Moody Thoughts

Gettin’ Ready for the Post Season – An Amazing Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2010-12-19T18:19:00.000-08:00

Moody Thought: “A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”

- Proverb

Wasup People,

It’s almost time for the playoffs baby! Between the college football bowl games and NFL postseason play, these next seven weeks I’ll be in heaven. I say, “While in heaven, maximize the moment!” Thus, I’m pulling out all the stops. My first stop is chips and dip. A good chip and dip sets the tone for the remaining festivities. What better way to start things properly than an amazing spinach and artichoke dip?

Ingredients:

2 Cloves fresh garlic (minced)

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (8 oz)

1 (14 oz) can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

(Optional - a tablespoon mozzarella)

Instructions:

It tastes even better than it looks and is extremely easy to make. You’ll need about 35 minutes to make this. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). While oven is preheating, drain a can (~14 ounce) of artichoke hearts (quartered or half) then chop them. Be careful not to dice the artichokes. It’s good to have a mix of chopped and hearty pieces of artichoke. Once you’re done chopping, place artichokes in a bowl then add 5 ounces of cooked, chopped spinach (I like to use frozen chopped spinach, drained well after cooking). Ensure that the spinach has been properly drained before adding them to the mixing bowl. Combine two cloves of minced garlic with a cup of mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese to the mixing bowl. Mix everything together carefully and add salt and pepper to taste. Personally, I like to add a lil mozzarella to top off the dip before I bake however, this is optional. Once everything has been thoroughly mixed together and meets your desired consistency, add dip to a small ramekin or oven dish of your choice then bake for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Give it about five minutes to cool and supplement the dip with you choice of chips. I’ve found that salty pita or tortilla chips tend to work best.

I hope you give this a try and enjoy sharing this with folks you care about.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Verizon Wireless finally rolling out LTE Service December 5 – Simply Brilliant!

2010-12-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

Moody Thought: “Good things come to those who wait.”

- Proverb

Wasup People,

There has been a tremendous amount of buzz surround Verizon Wireless’s 4G or LTE network that will officially launch December 5 (finally, we've been waiting patiently) to some 100 million American consumers. I have to give Verizon credit, the way they are rolling out the product and how they are marketing it, simply brilliant. I say for two reasons, first, the product is rolling out slowing starting with computers and then migrating to mobile devices, tablets etc. This allows Verizon to stagger the use of its new network, maintain high download speeds, generate buzz all while they beef up their network for the tablet war in 2011. In addition, they are releasing a plethora of 4G phones that will be showcased at CES in January 2011, awesome!

The second reason why I think this move is brilliant is because of it’s marketing strategy. The new network is called 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) allows them to claim it’s the next generation network while not actually being a 4G network. What am I talking about? By definition, 4G must get download speed of 100 Mbps mobile and 1Gbps stationary (think landlines, dsl, cable, etc).

Anyhow, the commercials simply pop. I’ve included these two below.

New Commerical:

Old Commercial:

Each of these commercials generates buzz but Verizon has the technical capacity to pull it off. Coupled with the fact that this new network is GSM based (world wide standard) vs CDMA, it seems like the mythical Verizon iPhone may finally come to fruition and help Verizon compete on a global scale. I could go on and on but to put it simply, it’s brilliant!

Peace,

TruEngineer

iPhone reception issues – Who’s to blame, Apple or AT&T?

2010-06-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

Moody Thought: “If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again.”

- Aaliyah

Wasup People,

A lot of folks are out talking about potential reception issues for iPhone4’s when you hold them a specific way (resulting in connecting stainless steel antennas). I find it rather interesting that many of these folks are secretly Apple haters. I think Steve Jobs and co. are aware of that thus explaining his response to customers, “It’s a non-issue.” Although I didn’t like Steve Jobs response and understand his rationale, I do think people are missing a bigger picture here. The truth of the matter is this; the iPhone4 is getting the best reception of any iPhone on AT&T’s network. Which leads me to this question, is AT&T’s network solely or largely to blame for poor reception on iPhones?

Now, if I haven’t made this clear in the past, I am not nor do I ever plan to be on AT&T’s network. Nothing against AT&T, I’m simply a faithful Verizon customer. With that being said, I do find it interesting that iPhone has an exclusive contract with AT&T considering Verizon’s network reputation. When we look at the reason for this it’s not because Verizon or any other cellular provider didn’t have the opportunity to have the iPhone on their network four years ago. After further investigation, we find that all the major carriers had an opportunity but choose not to carry it. Now, this is purely speculation on my part but I think the reason why Verizon and others turned down Apple was because the iPhone when it first came out wasn’t much of a phone. It was a gloried iPod that could make calls. Let’s be honest, iPhones have lacked many features that other phones have had for a while (MMS – wasn’t available till 3^rd generation, Multitasking – wasn’t available till 4^th generation – just a to name a few.)

So, with that being said, it brings me back to my question: “Is AT&T’s network solely or largely to blame for poor reception on iPhones?” I do think that AT&T is partly to blame but Apple is also largely responsible as well. We forget that Apple just got into the cellular industry recently. Apple has a history of making solid hardware and software for computers and media devices but not cell phones. I’m one to believe that Apple has been learning the hard way how to properly make cell phones while it get’s all the praise for the good and AT&T get’s all the blame for reception issues. Poor AT&T but then again, they’ve made a killing these past few years. So, I don’t really feel sorry for them. Anyhow, it makes me wonder though. Now, that Apple may have addressed some of their internal issues on proper cellular function will it finally migrate to other providers? I wouldn’t be surprised to see an iPhone5 or whatever name appear on Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile within the next year.

These are just a few of my thoughts on this topic. What do you think?

TruEngineer

Is Apple’s Business Modeling Hindering Engineering Innovation?

2010-06-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

Moody Thought: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

- Steve Jobs

Wasup People,

I’m a tech person and have really enjoyed seeing all the amazing products that have been released this year. I’m more of a Google fan-boy than Apple fan-boy but who cares? Both companies have great products. Apple does hardware and software. Google does software with a strong emphasis on everything being web-centered. However, lately Google has been entering Apples territory when it comes to Smartphone’s and tablets (Google is rumored to be releasing a tablet later this year). I’m interested in this battle because I own Apple products (iMac and mackbook) and like to keep things uniform but I’m on Verizon’s network and will not be switching to dark side: AT&T. Being a faithful Verizon customer but also wanting to participate in the hype that Apple generates (partly from Steve Jobs and Apple fan boys/girls). What am I supposed to do?

Well, Google answered my prayers by partnering with HTC and bringing a solid Smartphone device to Verizon’s network, the HTC Droid Incredible - a truly amazing phone. So amazing that it does well compared to the new iPhone 4 despite it only being HTC’s second generation android device on Verizon and coming out several months before the fourth generation iPhone. I’m not saying that the Incredible beats the iPhone 4, I’m saying it does well and potentially hints at the fact that Apple’s business plan is holding back their engineering innovation. I say that because many of the features that are on the iPhone 4 (Front facing camera, iMovie for iPhone, Better rear camera, FaceTime, Multitasking) are all things that should have been on the first generation iPad that came out three months before the iPhone4. However, if they did that, what would be so innovative about the iPhone4? The improved screen? Noise cancelation? A new form-factor? Most of these things are commonplace on other Smartphones (think Nexus One or HTC Evo 4G). Where is the innovation? Furthermore, why do all that when you know that on hype alone you can sell millions of iPad’s and even more iPhone 4’s a few months later then, address these issues in the second generation iPad and maybe bringing iPhone to other carriers a year later?

Hm, as a consumer I’m a bit upset at this business strategy but I’m pleased at the same time because we are finally starting to see some competition. Google is a worthy opponent that is aggressively going after Apples market share. Google seems to be presenting more innovation at a faster rate while Apple appears to be coasting on past success. I fear that if Apple doesn’t change their business strategy and dish out more engineering innovation within the next three to five years, they ‘might’ be on their way to becoming the current Microsoft, large company with lots of products but mostly uninspiring and lacking in innovation.

These are just a few of my thoughts on this topic. What do you think?

TruEngineer

Basic Cookin’ – A Country Boys Lunch Feast!

2010-04-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

Moody Thought: “I lived in solitude in the country and noticed how the monotony of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.”

- Albert Einstein

Wasup People,

These past few days I’ve had a lot of alone time, much more than I’m used to. Normally all this idle time leads my mind down paths that it ought not go however, yesterday was different. This ‘idle time’ inspired a plethora of cookin’. I think it’s in my best interest not to tell you all the dishes I made but I do want to show you a small piece of what I created. I’ll call it a country boy’s lunch feast cause it’s large (gluttonous if I’m honest) and country because of the items I prepared. These items include: country fried pork steak, zesty mashed potatoes, crock-pot chili, toast (I had cornbread but just wasn’t in the mood), a baby arugula salad blend and sweet tea (Hallelujah!) This was so good it felt sinful. So, how did I do it? Well, I tried a few new things. I’ll eventually make YouTube videos for each item but in the meantime, I’ll give you a few links to similar approaches.

Frying the pork steaks: I used a double egg batter approach. I seasoned the steaks, then put them in the egg batter, flowered them, dipped them back in the egg batter and flowerd them one more time. A similar approach is shown here: Similar Fried Approach

Zesty mashed potatoes: I added a half a bunch of green onions to my water bath. Half batch being on half of the stalk. I didn’t want too much green. You can use a regular diced white onion as well. Anyhow, a video similar to my methods is: Easy Mashed Potatoes

Crock-pot chili: You already know. My own video coming soon but in the meantime check out my old post: Crock-pot chili

I’m kinda backed up on videos and posts these days. I’m planning to post my finance videos soon as well as few others. In the meantime, let me know what you think of this and if you would like me to make vids of each of these items.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Personal Finance – Spending Plan 101: Week Five of Twelve

2010-03-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

Moody Thought: “I love you but it’s not my job to fix your finances!”

- Charlotte: Sex and the City

Wasup People,

Last week we talked about finance and relationships and to further hammer some of those points home I included the above quote. Folks will love you but often times they are unable to help us. Thus, we must help ourselves first. With that being said, in today’s video we begin to help ourselves by putting some bones to our spending plan in regards to categories. I highlight fourteen categories but if you did your homework, you may have found there are more categories than that. Check out the vid and let me know if you have any questions.

Spending Plan 101 – Week Five of Twelve, YouTube Video

Peace,

TruEngineer

Basic Cookin’ – Giant Blueberry Muffins (Remix!)

2010-03-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Moody Thought: “One of the simple but genuine pleasures in life is getting up in the morning and hurrying to a mousetrap you set the night before.”

- Kin Hubbard

Wasup People,

Yesterday I was out and about with a friend and we happened to stumble into a coffee shop. While we were there I feel for one my biggest temptations, a giant blueberry muffin. I couldn’t help myself, honestly, I couldn’t. To me it’s the simple pleasures in life that bring me extreme joy and satisfaction. To further illustrate this point let me tell you a bit more. Not only did I purchase this giant blueberry muffin, I refused to eat it at the time because they couldn’t warm it up for me. (aside: I love to experience things at their peak, thus I tend to only eat warm cookies, brownies, muffins etc.) Anyhow, it was amazing to me that I didn’t have the self control to not purchase this muffin but I did have the self control to wait till I got home (several hours later) to warm up the muffin before consumption. In case you were wondering, the muffin was good.

Anyhow, after I ate this giant muffin I realized it was time for me to make my own muffins. In addition, I hadn’t made a Chef John recipe in a long, long time. So, I made the muffins but added a few tweaks to the recipe (link below). I baked the muffins for 45 minutes instead of 30. I added a teaspoon of vanilla extract with a lil’ ground nutmeg and cinnamon. They aren’t bad but I’m stickin’ with my old recipe.

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/search?q=blueberry+muffins

Peace,

TruEngineer

Basic Cookin’ – YouTube Breakfast: Belgian Waffles, Fried Potatoes ... FAIL!

