INGREDIENTS

1 pound pancetta, sliced 1/4 inch thick. If you can't find a whole piece of pancetta, just buy the sliced and stack in a pile.

1 cup fresh bread crumbs (pulverized in food processor)

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 pounds ground beef chuck

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons of roasted garlic (must be done in advance)

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

1 teaspoon of grated fresh nutmeg

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 red onion, thinly sliced (to grill as a topping)

1 egg

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup mayonaise

1 tablespoon drained prepared horseradish

12 small pieces crisp iceberg lettuce

12 Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls, toasted or grilled

Your favorite cheese, sliced to top sliders

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400.

FREEZE the pancetta!
Lay the pancetta slices on wax paper, cover with more wax paper and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Finely chop the pancetta and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until minced.

In a small bowl, soak the bread crumbs in the heavy cream for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, mayo and grated horseradish and season with salt.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, egg, garlic (raw and roasted), crushed red pepper, thyme, rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Add the pancetta and bread next, then mix gently with your hands. Do NOT overmix.

Pat into 12 ( 2 +1/2 inch) burgers

Grill the pancetta-beef burgers on a preheated grill pan until they are just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer burgers to another pan or plate.

Add onions to hot grill pan and fire up on stove top. Cook until browned.

In the broiler, lay the small rolls open and grill for a minute.

Add cheese to one side of the roll and grill for another 30 seconds or until melted. Remove from broiler.

Put a lettuce leaf on the bottom half of each bun and top each with a burger. Add the grilled red onions onto the burgers and cover with the horseradish-mayo ketchup. Close the sandwiches and serve.

TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN    SERVES: 6

* The original meat recipe is by Chef Koren Grieveson (Avec restaurant in Chicago), Food and Wine Best New Chef 2008.

Changes to the original recipe... Instead of milk we used HEAVY cream, and also added nutmeg and roasted garlic to the meat mix. Note: The ground pancetta mixed into the ground beef bastes the burgers from the inside. Yes. Totally decadent... and naughty good!

The Handy Pan will help cook food more evenly and make ash removal easier.  Handy Pan is your  kettle grill's buddy.  Easy to install, easy to remove, the Handy Pan will prolong the life of your charcoal kettle grill.

The Handy Pan is installed between the charcoal grate and the bottom of the grill where the air flow holes are located.

The Handy Pan is a round pan, deep and large enough to catch all the waste generated when cooking.

The Handy Pan has several cone shaped towers that protrude from the bottom of the pan. The cones increase air flow from the bottom of the grill, through the cones to the charcoal bed.

The Handy Pan collects the waste from the charcoal and also from what is being cooked. This has several benefits:

- The air holes in the charcoal grill will not be blocked.

- The life of the grill may be extended by preventing rust from forming when moisture and ash remain in the bottom of the grill.

- The Handy Pan helps reduce the mess on the deck or cooking area from ash.

View the slide show to see the ease of use:  http://picasaweb.google.com/otzieinsc/UntitledAlbum/photo?authkey=abXrVCCVdPY#s5150654768503258482

A manufacturer has been secured for this invention.

Those are just a couple of photos from yesterday. But it was just as nice today! I have to work from 6-7 tonight, just an hour, so I will walk on home then I think...Lisa is gone till tomorrow, into Corner Brook, so I guess I'll come on home.

Speaking of Corner Brook, I am heading there tomorrow...to get my braces! Finally. My Aunt Kim keeps asking if I'm prepared for the bit of agony at first..I always say I am tough! Which I am, of course, lol..whatever it takes. I know everything doesn't come easy, so I'm willing to go through two years with braces. Bring it onnnn! I am actually real excited for it. Aparantly, K, who I sometimes mention, is getting braces now, but I don't know if that's right. She had a fuss with her Mom a few months back about suddenly wanted them and how she thought her mom would automatically say yes. Well, she didn't lol. They arn't financially stable and all this kinda stuff, and well, Lucas (who is K's cousin and who I work with) said that is getting them now. But I dont think she's had a trip to the orthodontist, so it could be just that her parents gave in to her nagging :S .. oh my. But whatever, I get braces tomorrow! :P

Dad is out cooking up a bbq right now. Porkchops & baked potatoes are what's on the menu tonight! With some veggies. And can't forget the bread rolls ;)

Four years ago, I traveled to San Jose to visit my brother for 4th of July weekend. While there, I met two amazing people who have since become his best friends: Jenny and Tony. The three of them then lived together, and christened their home Jenaty's. In that time, my brother moved back up North for a bit, so Jenny and Tony got a new place with a new roommate. But the spirit of Jenaty's is kept alive, and so it felt like full circle coming back to San Jose and spending yet another 4th of July with these people I've come to know and love.

