Outside the dugout: What's cooking?

Chickens almost done. Smeared them with some tupelo honey for the last 15 minutes. I got this particular honey in WeeWa a few years ago along side the road.

Tupelo honey is one of the greatest things ever.

The best I ever had was a gift from a student from around there. It was a party in your mouth whatever you used it for.

 

That reminded me of my parents.

First church.

Then breakfast.

Finally open presents some time around noon.

I never did that to my kids.

 

Jan doesn't roll them out on a floured dining room table? Must be a small batch. :^)

 

First set of guests are on their last evening at our house. Making pasta (penne) with cream, sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, red pepper flakes, garlic, and shrimp. I scored some wild caught and never frozen shrimp for tonight. They were big and the shells were thick. I hope that they are not tough.

Salad and bread to accompany.

Cooking is so much better than doing car work in the driveway. First job was easy-peasy: My MIL's car needed a new coil. 10 minutes of work. I didn't tell her how much it cost. To her from me it is free.

The second job was a bigger pain than it should have been. Replacing the rear air shocks on a GM van shouldn't take more than 40 minutes. The first one took about ten minutes. The second one was not fun for lots of reasons.

 

Today will be a New Mexican feast.

Yesterday I made green chili sauce with green Chimayo peppers (bought in Chimayo, NM, with the help of a native), but it was too hot for most people. My wife will cut it with some poblano sauce later today. We are going to make chicken enchiladas with green sauce with the leftover smoked chicken from last week.

This morning I boned a pork shoulder and put half in the freezer with the bone and used the other half to simmer in water with onion and garlic to make shredded pork for pork enchiladas. I also made some red chili sauce with red Chimayo peppers (these peppers were not as hot as the green). Also drained and rinsed some pinto beans that soaked overnight, simmered them for 3 hours, drained and rinsed, then put into a 6 quart soup pot with sauteed onion and garlic along with chicken broth, Mexican oregano, bay leaves, epazote, cumin, coriander, and a chipolte pepper to simmer for another hour. After that I will add some adobo from a can of chipotles and simmer an addition 15 minutes.

Tomorrow will be black-eyed peas for good luck and also a ham glazed with apple cider and coarse mustard. Smoked hams were only $1.29 at Publix and I could not resist that bargain.

 

It is going to be leftover ham for a few days.

 

Tonight is more ham. Creamy white sauce over pasta with ham and green peas.