Random Acts of Adventure
Binary Chef - Whole Roasted Chicken
September 3, 2009
I've wrestled with roasting whole chicken on the grill for some time now. Whole roasted chicken on the grill is my dad's go to. He puts it on, leaves it for an hour and goes for a walk with my mom, and comes back to poultry perfection. Meanwhile, if I put on a whole chicken and as much as turn my back on it, I end up with a charred mess. This weekend I decided I'd give it one more go, and for the first time I wasn't disappointed. This is a dish that's definitely going into my rotation.
Whole Roasted Chicken
Rinse and pat dry your chicken (about 3-4 pounds, obviously cooking time will be adjusted for a bigger or smaller bird). Rub down the chicken with olive oil, and be sure to get under the skin. Season liberally with your favorite spice mixture. There's nothing wrong with the simple salt and pepper. I used a play out of my dad's cookbook and used Herbes de Provence, plus fresh cracked pepper, kosher salt and a few cloves of chopped garlic under the skin and thrown in the cavity. My chicken came out perfect after 1 hour and 15 minutes over indirect heat at 425 degrees.
I know everyone will have their grills fired up for the long weekend, give this one a shot, and let us know how it goes.
Dear Ellen - Lions and Tigers and Bears
September 2, 2009
Dear Ellen,
Which bear is the best bear?
Curious
Dear Curious,
Gosh, it's hard to single out one top ranking bear. I, like most people, have always just kept a Top 3 list of bears: polar bear, koala bear, and Teddy Ruxpin. Polar Bear PROS: black skin, largest carnivore on land, loves to drink Coca-Cola CONS: vulnerable species in population decline, might eat you alive Koala Bear PROS: cute ears, opposable thumbs, not big enough to maul you CONS: disproportionately large nose, not actually a bear Teddy Ruxpin: PROS: good conversationalist, doesn't bite, has a stylish hairdo CONS: hard plastic innards, doesn't hibernate, requires cassette tapes It's just too hard for me to choose, you'll have to bear with me (hyuck hyuck). Maybe you can help me out: we'd like to know which bear YOU think is the best bear!
Ellen
Rock, Paper, Scissors - Dutch Tub
September 1, 2009
The Dutch have done it again.
For whatever reason the Dutch have the design market cornered, and this only reconfirms that fact. These are the best looking hot tubs around, plus they are portable and don’t require much more energy than a campfire. Plus you get to feel like you’re the cocoa in a giant coffee cup. I wonder if they’ll let us borrow one for our next winter photo shoot?
Lessons For An Optimist - Retailer of the Year
August 31, 2009
Today is the Last Day to nominate a Retailer of the Year for Backpacker Magazine. Our retailers do so much to represent the Horny Toad brand and promote our favorite products. Most importantly, they provide you with that all important specialty advice and service to make sure your outdoor adventures are fully enjoyed. In these challenging economic times, this is a chance to recognize the very best for what they do! Please nominate your favorite local retailer here and get them in the mix of this rewarding national competition.
Duzer Does America
August 28, 2009
Our buddy, our pal, Ryan Van Duzer just rode a cruiser bike, yes a cruiser bike, across America. Why? You may be asking. Well, the answer is two-fold. One, he is absolutely bonkers for bikes. I mean, the rode his bike back home to Boulder from Honduras after serving time in the Peace Corps! Two, he was trying to raise awareness for bikers everywhere, but specifically to raise money for Community Cycles, who are creating a culture of cycling in Boulder Colorado. He had some great adventures along the way and met a ton of great folks. You can read all about it and see the video and pics here. Enjoy the video above for highlights.Bag To Basics Giveaway
August 27, 2009
Hey, are you on Facebook but haven't said hello to us yet? Well, now's the perfect time to come out of the social networking closet and make our friendship official! To celebrate fall being just around the corner, we've teamed up with a few of our favorite brands in presenting the Horny Toad Bag to Basics Giveaway! Bahahaha! Get it? Baaaag to Basics. Ah, we're clever aren't we?
There's something about the promise of cool days ahead that has us ready to pare down to the essentials and embrace the final days of summer, and we want to share those good vibes with our nearest and dearest - you! Whether you're headed back to school or back to the office, we've got two prize packs (totaling $750.00) that are chock-full of things to get you in gear for fall.
One guy and one gal will win:
- $100 Horny Toad Gift Card - Can't go wrong with some cash in the pocket to spend on some of our new fall styles like the Adrienne shirt and Anne dress for women or the Alton pant and Kingman shirt for men.
- Klean Kanteen™ Classic - A sweet 27 oz. 100% recyclable stainless steel water bottle for a full day of classes or work. It might even work better on a day of hookie - just a suggestion. Completely BPA-free and won't leach toxins or funky flavors into your drink of choice, plus it will fit into most cup holders. In new colors like Indicator Red (gals) and Ocean Blue (guys).
