Si Si... La sopa esta listo ahora! Have a quart or so for the Freezer and three more nice bowls for anytine... I had some chicken stock left over from T-Day and some carrots I needed to use up so why not some soup? But I needed some onions and celery and diced tomatoes so a trip to the Price Chopper... And a nice little pack of beef neckbones to add a bit of flavor... I put that frozen block of chicken stock in the crock pot and then put the bones in the oven to roast up for some flavor and then diced up some celery, carrots, onions, potatoes and cabbage... That should do it... all in with the chicken stock with a can of diced tomatoes and we are on the way... Cut the beef off the bones, diced and added that.. along with the bones... Oooops, no bay leaf.. But I added some dried oregano and a little basil, salt and pepper and simmer away... Give that a little Italian minestrone touch with the oregano...
Then all day simmering but no great soup aroma... Put it in the fridge overnight and back in the crock pot next day, yesterday, and in a short time, ahhh, now that smells like soup... Needed that overnight melding of flavors.. like chili or spaghetti sauce needs...
So, we got that two or more inches of snow and some ice... Started up the Blazer to get the snow off and after the plow got the hill plowed and salted, I scooted up in 4WD to the Price chopper for those sweet potatoes and check the snail mail... Then a quiet but COLD day, to candy some more sweet potatoes and get ready for another turkey dinner...
~ and now Fifteen More Days til Christmas? ~
~ Wednesday December 09, 2009 ~
~ Coffee at Judi's Cafe ~
~ Judi's Cafe ~ Lewis ~ Bob ~ Tim ~
Well, I peeked out at 4 a.m. yesterday to see a bit of snow on the hill... And the forecast said freezing rain later so I wondered if the coffee meeting was still on... But after a nice chat with Barnsk in Kitchen Chat and and morning clean-up, I headed over first to the Price Chopper for a few things to make soup later... Then around the corner to Judi's Cafe and Bakery... And I caught a glance at Lewis, already there and waiting... And when I entered, Bob the new director, was just ordering his coffee and roll...
So I got my coffee and joined the group... Lewis saying that Jim, the past Director had to fill in as a substitute teacher at Park Hill High School and would not be able to join us... A little later in walked Tim Miller, the MO Dept of Conservation member who did the cooking at the Great Cast Iron Cookout... So, I distributed the DVDs I brought and the meeting chit chat proceeded... Mainly with what might be the schedule for the coming years events... I mentioned that when the schedule was drawn up, just send me a copy and I would enter it on the Sanctuary Web Site...
The Director brought up the idea that we should all discuss the Event Schedule at the January Meeting... Lewis is the real expert on that subject but the Director was directing questions to me.. And I said that I didn't feel I was really a member of the Committee, that I just took a few pics now and then.. But Lewis then said "Oh YES you ARE!"... Well that sure made me feel good...
So you know how old folks like to talk.. And Bob and Tim had both worked for the Conservation Depatrment and had much to chat about that... And we had a nice time and talked for over 2 and 1/2 hours. finally breaking up the meeting around 11:30 a.m.
And then back at the ranch to start on my vegetable/beef soup, perfect weather for a hearty soup... Simmered a few hours, then into the fridge overnight and back in the crock pot this morning to finish up... And... though we had heavy weather warnings, not much going on in the afternoon, lots of heavy snow to the West and North, but it just skirted by Kansas City on the Northwest... But this morning I see we have another 2 inches or more of new snow... Hardly enough to get the snowplow out here but we need the salt truck at least...
And now, when I can get up the hill, I need to scoot up to the Price Chopper for some more sweet potatoes and start on another T-Day turkey dinner
Yesterday afternoon, sipping a glass of vino tinto and checking out the Travel Channel... Hey.. there is that sample of Kansas City BBQ again.. So I pushed the red button on the U-Verse remote and caught the video... And it was about Bryant's, the most famous of the Kansas City BBQ Joints.. but in my opinion .. NOT the best... It isn't really Kansas City Style, though many swear by it... The procedure of smoking is OK but the sauce is different from the Tomato, Molasses sweet KC Style used by most here... Like KC Masterpiece Sauce.. which is the best selling BBQ sauce in the USA...
