Graffiti with Punctuation

I was watching a movie the other day where a quote was made by one of the actors that resonated with me. It went something like, "Blogging is graffiti with punctuation". It certainly made me chuckle.
In so many ways that statement is true. It certainly can be nothing more than graffiti with punctuation, but it doesn't have to be.

For me, secluded such as i am, it offers me an outlet. A vehicle, if you will, to connect with the outside world. A metaphysical reality where I have a value beyond the physical bonds of this earth. An alternate reality where the ideas and beliefs i put forth are simply accepted and occasionally discussed, but yet judgement for these thoughts is left off the table. This doesn't mean there are no dissenting opinions rather it's a world where all opinions are given their rightful respect in order to move forward in mutual commonality. 

The best example of this, this week, would be the customary proclamation for the season. Well, what is the customary proclamation for the season? If you ask in this part of the country, more often than not you are going to get Merry Christmas. I have no problem with this. It seems reasonable enough, but yet it's pretty exclusive to one group of people while many share the same season for celebration. Perhaps, Happy Chanukah would be more appropriate. Though removed such as i am, the likelihood of this being the correct choice is remote. For many years, I have simply said, "Happy Holidays". It seems reasonable enough. I mean this time of the year is a festival for most belief systems and the word holidays is an assimilation of the words Holy and Days; Holidays. I find this to be neither exclusive nor demeaning at all. No, not even to those with no religious affiliation. 

The greatest of these debates has really gained volume this year. Is it a Christmas tree or a Holiday tree? Well, i say call it what you like. Let's be sensible for a moment. It's your tree and your beliefs, e.g. it would be your ( place label here) tree. I was at the devil store the other day. Devil store is a euphemism i often use in place of Wal-Mart. If you are a writer and you are looking for some dialogue as to how "normal" everyday people talk, Wal-Mart comes in second only to the Waffle House. Two women were about to come to blows over this very thing. With the conceal carry laws in Texas, i put a few aisles between me and those two hot-heads. I ask, because i genuinely want to know. Does it matter what it's called?? My guess is surely not since the Winter Solstice celebrations pre-date Christianity by several hundred years. The solstice marks the shortest day of the year and reminded early peoples that spring was on it's way. Hence the use of evergreens, holly, and yes even mistletoe. However, is it really as complicated as all that??

Regardless of your religious stripe isn't the important thing to consider the way we treat each other? It's a celebration for family and friends. Too often we are removed from our loved ones by geography or just the pace of modern life. It's a time to check in with your friends and ask how they are doing, it's probably been too long since you heard their voices anyway. It's also a good time to do something unexpected for someone who needs it. This doesn't have to mean going on a shopping spree. This time of year there are many elderly people that would like nothing better than to have someone to talk to for a little while. I realize this sounds horribly idyllic, especially with all of the ne'er-do-wells out there, but it's simple and simple works. If you do it today, certainly someone will take your example and go forward in your footprints. At the very least, it's a wonderful thought clouded in a world of petty arguments.

So i send you forward with this simple plan: Hug your family a little longer than normal you'll both feel better, Call a friend and check on them both of you will benefit, and find a way to give of yourself even if it's only for a few moments, it could mean the world to someone.

In addition to my customary closing of Peace be with you, i'll include Happy Holidays. Dave

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Hello Friends. I haven't written in a couple of weeks and thought i probably should. I mean, it is the right thing to do, isn't it??
Take a look at the graphic on the left for a moment. Pictured are a pair of TVs; one a clunker with rabbit ears and the other a modern flat screen. Some days i am awestruck with the advancements made in the Tech Industry over the last thirty years. More on that in a moment.
When i was in third or fourth grade, the teacher would assign story cards to us. You'd drag your person out of your seat and pick one from this plastic file box, return to your seat, read it, and answer questions from the back of the card. (Lavender Chick and/or Painted Groove Girl may remember this practice) One day i drew a card that has stuck with me these last four years since... Okay it's been more than four, but you get the idea: It stuck with me. The card i drew was on the SST; which stood for Super Sonic Transport. It talked about airline passengers being able to fly at speeds greater than the speed of sound cutting down on travel time. It went so far as to say you could wake up in London and eat lunch in New York. It's funny, that "some day soon" story turned out to be the British Airways Concorde. The Concorde flew for nearly thirty years and today it's just a memory. In my life, it went from a possibility, to a reality, to obsolescence. Toward that end, Telecommunications has followed suit.
I have great memories of dialing four numbers to make a call.  My kids will never ever know what it's like to get a busy signal when you absolutely have to tell someone something and it can't wait. I guess texting killed the busy signal. The TV only had three channels in the daytime, but some nights we'd pick up the PBS Station. Two of the channels had bad reception in the early evening and required regular tweaking of the rabbit ears. I remember how grateful i was as a teen to catch either The Midnight Special or Don Kirchner's Rock Concert; both of which preceded the message thanking you for viewing, but this concludes our broadcast day. Naturally, this was followed by the National Anthem and that stupid Indian test pattern thing and that annoying 440hz tone. I'm guessing on the tone, it sounded like an A to me. Here again, my kids will never have to find something to do when the broadcast day ends. We don't have ends to the broadcast day anymore; we have outages. The greatest thing though, was the radio. We had some mixed genre station back then and made terrible jokes about it. However, if you were out and about after it got good and dark, you could get KOMA out of Oklahoma City. For some of us, it was the place where we learned the songs and the bands who recorded them. Many a night i sat up with my friends hanging out, doing what kids do, and listening to a whole different world than the one i was growing up in. My poor boys, they don't know what they've missed. Their equivalent is to program an SD card with music and pop it into the stereo in my car. It's convenient, but it's just not the same. Between the two of them i have seen a hundred little girlie friends run through, but not a mix tape between them. That innocent intimacy from making a girl a mix tape is lost forever. I can't even imagine what they do these days. Do they text a bunch of YouTube links to a girl they like?? So not the same.
I've run a little far afield and I'm going to redirect myself now. Back to Television where i had planned to write. In '97, i made a bet with one of my former boss' that wireless, most assuredly the cell system, would be the go to medium in twenty years for everything. Instant communications, video calling, and you'd be able to watch anything you wanted past or present at will simply by bringing it up on your TV. I have to admit, i was a bit optimistic, but are we not nearly there?? I'd say that instant communications and video calling are a done deal and being able to watch anything past or present is nearly there.
I have a smart TV that is a few years old and a smart phone that I'm hoping Santa does something about at Christmas. together, they nearly remove the laptop computer from my life. Between the three i am nearly always online and available which makes things interesting at times.
 I get Facebooked to death. Then there are the people that would rather text than just dial the number and have a chat (though I'm not sure dialing is the right term for making calls today), and i love my Netflix. I have spent my lunch time over the last three weeks watching the entire series of The X Files from start to finish. It was awesome. For the last week, it's been Ally McBeal and yes i have introduced my guys to Norm and Cliff from Cheers. I must admit, watching entire series like this gives the storyline a much more linear feel to it and i love it.
I guess when it's all said and done, my phone isn't bound by my house: my TV isn't bound by scheduling, my book is never overdue, i carry all of my music with me all the time, and the list is growing every day. What will the world look like in another thirty years. Only time will tell, but I'd really like to see a little more Gene Roddenberry in its implementation.