- A pair of Smith Sunglasses - Not only damn good looking, Smith shades are performance oriented and fit like a glove - but like a glove for your face - errr ... nevermind, bad analogy. Let's just say they fit great and look great. Win these styles Shoreline (gals) and Super Method (guys).
- Nau's new minimalist bags - perfectly compact, but holds everything you need. They released them last week, and we can't stop drooling over the exquisite design and 100% recycled fabric of both the Fluent Stash (gals) and the Motil Pack (guys).
Sounds awesome, but how do I enter?
It's quick and easy: Become a fan of Horny Toad, Kleen Kanteen, Smith Optics and Nau Clothing and share a link to this blog post on your Facebook wall. On Thursday September 3, we'll select one gal pal and one guy friend to win one of each of the prize packs! If you win, we'll contact you directly through Facebook.
Good Luck!
The Toads
Dear Ellen - iCool?
August 26, 2009
Dear Ellen,
Will I seem cooler to my friends if I get an iPhone?
Curious
Dear Curious,
As with all new products found at the Mac store, owning the latest and greatest will definitely make you seem cooler to your friends and those around you. Owning an iPhone exudes coolness, telling those around you that you are ‘hip’ and ‘with it’. Take my mother for instance - before she got an iPhone she was just another middle aged woman using an email address from her internet provider. Now that she has an iPhone she is a techno-savvy cougar armed with the latest Jazzercise playlist, reminding her book group to write to her new gmail account. She is just one iPhone success story out of millions.
There is, however, one important thing to know before upgrading your life and cool-factor to iPhone: anyone who does not actually observe that your have an iPhone will think your are an illiterate nincompoop. You will be perceived by those outside your visual sphere as someone who cannot spell, cannot form complete sentences, and who needs to step away from the computer and get a life. That being said, your friends will think you’re awesome.
Ellen
Rock, Paper, Scissors - Pink Flamingos
August 25, 2009
This weekend I moved my lawn flamingos. They’ve been in the yard for ten years. Most of them were buried in overgrown brush. I found 11 out of 12 and that’s a good thing – my sister said the company that makes them is done, gone, and threw out the mold. But that’s not true. You can get a pair on-line for $4.99 at or flock of 50, in pink, purple, or black, for eighty bucks.
I got the flamingos for a Big Birthday – which shall remain un-numbered. I had my birthday party guests decorate them. My father glued an eye to the back of one flamingo’s head, because he’s my father. My husband’s flamingo had a wetsuit because he’s a surfer. A sweet friend dipped her flamingo in sugar. Someone covered one in foil, one in real feathers and one was filled with soil and had strawberries growing from its back. My favorite was the one our house painter painted the same color as the house, which was pink – go figure!
Not sure if that missing one is still in the brush or if it flew away…
The Binary Chef - Deep Fried Goodness
August 21, 2009
In honor of fair/festival season...
Hot on the tail of our own Ventura County Fair it seems appropriate to relish in the thought of mouth-watering fair and festival foods. Though the gyros, flamed up meats on sticks, sweet potato fries and grilled corn on the cob are always crowd pleasers, having a sweet-tooth myself I often head towards the fresh fruit smoothies, hand churned ice creams, churros and the mother of all deep fried goodness - the funnel cake.
Funnel cakes have always been a signature fair and festival dish; they come in all shapes, sizes and with an endless array of toppings to boot. I try to limit myself to 1 a year in light of the funnel cakes' inherent artery-clogging-goodness, but if you simply can't wait until the next fair or hippie-dippy festival rolls into town, here is a simple funnel cake recipe to hold you over.
The homemade funnel cake:
Main Ingredients:
- 3 eggs, beaten in a medium bowl
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 cups sifted flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- vegetable oil
Topings:
- seasonal fresh fruit
- fresh jam
- powdered sugar
- homemade whipped cream (no sugar necessary)
Directions:
Beat the 3 eggs together in a medium sized bowl and add the milk and sugar with a whisk. In a separate, medium sized bowl, sift together the remaining dry ingredients. Add the eggs, milk and sugar mix to the dry bowl and beat together until smooth. In a deep skillet or frying pan, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan (a few centimeters deep). Using a kitchen funnel or a zip-lock bag with an end snipped off, pour the batter through the funnel and into the skillet, making swirls or curly-cues or zigzags as you like. When the batter has cooked up to a golden brown color, flip it if necessary, and then blot the cake with a tea towel or paper towel. Finish it off with a dusting of powdered sugar or a combination of your favorite toppings and enjoy!
*Funnel cakes are not recommended to be eaten before any whirly-topsy-turvy carnival rides; nor is anything else for that matter.
Rock, Paper, Scissors - Creative Can
August 18, 2009
This past week I've been at Ox Bow, a summer school of art and artists' residency. There are a lot of creative things here but this little Red Star Bar sat on the wharf of the Kalamazoo River and I have to say I enjoyed watching the passerby's take a second and third look at the restrooms. Very creative.
Tam
Crusade Against the Mundane
