Your Summer Fun Menu

• Non-alcoholic drink - pick your lemonade from your choice of 40 flavors. I think I would like to try the watermelon lemonade.
• Main dish - Strip steak seasoned with fresh garden herbs. Sallee's tip: Mix the herbs with 20 oz. of ground chuck for five, quarter pound garden burgers.
• Salad - original "like your grandma's" traditional potato salad, or a delicious blackberry salad that features a bed of salad greens, a scoop of cottage cheese surrounded with fresh blackberries and sprinkled with slivered almonds and tangy sweet dried cranberries. 
• Pick a veggie - How about grilled corn, grilled veggie skewers, or grilled romaine hearts?
• Dessert for Family Fun- How about chocolate covered strawberry s'mores for dessert? 

Recipes    Tip: Use your snipping tool to snip and save recipes to your laptop.

1. 40 Summer Lemonade Recipes at 365 Days of Baking     Click Here 
2. Garden Herb Strip Steak       Click Here
3. Hellman's "The Original Potato Salad"    Click Here
4. Blackberry Salad   Click Here
5. 18 Grilled Vegetable Recipes from Laurel Randolph    Click Here
6. Chocolate Covered Strawberry S'mores at almost Supermom    Click Here

SalleeShares: Food Network Star Final 3

Alright foodies, my prediction was correct! Sarah Penrod did not make the final 3.

The first challenge was a 30 second promo. 

The four finalists; Lenny McNab, Nicole Gaffney, Luca Della Casa, and Sarah Penrod were told that this would be the most important thirty seconds of their lives. Only three would get the chance to film a pilot. Naturally, all four finalists felt the pressure of the moment. 

Bob Tuschman, Susie Fogelson, and the mentors viewed each finalist's pilot with them and offered a critique. After watching the pilots, I knew Luca and Nicole would be filming pilots. 

However, Lenny and Sarah seemed to be tied.

Lenny looked strained and nervous.No one seemed more surprised to be in the final three than Lenny! His cooking skill and authenticity won him a spot in the final three.

Sarah came across as trying hard to be convincing. Sarah looked stunned to be going home instead of Lenny. 

Robert Irvine was the guest mentor for the pilots. 

All three finalists were a little star struck when they each met Robert. However, Robert was gentle with them. All three pilots are very good!

• Luca was completely natural with his 1000 watt smile firmly in place.
• Lenny relaxed and did a great job. 
• Nicole was a little shaky and serious. In my opinion, she is in third place. 

Who is going to win?

I think the next Food Network Star is going to be......Luca Della Casa. My prediction record is 3 out of 4. will it be 4 out of 5 when the voting stops? 

Make sure you vote for your favorite Food Network Star finalist before August 6, 2014. 

SalleeShares - Food Network Star Week 9

#foodnetworkstar 

The Big Apple, New York City. I have never been to New York and can understand the excitement of the five finalists. I would be gawking and chattering like a chipmunk. To walk down the halls of the Food Network offices would be so scary-marvelous.

Woohoo! I am celebrating. Last week's Bonham Business prediction is in perfect alignment with the decision made by the Food Network Star (FNS) mentors. Butcher Babe Loreal Gavin went home.

A bit of advice for Loreal: Practice talking and teaching about food. Then, try again.You can do it Loreal. Your point of view was made for television. Yes, I am trying to encourage Loreal. After all, we both ride motorcycles and biker chicks need to hang together. 

Week 9 was about two challenges.

1. Visit a Chelsea Market business and learn about a summer staple. THEN, give a live camera presentation to the mentors who were back at Food Network HQ. No redoes here.

2. Solve a food problem for one of Rachael Ray's viewers. Rachael Ray is my cookin' shero! I know, I'm corny, but I love Rachael Ray. 

Challenge 1
I disagreed with the mentors decision on who did the best job. Luca has star power, a 1000 watt smile, and charisma. He did a great job and handled Bobby Flay's question well. Luca's smile shone through that camera lens and engaged the judges and viewers. However, the mentors couldn't hear me and picked Nicole Gaffney.

Nicole pulled everything together and did a great job. Remember, last week I did say that if she would quit trying so hard and RELAX, we would see a more polished Nicole. We did see the professional, friendly and capable Nicole, finally.

The Bottom Three
Cowboy Lenny just wasn't connecting with the yogurt, or the camera.
Texas gal Sarah started out well with the Santa Clause melon, but forgot to taste it.
Butcher Babe Loreal did not volunteer any information about why viewers should shop for meat at a butcher shop, her POV.


