Black Friday|Why I don't need it as much anymore

We loved Black Friday for many years. Our Loot

(Scroll down for El Dia del Guajolote Post)

It was a great ritual to go thru...research what was coming...scope out the stores the day before Thanksgiving and try to find out as much info as possible...and then hit the store that had the best deal on Black Friday as early as possible not matter what the weather was like.

We did not do it this year ... A few years back I found certain websites that enabled us to find deals that were available not only on Black Friday but throughout the year.

So since me and the Little Pumkin have become really good at finding deals all year long the Black Friday ads that came out this year did not impress us much.

Maybe a game here or there for me but nothing else to lose sleep over.

Like this last Thursday we did all our deals at CVS (Drug convenience store like Walgreens)...this what we got:

for about 3 dollars out of pocket.....combo of coupons/Cvs bucks/cash(not much)/and having a Cvs Card.

All of this + plus two big ticket items that can't be shown because they are gifts:)

This info is out there for everyone to use....all you have to do is look for it...I found the info by looking for blackfriday ads a few years ago and all you do is start small then as you learn you get better and better...the best of part of the whole thing is that it is legal and no one loses any money...Cvs gets reimbursed by the companies that make the products and it is a win win situation for everyone.

There are different stores you can do this at...Like Walgreens...but we don't do Walgreens often because the deals are a little harder to work out....It all depends on the info you have access to and the availability of the store...and your understanding of the deal and what to look out for.

Some people do only Walmart deals, other Target,Rte Aid etc...etc...

So Happy Shopping, and Don't wait til next Black Friday to find deals...they are available all year long.....The pics above are from this past ThursdayThanksgiving Morning)...but it is not a one time thing these deals are available weekly but the product varies from week to week...sometimes there are no deals.

And it is not only these type of products , you might be thinking what about TVs? or Game Consoles? Games? Toys? Clothes? Shoes? other electronics? or Gear?Deals are available out there for those also all you have to do is look out for them.

All our Christmas shopping got done early this year by looking for these deals and that is why we did not do Black Friday this year.

But I won't lie to you, I missed the rush of the people standing in line anticipating the great deal that is coming as soon as the doors open and the crowd rushes in.

But then, It was nice to sleep in...knowing that all our shopping is already done and the deals that are out there are not even close to as good as the deals that we found all year long.

R.I.P. to the 34 Year old Walmart worker that got killed by rushing stampede of Holiday shoppers tring to get into Walmart and the Lady that almost lost her unborn baby because of the same reason....Story at Yahoo

No deal is worth someone else's or your life.

Evilchavo out.

El dia del Guajolote| What I am thankful for

Guajolote m. (Singular guajolote)

(Mexico, Central America) turkey

My dad always called tomorrow El dia del Guajolote (Thanksgiving day).

When I was growing up I was like dad ?Guajolote? Pavo Mijo....Turkey.O..o.k.

But my dad being from Totatiche...always used weird words that I never hear of...My mom used them sometimes..but I learned spanish two different ways.

My mom spoke more like a mix of caló and spanish and my dad Ranch and Spanish.

Like mom always says Chale(not acceptable) and Chido(Badass) and Chingon(A badass) and Filero(Knife) and Califas(California)...words like that.Look up Caló language to see what I mean

My dad uses word like Sensontle (Robin), Tecolote(Owl), Guajolote(Turkey).

I am thankful that my parents are so different, Because I learned how to be patient from My Dad and Hardcore from My Mom and from my stepdad I learned how to be the perfect dad and how to mess it all up......but because of them I learned how to find a happy medium.

I am thankful that I did not get shot in City Terrace when I was a kid.

I am thankful that I did not do so many drugs that I totally messed up my life.

I am thankful that I had some friends while growing up and that those friends for however amount of time where my friends were good. friends.

I am thankful that I saw my Grandfather before he passed away.

I am thankful that my brother saw alot of the mistakes that I made growing up and was able to learn and not repeat the same mistakes himself.

I am thankful for the Little Pumpkin and our family and the fact that even though I would of turned out all right on my own she managed to see the diamond in the turd and helped make me a million times better.

So I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving day and were able to get some good deals on Black Friday....

It's Tamale time!

and Charlie brown time....Happy Thanksgiving!!

Evilchavo Out.

I got Jacked or as my mom would say "A que p*nche suerte"

I got jacked a few weeks ago.

It has only happened to me 3 times in all my lifetime.

When I was a kid someone stole my chopper trike (My neighbor)

When I was a teenager in Garfield High School (I went there for a few weeks after I got kicked out of Wilson for Ditching so much)

I took my moms video camera, one of those huge ones that we used to consider portable and made the decision to film my friends and I and what we did when we ditched....I was walking with my friends thru the park and after I spent about 15 minutes filming a mouse that was hidding underneath a bush....we made the decision to walk to our friends house at the projects that were close by.

I told my friends to walk ahead of me so that I could film them as they walked across the bridge over the freeway to the other side.

They did and in a great improvisational moment that made the decision to run instead of walk when they walked half way over the bridge.

I was so into this that I failed to see the guy creeping up behind me that said " Give the camera or I will kill you" ...I thought it was one of my other friends that had snuck up behind me when I turned around I saw that it was not my friend and some guy that looked at me like he meant what he was saying.....I always thought that he had a gun....but now I realize it must of just been a knife....

But in my moment of fear I made the decision that since my friends were nowhere to be found it would be in my best interest to hand over the camera....to my everlasting shame I did....(sorry had to steal that line from Count of Montecristo :)

View Larger Map
(THis is where I got jacked for my camera)

I just remember that after it happened I felt like I should of not given the camera up, I should of stood my ground and told him to f-off but I did not....I gave it up...but I did not get stabbed which would of been much worse.