2010-03-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

Moody Thought: “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

- Collin Powell

Wasup People,

Every man has his zero hour. In many ways I feel like my last couple weeks have been filled with crucial moments in my life. Unfortunately or fortunately, almost all of these moments have resulted in what looked like failure. Take for example my most recent attempt to make a basic cookin’ video for YouTube. I was hoping to rev-up up my breakfast series by making my all-time favorite breakfast, Belgian Waffles (with a zippy twist), fried potatoes, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs with cheese, apples and bananas with a side of apple cider. Oh, yeah babe! I was debating making it into multiple videos: one showing how to make fried potatoes and the other showing my zippy-twisty Belgian Waffles (I’ve showed how to make those other items in earlier YouTube videos). Instead I screwed them both up trying to be cute :(. However, I’ll be going home this weekend and I’ll get my mom to teach me how to make these things properly. So, all is not lost. In fact, what I initially thought was an epic failure on my part is a learning opportunity and a subtle reminder not to get cute.

With that being said, I think it’s important to always keep things in perspective. No matter how bad or good things get, I believe it’s imperative to keep a level head. You never know what is around the corner or how things will ultimately end. Thus, I’ll chalk this one up but you best believe that I’ll be back in the kitchen soon and make these items properly. Until then...

Peace,

TruEngineer

Personal Finance – Spending Plan 101: Week Four of Twelve

2010-03-17T18:37:00.001-07:00

Moody Thought: “No road is long with good company.”

- Turkish Proverb

Wasup People,

My most sincere apologies for not posting this video last week, I shot the original video when I was ill and didn’t like the result. Thus, I waited till I was feeling better and reshot the video. In today’s video we talk about Michelle Singletary’s book, “7 Money Mantras For A Richer Life – How to Live Well with the Money You Have.” I really enjoyed the book because it provided a woman’s perspective about money and also had an old school approach (greatly influenced by her grandmother). Anyhow, I liked how on many levels the author touched on the importance of money in regards to our relationships. In this video I mention some of those points but I don’t cover them all. If you would like to have a more thorough explanation/ discussion of how these two are at times ‘intimately’ intertwined, I suggest you check out the book and discuss in a good book club. In the meantime, check this video out:

Spending Plan 1010: Week Four of Twelve, YouTube Video!

Peace,

TruEngineer

WIES – Celeste Chavis on Civil Engineering

2010-03-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

Moody Thought: “It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts…it is to teach them how to think.”

- Robert M. Hutchins

Wasup People,

Welcome to another video in the What Is Engineering Series (WIES) on Moody Thoughts. In today’s video we meet Celeste Chavis and she shares some of her thoughts on Civil Engineering. Check out the video below.

WIES: Celeste Chavis on Civil Engineering, YouTube Video!

If you’re interested in civil engineering or any other engineering or science major, please don’t hesitate to contact me. In the mean time be on the lookout for many–many more videos to come in the WIES, STEM and/or Engineering label on my site. Thank you for your time.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Personal Finance – Spending Plan 101: Week Three of Twelve

2010-03-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

Moody Thought: What good is it for a man to gain the world, yet forfeit his soul?

- Mark 8:36 (NIV)

Wasup People,

Welcome to week three of our twelve-week class. Today I want to frame creating a ‘spending plan’ as going on a journey. I do this for two reasons; first, everything in life is a journey. Secondly, it helps to change the way we view finance and money. All too often folks view money in a manner that is inappropriate and ultimately detrimental to their goals or lack there of. Thus, we’re change the way ‘we’ view money and our first step is to think about making a spending plan is analogous to going on a journey. I’ll hope you’ll join me on this journey over the next few weeks and check out today’s video.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Spending Plan 101: Week Three of Twelve, YouTube Video!

WIES – Mark L. McKelvin Jr. on Electrical Engineering

2010-03-03T07:22:00.000-08:00

Moody Thought: “I’ll find a way or make one”

- One half the motto of Clark Atlanta University

Wasup People,

Welcome to the What Is Engineering Series (WIES) on Moody Thoughts. Essentially, WIES is a collection of videos of some really cool engineers I know that are sharing their thoughts on their respective disciplines. Today I met with Mark Lee McKevlin Jr. and he shared with me some his thoughts on Electrical Engineering.

WIES: Mark L. McKelvin Jr. on Electrical Engineering, YouTube Video!

If you’re interested in electrical engineering or any other engineering or science major, please don’t hesitate to contact me. In the mean time be on the lookout for many–many more videos to come in the WIES, STEM and/or Engineering label on my site. Thank you for your time.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Personal Finance – Spending Plan 101: Week Two of Twelve

2010-02-28T23:23:00.000-08:00

Moody Thought: Money is plentiful for those who understand the simple laws which govern its acquisition.

- George S. Clason

Wasup People,

This is week two of our twelve-week class. I’m glad to have you back. In today’s class we are going to review, “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S. Clason. The book review is a bit short because I wanted to highlight some of the books that I’ll review in greater detail in the weeks to come. Furthermore, I begin the highlight the importance of setting priorities when it comes to finance. I’ll go into greater detail in the future but in the mean time, check out today’s lesson.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Spending Plan 101: Week Two of Twelve, YouTube Video!

Basic Cookin’ – Quick and Easy Ground Beef

2010-02-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

Moody Thought: Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.

- Tom Robbins

Wasup People,

I’m getting a lil’ ahead of myself but I wanted to give you a sneak peak of the things to come i.e. lunch and dinner instead of just breakfast on basic cookin’ with TruEngineer. With that being said, one of the things I want to show you how to make is a flexible ground beef. What am I talkin’ bout? This is a recipe that you can use for a wide variety of dishes. I used today’s version to make sloppy joe (a quick and easy meal) but I also use this same recipe for chilli and many other recipes. I’m just showing you the picture of the recipe today. In the future I’ll post the YouTube video and details on the ingredients. We’re going to have to some fun, stay tuned!

Peace,

TruEngineer

Personal Finance – Spending Plan 101: Week One of Twelve

2010-02-21T09:31:00.000-08:00

Moody Thought: It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.

- Proverbs 19:2

Wasup People,

I’ve finally gotten my act together to do this Spending Plan Class. I was debating doing a six-week class but I decided to go a little more in-depth thus, we have twelve weeks (that and I found out that ten minutes goes by awfully quickly when you’re making YouTube videos). Besides, it’s not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. Thus, we are going to take our time and do this right!

Okay, getting back to the class, each week I’ll provided an outline, good content :), assign homework and finally, I’ll conclude with a sneak peak for the following week. I encourage you to watch the videos in order and a week apart from ‘your’ start date (feel free to re-watch the videos as much as you like :)). Okay, the video for today is provided below. Know that your comments, feedback and general suggestions are much appreciated.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Spending Plan 101: Week One of Twelve, YouTube Video!

Breakfast Special – Buttermilk Pancakes, Sausage Links, Scrambled Eggs, Toast = Yummy!

2010-02-19T05:04:00.000-08:00

Wasup People,

This is past Sunday was Valentines Day. So, I decided to start the day off right by making a complete breakfast. It’s a pretty easy meal. I’ve made a YouTube video, provided below, that highlights how to make this knock your socks off kind of breakfast. I hope you give it a try. Also, I’ll be doing a mini-breakfast series for the next few weeks. I’ll be making my famous apple and cinnamon Belgian waffles, oh yeah babe! So, stay tuned! In the mean time, check out these buttermilk pancakes!

Knock Your Socks Off Breakfast Video!

Peace,

TruEngineer

BSM – 2010 College Football Season Prediction-Declaration!!!

2010-02-15T23:49:00.000-08:00

Wasup People,

This is a quick prediction/declaration for the 2010 college football season. I have to be honest, most of what I’m stating here is just based off of what I’m feelin’ personally. If you didn’t know already, this is my year, my time! So, you may see a lil’ of that carry over to my passion for Ohio State Sports. However, I do feel like OSU is gonna do some big things this year and beyond. So, stay tuned and enjoy my first Buckeye Sports Monday YouTube video.

2010 College Football Season Prediction/ Declaration

Peace,

TruEngineer

P.S. Here is a video highlighting the 2009 football season, in a word: Phenomenal!

Duane Long's 2009 OSU Football Season Highlights

Quick Meals – BBQ Pork Rib with Mashed Potatoes and Baby Spinach

2010-02-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

Wasup People,

It’s been a while since I posted one of my own recipes. So, today I decided to do my own thing versus following someone else. It was kinda fun. I didn’t do anything overly complicated, I just used what I had available in my refrigerator. I had some left over mashed potatoes and baby spinach. Also, last time I was in the grocery store they had pork rib on sale so I picked it up although, I didn’t know what I was going to make with it. Finally, my bread was nearing the end of it’s freshness so I thought I should consume before it went stale and Bam! I got today’s creation. It’s quick and easy. The pork took about eight minutes on my George Foreman grill after I had seasoned it well. I like mine tender and these were thick ribs. So, cook to your desired doneness. Anyhow, the ingredients for everything are provided below. I’m no Rachel Ray but you can easily make this meal in under 15 minutes, it took me ~ 12 :) (Remember, the mashed potatoes were already done ahead of time) Anyhow, I hope you give this a try.

Enjoy,

TruEngineer

Here is a video of how to make Mashed Potatoes (I’ll do my own YouTube version of this in the future): Mashed Potatoes Recipe from Foodwishes.com

Ingredients for Pork Rib:

1 Strip Pork Rib

1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt (You can use whatever salt you like - just season all four sides)

1 Tablespoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon BBQ Sauce (use whatever BBQ sauce you like)

Vegetarian Special – Oatmeal with Raisin

2010-02-06T14:20:00.000-08:00

Wasup People,

I want to apologize for the delay in posts lately. I kinda fell behind on my research and needed to get on my A-game. Anyhow, I’m back and have another dish for you. This one is really simple, Oatmeal with Raisin. Below is a video demo of the recipe and ingredients. It’s super simple. I hope you give it a try.

Here is a video of how to make Oatmeal with Raisins

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup skim milk (You can use water instead of skim milk)

¾ cup oatmeal (I used Quaker 1 minute oats, you can use oats of your choice)

1 teaspoon brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar)

pinch of kosher salt (or whatever salt you have)

Peace,

TruEngineer

Vegetarian Special – California Pizza with Roasted Tomatoes, Sautéed Spinach and Banana Peppers

2010-01-23T00:05:00.000-08:00

Wasup People,

One of the many things I struggle with from time to time is my image. I always want to appear and feel like a masculine man. Most men I see today feel weak to me. In my mind, the worst thing you can be as a man is weak. One of these days I’ll either do a long blog entry about masculinity and how it should be defined. Maybe I’ll do it when I review Tony Dungy’s book, Quiet Strength. I dunno but for today I want to focus on the current battle in my mind. I wrestled because the playoffs are on and currently I’m a vegetarian. What is a masculine man supposed to eat on game day when he’s a vegetarian? Soy nuggets just don’t cut it, ya know! Rather than give into temptation and get off my path, I choose to redefine masculinity in regards to diet. Real men take care of themselves! Real men are not confined by narrow, old school views of masculinity. Real men are trailblazers! Thus, I blazed my own trail by making my own veggie pizza (aside: I refuse to order pizza because I had to make a statement cause it’s okay for men to cook J). Anyhow, I made a roasted tomato with banana peppers and sautéed spinach, Yummy!

Here is a picture of the final product.

Here is a close up. As Emeril would say, “Oh Yeah Babe!”

If you want to make this yourself I’ve included a couple links below that I think are helpful. Let me know if you would like me to review how to sauté spinach and also if you give this a try. It was rather tasty. Okay, that’s all for now.

