Dan Antion

Who Moved My Cheese? – SoCS

Corona and lime – great combination.
The best bartender on the Internet. Hi Cheryl.
MuMu and I are working this out.

As I check the calendar, I see that it’s the first day of spring! It’s also Fred McFeely Rodgers’ birthday. In celebration of this transition of our star and memory of my hometown star and the fact that the University of Hartford (our daughter’s alma mater) made it into the NCAA tournament for the first time ever (they didn’t go far), we are gathered at the bar for an adult beverage and some conversation. Linda G. Hill has challenged us with her always-uber-fun Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt, so we’ll try to work that in.

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘starts with cal.’ Use a word starting with the letters ‘cal’ as your prompt word. Have fun!”

If we were having a beer, you’d be stepping up to buy.

“Cheryl, can you get my friend Dan a nice cold Corona, please.”

“Geeze, David, you act like I’ve never met him before.”

“I’m just trying to be nice.”

“You know, I always worry when you try to be nice to me. What’s going on?”

“Nothing is going on. I just assumed you’d be a little down in the dumps.”

“Well, if he’s down in the dumps, this Corona will cheer him right up. I assumed you wanted your usual combination, David. John Howell’s Bourbon, a snifter of seltzer and a glass of ice. Now, Dan, why so glum?”

“Look, guys, I’ll drink the beer, I’ll even eat some pizza later, if you’re buying, but I am not down in the dumps.”

“Then perhaps you’re merely uninformed, Dan. You know, they say ignorance is bliss.”

“Yes, yes, and I’m the happiest guy around, but why don’t we just get to the point?”

“Did you read that Heinz, well the Kraft part, sold their cheese business to a company in France?”

“That’s old news, David.”

“Really? I just read about it.”

“I think the sale was completed recently, but they made the sale last year. Thanks for the beer, though.”

“You knew about this and yet you never complained?”

“What’s to complain about. I don’t buy Kraft cheese. I prefer Sargento.”

“I thought you liked Kraft macaroni and cheese.”

“I love that stuff, David.”

“Oh my goodness, Dan. My kids used to love that stuff. I can’t believe you still eat it. You guys want some real food today. We’re still cooking the hundred pounds of corned beef Denny bought. We also put calamari back on the menu, since the Governor is letting us have a few more people in here.”

“That corned beef was good, Cheryl. But I think David is buying me a pizza.”

“What? Wait just a minute. I never agreed to buy a pizza, and I still need you to explain the whole not-being-upset-over-Kraft-selling-the-cheese business because, by my calculations, you – should – be – very – upset.”

“David, Kraft-Heinz sold their ‘real cheese’ business to a company in France. They didn’t sell Heinz Ketchup and they didn’t sell Kraft Mac and Cheese.”

“So, Kraft Mac and Cheese isn’t real.”

“Of course it’s real.”

“The facts belie that statement, Dan. You just said they sold the ‘real cheese’ business, and they did ‘not’ sell the mac and cheese business. Ergo…”

“Ergo, schmergo, real things come in boxes. Kraft macaroni and cheese comes in a box. You cook it, put it in a bowl and eat it just like any other real food.”

“But the cheese isn’t real.”

“It’s orange, it tastes cheesy, and it contains a daily dose of calcium – that’s real enough for me.”

“Besides some real cheese, what do you guys want on your pizza?”

“Who said I’m buying…oh, forget it. Pepperoni, onions and sausage, Cheryl.”

“You got it, David. Another round?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, Cheryl.”

“Yes Dan?”

“I’ll take an order of the corned beef and cabbage to go.”