Challenge 2

• Nicole's advantage for winning Challenge 1: assign the family food problems to the other finalists.This challenge should have been fairly easy; if you used some common sense. Unfortunately, "common sense is so rare that it oughta be a super power!" Yes, it is a T-shirt slogan, but I really like saying it. Nicole put siracha sauce on a plate for children to eat. The youngest boy promptly spit out the spicy spoonful of food his mom fed him. Not what you want to see happen on national TV.

• Luca  did well, but unfortunately for him - the kids saw him put the cauliflower in the food processor. You cannot let the kids see the veggies!  Giada also pointed this out to the other mentors.

• Loreal made an involved dish of asparagus stuffed chicken breast for a family that wanted quick, budget friendly food for on the go.

• Sarah made sure everyone knew that she had cooked Loreal's dish for her own husband on Valentine's Day because the dish is special. Catty comments will not make you the next Food Network Star, Sarah. The mentors were clear that Sarah had not connected with the family, or the audience. 

• Lenny ripped his jeans during his cooking demo, OMG! However, he hid it well and continued with his cooking. Thumbs up to Lenny. None of the mentors realized  he had a wardrobe malfunction until he told them. Personally, I would have kept that info to myself. 

Who Will Go Home? - Week 10

Out of the final four, Lenny, Sarah, Nicole, and Luca, I predict that.....I am nervous to make this prediction...Sarah Penrod will be the finalist to go home next week.

My decision is based upon the fact that Sarah missed the mark on both of the challenges.

1. During the first challenge, she should have known to taste the Santa Clause melon before talking about it. Taking a bite out of half a melon to answer Bobby Flay's question," What does it taste like?" was a beginner's mistake. 
2. Yes, I did not like Sarah's catty behavior. BUT, as a mom, she should have been able to connect with the single mom and children.  

SalleeShares - Food Network Star Week 8

Out of the kitchen and on the road.

I thought Food Network Star was set to record Sunday night, but it was not in the recorded list Monday morning.  (shrug) Oh well, stuff happens right? I watched Food Network Star Week 8 last night, 7/24.

This week's challenge was a team challenge to cook and present a "One of a Kind " four course meal. First, each contestant was treated to an expensive, "One-of -a- Kind" dining experience in a famous Vegas dining establishment. $1,000 ice cream sundae,or a $777 Kobe burger anyone? 

Redemption for Team Captains

Next, Sarah Penrod and Emma Frisch were surprised by being told they would be the team captains. A chance at redemption for the bottom pair!  Each team was assigned high dollar ingredients like Mangalitsa pork, Wagyu beef, langoustines, and sea urchin. The team captains assigned an ingredient to each team member.

Team Sarah, Luca, and Nicole

 Sarah and Luca wowed the judges with their personal connections, but Luca's nerves got the best of him and his hands were shaking like aspen leaves.  Kudos to Alton Brown for quietly telling Luca to relax. 

Nicole Gaffney did okay, but her story was confusing. She talked about her firefighter husband and his buddies liking chicken wings, then said she was going to the coast of Thailand for tamarind glazed frog legs. Huh? A chicken wing slightly resembles a frog leg, but Huh?

Sarah, Luca, and Nicole won the team challenge easily. How? They had a more general theme of "Around the World" which fit everyone's POV. 

Team Emma, Lenny, and Loreal

Emma picked the theme. Unfortunately for Lenny and Loreal, "Gods and Goddesses", was a terrible fit for both of their POV's. Just my opinion. All of the judges agreed that one word described their dining experience - Weird. Not what you want to hear is it? None of the three team members was able to present a memorable dish. Loreal did get a compliment on her Chicken Skinagrette. 

Who Went Home?

Sarah Penrod was my choice to go home. Wrong. Emma Frisch went home. Last week I said she, Emma, wasn't going to make the final four and she didn't. Yes, I am rationalizing being wrong. Just let me have that little crumb, okay? 

Sallee's Prediction for Food Network Star - Week 9 The Rachael Ray Show

Hmmm, who do I think is going home? Based on over all performance, I think it is between Loreal Gavin or Sarah Penrod. Both gals have moments of brilliance. However, based upon Sarah's comeback performance I think she will be able to continue competing. 

My prediction is.........Loreal Gavin.   Love Butcher Babe, but she isn't consistent with her POV, or cooking.

