Happy Winter Solstice

Yesterday was the last official day of fall but looks can be deceiving can't they. The weather actually wasn't that bad except for the north wind. The Boy received some snow pants from his Grandma so we bundled up and played in the snow. If the weather forecast holds true, next Saturday might be a good day for sledding at Pioneers Park.

If we have a long cold winter requiring a lot of couch time, I have the perfect thing for you. The Amazon fairy brought me Stephen King's new book. It's a Christmas gift for Miss Mindy but I'll read it when she's done. I read the first few pages and I'm hooked already (poor woodchuck). We love SK at the West A house and the bookcases are full of his work.

Saturday I asked which dish I should use my fresh batch of paneer on and a biryani was chosen. I like this dish a lot however I wish I'd fried the paneer cubes a little more than I did. They were tasty little morsels though. I browsed through some of my cookbooks and found a cauliflower dish with tomato and onion that sounded good. The Boy wouldn't eat it but I gave him credit for trying it at least. I simmered the florets in a puree of onion and ginger, two finely chopped tomatoes, one minced green chili, six minced garlic cloves. All the aromatics in the rice and the veggies made the house smell fantastic.

Yesterday was decent enough I shoveled the snow away from the grill and made burgers. It smelled like summer!

Have a good week everyone.

Okay, enough already...

I confess, I'm tired of this bitter cold weather already. Can we go back to low to mid-thirties? Please?

We ventured up to Mahoney State Park for lunch Saturday afternoon at the lodge. The views of the snow covered Platte Valley were fantastic. The food, ehhh, not so much. The Boy enjoyed a very tasty looking Angus burger which I wish I'd ordered, hindsight being what it is and all. Miss Mindy and I had the lunch buffet and she commented how the selections seemed to be driven towards the "senior set". But if you like comfort food (ie: bland) then you'd have been right at home. There was a large Boy Scout event going on and that may have influenced the menu as well. I was disappointed the huge fireplace wasn't lit but overall we had a nice lunch.

Sunday I made a batch of paneer cheese with a new hormone free milk. Palak paneer is on the menu for later this week. The milk tasted like milk but I'm glad for the opportunity to support a "local" business. Sunday dinner consisted of a roasted chicken with garlic-herb compound butter spread up under the skin, fricasseed brussel sprouts and roasted new potatoes with fresh rosemary. Now that was some tasty comfort food! I finished the evening off with a nice bit of Goslings Old Rum. Like a fine cognac, brandy or scotch, this stuff is truly a wonderful way to end the weekend.

Sun Dog

Got to work this snowy cold morning and saw off to the southeast a sun dog. You've all probably seen one but this was my first. The one to the right of the sun was a huge prismatic column shooting to the sky. A "Torch to the Heavens" as my wife described it.

I grabbed the crappy camera I have at work and tried to take a shot of it. Not the best image but you get the idea. I hope many Lincolnites got to see it, whether they were making the trek to work or sitting all warm and snug in their homes. Safe travels to you all and stay warm!



The sun is behind the house. The sun dog to the left wasn't very intense so I aimed for the right
side.

Oh The Weather Outside is........who cares!

You remember those dishes that the first time you have them you're like "Wow, this is really really good!"? Well we had that recently at the West A house. With the weather turning cold I've shifted gears to those hearty, spicy, filling meals our family enjoys. Not that I'm against shoveling that white stuff falling down right now and fire up the Weber. I've been craving steak and who knows, maybe during Tuesdays blizzard I'll have me some beef!

Anyway, now that winter has apparently set in early, here are two dishes to warm you up. I don't have the cool service bowls/dishes for any Asian food yet so bear with the Fiesta.