Another very old and famous BBQ restaurant in Kansas City is Gate's... And somewhat similar to Bryant's... But more typical of Kansas City Style is KC Masterpiece Barbecue & Grill, owned by Rich Davis, M.D., creator the original KC barbecue sauce... and also Smokey Joe's and KC Smokestack and Jack Stack and Oklahoma Joe's... all serving more of the kind of BBQ that Kansas City people like...
~ Some Parkville 'Kansas City Style' Barbecue... ~
~ Turkey Legs ~ Pork Spare Ribs ~ Beef Brisket ~ Ham ~
Some of my own BBQ done out front on the veranda... Pretty much Kansas City Style... Even the Texas Beef Brisket with KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce
The procedure for making this video was interesting if just a bit complicated... See if you can follow this: I recorded the program on the U-Verse DVR in the living room... Then I played it back using the U-Verse Receiver hooked to my Media Center Computer in my office room... While playing it back I recorded it on the Media Center DVR... but it records in .dvr-ms... which I can't use in my video editing program... So I then burned a DVD using media center of the recorded playback... then opened the DVD file and copied the .VOB file from the DVD which contained the video... Still .VOB cannot be used in my editor.. BUT... if you just change the file name .VOB to .mpg.. it will work... So then I edited the .mpg file, added titles and then rendered that to .mpg on my hard drive... and uploaded that to Vimeo... And then... Added a graphic of my ribs to the Title page of the video, then embedded it on MY PAGE... And now, if Sigi can play it on a computer that will do it... VOILA! Success!
~ Now Back to the Christmas Countdown ~
~ Sunday December 06, 2009 ~
~ More Thanksgiving Dinner? ~
~ Yeah... This One Last Night ~
How many more T-Day dinners now? Well, still those two drumsticks and a nice size pack or two of turkey breast in the freezer... That could make about 10 more dinners... Wonder if it will be gone by Christmas? Sure don't think turkey will be the first choice then... How about a bone-in Pork Loin Roast? Haven't done that yet.. but it sure looks and sounds good... Maybe that will be on sale at Christmas time?
Anyway, this re-run was good... Turkey breast, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, the last of the candied sweet potatoes of that last batch.. and a buttered biscuit covered with cranberry sauce.. Yeah, that did rather well... And a sip of Carlo Rossi Paisano vino tinto...
Now, for a change of pace... I caught a video on the Travel Channel showing some Kansas City BBQ... I need to edit that on my computer and get it ready for tomorrow's BLOG... BUT.. I need a DVD to transfer the dvr-ms file to .mpg so I can make the video from it... And I am out.. Have to go buy some today... So I have a project to work on for a little while anyway...
~ Nineteen More Days til Christmas? ~
~ Saturday December 05, 2009 ~
~ Christmas on the River in Parkville ~
~ But I Didn't Go this Year ~
Friday, December 4, the Annual Parkville Christmas on the River Fest... But just too cold and the program too long for me... I went last year with only my digital still camera to take video with... And I ran our of memory and my battery ran down before the Mayor quit talking and the program started... So I just wandered on home and it took me a couple days to thaw out... It was COLD down there with the breeze off the river... And what little video I did get wasn't very good and not very interesting...
~ And... I went to Bed Early and Didn't even Hear the Fireworks this Year!~
So I got online and borrowed a couple photos from the event in 2007, that gives you some idea of what goes on.. Actually a quite extensive program with bands and singers, they say a 1,000 voice childrens choir... and topped off with a fireworks display by the river... BUT.. too cold for me...
~ Twenty More Days til Christmas ~
~ Thursday December 03, 2009 ~
~ Is it Still Thanksgiving? ~
~ Well, I am Still Eating Turkey ~
And this last dinner was the best so far... That brining just brings out all the flavor in turkey breast... Nope, that's not breast in the picture there, that's a nice big thigh at another dinner... Last night I had sliced turkey breast, mashed potatoes and home made turkey gravy and sweet potatoes, every morsel delicious, Yeah!