Our all day BBQ began with a trip to Trader Joe's to get foods and drinks, followed by an afternoon full of appetizers and conversation. I started the BBQ and Tyson took care to make sure it didn't go out while the food was cooking. Later in the evening, we snuck up on the roof to watch fireworks shows spread across the San Jose skyline. Then we all drank White Russians (thanks Internet recipes!) while Jenny's brother and friends BBQ'd, blasted hyphy and drank Hennessey. OG all the way man.

Brother pouring my beer for me.

BBQ WIN.

Jesse and Jenny bring out the meats.

The tool of the trade.

Francisco and Wednesday say "Don't BBQ Bunnies!"

Tyson and Jenny give BBQ a thumbs up.

After a weekend of multiple birthday celebrations with friends and way too much drinking, we decided we needed to have a low-key, two-person BBQ, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. We walked to the store and picked up a six-pack of Skinny Dip, tofurkey and smart dogs, Kettle Chips and veggies: squash, onion, red bell peppers and sweet potato. Then we set to making delicious kabobs. It was another example of why life should be about the quality and not the quantity.

Food prep.

Putting them on the grill.

The BBQ Buddy is your kettle grill's buddy.  Easy to install, easy to remove, the BBQ Buddy will prolong the life of your charcoal kettle grill.

The BBQ Buddy is installed between the charcoal grate and the bottom of the grill where the air flow holes are located.

The BBQ Buddy is a round pan about 3.5 inches deep and large enough to catch all the waste generated when cooking.

The BBQ Buddy has several cone shaped towers that protrude from the bottom of the pan. The cones increase air flow from the bottom of the grill, through the cones to the charcoal bed.

The BBQ Buddy collects the waste from the charcoal and also from what is being cooked. This has several benefits:

- The air holes in the charcoal grill will not be blocked.

- The life of the grill may be extended by preventing rust from forming when moisture and ash remain in the bottom of the grill.

- The BBQ Buddy helps reduce the mess on the deck or cooking area from ash.

View the slide show to see the ease of use:  http://picasaweb.google.com/otzieinsc/UntitledAlbum/photo?authkey=abXrVCCVdPY#s5150654768503258482

A manufacturer has been secured for this invention.

Cooked at the main entrance, it is a mix of smokey, subtly sweet, tender and juicy ... just delicious!

At the entrance, just pick and choose your BBQ. You may hand it to the griller-man for a reheat or for an added splash of "special" BBQ oil/sauce (recommended). Pick a table, take a seat and order your plain rice and drinks (other viands are available). And don't worry, they know how many BBQs you've picked and where you're seated.   While waiting, prepare the "sawsawan" (dip): Mix the "sinamak" (prepared native vinegar), two drops of soy sauce (just enough to color the vinegar) and fresh chili. Instead of just dipping, I prefer "pouring" some "sawsawan" on my plain rice. Try it! 

The place has a regular sidewalk eatery-look and ambiance; square tables and monobloc/plastic stool chairs; plastic plates; condiments (soy sauce, native vinegar/"sinamak") in used catsup bottles. Expect to smell smokey after a while. It's a grill place anyway.  

Pork BBQ Php6.00/stick.

To get there: From Downtown Plaza facing the old Church, cross the street. Take the road on the right side of the Church, walk straight; turn left on the first corner (La Consolacion College). Tikboy's is just across the street a few meters ahead.

Get a taste of Bacolod City, the City of Smiles! ... namit gid!

dove ho mangiato i soliti hamburger

Passando cosi' un sabato all'insegna di circa 6 pounds (3 kg) di carne mangiata e una fetta di orribile torta. Al mio arrivo il cuoco di turno mi ha piazzato sul piatto due bistecche intere, in stile fiorentina, e una costoletta di dinosauro di almeno mezzo chilo. Buonissimo tutto. Mi ci e' voluto un po' per finire la carne ma ce l'ho fatta ed era veramente buona. Poi passo dal bancone pre-cucinati dove mi sparo 4 involtini primavera doppiamente fritti con ripieno di maiale, un cucchiaio di verdure miste e alcune delicatezze vietnamite a base di riso, tra cui l'ottimo Banh Hoi, un specie di tela sottile bianca a base di riso che viene condita con salsina rossa dolce-piccante. Nella foto e' quello in basso nel piatto.