Our first winter dish was Massaman beef curry. Its hard to find a good definition of "Massaman" but I'd call it good. It's a Muslin inspired dish from what I've read. We've had Thai before so we expected the sweet fiery coconut and red chili burn. The tenderness of the meat, almost velvety, was fantastic. I've usually had chicken in my Thai so I was very happy with this dish. The leftovers the next day were even better. I used black cardamom this time and I'm wondering if green would change the dish very much? There are numerous recipes on the web and most are pretty similiar. I went with one that included bay leaf, cinnamon stick, tamarind. I omitted cashews this time which you'll see in this dish also.

The second dish is a Burmese chicken stew. I was really intrigued by this the first time I read it back in April. I stored the idea away till it seemed appropriate. Today seemed perfect.



This is the dish that made me say "Wow!". Going in with a whole head of garlic and two cups of julienned ginger made me worry this dish might be a bit too much for some in my family. I was wrong. The finished dish is so delicious it's hard to describe. Rich, highly seasoned, aromatic (understatement) and irresistable. I limited myself to one thigh but had a small second serving of jasmine rice with some of the gravy. I'm looking forward to lunch tomorrow and my co-workers hovering around wondering what tasty good smelling victuals I'm eating now.
I really encourage you to try this. It's not hard. And in less that an hour you'll be glad you did. I swears! Miss Mindy asked me to put this recipe towards the front of the list to be served again soon. I'm happy to oblige.

You all have a great week but be careful. Weather forecast looks awesome if you like snow.

Tiki Weekend!

We sent the Boy off to his grandparents so we could enjoy a day with our friends from Fordyce. The wives attended Doane College together and have remained good friends since graduation. We introduced them to Mt. Fuji Inn in Omaha many years ago and decided to have a little get together at our place this weekend.

I had the bar ready to go and we made Mai Tai's, Reef's, Captain's Grogs, Flaming Coconaut's, Royal Hawaiian's and a couple I can't remember! I squeezed a mess of limes, lemons, oranges and a white grapefruit in the afternoon so I'd be ready to play bartender. I love playing mix-master as much as I love cooking. The only thing missing was a true tiki bar where I could create my magic like Blair.

We've always enjoyed finger foods while imbibing in tropical drinks so Mindy and I went a bit crazy with food. I prepared two kinds of baby back ribs, a sweet and smokey version on the grill, another with hoisin sauce, ginger, and other asian flavorings in the oven. A large chunk of roast prepared with more asian spices and seasonings in the dutch oven. And a grilled Thai chicken satay with a spicy peanut sauce with red curry paste and a "salad" of thin sliced cucumber/red onion/jalapeno in a tasty vinagrette. We picked up some spring rolls, crab rangoon, egg rolls and dumplings from two of our favorites in the city.

I neglected to take pictures of the food for you so you'll have to trust me that it was all great. I encourage you to enjoy what you like. No matter how silly or ridiculous it may seem to others, if you like it, do it. Then do it again!

Mr. Schieffer did a terffic job scarfing down those ribs and helping me drink those Fog Cutter's with the float of bristol cream sherry on top. Very tasty indeed and I look forward to your next visit so we can sample some of the bottles from the top shelf!

Have a great short week everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!

Have I mentioned that I like food?

Mindy grew brussel sprouts this year and we harvested them back on the 15th. That same day I braised them with garlic and wine vinegar served with a quick rigatoni with sweet chicken Italian sausage. I cut the Boy's serving into more managable slices but left mine whole for that more authentic Italian feel. The sprouts were delicious and I hope we can produce more next year. Sprouts have become a favorite in this household and that's a good thing. Tasty!

I tried a Thai recipe from Leela for another quick mid-week meal the other day. I was sure that the Boy wouldn't even touch it. But to my surprise he scarfed it down and asked for more. Khao Na Gai, thai chicken in brown sauce was quick, simple and tasty. Served with some steamed Jasmine rice and julienned scallion, it was delicious. I will gladly make this dish again. The "Spindrift" in the second picture is an awesome drink courtesy of Tiarre.

