Anyway…today I'm thankful for Richie, who does many, many things in and for my life (quite a few of them really very good)!
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Day 2 of Thanksgiving
Wouldn't it be more accurate to say T-minus-26?
Anyway…today I'm thankful for Richie, who does many, many things in and for my life (quite a few of them really very good)!
Anyway…today I'm thankful for Richie, who does many, many things in and for my life (quite a few of them really very good)!
Day 1 of Thanksgiving
It's not that long after midnight, so I'm going to count this as the 1st. Today I'm grateful for the health I enjoy. It's much, much better than I deserve!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Happy Sunday
Sitting in church this morning, I happened to think of a few things that stressed me out. (Yes, ironic. Isn't church supposed to be calming, comforting?) After getting home, I decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing and rejuvenating, and getting prepared to deal with the stressful things this coming week.
Why, yes—that does mean I decided to just ignore those things for the rest of the day.
So, this…
And this…
And maybe this…
Then, later on, this…
Happy Sunday, everybody.
Why, yes—that does mean I decided to just ignore those things for the rest of the day.
So, this…
And this…
And maybe this…
Then, later on, this…
Happy Sunday, everybody.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Mmmm…
I read the Foodie With Family blog faithfully (really, love her!), and last week she posted this about Bo Ssäm (Korean Pork Roast Lettuce Wraps). It looked so luscious, and I'm all about the putting the meat on at a low temperature and letting it cook all day thing*, so I was hooked. I've also been thinking lately that I need to branch out from my usual pork meals:
I also had, once upon a time, a most delectable piece of pork at Smith & Wollensky (I think it was the one in Las Vegas). It was their Crackling Pork Shank, and it looked like a whole roast, served on a plate in front of just me. It was tender, flavorful and succulent.
I wanted to make something like that. So I looked for a pork shoulder at the grocery store.
By the greatest coincidence, Kroger had them on sale this past week for $1.49 a pound. That's not outrageously cheap, judging from the price Foodie with Family Rebecca pays, but it's pretty good. I cooked a 7+ lb roast for less than $11, and that's going to end up being four meals for the two of us. I sprinkled it with sage, thyme, garlic powder, onion granules, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper, and rubbed it all in. I had planned on cooking it right then, but I realized that time had kind of gotten away from me, so I had to postpone it a day. Which meant, of course, that it sat in the fridge overnight, tightly covered, absorbing the herb flavors and getting better and better. I cooked it the next day, at 300°F, covered for about five hours, then uncovered for about another hour or so, until the internal temperature reached 190°. Then I let it rest while the kugel baked.**
I would have taken pictures of it, but after smelling it cooking for several hours I didn't have that kind of time.
It was so good, I can't even explain. This was without the Bo Saäm crispy sweet-and-salty crust, just the crisped-up layer of fat and the flavorful juices. It was pull-apart tender, and so very, very good that we stuffed ourselves, then sliced off a few pieces for sandwiches. I'll be pulling the rest of it apart in a few minutes to make pulled-pork sandwiches tonight. I make the post-pork-loin variety of pulled pork by simmering it in barbeque sauce, but with this I think I'll just reduce the pan drippings and see what happens. Something good, I'll wager.
Incidentally, Foodie with Family also has several informative entries (see, I really do read it faithfully) about grinding up pork shoulder, and using the resulting ground pork to make Italian sausage (nice enough to have around) and chorizo (one of the staples of life). Yes, you can buy ground pork, but this is $1.49 a pound. Plus I know for sure and certain exactly what's gone into it.
I went back to Kroger and bought three more of the shoulders. I'll let you know how it goes.
*Ever since I saw Adelle Davis on the Tonight Show, or some such thing, when I was a teenager, all the way to this very day. That's another story, and it's a little bit interesting. Remind me to tell you sometime.
**FYI, the rest of the menu was my own variation on Kugel von Túrós csusza, Alton Brown's 10 Minute Apple Sauce, and sauerkraut (not homemade, but I have plans in that direction). It was good!
- Grilled pork chops
- Smothered pork chops
- Pork loin roast
I also had, once upon a time, a most delectable piece of pork at Smith & Wollensky (I think it was the one in Las Vegas). It was their Crackling Pork Shank, and it looked like a whole roast, served on a plate in front of just me. It was tender, flavorful and succulent.
I wanted to make something like that. So I looked for a pork shoulder at the grocery store.
By the greatest coincidence, Kroger had them on sale this past week for $1.49 a pound. That's not outrageously cheap, judging from the price Foodie with Family Rebecca pays, but it's pretty good. I cooked a 7+ lb roast for less than $11, and that's going to end up being four meals for the two of us. I sprinkled it with sage, thyme, garlic powder, onion granules, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper, and rubbed it all in. I had planned on cooking it right then, but I realized that time had kind of gotten away from me, so I had to postpone it a day. Which meant, of course, that it sat in the fridge overnight, tightly covered, absorbing the herb flavors and getting better and better. I cooked it the next day, at 300°F, covered for about five hours, then uncovered for about another hour or so, until the internal temperature reached 190°. Then I let it rest while the kugel baked.**
I would have taken pictures of it, but after smelling it cooking for several hours I didn't have that kind of time.