Now I have two drumsticks left and enough sliced breast for about 10 more meals, I will be eating turkey til Christmas... Then what for that dinner?... I have no idea yet... Will be something scrumptious for sure...
~ Oh Boy! ...I just Love to Cook! ~
And... I also went to the Casino yesterday after scratching off two dud scratch tickets... And the best thing I can say about that trip is "NO COMMENT!"
~ And then... This Morning...~
~ GOING... GOING... GOING... GONE! ~
So then I got a phone call... Crown Recovery Service... We're coming for the Van.. I says fine and gave him directions, real nice guy, I signed the paper, he hooked up the Van and away they went... I got tired of the Excessive Payments and told them to come and get it... Tired of going broke the third week of every month.. Now in January.. HAH! Now where is that new camera I wanted?
~ Monday November 30, 2009 ~
~ Memories ~ Memories ~ Days of Long Ago ~
~ Remembering the Van Club ~
I was rummaging around in the closet and there was this old Van Club T-Shirt... See if it will fit, that was only 35 years ago... Hey, that don't look too bad if I pull my belly in a little... And this is a size Large too.. Not an X-Large, and back then the fit was tighter in all sizes... I got elected President of the Van Club and set about getting some club jackets and T-Shirts... This must be one of the last
And then one of the last Truck-ins I attended was in Phoenix, Arizona and we travelled the Apache Trail on the way back where I got this pic... Maybe that is the same shirt? This was in 1978 or 79... Somewhere in there.. Ahh, the Good Old Days! Hey Sgi, I don't think I look now any worse than I did then... HUH!?
~ Now... On to the Day ~
~ Sunday November 29, 2009 ~
~ Is it December Yet? ~
~ Rhubard Pie! ~
Well I wish it was... I have too much month left at the end of my money...again! But payday is Tuesday... Hang on! Well now, it was a real quiet Saturday... Got around to watching the food channel and they had a pie contest going... Hey that looks good, But I still have most all that last pumpkin pie left... Somehow got the idea for a rhubarb pie, yeah I know.. who likes rhubarb? Well I do... And all rhubarb, no sweetening it up with strawberries or cherries... I used to grow rhubarb in my back yard and I liked to make sauce as well as pies.. and I like the tart tangy taste if you add enough sugar to it...
So I headed up to the Price Chopper for a package of frozen rhubarb, a couple refrigerated crusts and a box of corn starch.. I was out and you need that.. or flour to thicken up the juice a little... So I unwrapped the crusts, warmed to room temp... Poured the rhubarb into a big bowl and added a cup of sugar and a sprinkling of cinnamon, a squirt of vanilla wouldn't hurt but I skipped that... Stirred that all up and poured it into a pie shell, covered with the second crust and into the oven to perfume the atmosphere for an hour... Then to cool and await a sampling for breakfast today...
I had my fourth turkey dinner Saturday night and it was the best so far, all the turkey gone out of the fridge now, but two drumsticks and all that breast meat in the freezer... and a big box full of turkey noodles too... I gave the second box to BJ to sample... Now have no ideas what to do for Christmas dinner now... But that is a few weeks off...
~ Now... Let's Have a Piece of Pie! ~
~ Friday November 27, 2009 ~
~ The Day after the Day ~
~ DVD Anyone?! ~
Busy day on T-Day... Got everything done that was planned... or not planned... Uploaded my new Meeting Video to Vimeo... Then embedded it on the Sanctuary Video page... Then updated the Sanctuary Home page with a photo of the new Director, then updated the Sanctuary Committee page with a short clip and pic of the New Director, uploaded those pages to the net... Then ran off 3 SD DVDs of the new Video for the Old and New Directors, Jim and Bob, and for Lewis the Assistant to the Director... and a Blu-ray copy for me...
Then I wrote and uploaded my BLOG to MY PAGE on the net, then put the link on Facebook... Then a piece of punpkin pie with Cool Whip and see if the Blazer would start for a trip to get a Bingo and Crossword scratch.. Yeah! It started... but the scratch tickets were duds... Oh well, a $2 winner on a 'Holiday Cash' scratcher...