We went to the Asian market on the west side of North 27th street Friday night and picked up some items for other dishes I'll be trying. They were out of Kaffir lime leaves and I was bummed about that but excited to have taken the Boy with us and he loved walking the packed aisles looking at all the interesting things.

We had guests over the weekend and hopefully we wowed them with food and drink and I will make that the next post.

One if by land, two if by sea!

No, we're not having a revolution on West A Street. I just couldn't come up with a better Title for Grilled Scallops with Pistachio Butter and Pork Loin with Orange-Pomegranate Sauce.

I usually sear some scallops in a pan with some olive oil, maybe a little shallot. Then wilt some fresh tender greens and mushrooms with some balsamic vinegar and a touch of salt and pepper. But I had these big sea scallops calling my name Saturday afternoon and with the weather being so good lately (Thanks a lot October!) why not grill them? I sometimes make a sauce for chicken scallopini that consists of finely chopped pistachios, butter and honey. So why not adapt one for the scallops. Just leave out the honey, add some fresh chopped parsley, salt and pepper and you're there. I dried the scallops and seasoned them with crushed red pepper flakes, coarse salt and a drizzle of olive oil. They didn't knock my socks off but they were pretty good.

Today was perfect again for grilling so let's cook some nice juicy tender pork. Made a paste of minced garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper and olive oil. Slathered it on a pork loin and let it sit for a half hour or so. I set up for indirect grilling and used the stainless steel divider to keep some of the heat down. The cowboy charcoal I've been using burns really really hot and the divider helps keep the temp down so the pork cooks slowly and retains a ton of moisture. I had a little over two pounds of meat and after one hour it registered 160 degrees. I brought it inside, covered it with foil and made the sauce.

Orange juice, pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar and honey. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 15 minutes. The volume will reduce and the product will turn to a syrup consistency. Hit it with a dash of salt and serve warm. I sliced the pork into nice portions and drizzled the sauce over the top. I really liked this dish and will make it again.

Cocktails consisted of Mindy having a "Royal Hawaiian" of pineapple juice, lemon juice, orgeat syrup and gin. While I had a "Voodoo Priestess" of dark rum, spiced rum, brandy, orange, lime and lemon juice, a dash of orange bitters and Voodoo Priestess Spice syrup. The syrup is made from cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground allspice and demerara sugar dissolved in boiling water and then cooled.

It was a good weekend. Hope yours was too! Have a good week.

Goodbye October

October is my favorite month. Usually! I can't remember a wetter October and I'm glad the sun is trying to shine this All Hallow's Eve. I like October because it's my birth month and I usually take some vacation to just mess around and enjoy life. All the precipitation put a slight damper on the month but we made the best of it.

With "The Boy" being in kindergarten this year we've had the past week off for fall break. Two months ago we reserved a cabin at Mahoney State Park for the first three days of this week. I haven't been "camping" since I was a kid and back then we had either a camper on a pickup truck or a camper trailer so having a cabin was pretty plush. It had two bedrooms, full bathroom, nice kitchenette, screened in back porch and a fireplace. We loaded up the truck (dog's too) and had a great time. We hiked every trail several times, saw a plethora of wildlife including many deer that sometimes were within 20 feet. Zack the boxer somehow escaped his choke collar and bounded off down the trail after a white tail one afternoon. We chased him down a creek draw and as we climbed the other side, there he stood looking at us with a "come on already" look on his old face. Pretty spunky for a twelve year old dog with bad sight and hearing. We all had a good laugh at his expense. The family enjoyed having a roaring fire every night, just relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet. No phones, no TV (drove the kid nuts not to have it on), no cars with fart can mufflers roaring down the street. It was good to come home but I will miss the cabin for awhile.

I hope to do some yard work today, put the Z car in storage, buy a better blender for an upcoming Tiki Drink weekend and slow cook a nice four pound roast for dinner tonight.

Bring on the trick-or-treaters!

Are you handy?