Smokey was out gathering material to repair his nest. It’s been very windy this week.
Otherworldly reflection in the ice on top of the log rack/
“What?”
I do like the bar’s corned beef and cabbage dinner.
Posing for River.
Our pizza, straight out of the oven.
It has been cold this week, well below 25°f (-4°c) in the mornings.
I might have to wake her.
The Connecticut River is running high.
Early in the week, the flag was at full staff and the snow pile was still pretty high.
Jinx, up as high as he can be.
The crows will be invisible soon.
The clean-up crews are out.
The little guys have to forage in the outfield until the snow melts.
We ha a little snow overnight into Wednesday.
I thought I’d get a photo of these guys while they’re still on the tree.
The flags are at half staff as a mark of solemn respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on March 16 in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

75 comments

  1. In 1990s, I was manager of the art and design studio at a global ad agency.

    Kraft, was, and had been for decades (and decades), the Chicago office’s largest client.

    When I arrived they were producing a bunch of print ads that included all sorts of combinations of Kraft-family sandwich fixings.

    They were really simple designs, but people kept changing things. Many of the changes (like revision of headline size) had to be applied in each of the files.

    This went on for weeks.

    We were woefully close to missing our deadlines, when I got to work one morning I learned that they were ordering new photoshoots.

    I asked why and was told that “The mom just doesn’t look like she’s thinking about cheese.”

    Liked by 5 people

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  3. I’ve been to France. They know cheese…. and have 10,000 varieties at every shop. Why in the world would they want Krafts? Glad to see my bunny is cooperating for pictures though…
    👍

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  5. There are two prepackaged meals I remember from my youth: Lipton’s chicken noodle soup and Kraft Macaroni and cheese. Both were a staple in my life, even into adulthood. It wasn’t until I started cooking myself that I discovered real cheese… I still think fondly of my culinary choices as a child but real cheese…

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    • I discovered real Mac & (real) Cheese as an adult, also. I do like it, and I do know the difference, but I still like the stuff in the blue box. I also remember that soup 🙂

      Have a great weekend, Pam.

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  6. I missed corned beef and cabbage this year, because of not going into restaurants, so I’ll have to virtually taste it through your photo. Mmm…

    When married, I would make the Kraft box of mac and cheese, but add 2-3 cheese slices to make it creamier. He liked the Kraft and I grew up on homemade, so we compromised.

    Have a great day, Dan. I hope you are having nice Maddie walking weather.

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    • My dad didn’t like cheese, so we didn’t grow up with homemade. Yours was a good compromise. I like the way they do the corned beef and cabbage at the bar. Lots of places chop the cabbage. I like the big hunks.

      We have warm weather coming, a whole week of it. I hope March turns into a lamb for you as well.

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  8. Not sure I care that kraft cheese went to a French company. If you are happy, the Mac and Cheese stays, that’s good enough for me. The last time I had any, I used to take a spoonful from the youngest’s lunch. That had to be thirty years ago. Nice to see Cheryl here. I’m still having trouble getting through on her newsletter. Maybe someday. Spring has sprung, I think. Have a great weekend, Dan. I enjoyed the photos.

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    • There are some things a brand/company should not sell. Kraft Mac & Cheese is a national treasure, as far as I’m concerned. I’m sure the French were biting their tongues not to laugh when the American execs said “but you can’t have the stuff in the blue boxes.”

      We have a nice warm week lined up, I hope you have a good one coming.

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  9. Wonderful photos, as always, especially the otherworldly reflection. A lump of corned beef was prohibitively expensive, and I’ve never had the best of luck with cooking it well, so I bought sliced corned beef, a jar of sauerkraut, a loaf of rye bread, and sliced Swiss cheese, and we had Reuben sandwiches. I put French dressing and sliced pickles on them. Mmmmm. But I would TOTALLY go for that bar plate!

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    • I think we only tried making it one time. It’s a lot of work, and then you have a whole bunch to eat. The bar does it so well. It’s one of the things I look forward to. I went on Tuesday, hoping they had started making it early. They hadn’t so I had pizza. If they are still making it today, I’ll bring some home for tomorrow’s dinner.

      Your sandwiches sound delicious. I’m a big fan of pickles.

