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Alaska Railroad and Jello Mines

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Posted by SALfan on Monday, March 8, 2021 10:47 PM

Paul of Covington

   Army food: When I got out of the army, I wouldn't eat a potato for the first year or two.  My father was from Honduras and my mother from Louisiana so we mostly had rice and only occasionally potatoes.  I came out of the army with potato shock!

 

Interesting.  Where I grew up in SE GA, people eat (or did when I was growing up) a lot of rice.  They eat potatoes too, but in some households rice was on the table at most meals.  I believe that is because in Colonial times and I assume into the 1800's, a lot of rice was grown down on the coast.  In SW GA, where my mother lived after age 11, rice was rarely served, and potatoes were the starch of choice.

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Posted by SALfan on Monday, March 8, 2021 10:36 PM

Flintlock76

 

 
SALfan
but one dose of SPAM was enough to let me understand why my father loathed it.  My father was on the north shore of Oahu for 10 months while in the army; pineapple was dirt cheap, so it was offered at every meal.

 

A LOT of GI's came home from WW2 hating SPAM.  The crazy thing is, they LOVE it in Hawaii!  Saw a show on The Food Network several years ago about it, SPAM came to Hawaii during the war and never left!

I tried it years ago.  Not bad. Not great, but not bad. I could live on it but I wouldn't go looking for it.

How'd your dad feel about SOS?  Wink

 

I don't know, but my mother never served anything like it, so he may have forbidden it.  Then again, my mother was a home economics teacher who believed in meat and plenty of vegetables, so I don't know if the thought ever crossed her mind.  I vaguely remember my father mentioning "SOS" once, but didn't indicate whether he liked it, hated it, or was neutral about it.   

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Monday, March 8, 2021 7:15 PM

Flintlock76
 
BaltACD

Do the Alaskan Jell-O mines operate on the accepted Drill-Blast-Muck-Haul form of mining?

 

 
It is done by running huge water cannon in reverse to suck the water out of the jelletin ore embedded below the permafrost, leaving a fine powder that is scooped up by hand to put in small waxpaper bags.  It is then refined and packaged in bulk to ship to other companies that use it in food preperation.  It is rumored that some companies simply buy the small waxpaper bags to sell to the consumer in brightly colored cardboard boxes.

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Monday, March 8, 2021 6:38 PM

BaltACD

Do the Alaskan Jell-O mines operate on the accepted Drill-Blast-Muck-Haul form of mining?

 

This is where we really miss Miningman.  He'd know!

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, March 8, 2021 6:12 PM

Do the Alaskan Jell-O mines operate on the accepted Drill-Blast-Muck-Haul form of mining?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by NKP guy on Monday, March 8, 2021 1:54 PM

   My dad was a Navy vet (1938 -1945) too, and he forbid my mother from using onions in our food because, "I had so damned many of those things in the Navy I learned to hate them."  So of course mom made onions only when dad wasn't home.

   Fast forward to about 1985.  Lady NKP is a first-rate cook who decided to pull a fast one on the old man by making a delicious meal with onions, although small and/or disguised.  Afterwards, she asked him what he thought.  "Delicious!," came his reply.  Very positive.

   When told the truth, he smiled broadly.  After forty years he'd forgotten his onion-animosity and discovered how good they are.

   Dad had only positive memories of the Navy and its food.  After all, it sure beat K-rations.  One more memory:  The morning after he was raised in rank to Chief Machinist Mate he entered the Officer's Mess for the first time.  The steward asked him what he'd like for breakfast...and dad momentarily froze.  It seemed no one in all his 24 years had ever before asked him what he wanted for breakfast.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Monday, March 8, 2021 1:52 PM

tree68
"reconstituted eggs"

There a great story from WW2 about those "reconstituted," or powdered eggs.

A submarine was in Pearl Harbor for a refit after a patrol, the crew had been given shore leave and the only men left on board were the captain and the executive officer.