I found out today that Norm's show is ending after 21 years. Whether it was the Workshop or This Old House everyone I've ever mentioned him too knew who he was. That's a pretty damned good saturation level.

I've built a fair amount of stuff around the house and Norm is a great inspiration. He always makes a project seem easy and took the time to explain difficult concepts. I think he inspired me to take on challenges I would never have attempted. Through him and his This Old House co-horts I've tackled wiring and plumbing as well as carpentry.

I'll miss seeing new things from Norm. But I'm glad he's in syndication and plans on staying with the other show for now.

We all are inspired in our lives by many different people and things. Who inspired you?

Squash? Silly name for a sport and a drink..

I wonder why and who decided that smacking a soft rubber ball against a wall should be called "squash"? And who decided that a sweetened or unsweetened fruit-based concentrate when mixed with water or seltzer would be a drink named "squash"?

I'll just stick to those tasty ones that come out of the garden. I tried playing squash when I was a kid. It was good exercise but I never really got hooked by it. Meh!

So I made an herbed butter, shoved it under the skin of a whole chicken, roasted it on the grill and served it with more late summer veggies from the garden.

Also had another shrimp curry that I changed up the ingredients a little. Very tasty with a minced red chili pepper added to the onion and celery. I reduced the amount of tomato this time and was very happy with the overall result.

I was a Big Red Football kid

Glen's birthday is the 26th. He's usually not far from my mind during football season. This year he's in my thoughts a little more due to the 300th sellout at the stadium.

When I was just a single digit kid he'd take me to work with him at General Stores in the West Stadium. I remember his boss "Smitty" had nudie calendars in his "office". The old school kind where you had to lift the transparency up (which had the clothing painted on) to see the nude underneath. Back in those days the West Stadium was a dark dirty mysterious place unlike the glitzy showplace it is today.

Glen went from General Stores to the North Stadium to become the Equipment Manager for the freshman football team, the baseball team and he stored equipment for the track team in his "room". He spent years and years washing sweaty towels and socks and jocks for hundreds and hundreds of football players and coaches. When Gib Babcock retired in the mid 70's, Glen was promoted to Head Equipment Manager for the whole Football Athletic Department. He had a great funny guy named Walt Johnson working under him. Glen in the South Stadium and Walt in the North.

I started attending games in 1976 and have enjoyed some of the most memorable moments in NU football history at the old stadium. Being able to travel with Glen and the team to some away games and every bowl game from 1976 to 1987 is a special treat I treasure and won't ever forget. I was thrilled for my Dad when NU won championships in the 90's. He was proud.

I remember him coming home from work one day in a shiny red Chevy van from DuTeau's. He had previously had to rent U-Haul equipment to haul gear to NU's road games. Now he had a nice vehicle finally that would do the speed limit! The old U-Haul's would only go 45-50 uphill! The amazing part is he could take everything he needed in that one van with just two seats in it. Nowadays they use semi trucks with 53 foot trailers to haul all the gear. Crazy.

I feel a special connection to Memorial Stadium on her 300th sellout. I grew up in that place. Rode my tricycle and big-wheel up and down the ramps in the North Stadium. Learned to drive a motorcyle and a car there, slowly going around the "track" that encircles the field. I always enjoyed going to work with Dad. The quietness of the place during an off-season day is such a contrast to game day. I feel a large tug of emotion when parts of the stadium get demolished, especially the parts that I spent a great deal of time in. The original north end may be gone but I won't forget it.

I hope the team wins Saturday. But even if they don't, the significance of 300 sellouts and more importantly of the stadium itself will remain. A tribute to those that served this country. That is what I hope most people remember. Glen Abbott served his country in the Army during Vietnam. He worked for the University for many years.

He died April 8th 2005. I miss him.