and on that note, i feel my usual closing is lacking so I'll proffer,
Live Long and Prosper, D

Another Thanksgiving, Another Bird

Being a child born of the sixties, I was one of the fortunate generations to have the opportunity to experience the genius of Norman Rockwell (his thanksgiving painting is to the left and for more on him click this parenthetical). He had a way of capturing the American family that solicits imitation, but like the Alamo there will never be another. I don't have a favorite. This is probably due to his body of work over a large number of decades, but given the holiday i found this to be suitable art for the occasion.
It's funny, to me that the family is sitting at the table when the mother figure brings in the turkey. It certainly never works that way around here. Then again, i'd be the not so motherly figure putting out the bird and perhaps that's why. Then you have the father figure "eye balling" that bird like Darren McGavin's character in A Christmas Story. Around here, supplant a pair of teen boys for his role. Then again, my bird won't look like hers. Finally there is no starry eyed young woman hanging on to someones every word. Maybe it's my cologne??
So, i took this buzzard out of the freezer today and it's big. I mean the kind of big where you wonder if it were raised near a nuclear power plant or something. I put it up on the counter so i could make room in the fridge to defrost it and was thinking about what i'm going to do to it. Last year, if i remember correctly i did a burnt skin grilled bird on a spit. Here i am toying with the ideas and suddenly out of nowhere i've got help. EVERYONE IS A FOOD CRITIC!!! smoke it, grill it, roast it, I even got a Coq Au Vin it "except with turkey", he says. I said, "Why don't i bone it, line it with bacon, roasted poblano peppers, and raspberry jam, sew it up and bake it. I got this look from this small group of Food Network rejects that said, "Pardon me, but is that an alien exploding from your chest like in a Ridley Scott film"?? Suddenly an acquiescence from the pack. "Just poach it in butter, garlic, and sage.
For what it's worth, i'm pretty sure i'll bone it and it'll get cooked. Though i'd like to add the jam, i don't think they are up for the challenge. Fruit goes great with anything with feathers, though i've never done anything with fruit and ostrich.
Tomorrow, i'll make a couple of chocolate pecan pies and a couple of pumpkin mousse ones too. If i have any energy left i may make some cream puffs or go ahead and get the bread out of the way
I wish you all a very enjoyable feast with only enough leftovers to satisfy those day after desires and thanks for stopping by and reading my thoughts.

Peace Be With You, Dave

Does He Sit Or Does He Stand

How fitting that i should sit down to pen a few lines about the life of a stay at home Dad and what should happen?? The washer stopped. (FYI, it's 1:20 AM) I know, i know, it doesn't seem reasonable i should be doing laundry at this time of night on a weekday, but every now and then there is that surprise load of clothes because one of the guys needs a work shirt or something the next day they forgot about it until the very last minute. Such is the life of a stay at home parent: male or female.
I hadn't planned on writing today, but a series of events took place that just made me put pen to paper; so to speak.
Earlier in the day i was listening to a movie, yes listening, while i was toiling away at one of my household duties. A woman didn't want to allow her husband's boss into their home because she hadn't had a chance to properly clean it. It made me laugh. The set up on this was a very 1950's archetype of a housewife, right down to her flowing skirt, fitted bodice, and pearls. Oh Brother, have we come a long way from that image.
Then this evening i was talking with someone about how their friend's dad doesn't like her friend's boyfriend/fiance because he doesn't work. Their conversation was a Q&A session on how to deal with stereotypes and coping mechanisms for stay at home dads. The amazing part of this for me had everything to do with the prejudices, sexism, and ignorance of a number of people from the early days, most of which i had forgotten until tonight.
The first prejudice for a stay at home dad is that he's lazy and does nothing. It's just a dodge to get some woman to take care of him so he can lay around playing video games or surf porn all day. I'm sure there are those men out there where this must be true, but a bona-fide stay at home dad is no more these things than a housewife. So let's begin by calling him what he is; a housewife or house spouse if you prefer. Personally i prefer the title of Dad, but we do like our labels in this country, so whatever makes you feel better we can go with.
As for sexism, Oh Lord, i could go on and on. The schools have to be the worst in this category. One incident, which seems really funny now, was quite irritating. When my older son was a Freshman in High School in Dallas, he wound up at the nurses office with a 103 fever. As it turned out he had the flu that was going around then. Upon seeing me the nurse told him," see we got your daddy away from work to get you, maybe mommy can come next time." Cough, Gag, Splat!!! I am not now nor will i ever be daddy. The thing about this was mommy was at work and i was at home. However, generalizations such as they are, she just knew i had been called away from something important to be there.
My favorite one has to be the ignorance category. I can not begin to tell you the times people have said such things as the following: it sure must be nice getting to lay around all day, are you getting some of that cute neighbor lady of yours, you don't watch soap operas all day do you, do you drink beer all day or do you have a certain time you don't drink till. There is a reason i call this ignorance. I don't believe i need to define why. I certainly don't to all the women who have stayed home to chase kids and clean house. When you are the stay at home parent there are a few things that remain the same whether you sit or stand in the powder room.
Please, consider the following and decide for yourself whether gender makes a difference or not: I swear i just vacuumed, what happened?? Hello chicken, what the hell am i going to do to you today?? and why didn't you wash your work clothes earlier while we were eating dinner??  I promise you, there is no difference. You can throw a chicken in the oven, but that won't make it a biscuit!!!
Here is my advice for the stay at home dads that may be feeling like they don't contribute or are less of a man because of their chosen role in the house. Ask yourself the following question and be honest; is being home what is best for you and your family and is this role a mutually accepted lifestyle in your home?? If you can honestly answer that question as a "Yes", then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. It's your life, live it. Don't worry about the attitudes of others. In time, your skin will thicken and it won't bother you so much. I will warn you, staying home is not a nine to five job five days a week, rather, it's a twenty four hour a day, seven day a week job. There are no days off and you are on duty even on vacation. So, if this is the life you have chosen, live it with everything you have and do your best to give your family every advantage from your sacrifice. If you do that, nobody in the world can slight you for doing what you do.

and with that, Peace Be With You, D

Not All Pumpkins Are Created Equal

Hello All and Thank You for stopping by. I do so enjoy reading the comments, so please leave one.

