15 - Needless Distraction

Episode 15

Sponsored by: Second Chances

    What do Richard Nixon, Abraham Lincoln and Grover Cleveland have in common? Join in for some electoral logo fun!
Why is there a Log Cabin and a Chicken on the ballot?
Why is the Kentucky ballot mired in pre-civil war iconography?
Listen and learn.
  Current Events  (11:15) Learn why someone typed "There's a bee in my ass" and ended up on the Xombee Guy website.


Also Stacey talks about how he was Left for Dead in the latest installment of Trailer Trash with a Girl's Name.
 Interview with Mary O Paddock  (20:00)
We talk writing and spinach with Mary Paddock and discuss the creation of her new book The Fassen Files. Mary talks us through the world of indie publishing and explains where she got her book covers.


Food Porn  (51:10) We follow the proclamation of Charles Joy @ThanosRules and return to Cancun - together. In fact we went on Halloween. Did it win Stacey over? If Montoya's closes would Stacey go to Cancun instead? Listen and learn.   It turns out that Cake is "the Needless Distraction"
  We also discuss the restaurant next door to Cancun. Guru Indian Restaurant. Stay tuned as we discover the strange and mysterious Tandoori Buffalo Wings    Also learn the about the affections of the bus boy...    Paddock's Spinach Lasagna Feeds six sturdy men of the Ozarks Mere mortals may want to adjust the amounts.    

• 6  cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2  15 oz container ricotta  or 2% fat cottage cheese (drained) 
• 1/2  cup fresh parsley, chopped 
• 1/2  cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4  teaspoons minced garlic 
•  6 cups pasta sauce 
• 18 or so lasagna noodles 
• 4 cans (15 ounce cans) spinach  (well drained)  
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, cracked if you've got it
• pinch of red pepper flakes

  Set aside a cup of the sauce as well as a cup or so of mozzarella cheese in advance for the topping. After making sure the spinach is drained (cannot emphasize this enough) mix  with the  ricotta/cottage cheese as well as  the remaining sauce, the parmesan cheese, and the seasonings. Mix well. After that layer your noodles, filling, and cheese like you would any other lasagna, ending with noodles and sauce.  Do not apply the cheese yet as it will stick to the aluminum and you’ll lose everyone’s favorite part. J Cook covered with aluminum foil for about an hour, uncovering in the last fifteen minutes to add the last of the mozzarella.    Some notes— The charm of this recipe is how flexible it is. It originally called for no-boil pasta, but my crew hated the texture (Personally I prefer the whole wheat noodles, but half of the men don’t like them).  I’ve used a variety of pasta sauces ranging from homemade (with homegrown tomatoes) to store brand and while the homemade was better (of course) I noticed that the leftovers didn’t stick around any longer either way. I’ve tried fresh and frozen spinach, but the crew tells me that canned is better.  If you go the route of using fresh or frozen, be sure to cook it in advance.  A side note—Fresh parsley is very different than the dried stuff and good for you too. If you’ve got a local farmer’s market consider getting it there or grow your own in a pot on a windowsill. You’ll never go back. The same applies to garlic.