Peace,

TruEngineer

California Pizza Dough Recipe

Roasted Tomatoes Recipe

A Personal Story – Education

2010-01-22T08:30:00.001-08:00

Wasup People,

You know, I’m in a transitional phase of my life and recently I’ve had to make a series of difficult decisions. One of those decisions was to stop tutoring at this high school in my neighborhood. It was tough because I will miss those kids however, I have a task I must complete and I need the time. Despite moving in another direction, I’m still deeply concerned by what I’ve seen in the education system from both kids and adults. The more I think about the current K-12 system and ‘our’ (I use that very loosely here) cultural values, I’m fearful of the future. Everyone is pointing the finger, blaming someone else. Or folks are waiting for someone else to rise up and do something about it. Well, I’m not going to point the finger anymore. I’m not waiting for someone to come and save us. Rather, I’m going to do what I can and that is why I’m making this post for today. I have made a couple of YouTube videos to address education issues in our community. The first video is about what we can do as a community i.e. addressed to the adults. The second video is for current students. Please comment and let you know what you think.

YouTube video for community

YouTube video for individual

Again, please share your thoughts. If you have better solutions that what I’ve proposed, I’d love to hear them. Thanks for your time.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Movie Review – The Book of Eli

2010-01-21T11:52:00.001-08:00

Wasup People,

I can’t even begin to tell you how good this movie is. It messed me up! Man, it messed me up! I won’t tell you much about it for fear of ruining it for you but if you are a Christian, you must see this movie! This is not a request but an order! Go see it, like now! What are you waiting for? Okay, I’ll let you watch the trailer below then once that’s done go to movietickets.com and buy your ticket.

In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator, “Do it! Do it now! … Get to the theater!” Translation, you should be on your way to the theater once you've finished reading this post.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Book Review – Why Men Hate Going to Church

2010-01-18T19:23:00.000-08:00

Wasup People,

You ever walk into a room and instantly feel like you were out of place? Like everyone else who was there belonged and you didn’t? That’s how I used to feel in college when I went to church. Which confused me because I had grown up going to church with my family but now that I was going on my own, something was terribly wrong. Thank God for my roommate/best friend for coming with me otherwise there wouldn’t have been another man in the 18-35 range in the church other than me. That’s what hurt me the most. Seeing such a large gap. Furthermore, seeing married women with children work hard to make sure their kids were there but their husband’s were MIA. I was like, “Maybe I should come back in like 20 years or something.” Something just felt terribly wrong but I was compelled to go each week, weird. For years I have wondered why men are MIA on Sunday. I tried to do what I could to increase the number of brothers in church on a Sunday morning but I don’t have much to show for it. It really bothers me. I’m not used to being around mostly women, I’m an engineer (a profession that is 80-85 % male, not a good thing though). So, one day I was at this conference and I decided to attend this workshop that addressed men’s issues. One of the things that came out of it was this book, “Why Men Hate Going to Church” by David Murrow. I did a YouTube video review, shown below.

It really opened my eyes to why brothers aren’t there. The book states that in many ways we’ve feminized Christ or at least in our presentation of him in many churches, that we no longer challenge men, that men don’t have feel needed in church because they lack the skills sets that are required, that men tend to have a different learning style and we’re not catering to it and that men desire God but not the way it’s been shown to them. Those are some of the things that came out of the book. I highly suggest checking it out. It opened my eyes to a lot of things but, it’s not the gospel. It’s simply one mans view of why men are MIA on Sunday. So, if you want to know like I did, check it out and maybe you’ll have a few more brothas in your church on a Sunday morning.

Peace,

TruEngineer

The Power of Good Presentation

2010-01-16T15:45:00.000-08:00

Wasup People,

I recently took this consulting/facilitating part time job at a school of business. In essence I help MBA students learn how to incorporate ‘innovation’ in the design process as they solve ‘unique’ business problems. Anyhow, I’ve been in training these last two days in preparation and today we focused on the importance of giving a powerful presentation. Often times we discover that a powerful presentation can sell a good idea and a poor presentation can crush a phenomenal idea. To illustrate this point they showed the video below. Its taken from Mad Men where Don is making a bid for the advertising business of Kodak. I believe he is giving the presentation to some engineers :).

Check it out (YouTube Video) then read what I have below.

Powerful, right? It was poetic. It had built in tension and suspense. There was a sense of aching for what he had because it resonates so well with the audience. This is the essence of what I want to be able to do with my presentations. I want to be poetic, I want to build in tension and suspense, and I want my messages to resonate so well with the audience that they ache for what I’m sharing with them. This is the essence of powerful presentation. I hope you’ll assist me by providing feedback on my YouTube videos so one day I can accomplish all this. Thank you for your time.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Vegetarian Special – Scrambled Eggs with Cheese

2010-01-14T17:42:00.001-08:00

Wasup People,

As promised and a bit ahead of schedule, I’m posting my first cooking video. I hope that you enjoy. I decided to continue with my vegetarian theme and make this dish vegetarian friendly although I’m not a vegetarian, just trying something new. Anyhow, the video is below. Please rate, comment and give me whatever feedback you have so I can make even better videos.

YouTube Video

Ingredients:

3 Large Eggs

3 – 4 Tablespoons Sharp Cheddar Cheese (you can use whatever cheese you like)

1 Teaspoon butter (you can substitute oil of your choice or non-stick spray)

Salt and pepper to taste

Peace,

TruEngineer

P.S. I’m not going to be able to be as systematic this year like last year i.e. posting every Saturday, I know, I’m sad too. However, whenever my schedule permits I’ll post a recipe via YouTube with detailed instructions here or I’ll just post my creations like I’ve done in the past if I don’t make a recording.

Buckeye Sports Update - Rose Bowl Images

2010-01-14T01:04:00.001-08:00

Wasup People,

Let me begin by saying that I’m sorry for the delay. I’ve been on workin’ hard on a grant here at school, brotha wants to graduate you know! Anyhow, I’ve included a few pictures of the game from our seats. Being able to share this moment with my family is what made it special. I’d show you some family photos but I don’t think they’d approve :).

Here is a photo of confetti coming out once it was all over.

One last photo of Doug Worthingon waving our flag to celebrate the victory.

In case you missed the game and wanted some highlights, check out the video below. It’s absolutely phenomenal!

Awesome YouTube Video in HD

Till next time.

Go Bucks!

TruEngineer

P.S. Once I get some free time I’ll give my predictions for the next year in a YouTube video. Be on the lookout for that!

Vegetarian Special – Cream of Mushroom Soup

2010-01-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

Wasup People,

I know, I know it’s been a long time but I’m back now. I’ll soon post some pictures of my Rose Bowl trip on a special edition of Buckeye Sports Monday on Monday 1.11.10. Anyhow, it’s a New Year and I’m doing some new things. I’m starting off this year with some vegetarian dishes. Today is a simple cream of mushroom soup. I hope you’ll enjoy. The soup came out better than the pictures. I didn’t have any garnish so I tried to chop up some spinach and yea, fail! Lesson learned; get a real garnish next time. As always, the link for the recipe is below. The only modifications I made was I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and that garnish thing.

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/12/cream-of-mushroom-soup-pure-liquid-moon.html

Oh, I also have a big announcement: next week I’ll be posting my first YouTube – Cookin’ with TruEngineer dish. So, stay tuned! Yes, exciting times indeed. I don’t know how many of these videos I will do. I found out today that these things take a long time to edit and take forever to post on YouTube. As long as it’s not a drain I’ll make as many as possible. Okay, I hope you had a great and safe New Year. Till next time…

Peace,

TruEngineer

Potluck Special – Loaded Potato

2009-12-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

Wasup People,

Today is our final potluck dish and final dish of the 2009 calendar year. I know, I know, I’m sad as well but 2010 is gonna be a year to remember. So, stay tuned! Anyhow, to conclude our series on relationships and food, I would like to emphasize that one must love people. I’ve heard it said that “One should love their neighbor as themselves.” To tie this into cooking I think how you treat your food will impact how it tastes. Thus, I know that’s especially important if you plan on getting invited to another potluck. Therefore, think of the folks your cooking for when preparing the meal and cook with love. I’m going to leave it at that.

The dish that is shown today is a loaded potato. Essentially it’s a baked potato casserole and it’s delicious! The recipe is provided below.

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/11/do-you-feel-lucky-well-do-you-carnation.html

If you haven’t checked out Chef Johns website yet (www.foodwishes.com) you don’t know what you’re missing out on. This is another one of his creations and my recreation.

Finally, I’m going to take a slightly different approach in 2010. I’m going to try to do themes for a month a time. I’m going to start off January with a vegetarian theme. Not sure what I’ll do for February and so forth but I wanted to give you a heads up. In addition, I’ll finally start posting YouTube videos in January as well. Yea, so be on the lookout.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Potluck Special – Mac n Cheese

2009-12-19T19:12:00.000-08:00

Moody Thought: You give before you get.

- Napoleon Hill

Wasup People,

Continuing our theme on potlucks and personal relationships, I think it’s critical that in relationships we look for ways to give. As Hill said, “you give before you get” and I think a good place to start is with this mac n cheese at your next potluck. This recipe is a modified version of a easy mac n cheese dish by Emeril Lagasse. It really is simple and you’ll love it, trust me!

Oh, I’ve added an additional picture (below) to show you what happens when you’re oven doesn’t broil properly. I tend to let the recipe broil for a few minutes once it’s done to make the top more golden in appearance but it didn’t come out the way I intended in regards to presentation. However, it still got great reviews so if it happens to you; don’t worry about it too much.

Original Recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/ems-mac-n-cheese-recipe/index.html

[Aside: some of the modifications I made was doubling the recipe size and substituting mild and sharp cheddar cheese for the cheeses listed in the recipe. In addition, I used twice as much of a modified version of essence (hard to explain but you can use regular essence and you’ll be fine). Furthermore, I used Italian bread crumbs versus regular bread crumbs.]

Peace,

TruEngineer

Potluck Special – Crockpot Chili

2009-12-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

Moody Thought: More business decisions occur over lunch and dinner than at any other time, yet no MBA courses are given on the subject.

- Peter Drucker

Wasup People,

I hope all is well. Today and for the rest of this month I’m going to share with you the importance of potlucks or in general, eating with your fellow peers and loved ones. In the quote I cited as a Moody Thought is not the motivation for fellowshipping with others rather it’s to point out that many critical decisions are made around the lunch or dinner table. What I would like to help you do is put some food on that table. Today we are making one of my all-time favorites, Crockpot Chili. I like the dish in particular because it’s super simple and the crock-pot makes you look G-o-o-d!!! I’ve broken the recipe into three phases: Meat Preparation, Chili Makin’ and Chili Tastin’. Since this is one of my creations I’ll be making a video of this sometime in 2010 so be on the lookout. Okay, here we go!

Phase One: Meat Preparation

In this phase you’ll be making the meat for the chili. Often times I make the meat the night before I decide to make the chili that way I can let it simmer in the crock-pot all day or simmer overnight. However, I must advise you to let it simmer when you’re awake and at work cause waking up the middle of the night to a pungent chili aroma makes it rather difficult to get back to sleep. Nonetheless, you’ll need to acquire the ingredients I’ve listed below. Be sure to chop the red and green bell pepper and dice the jalapeño and onion. Put half the peppers, jalapeños and onions aside for later and place the other half in a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Be sure to add the kosher salt and cook these veggies till they are slightly tender. Once the veggies are good and tender add the meat slowly in small chunks and lightly season with salt and pepper. (Aside: when cooking red meats the most important time to season is near the end of cooking). Once the meat is nearly finished cooking, drain the meat of the fat and other oils then put back in a clean non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the remaining salt, pepper and minced garlic (you can use two fresh diced garlic cloves instead if you like) and once the meat has finished cooking, season to taste then set aside.

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs – lean ground beef

1 – Large onion

1 – Large green bell pepper

1 – Large red bell pepper

1 – Large jalapeño

1 – Teaspoon olive oil

1 – Teaspoon kosher salt

1 – Tablespoon seasoning salt

1 – Tablespoon black pepper

1 – Tablespoon minced garlic

Phase Two – Chili Makin’

In this phase you’ll actually make the chili. I recommend doing this using the low setting on your crock-pot for eight to ten hours. Alternatively, you can use the high setting and cook for four to five hours. Regardless of which setting you choose, the smell is going to be phenomenal, trust! With that being said, take the cooked meat from the previous phase and add the other half of the previously chopped veggies, tomato sauce, dark red kidney beans and diced tomatoes as well as seasonings (amounts listed below). Once all the ingredients have been combined and are set to the low (or high) setting, enjoy the rest of your day. However, it would be wise to stir occasionally every two-three hours on low setting and each hour on high setting.