This time of year my thoughts turn to the impending doom of the Holiday Season. I shouldn't say impending doom, but let's face it, someone has to do the dishes. This time of year often finds me in a sweater or "hooded sweatshirt" (as i recently discovered from a very trendy person that Hoodie just doesn't work) until my blood is up and i'm toasty and moving. My suppers have begun to change, whereas we had quiche the other night instead of something else because i no longer have to worry about the oven overheating the downstairs. Then naturally, like so many generations before me, i begin the process of putting up certain foods for the winter.
Back in August, i roasted and peeled a twenty pound case of Hatch green chiles and tossed them in the freezer. We're about a third of the way through them already, but it'll do. I have my dried chile pods to make chile sauce and the jars to put that up; I just haven't done it yet. This week, it was pumpkin.
In years past, i'd just grab an extra pumpkin when i got one to carve for the kiddies at Halloween. I'd bake it off and rice out/ puree the flesh and generally i'd have enough pumpkin to get me through the holidays.
This year, i did just that. Then, something hit me while i was writing my post about winter squash: What do all those other weirdo squash taste like. While i have eaten most of the popular varieties, the question remained: What does a Turban Squash taste like. So my kooky alter ego, we'll call him, Dave, began researching the flavors of winter squash. To get a good baseline of the reviewers taste buds, i associated their assessment of Acorn, Butternut, and Spaghetti Squash with my own taste for them. Next, with my extrapolation (best guess opinion) i looked at their descriptions of things like the Turban Squash, Banana Squash, and interestingly enough the Fairytale Pumpkin. I do want to say at this time that i could not eat these gourds daily, but everything in this world has its purpose.
Turban, has a so so or ho hum flavor. Yeah! I want to eat that. The Banana Squash, is much like an Acorn or Butternut only it is so large most places sell pieces of it. The description of the Fairytale was akin to a Butternut but leaning toward a sweet potato. Hmmmm, Time to reassess the decision making paradigm on pumpkin but first, let's give one a go and see what happens.

 So the next time i went to the store, i picked one that had a good weight to it and was solid. I mean that sucker was pretty hard. I cut it in half, like ya do, and scraped out the seeds. There aren't that many seeds in a pumpkin like this. I'd say about half of what you'd find in a regular one and the meat is considerably thicker. By the by, this variety is called Cinderella.
Once i had the inside cleaned out, i sprayed some oil on one of my cake pans, placed the cut side down and popped it in the oven on 300 for 2 hours. I set the timer and went off to bigger and better things.
After about an hour and a half, the house smelled wonderful!!! I got up from what i was doing (i wrote about this in my last post) and went to take a look. My oven was a swamp!!! The bottom was completely filled with pumpkin juice and the cake pan was overflowing. I grabbed a few of my pretty white auto store towels and just tossed them on the liquid in the bottom. I couldn't find my baster, so i grabbed my large injector and a 6qt pot and drained the cake pan into the pot using the injector. At this point the pumpkin was still upright. so i tossed the towels in the wash and let it continue baking. When the timer went off they had collapsed (as pictured to the left). Once again i had to drain the cake pan of pumpkin juice. By this time, i had over a half a pot of juice. I decided i'd reduce it down and use it in a loaf of bread or something. The problem was, the damn thing kept leaking and leaking. More and more juice filled the pan until my pot was all but full. I reduced that pot down until all that was left was a golden brown syrup. Yes, i do mean a syrup.
I peeled and pureed the pumpkin and added the syrup to it. I did taste it before and after adding the reduction and it was really good, but went to "that justifies the work" after adding the reduced syrup.
The pumpkin on the left in the blue bowl is a regular pumpkin, above you can see the gorgeous orange flesh of the Cinderella, and in the white bowl is the Cinderella with the reduction. I have to admit, it is pumpkin with overtones of sweet potato.
In the next couple of months, i'll make about six pies (holidays and all of that), 2 pumpkin rolls, a bisque for when the guys aren't home and when i get some whole wheat berry flour, and if i have it figured right there will be enough left over for about four dinners of pumpkin pancakes before my menu flops back over to the warmer months.
In my house if you say you made banana nut bread you get a great big, "so what". However, if you even whisper the word pumpkin, the leeching tax deductions come out of the woodwork. If you've never tried making your own pumpkin, here's what i'd suggest: first get you a fairytale pumpkin that's heavy for its size, then reduce the juice, and last but not least make something fun with it. I promise you won't regret it.

Until the next time, Peace be with you. Dave

Kitchen Towels on the Cheap

Hello All!!! Let me start off by saying how pleased i am you stopped by to give me a read. I assure you, it really makes me happy and for that: I Thank You.
Now let me just ramble on a minute here and see if i can clear the cobwebs a bit. It occurred to me the other day my kitchen towels looked like hell or "Aych-ee-double hockey sticks if you prefer. In fact they were so bad that had i been so inclined to sew them all together, i'd have made a reasonably functional sieve for tennis balls. Though i will admit, there isn't much of a demand for such an item; So, i threw them out. Well, i did keep the best of the lot for working on the car or grill or what have you and threw the worst of those away as well. Before i get on to these towels, let me set this up a bit. This is something of a philosophical thing and you might glean something of value in a different aspect of your life if you knew the rationale behind this.
I want to talk about purpose and re-purpose for a minute. I'd be willing to bet you have at least one thing in your home that started its life as one thing and has now been given a second career or even a third. Those things that have taken on a second life, doing something other than what they were made to do originally is a re-purposed item. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not talking about reusing butter tubs for leftovers, but that is a re-purposed item. Surely, i'm not the only one who's done that. In fact, i can think of a few things right now that have been re-purposed around this house that i can't imagine what i used before. For Instance: I water my lovely babies (house plants) with a U.S. Marine Corps sports bottle that the guys quit using because it didn't seal when closed, I keep my 25lb bag of flour in an old fashioned sealed lid diaper pail that never was used, My eggs are in a small basket i got with a bath set years ago (dreadful stuff, but a great basket), and my liquid dish soap is in the empty bottle of Hummingbird Farms Lavender Lotion from the first time we got some. You see, re-purposing stuff isn't so horrible you just have to have the right item for the right job. Which brings me to the kitchen towels.
After i threw all the old towels out, i needed new ones. I knew had i not thrown them away, it may have been months before i got new ones. I don't know if you have checked the price of them lately, but to me it seems like a terrible waste of money for something that's inevitably going to get dirty, stained, and tossed. I was going to mention something about paper towels and their cost here too, but you may find you no longer have a need for paper towels at all after this.
Here is what i do. Instead of going to a department store, or Target, or the devilstore and pay a couple bucks or more each for towels to clean up, wipe down, and dry my hands on, I go to the auto parts store. Yes, you heard me correctly on that; the auto parts store. nearly all of them sell white cotton terry cloth towels for working on your car. I'm talking cotton, white, terry cloth, not some synthetic, microfiber, or the red mechanic rags (that would just be too disturbing). They are usually sold in bundles, for instance i got 24 towels for 14 bucks. What is that?? 60 or so cents each?? Now that's a price i can live with and not care how long they last. The terry cloth will seem a bit thin and open woven, or cheap, but that's because they are cheap. Here's the thing though, when you get them home and start using them, after about four washes they really plump up and work very well. I know you are probably reading this and saying "So What". Well, the "So What" is that they are cotton. You can bleach the hell out of them and toss them in the dryer. For instance, today i was baking a Cinderella Pumpkin and the cake pan i had it in overflowed with liquid from the squash. The bottom of my oven was a swamp and i had to soak it up quickly and let's face it, paper towels would have fallen short of the optimum result. I tossed them in the washer with some soap and bleach and they were as good as new. I do keep a few of them nice and white just in case we have company. I'll admit that one, but the cutsie hand towels on the refrigerator and oven are as clean as day one. One last thought, i haven't bought a roll of paper towels since i started doing this 7 or 8 years ago. I bet if you added it up, the savings from that would be worth a look.
Next time, i'll show you why not all pumpkins are created equal.

