“Nothing irritates me more than chronic laziness in others. Mind you, it’s only mental sloth I object to. Physical sloth can be heavenly.”
The house is cooler than outside. It is already 73°. The air is calm without even the whiff of a breeze. Earlier, I was in the yard looking for something Nala stole last night, but I had no idea what I was trying to find so I just did a spot clean-up of a bit of trash. Nala did zoomies over and over until she started panting and her tongue hung out. She is now inside with me getting cool. I took the cover off the table and chairs and left it spread to dry. I want to open the deck this week. It is time.
This morning I enjoyed my coffee from Uganda with Bob’s bread toast slathered with black fig mission jam. It was the perfect way to start the day. I’m thinking I need another cup of coffee.
Our house in South Yarmouth didn’t have a deck. It did have a big backyard. My father used to barbecue near a back window. He’d get what he needed for cooking through the open window. He’d also have a few drinks. We’d hear, “Pop me,” his request for more so one of us would pop him through the window. He was the happiest of cooks.
My father was a big believer in using a lot of charcoal starter fluid. He’d squirt it at the fire if it wasn’t burning fast enough for him. A huge flame usually whooshed into the air. He did set his shoes and the bottoms of his pants on fire a couple of times. We’d keep the hose handy.
When I was young, we had hot dogs and hamburgers or cheeseburgers. My mother made her potato salad and peppers and onions. The rolls for the dogs were top-loaded New England rolls. I always had mustard and piccalilli on my dogs. On my burgers I put mayo. I am not a big ketchup fan except I sometimes dip my fries in ketchup. When we got older, my father cooked chicken, ribs and steak tips. My mother still made her potato salad. We were not a green salad family.
I have a few chores for today, uncommon chores like cleaning a couple of cabinets. I may even paint the small chest of drawers, but I’d hate to go too far, get too, too busy. The sloth in me complains loudly.
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June 11, 2023 at 3:34 pm
Hi Kat,
Yesterday the storms missed us by about 35 miles to the south. Today there’s a chance of thunderstorms again with a forecast high temperature of 98°. Right now the sky is clear blue. I just brought my daughter to our house to go swimming. My wife says that she thinks the water is warm enough for my tenderfoot body, I will have to see for myself before going in. 🙂
My father was a barbecue maven (Expert). When we were kids in Dallas he bought a smoker and began smoking meats on the weekends. He would start his fire using strips of newspaper because he didn’t want the charcoal to develop the odor of the starter fluid. Smoking is a long process. He would start the fire in the morning and when all the coals were white hot, he would add hickory chips and start the meat. The coals were protected from the meat by a metal plate which prevented flair ups from the fat dripping on the coals. He kept the temperature at no more than 250° by adjusting the small exhaust flaps on the sides of the smoker so that the meat cooked very slowly. A brisket would take around 12 hours to cook. He would baste the meat with various concoctions usually containing soy sauce and brown sugar.
I’m a mustard and sauerkraut guy on hot dogs and ketchup on burgers. I wish I could find those New England style hotdog buns with the bread crust on the top. I recently started using mayonnaise instead of ketchup on my bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches. My spouse thought ketchup on a BLT was a sacrilege. I started liking mayonnaise when Popeye’s fried chicken began offering chicken breast sandwiches with mayonnaise and dill pickles on a brioche bun. We ate a lot of them in the car while house hunting in the summer of 2020 during the pandemic. They are still the best in my opinion. I would never eat a Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich because of their anti LGBT and right wing Christian stands.
June 11, 2023 at 7:05 pm
Hi Bob,
I’m thinking with so many days in the 90’s the pool would be perfect even for you!! We stayed in the low 70’s today, and a small breeze makes the early evening lovely.
My brother-in-law creates his own rubs for his smoked foods. He doesn’t just smoke meat. He smokes veggies and fish. He has two different smokers and uses them all year.
My father would have been far too impatient to use a smoker. Unlike him, I have never used artificial charcoal. I always used wood charcoal and papers to help start it. I use different wood chips like apple and cherry. I am not a big hickory fan. On my gas grill, I have cooked whole turkeys and roasts. They took hours at a lower temperature. I cook veggies like corn and potatoes and put together packets of food to bake. I am not a maven but I do manage to barbecue a good meal.
I have always used mayo on a BLT. I can’t imagine ketchup. I agree with your spouse. Did you use ketchup on the individual components like on the tomato, on the lettuce and on the bacon? I also have always used mayo on a chicken sandwich. You’re late to the parade!
I also have never eaten at a Chick-fil-a because of the politics. I remember telling my friend that and he said taste trumped politics!