Sallee Shares: FoodNetworkStarWeek 7

I could not wait to watch Food Network Star. Which Star Salvation contestant had been chosen to go to Las Vegas?

My choice was Luca. I based my choice upon the fact that Luca had described Geoffrey Zakarian's omelet as a "French Omelet" and why it was a French omelet. Then he described the flavors in the omelet. Reuben's description was about the flavor profile of the omelet.

My choice was absolutely correct! Luca appeared in Las Vegas with the other six finalists of Food Network Star. The other finalists were amazed and stunned by Luca's improvement. Twice I heard Luca being asked if he used the Rosetta Stone to improve his English. His 1,000 watt smile was constantly flashing and camera engagement was not an issue.

Cowboy Lenny is such a character! He had the crowd at the pool eating out of his hand. He promised a belly flop in the pool if he won the challenge. He was not lying. Lenny took off his hat, unbuttoned his shirt, and belly flopped into the pool. The judges were fairly speechless. My eyes will not forget that scene anytime soon!

The contestant going home was Chris Kyler. Chris is such a personality, but he just couldn't get his food quality to match his on camera presence.

The rest of the finalists.
Nicole Gaffney is going to have to RELAX. In my opinion, she is pushing herself too hard and is having trouble putting everything together. Her "Coastal" POV* is good. I like it.

Emma Frisch can cook, but her voice puts me to sleep. She is trying hard to be energetic, but I don't think she will make the final four.

Loreal Gavin, Butcher Babe, is not always being Butcher Babe. She morphed from Butcher Babe into Party Gal on this week's episode. Stop It Loreal, Dang!


My guess for the next finalist to go home?
I think it will be Sarah Penrod.
Sarah changed her POV two episodes ago to "Texas." She still isn't presenting a clear POV.

*POV = Point of View

Discovering Cheese Tortellini Salad

A Pasta Salad Lunch

At work today, a coworker brought in three types of pasta salad for a staff lunch donation. I love pasta salad, so I took two big spoonfuls of all three types of salad. Returning to my office, plate in hand, I sat down and started eating. The first two salads were familiar to me and I made short work of eating them. (They were yummy.) The third salad was unfamiliar to me, so I took a half teaspoon bite to sample it. Wow, was that bite a revelation! The cheese tortellini, baby pepperoni, and mozzarella cubes were identified by my mouth after a second and third bite, but I wasn't quite sure what the dressing was. The creamy, rich pasta salad was a meal all by itself. I found myself wishing I had heaped my plate high with just this salad. As soon as I arrived home this afternoon, my misson was to find that recipe. The search for "tortellini pasta salad" quickly yielded the recipe I was searching for, picture and all. How come I have never seen this kind of pasta salad before? I feel cheated. I'm definitely making this salad a one dish meal, over and over.

Click on the link below to find the recipe for mouth pleasing, addictive, cheese tortellini salad.

http://simpledelicioussouthernfood.blogspot.com/2012/08/here-is-delicious-and-refreshing-summer.html?m=1

A Mom-Daughter Date at Longhorn Steakhouse

Last week I had a mom-daughter date with Ashley, my youngest daughter, in Columbia, MO. Our agenda included an appointment, shopping at the Broadway Market Place shopping center, and lunch. After our shopping was completed, we discussed our various lunch choices. Ashley suggested the nearby Longhorn Steakhouse because she had dined there recently and had been satisfied with the experience, especially the large portions. I wanted to eat at the Longhorn Steakhouse because I was a dining virgin at this particular chain of steakhouses.

 The Decor and Cleanliness

Walking into the steakhouse is a pleasant experience. The dining area was neat and clean. The Western theme decor was expected, but I particulary liked the antler chandeliers. However, the black metal, horseback cowboy roping a steer silhoutte that tops and divides the booths is a bit kitschy. Even though it was high noon, the restaurant was not crowded. (There are numerous eating spots in this area of Columbia)

The Service and Choices 

Our waitress was attentive, polite, and quick. Ashley and I decided on  the economically priced lunch combinations menu, $8 - $10.  Ashley chose the sirloin chimichurri half sandwich with a mixed green salad and I picked the shaved prime rib half sandwich with loaded baked potatoe soup. We did ask about the chimichurri sauce . Ashley was worried that it might be spicy, but it was mild with barely any heat. Our basket of crusty, warm bread slices (3)with butter arrived first. I liked it, but didn't love it.