Until then, May Peace be with You, D

Trouble with Married Single Parents

There's been a great length of time in my life where i've been the defacto complaint department for a diverse group of people. They include family, friends, and even the occasional stranger while i'm standing in line at the store. for years, I've found this to be an honorable position. Naturally, i must have something of value to offer if they habitually come to me for advice. Lately though, the varnish has begun to lose its luster. I mean, really, how can i offer anyone advice on anything while i'm screaming at the clouds, "Why do I feel like the butler in my own damn house"?? I swear there are days that were i the family dog, my family would be reported for cruelty to an animal. Don't mind me, i'm probably pre-menstrual. I don't expect life to be ideal or anything like that, but with seventeen years in I never thought i'd feel like this either. 

You know every now and again, when you need it the most, life drops a sugar cube in your hand and says, "This ought to sweeten it up a bit." This time the "Sugar Cube" took the form of a paper i copied while i was at the University of North Texas. I'll get to it here in a minute, but first i want to preface it a tad. 

I am going to transcribe the paper below here in a few lines. I didn't author it and i am unable to be certain of just who the author was. I wish i could as they definitely deserve the writing credit on this one. Also, I realize i'm throwing a number of my friends under the proverbial bus and naturally i will still be here to do what i've always done. This post is intended to help all of us in our day to day. God knows I sure could stand to remember the first and penultimate ones of the second half; Every damn day.

So here it is:

THINGS YOU CAN'T CONTROL

• The age or stage of development your children are in
• The way you were raised
• Whether the stoplight turns red or green
• How fast other cars are driving
• The number of hours in a day
• Other people
• Your age
• When work or a project takes much longer than expected
• The Calendar
• Being laid off from a job
• Messes made right after you have cleaned the house

THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL

• Your reaction to others
• Your to-do list and the number of items on it
• How your day is spent
• Your goals
• Your self esteem and self worth
• How you treat others
• Your exercise and eating habits
• The communication of your needs to others
• Telling people when you're stressed, need time alone, or help with projects
• Whether or how much you smoke or drink alcohol
• How old you act
• The way you raise your children

There you have it. I don't remember what was happening the day i discovered this, but it spoke to me and i hope it speaks to you as well. Whether you are a married single parent or just your average everyday exceptional (anyone who reads me has to be of an exceptional nature) human being, i feel strongly there is something you can take away from this.

I promise, my next post in a day or so will be about kitchen towels on the cheap.

Till then, Peace be with you, D

Cool Smokers Don't Have To Be Expensive

So here it is about 2:30 in the morning and i'm listening to my subversive Dixie Chicks Greatest Hits, "Long Time Gone". It's funny, once long ago i had drinks with them after hours at the Suttler's in Fort Davis. I miss them, but that's a whole nother [sic] blog and given the overly charged political season, i think it can stay for some far off day. Perhaps so long a Cowboy could Take Me Away. Sorry i couldn't help it.

It's a bit of a meander to get to this smoker, so with your indulgence, i'll attempt to make it as painless as possible. Back in 2001 when the shit hit the fan on September 11th, I had a nice little house with a pond and a grotto for my Virgin Mary statue, and something of an outdoor kitchen. I hadn't put the sink in yet, but that was about all that was missing. It wasn't very long before i realized my job prospects had all but dried up and the housing market was doing something funny. So, in a panic, sold the house, got an apartment, and went back to school to hedge against a poor economy i figured would rebound in a year or two. As it turns out, selling the house was the best idea, though it sits less than five minutes from The Ballpark in Arlington and Cowboys Stadium. Despite those things, it has lost nearly 40% of its value from when i lived there. I classify that as dodging a bullet. As for the economy rebounding, well i was overly optimistic to say the least. Okay, off to the University of North Texas and apartment living. I had to drag my smoker with me. I just couldn't leave it or the stove behind. To shorten this up a bit, with them sitting out in the elements like they did, rust destroyed them. So, for a number of years i have gone without a smoker because they were either cost prohibitive or just took up too much room.

Here a couple of months ago i got this idea for a smoker i could take apart when not in use and store under one side of my gas grill. When i told everyone about it, the general response was, " you want to make a smoker out of a trash can?" Well, the long and the short of it was, "Yes, yes i do."  

Despite the lack of enthusiasm, we visionaries just have to deal with that some times. I built it. I'm happy to report the smoker cost just less than 60 dollars and i got all the parts from Home Depot in one trip. I had that cheapo charcoal grill laying around, so it didn't add to the cost. We use it when we go to the park or the lake every now and again. I was hoping the smoker would be dual purpose, first be controllable in the 200-250 degree range for smoking and second be controllable in the 325-400 range to bake bread in. Here is what i discovered. It takes a good fire to get the smoke chamber up to 150-175 degrees. I'm fairly certain this is due to the aluminum dryer hose connecting the fire box to the can. I plan on changing it to a steel duct and that should raise my heat 50-100 degrees. Aluminum spills heat very well. That is one of the reasons it is used in cookware. Ideally, i'd like to get 225 out of it and then i wouldn't have to finish cooking the food in the oven, like i did this turkey.

I smoked the bird for +/- 5 hours and then baked it until the internal temp reached 200. I have to say that a fair amount of the broth they inject these things with did shrink away, but it wasn't dry in the least and i'm not a white meat eater. I got good smoke penetration. In fact, the smoke penetration was better than expected. I made this so that i could either suspend food with the can sitting upright or on a rack with the can laying on its side. This time i chose on its side. Inside, i placed the bird smeared with Kosher salt, Brown Sugar, and a bit of Chili Powder on my big Wilton rack with a pan underneath to catch the drippings. This is important! The last thing you need is to add to the fly population here. Here is a pic of the sliced breast. I took all of these pics with my cell phone, so they could be better, but it is what it is.

