Meals in 20 - Roast Beef Sandwich with Au Jus

Cooking is a major hobby for me. I can't think of many things more rewarding than watching the look of joy pass across the face of someone who has just tasted one of my creations. That being said, lengthy, complex meals are not always possible. Several days ago, Dear Hubby and I spent a good deal of time running errands ending in a grocery store trip. By that time we were exhausted and starving. We could have ordered take out, but the truth is we had a craving for Italian Beef sandwiches, and living in the panhandlers of Florida, they are impossible to find. When we were in Chicago, there were countless restaurants that served or one could find tubs of the stuff in nearly any store. The correct way to make it requires hours that we were unable to wait through. Then Hubby came up with a plan.

We started with good roast beef from the deli. You know the kind, perfectly pink in the middle, not sliced until you order it. We had them slice a pound and a half on the second thinnest setting. We also picked up beef broth, mushrooms, and hoagie rolls. In retrospect, a fresh clove of garlic and fresh oregano would have been good too.

This is the "doneness" we wanted. It cooks more in the au jus. 

To assemble the sandwich, we wanted the broth adding Italian seasoning, garlic pepper, and a beef bullion cube to boost the beefy goodness. This also eliminated the need to add salt. Next we added the mushrooms to flavor them and warm them. Lastly, we added the roast beef to give it more flavor and warm it. When everything was hot, it time to begin building. Slit open the rolls, and add the beef being sure to get a little of the au jus to soften the bread. Then add  the mushrooms and enough mozzarella (or whatever cheese makes you happy) and close top the sandwich. The hot meat should melt the cheese. Dish up a little of the au jus for dipping the sandwich, and chow down.

I only use Kräft cheeses. They are largely lactose free meaning they are the only choice for me. 

This is one of my favorite meal hacks because it can be personalized in so many ways and it is so quick. Not too expensive either - the roast beef was the most pricey bit. Of course we have leftovers which is always my goal. It was a great meal for a lazy night. Can't ask for much more.

Shoeless no more

In my normal boring life, I work in a restaurant, mostly in the kitchen area. As you may expect, there are frequently spills and slippery debris on the floors that can lead to painful slips and falls. For that reason, we are require to seal slip resistant shoes. In that past two and a half years I have been through four pairs of shoes. I need a new pair, but money is tight right now, so when the sole of my current pair blew out, I decided the get a little more life out of them by combining two pair of shoes to make use of the best part of both.

Using a heat gun to remove the soles.

All removed

My current shoes are men's oxfords. I love almost everything about them. They're tasteful and not overly masculine. They have the cheapest soles though. I started noticing that my feet kept getting wet and when I investigated, the bottoms had given up the fight. The pair I owned previously didn't fit my look at all, and had begun losing the stitching in the uppers. Also the soles were separating from the uppers, which is what gave me the idea.

How I created the sizes needed.

I used duct tape to hold the new soles to the shoes. Gorilla glue does not bond instantly.

Using a heat gun, I removed the soles from the ugly pair and trimmed away the edging. My current shoes have heels, so I cut the soles to fit the heel and main base of my oxfords, and pulled out the Gorilla Glue. It is important to note that Gorilla Glue expands so use it sparingly. I forgot that fact, so when the glue was dry, I had glue to trim from the edges. I cut it away with my pocket knife. Because the shape of the two shoes were so different, it does look a bit like I am floating, but that's a little fun. Point is, 2 days in,and no one has noticed, and I have dry feet. Total win in my book.

DIY Cat Scratcher? Why not?

While perusing kitten toys, I noticed those cardboard cat scratch boards. I thought to myself, "That's brilliant." That thought was cut short however because my eyes fell to the price on the shelf. Ten dollars for the equivalent of a shoe box lid filled with strips of corrugated cardboard tightly arranged within. I figured this could easily be made for free, and set about proving that theory.

The first step, as I saw it, was finding a containing box. I had a few smaller Amazon boxes around, and so I cut one down to be about 2 1/2 inches tall. For the filler, I cut the flaps from a portable freezer shipping box. It is quite thick and sturdy, and so it seemed perfect. I then cut the flaps into strips matching the height of the box. The strips are folded into accordions to fill the entire container as tightly as possible. This is where things get tricky if you don't have a straight edge, as I found out on my first attempt. The layers are uneven, and that just seems unfinished. Also, it is too small. The test kitten liked it, but only for small stretches as she got frustrated that she couldn't sit on it and scratch at the same time.

So, because all I really did wrong was to take was to be lazy with the project was to think too small and make shortcuts, I was able adapt my same idea. I used a ruler to make the goods in the strips even and used much larger containing bow. It was the lid from a cardboard storage tote. I decided to add a bit of glue in between the slats to keep things neat. Since my test kitten loves it, I plan to dress it up by covering it in fabric, but for now, this is one perfectly serviceable, nearly free cat scratcher.

Meet Willow, the test kitten.

She likes to lounge and scratch here. I feel rewarded.