I wish that I had an interesting story such as the one above for what happened to my cell...but I don't.

I was had just finished filling out a deposit slip at the credit union located inside the Walmart here in Arizona...and I reached down to get a deposit envelope...I set my phone down on the counter in front of me...(I remember telling myself don't forget your phone...it is on the counter) and then I made the deposit...it must of been less that two minutes from when I left the counter and turned to make the deposit (The counter was right next to the atm)

but alas my Cell phone was stolen....right in front of me...I pride myself in being aware of my surroundings and the fact that nothing like this ever happens to me because I am careful....but stuff like this happens....

I asked around the store and of course no one found a Blackberry...I ran outside to see if I someone was acting funny but no one was....I gathered all my suspects and retraced my steps and found nothing......

Went to customer service and was told nothing had been turned in...

The cell phone is not what mattered to me, what mattered is the fact that I got jacked ....Me.

I cancelled my cell service and my new cell has been received ( I got the exact same one and same color also)..but what about my pictures and music and phone #'s.

I don't even bother to memorize any since the advent of cell phones and being able to save caller ids....my rolas are gone now...some p*to is rocking them.

I even had a phantom cell phone ring while shopping at Safeway ....I reached for my cell but it was not there....

Just more proof that I am Jinxed.

Update:

I received a call from this guy saying they found my cell phone.....at the Walmart....I always lock my phone and have a code for it ...on the lock screen I put to call me if found for reward and they did.

They lived down the street and did not say who found it...I hooked em up with some feds and was happy to get my old cell and memory card back along with all my songs and pics.

I guess I am not as Jinxed as I thought .

Tamale season is in full effect and I will be documenting the process and posting pics soon.

Evilchavo Out.

Famous Enchilada Lasagna|Cooking with the Little Pumpkin and how you can make it also.

So, The Little Pumkin let me get in her way while cooking and let me take some pictures of her Famous Enchilada Lasagna ....Yum!!

Famous Enchilada Lasagna is a Lasagna that is made by the Little Pumkin that is made with all the stuff that you would usually make Enchiladas with.

So what you will need:

a) Ground Beef or you could use something else if vegetarian...like eggplant or more cheese

b) Las Palmas Sauce (Hot or mild is up to you)

c) Corn Tortillas

d) Sliced can of Olives

e) Onion

f) Monterey Jack Cheese

g) a pot , a cheese grater (Or you can buy grated) 2 frying pans, a lasagna bowl or deep dish for the oven.

(You know what those look like)

h) Vegetable Oil

I am writting this post the way that The Lil Pumpkin cooks....

1) Brown the Ground Beef (you don't need anything to brown it, just brown it in its fat).....drain......put the ground beef back in the pot after draining and set aside.

2) Cut the onions (Freeze it the day before and it will keep you from crying, per Alton Brown) it works, set aside

3) Grate the cheese...set aside

4) Open the can of Olives and Drain....set aside.

5) Cut the Tortillas ....in Squares.....cut the round parts off...

Keep the left overs for eggs and tortillas.....my favorite.....kinda on the heartattack side but really good...I will post on how I cook that later.

6) Add 70% of the Las Palmas Sauce to the ground beef pot (that you set aside in step 1)add the sliced black olives (that you set aside earlier) and stir while heating up...turn off when the sauce starts to bubble, then set aside. (keep the other 30% Las Palmas sauce for later in the cooking)

7) In a frying pan..Fry the tortilla square until it's firm...golden...brown....set aside tortilla squares.

(I did not take pictures of this part,....must of been when I was making myself a ground beef taco with tapatio...limon and sal : )........basically you heat up the oil till its hot but not smoking then you fry the tortilla square....when fried you heat it up in the Las Palmas as below...Lil Pumkin does this all in one step...so fry in the oil...then fry in the las palmas....then put in the lasagna pyrex..like shown below)

8) In the other frying pan you put the remainder of the Las Palmas Sauce (30% left over from step 6 )you heat it up.....then you dip the indiviual squares into the hot Las Palmas Sauce..then...

9) You take the lasagna pan (pyrex pan)

10)then you line the bottom with the fried ... Las Palmas Sauced tortilla squares......you make one layer.....

10) Spoon the Las Palmas ground beef (that you set aside in step 6) onto the layer of tortillas (cover completely) flatten down to make an even layer.

11) sprinkle chopped onions into the meat

12) add a layer of Monterey Jack cheese (that was set aside in step 3) to create a layer of cheese on top of the ground beef, cover completely.

13) then repeat steps 10-12 until you reach the top.

so layering is as follows.(As shown above)

bottom of pan =tortillas, then ground beef, then onions, then cheese,then tortillas, then ground beef, then onions, then cheese....etc...etc

14) Then bake at 350 (no pre heating needed) until cheese is melted and has nice golden crust approx 20-30 minutes depending on the oven ...but keep an eye on it.

15) Take out of the oven , let sit for 20 minutes or as long as you can stand it...then eat.

Enjoy.

Thanksgiving is coming so lets see if I can convince The Lil Pumkin to let me document another one of her cooking things.

Thank you for visiting our blog, we hope that you enjoy cooking this for yourself and family.

In these hard times, it is good to know that many bellies will be filled with the warmth of The Little Pumkins Famous Enchilada Lasagna.

Once again, Thanks for the visits and hope you enjoy the food.

After cooking tell us how it went(Comment)...easy to cook? Taste as good as it looks?

Thanks to these blogs for their referrals, we appreciate the visits :)

EastsiderLa.com

LA Times Blogs/Daily dish

alterx.blogspot.com

Evilchavo Out