Ingredients:

Cooked chili meat

Remaining chopped vegetables from Phase One

2 – 15 oz cans tomato sauce (I prefer Contadina – sauce with Italian herbs)

1 – 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (I prefer Hunts – basil, garlic and oregano)

1 – 16 oz can dark red kidney beans (I prefer Bush’s best)

3 – Tablespoons of chili powder

2 – Tablespoons of ground cumin

1 – Tablespoon of kosher slat

1 – Tablespoon of black pepper

Phase Three – Chili Tastin’

Ironically enough the most important part of cooking chili is the last fifteen minutes. I know that sounds weird but it’s true. At this point you want to taste the chili and adjust by adding the appropriate amount of chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Remember, addition is easier than subtraction. It’s always easier to add seasoning than to take it away. Thus, be cautious as you add additional chili seasonings. Once the chili meats your taste buds approval let the chili cook for the remaining 15 minutes and enjoy afterwards. (Aside: I think chili taste better on the next day but that may just be me.)

That was a simple recipe right? Told ya! The crock-pot is one of the best inventions known to man. If used wisely it will enhance your cooking abilities tenfold, muhahaha! Yes, enough of that. I hope you enjoyed this post and give it a try. I’ll repost this when I add the YouTube video sometime in 2010.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Beef Ribs with Porcini Mushrooms

2009-12-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

Wasup People,

Last week I highlighted one of my favorite Thanksgiving desserts, Pumpkin Pie. This week I’d like to highlight a fall special, Beef ribs with Porcini Mushrooms. I must say, I was pleased with the tenderness of the beef and wonderful flavored that seemed to ooze out from the porcini mushrooms. The funny thing about it, I didn’t want to make this dish. I had put it off for sometime but eventually stepped up and got it done. I highly recommend this dish. It’s very simple and incredibly tasty especially for the fall season. The recipe is below.

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/10/beef-short-ribs-braised-with-wild.html

Before I let you go I wanted to give you a sneak peak of what’s to come for the rest of this month. I’m on this potluck grind so I’d thought I’d highlight some of my favorite potluck dishes. I’m not soliciting a potluck invite or anything but if I were to get an invite, one of the dishes that I show in the next three weeks might be something I bring. I hope you enjoy.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Thank God for Pumpkin Pie!!!

2009-11-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

Moody Thought: A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

– Proverbs 25:11

Wasup People,

Every thanksgiving reminds me of the importance of being thankful. I’m overjoyed when I see so many folks increase their level of generosity around the holidays. Thus, I would like to do my part by sharing with you one of my favorite holiday desserts, Pumpkin Pie! I know many of you will be skeptical at first but trust, this isn’t your store bought pumpkin pie. This pie is so good it will have you sayin’, “Thank God for Pumpkin Pie!” If you don’t believe me you can request a slice for yourself and I’ll be more than happy to share (provided you make your request before 12.2.09 and you live in the sf bay area [while supplies last] :) ). Okay, onto the recipe.

Let me preface this recipe with this, although this is a relatively easy recipe, the instructions aren’t so simple. Thus, I will make a YouTube video with step by step instructions sometime in the future. When I do, I’ll be sure to repost this post with the video. Anyhow, there are two phases to this recipe, advanced prep (i.e. things done well in advance not advanced as far as difficulty) and prime time. With that being said, let’s get it started!

Phase One: Advance Prep

In this phase you’ll be acquiring your basic ingredients that may be hard to find when its time to make the actual pie. In addition, you’ll be making a few things then freezing them for a later date.

Step 1: Obtain basic ingredients

One large pumpkin. (generally makes about four – six pies)
Three twelve oz cans of Carnation Evaporated Milk (Be sure to check expiration date on the top or bottom. You must have ample time between now and when you will actually make the pies in regards to the expiration date.)
Four to six 9-inch pie crusts. (your choice on the brand)

Step 2: Clean and cook Pumpkin

Remove the insides of the pumpkin and stem (top and bottom).
Cut pumpkin into manageable pieces (about two to three inches wide by five or six inches long).
Place pumpkin pieces into a large pot with about a quarter inch of water in it. Cook on low heat for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. Test for doneness with fork.
Drain pumpkin pieces for 30 minutes then remove the skin and set aside. Be careful not to remove too much of the pumpkin when skinning it.

Step 3: Squeeze and Freeze

Take a handful size of skin removed pumpkin pieces and squeeze the water out. Squeeze until you feel you’ve nearly exhausted all the water in the pumpkin. (This takes a while but it’s worth it and your hands should prune.)
Place all squeezed pumpkin in a Ziploc freeze bag until you’re ready to cook.
Also place the pumpkin pie crusts in the freezer as well.

Phase Two: Prime Time!

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for, prime time! Before you can move forward you must first determine how many pies you would like to make at this time. The number of pies must be an even number, two, four or six. Personally I like to make only two at a time; it’s much more manageable and reduces baking time. Anyhow, on we go.

Step 1: Acquire remaining ingredients and set aside

Eggs (two per pie).
Sugar (one cup for per).
Brown sugar (1/4 cup per pie).
Butter (one stick per pie).
Nutmeg (one teaspoon per pie).
Cinnamon (one teaspoon per pie).
Vanilla extract (one teaspoon per pie).

Step 2: Separate and Blend

Separate egg whites from the yolks. Set egg whites aside in a small blending bowl with a teaspoon of salt. Place the egg yolks in a large bowl.
Pull out a softball size of thawed pumpkin pie and squeeze any additional water out. Place a small amount of squished pumpkin in blender with a small amount of evaporated milk. Continue to do this until you have used one can of evaporated milk and the softball size pumpkin have been blended together. (One softball size squished pumpkin will make two pies.)

Step 3: Mix it all up and preheat oven

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine blended pumpkin, melted butter, egg yolk, sugars, spices and vanilla. Then mix together well with wooden spoon. (Taste for sweetness and add sugar to your own taste.)
Beat egg whites with egg beater or mixer until they are nice and foamy and no longer expand in size. (This may take a couple minutes.)
Gently fold foamy egg whites into pumpkin mixture. (This may also take a few minutes.)

Step 4: Bake it

Sprinkle a little sugar and flower on the base of the thawed pie crusts.
Pour pumpkin mixture into each pie filling evenly without overflow.
Place no more than two pies equally spaced in the middle of the 425 degrees Fahrenheit oven.
Cook for 15 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit then reduce to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. (Test for doneness by checking how solid the middle of the pie is.)

Step 5: Cool and Consume

Remove pies for oven and let them cool for at least 30 minutes.
Pull out your plates and forks and E-N-J-O-Y!!!

As you can see a lot of steps but they are relatively straight forward but at times can appear to be a bit complicated. Again, be on the lookout for the YouTube video. In the mean time enjoy the pictures and time with your loved ones.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Healthy – Creamy – French Toast

2009-11-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

Wasup People!

I’m gonna change things up for the next couple weeks due to the holiday and my travel schedule. I’ll post my thanksgiving special next Wednesday and I’ll continue with the sweet theme for November. Speaking of continuing with the sweet theme, I want to do semi-healthy, creamy French toast. I know what you’re thinkin’, how can ‘Healthy’ and ‘French Toast’ be in the same sentence and not be a contradiction? Well, maybe the entire breakfast was healthy since I added an orange and bananas to the meal. Or, maybe the French Toast was healthy because I used whole wheat bread. Maybe it was all the above, either way I’m callin’ it healthy. I really like the creamy inside of the French Toast using the technique mentioned in the link below. You should check it out. I think you’ll like it as well.

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2007/09/french-toast-fancy-brunch-restaurant.html

Peace,

TruEngineer

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Michigan Preview

2009-11-16T15:07:00.001-08:00

Wasup People,

We’re goin’ to the Rose Bowl, the R-O-S-E B-O-W-L! That’s right, the Rose Bowl and I’ll be there as well. I actually went to the last Ohio State Rose back in 1996-1997 when we played “Jake the Snake” and it was awesome. I can still remember David Boston catching the game winning touchdown, good times, good times. O how I love the Rose Bowl. Anyhow, we made it and unlike the 2007 season when we did the exact same thing, I doubt six teams in front of us will lose in the coming weeks. With that being said, lets me begin my analysis of the game that resulted in Jim Tressels first Rose Bowl!

What we learned from Iowa:

· This team has gotten better and better each week since the Purdue loss. I do believe that loss was a blessing in disguise.

· We still have a young team despite this being the 11^th game of the season. There is no way one should go up two touchdowns in the fourth at home and let the opposing team tie up the score, no way, no how!

· The O-line came to play and Marcus Hall could be a great one in the future. Four straight games of 200 yards plus on the ground. I think they are finding their identity.

· Our defense line is a very dominant group but still has room for improvement. The Iowa quarterback was too comfortable most of the game.

· Our seniors made plays on senior day when they had to. It started with Austin Spitlers tackle for loss then Doug Worthingtons sack and finally Anderson Russles interception all in OT. Phenomenal guys, absolutely phenomenal!

Okay, now onto those Wolverines!

What’s required vs. Michigan:

· Sound football, we need to sound in all aspects of the game. This is Michigan, lets get after them.

· We need more three and outs by our defense, we only got a couple last week. I want more!!!

· Sound tackling, those Wolverines are small and shifty, lets not miss open field tackles.

· Focus, Focus, Focus! We already locked up the Rose Bowl, we can’t let that affect our preparation.

· A statement game, we must show the country that we are not the team the same team that lost to USC and Purdue earlier this season. Let’s make a loud statement!

I can see the team and Terrelle growth throughout this season. Let’s build on that this week and as we go through bowl preparation because both Oregon and Stanford are no joke. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not overlooking Michigan. It’s a rivalry game, which is always tough, but I would love (expect J) to see my Buckeyes blast those Wolverines to Smithereens!

Go Bucks!

TruEngineer

My Weakness – Blueberry Muffins

2009-11-14T07:58:00.001-08:00

Wasup People!

This is very hard for me to say but I have a weakness. I know, I know, hard to believe but it is true. What hurts me the most is what the weakness is, Giant Blueberry Muffins. I don’t know what it is about them but they make me weak at the knees. So weak that I had to find my own recipe when my local coffee shop closed and stopped feeding my addiction. As usual I went to YouTube and found a couple videos that are pretty good. I’ve add the links below. The first link is done rather well but the recipe calls for too many blueberries. I think a cup and a half is more than enough. I also let mine brown instead of using her technique but all-in-all the first video maker has a very soothing voice and background music with a solid recipe. As far the second link, it may not have the same audio effects but has a rather nice recipe (for smaller muffins). I like the tip she provides about frozen blueberries, I found this tip very helpful. Overall, the second link has better tips and overall is a bit more professional. Anyhow, feel free to try either recipe my only suggest is to bake either recipe at 400 degree Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Blueberry Recipe One:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQPkLUEAGko

Blueberry Recipe Two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9_e0WCyFU4

Peace,

TruEngineer

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Iowa Preview

2009-11-09T22:08:00.001-08:00

Wasup People,

This post is especially difficult to write. Why you ask? It’s because this past game was deceiving because the opposing team was ‘grossly’ overrated but at the same time I’m happy for our team. Thus, I want to be critical but not too critical. Does that make sense? With that being said, here is what I have to say about my buckeyes.

What we learned from Penn State:

· Tressel ball works well when the other teams try and play Tressel ball with us.

· T-Pryor plays best when he doesn’t try to do too much.

·The O-line played very, very well but let’s be real, their defensive line was inferior. Nonetheless, they stepped up well when even our starting right tackle got injured and was replaced by a true freshman and we didn’t miss a beat.