Disgusting yet so tasty

A Reuben for your consideration. How does something that looks this gross taste so darn good? I'd weigh three hundred pounds if I ate as many of these as I wanted. I tried to find some "Russian dressing" but resorted to standard Thousand Island. Anyone seen "Russian" dressing anywhere in town? I'd like to experiment next time. Different bread, different dressing but still use the basics. Corned beef, swiss cheese and Frank's kraut.

I remember my first Reuben at the Bombay Bicyle Club on Dodge Street. Do you suppose it really was created in Omaha? We'll never know for sure I guess but I like to think it was.

It sure makes a tasty lunch on a Saturday afternoon.

Friday night random crap

Are you ready for a nice holiday weekend? My employer decided not to be open tomorrow so I'm thrilled to have a full three days off to goof around. Being salaried, it won't affect my paycheck either way. Woo Hoo!

A few months ago I stumbled into the new Bishop Heights True Value hardware store just north of Shopko at 27th and Hwy 2. It's got a good selection and is fairly close to home. I went there for pool stuff but walked out with a huge bag of lump charcoal and a cool tiki torch lantern for the patio. I've since become hooked on this charcoal as it's pure hardwood which lights faster and burns hotter than briquettes. I don't think it lasts longer than the Kingsford but it sure do make the food taste good!

I grilled a couple steaks tonight and we toasted some new flavored marshmallows for a treat afterwards. The boy loves them and they're fat free. We had smores a couple days ago that were pretty rockin' as well.

I've picked up another of the tiki torches and they were both helping tonight as the skeeters were thick as thieves.

When more funds are available we plan on enlarging our deck for even more enjoyable evenings in the back yard. I ran across some cool solar tiki torches at Taylor gifts online and when the sun goes down it's pretty cool when they're lit up.

Sunday Dinner

I'd like to make my own gnocchi some day. It's been about four months since I had that delicious dish in Chicago and can still taste it. I picked some up at Leon's and made a simple parmesan cheese sauce with cracked black pepper. The dish I had in Chicago also had parma ham and peas which I omitted since I couldn't find any in town that wasn't paper thin. So I grilled some chicken tenders last night to go with the pasta tonight and then forgot them. Putz! Oh well, we were plenty full of dumplings.

Our garden is overflowing with great things so a sauteed summer vegetable side sounded like a winner. Zucchini, yellow squash, onion, sweet pepper, basil, and garlic in a little olive oil. I debated throwing some cherry tomatoes in with the other veggies but held off. Maybe next time.

Have a great week everyone!

Apples to Nuts

So I had a recipe for a grilled chicken with apple macadamia nut sauce. What would one serve with such a combination of flavors? Not to mention the chicken had marinated in a potion of tamarind paste and garlic for several hours. I had the nuts in the pantry and a couple of Granny Smith's in the fruit bowl so what the heck right? I'm not one to shy away from dishes that stray from the norm but even this one seemed a little "out there". Let's not forget I have "the boy" to feed as well. He who would eat cheeseburgers for every meal I think!

I had some wet tamarind pulp which I macerated in hot water then smashed through a fine sieve three times. This yielded some tamarind puree which reminded me of the apple butter my Grandma used to make. I added minced garlic, salt, pepper and some veggie oil and threw it over some skinless boneless chicken breasts.

While the charcoal was getting ready I sauteed some shallot, garlic, fresh ginger and just half of a green chile until they browned a little. In next went the apple, a little turmeric and some coarse chopped macadamia nuts. Sauteed the apple mixture for a few minutes and then added chicken stock, soy sauce, fish sauce and fresh lime juice. A wee bit of salt and pepper to season and I made myself a Hemingway daiquiri with the left over lime juice.

The sauce color was a little gross but the combination of the two really came together. Even the boy ate the chicken although without the sauce. He'll come around eventually!

Sauteed some fresh string beans from the garden and had some nice melon to balance the whole plate out. Quite good and next time I'll up the green chili for a little more zip in the sauce.

Gnocchi tomorrow!