If you look, perhaps you can see a nice rosey ring around the perimeter of the breast. When i ate this last week, one of my friends asked if it was any good. What i say now is what i said then, " It's either really good or i was just in the mood for Turkey."  I'm really happy with my smoker and i'll be thrilled when i get the bugs worked out of it so i can make some of the breads i used to make that require a dry wood fueled oven. One more thing, as an added bonus to all this smoked meat madness, Which only took five or six sticks of mesquite by the way, I made a foil pan and filled it with Kosher salt. Periodically, i would stir the salt. Now, i have Mesquite smoked salt whenever i have a taste to add a little something smokey to whatever it is that i'm eating.

Next time i'll tell you about my cheap-ass kitchen towels. I mean cheap too. So cheap, you may just give up on paper towels like i did so many years ago. 

Until the next time i write, Peace be with you, Dave

Would Squash by any other name be more Appealing

Kids are funny little creatures. Lately, it has come to my attention my children are fairly well versed in food, as they should be, but lack the knowledge of a few things i'd consider necessary experiences in a lifetime. Take for instance their favorite vegetable, Brussels Sprouts. I don't care what planet you are from, your average child is never going to ask for these with dinner though mine regularly do. Along the same vein though, beets are met with such repulsion their mere mention elicits a physical response. Well, my guys are 16 and 17 and as people of this age are want to do, repeatedly make me want to give them shaken adolescent syndrome. Earlier this week, both of them gifted me with emails from their teachers about classroom performance. Perhaps i'm expecting too much as a parent, but at their ages i believe they should be able to handle their business in school and a teacher contacting me for some day to day things would be a last resort. So, i asked them about what is going on in school and once again i get the canned answer of either "nothing" or " oh i've already taken care of that". I explained to the guys that if this were indeed true why would their teacher be emailing me? They both told me i worry too much. What?? Like that's not my job or something?? In the past i have warned them with beets and spam for dinner every night they aren't making their teachers happy. As i stated earlier, the mention of beets brings about a physical response to a pair of Brussels Sprouts eaters. Okay, back to hearing from teachers for both of them this week. Again, i got that i worry too much, so i decided to have a little fun with them. I added squash to the menu over the next two weeks and told my guys they'd love it. I got the "i swear he just threatened us with beets" face and i told them they worry too much. Okay, here's the funny part. Both of these clowns love sweet potatos. So what two squashes did i add to the menu?? Acorn and Butternut! While they look forward to sweet potatos, they seem to be absolutely horrified at the prospect of the squash. I guess i'm about the only one who will enjoy the joke in this house prior to actually eating them. In case you have never had Acorn or Butternut Squash, They are both sweet and cook up soft, smooth, and for lack of a better example mimic the flavors of sweet potato and pumpkin. However, in the meantime i will enjoy them getting all worked up over the impending doom of the meals. It's like Thomas Jefferson said, don't let the evil which has never happened cause you pain.
Until i write you again, Peace be with you, D

Go Ahead, Maki My Day!!!

One of the problems associated with my willful exile here in Amarillo is the lack of quality in dining out. It isn't as though there's not a good variety of genres to patronize, rather there seems to be a general lack of concern for the product being served. It comes across as though the people here don't expect anything more than "fair to middlin'" so why should a restaurateur strive to serve a quality product for the generous remuneration expected. I know i'm showing a picture of a Maki Roll, but this is my general impression of most of the restaurants in town. Don't even get me started on steak. For a town billed as the "Beef Capital of America", there sure seems to be one hell of a lot they could learn from the Pappas Brothers in Dallas.
What's that idiom, "When in Rome, do as the Romans"??? I'm here to tell you that is flawed logic when it comes to tolerating some of the Honorable Mentions left over from the Jr High Science Fair that pass for restaurant fare. I mean, one would think a national chain would be the same no matter what town it's located in. I'm here to tell you that other than the peanuts on the floor, there is no similarity and when i Pei for chinese, i want rice noodles not tapioca. Though there are a couple of bright spots, but as you might expect they aren't national chains either. These are places that seem to care about what they turn out. If you want a Burger in Amarillo, there is only one place to go; Cowboy Gelato. A "Spaghetti Western" inspired burger joint that is like Sergio Leone himself, visionary in scope. I highly recommend the "Tucco"...just sayin. For good Mexican food i like, El Bracero. Other than that, save your money for when you get to where you're going and settle for something from the corner Valero station in the meantime.

Okay, so what does all this have to do with Maki Rolls?? Good question. I'm not entirely sure. I have tried them at most all of the Asian inspired restaurants here and honestly i wouldn't pay a dime a piece for any of theirs. So, what does this do for a guy with a craving for it?? Shut up or Make it Yourself!!! So, i made my own. Naturally!!! I mean what does it take?? You get some sticky rice, fake crab, avocado, cream cheese, a tube of wasabi, maybe a couple of shirmp, a cucumber, sesame seeds... actually you can end up getting quite a bit of stuff. A little bit, goes a very long way. Luckily, the local health food store had the toasted nori wrappers and wasabi. Though it isn't real wasabi, neither is most of the green horseradish out there, but it'll do.
I'll be the first one to admit that i do a hell of a lot of complaining. It just irritates me when a person would go through all of the time and effort to make something and then skimp on the little stuff to make it great. In the end i guess that's what i get for having expectations, though i promise you; in Dallas, these people wouldn't survive. I guess the inverse is true also. If i didn't have the skills to make it myself, i wouldn't survive here. I guess the thesis here is this; if there is something you want and you can't find it where you are, either try to find it somewhere else or learn how to produce it yourself.
Many thanks to my Grandmother, my Mom, and my Grandfather for making me stir pots, make cornbread, and check the vents on the grill.

Until next time, Peace be with you, Dave

Cucumber Salad w/ Mustard Pickle Mayo

I know this may sound rather peculiar in light of what i'm writing about, but i just don't like Yeller Mustard.  Yes, the King of Condiments. In fact, it wouldn't even be on the shopping list if i weren't married and since it isn't, by itself, grounds for divorce, here i am. I'm a Mayo Guy (not Miracle Whip) and other than the occasional batch of potato salad, my world would be devoid of it. However, there is a caveat to all this.
When i was a kid, my Mother and Grand Mother would "put up" jars of stuff from the garden. Pickled Peppers and Okra, Green Beans and Squash (YUK, i never got used to eating that stuff, other than raw in a salad and at that, sparingly), and of course; Pickles. Dill Pickles and Garlic Pickles, Sweet Pickles and Bread and Butter Pickles, and my two favorites, Hot Pickles and Mustard Pickles.
One of the foods we ate, regularly, this time of year was cucumber salad. Cucumbers, Tomatos, and Onions.  Always served in a soup of oil and vinegar, with a generous helping of salt and pepper. This i loved. I loved it then and do to this day. Well, i made cucumber salad today. Though, i've been missing my Mother's Mustard Pickles and thought why not combine the two. Quite often, combining two things you like is not a good idea, but this one turned out curiously good. This has a few different things going on, so if you find it a little hard to follow along, place the blame squarely on me. Okay, so let's get to the recipe, and then i'll finish the story.