· Our defense line sparks fear into opposing teams. More specifically, Cameron Heyward and Thad Gibson, they are monsters and they need to return next season.

· Our linebackers can run sideline to sideline and B-Rolle is special. He may not be the biggest linebacker but he’ll run you down son!

Okay, now onto those Hawkeyes!

What’s required vs. Iowa:

· Pressuring the quarter and wreaking havoc for the backup quarterback.

· Forcing more turnovers. Iowa hasn’t been able to protect the football well; lets continue that streak.

· Get the ball the tightend. Jake Ballard has great hands and gets open. He needs to get the ball.

· A well-coached game, Iowa’s coaching staff is phenomenal. Our coaches must step their game up.

· Consistency in all aspects of the game. Offense, Defense and Special Teams!

I really hope that the team’s confidence grows after this past performance however, we have to get better and I mean much, much better! I want a dominant performance this week. By dominant I mean a four touchdown win to secure a big ten title.

Go Bucks!

TruEngineer

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-11-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

Moody Thought: There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.

– Mark Twain

Wasup People!

Anyone who has tried these cookies should know that they ought to be forbidden. Why, because they are ‘unspeakably desirable’ and super easy to make. Self control is a must when making these. Therefore, proceed forward if and only if you have self control. Ready, let’s go!

This post will be short because the recipe for these cookies are provided on the back of most 12 oz Nestle Semi-Sweet Morsels chocolate chips. I ‘highly’ encourage anyone to pick up these chocolate chips with the recipe on the back. While in the store I tend to pick up the remaining ingredients suggested on the back but like to use Imperial Margarine/Vegetable Oil Sticks instead of butter. I’ll add the link to my YouTube video when I make it below and will repost at that point. Until next time.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Penn State Preview

2009-11-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

Wasup People,

My apologies for the delay in posts, the past three performances by my buckeyes were so horrid, so sickening that I couldn’t bring myself to dwell on it. However, I’ve grown some these past three weeks and now know that sometimes you just have to man up! So, here we go. I’ll have five points from the last three games because Minnesota and New Mexico State were nothing more than glorified scrimmages.

What we learned from Purdue, Minnesota and New Mexico State:

· The offensive coaching staff (Jim Tressel in particular) is incapable of putting our players in position to be successful. We can see this because 90% of the offensive players play with little to no confidence.

· There is nothing ‘special’ about our special teams.

· Our offensive line has been decimated with injuries and sickness but our coaching staff has been unable to adapt. Most of our second teams wouldn’t start for our opposing teams and that breaks my heart.

· It takes about a quarter for our offense to get rolling and sometimes longer.

· Our offense protects the defense. When the offense plays well, the defense plays better. When the offense plays poorly our defense gets exposed.

Okay, now onto those Nittany Lions!

What’s required vs. Penn State:

· Pressuring the quarter and minimizing running lanes for the quarterback. Daryll Clark can run but lets not let him get loose.

· A stellar output from the offensive line. Their play this season has been offensive, lets hope they can get it together this week like they did against USC.

· Distribution of the football. Posey can’t be our only option, we must get the tight end involved.

· Conversion in the red zone. With our kicker out this week we must scores touchdowns rather than try to go for field goals.

· A win otherwise Jim Tressels days as coach at OSU are numbered and I’m serious.

I haven’t seen any significant improvement from our team these past three weeks. I’m praying that will change this week.

Go Bucks!

TruEngineer

Game Day Honey BBQ Wings

2009-10-31T15:56:00.000-07:00

Moody Thought: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat”

- II Thessalonians 3: 10

Wasup People,

The above quote is why I go to work. I can’t pass up on Game Day Wings so, I work! Anyhow, I’ve decided to branch out a bit and start making my own cooking videos however; I’m a firm believer in the six P’s – Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. What am I talkin’ bout? I’m saying that before I make a video I need a script and a test run. If you remember a few months ago I stated before that much of my material would be screened through this site before I make a video. So, let me know what you think about this and chances are you’ll see a YouTube video of me makin’ my version of Game Day Honey BBQ Wings in the near future, ok? Alright, let’s do this!

I like to make a ton of food at once and freeze most of it for later. Thus, when I make wings I tend to purchase a five pound bag of large frozen wings at my local supermarket. To thaw I pour cold water into the large resealable plastic bag (it’s important that it’s resealable), putting just enough cold water to ensure that the bag is about 80% full then seal it. Set aside for 55 minutes while it thaws. After the wings have thawed, drain them well and place them in a large bowl for 5 minutes.

While the wings are thawing I get the cooking grease ready by using mixture of vegetable oils, two in fact: Crisco Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening and Crisco Pure Canola Oil (80% Butter Flavor Shortening, 20% Canola Oil) Aside: I’m not on Crisco’s payroll, I just enjoy their products. Anyhow, I preheat my deep fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. I complete step about 15 minutes prior to my desired cooking time.

Now that my wings have thawed completely I place all the wings in a very large bowl and season them with three tablespoon seasoning salt, three tablespoon black pepper and one tablespoon vegetable oil. I mix the wings well with either my ‘clean’ hands or tongs. Once the wings are seasoned I put three cups of flower in a large plastic bag. Then I add the wings and shake them well to ensure that all the wings get a healthy dusting of flower. After the wings have a beautiful coat of flower its time for them to fry. I place a manageable amount of wings in the deep fryer and cook them for 15 minutes.

At the same time the wings are frying I make my special honey bbq sauce for them. To do this I put two tablespoon of butter into a quart sized saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted I turn the temperature to low and add two teaspoons brown sugar, two teaspoons honey, one teaspoon mustard and stir them together. After all the ingredients have mixed well I add nine oz of Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ Sauce and nine oz Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce. Occasionally I’ll add some red chili pepper or Franks Red Hot Sauce if I want to spice it up a bit. At this point I taste and make any other necessary adjustments. At the instant the sauce meets my approval; I’ll let it simmer on low for about five to ten minutes. While the sauce is simmering I preheat my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place foil over a baking sheet and spray a little butter flavored Pam on the foil before I move onto the next step.

After all my wings have fried and been drained of the cooking oil, I place them back in the large bowl I used to season them (I’ve washed this out by this point). I then pour my special sauce on top and mix the wings and sauce together, umm, tasty. Oh man, I’m getting hungry at this point but patience is a virtue. Before I start to eat these delicious morsels I have one step left to complete, placing them on the foil covered baking sheet and baking them for ten minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Now I take out the wings from the oven and let them cool for five minutes and enjoy! You know, sometimes I can’t help myself and I shout Hallelujah after biting in. So, if it happens to you let me know so I don’t feel alone. Nonetheless, that’s the recipe. I hope you give it a try.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Cooking Oil:

80% Crisco Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening

20 % Crisco Pure Canola Oil

Frying Batter:

3 cups flower

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoon seasoning salt

3 tablespoon black pepper

TruEngineers Award Winning Honey BBQ Sauce:

9 oz Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ Sauce

9 oz Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 teaspoons Brown Sugar

2 teaspoons Honey

1 teaspoon Mustard

Aioli Bread

2009-10-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

This is a bonus post since I’ll be out of town next weekend. I actually recommend making Aioli bread with the penne and meat sauce. I think it’s a good combo. Anyhow, I’m a bit short on time so I’ll leave it at that. However, I did want everyone to know since Thanksgiving is about a month away and since I think I’m better at baking than cooking at this point, all my posts for November will center on baking/ sweet tasting dishes. I hope you’ll enjoy.

Recipes

Bread: http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-could-live-on-bread-alone-if-it-was.html

Sauce (super easy!): http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/06/is-aioli-greatest-sauce-recipe-ever.html

Peace,

TruEngineer

Multigrain Penne with Unique Meat Sauce

2009-10-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

You know every now and then when I’m grocery shopping I succumb to clever marketing. What am I talkin’ about? You know, when you have a list of items and your mind set on picking up certain things then you see your desired item. As you move in on your desired item you notice a healthier version of it right beside it. Typically you’ll see words like ‘Mutligrain’ or ‘High in Fiber’ or “Whole Wheat’ with reference to sites like bestlife.com etc. etc. Well, I gave in since I haven’t been as health conscious as I should be these past few weeks. I decided to make this meat sauce that I tried before I was doing documentation. I was hopeful that the sauce would compensate for the multigrain pasta and I was right. It was good and I encourage you to give it a try yourself. The link for the recipe are below. The only difference is I used Barilla Plus multigrain penne pasta and I topped my final product with finely shredded mozzarella rather than grated Parmesan cheese.

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/07/braised-grass-fed-beef-meat-sauce.html

Peace,

TruEngineer

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Purdue Preview

2009-10-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

This weeks game was the kind that makes me really, really mad. Our offensive took like ten steps backwards. I can’t believe it and the more I think about it, next year is the year to look forward to. However, I don’t know if our defense will be this good next year. I mean, two interceptions returned for touchdowns, two! Couple those interceptions with the outstanding play of the defensive line, six sacks against a phenomenal offensive line, impressive. I love our defensive but the offense is makin’ me nauseous. Before thinking anymore about our offense and catching the flu like our offensive line, let me get into the analysis.

What we learned from Wisconsin:

· Andrew Miller needs to get healthy real fast. Mike Adams has horrible feet. I don’t care how good of a run blocker her is, too often he gets beat in pass protection. Andrew Miller, hurry up and return to the starting lineup.

· Jon Thoma needs to get his act together. Thoma nearly made this game a lot closer than it needed to be with his horrid punts. Just thinking of his punts makes me upset.

· Ray Small is starting to find his place in the offense and special teams. Look for him to have a breakout second half of the season.

· Jim Tressel likes to call plays when we play better opponents. Not only that, he loves to be ultra conservative and run consecutive non-working plays hoping that maybe by the third try our guys will ‘magically’ make a bad play good.

· Each week a different person on the d-line steps up. This week was Nathan Williams, good work guys. Keep stepping it up each week. I want this to be the best d-line in the country!

Okay, now onto those Boilermakers!

What’s required vs. Purdue:

· We got six sacks versus Wisconsin last week but we’ll need more this week. I really want our d-line to attach the Purdue quarterback and running back.

· Change of pace in play calling. I would love to see our coaches shake things up a bit on the road i.e. lets run two minute offensive in the middle of the game to change the pace if our offense is lagging a bit.

· Ray Small having a bigger impact on offense. Posey will be a great receiver but he isn’t there yet. We need someone who can intimidate opposing defenses and make big plays consistently. Come on Ray Small!

· The offense to help out the defense. The defense throughout this season has been put in comprising positions by the offense. It’s about time they stopped doing that and started scored points where the defense generates turnovers.

· A complete game. Each week we’ve done things well and not so well. We have yet to play a complete game. The season is already half over; let’s get it done this week.

We’re number seven and rising. I don’t want to look too far ahead because our offense still needs to get better but, I have a good feelin’. I’ll leave it at that.

Go Bucks!

TruEngineer

OSU Notes

Purdue Notes

Maria Maria!!!

2009-10-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

I’ll begin this entry with a lil’ song by my good friend, Carlos Santana.

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ml3NUIDpFg

I began this entry with this song because the food I made in this entry will have you singin’ Maria-Maria! Well, maybe, maybe not but I like the song and the dish. Today’s dish was Santa Maria Tri-Tip Beef and Beans.

Tri-Tip: http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/05/barbecued-santa-maria-tri-tip-black-is.html

Beans: http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/05/santa-maria-style-beans-little-pink.html

Peace,

TruEngineer

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Wisconsin Preview

2009-10-05T20:42:00.001-07:00

Wasup People,

I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not but every week we are getting better and better however, I sense some displeasure among the buckeye faithful. It’s important to remember that these are ‘student’ athletes and that the coaches are real people. At times I get frustrated with football fans that have totally unrealistic expectations. We’ll get better and better each week, stop expecting perfection so early in the season. Anyhow, lets get onto the analysis of our first road game.

What we learned from Indiana:

· The coaching staff is figuring out some of the things this offense does well. They seem to like running out of the shotgun and I think we’ll only get better in this department.

