I’ve got a big pot of spaghetti sauce simmering and doing a good job of smelling the house up. Tonight we’re having spaghetti topped with Sargento shredded mozzarella cheese. Our sides will be a freshly made Caesar salad and 4-cheese Texas toast. The back porch is restocked and ready to go to the ball game! Life is good in Gator Nation!
The weather in Gainesville has been dicey for tonight's game. Since we take my 89 year old MIL we decided to not take the chance on the rain and to watch the game from home. And since this decision was just made moments ago I have not made anything for dinner. My wife will bring us tacos and such from El Indio and probably arrive about the third inning if it stays dry.
Picked up a Corn Beef Brisket today! Funny story....while shopping there ran into the wife of a good friend who owns a local garden center. It where I got all those Rex Begonias. She's got a shopping cart and by herself. Sees me says hi back and points over there and says "Jim's over there." I look over and there he is with HIS OWN cart. I go up and we chit chat a few minutes about plants (I was asking him if he had any good Orchid sources) and as I was leaving I noticed he had a CBB in his basket. Brisket was ALREADY on my radar - and this just pushed me over the edge...lol....
It was $5.98/lb. and mine was 3.25 lb. so about $20 - not too bad. Not sure how that price compares to other times of the year as I don't buy it too much and when I do I just pay whatever it is. Change of subject...... I just ate my salad with a soup spoon! Yes you heard that right. Shredded iceberg lettuce, feta cheese, pine nuts, seedless black grapes, and Good Seasons oil and vinegar Italian. Yum! The spoon was the perfect utensil for this variation..... I've been buying the lettuce already shredded because it's a PITA to do it at home...lol....
Tonight whether we play or not it will be leftovers—Choice of homemade beef stew or spaghetti. Our sides will be a Caesar salad and 4-cheese Texas toast. Ice cold longnecks and chilled wine are available as desired. Life is good in Gator Nation!
I put a couple of racks of baby backs on the BGE @ 3:00pm (CST). A light coat of yellow mustard on both sides followed by coarse black pepper, Everglades seasoning, and Legg’s Plantation BBQ rub. Somewhere between 3 1/2 and 4 hrs at a steady 250* will get them just right. Inside Ms. Jan is making her homemade potato salad and BBQ beans to accompany her deviled eggs. We will also finish up a pot of butter beans. The back porch is open for your company and fully stocked as well. Last night gasoline was $3.39 gal here in Marianna and this morning it’s freaking $4.19—BUT I’m not going to lose my cool or make anything here political—Lurk and myself promised to not let that happen….. Life is good in Gator Nation! (Despite outside attempts to change that!)
The basketball loss was a hard one to take. Tonight is leftover smoked chicken and yellow rice pilaf. Nobody is complaining.
Making carnitas tonight for tacos and made a tomatillo/avocado/serrano pepper salsa as a topping. It also has fresh (not dried) epazote, garlic, onion, lime juice and salt. My MIL got the epazote from some herb grower on the internet. With a potential doubleheader tomorrow I doubt that I will cook anything and probably eat take-out.
Tonight we’re having leftovers—viewer’s choice—beef stew, spaghetti, BBQ chicken, baby back ribs, green beans and new potatoes, and BBQ baked beans. Pretty much overcast—rain—overcast—rain here all day but nothing like the system Gainesville is dealing with. Adult libations are available. I’m sure that we will make a pot of chili as some point this weekend as we’re supposed to see 25* Sat-Sun. Life is good in Gator Nation!
Actually we are having last night's dinner again. A 4.6 pound boneless pork shoulder makes a lot of carnitas. The only problem is that we don't have enough tequila to make margaritas. I like Espolon Blanco for margaritas. A bit pricey, but not as pricey as Patron and I much prefer it. I have used Don Julio Blanco for margaritas but only on special occasions. That is getting up into the "sipping" level tequilas.