Per "sciacquare" via il sapore della carne mi sono fatto due tazzone di macedonia di frutta estiva: cocomeri, meloni, cantalupe (melone verde) e ananas.
Ma parliamo della torta: arrivata in scatola di 2 metri x 1 metro, la torta era di un bel bianco candido ricoperta di pezzetti di frutta. Bouna direte voi. No, rispondo io. L'interno della torta era formato da due strati di circa 6 cm l'uno di quella sostanza spugnosa giallastra che qui usano per fare le torte industriali. Non e' pan-di-spagna, e non e' spugna da lavare i piatti... e' una via di mezzo... quasi come un isolante da muri. La glassa bianca che ricopre il tutto e' piu' che altro un buccia. La buccia dura della torta, che e' stata saldata al pan-di-spugna con la fiamma ossidrica (per dare la forma).
Ma il tocco di classe e' lo strato tra i due isolanti: di colore grigio "fumo di Londra", o grigrio topo, ha la constistenza della patata americana bollita... hey... un momento... ma e' patata americana bollita!... solo di una varieta' un po diversa: grigrio, e piu' densa.
Disgusto, orrore, conati. La patata tra l'isolante ricoperto di buccia ... proprio non mi e' stata di mio gradimento. Colto da strazianti sapori sulla lingua, sono andato dall'uomo del BBQ e mi sono fatto dare un'altro mezzo chilo di carne allla griglia... giusto per mandar giu' il sapore della patata spugnante.

Altre cose sono successe nel weekend, tipo che sono andato a fare rafting, ma di quello vi raccontero' la prossima volta.

American Girls and American Guys Got Together This Weekend With Some Indians and Thais

There were even Pakistanis there

We don't discriminate

So we could marinate steak to talk about as something we ate.

We threw on those charcoals and piled them up high

There was asparagus in butter... and lemon ready on the side

There were Dips...and veggies...and different kinds of meats... to grill up and enjoy on this day we had free.

We sat on people's roofs and in their yards in the back

We joked around a lot but we never played hacky sack

Soon as we got hungry and ready to dine

Yeah we lit up that grill, it was the 4th of July.

Uncle Sam put our name at the top of his list

To enjoy a hearty meal without raising a fist

We had a few beers it really was swell

To hear mother freedom ringin' her dinner bell

In this land she made just for me and you

Brought to you Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue

_________________________________________________

Wow, now if you have never heard that Toby Keith song...You'd have no idea what I was trying to do there. Anyway, this weekend was the 4th of July as evidenced by that little lyrical re-imagining of one of the most patriotic songs ever, minus the "boot in yer ass", plus the date being July 7th it would only be natural for me to be recapping the 4th of July weekend now.

However, with most of America having the Friday the 4th off, the weekend began in earnest on July 3rd. And in keeping with the spirit of pretty much the entire summer so far...faced with pleasant weather, there was BBQing to be done. Our Thursday night BBQ outing took place at Kishore's yet again...and yet again I was one of the early guests to arrive. Actually, this time I was the first arriving slightly after the advertised time of 6pm. People slowly began to arrive though and Kishore and I were joined by Andrea, Andy, Ajay, Enisha, Kayvalyn, Rich,Suli, Jeff, Morwin, Lauren, Ahmad, Erika, Lauren, and Rosario to pretty much round out the crew and send the evening off to a roaring success.

Before we coasted into the evening activity though, there was food to be prepared. Andrea and I created burgers from scratch using our magical ability to conjure meat, pepper, garlic, jalapenos. and other assorted flavorings. There was also corn, steak, chicken, and plenty of chips. Once the festivities moved outside the conversation turned to Bryan Adams for one reason or another and I set up my iPod to play "Everything I Do, I Do It For You" but Rich spoiled the fun by shutting it off even though Andrea and Andy were sharing and intimate moment reminiscing over junior high dance steps.