The captain got a call on his intercom from the exec, "Skipper, I'm in the galley and I've made some scrambled eggs and coffee, would you like some?"

"Sure, I'll be right there!"

Well, the skipper and the exec were chowing down and the captain asked, "Where'd you get the fresh eggs? These taste great!"

"They're not fresh, they're the powdered eggs."

"Really?  How'd you make 'em so well, they taste like the real thing!"

"Uh, I followed the directions on the box."

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, March 8, 2021 1:06 PM

When you get right down to it, SOS is not far removed from the sausage gravy biscuits I regularly order at a favorite diner.  

Of course, that's not to say that it can't be screwed up.  Four and a half months on a Navy ship proved that...

Dad served at the end of WWII, although he never went overseas - he served in DC, one of his stories was driving up the ramps in the Pentagon in a Jeep- but I digress.

I don't recall that he mentioned SOS, but he did tell of a ruse the cooks used with regard to eggs.  Apparently fresh eggs were in short supply, so a lot of "reconstituted eggs" were used for things like scrambled eggs.  Of course, the troops hated them, so the cooks would throw a dozen whole eggs (yep, shell and all) into the mixing pot. Of course, the guys would complain about the eggshells, but they weren't complaining about the reconstituted eggs, and may have even thought the whole thing was fresh eggs....

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Monday, March 8, 2021 12:20 PM

54light15
In the Navy we never saw SPAM but there was SOS. It looked gross but actually didn't taste too bad.

I never saw it in the Marines either, or SOS for that matter, but I heard about it from my elders and WW2 GI histories!  SOS that is.

The thing is, both my father and father in law said SOS was actually pretty good if it was made right.  I DID see it at a breakfast buffet once, tried it and it was pretty tasty!  AND I found out who all the veterans were when I carried the tray back to the table and a lot of grey-haired guys got a look at at!  The looks on their faces was priceless!

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Posted by tree68 on Monday, March 8, 2021 9:35 AM

Semper Vaporo
I put the flat ones on my car and people STEAL them! 

Wasn't SPAM, but I had someone steal a custom railroad magnet off my truck.  At a train show, of course.  

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Posted by 54light15 on Monday, March 8, 2021 8:46 AM

Regarding lutefisk- there was an episode of the "King of the Hill" that involved lutefisk and the church burning to the ground- pretty funny! In the Navy we never saw SPAM but there was SOS. It looked gross but actually didn't taste too bad. Has anyone ever eaten Limburger cheese? I know a guy who loves it. 

In the book, "From Here to Eternity," two characters get thrown out of a bar in Honolulu on Army payday. The place is just rockin'. One sneaks back and asks the cook for a toasted Limburger sandwich. They go around the corner and came back in 20 minutes and the place is closed for the night. That's got to be true! 

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Sunday, March 7, 2021 10:52 PM

If you ever have a chance to be in Austin, Minnesota, please go to the SPAM museum.  Well worth the time to see their displays.  They have even have a section celebrating the Monty Python skits!

Then go to the gift shop... lots of stuff with a SPAM motif.  Golf tees/balls/club covers/etc., letter openers, mugs, plates, oven mitts and other kitchenware, matchbooks, keyrings/fobs, clothing (Tee-shirts/caps/baby outfits/etc.), games/etc. ... you name it, they probably have it. 

And they sell every type of SPAM they make, even flavors that are seldom sold in the U.S.

They even have refrigerator magnets of various sorts in the silhouette of the SPAM can.  I put the flat ones on my car and people STEAL them!  I lost several before I figured out it was not that they were blowing off.  I saw someone take one.  I then aimed my dashcam out the window over where I put the magnet and this is the result: https://vimeo.com/102687249

Personally, I like the Cheddar Cheese, Turkey SPAM, and Bacon styles.

Slice it thin and into small squares and serve it on Ritz ("Hint of Salt" style) Crackers.  Yums!

