Outside the dugout: What's cooking?

Tonight is a do-over on chili over rice topped with shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

It has been a needed rain day here.

Ice cold longnecks and chilled wine work well today.

Life is good in Gator Nation!

 

Tonight’s supper is fitting for today’s weather. We’re having Ms. Jan’s chicken pot pie with brown’n serve rolls.

Today our high was 38* with windy conditions-it felt like 27* the most of the day.

I’ve got fasting bloodwork first thing in the morning. Just regular stuff.

Life is good in Gator Nation!

 

Yes, very familiar. Dang things will slice you up if you're not protected with proper clothing! I tend to work in shorts and short-sleeved shirts so have lots of battle scars to show over the years.

I love this plant though. Gotta give them a big area to accommodate their eventual spacious growth habit.

I have a triangular spaced trio of them here at my house and have trimmed them back a few times as they encroached where I didn't want - my fault when I originally planted them.

I had a handful "left over" in pots here after closing down my business and ended up donating them to my friend who owns a nursery, along with a variety of other odds and ends. Adonidias, a Dwarf Sugar Palm, an Areca Palm, and some large Orange Birds (of Paradise).

I still have some stuff to clear out. You "accumulate" when in the trades....nature of the beast! I'll get a handle on it this coming year.

And while it's true they are commonly called Cardboard Palms...I call them Cardboard "Plants" - the same way I refer to a Travelers Palm as a Travelers "Tree"....just to avoid the subject entirely.

Speaking of palms....I've gone almost 100% to Crownshaft palms at my place, Lurk. I'm fortunate enough to be in a hardiness zone and due to the surrounding bodies of water tempered enough to accommodate many of these species.

I have quite a few - and a pretty good selection. One that I really like is a native to Japan even....a Satakentia liukiuensis that I planted as 3 gallon and is now a solid twelve footer with nicely pronounced trunk.

I have few other interesting varieties still in their pots I hope to get planted this coming year.

Look this one up too, Lurk.....Ptychosperma schefferi. I have probably a dozen of these I sourced from a small grower in Wellington, where my step brother lives. I enlisted his help in the transport as they were in 1 gallon pots and they routinely came this way on various family outings. They've all been moved up since then and are ready to go in the ground when I find space.

Quick funny story...while on the phone with the grower, I mentioned to him the two Ptychosperma lineare I had....and he said these schefferi "eat those for lunch!"

Another here is a Dypsis pembana I built my front deck around...the canopy now above the roofing panels.....now I just have to keep the new sprouts cleared at the base. It's canopy will provide some nice climate control during the hot time of year.

 

Late post, but we had beef stroganoff with heavy cream tonight.

Knob Creek small batch 100* tonight.

Life is good in Gator Nation!

 

We’re going to Johnny’s Pizza for supper and col’beers tonight.

Life is good in Gator Nation!

 

Vegetable beef soup. Pound & 1/2 of chuck simmering now. I’ll do the veg dump in 90 min or so. Green beans, limas, corn, potatoes and carrots. Onion & celery is braising with the beef. Also added some Guinness stout. I’ve made this a few times before and always turns out great.

Picked up some fresh artesian bread this morning to have with. And saltines are optional

 

Tonight we’ll be having a pot of beef stew with potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery.

I will fry cornbread for our side.

Ice cold longnecks for me and Ms. Jan’s sticking with her chilled wine.

It’s been a rain day here today.

Life is good in Gator Nation!

 

For the last few years we have baked a turducken. And then Boomer classics—green bean casserole, fried yellow squash. Tomato and basil salad. My wife’s from Charleston, so she makes pecan pie with vinilla ice cream

 

We will stay pretty traditional as with Thanksgiving. Alan will smoke a turkey and a shank portion ham.

Ms. Jan will make our cornbread dressing and giblet gravy. She will also fix a pot of chicken’n’dumplings. We will also make our cream 40’s & petite butter beans, yellow squash and onions casserole, deviled eggs, and yeast rolls. Added in edit: I forgot to include turnip greens.

Kayla will make her sweet potato casserole topped with chopped pecans, cinnamon, and butter and watergate salad.

Abbey is our baker-she will bake an Italian cream cake, a pecan pie, and an assortment of homemade cookies.

Merry Christmas to all!

Life is good in Gator Nation!

 

This aired during Yellowstone tonight.

Interesting......

 

God bless the South for raising us on cornbread dressing and giblet gravy instead of stuffing—and that’s all I’ve got to say about that…..