A Traditional Array of BBQ Meat-age

As the sky grew dark the conversation became intensely focused on figuring out the long standing puzzle of how the hell everyone in our group of friends actually knew each other. Apparently Andy had taken upon himself to create a flow chart more or less explaining the connections. It was a master work if I have ever seen one. He might end up taking a Nobel Prize if he ever proves it to be correct.

Andy And His Masterwork

From heated conversation emerged a heated competition in the form of a game of quarters. Most of the party went inside to partake in drinking game hi-jinks of the kind that I continually refuse to partake in. It's not that I don't like fun. I just don't like drinking competitively and vomiting. I consider myself to be a man of leisure, not a savage combatant in matters of the gullet. Anyway, the evening eventually ended. Someone ended up vomiting as a result of the game and Kayvalyn and I ended up walked towards our area of Brooklyn together sometime around 1:30am.

The next morning, was July 4th. I woke up around 11am. John and Zerna were having early BBQ festivities at their Williamsburg abode but I was a little slow getting up. I made plans to meet at Kishore's place at 1pm, but before making it over there I decided I would go online and download some American songs. I only ended up actually getting two, Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" and Grand Funk Railroad's "We're an American Band". Fresh off my patriotic music triumphs I made my way over to Kishore's so that I could get in his automobile along with Kayvalyn, Enisha and Andy and travel to our point of BBQing. It was a while before we actually left on account that not everyone showed up at 1pm...but I didn't really expect them to.

When we arrived at John and Zerna's there was already a fine display being worked out but we left to go pick up some additional goods from the grocery store in the way of beer and tonic (not to mix together). From then on the party was in full swing as Baby Lea partied in the splashed around in her kiddie pool...the older kids stood around in the sand pit and Rich, John and Kishore did their fair share of grilling. I even put on my two American songs, though they didn't get the enthusiast response I was hoping for.

Miller and His Un-American Beer

When Miller arrived I chided him for bringing unAmerican beer (Corona) on our nation's big day. He was also reading a book about an Austrian Trade Theory. Methinks Miller is plotting something.

It wouldn't have been a BBQ in Williamsburg without a bit of hipster sport and wouldn't you know it, we brought a long a badminton net so that everyone could bang the ol' shuttlecock around. After about two and a half hours of John and Zerna's action...our group, largely consisting of the previous evening's crowd made a move for their other forth of July festivities.

Knockin' The Shuttlecock Around

4th of July Crew#1 As Amurrican As Apple Pie

I jumped on the G train back to the slope and in what seemed like no time I had arrived at Goody and Chris's 4th of July Rockin' eve. I can't really say it was all that different from the last BBQ I had been there for other than it didn't really rain this time around. It was still an excellent time with fine folks like Josh R, Chris M, Hope, Reva, Katie, and of course our hosts Chris and Goody amongst others. I'd say the highlight of the evening was towards the end when we engaged in a game of pin the tail on Rob's window or the picture of "The Donkey" that was on Rob's window. I was the reluctant first contestant and though I don't think I came close I was a sport of a guinea pig. The evening ended without really taking in any fireworks but that didn't make in any less American. As long as one can eat meat and drink budweiser, it's a July 4th worth remembering.

Hope and Chris M...All-American...All The Time

Oh...I'll Pin The Tail On That Donkey

A Donkey Unscathed

Saturday morning felt a lot like Sunday...and with obvious reason. It was already the third day of the weekend and with two consecutive days of drinking under my belt I was plenty exhausted. I could've spent the entire day in bed, but rather than operate for 24 hours without a purpose, I spent the majority of the morning and afternoon fixing my living space in preparation for the birthday celebrations for my roommate Laura B. Not that anyone would be lviing it up in my room, it was just that we were having guests over and I thought my slavenly appearance ought not to be accompanied by a room that resembled that compost room on the Death Star in Star Wars, so I did my best Rosie The Robot impression and picked up what amounted to an awful mess.

It was around 6:30pm when the crowd began to roll in and a lively bunch it was. Andrew Morton, Renga, Trish, Kelly, Mike H, Greg C, Pete F, Stephen and Katie H were all on hand for the festivities. We had all done our part in making the festivities edibles. Mike helped prepare the Pork Loin, Laura made the guac, Renga and kelly made sidedishes and other folks brought on the alcohol. Before we dove headfirst into the meal, we need to get ourselves suitably lubricated with alcohol and so we used Danny Devito's Limoncello margerita recipe and got our drink on. Renga also made a punch with ground up strawberries that was delicious.