Cucumber Salad w/ Mustard Pickle Mayo
(you can scale this at will and you'll have to play with the levels to accommodate your tastes as everything i make is like me UNSUBTLE!!!)
Make the dressing for the salad first and then come back and cut everything up.
I used:
3 Cucumbers
3 Tomatos
2 Medium Onions
Put a pot of water on to boil. When it comes to a boil, put the tomatos in the water for a few minutes, roughly 3-5. Take them out and chill them in a bowl of ice water. You are going to peel the tomatos. While the tomatos are chillin out, peel and slice your cucumbers and put in a large bowl. Then peel and slice your onion in section slivers and throw them in with the cucumber. Next go and peel your tomatos. The skins should be cracked and slide right off. Once peeled, slice them up the same as the onion and throw in on top. Here is the base for your salad.

The Mustard Pickle Mayo
There are two ways of doing this part. There is the easy way and the less than easy way. I'll tell you how to do this the easy way and if you are skilled enough to do it the less than easy way, make an emulsion with White vinegar, lemon juice, an egg yolk and a cup of oil like regular mayo, then just add the seasonings to the end of the emulsion and mix for a minute and let stand.
The easy way.
Combine:
1 Cup of Mayo, not Miracle Whip
2 T Dill Weed
1 tsp or a bit more Ground Mustard (Dry)
1-2 tsp Turmeric
1 T Granulated Garlic
Mix together very well and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. It will need some salt to bring out the dill and  yeller mustard flavors. put 2/3rds of the mixture on your salad and mix together. If you don't want your fingernails turning a sad yellow color, you might want to do this with a spoon or other implement. Every piece should get a nice little coating of the dressing. If it isn't coated enough, add a little more until you have it all coated and eat it before someone else does. If you've done it right, you ought to taste everything. For many of you, it's going to be, at the minimum, a shock to the system and at most Horrible. Remember, you control the end flavor so you may have to play with it a bit. If you are a Mustard fan, you'll love it.

Okay, so i made it and they ate it. It was surprising how there was a little background heat from the mustard, the mustardlike flavor of the turmeric goes well with the onion and well let's face it, garlic and dill go with just about anything in a salad bowl.
I had a little dressing left over and wondered how it would go with a hotdog. Actually, it was amazingly good. Not too mustardy for me. The real surprise came when i ate one of the french fries bordering my salad. Okay, so mustard, dill, mayo taste thrown on top of fried potato. What do you think that would taste like?? It tasted strangely like my Grandmother's potato salad. I know, it sounds strange, but it just hit the spot for me today. I guess what they say about the tastes from your childhood being among the most powerful of all memories, is still true. I miss that vinegar and oil soup from the salad bowl. I miss working in the garden. I miss my mother's mustard pickles. And naturally, i miss my Grandmother.

Until i put pen to paper again, Peace be with You, Dave

The Winner of Our Discontent

I had a friend ring me up today and ask if i really hadn't posted anything since May. Oh No, Surely not. Not me. Then again, maybe i hadn't. So, i did what any purveyor of the prose would do and i checked. Sure as hell. I had not posted a single word since May. What a cold calculated crime i have committed. (Roger, such alliteration!) It got me to thinking. Why haven't i posted anything for so long. The easy answer was, "beats me".
Later in the evening i was talking to my son and the damnedest thing fell out of his mouth. He said, "Dad, nobody likes your politics". Leave it to a kid to point out the obvious. I realized that my politics and facebook have really been eating me up. That's not true, i have been allowing dissenting opinions on facebook to eat me up. I don't know. Perhaps i am crazy and i should keep my big mouth shut, but it drives me bugnuts to know that someone who draws food stamps and collects SSI and has four children under ten votes Republican and calls me an idiot because i don't see ObamaCare as a bad thing or a wall between the U.S. and Mexico as a good thing. FYI, this person also told me that Hadrian's Wall, The Great Wall of China, and the Berlin Wall all failed because they weren't American. That's when the propeller on my beanie flew off.  There is one other part to this, i know three people that have reported to have received a health insurance rebate check due to the changes under ObamaCare and two of those people are still complaining about the new law. Yes, as far as i know they did cash those checks. Doesn't it seem counter intuitive?? Well, maybe not. After all, i'm crazy.
Another of my favorites is that Obama is a Fascist and a Socialist. Wow, really?? I'm pretty sure Dr. King (Not Martin Luther King Jr, she looked more like Lilith Crane from the show Cheers) didn't put those two together in my freshman Political Science class. Again, just one of those things that makes my head buzz. Then there is Sherriff Joe Arpaio and his Posse. Oh Brother, the only thing this man likes better than the sound of his own voice is the sound of his voice on TV. Now, here again that may just be my crazy brain talking, but i have met the man and worked in law enforcement in Arizona. Loved the pink stripes and the chain gangs, but the spoiled bologna sandwiches and his investigation i can live without.
Then there is the one about Obama taking away gun ownership. Oh please, with the amount of gun lobby money that is pumped into that hamlet known as DC every single day, there is no way guns will be outlawed. Though for the record, i am in favor of a ban on assault weapons. Something even Romney signed into law in his own state. Here again, why aren't my die hard Republican friends seeing Romney's actions as a gateway to a total abridging of their freedoms?? Head still buzzing!!!
A couple of days ago, i posted a post from a friend about Elizabeth Warren talking about the Social Contract Americans have and two people publicly called me on it. That i don't mind. They had their say and i had mine. It's a public discourse. One of those things this country was founded on. What i did mind was the twelve (12) instant messages i got telling me i was anti-American and stupid and basically i needed to kill myself cause i'm too ignorant to breathe. Well poo poo on them. I would still like to see a presidential ticket with Elizabeth Warren and Caroline Kennedy on it. Both are strong intelligent women that don't make excuses or pander to the good ol' boys by way of some caricature of the naughty librarian.
Lastly, for now, there is this whole Chick-Fil-A flap going on. Who gives a rats ass if they don't like Gays and Lesbians. That is their right. Do i agree with it, hell no, but here again it's part of what makes our country unique. The head buzzer in this is i know two people who have gay friends and purport to support their right to live openly and freely with all the rights and privileges as everyone else, but have signed up for the support Chick-Fil-A day on August first. You know, in all honesty if Chick-Fil-A had put that they stopped putting muppet toys in their kids meals because the money was going to the Gay and Lesbian Association Against Defamation i'd have been cool with them. However, when this good Christian company said the toys had been recalled because they may potentially harm a child it seemed too much like lying. Wait, aren't Christians supposed to not lie as in the Ten Commandments?? Yep, head still buzzing.
At this point, i still don't know who i'll vote for and i'm not selling either of these men to anyone. If i have any agenda at all it's to make people think, to read, and to get out there and vote the way they want. A democracy with as pitiful a voter turnout as we have is no democracy at all.