 The Food

Our platters arrived fairly quickly, but I can't tell you how long it took because we were talking. Remember, it was a mom-daughter date. Our platters arrived at the same time. Ashley and I were impressed with the sheer size of the sandwich halves and the generous soup and salad portions.  I'm sure there was a quarter pound of medium rare roast beef on my sandwich half. It was thick enough, that I ate it with a knife and fork. The accompanying Longhorn version of horseradish sauce was lucious and mild. The sandwiches weren't served cold, but they weren't much above warm. However, I don't like soggy, hot bread on my sandwiches and we were both happy with the taste, texture, and tenderness of the beef on both the sandwiches.

The loaded baked potato soup was super thick, rich, and tasty. Seriously, I wanted to lick the bowl. Ashley's mixed green salad was a typical salad, but it was larger than most side salads. A sample of the housemade potato chips came with the lunch combinations. The chips were crisp, salty, and yummy. However, with the large portions of our lunch choices, we just nibbled one or two.

Overall, we really enjoyed having lunch at the Longhorn Stealkhouse. Ashley and I will have another lunch at this location. Sorry about not having pictures of the sandwiches, but we were already eating them before I thought about taking pictures.

Cruisin' to Clanton's Cafe, Vinita, OK - updated 6/24/2013

Taking a motorcycle trip with Bill is always  fun, but add a great eatery to the journey, and the adventure factor doubles for me. After four windy hours of riding west, Bill and I were happy to see the Vinita, Oklahoma exit sign that announced our exit was half a mile from us.
As we rumbled into Vinita, I excitedly scanned the left hand buildings for a Clanton's sign.  Then I saw the object of my search, a one story building, rising from a veritable sea of vehicles. Now this wasn't a weekend. It was Thursday and the surrounding parking lot was jam packed.  We cruised around the building, seeking a space large enough to park our two bikes and the trailer I was towing.  We both spotted the bare strip of parking  lot  about the same time, so we parked in tandem and dismounted .
Now my husband is a city fellow and he didn't know about calf fries. I actually told him about Clanton's being famous for this item as we walked into the building, shame on me.  Brimming with excitement,  me not Bill, we had a brief wait for a table and used that time to soak in the atmosphere inside the building.
The Guy Fieri sign  was a reminder that he and the Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives crew had featured Clanton's  Cafe on the Old Route 66 shows. Framed local news articles, poker playing dog pictures, and hunting trophies adorned the walls. Waitresses swiftly took orders, smiled, and returned bearing platters of homemade french fries smothered in gravy, steaks, and a veritable feast of home cookin'.
A smiling, friendly waitress seated us and I acted like a complete tourist. Yes, I told her I was a fan of Triple D and Guy. THEN I told her my goal of eating at as many featured spots as I could. See, I told you, totally a tourist.
Bill ordered chicken fried steak, I ordered an open face roast beef, and both were accompanied by the handcut fries. The waitress told me she could bring us a sample of calf fries, so I said YES. You can see them in the picture.
The food was wonderful.  Bill praised the chicken fried steak as the best he has ever eaten. The roast actually was chunks of roast beef in a gravy that was silky smooth delishishness. Sorry, it was so good that just thinking about it made me feel like I was talking with my mouthful. Seriously, it is that good. Plus, we both ate all we could eat for $16.60. 

Oh yeah, the calf fries. The sauce they were served with is to die for. I know, I know it's a cliche, but it's true! It was like seafood cocktail meets salsa. Yum. The fries were dipped in a crisp light batter and fried to perfection. My tastebuds were happy with the batter and sauce. The calf part is very mild so there is no reason to not try a calf fry. Unless, you just can't get over what part of the calf you would be eating.
Look up Clanton's Cafe on Google Maps or Facebook and plan a road trip to Vinita, Oklahoma soon!

We enjoyed Clanton's Cafe enough the first time, that we visited a second time on June 20, 2013. This time I ordered the chicken fried steak with white gravy and Bill ordered the open faced pork loin sandwich. We shared a slice of homemade coconut cream pie that was a perfect meld of flaky crust, fluffy meringue, and coconut filling. I don't like overly sweet pie, so I cautiously tasted a small bit of filling first. It was a perfect balance between too much sugar versus not enough sugar.

Chicken Fried Steak at Clanton's
added 6/24/2013 Photo by Sallee Bonham
 

Pork Loin Open Face Sandwich

added 6/24/2013 Photo by Sallee Bonham

 

 

Coconut Cream Pie

added 6/24/2013 Photo by Sallee Bonham