Sunday’s Summer Story

I woke up at the normal weekday time and had a cup of coffee. Then I started to write out the Blog entry. As you can tell by the time stamp, it took a long, long time to write. It was just long enough to allow Scruffy to hack a hairball onto the bedspread.

So, I cleaned that up and threw the bedspread into the washer. I also threw more than a few dirty looks at Scruffy.

I used my Belgian waffle iron for the first time for my breakfast. I used Carla’s batter recipe along with Jake’s secret ingredient. I had to coat the waffle iron surfaces with cooking oil and, while doing that, my brush broke!

I threw the first waffle out for the squirrels (too greasy, but I knew that would happen). So, I ate the next two with butter and pure maple syrup. Excellent!

I shaved and showered and then headed out on my Sunday errands. I went to GFS and got another bag of lump charcoal and, as an afterthought, a new pastry brush. Then I went to the Feed Store and got a 40-pound bag of bird seed and two suet cakes (yes, it’s getting near the time when I will need to put out suet). Finally, I stopped at Westborn and picked up supplies for tonight’s dinner. Back home, I treated the cats, changed clothes and opened all the windows again.

It was with great difficulty that I cut the front lawn with the push mower (those damn black walnuts are everywhere!) But, I had to risk twisting an ankle because the leaves are beginning to pile up. I have to come up with a plan to get those damn things off my lawn and driveway!

When I finished the front, I cut the back with the lawn tractor. I came back in sweaty and dusty.

One of the memories of my childhood was the lemonade my sister-in-law Jean used to make. I never knew anyone else back then who made lemonade with fresh lemons and it was delicious!

I found a recipe the other day that sounded right. One of the things I got at Westborn was a bag of lemons. I did have to cut the recipe in half as the glass pitcher I have will not hold a gallon+ of lemonade. But, you could double what I did if you need that much!

So, first I made some simple syrup (one cup of water and one cup of sugar). I heated that up, whisking until all the sugar dissolved. I set it aside and let it cool.

Next I began to juice the lemons. It took six to get one cup of fresh lemon juice. I reserved some of the pulp (checking for seeds) because, as I remember it, there was pulp in Jean’s lemonade.

I added the lemon juice to the now cooled simple syrup, added in the pulp and eight cups of cold water. Then I put in thin slices of yet another lemon (again, as I recall, that was Jean’s presentation) and stirred. I did sneak a taste (excellent – sweet, but tart) but then stuck the pitcher into the fridge to chill.

I took a break and watched some taped cooking shows until 6:00 PM. Then I started the charcoal chimney up. When the coals were ready, I cleaned and oiled the grille grate and then put on my sweet corn that had been soaking in water since noon.

Back inside, I fried up some thick-cut bacon in my cast iron skillet. While turning the bacon and running outside to turn the corn, I rinsed off three boneless skinless chicken breasts (I was a multi-tasking fool!) I patted the chicken dry with paper towels and then seasoned them with salt, black pepper and poultry seasoning.

When the corn was done, I put it (husk and all) on a half sheet pan and stuck it in the oven I preheated to “warm.” I re-oiled the grill and put on the chicken. I also put on the patio light as it was getting dark.

I grilled the chicken about six minutes on one side, then flipped them over to let them cook for another six minutes. While that was happening, I tore off some leaf lettuce, sliced up one of those tomatoes I bought and a red onion and sliced up a dill pickle. Still multi-tasking, I shut all the windows as time permitted.

When the chicken was done, I topped it with the now crispy, drained bacon and a slice of pepperjack cheese. When the cheese melted, I pulled them off the grille, took them inside and assembled one. I put mayonnaise on the bottom of a Kaiser roll and topped that with the lettuce. Next came the chicken, bacon and cheese. Finally, I put on a tomato slice, the dill pickle chips, some onions and the top of the bun. I plated that with a shucked ear of corn, buttered and salted.

I set that plate on the bed and poured myself a big glass of lemonade. I watched my usual Sunday shows and celebrated yet another beautiful summer day in October in Michigan with my grilled food. It was delicious, BTW.

Speaking of weather, I did flip on the Weather Channel and learned that a storm that dropped 10 inches of rain in Florida is moving up the east coast. So, it’s heading for Jake and Carla, then Dave and Melissa and then Sadie and Luanne. They all need the rain (there’s a 9-inch deficit in rainfall in Charlotte, SC for example) but it’s a crummy way to celebrate Columbus Day.

Maybe you should have all stayed in Michigan. I’m just saying...