Happy Birthday, Jordie! ...... Firing Up the Smoker!

Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of ‘you’ to the world.

Jordie turns 18 years old today.  Happy Birthday to you! 

We are meeting Jordie and Brendan today for a birthday lunch.  She is taking two college courses during the summer so we plan to pick her up from there and go someplace close for lunch.

I love using our little Weber and I love even more using the smoker we bought earlier this year.  Food cooked in a smoker just can’t be beat.  That’s a problem though.  It’s hard to eat just one bite.   I have experimented with all kinds of seasonings, rubs and even marinades.  Some I like and some not so much.  Cooking on a smoker isn’t for fixing a quick meal and especially when the smoker we bought is heavy and at the cabin.  Now if we’re there, it’s easy.  If we’re not, it takes a little planning.  Well, it usually always takes a little planning.

Smoked Salmon

Smoked Chicken

I rolled all the cooking and planning into Monday.  The day before I had defrosted a wild caught salmon and looking at it I just knew it would taste so much better smoked than barbecued.  The decision was made.  Monday morning I packed a few things in the car and headed to the cabin.  I also grabbed about 5 chicken breasts I had just wrapped up and put away the day before.  Terry wasn’t interested in going to the cabin but I certainly was.

First thing I did when I arrived wasI put a brown sugar and salt rub on the salmon. Next stop …. a trip to Costco and Albertson’s to check out the meat counter.  Costco sells an already-cooked turkey breast which we discovered from another RV’er. I figured I’d slice it with our amazing meat slicer and then freeze.

Rolled Pork

Sirloin

Once back the preparations began.  I filled the water pan in the smoker mostly with apple cider.  The alder wood chips were soaked for about 30 minutes, the propane turned on.  Now the grill was fired up and ready to start turning the raw meat into yummy pieces of meat for several

future dinners.

After a light spattering of extra-virgin olive oil over several of the pieces I saturated some meat with Grill Mates Smokehouse Maple seasoning.  I love, love that seasoning. They also have a Molasses Bacon seasoning I like too.

Several hours later the meat was done.  Of course, they weren’t all done at the same time.  First it was the smoked salmon.  Then, it was the chicken.  After that, the rolled pork roast and finally the sirloin. Thank goodness for the wireless talking thermometer I have.  It always lets us know when the perfect temperature has been reached.

There was no way we could eat all this food in one day or even one week.  So, it was wrapped in plastic wrap, put in a freezer bag and then in the freezer. 

I’ve tried doing a little smoking with wood chips using our Weber.  It does work but nothing beats the smoker for smoked food. 

On the small grill I wet some wood chips, wrap them in aluminum foil, make slits and put them under the grate where the actual fire is.  Then, I just barbecue meat like I normally do.  The meats absorb the flavor of the wood.

Know what this is?  The Jeep was filthy.  I went through the car wash!

I also had a few other things I wanted to do at the cabin.  My sewing machine was there and I had a pair of pants to hem and take in.  After doing that I started pulling out the other clothes I had left there.  It was time to sort those out too.  I had a pile of give-aways on the floor.  I also had some of the “better” ones that I wanted to see if someone I knew could wear so I snapped a few pictures and sent them along. Of course, you really can’t tell what something looks like by these pictures but if they don’t want them, I might do a few in a local consignment shop here … maybe. (I had a whole bunch more pictures I sent too but didn't think I should post here.)

Several Christopher & Banks Jackets

Reba Shirt - Never Worn

Peter Nyland - Never Worn

That was my Monday.   Terry was happy to stay in town.  I guess you could say I went on vacation.  I think I’ll stay one more day to feed the deer, take a few walks and water the plants.

 

Tammi had an embroidery machine for sale at the garage sale.  I have been going back and forth if I want another one.  She paid over $4000 for the machine and equipment several years ago but I already have one.  I love fiddling with embroidery.  Hmmm .. what to do?  It’s still for sale though.

I also wanted to post a picture I received the other day from a “cousin”.  His grandmother is an artist.  If you drive through Hale Center, Texas and see all the paintings on the buildings, that’s her work.  She sketched a picture of my great grandma.  I was thrilled to receive it and will be taking it to our family reunion next month.

‘Tis life on the road.