Glasses case / Paying bills / Dream of casinos and stamps / Arby's Bronco Berry Sauce

My new burgundy / maroon case for my glasses smells nice, and I intend to keep it that way! Now that I have money again, the first thing I did was bill-paying. (I also transferred some money between accounts, which I'll hopefully save) We'll see what the DMV and photocopying documents holds for me later on, plus the Coast / Method coupons!

I had another strange dream: Jon, Jeremy, Steph, and I were meeting in a casino's restaurant. First, I had to mail a bunch of cards in red envelopes at one of the shops next door. My sister had this big truck and drove me to the casino and shops. There was a glass emporium and a sugar empire in the brown building where the casino was located. So I went into the glass emporium, only to be redirected to yet another shop by the casino: this one sold Chinese medicine, jewelry, and (amazingly enough) postage stamps and such since it was also a post office! My purchases were recorded on a clipboard, and I had a lot of trouble finding the red envelopes in my bag that I wanted delivery on. (too much stuff and papers inside it) Finally, my stuff was mailed, and I went back to the casino's restaurant (with red velvet couches) to meet Jon and Jeremy. I woke up when we were talking about other friends of ours who were scheduled to meet us there...

I have a pretty good idea of where that might have come from. Eric saw a Myspace ad on my "home page" that featured three cherries on a slot machine, and wondered if I was gambling at casinos online or at River Rock... I don't have enough money to do that! Then Steph was looking around for a one-cent stamp since Mom might have them somewhere: after all, she has the really old 43¢ stamps! That prompted Jeremy to wonder if you could fit the correct postage on a normal-sized envelope using JUST one-cent stamps and nothing else! (Would 52 of those really fit?! I'm tempted to find out, but then again, maybe not...) Dunno about the sugar / Chinese medicine / the glass, however...


Arby's Bronco Berry Sauce

This sweet and spicy jelly sauce comes on the side, in little 1.5-ounce containers, with Arby's battered jalapeno and cheese Side Kickers. But, you know, you just never get enough of the tasty gelatinous goo in those little dipping packs to use later with your own home-cooked delicacies. And isn't it odd that the sauce is called "Bronco Berry" when there's not a berry to be found in there? Sure, the sauce is bright red and sugary, but you won't find a speck of fruit on the ingredients list. Nevertheless, the sweet and spicy flavors make this a delicious jelly sauce that has many uses beyond dipping quick-service finger foods. For one, use it as a side for your next batch of lamb chops rather than mint jelly. It would take more than just a few blister packs to perk up that meal.

3/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
3 tablespoons pectin
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vinegar
50 drops or 1/4 teaspoon red food coloring
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash garlic powder
Dash paprika
1/4 cup minced red Bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced canned jalapeno peppers

1. Combine all the ingredients except the Bell and minced jalapeno peppers in a small saucepan. Whisk well.
2. Set saucepan over medium / high heat, uncovered. Add peppers and bring mixture to a full boil, stirring often.
3. Reduce heat and simmer sauce for 5 to 7 minutes, or until thick. Remove from heat and let sauce sit for about 10 minutes. Stir and cover.
4. Use sauce when it reaches room temperature or cover and chill until needed. Makes 1 cup.