· Terrelle Pryor is getting better each week. This week he significantly improved his ability to make quick decisions. He must keep working on this and do a better job of protecting the football.

· Coach Hazel is calling most of the offensive plays and spending more time with the offense.

· Our recruiting classes the last couple of years have significantly improved. Many of the contributors on this team are freshman and sophomores.

· Brandon Saine will replace Daniel ‘Boom’ Herron as the starting running back before the season is over. Both he and Jordan Hall were averaging five yards a carry and didn’t go down as easily as Boom.

Okay, now onto those Badgers.

What’s required vs. Wisconsin:

· A phenomenal performance from the defensive line. With Dexter Latimore going down with a sprained knee, we need the guys in the middle to really, really step up against Wisconsin’s running attack.

· More consistent play from the o-line. A lot of guys missed time in practice last week due to the flu bug but we need to have better play against the Badgers.

· Better hands from our receiving corps, more specifically, by Devier Posey. You can’t be dropping touchdown passes that hit you in the hands man!

· Better tacking by the secondary and linebackers. Too often we missed open field tackles last week and we must do better.

· A decisive victory versus the Badgers. We need folks to respect us in the polls and one way to do that is to beat a good team decisively.

Teams in front of us continue to lose. I’m hoping Florida can get their act together and handle LSU this week. I’d like to see Boston College upset Virginia Tech but I won’t hold my breath. Nonetheless, this does look like a good weekend of college football.

Go Bucks!

TruEngineer

OSU Notes

Wisconsin Notes

Yogurt Marinade Grilled Chicken

2009-10-03T05:43:00.001-07:00

Wasup People,

Labor Day Weekend kinda snuck up on me. You’re probably wondering how that is possible considering it’s the same time each year. I know but, brotha man was on his grind and next thing you know it was two weeks before Labor Day Weekend. So, I decided to do a little BBQ even though I didn’t have a grill. I mean, does a George Forman count? Anyhow, since I don’t have a grill I wanted to test some of my recipes out before I put the on the grill to be sure that my stuff was legit. Then somehow I found myself on foodwishes.com (by now you should know why) and I came across this grilled chicken recipe that uses yogurt for the marinade. I decided to give it a try cause I’m trying to do the healthy thing and all. As you can see it turned out pretty good. (Aside: this was the first time I’ve cut an entire chicken into pieces, fun times!) It smelled good and tasted good as well. Check out the link below for details.

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/08/grilled-lemon-yogurt-chicken-featuring.html

Peace,

TruEngineer

P.S. If you look at the picture below close enough you’ll see the steam. Not bad ehy?

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Indiana Preview

2009-09-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

We’ve played through the month of September and we still don’t know who the best five teams in the country are at this point. The only team that I have any confidence in is Alabama. Outside of Bama no one else sticks out in my mind however, it’s early, plenty of games left to be played. Nonetheless, lets get to better news, my buckeyes. They played extremely well in challenging weather conditions. Here is one of the things that I observed.

What we learned from Illinois:

· The offensive line is starting to gel. To be able to run the ball effectively in the rain against a good d-line, the future looks bright indeed.

· The coaching staff wants Mike Adams to be our starting left tackle. It could be a pedigree thing or it could be something else altogether. Whatever it is, I can tell they want Adams instead of Andy Miller.

· The light is starting to come on for Thad Gibson. There was a series in the second half we single-handedly caused the three and out. Three plays in a row, Thad was a beast!

· Terrelle Pryor is a work in progress, I just hope folks give this kid room to breath and let him develop cause he has an extremely high ceiling.

· Jake Ballard is a phenomenal blocking tightend. If we can continue to utilize his blocking and passing catching abilities I think he’ll have a great future in the NFL.

Okay, now onto our first real road game.

What’s required vs. Indiana:

· Focus, focus, focus! This is our first ‘true’ road game. Indiana gave UM all they could handle and is a good football team. I want our guys focused especially since this is their first full week of school.

· This related to the first point but crisper play. At times we look like we could be a great team but we lack crispness. That means ‘no turnovers’ or mental mistake penalties i.e. false starts, late hits etc.

· A one hundred yard rushing day from one of our running backs. At this point, only Terrelle has rushed for over a hundred yards in a single game, this has to change.

· Leadership in the secondary since Kurt Coleman is serving a one game suspension.

· I said this last week and I’ll say again this week: Improved Special Teams! We fumbled a punt return and had like a twenty-yard punt at critical points in the game. We cannot have this.

So, we are #9 in both polls, the disrespect continues but its all good. Just about every team ranked ahead of us will lose within the next two months so it all works out. I just wish folks would let the past go and realize this O-State squad is building something special. Anyhow, till next time.

Go Bucks!

TruEngineer

OSU Notes

California Pizza

2009-09-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

Since I’ve been in California I’ve been resisting California culture and cuisine. However, I’ve recently decided to embrace California life, culture and cuisine. To help me in this process I called a new friend, Wolfgang Puck. I asked him to help me. The conversation went something like this:

Wolfgang: Hello!

TruEngineer: Hey Wolf! It’s TruEngineer! How’s it goin’!

Wolfgang: TruE, How you doin’?

TruEngineer: Wolf, I’m well other than the fact I’m in desperate need of a good California dish.

Wolfgang: TruE, I have a treat for you. I’m gonna help you out by giving you my personal recipe for one of your all time favorite dishes.

TruEngineer: Wolf, are you gonna give me your famous California Pizza recipe? Thanks Wolf, thanks a bunch…

That’s a small piece of our convo. As you can see, Wolfgang and I are pretty close. Anyhow, the toppings I used and additional information for making Wolfgangs famous California Pizza is provided below.

The toppings were, bacon, sausage and turkey pepperoni. I tried to make it healthier by using turkey pepperoni, Big Mistake! Here is a lesson for the wise, if you’re going to do something foolish, go all out. Don’t be half or part fool, be 100 fool! I say that cause no matter what you’re going to end out lookin’ foolish so you might as well enjoy it cause that turkey pepperoni messed my pizza up. It was cool but I should have gotten the real deal. Anyhow, the recipe is below. Let me know if you decide to try it.

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/07/wolfgang-pucks-famous-california-pizza.html

Peace,

TruEngineer

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Illinois Preview

2009-09-21T21:22:00.001-07:00

Wasup People,

First off, didn’t I call it? I tried to tell folks that UW was going to beat USC this past weekend. Here for fun I’ll give a couple more predictions, UW will finish in the top 5 in the Pac-10 and the university of Miami (bka The U!) will be a force to be reckoned with this season. Okay, but let’s get into some really important stuff, OSU football. If you were like me and most folks across the country, you saw our buckeyes in action on ESPN360.com since the game was on ESPNplus and only available locally :( ! Well, if you watched the game or not here is what I saw after doin’ a little film study.

What we learned from Toledo:

· Our defense is legit and it’s only going to get better. The rockets didn’t have a play on our side of the field till late in the second half! Now that is a Silver Bullet Defense baby!

· Our offense line is getting better and better. They still don’t do a great job of opening holes for our running backs but I’m pleased with their progress.

· Cameron Heyward is a MONSTER! He can play defense end or tackle. It doesn’t matter where he lines up he lives in the backfield. I sense a future first round draft pick in the making.

· Terrelle Pryor is more concerned with getting his receiver’s involved in the offense then showing off his running abilities. This is important but balance is key, it’s more important to keep the drive alive then satisfy your receivers. Nonetheless, I appreciate the effort.

· The coaching staff is building this team for next year. You can see it from the rotation on the offensive line, receivers and defensive backs. They want to win this year but they are building the team for a monster run next year.

Okay, now onto Big Ten play.

What’s required vs. Illinois:

· Physicality and I mean an extremely high level. The past few years Illinois has exposed our offensive line for it’s lack of physicality. I want to see us dominate the line of scrimmage this week.

· Better play at running back. I wanted to see this last week but I didn’t. Our best running back at this point looks like a true freshman, Jordan Hall, someone that most figured would redshirt.

· Elimination of Juice Williams. I want to see him on his back, running scared and lookin’ confused. Defense, BRING IT!!!

· I want to see Terrelle make quicker decisions. This past week he was looking downfield a bit too long, if nothing is open after four or five seconds, tuck it and run son, tuck it and run!

· Improved Special Teams! I have to say this was the thing that almost made me mad last week. Not only did we not score, we almost gave up big plays to the other team. I want our special units to be special this week, focus guys!

Okay, that’s all I have to say at this point. I’m looking forward to BigTen Play. This is going to be a great season for us and it all starts this week.

Go Bucks!

TruEngineer

OSU Notes

Illinois Notes

Sweet Pork Chops!

2009-09-19T13:56:00.001-07:00

Wasup People,

“All men die; few men ever really live.”

I love that quote and in that sprit I decided to try something different. Pork chops (in my case, pork lion in original recipe) with shallots and apple cider. To be honest with you, when I was making it, it smelled nice but in the back of my mind I was thinkin’,

“Why did I do this to myself? Are you sure about this? I mean, come on, shallots, shallots!”

Despite my second thoughts I finished the dish and gave it an honest taste. Much to my surprise, it was really tasty. It was sweet and tender. Thus, I have a ‘sweet’ new way of makin’ pork chops. Yes, I said it, sweet! Check out the link below. If you’re like me you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I guess if nothing ventured, nothing gained right? Maybe livin’ i.e. takin’ risks aint so bad.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Toledo Preview

2009-09-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

In case you didn’t watch the highest watched college football game on ESPN, USC vs. OSU game (in 3D), was a phenomenal defensive game. I was there and I can say without question despite the result of the game, that was the most fun I have ever had at a football game and I was at the OSU #1 vs UM #2 in the horseshoe in 2006. Both times the stadium was rockin’ but something special was goin’ on this past Saturday, I just wished my Buckeyes could have come through. Knowing how bad the game was for my bucks, I won’t focus on it too much but I will provide a season outlook at the end of the ten points. Enjoy!

What we learned from USC:

· We have a defense and it’s only going to get better. With only three seniors starting on defense, the future looks very, very bright!

· Our offense line can pass block but still needs to step it up in the run game. Very rarely did the open any holes on Saturday. Then again, they were up against a good defensive front. Nonetheless, we still must get better up front.

· Coach Tressel still has no idea how to be aggressive. Coach will be conservative when he should be aggressive and aggressive when he should be conservative. The sad thing is, I don’t foresee him making any changes or getting any better.

· Terrelle Pryor is going to be a great one for OSU but he still has a lot to learn. I have to say that in all honesty, if he didn’t put so much pressure on himself he would have won the game Saturday. I blame the fans and the media for this one.

· We played with heart and never quit. Even though USC made that drive at the end, the players never gave up!

Those are my quick thoughts about USC but, you know what really makes me mad? I have a strong feeling that USC will lose this week at Washington. Now that hurts! With that being said let me move forward to this week.

What’s required vs. Toledo:

· Offensive production! The offensive bears the blame for last week’s loss. Teams have averaged 40 points a game versus the rockets this year. I’ll let us slide at 40 since we’re coming off a tough loss.

· Better play at running back. Last week there were a small number of opportunities for big plays to be made but big players make big players in big games and I didn’t see many from the running backs.

· A kickoff or punt return for TD. Our special team play is improved but I want our guys to get in the endzone.

· Score a touchdown every time we get in the red zone. We have to put the ball in the endzone!

· Finally, Terrelle Pryor needs to shake off this last game and get better. He has all the ability in the world but just needs to get more experience and make improvements in his game. I’m lookin’ for him to have a great game Saturday.

Those are my quick points. Lastly, my outlook on the season is very simple: we will get better and better every week, we will beat every team on our schedule and we will win our bowl game. Don’t be surprised if you see us play in the National Championship game either, you never know. That’s all for now.

Go Bucks!