I'll make no apology for this post and as always, may peace be with you. D

An update on the Sister's Quilt (Bra Quilt)

I forgot to mention earlier that i am still collecting bras for the Sister's Quilt. I have over a hundred at this point. I'm not exactly sure how many it will take as, well to be honest, they do come in a whole bunch of different sizes and styles. Then there is the design. I have a few roughs of what i'm working on and i'll post them the next time i write on this topic. It is very much still in the works. It's a project that i'm passionate about. It's a project that i believe in. Lastly, it's a project i hope will bring about some good for someone other than me and the personal satisfaction i'll get from building them.
At this point, i am very thankful the majority of the donations have been laundered. Though some of them were washed in some pretty flowery soap and so i rewashed them to keep my eyes and nose from falling off of my face.
Again, i want to thank you all for your words of encouragement and for donating your undies to my project. my target number is 500 and i know i'll get them
Until next time, Peace be with you. Dave

Almond Milk and the Pudding Dilemma

Okay, so it's starting to warm up outside and my thoughts magically turned toward "Nanner Puddin" this last weekend. I'm neither bashful nor afraid to say that i make the finest Banana Pudding in Texas!!! The only problem is that dang'd old milk sugar; Lactose. It does ugly things to my body as it does many others. So, the question is, how do i make pudding with Almond Milk or some other milk substitute and have it thicken up. There is an answer. It's not a pretty one, but there is an answer.

In case you didn't already know, instant pudding mixes thicken by way of the casein in real milk. None of the milk substitutes, that i know of, have the casein to make the instant mix pudding thicken. (I said milk substitute, and Lactaid Milk is not a milk substitute. Given that Lactose Intolerance is varied by individual, i'm strictly speaking about alternatives to milk in this posting.)

Okay, so last weekend i made a recipe called, "Tiramisu Bowl" Click here for the recipe. I made it as written except i used almond milk with cook and serve pudding. I cooled the pudding in a large cake pan on a rack and this worked out great!!!(just kinda FYI) I made the pudding as written and it was alright. The desert wasn't bad. My kids enjoyed it more than i did. The pudding element was lacking something. It was a textural thing. The pudding just wasn't as smooth and creamy as i'd have liked it to be.

I got to thinking the texture of the pudding had to have something to do with the protein.Those magical little strings that give body to so many of our foods and drinks. So i looked at the Moo milk jug and it's 8 grams of protein per cup of milk, where as the almond milk is only 1 gram of protein per cup. Instantly, i went old school. The answer as to how to increase the protein in the milk had to be the egg. The average egg yolk only has about three grams of protein in it, but.... and it's a big butt; it was just what the doctor ordered. I added one egg yolk per box or that would be two egg yolks for the big box and cooked it in a double boiler and it was rockin. Again, i used my large cake pan to cool the pudding quickly and i finally got to make my banana pudding. It was really good. It's not ready for braggin yet, but i'm workin on it. The pudding had a better consistency and lets face it, basically i made a custard. It worked out perfectly.

I haven't tried to make the pudding using the egg white yet. I will, but i imagine i'm going to have to turn the whites into meringue first and then stir them into the pudding slurry before cooking. By the by, the white contains a little more protein than the yolk so i have high hopes.

Never fear, i'll keep you posted on this one. For those of you that have asked, now we both know.

Until i'm inspired again, Peace be with you. D

47 with clouds in my coffee (decaf)

Well, I managed to live long enough to hit 47. Honestly, this is nothing short of a miracle. I once saw a movie where one actor asked the other if he would prefer the coroner see his body and remark about how perfectly it had been taken care of or if he'd rather live life without all of his worries he had about taking care of himself. The actor said he didn't know and referred the question back to the first actor who replied, "Shit, i want the coroner to take one look at me and say, this son of a bitch had one hell of a good time getting to here".

There was something about this logic that sang to my Viking soul like a crash from Thor's hammer!!! I think my exact words at that moment were, "Absolutely".

Toward that end, i was giving myself the once over in the mirror after my shower tonight and could barely recognize the man in the mirror. (No it's not the lack of hair, i've been good with that since before it was gone) I was simply acknowledging the aches and pains that seem to be chronic at this point and naturally the changes in my appearance. Being fat doesn't bother me too much as i still get around alright and it hasn't seemed to limit me. Though, i got this way within two years after i had heat stroke in '95. I knew going in, the medication would put weight on me, but not being medicated was not an option. I did notice i have developed Jowls. I could have done without that. My tattoos still look good and aren't all blurred out. I'm really glad i shopped tattooists before i got them. The artist makes the difference. I've always had heavy eyelids and bags under my eyes. Some day i'm sure i'll have to have the lids trimmed back so i can see, but that's a ways off. My hands and neck and their bone loss?? Well, the hands still work, but the neck is getting to be really bothersome. It sounds like a maraca when i shake my head. I guess my only real complaint i have is my eyes. I've always loved the color i was given (bloodshot), but i'm not a fan of this arms length seeing thing. sure i have two different pair of glasses, but i'm too much like the librarian i knew as a younger man. Hers were on a string around her neck and she'd put them on and take them off constantly. It annoyed me when she did it and now i'm doing it. I guess the important thing is, i can still see.

All in all i'd say i have a lot in common with an old chevy truck. I may look like hell, but i still run fine. Remember to live everyday as though it were your last and enjoy it.

Till i speak with you again, Peace be with you,

Dave

Perfect intro

The angry smell of sex, hairspray, and an acrid shot of perfume swirled about him like a swarm of bees. Even the half eaten bison burger, a test product some food hawker left her, added its voice to the ensemble and they were all saying the same thing. She'll never stay for good. Which wasn't all that bad, was it? Did he want her to stay? If only she weren't such a contemptible pain in the ass. It's like the whole Buster thing.

Why do you call me Buster, he'd say, instead of Coyote like everyone else? She'd answer back with something like, Look Buster, it's not my fault your parents were mental irregular. If you want to be called Coyote, that's your cross to bear. One thing though, i don't lie down with dogs. You got that? Unfortunately, every couple of weeks he didn't mind being Buster for a few hours. It was a wonderfully warm diversion from the everyday loneliness that accompanies a person that doesn't enjoy where they are, but has nowhere else to be. Then again, circumstance was closing in on him. The where he is and the where he should be were nothing more than two trails on the same path headed for an intersection. The problem was further complicated by the intersection being collocated with a cliff and three women, each of whom there to exact their pounds of flesh.

