We used to have a pretty good Chinese buffet in Charlotte but they closed down during the Great Recession. I expect the "All You Can Eat" philosophy along with rising food prices was just not a good combination.
I had to learn to tolerate SM's love for buffets though. I've always been a pretty decent cook so it's not like we eat out often, but when we did SM would sometimes suggest one and I'd give over.
You see, as a general rule buffets turn me off.
It's just too much.
Too much food, too many smells, too much noise...It's like a bunch of animals feeding.
When we lived in Virginia Beach there was a seafood place called Captain Georges. When we moved there 20 years ago it was all anyone could talk about so of course we went.
The first time we walk into one, it was a huge dim room with huge buffet tables piled high with any kind of raw, steamed, fried and broiled seafood you could imagine. SM toured the tables before we sat down.
Boy was he excited. The waiter came by to bring us water and explain the rules. I sat there, assaulted by all the smells and turned green.
"I can't do it." I said to SM, eyes wide. "I can't sit here and eat this stuff. It's too much." So we left.
SM was obviously disappointed but convinced me to try again another day and this time we went to a Captain Georges that had windows all around and a much more "brighter/fresher" feel to it. And this time I stayed. I sucked it up for my baby and eventually came to like it. Captain Georges became a frequent habit while we lived in VB.
Fast forward 20 years and we rarely go out to eat at all now. SM says it's because my food is better than their food. (Ha. I knew it all along.) But Mr. Buffet is still hiding in there somewhere and SM's always on the lookout for something new to jazz up my repertoire.
Yesterday was payday and I had a list of foodstuffs that we needed from Sam's and Walmart. I had my usual day at work but SM had some time in the afternoon and volunteered to do the shopping for me.
Gotta love that man!
So I handed over the debit card and when I pulled into the driveway last night, SM was pulling in too. So we unloaded. And I found this.
Looks like Mr. Buffet went shopping with SM.
"You're OK with making me some Chicken Noodle Soup this weekend, right?" SM asked.
(Now you know what's on the menu for Soup Sunday, and if you need me to give you a recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup...Well, we really are in trouble.)
"Yep." I said, eyeballing the box.
"Well, I thought these sounded like they would taste really good with it." SM says, tapping the box. "See? It looks really easy to make. We've got cheese right?" He asked. Wow! He actually read the instructions?
"Yeah...You know, these look pretty good on the box at least." I admitted approving his purchase. I sometimes give him a lot of grief if he buys something I could have made myself. But I've never thought of this combo before. (I'm already thinking about how I can make these from scratch though.)
It's not a bad thing living with Mr. Buffet. He keeps me on my toes, I can tell you that!
I LOVE those rolls, and I have a "from scratch" recipe that's pretty darned close! Remind me to post it if I forget. Actually, let me go get the recipe card RIGHT NOW and put it on the desk.
ReplyDeleteThe 'things' we put up with food wise, eh? Those biscuits are very easy to make from scratch. Your hubby sounds like mine.
ReplyDeleteLOL, this is what you call a home style buffet from the comfort of your very own home. Gotta admit, Red Lobster's cheese biscuits are the best.
ReplyDeleteApparently Red Lobster's biscuits have great appeal for a lot of people. As I commented on Carolyn's blog, a couple of years ago my daughter decided she could duplicate their biscuits in her kitchen and did a dang good job of it. I'd say the recipe she came up with (a lot like Carolyn's) is every bit as good as the restaurant's.
ReplyDeleteYour Squeetie Man sounds like my husband with the buffets. His head will turn like in the exorcist trying to scope out a new buffet as we drive by! We did the Captain George's in Nags Head and the Golden Trough...ahem i mean Corral was a favourite for him also. My big peeve about the buffets is knowing how many people are sticking their fingers etc in the food and coughing etc on/over it...blech! We use to live in Chesapeake :-)
ReplyDeleteI am a new reader to your blog and I love your sense of humor! Given that, I read one of those "What it was like when I went to cooking school ..." books that had a great line in it. The woman's husband (who didn't go to cooking school) likes to bake when he's really upset - to calm down - something he did with his mother? Anyway, he wants to make a cake but they are out of box mixes so the wife gives him a basic recipe for cake and off he goes. Later he comes striding back in the room with "...what's in the box??!!" The gist of it being that you have a box mix to which you add eggs, oil, water and whatever so the guy wants to know what's in the box. I think it's a perfect statement about some of the stuff that we buy these days. What's in the box? has become a regular comment in our house.
ReplyDeleteI'm not fond of buffets. They kick in my "stupid button" because I feel like I have to eat enough to get my money's worth which is usually twice what I should really eat and, of course, I feel like I can cook better than that!