TruEngineer

Blog and YouTube Update

2009-09-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

Those who know me well know that this weekend was a major weekend for me concerning making some decisions about my blog and YouTube page. After thinking long and hard, I have two announcements to make. First, I will wait till the end of football season to start posting YouTube videos. I was hoping to start posting after this weekend but that’s not gonna happen, my hearts just in it right now for obvious reasons. Also, after football season could be December 2009 or post January 7, 2010. The second announcement is in reference to my blog. I’ve decided to only post once a month on S&T Wednesdays. I want to post bi-weekly but right now my schedule is testing my time management skills. Nonetheless, those are my quick updates, now back to work!

Peace,

TruEngineer

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and USC Preview

2009-09-07T21:58:00.001-07:00

Wasup People,

In case you didn’t watch the Navy vs. OSU game, the game was closer than what it should have been. If you only saw highlights you would be under the impression that OSU was on the verge of losing the game, not a chance. However, when you have back-to-back turnovers with less than seven minutes to go in a game, a lot of things can change in an instant. That’s neither here nor there, it’s time for the quick analysis of the game.

What we learned from Navy:

· We are deep at the receiver position and I mean deeeeeeppppp!!!!

· Our offense line has improved but still isn’t where it needs to be.

· Terrelle Pryor is making reads faster and gets rid of the ball quicker however; he is still far from a polished passer. Significant improvement from last year nonetheless.

· The coaching staff still question Andrew Millers run blocking however, he is the best pass blocker on the team. I say keep him there and protect Pryor’s blind side.

· Anderson Russell struggles heavily in 1-on-1 coverage.

Okay that’s my quick observations from last week. I’d like to do more but I only have ten total bullet points. After watching the Navy vs. OSU game a few times and studying the film of San Jose St. vs. USC, I feel relieved. Now, that doesn’t mean I’m supper confident it just means that what I saw from USC has given me reason to be optimistic because they are not the USC team that gave us an old fashioned butt-whoopin’ last year. Let me end this with my points for this week before I start rambling.

What’s required vs. USC:

· Our players must play confident. My concern is the players’ confidence in big games and the pressure they may be feeling from the media/fans/coaching staff. The guys just need to play football and play with confidence.

· Our offense line needs to have the best game of their lives, thus far. Last year they got manhandled. That cannot happen again.

· The defensive line must get pressure on Barkley without bringing a blitz and they must stop the run at all costs! Our front four needs to play ANGRY!!!

· Player makers other than Terrelle Pryor need to step up! Big players make big plays in big games. I want to know what your names are. When you show up on Saturday the rest of the world and more importantly, NFL scouts will know who you are (Think about it guys!).

· Finally, if isn’t obvious enough, Terrelle Pryor needs to ball. He must make good decisions and just flat out ball. Terrelle Pryor can and will lead our team to victory if he has a little help.

Those are my quick points. I’ll have a detailed analysis of the game and provide a further outlook for the season next week. Yes, this game will determine our entire season. Also, I’ll be at the game using my cheers to lead the Buckeyes to Victory!

Go Bucks!

TruEngineer

P.S. For some official info from the university check out the links below.

OSU Notes (.pdf)

USC Notes (.pdf)

Bay Area Halibut with Warm Bacon Dressing - Bonus Post

2009-09-06T00:05:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

A few months ago I decided to go on a charter out of Emeryville with my folks. In my family, we don’t just fish, we catch fish. Thus, I was disappointed when the charter I wanted to go on was booked. So, I didn’t get my hopes up. For those who don’t know, fishing in the Bay Area is downright terrible! As you can see we did catch some halibut, two to be exact. Most people on the boat didn’t catch anything. We (dad, mom and myself) caught the most and biggest fish. However, we only caught three, to us, this was a terrible day. Can you believe the entire boat went through a five hour stretch where not one person got a bite, Not One Person on the ENTIRE Boat! Insane but welcome to the bay area. As my dad told me, the bay isn’t known for it’s fishing so we shouldn’t complain. Thus, I’ll leave it at that.

So, we caught fish but this proposed a problem for me. We couldn’t freeze the fish and hope they wouldn’t get spoiled by the time my parents got home (cross-country flight, non-direct). Therefore, the only option left was to keep the fish with me. It’s kind of funny cause I love to fish but I’m not a big fan of eating my catch, go figure. Anyhow, I have all this Halibut and stripped bass in my freezer and I’m trying to get rid of it. I can’t just throw it out and I didn’t want to just cook it any way just so I could eat it. I wanted to savor it, enjoy it. Thus, when I came across this recipe:

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2007/08/wild-halibut-steaks-with-warm-bacon.html

I nearly cried tears of joy. A solid recipe indeed and I must agree with Chef John, the bacon dressing is good over anything, trust! This was my first dish I’ve made where I had a taste tester and wanted to make sure I did it right. Nonetheless, it was a success and I hope that you give it a try yourself.

Peace,

TruEngineer

The benefits of freezing awesome meals!

2009-09-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

As some of you know, Saturdays are generally my ‘power cookin’ day. In essence, when I ‘power cook’ I make about three – four large dishes. Once I make these, I freeze most of it so when I don’t feel like cookin’ (Labor Day weekend perhaps?) I can eat good stuff and have a little variety. However, some of the things I make require a lil’ creativity. For example, I made this pork and beans dish:

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/12/pork-and-beans-and-greens-good-luck.html

The dish was awesome by the way but was made before I was doing my cooking blog. Nonetheless, I didn’t have the beans and greens from before but I had two potatoes and some spring greens. You guessed it, 2 + 2 = 4. So, I made mashed potatoes (see link below for how to do mashed potatoes quick and easy).

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2007/08/ex-beatle-makes-mashed-potatoes-hey.html

As you can see, it came out great. Very little cookin’ and it tasted even better than it looks. Anyhow, I’ll show a few more of these freezer recreations from time to time. These are my chances of showing a little creativity on my part versus following someone else’s idea for a meal. Nonetheless, let me know if you have any questions.

Peace,

TruEngineer

P.S. I’ll be attending the USC vs. OSU game next week and will be unable to post an entry next Saturday L. To make up for me being out I’ll post a bonus entry tomorrow. Have a phenomenal Labor Day Weekend and Go Bucks!

S&T Wednesday – Green Roofs

2009-09-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

As promised I’m posting new entries every Wednesday. Beginning this month I’m starting S&T (Science and Technology) Wednesdays, where I’ll be discussing Science and Technology. The emphasis this month will be on all things green. Thus, today we are talking about Green Roofs. So, let’s get started!

A green roof by definition is any roof that fully or partially covered with some form of vegetation. Furthermore, this vegetation requires a growing medium (special soil because traditional soil is extremely heavy), which calls for a unique water proofing system. Some of the advantages of green roofs are as follows:

· Reduce energy consumption.

· Reduce water run off (important for flooding).

· Improve air ‘and’ water quality.

· Increase in urban bio-diversity i.e. more insects and birds.

· Reduce urban heat island effect (help reduce heat in major cities).

Just like with anything in life there are a few drawbacks, such as:

· Requires a stronger structure (not all current building/structures can even be retrofitted to accommodate a green roof).

· Requires extra waterproofing (especially if you have a Frank Lloyd Wright home/building).

· Requires unique drainage system (although a green roofs tends to absorb more water).

· May require more maintenance than a traditional roof.

Most of the cons result in higher costs but I believe in time these will subside. One addition benefit of green roofs is for the potential for agricultural plantation given sufficient depth of soil. Translation, instead of going to the grocery story for fresh tomatoes, you could grow them on your roof. At the very least homeowners could plant herbs for their kitchen. Ah, the joys of going green. Anyhow, if you would like to learn more about green roofs check out www.greenroofs.com or www.greenroofs.org. For fun I’ve included a YouTube link to a video done by the White House and Van Jones (author of The Green Collar Economy and current Special Advisor for Green Jobs @ The White House). Finally, I’ve added one link with some cool pictures of potential green roofs. Enjoy!

Cool Green Roof YouTube Video

Cool Green Roof Images

Peace,

TruEngineer

Buckeye Sports Mondays! – TruEngineer Analysis

2009-08-31T19:54:00.001-07:00

Wasup People,

I was speaking with a friend a few days ago and we talked about challenging ourselves. I was encouraging him to stop waiting and just go for it. Then I was like, man, I should do the same. Thus, I’ve decided to launch “Buckeye Sports Mondays!” Each Monday during the 2009 football season I’ll do some analysis (10 bullet points) of what transpired over the week, more specifically, the most recent weekend with Ohio State football team as well as what to look for in the upcoming game. With that being said, let’s begin!

What we’ve learned: Fall Camp

· During these past 29 practices I think we’ve learned that the offensive and defensive lines still have a lot to prove. I suspect the D-line has greatly improved however we won’t know until they play a game. Navy will be an excellent test. As far as the offensive line, Navy will also be a decent barometer. If the O-line performs the way it did last year versus OU going into the USC game, don’t get your hopes up.

· Our offensive skill position players are better than fans expect but largely unproven. With Ray Small working hard to get out of Tressel’s doghouse and Jake Stoneburner nursing an injury, expect to see one or more new faces in the receiving/ tight end corps i.e. Lamaar Thomas and Duron Carter.

· We will have some fresh faces in the LB corps. After losing Tyler Moeller to an off the field incident and having Austin Spitler slowed by a calf injury, expect to see more of Etienne Sabino in the mix a bit more. Etienne is a fast and strong backer. I think fans are gonna love him. In addition to Etienne, it appears that Brian Rolle (a beast with speed) will take over at middle linebacker. I do believe that if Ross Homan can stay healthy he’ll hold his spot at the WLB.

· Andrew Miller has a lot of fight in him since he’s held off two High School All-Americans for the position thus far. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Miller starts the entire season at left tackle. He’s a converted tight end (has good feet) but isn’t a dominant run blocker. He may not have been Parade All American but he can pass block better than anyone on the team and right now, Terrelle Pryor needs pass protection.

· Finally, Jordan Hall is going to be a good one. Hall was one of the more overlooked running backs coming into camp. I was skeptical myself, other than him having played with Terrelle in high school; I didn’t think he had much to offer. Look for him to contribute early and often as the third string running back.

This week’s opponent: Navy

· Looking for Navy to run, run, run and run the ball some more. The midshipmen have the top running attack in the country. This will be an excellent test for our d-line.

· We will learn very quickly if our young defense is disciplined. The D-line will certainly be tested but even more so will the linebackers and secondary. If any of them are out of position, look for the midshipmen to break a big play.

· This will be a good chance to see if our offensive line can open holes against a small d-line. More then likely JT will try and keep the offensive as manila as possible with the USC game lurking. That means, running the ball and play action. This will be our first chance to see if the line has increased its physicality and overall nastiness.

· Every week I’ll be looking for the one thing that has hurt us on so many occasion, performance in the Red Zone! I really want to see this team score a touchdown every single time they get in the Red Zone, field goals are not an option.

· Finally, I want to see some big plays. This team for the most part is a no-name team outside or Pryor. I want someone other then our qb to step up and how out.

That’s all for this week. See you next week.

Go Bucks!

TruEngineer

Game Day Meals: Week 4 – Fast Game Day BBQ

2009-08-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

This entry is going to be really short cause brotha has lots of work to do. This my fast game day meal, BBQ chicken and wedges. They are super easy to make but you have to make sure you season them right otherwise you’ll be disappointed. The wedges take like 10 minutes to prep and about 45 minutes to cook. I just used regular chicken thighs instead of an entire chicken. The links for the recipes are below. If you try them out let me know what you think. I do recommend using the pad Chef John talks about in the video for the wedges; it really makes your life easy. Also, I only had a George Forman, so it is possible to BBQ without a ‘real’ grill. In addition, the George Forman makes this dish rather easy and simple as well.

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/08/kinder-and-gentler-barbecue-chicken.html

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2007/02/crusty-herb-potato-wedges.html

Peace,

TruEngineer

Cali Deuces List – Updated August 26, 2009

2009-08-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

I’ve decided to step my game up a bit. I will now post at least twice a week, Saturdays (as usual) and Wednesdays (new day, yea!). Ideally, I want to get up the point where I’m posting everyday or every other day. Thus, this is a step towards reaching that goal. So, with that being said, let’s get into today's entry.