It wasn't good enough that one was a shotgun toting, tequila drinker, with no impulse control or that another was a county judge, with a lifetime of unresolved anger and yelled so much she kept the town virtually bird free. Clearly, that was too easy. So, why not include a nurse, with a predilection for pain, that showed signs of harboring a death wish.

Many times he'd thought, just how the hell did i get here. The short answer would be by bus, but the longer one, the real story of how Perfect became perfect is a much longer tale.

This time Wednesday: Alicia's Burrito!!!

For those of you who don't know, in my home town, there is a hole in the wall eatery called Alicia's Burrito. The place has a drive up window and seats about 25 if you're friendly. This place has the best food. I'm partial to the jalapeno cheese burgers and let me tell you; they cut their own fries with the peel on and fry them until they are brown. I mean brown! I could make a meal out of the fries alone, but why when the burgers are so good.

I was heading home to Alpine, because my mother was supposed to have back surgery. However, as is the case with people over a couple hundred years old, her blood sugar went kaflooey (it's an industry term) and her surgery has been put on hold. In the interim, i bought a car and a half.

As some of you know, i am a rabid fan of the aerodynamically challenged Isuzu Trooper. I have one that is a '91 and have been driving it for ten years and i LOVE her. Well, with two boys approaching driving test age i put out feelers and low and behold guess what was hiding out in Alpine. That's it, you guessed it. A 1990 Isuzu Trooper, only this one is white and it came with a parts car that is also a 1990 trooper that is purple. The white one is lovely, so i'm told. I haven't seen it yet. The purple one is rough. The doors are gone and the windows are out of it and the grill and hood are missing, along with the top half of the engine. One thing though, the inside of the trooper is filled with trooper parts. From what i have been told there are doors, windows, a grille, a hood, and various other parts. Are you thinking what i am thinking?? Probably not. If i get there and the vast majority of the parts are there i'm going to put it back together. The purple one even has a manual transmission (mad desire for one of those). So, i guess i'll know what i have to work with in the next 48 hours.

I must apologize for the typing tonight. This keyboard is about four years old and has gone through the dishwasher about a zillion times and the keys don't go down and up right anymore. I'm getting a new one tomorrow, but i felt like writing tonight, so please forgive any Grammatical malfeasance.

Lastly, i have been working on a USB charger to recharge my sons phone while he is on those long football bus rides. I did a fair amount of research on this one and consulted my Uncle the electronics Guru and whiz bang. A part here, a battery there, add in a couple of LED's and shazam, phone charger. I charged my samsung and donna's blackberry one one battery pack charge. I think that's good enough for a boy on a football trip. Now i'm going to upgrade it so that i can charge the battery pack without removing the batteries. That will be something. The next thing i'll make will be an interface to go from my laptop to my radio so that i can play with sending digital messages out there and see who picks them up. BUT FIRST,,,,, To Alicia's!!!!!!!!!!!

Until i speak with you again, enjoy the day and peace be with you, Dave

Viva Memphis Turkey Rub

I am posting this for Mother T ( Who definitely seems to be my number one fan) because she missed it the last time i posted it. Then again, i'm not sure if i posted it here or if it was on the now defunct Yahoo 360. I have something in the order of 500 posts there that are gone forever and this could very well be one of those.

So without further delay, This one if for you Mother T:

Viva Memphis Turkey Rub

Ingredients:

1C Brown Sugar (the darker the better)

3T Kosher Salt

2T Chili Powder

1T Jalapeno Powder*

1t. Cayenne Powder

1t. Celery Salt

2T My Home Seasoning or some type of Cajun Seasoning

2T Thyme

1T Rubbed Sage

Combine the sugar, salt, and spices. (There is a difference between spices and herbs) and mix well with your fingers. You have got to get this mixture, at this point, well integrated. Now add the herbs and continue mixing. As you get it better mixed the stickiness should ease up a bit and not stick to your fingers quite so much. Then comes the important part!!! YOU HAVE GOT TO TASTE IT!!! It should be sweet and then the heat should show up almost like an after thought.

You want the heat from the peppers to be a bit on the hot side. Cooking and the meat will mellow this out a bit. Make sure the sweetness hits you right away and that there is a delay between that and the heat in the back of your throat. I'f it isn't quite sweet enough a little salt sometimes does the trick. Now for the * on the Jalapeno powder. I dehydrate my own Jalapenos and mill them up. Some times you can find it at the store, but really any hotter pepper powder will work, even if you can find some chipotle powder, if not just use a bit more cayenne. Remember that cayenne's are four times hotter than jalapenos so i'd divide the amount needed by four and go by taste after that.

I use it as a rub mostly, put it on your bird. Let it sweat for 10 to 15 minutes and add some more. This works well on anything with feathers and not bad at all on pork. The thyme works with beef, but the sage really doesn't. So, if you want to adjust this for beef, substitute corriander seed, or rosemary, or plain old black pepper instead of sage. It's really up to you.

The other thing this seasoning works on, well that i use it on is to shake it onto sandwiches, salads, and even pop corn.

I sure hope you find this worth the wait,

Until i speak to you guys again, Peace be With You, D

Krail destruction began as planned in 2012

For a very long time i have been collecting and nurturing barriers in my life. This isn't anything different than what we all do in some form or another, but in my case, I've been reluctant to clear any of them away. In recent years it has become apparent that i have accumulated enough of them that my life has entered a de facto pause. Hence causing my life to become tacit and i am anything but that. So, as is not my usual custom, i resolved to rid myself of as many of those things holding me back physically and emotionally as i am able to in good conscience.

For the last week i have been kicking elephants out of the living room like a mad man. Some of them were no brainers. Simple things I'd been stepping over for years. Yet others have been emotionally draining because i don't remember what life was like before they were erected and even now it's hard to envision what life will be like without them. I have a few left to clean out but the major ones have been dealt with and if i could take care of those, what's left shouldn't be a problem.

Last year i wrote about 18 entry's. That averages out to one every twenty three days. If i am barely scratching out those few lines, can i still claim to be a writer?? At present, i have five novels and a kitchen guide in various stages of completion. Unfortunately, they are in the same state of completion they have been in for the last decade. I haven't published in twelve years. I have lost my voice and my passion for those things i love and a years worth of reflection as to the why on the current state of affairs has led to this rampant clean-up. I'm mad. I'm sad. I let this happen and I'm the only one that is going to be able to reclaim my mission in life. It hurts. It's sad. I have talked to the principles involved in this and have come to a consensus on things. It doesn't make it easier, but it is no longer hidden away. It is out there and it is the way it has to be.

I am undoubtedly going to be doing some things this year that may seem a bit strange or disturbing to some of you. Please, know that these things are all part of a larger agenda and my cheese hasn't slid completely off of my cracker. To the contrary, I'm simply attempting to put the cheese back in the center.

Till i speak with you again, be well and Peace be with you, D