 

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Sunday, March 7, 2021 10:40 PM

SALfan

 

 
Erik_Mag

 

 
Murphy Siding

 

Gag me! You just brought back memories of my grandmother's 'Joys of Jello' creations. Just because something floats in Jello, it doesn't mean you should put it in Jello.

 

 

 

You can't have a real Lutheran church potluck without multiple Jello deserts, each with its unique mixture of things floating in it...

 

 

 

Same thing with Baptist churches down south.  In addition to regular Jello with various fruit and stuff floating in it, Jello is an ingredient in congealed salads, which is basically green or orange or pink glop with a bunch of unidentified stuff in it.  CShave's Lime Jell-O Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise sounds very much like what I know as congealed salad.

 

My grandma would have been proud to serve that. Her most common Jello creations had cottage cheese and/or coleslaw in them. Her all-time winner (or loser) creation was Jello with oyster crackers! Dead

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, March 7, 2021 10:21 PM

Paul of Covington
   OK, looks like we have several lines going on food.

   Spam: When I was a kid, I loved fried Spam and cheese sandwiches.  On a whim, many years later, I decided to try it again.  I found it disgusting!

   Army food: When I got out of the army, I wouldn't eat a potato for the first year or two.  My father was from Honduras and my mother from Louisiana so we mostly had rice and only occasionally potatoes.  I came out of the army with potato shock!

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Sunday, March 7, 2021 10:04 PM

   OK, looks like we have several lines going on food.

   Spam: When I was a kid, I loved fried Spam and cheese sandwiches.  On a whim, many years later, I decided to try it again.  I found it disgusting!

   Army food: When I got out of the army, I wouldn't eat a potato for the first year or two.  My father was from Honduras and my mother from Louisiana so we mostly had rice and only occasionally potatoes.  I came out of the army with potato shock!

   Edit:  And Flintlock, about SOS--never could stand even the sight of it.

_____________ 

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, March 7, 2021 9:40 PM

SALfan
but one dose of SPAM was enough to let me understand why my father loathed it.  My father was on the north shore of Oahu for 10 months while in the army; pineapple was dirt cheap, so it was offered at every meal.

A LOT of GI's came home from WW2 hating SPAM.  The crazy thing is, they LOVE it in Hawaii!  Saw a show on The Food Network several years ago about it, SPAM came to Hawaii during the war and never left!

I tried it years ago.  Not bad. Not great, but not bad. I could live on it but I wouldn't go looking for it.

How'd your dad feel about SOS?  Wink

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, March 7, 2021 9:07 PM

SD60MAC9500
 
54light15

This entire thread is a lot of weapons-grade balonium.  

Would you like your balonium fried? With mustard or mayo? 

Tobasco

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Posted by SD60MAC9500 on Sunday, March 7, 2021 8:17 PM
 

54light15

This entire thread is a lot of weapons-grade balonium. 

 

Would you like your balonium fried? With mustard or mayo? 

 
 
Rahhhhhhhhh!!!!
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Posted by SALfan on Sunday, March 7, 2021 7:50 PM

Erik_Mag

 

 
Murphy Siding

 

Gag me! You just brought back memories of my grandmother's 'Joys of Jello' creations. Just because something floats in Jello, it doesn't mean you should put it in Jello.

 

 

 

You can't have a real Lutheran church potluck without multiple Jello deserts, each with its unique mixture of things floating in it...

 

Same thing with Baptist churches down south.  In addition to regular Jello with various fruit and stuff floating in it, Jello is an ingredient in congealed salads, which is basically green or orange or pink glop with a bunch of unidentified stuff in it.  CShave's Lime Jell-O Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise sounds very much like what I know as congealed salad.

