A short walk

Sometimes, when I have some "thinkin" to do... a short walk is in order.
I head to my favorite cottonwood tree....



I love the tree this time of the year... the leaves make good whistles and the seeds make good ammo.



The hackberry tree is still doing it's thing...



pouring around this old farm implement that was parked here ages ago...









My second favorite cottonwood tree... great for climbing, I think I need to put a rope swing on one limb.
The short walk was nice and took my mind off things for awhile.

A good friend is going through some rough times right now, any extra kind thoughts and prayers sent that way would be appreciated.

I think I need to go camping....

I couldn't get this morning visitor out of my mind...



Had pictures of him in my head while smoking this mystery-meat pre-formed grocery store ham...



If it had a tail...
I think I might need to step away from the smokers and go camping for a few days. :)

Smoked Pork Q-Tons....again :)

I love these things. Q-Tons

Used some of my latest pulled pork stash...







with some minced onions and jalapenos...







I fold my Q-tons for maximum dipping surface. :)



Fried til crisp and served with some of Gerald's Three Rivers BBQ Sauce for dippin'.




Yep.. I love em. :)

Pulled Pork Pizza on the Hasty Bake

I dipped into my smoked pork stash and made a pizza on the Hasty Bake Charcoal cooker the other day...

Made my dough by disolving 1 TBS of yeast into 1 cup of warm water..
then added 1 tsp of sugar
2 TBS oil
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups of flour
I kneaded until smooth and let the dough sit covered for 15 minutes.






I wanted to try the Hasty Bake Q sauce with this..



I stretched my pizza dough onto a greased pan....



added the Q sauce, smoked pork and minced scallions...




Topped with cheese and onto the Hasty Bake with the hot coal rack lowered to the "bake" position..




I watched the crust closely.. didn't want it to get too dark. When it was about as dark as I like it, I moved the pizza to the top rack, closed the hood and let the heat rotate around the pan..




added crisp crumbled bacon...



The crust was just the way I like it. :)






I loved the pulled pork pizza and will be making this again soon! :)

I have no imagination....

I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing this Easter... (tomorrow).
I did decorate my eggs though....





I might take a long walk beside my favorite little river....spend some quiet time in the wild. :)

Hope everyone has a great day!! Give your loved ones extra hugs and kisses. :)

It was soooo close..... I could smell it

It hovered in the distance...



The rain cloud...



About 20 drops fell from the sky...
I caught a few on my tongue... they tasted so good!
The few that landed on my upturned face felt cold. :)



Then it moved on...
leaving me high and dry and wanting more. lol






I was tempted to jump into the pickup and drive the few miles until I reached rain...the smell was so intoxicating. :)

Tri Tip on the Hasty Bake Grill

I had the chance to use the Hasty Bake Gourmet again recently. (yeah Mother Nature! :))

If you haven't checked out the Hasty Bake company...they are located in Oklahoma, like me! Can't be all bad. :)








I cubed some tatoes, onions and garlic, then topped with butter and seasoned with Hasty Bake Greek Seasoning...


For the tri tip I used some of Smoking Pal Big Poppa's Double Secret Steak Rub..






I seasoned the leeks with olive oil, cracked black pepper and kosher salt..



after grilling a few minutes, I wrapped the leeks in foil to steam until tender..



I brought the tri tip to an internal temp of 137F, covered with foil and let it rest on the plate for 30 minutes...
Depending on the size of the tri tip and desired degree of "doneness" you can pull it from the heat sooner or later. I was busy with another project and when I came back the IT was 137F it worked out fine for me. :)



The tri tip was so juicy and tender...




The tri tip, Hasty Bake potatoes, grilled leek with a splash of balsamic vinegar, smoked cheese and crumbled bacon...



I drizzled the plate juices onto the tri tip... it was sooooo tasty, tender and moist. I will definately make this again. :)



The Hasty Bake has been easy to use and puts out some tasty goods. I love it. :)

Have you ever had one of those "jama" days?

Have you ever had one of those jama days where you just hang out in your jamas all day and do nothing? Just relax?

Me neither but this was close to it. :)

I saved some of the smoked crablegs from the day before and treated myself to some smoked crab benedict!














When I took my first bite, I let out one of those little whimpers...reserved for bacon wrapped bacon.





I grabbed my favorite pillow and my breakfast and wrapped myself in a fuzzy blanket on the couch.....and enjoyed every bite.

I loved spoiling myself for a few hours. :)