american flag Archives - Taste With The Eyes

Summery Strawberry Watermelon Salad

🍓🍉🇺🇸 Strawberry Watermelon Salad 🍓🍉🇺🇸
Feta Cheese, Toasted Almonds, Balsamic Glaze

A fantastic seasonal Strawberry Watermelon Salad paired so well with our Memorial Day BBQ of grilled Tri-Tip au Jus and Corn on the Cob, it would be excellent on Flag Day or the 4th of July or really any day for a cookout this summer! ☀️

This salad was inspired by one of the dishes we enjoyed last month at Primal Steakhouse Las Vegas. It was quite a celebration at Primal where they set things on fire and employ lots of smoke in their cocktails and dishes. 🔥

Their Watermelon Salad was surpringly fresh and delightful, a perfect counterbalance to all the rich smoky foods including bone marrow shanks, bacony seared scallops, four cheese lobster mac, smoked NY steak, and more.

The service was super-fun and super-friendly. The themed atmosphere was charmingly mysterious and medieval. Guests are fully encouraged to unsheathe and pose with the assorment of swords from a coat of arms hanging on the wall, as well as take pics wearing helmets fashioned from the middle ages!

Themed restaurants unfortunately can vary widely in the quality of their food. This one impressed us by offering delicious upscale food and entertaining service, as well as a unique and memorable dining experience.

And while our dessert crème brûlée was set ablaze, the server handed me a heavy 4-foot-sword to heave into the air while all the folks in the dining room sang “happy birthday” and finished with “off with his head!”

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Toby Keith’s Favorite Fried Bologna Sandwich

❤️🤍💙 Toby Keith’s ❤️🤍💙
Favorite Fried Bologna Sandwich

Little did we know on December 14, 2023 at the Dolby Live theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas, that we were witnessing the final show of his lifetime.

Our beloved country music icon, unapologetic patriot and huge supporter of our troops, kind-hearted philanthropist, and authentic troubadour Toby Keith, passed away less than two months later.

Here I honor his memory with a recipe and stories about his favorite sandwich.

Set List
Dolby Live at Park MGM, December 14, 2023

“Big Dog Daddy”
“Made In America”
“God Love Her”
“I Wanna Talk About Me”
“Whiskey Girl”
“Who’s That Man”
“Wish I Didn’t Know Now”
“Beer For My Horses”
“Somewhere Else”
“I Won’t Let You Down”
“You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This”
“Don’t Let The Old Man In”
“Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”
“Who’s Your Daddy?!”
“Dream Walkin’”
“Red Solo Cup”
“As Good As I Once Was”
“I Love This Bar”
“Should’ve Been A Cowboy”
“How Do You Like Me Now”
“A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action”

Encore
“American Soldier”
“Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (Angry American)”

Toby Keith in Las Vegas Dec. 14, 2023 — Toby Keith, Las Vegas, December 14, 2023

It was a special moment when Toby played his last big hit “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”

In 2017, during Clint Eastwood’s golf tournament in California, he shared with Toby Keith that he was about to leave for a three-month shoot for “The Mule.”

Toby, impressed by Eastwood’s ability to handle such a busy schedule at an older age, asked, “How do you do it, man?” Eastwood replied, “I just don’t let the old man in.” This sparked Toby’s creative process and inspired him to write the song.

💔 💔 💔

Toby then followed that song with a tribute to his late friend, Jimmy Buffett with “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.”

Here are a couple snippets from his last performance on December 14, 2023:

Don’t Let The Old Man In and Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

And my tribute to Jimmy Buffett with a recipe for a “Cheeseburger in Paradise” here. 🍔❤️🍔

I Love This Bar & Grill opened at Harrah’s Las Vegas in 2005. It had a long run but never reopened again after closing due to the pandemic in 2020.

In this video, the singer tells the story of the executive chef at Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (Harrah’s parent company) who was thoroughly displeased upon discovering a fried bologna sandwich featured on the new restaurant’s menu.

Despite the chef’s initial decision to remove it, Toby stood firm on keeping it. Eventually, the chef acknowledged that the sandwich was responsible for the restaurant’s remarkable success, boasting an opening volume three times greater than their other establishments.

I also read that Toby had a horse named Fried Bologna. I hope that’s true. 🐎

How to Make
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Toby Keith’s Favorite Sandwich 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

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Flag Day and Gelato

On June 14, 1777, John Adams spoke about the flag at a meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia: “Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

There have since been 27 official versions of the flag, according to the Library of Congress. The last change was made on July 4, 1960, when Hawaii became the 50th state. The thirteen stripes are emblems of the thirteen British colonies that announced independence from Great Britain in 1776. The fifty stars represent the states in America.

Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the official “flag of the United States of America” with its popular nicknames such as:

– Stars and Stripes
– Old Glory
– The Star Spangled Banner
– The Red, White and Blue

Flag Day and Gelato

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We Will Never Forget

Well, the exterior paint project is now completed here at Chez Lori Lynn. It’s fresh, and bright, and if I do say so myself, quite charming! The color choices: Knoxville Gray, Heritage Red, and Swiss Coffee White were not necessarily chosen as a patriotic palette, but they certainly do look especially lovely alongside the American Flag today.

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Our Precious Slice of Americana

Happy Birthday America, Sweet Land of Liberty!

This morning, as on every Fourth of July for the last 26 years, my neighbors and great Americans, Vince and Dee Villa, host an Independence Day Celebration on 18th Street in front of their San Pedro (Los Angeles) home. By his own admission, Vince is “pushing 90,” and has announced that this year’s event will be their last. Dee assures us that the cherished flags will still fly at their home every 4th, but encourages another family on 18th Street to take over the honor and responsibility of the celebration. We are witnessing the end of an era, and we’re sad yet grateful to Vince and Dee for generously hosting this patriotic neighborhood treasure for over a quarter century.

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