Then out to clean up the battery cable connection on the Blazer... Cleaned it off with baking soda to neutralize the corrosion, then smoothed off the connector with a file... then sprayed the connection with WD-40 and attach the cable and spray some more... WD-40 fights moisture ya know.. WD stands for Water Displacement... also lubricates...
Then later I baked my second pumpkin pie, looks luscious.. and then a manhattan and some TV brainwashing, later finished the day with a complete turkey dinner to observe the Holiday... and toddle off to bed... A really nice busy day... all day!
~ And Now... What to do Today? ~
~ Thursday, November 26, 2009 ~
~ Thanksgiving Today! ~
~ Let's Eat! ~
Well now. I kinda rushed Christmas a bit, but I can't overlook the official Turkey Day... Though I have been observing T-Day for about a week now starting last Wednesday when I bought all that stuff... Turkey is done and stored, one piece of the first pumpkin pie left, I can bake another one today... And I can assemble another full course turkey dinner for this evening.. I have all the stuff and ready.. Just heat it all up nicely...
Oh.. and the Blazer crisis.. well I fixed it... Well, I drove it home anyway... Oops.. that isn't the Blazer on the lube rack there... Seems I added a photo of my time as a part time Gas Station guy when I was in the Air Force in Phoenix... I was your Texaco man, and making some spare cash...
Anyway... I had arranged for my mechanic friend Bob to check out the Blazer after work... But I was chatting with Sigi on IM... and he says WALK! Well, it's a mile down there and a mile back and UPHILL... if I couldn't get the Blazer started... But it was a fairly nice day so I stuck a wrench in my pocket and headed down... As I thought, the positive battery terminal was corroded so I popped off the cable and cleaned it up a bit... Got in to try it and all the lights came on... GOOD! So I hit the starter and clunk, all went dead again... Awhhhh... So back out to take a look, cable was still just a bit wiggly, one more good pull with the wrench and let's try again... Kazoom... it started!
So back at the ranch to call Bob and cancel his service... Now this morning to see if it will start... to go get my Bingo and Crossword...Don't need anything else for the day... And then.. if it won't start or later when it warms up a bit.. I will go clean up the cable a bit more with baking soda and then finish off with some WD-40 to keep moisture off... And I hope that solves the problem...
And then the Meeting Video... I finished editing that yesterday, made a Blu-ray DVD.. Then an .mpg render and uploaded that to Vimeo... This morning added it to the Sanctuary Video page and now a link from this BLOG... This may be interesting to the Committee Members and is meant mostly for them.. But if anyone else likes boring videos .. here's the link...
~ And Now... to Finish Up the Rest of a Cold but Sunny Thanksgiving Day ~
~ Wednesday, November 25, 2009 ~
~ Sanctuary Meeting at the Station ~
~ Jim Reed Steps Aside as Director ~
I got a call from Jim Reed reminding me of the Parkville Nature Sanctuary meeting on Tuesday this week (yesterday)... This was the last meeting of the year and the last meeting with Jim Reed as Director, stepping aside the first of the year to ease up, and be chief advisor to the new Director... Jim has been the first and only Director of the Parkville Sanctuary since 1992 when the Sanctuary was first developed... Overseeing the laying of trails and establishing the annual events at the Sanctuary, Including Day Camp, Ghost Story Night and leading the Santa Trail Walk as Santa himself...
The meeting proceeded with a review of the just completed Ghost Story night and plans for the new year... Dianne Kixmiller served up home made hot spiced cider and some chunky delicious Christmas cookies... Then the Director Jim Reed introduced the new Director appointee... And I forgot the last name already.. Let's just say Bob for now... And the meeting ended on a convivial note...
Then What! I climbed into the Blazer... Hit the Starter and one CLUNK and all went dead.. No power at all... What? Maybe a corroded battery terminal? Well, it was totally dark where I was parked, no flashlight or tools... So I hitched a ride home with Bruce, a Committee Member and I'll have to go back down today to see what is what... If I can't do anything, then it is a job for my Mechanic friend Bob to check it out... Oh Well... Always something...
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