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  11. LOL. Somebody is always moving my cheese, Dan. Loved seeing Jinx on the tip-top of that piney tree. Since March roared in like a lion, maybe you’ll get a lovely gentle lamb-like spring with the end of the month. Happy spring, and here’s to Kraft macaroni and cheese. :) Hugs on the wing.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Hang onto your cheese, Teagan. There are forces in the universe that can’t be trusted. The crows have been squawking up a storm here when Maddie and I are walking. Maddie stops and cocks her head from side-to-side and I say, “that’s just Jinx.” It looks like we are going to get a nice week of lamb-like weather. I don’t trust March, but I’ll take a good week if we get one.

      Liked by 1 person

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  12. I’ve never eaten Kraft Mac&Cheese, or any other brand. Always homemade! When my daughters were about 5 and 7, they had two friends over to play. I thought I’d treat them to a nice lunch, so I made them Mac & Cheese. The friends were very excited because they LOVED Mac & Cheese they said.

    Hands were washed, the four girls sat down at the kitchen table, but the friends wouldn’t touch their lunch! 😡 Why? They said they only eat the REAL Mac & Cheese in the box! I had to make them PB&J sandwiches on white bread with the crusts cut off. Not too much jelly on one, lots of jelly on the other! Sure. Anything else you’d like to order? 🤗

    Love the reflection picture, the sweet bunny and Smokey and trees full of birds again. Maddie is in for a few great days of walking and lounging outside. And the tuxedo twins will have lots of warm sunshine to lounge around in inside.

    Enjoy the weekend Dan. Oh! My husband and I finally got our first doses of Covid Vaccine. Yaaayyyy!
    Ginger

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I’m glad to hear that you got your shots, Ginger.

      As much as I love Kraft Mac & Cheese, that story makes me cringe. Who raises children like that?

      Maddie is chomping at the bit to go outside and sit. It was still in the 20s when we walked, but she keeps going outside and checking her porch.

      I hope yo have a wonderful week.

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  13. Well, thanks for making me ‘real’ Dan. That was a fun day too. I did not know about Kraft but my feelings about it align with yours. I have a couple of boxes of he stuff in my pantry cuz….although I do add ‘real’ cheese to mine as well. Cuz I’m a cheese fanatic. 🙂I love that ice reflection. Although I can appreciate a good corned beef sandwich on occasion, you can have my serving of cabbage. I can handle it in slaw or stir fry but once it’s dead, I’m over it. Lol. It seems we are hearing ‘senseless violence’ all too often in recent years, Dan. I feel my heart is at half mast right now. 😔Get ready for Spring is at your door. 👍🏻👍🏻

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    • Thanks for letting me share the picture. You look so happy. And thanks for lending your talents to the bar. It wouldn’t be the same without you (as indicated by the times Skippy fills in for you). I’ll gladly eat your serving of cabbage. I really like the way they prepare that dinner. I hope calling more attention to the violence helps, but I fear that nothing really will help, at least not in the short term.

      I hope you guys have a great week.

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      • Tragically, when it comes to ignorant, emotionally disturbed and angry humans, there is no logic to what they do. There is always somewhere else to direct their unwarranted and undeserved rage. 😞
        I did try to teach Skippy a few good things…just not enough to work with. God bless his heart. ☺️

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  14. “It’s orange, it tastes cheesy,”—well, OK then. When I was vegan, I used to use a lot of nutritional yeast cause it was cheesy. Luckily, that didn’t last too long and I am back to real cheese. No orange, thank you. Jinx–be careful up there! You don’t want to hurt your pitching wing. The otherwordly photo is pretty, Dan. Have a great weekend.

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    • You too, Lois!

      I think Kraft has been losing the orange look, in an effort to have the product appear more “natural.” I like the classic.

      Jinx always goes for the highest branch. I love seeing him land up there. He lands, the branch sways, but he hangs on.