The Birthday Girl Concocts on Danny Devito's Limoncello Margaritas

With alcoholic beverages in tow and the meal yet to come...the piece de resistance made it's debut appearance. Renga had made Laura's birthday cake...It was a buttcake... and it just may have been one of the greatest cakes of all time in both appearance and taste.

The cake was fashioned out of brownies, rice krispy treats, and frosting to account for the skin color and thong decorations. It was pretty much a work of art. I can't really say enough about it so I won't. I'll just let the picture do the talking.

Behold The Buttcake

After our heart meal of Pork, Potatoes and various sides we all gathered in Laura's room for some film viewing. The original plan was to screen a movie on Dan's projector but Dan never made it because he spent all day repairing the door in his apartment that had been knocked off when it was broken into merely hours before. Luckily for Dan, he had installed video camera a few days before and actually caught the intruder/thief on tape and busted him, but alas he never made it in time for buttcake and to take in an episode of the classing early 90's TV show: MST3K as they viewed the cult film Manos: The Hands of Fate. Well, a few of the folks watching were too drunk to enjoy and fell asleep, but the majority of us spent the entire hour plus laughing our asses off and going back for buttcake seconds.

It was an evening full of simple pleasures...alcohol, laughter, and buttcake. It came to a relatively early end around midnight but several of the revelers decided to keep their buzz alive by hitting up the bars...but not me...and not Andrew...and not Bassett. We called it an evening as we had certainly celebrated enough.

Sunday pretty closely resembled the early part of Saturday save for cleaning. Not a lot of activity...mostly hungover...blah...blah...blah. Renga and Andrew came over around 7pm and along with Mike and Matt we gathered to watch the downfall of American culture that is VH1's "I Love Money." That's how the weekend ended...and we liked it...and if you don't...we'll put a boot in yer ass...it's the American way!

Plaats van afspraak is jongerencentrum KAVKA, tegenover de politietoren van de Oudaan. Het is de bedoeling je in te schrijven.

Ingredients

3 lbs Kielbasa

1 can Cranberry Sauce (jellied)

1 jar Chili Sauce (usually found with condiments

1 dash Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tbs Brown Sugar

1 Tbs Lemon Juice

1 Tbs White Wine Vinegar

Directions

Cut Kielbasa into bite size pieces. Cook Kielbasa about 10 minutes in boiling water. Mix remaining ingredients in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil then simmer for about 5 minutes. Add all ingredients to crock pot. Cook on low for about 5 hours.

I'm taking my cue from Mr. MTAE over at N*ked on the Roof and giving you snippets of all the ultra-exciting occurrences in the Polka Dot Household. Fasten your seat belts, the roller coaster is about to depart.

My 3 year old attempted this feat at a Fourth of July Picnic in our friends' backyard. This photo is of a 2nd grader, as I was too busy running to catch Little Critter to stop for photos. The picnic was TONS of fun, with 10 families in attendance and a ZILLION kids (the norm around here is 4 kids per family and several also have foster kids). We (meaning THE KIDS) enjoyed swimming, playing on the water slide, trampoline and swing set in addition to the rope swing seen here. The adults enjoyed a rowdy set of Volleyball games, good food and playing pyro with the firework display.

Saturday found us at UofO for Day 7 of the Olympic Trials. We received four tickets ($47 each) for free through Oregon Dad's work. The K-Man and K2 came with as TeenGirl was visiting our Mum and the two younger kiddos stayed with Auntie for the day. I wasn't overly THRILLED with the trials at first. The High Jump was a final and was exciting to watch. The crowd really got into it and Jesse Williams was full of energy. The best part of the day was the last event, The Steeplechase FINAL. Avid sports followers already know that Famiglietti led the event THE ENTIRE TIME. By lap four, the energy in the stands was astounding. By lap seven, we were all on our feet to cheer him on (Even though he is an adidas guy, Oregon Dad and I were also on our feet.) What a great finish to a fun day! We took the kids over to the Nike Kids Event area where we got to talk with Oregon Dad's Boss as she handed out Pegasus shoes for the kids to try on and practice in. K-Man and K2 both received Nike string bags and balls. A little sun burn later the crew packed it in for the hour and half drive home.