It was so good, I can't even explain. This was without the Bo Saäm crispy sweet-and-salty crust, just the crisped-up layer of fat and the flavorful juices. It was pull-apart tender, and so very, very good that we stuffed ourselves, then sliced off a few pieces for sandwiches. I'll be pulling the rest of it apart in a few minutes to make pulled-pork sandwiches tonight. I make the post-pork-loin variety of pulled pork by simmering it in barbeque sauce, but with this I think I'll just reduce the pan drippings and see what happens. Something good, I'll wager.
Incidentally, Foodie with Family also has several informative entries (see, I really do read it faithfully) about grinding up pork shoulder, and using the resulting ground pork to make Italian sausage (nice enough to have around) and chorizo (one of the staples of life). Yes, you can buy ground pork, but this is $1.49 a pound. Plus I know for sure and certain exactly what's gone into it.
I went back to Kroger and bought three more of the shoulders. I'll let you know how it goes.
*Ever since I saw Adelle Davis on the Tonight Show, or some such thing, when I was a teenager, all the way to this very day. That's another story, and it's a little bit interesting. Remind me to tell you sometime.
**FYI, the rest of the menu was my own variation on Kugel von Túrós csusza, Alton Brown's 10 Minute Apple Sauce, and sauerkraut (not homemade, but I have plans in that direction). It was good!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Hockey post: Did you SEE this?!?
(Former Stars) Goalie Mike Smith made his first career goal last night. It's a beauty, and the fact that it's against Detroit only makes it better!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Women (or woman) and drinking
According to a report just on ABC News, four or more drinks in less than two hours is binge drinking. According to me, it's flirting with unconsciousness.
Now, I'm no lightweight when it comes to drinking (and in several other senses, as well), but I feel like I'm knocking it back pretty hard if I have three drinks in under two hours. And, BTW, I also have a pretty good buzz at that point. Four or more?!?
At Stars games, there's a guy who used to sit in the row ahead of us, who brought dates to the games. His dates were all little bitty women, and they all had a couple of large beers during the game. Considering that beer sales stop during the third period, that means they probably drank what ABC News would call four drinks (two big glasses) in a little less than two hours.
The reason I mention it is that if I drank that much, that fast, I wouldn't be able to walk to the car afterwards. Even if I were still awake!
Maybe I'm more moderate than I realize…?
Now, I'm no lightweight when it comes to drinking (and in several other senses, as well), but I feel like I'm knocking it back pretty hard if I have three drinks in under two hours. And, BTW, I also have a pretty good buzz at that point. Four or more?!?
At Stars games, there's a guy who used to sit in the row ahead of us, who brought dates to the games. His dates were all little bitty women, and they all had a couple of large beers during the game. Considering that beer sales stop during the third period, that means they probably drank what ABC News would call four drinks (two big glasses) in a little less than two hours.
The reason I mention it is that if I drank that much, that fast, I wouldn't be able to walk to the car afterwards. Even if I were still awake!
Maybe I'm more moderate than I realize…?
Monday, October 14, 2013
No, no, no!
Four squirrels. Not one. Four. (Or possibly rats. I'm just going by the long skeleton tails.) Apparently I was running a squirrel-killing machine out there and didn't realize it.
Sorry! So sorry. And if there's a squirrel hell, I'm in big trouble.
I went looking because Andy came back in the house last night crunching on something unspeakable. When I told him to drop it (thank God he obeyed) and I looked at it, I could see what appeared to be loosely-connected little forearm bones. Ick. It was lying on the living room carpet, and I told the dogs something to the effect of there not being enough noes in the world to make them understand what I meant.
So now, a revolting half hour later, all (I hope) the squirrel remains are in their plastic bag coffins (or, I guess, Kroger body bags), awaiting transport to their final resting place, i.e., trash day. Again, I'm very sorry, feel terrible about it, and have learned my lesson about leaving open containers out in the rain. Won't happen again.
In the meantime, I concentrating on the circle of life. And I may stop buying birdseed, too. Ick.
Sorry! So sorry. And if there's a squirrel hell, I'm in big trouble.
I went looking because Andy came back in the house last night crunching on something unspeakable. When I told him to drop it (thank God he obeyed) and I looked at it, I could see what appeared to be loosely-connected little forearm bones. Ick. It was lying on the living room carpet, and I told the dogs something to the effect of there not being enough noes in the world to make them understand what I meant.
So now, a revolting half hour later, all (I hope) the squirrel remains are in their plastic bag coffins (or, I guess, Kroger body bags), awaiting transport to their final resting place, i.e., trash day. Again, I'm very sorry, feel terrible about it, and have learned my lesson about leaving open containers out in the rain. Won't happen again.
In the meantime, I concentrating on the circle of life. And I may stop buying birdseed, too. Ick.
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