Smokin'

Oh boy-oh-boy! Our new smoker is the bomb. Heat it up, add the wood chips, some apple juice, let it go... Like a dream.

And the barbeque... best we've had since leaving Texas.

The King, checking on the meat. We cooked baby back ribs, beef ribs and a small brisket. Go big or go home!

Look at how beautiful it is.

Sometimes we play a game with the royal hounds... 'which one do you want?' and we put a different treat in each hand. I know they most likely aren't choosing, they just want a damn treat... 

Give me a damn treat!

Yummmm... was hard to wait, but we let it sit for an hour to reabsorb some of the juices, and since it was late we only had one beef rib each because we wanted to taste the fruits... or meats of our labors.

 So today I made the rest of the meal. The King read that if the yolks have a grey outer lining, they were cooked too long. Luckily mine were juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust right.

In they go with the mustard, mayo, salt, pepper, pickled jalapenos and bacon. I would almost say yum but I hate eggs.

Empty vessels waiting to be filled.

I do this solely for the King's benefit. I must be pretty good at it because he snarfs them down like there's no tomorrow... but there is a tomorrow and he did leave some eggs for later.

This is how I fill the eggs. I put the yolk mixture into a plastic baggie, snip off a corner and use it like a piping bag. One that I can throw away and not have to clean. Works pretty well if I do say so m'self.

Sprinkle with paprika and some freshly cracked pepper and voila. Deviled eggs fit for my King.

And I made barbecue sauce to go with the meat, not that it needed it, but we'll have bbq baked potatoes later and it will come in handy for that.

Speaking of potatoes... tater salad with pickled jalapenos and bacon.

And baked beans. Mine never turn out as good as my mom's. Gonna have to work on that.

Feast your eyes on our feast...

That's a whole plate of deliciousness right there!

Mr. Bo-Bo would like some of that deliciousness.

Pretty please?

With a Daisy Bear on top?

Sorry kids... there's nothing left but this here bone.

Daisy Bear looks more like Crazy Bear... gimme dat bone!

And within moments... it was gone.

Time to make some brown sugar-cinnamon-rum ice cream while the King continues to work on the tree.

Woohoo! Future humus. Not to be confused with hummus, which tastes good... while humus does not. Unless you're a termite or a carpenter ant.

A hunk of quartz we found in the yard. It's bigger than a softball and hurts a lot more if it's lobbed at your head.

Mayor Tom paid us a visit. He is modeling the latest in tendon technology. This superhero looking contraption helps the lymph drain so that his wrist doesn't swell.

The King stole the jester's hat.

This is my grandmother's soap box. Yes! Soap boxes do exist!

When I was a kid I was endlessly fascinated by it.

And inside were bits and bobs, earrings that were broken... nothing much but I loved to go through the soap box and examine it all.

Tonight instead of working on the tree, we started organizing the basement. A lot got tossed, a lot is going to be donated, and the rest is much, much easier to find. And we found some treasures like the soap box, Paddywax candles (my favorite!) and books. Plus, it the Queen loses weight there is an endless supply of spiffy clothing... the Queen misses her colorful frocks.

We still have 2/3 of the basement left to do, but at least part of it looks nice.

And now I am going to kick my feet up, relax and watch a little tv. I've earned it!