Aku Tiki

Those of you old enough to remember will recall a neat little lounge at the Villager on O Street. My folks used to go there back in its heyday. My Mom said "Your father made a fool of himself there". Boy I'd love to have been a fly on the wall then. My in-laws had more happy (ha!) recollections of Aku Tiki.

I don't recall if I've ever been there and I wish I did. The web hasn't been very gracious with even the slightest anecdote from visitors but I'll keep digging. I love the tiki/polynesian scene and wish we had something similiar in Lincoln today.

Thanks to ebay and a seller right here in Lincoln, I can pretend I'm there having a delicious Mai Tai or Sidewinder's Fang in my own mugs specially created for the Aku Tiki back in who-knows-when.

Fantastic!

If any of you have a memory of Lincoln's only Tiki bar, please share. Thank you!

Remember?

Some of you probably remember. Some of you might not. Rent them, watch them. They have messages that are as important today as they were then.

My favorite movie is The Breakfast Club. I know, I'm a dork. So what.

Hi there, it's been a while!

So it's been crazy around the house since July 4th. We have all enjoyed the summer so far. It blows me away that Alex starts school August 19th. Where has the time gone? We've had swim lessons at the downtown YMCA twice a week besides swimming in the backyard pool. Bicycle riding, visiting City parks, staying with grandparents, farmers markets, cruising in the Z car....whew, what a summer.

I've been reading a lot of food blogs to inspire me in new ways. The Dish and SheSimmers have been two of my favorites lately. I love to eat and I'm excited to try these new dishes.

We spent 3 hours at the Highlands pool today but I set some chicken up this morning for dinner tonite. Bone in, skin on thighs in a marinade of tequila, orange & lime juice, garlic, oregano, olive oil, salt, pepper and two roasted jalapenos. I slow cooked them directly over a very low fire for forty minutes and they about fell apart. The better half thought it was pretty good. I agree. Our garden has produced some of the most eye-watering onions ever and they were a tasty addition to some fresh quacamole.

See you all again soon!

Centennial Mall Garden Market Opens Today!

"Visit the 2009 Centennial Mall Garden Market located on the East side of the Nebraska State Office Building (on Centennial Mall between L and M St, downtown Lincoln)today-and every Wednesday through September 30th.

The market is organized and hosted jointly by the Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. Enjoy this opportunity to conveniently purchase fresh, Nebraska -grown produce during your workday!

12:00 p.m to 4:00p.m. (or Sell Out)"

Enjoy the market all you downtowners! Hope my wife gets something good.

Sunday night dinner

Cedar planked chicken thighs with a soy-ginger glaze. I was given some cedar planks several weeks ago and didn't really want to use them on the old stand-by salmon dish. But by a strange twist of fate, I received this recipe in an email from the Weber folks. It sounded pretty tasty so what the hey!

Soy sauce, balsamic and brown sugar reduction with fresh minced garlic and ginger and a healthy dose of red pepper flakes. Whisked in some sesame oil, reserved a half cup for basting and marinated the skinless bone-in thighs in the fridge for a couple hours with the rest of the reduction. Soaked a cedar plank in the sink for a couple hours at the same time the chicken was marinating.

Set the plank directly over the coals until it started to smoke pretty good. Then flipped it, put the chicken on the plank and cooked them covered for ten minutes. Then I moved the plank to the opposite side of the grill and left them alone for twenty, basted them and cooked ten more minutes. The recipe recommended a final basting before serving but I left that up to the individual if they wanted extra flavor. If you've never cooked with a smoking cedar plank, the smells are fantastic.

Have a great week everyone and stay cool! Gonna be a hot one.

Happy Fathers Day!

To all the Fathers out there, whether it's a kid or dog or parrot or whatever, have a great day. Thanks Pete and Dr. D for all you've done for our family.

I'm hoping it dries out later today, the grass is tall from all the rain. Looks like we're going into a dry spell now. The forecast looks gross the next several days, Nebraska summer is here.