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Posted by SALfan on Sunday, March 7, 2021 7:40 PM

BaltACD

Gelatine mine at about 6:50

 

My father had to eat so much SPAM in the army during WWII that he would not allow SPAM, deviled ham, potted meat, or bologna in the house when I was growing up. I had never eaten SPAM or deviled ham until I was grown and out on my own.  I like deviled ham and bologna, but one dose of SPAM was enough to let me understand why my father loathed it.  My father was on the north shore of Oahu for 10 months while in the army; pineapple was dirt cheap, so it was offered at every meal.  I never saw him eat pineapple, but he would allow it in the house.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, March 7, 2021 6:48 PM

BaltACD

 

 
Paul Milenkovic
I knew an immigrant from Sweden who found the American custom of serving sweetened aspic (aka Jell-o) as odd if not slightly disgusting.

 

Nordics don't have much room to talk about disgusting.

Lutefisk is dried whitefish. It is made from aged stockfish, or dried and salted cod, pickled in lye. It is gelatinous in texture after being rehydrated for days prior to eating. Lutefisk is prepared as a seafood dish of several Nordic countries

 

Oh great, now  have to run to the bathroom!  Ick!

I'll be back later...

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Sunday, March 7, 2021 6:38 PM

Paul Milenkovic

I knew an immigrant from Sweden who found the American custom of serving sweetened aspic (aka Jell-o) as odd if not slightly disgusting.

To relate to his point-of-view, what would people here think of chocolate-flavored Spam?

 

"Chocolate Spam"... WOW!  Hey -- send them a note suggesting it!  They just might take you up on it!

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, March 7, 2021 6:28 PM

Paul Milenkovic
I knew an immigrant from Sweden who found the American custom of serving sweetened aspic (aka Jell-o) as odd if not slightly disgusting.

Nordics don't have much room to talk about disgusting.

Lutefisk is dried whitefish. It is made from aged stockfish, or dried and salted cod, pickled in lye. It is gelatinous in texture after being rehydrated for days prior to eating. Lutefisk is prepared as a seafood dish of several Nordic countries

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Posted by Paul Milenkovic on Sunday, March 7, 2021 6:22 PM

I knew an immigrant from Sweden who found the American custom of serving sweetened aspic (aka Jell-o) as odd if not slightly disgusting.

To relate to his point-of-view, what would people here think of chocolate-flavored Spam?

If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Sunday, March 7, 2021 6:12 PM

tree68
54light15

This entire thread is a lot of weapons-grade balonium. 

 

 Yeah, but it's fun - and even a few things that some people didn't know!

 
BUT!  What do we "KNOW" and how much is typical internet stupidity?

Semper Vaporo

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Posted by tree68 on Sunday, March 7, 2021 3:38 PM

54light15

This entire thread is a lot of weapons-grade balonium. 

Yeah, but it's fun - and even a few things that some people didn't know!

LarryWhistling
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Posted by 54light15 on Sunday, March 7, 2021 12:15 PM

This entire thread is a lot of weapons-grade balonium. 

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Posted by SD60MAC9500 on Friday, March 5, 2021 4:55 PM
 

Overmod

 

 
SD60MAC9500
Alpha Flight jacked all the Adamantium for Wolverine...

 

But we're talking about the unmined adamantite and adamandrite crystals in the mixed titanium-bearing formations.  If Vince (miningman) were still here, he could provide a far better overview of the scope involved in resonance-metal mining and winning.

 

 

Well if Forge didn't exist you'd be right.... After he got fired from Burger King in Tonawanda, NY for plasma arcing whopper patties. He built a time machine out of the garbage dumpster in the parking lot. Alpha Flight while on tour with Kool Moe Dee and The Doobie Brothers. Happened to stop at this BK and saw Forge in the back. They needed all the Adamantium for Weapon X.. Forge sent them back to 1778 to secure all mineral rights.. The land today is guarded by Gumby and Pokey through contract with AF via ownership of the newly unmerged Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo RR...

 
 
 
 
 
Rahhhhhhhhh!!!!
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Posted by abdkl on Friday, March 5, 2021 1:38 PM
Yeah-But ya gotta remember to use creamy peanut butter, not the chunky stuff

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