Steamy Saturday

I woke up at 7:00 AM, still amazed at the increased light in my bedroom. It really is quite different! I put on a pot of coffee and stripped the bedding. Into the washer it went, while I went into the office and wrote Friday's Blog entry. I stopped midway through to get a cup of coffee and turn on Saturday Morning, Over Easy. I went outside and took some pictures that I also posted.

So, I had a lot to do today and am having a rare debate with myself. Since I just took a shower less than 12 hours ago (to get off the grass and sweat) do I really need one this morning? Not sure of the "real or correct" answer, but my basic belief system kicked in and said, "YES!" So, I took a shower and got dressed.

First stop on the journey was Lowe's, to buy another grille. If you remember, I am now down to only two of the four original cast iron grates Or one half of my original cooking surface). I was gonna just buy four new grates ($25.00 plus shipping and handling - and what would shipping and handling be on four heavy cast iron grates?) but my grille is four years old, the charcoal rack is all bent from the heat and cannot be raised or lowered, etc., and they only cost $99.00 US. So, (reluctantly) I went and bought another one. My God, that box is heavy!

Since I was there anyway, I also picked up some Windex Outdoor Window and Surface Cleaner. This is a bottle that you attach a hose to and spray the windows and/or the outside of your house. I used it with GREAT success back at the River Road house. Now, I don't have the second story windows you can't reach here, but, with the construction, my house is covered with a fine dust and all the windows I cleaned in the spring are spotted.

I then stopped at Kroger's to get a few things I need for this weekend. As usual, I had some interesting interactions with my fellow shoppers (I can only assume I look "approachable"). Then, I headed home. When I got here, I noticed a black lady who had pulled into the townhouses across the road and was going from door to door, talking to the residents. I am thinking she is a representative of the owner (I am pretty sure the owner is the middle-aged, attractive blonde who comes here once or twice a year, always in a new Mercedes convertible).

So, I walked on over and asked her if she knew what happened to the gang banger who lived in the front with his Momma? (Yes, I know, "She Who Must Not Be Named" would take offense at this label, but you all now know who I mean, right?) If you remember, he had a daughter last winter and was going to bring her over to show her to me this spring. But, that never happened!

Her eyes got all cold and she said, "Well, there was a warrant for his arrest for drug selling (Carla, you had it right!) and the whole family skipped out in the middle of the night. Why? Did he owe you money?" That really pissed me off! I said, "No, but for the past three years, they have had a picnic in the vacant lot next to me for his Momma's birthday and I told him this year I'd make the collard greens and some of my baby back ribs!" Her eyes softened and she said, "Well, you could always make them for me." Still pissed, I said, "I don't think so!" and limped back across the street.

I unloaded the groceries and the stuff from Lowe's. My plan is to put the grille together in the downstairs room (in the air conditioning, lol!) this afternoon. But, before I can get to that, I take the bedding out of the dryer, make the bed and start another load of my work clothes.

At 2:30 PM, I hung up the clothes, started the third load and began working on the grille. I am a little daunted, BTW as, when I bought the first one, both Jake and Carla helped me put it together and it still took like a half an hour. God only knows what it will take with just me doing the work!

LMAO! I just walked into my bedroom and found both cats are sound asleep on the fresh-washed bed spread. Apparently, I am not the only one around here who enjoys a fresh, clean set of bedding!

BTW, I checked and the thermometer says it is 87 degrees F. (30.5 degrees F) outside. I also checked the rain gauge after talking with Jake earlier. He said they did have thunderstorms last night, but my rain gauge was dry.

Once I got everything unwrapped and set into specific sites in the back room, I stopped to make the brine for tonight's barbecue chicken. Because I am using bone-in, skin on breasts and bone-in, skin on thighs I'd saved and frozen from the "economy" packages I had bought in the past, I doubled the recipe. So, I used 4 quarts (16 cups) of water, four tablespoons of kosher salt, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, four garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a chef's knife and eight sprigs of fresh thyme. This is a Tyler Florence recipe, BTW. I added the chicken pieces and put the small stock pot into the fridge. Then, I went back to the grille assembly. Oh, why bone-in, skin-on? The only way to get the best flavor!

Okay, so I admit it! This looks daunting and I am daunted. I decided it might be better to take a short nap and then tackle this. So, I joined the cats on the bed. I wake up and find it's after 6:00 PM! Oh, no! I must start dinner!!!

In addition to grilling chicken tonight, I am also making a Cauliflower Cheese Pie. Since, after all the work, I was not that impressed, I'll spare you all the details. But basically you grate up two cups of raw potato and squish it in a towel to remove as much moisture as you can. Then you mix it with chopped onion, egg, salt and flour and form it into a crust in a 9-inch pie pan. You bake it for 30 minutes, brush it with oil and bake it 10 minutes more.

Meanwhile, you are making the filling by slowly saut�ing chopped onion, garlic, basil, thyme and paprika. When that's all happy you add a coarse-chopped head of cauliflower and cook that for another 15 minutes.

Finally, you added shredded cheddar cheese to the crust; add the filling, more cheese, a milk and egg mixture and finally a little more paprika. You then bake that for another 40 minutes. You can see why I didn't have time to put the grille together, right? It did look pretty good, so I toke a picture and posted it for you.

So, I lit the charcoal in the old grille. When it was ready, I took the chicken out of the brine, patted it dry and started grilling it. When it was just about done, I mopped it with yet another first tonight: A non-tomato-based barbecue sauce. It's supposed to be an old Southern recipe that uses a cup of Worcestershire sauce mixed with a melted stick of butter and the juice of two lemons.

It's almost 9:00 PM and I am starving. So, I fix a plate and go in to watch some boxing on HBO. But, I am disappointed! The pie was bland (maybe a sharp cheddar cheese and some red pepper flakes?) and I wasn't that fond of the barbecue sauce. Well, as I told Scruffy, you can't hit a home run every time!

I fell asleep thinking, hmmm... what might have happened if I told that lady I would make her some collard greens and baby back ribs?