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  17. “Ergo, schmergo,” I’m going to remember that one. I like the otherworldly reflection in ice, maybe it’s a portal to the Twilight Zone. I read the motivational book, “Who Moved My Cheese” years ago.

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  18. I make my own home-made mac and cheese regularly enough but I always have a box of the stuff in the larder too, just in case I can’t be bothered cooking… It tastes nothing like the real thing but I still love it! :-)

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  19. Hi Dan, I also like corned beef, my husband is very good at cooking it. A great afternoon in the bar and I’m glad to hear things are easing up a bit in your neck of the woods. We are going into a third wave here in South Africa and a number of the schools have had to close.

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  21. Hurrah for spring! Your post sends my thoughts in all sorts of directions. We had Kraft mac-and-cheese sometimes when I was a child, but not when Dad was home as he doesn’t like cheese except on pizza, which leads me to…That pizza looks SO good. And then there’s the corned beef. We had corned beef hash for breakfast this morning and fortunately have enough of both potatoes and corned beef for another round at least. This is our second batch of corned beef and while we enjoy it the first day, it’s almost better as hash.

    What else? Oh, Kraft dinner again. I got some recently and wasn’t at all impressed by the not-very-cheesy flavor. Seems like it used to be much better. I make a fantastic mac and cheese but of course it can’t be made that quickly. Who else should get the “real cheese” business than the French? Of course there are lots of fantastic real cheesemakers and cheeses in the US as well, but…

    That’s all from my warm corner of the world. Have a great weekend, Dan and Editor and all others there as well.

    janet

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  22. I have a pretty great recipe for a 4 cheese mac and cheese that’s so creamy and delicious, but my kids don’t like it! They’d much rather have the stuff with powder cheese in the blue box. 😂 Wonder what France wants with the business they know cheese!

    The reflection looked other-worldly and dreamy. It’s been windy here too. I’m hoping the forecast is right and tomorrow is less so and warmer.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • It was hard to figure our why a French company would be interested in an American company making supermarket style cheese, but I guess business is business. Your homemade mac & cheese sounds wonderful.

      I’m glad you like the reflection. It might be the last one I see in ice. I see reflections in water there, but they are more clear.

      I hope you’re having a nice weekend.

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  25. I found the word ….. calculations. As for boxed stuff, Dan, I developed allergies years ago and have since then avoided processed foods except for organic orange juice and organic chocolate. All else is whole foods. Yet memories of that Kraft Mac and Cheese I must admit makes my mouth water. We had a lot of that growing up. I dare you to read the ingredients. A lot in there you cannot probably even pronounce. Nope, not for me. My fav photo in this gallery is the reflections one. Sorry MiMi or MuMu. Can’t tell you two apart. LOL

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  27. That pizza looks good!
    This post is timely!
    While I like all cheese, honestly, all, some brands do certain cheeses better. I honestly prefer Meijer brand string cheese, which is a staple in my diet. I like to let it sit at room temp until it’s soft and sweaty, which is the way the cheese of my childhood tasted. Kraft string cheese never sweats and tastes plastic. Frigo is my second choice. We just had this whole chat about string cheese, because the girls apparently hated having it in their lunchboxes, where it got sweaty and salty. !!! I tell you, the Italian gets diluted more and more with each generation.
    I have to say, we don’t eat box mac n cheese often, but we do eat Kraft dinner and when we do, we enjoy it! The girls eat it more than we eat it as a family. My friend Matt wrote a blog post about how to make it properly and it was one of the most profound agreements we’ve ever had, and we agree A LOT.
    How did you know what we’ve been talking about? :)

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I wasn’t eavesdropping, I swear. “… the Italian gets diluted more and more with each generation.” That’s funny but it does run true..

      I’m not a fan of string cheese. For sandwiches, I like Sargento. For eating with crackers, I like Tillamook (they also make very good ice cream)..

      Liked by 1 person

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