My wonderful wife is making me breakfast this morning and I see some bike riding later to work the meal off!

I don't really have a "Fathers Day" picture so here's two more for Karin.

Need recipe for.....

I smoked some pork the other day and used it for quesadillas last night. Had some nice green onions from the Old Cheney Farmers market also. But I struggled with a roasted red pepper dip to go with them. I roasted three red peppers, removed the seeds, ribs and most of the black burnt parts. In the food processor I added garlic, salt, pepper and some chickpeas. I added a splash of olive oil and it tasted okay but didn't really knock my socks off. It was pretty good with some pita chips we had but I expected it to stand on its own a bit more.

Do you have any suggestions for what I should add to it next time? I like the concept and the preparation but I was left wanting something more. But I'm not sure what it was.

Ready for summer?

After last night's rain, our tank is over 175 gallons. The potted plants and vegetables should be okay for awhile when the really hot temps get here. It would be nice if we didn't see any 98,99 or 100's this summer but I highly doubt it.

We put chicken wire all around our veg garden after the rabbits started getting the peas. And in a weird blackhole/twilight zone kind of way, we've not seen one of the little furry buggers since. Guess they migrated to easier pickings. Goodbye and good riddance!

Sate Udang

First day of vacation yesterday, let's get tropical! Lord knows it was humid like the tropics. I had some shrimp so I used them instead of prawns. I went to Thanh Binh Market to get some lemon grass for skewers, they had fresh prawns which I'll get next time. They looked awesome. Udang is Indonesian for prawn by the way. I think lobster an shrimp also but definitely prawns.

Soy sauce, molasses, minced garlic, ground coriander, fresh lime juice, palm sugar or light brown sugar, veggie oil. Whisk it all up till the sugar dissovles and marinate your prawns or shrimp for an hour or so. Trimmed the lemon grass stalks into oversize skewers then used a metal skewer to make a starter hole in the shrimp. The lemon grass imparted a very subtle yet wonderful peppery citrus hint to the shrimp and they really smelled great during the grilling. The better half whipped up a tasty citrus salad and I served up a few Coconaut's for a great meal.

Easy and delicious, try it!

BOLO

Bolo. That's "Be On the Lookout".

Ryan and I both looking for some of these. If you see them anywhere, give us a holler. There is reportedly a brown one of a different design also. I don't have a picture of that one.

Thanks!

Silly Ebay Stuff

Since I've been bitten by the Tiki bug, I did a little shopping for something to hold my rum. I thought these little tiki hut mugs were neat. I'll bet my guests will feel that much closer to paradise when they're sipping a Mai Tai from one of them. I've got some vacation coming up soon and I'm thinking of hitting the antique shops and Salvation Army to see what items I might find. But if you'd like to part with your Aku Aku rum barrel from the Stardust Casino, give me a shout!

What's that saying about too much of something?

Pork, pork and more pork. It seems to be a recurring theme here lately. Could be that it's so easy to prepare and so damn good to eat. We've been trying a lot of different jerk variations and they've all been really good. Over the past week and a half we've done chops and two loins. I was given a bag of vidalia onions a while back and we've been thick slicing them and grilling them along with the main dish. The sugars in these onions are fantastic when grilled, I recommend them. Even raw on a nice burger, they are killer.

Yesterday I had a request for the garlic/rosemary pork again so I prepped it this morning and then slow cooked it a little over two hours. The boy doesn't like the "spice" but his Mom and I sure love it.

Bus ride

Alex had asked if he could ride the bus some time ago. So Saturday we thought why not. We walked to the bus stop and rode the "West A" route to the Gold's Building. It was kind of fun actually. The very nice driver stopped across from the County City Building and let him sit in the drivers seat and open and close the door. The boy was thrilled of course. We walked around downtown for awhile, had a sandwich at Roost, then rode the bus back home. Next time we'll leave early enough to hit the farmer's market.