Last weekend I was able to check off two items (almost got three) off the Cali Deuces Lists and thought I should give an update. Anyhow, I’ve made a few adjustments to the list. At this time I only have 35 total things and I’d like to get that number up to 40 (since the number 40 symbolizes transition). Nonetheless, if you have any other suggestions of must do’s before the deuces, let me know.

Peace,

TruEngineer

To Do:

· New Brighton State Beach in Santa Cruz (http://www.parks.ca.gov/Default.asp?page_id=542)

· Shakespeare in the Park (http://www.sfshakes.org/park/index.html)

· Monterey Bay Aquarium (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/)

· San Francisco Jazz Festival (http://www.sfjazz.org)

· Sonoma during the summer (http://www.sonoma.com/)

· Learn how to two-step salsa

· Salmon Fishing

· Trout Fishing

· Run lake Merrit in Oakland (http://www.lmjs.org/)

· Participate in Bay to Breakers in May (http://www.baytobreakers.com/main.html)

· Skiing @ Lake Tahoe

· White River Rafting

· Coit Tower in San Francisco (http://www.aviewoncities.com/sf/coittower.htm)

· Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco (http://www.ybca.org/)

· Museum of The African Diaspora in San Francisco (http://www.moadsf.org/)

· Legion of Honor in San Francisco (http://www.famsf.org/legion/)

· Grizzly Park in Berkeley (http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=12570)

· Lake Anza in Berkeley

· Muir woods in San Francisco (http://www.nps.gov/muwo/)

· Yosemite (http://www.nps.gov/yose/)

· Pinnacles National Monument (http://www.nps.gov/pinn/)

· China Camp State Park (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=466)

· Visit Stinson Beach in March (http://www.stinsonbeachonline.com/)

· Death Valley in the fall (http://www.nps.gov/deva/)

· Mount Diablo (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=517)

Done:

· Bike across the golden gate bridge (http://www.blazingsaddles.com/)

· Sausalito (http://www.sausalito.org/)

· Fisherman’s warf in San Francisco (http://www.fishermanswharf.org/)

· Alcatraz (http://www.alcatraztickets.com/)

· Halibut fishing in the Bay Area (http://www.emeryvillesportfishing.com/)

· Sturgeon Fishing in the Bay Area (http://www.righthooksportfishing.com/)

· Hollywood walk of fame (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame)

· Go on The Price is Right! (http://www.priceisright.com/)

· de Young Museum in San Francisco (http://www.famsf.org/deyoung/)

· Yellow Tail Tuna fishing in San Diego/ Mexico

Game Day Meals: Week 3 – Apple and Cinnamon Belgian Waffles

2009-08-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

In the fall we have wonderful apple cider and football season, Hallelujah! Last week I promised to do my all-time favorite breakfast entrée, Belgian waffles. Well, I decided to spice it up a bit. I had some leftover apple cider from this other entrée (Sweet Pork Chops! – I’ll add the link once I post it, they turned out great – you’ll see). So, I didn’t have any more pork but I didn’t want to simply drink the rest of my apple cider. Then it hit me - be creative, do something different. Thus, I made a few adjustments to my waffle mix (Krusteaz light and crispy Belgian Waffle Mix). I went half and half on the liquid. Instead of using water I used a whole milk and apple cider substitute, with equal parts of both equaling the required water amount, ala the half and half previously mentioned. Anyhow, I also added a little nutmeg (like five dashes) and a bit more cinnamon (about ten dashes). To clarify the dashes, think of Emeril Lagasse’s BAM action when he is seasoning food. That’s about one dash to me. Nonetheless, thats my apple and cinnamon belgian waffles. If you give them a try let me know how they turned out.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Game Day Meals: Week 2 – College Game Day Breakfast version 1

2009-08-15T00:39:00.001-07:00

Wasup People,

As you know by now, I’m doing my game day specials. Just about every week I watch college game day with my good friends: Lee, Kirk, Chris and Dezmon. Being on the west coast means college game day comes on at 7 am PST. That’s right, 7 am and I rarely miss a gameday. Thus, brotha would like a little breakfast. So here is one of my game day breakfasts that I’ll post. I’ll post another next week that’s much better than this. Today was a combo of grilled stripped bass, maple sausage, fried potatoes and scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese. I peeled two rustic and pan fried them with half a green pepper (for color) and half an onion in a little olive oil. I seasoned the fish, potatoes and eggs with seasoning salt and fresh ground pepper to my tastes. I topped the eggs with a pinch of Italian herbs and spices. Those are the basic ingredients. I could add more details if you like. It’s pretty simple to make. You can do all this in fewer than 30 minutes. Anyhow, I’ll do another game day breakfast next week with my all time favorite breakfast entree, Belgian waffles, yummy!

Peace,

TruEngineer

Just Live Your Life

2009-08-15T00:20:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

Yesterday I was talking to a good friend about Michael Vick and the Eagles. For those who don't know, I secretly (well, not anymore b/c of this post) want to be an owner of an NFL franchise. I already know which team I would own, how much it would cost and even who my GM would be (I may also know the future commissioner as well). Anyhow, my friend asked me how I would handle the situation and if it was worth the risk. It was a private conversation so I won't go any further other than direct this part of entry towards the NFL draft. I'm one of those folks who watch the entire draft even though I don't have a team. I simply love the game and the league. (I'm getting to the point now). So, during the 2009 NFL draft they were playing this Rhianna song:

Listening to it again today I think it summarizes my current mental state. However, I redid the song, TruEngineer style. Here is a small tidbit of my version:

You’re gonna be a shining star, floosin’ your, char-acter

And then you’ll see, you’re gonna go far

Cause everyone knows, who you are-are

So live your life (oh),

ay ay ay

instead of chasing that paper

Just living your life (Oh!), ay ay ay

Aint got no time for no haters

Just living your life (Oh!), ay ay ay

No telling where it’ll take you

Just living your life (Oh!), ay ay ay

‘Cause I’m a knowledge seeker

Just livin’ the graduate student life (ay),

my life (oh), my life (ay), my life (oh)

Just living my life (ay),

my life (oh), my life (ay), my life (oh)

Okay that didn’t have as much engineering in it but it does tie in my graduate student status. That counts, right? Yea, so, … In short, I’m being more thankful and grateful for the things in my life. I’m just livin’ my life. You know, doing the things I enjoy doing and I’ll see where it takes me although, I have a pretty good idear of where I’m headed. However, that’s an entry for another day. In the mean time, I’m going to hit the sack. Why don’t you just live your life?

Peace,

TruEngineer

Game Day Meals: Week 1 - Whole White Wheat Pizza with Sausage and Pepperoni

2009-08-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

Seeing how football season is right around the corner (Thank You Jesus!!!) and since my buckeyes are about to report to camp (This is going to be a good season for us). I’ve decided to kick off this month with a game day meals series. So, for four weeks I’m going to post four different meals I plan on enjoying during the upcoming football season on game day (Saturday for me cause I like college more than professional). With that being said, I decided to kick of this celebration with on one of my ultimate favorites, homemade pizza. Furthermore, since a brotha is trying to do the ‘health thing’ I chose to do a semi-healthy version, one step at a time right? At any rate, I got this recipe from one of my lab mates, Bayram. It’s whole white wheat pizza dough that is very simple. So simple and fun that I think I’ll do a YouTube video on this for those who are interested. Nonetheless, check out the link below for the recipe. You can get the special wheat at Berkeley Bowl. Anyhow, let me know if you try it out.

Peace,

TruEngineer

Recipe:

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001506.html

Aside: Try and add a half to one teaspoon of sugar to the mixture if you don’t want it to be bitter. Also, be sure to add toppings above the cheese and not below. Finally, remember to only use a little pizza sauce. This was a struggle for me at first because I love sauce but too much of a good thing can be bad.

A Healthy Creole Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

2009-08-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

Wasup People,

I’ve decided to try something. Actually, it’s more of a goal that I’d thought I’d share with you all since I’m motivated once again. What is the goal you ask? Great question, the goal is to post one new food creation each week for the next year. That’s 52 different meals with recipes and pictures. I think it will be fun. I’ll say I started last week and this is week two. For this week I decided to a healthier version of Jambalaya where I used brown rice instead of white. Small change but it is indeed healthier. I’m trying to lose a few pounds and it doesn’t help to cook my own meals if I’m piling on the calories with my own hands. Thus, I’ll try to post as many healthy meals as possible but I can’t make any promises. Anyhow, below is the link for the Creole Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya. This is another Chef John recreation, TruEngineer style. Try it and let me know what you think:

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/05/creole-sausage-and-shrimp-jambalaya.html

Peace,

TruEngineer

Moody Thoughts

Gettin’ Ready for the Post Season – An Amazing Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Verizon Wireless finally rolling out LTE Service December 5 – Simply Brilliant!

iPhone reception issues – Who’s to blame, Apple or AT&T?

Is Apple’s Business Modeling Hindering Engineering Innovation?

Basic Cookin’ – A Country Boys Lunch Feast!

Personal Finance – Spending Plan 101: Week Five of Twelve

Basic Cookin’ – Giant Blueberry Muffins (Remix!)

Basic Cookin’ – YouTube Breakfast: Belgian Waffles, Fried Potatoes ... FAIL!

Personal Finance – Spending Plan 101: Week Four of Twelve

WIES – Celeste Chavis on Civil Engineering

Personal Finance – Spending Plan 101: Week Three of Twelve

WIES – Mark L. McKelvin Jr. on Electrical Engineering

Personal Finance – Spending Plan 101: Week Two of Twelve

Basic Cookin’ – Quick and Easy Ground Beef

Personal Finance – Spending Plan 101: Week One of Twelve

Breakfast Special – Buttermilk Pancakes, Sausage Links, Scrambled Eggs, Toast = Yummy!

BSM – 2010 College Football Season Prediction-Declaration!!!

Quick Meals – BBQ Pork Rib with Mashed Potatoes and Baby Spinach

Vegetarian Special – Oatmeal with Raisin

Vegetarian Special – California Pizza with Roasted Tomatoes, Sautéed Spinach and Banana Peppers

A Personal Story – Education

Movie Review – The Book of Eli

Book Review – Why Men Hate Going to Church

The Power of Good Presentation

Vegetarian Special – Scrambled Eggs with Cheese

Buckeye Sports Update - Rose Bowl Images

Vegetarian Special – Cream of Mushroom Soup

Potluck Special – Loaded Potato

Potluck Special – Mac n Cheese

Potluck Special – Crockpot Chili

Beef Ribs with Porcini Mushrooms

Thank God for Pumpkin Pie!!!

Healthy – Creamy – French Toast

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Michigan Preview

My Weakness – Blueberry Muffins

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Iowa Preview

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Penn State Preview

Game Day Honey BBQ Wings

Aioli Bread

Multigrain Penne with Unique Meat Sauce

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Purdue Preview

Maria Maria!!!

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Wisconsin Preview

Yogurt Marinade Grilled Chicken

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Indiana Preview

California Pizza

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Illinois Preview

Sweet Pork Chops!

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and Toledo Preview

Blog and YouTube Update

Buckeye Sports Monday – Game Analysis and USC Preview

Bay Area Halibut with Warm Bacon Dressing - *Bonus Post*

The benefits of freezing awesome meals!

S&T Wednesday – Green Roofs

Buckeye Sports Mondays! – TruEngineer Analysis

Game Day Meals: Week 4 – Fast Game Day BBQ

Cali Deuces List – Updated August 26, 2009

Game Day Meals: Week 3 – Apple and Cinnamon Belgian Waffles

Game Day Meals: Week 2 – College Game Day Breakfast version 1

Just Live Your Life

Game Day Meals: Week 1 - Whole White Wheat Pizza with Sausage and Pepperoni

A Healthy Creole Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

Bay Area Halibut with Warm Bacon Dressing - Bonus Post