Before leaving Eugene, we stopped at the UofO Bookstore to look around. A corner section of the store is reserved for snacks and beverages. Being in Eugene, I wasn't surprised to find a bottle of Strawberry Lemonade by Genesis Organic Juice. I only purchased one to bring home and try out. It is all natural and sweetened with Agave, so its great for those who can't have sugar. Talk about YUMMY. I can't tell you how much the bottle was because Oregon Dad paid and I didn't look. :)

We added a new member to the family, meet ATHENA the cat. She is a short hair Tortie adopted from the animal shelter. Athena joins Peanut as the Polka Dot Families only animals now that Dakota has passed on and the St. Bernard Pup hasn't yet arrived (fingers crossed for August/September). K-Man was too busy helping Oregon Dad Mole Hunt in our front yard to be included in the photo opportunity. Boys. :) Have I mentioned that Oregon Dad is a self-proclaimed CAT HATER? Um, yeah. And yet he keeps picking them out at the shelter. SUCKER.

Today's Green Tip- Save your bath/wash water for your plants. They are super thirsty in the summer heat and don't mind water from the kids bath or from dishes. Just scoop it into a pitcher and pour. :)

Cheers!

Secondly, the tennis. And amazing final. Just amazing. Obviously, I watched every minute of its 4 and a half hour glory, plus quite a bit of the time filling area while the British weather had a bit of fun (talking of which, today its been raining like monsoon in India... Heavy, non stop rain- I went out for 20 seconds, and I was drenched). In the end, it was, in my opinion, more of luck and mind then pure physical skill- they are both such amazing tennis players, and very evenly matched- so really, Nadals ability to keep going, his mental integrity, and partially his luck gave him that enlarged drinking vessel of gold. I wanted Federer to win at the start, but at the end, I was the only one in the room who was rooting for Nadal. Simply because he hadnt won before, so he... deserved it?

We went to a barbecue, a rare activity for us, considering our vegitarianism. But we brought our own food. The real entertainment, apart from aforementioned tennis, was the tree. A branchy tree, the sort which can be climbed easily. With ropes and swings and stuff. In a garden. So I actually climbed it, and tried climbing the tree, with no success. I was meant to do some foot locking thing, with one foot over the other, and stepping on the rope with my feet... Somehow. It didnt work for me, but I had the luck of having to watch my younger sister do it with relative ease.

We also went to a  wedding reception. The wedding, apparently (I didnt go) was boring enough, but the reception was full of people I didnt know, said people forcing dancing, and bad dancing to music. Suprisingly fun.

Another thing is knives. There has been great uproar on the ownage of knives by teenagers. I just think that its a bit harsh on us- not all teenagers are killers! Not all are going to destroy both property and people's faces and bodies! Its almost racist! but then, the small percent of the population has put the rest to shame- like liquids on planes. Better safe then sorry, and all that. I only remembered because I had taken a swiss army knife into the BBQ and reception. But I didnt use it (and thats another thing- they are many times unnecessary).

I've written too much. As I guessed I would. 

I'll be back!

I'm looking forward to the BBQ on Friday, July 11th at 6PM. I've had a chance to get to know
ach of you and now it's your turn to get to know each other. Please let me know if we'll be seeing you and feel free to invite any ladies that might be interested in leading a group at any time in the future.

MENU

Sevenoseven is providing the meal basics. Many of you have asked if you could bring something-- feel free to bring a side or dessert but only if the Holy spirit moves you. This is stress-free meal.

Grilled Chicken
BBQ Ribs
Salad
Vegetable (TBD)
Lemonade
Iced Tea
Dessert

DIRECTIONS
The house is next to Pearlbrook Baptist Church. So please park in the parking lot (look for my orange VW Beetle) and we'll be on the deck. It's a creme colored two story house next to a small box-like church with lots of windows.

11100 Snow Road
Parma, Ohio 44103
Google Map

Here's what you'll need:

1. A pork shoulder roast, 5 to 7 lbs.  (also known as a "Boston butt")
2. Dry rub (make your own or use McCormicks)
3. Wood chips
4. Apple juice
5. Apple cider vinegar
6. Honey
7. Maple syrup
8. Bourbon whiskey
9. Coke (optional)

The first step is to prepare the pork with the dry rub.  You'll want to do this the night before.  Cover the porks in the rub on all sides, and get in every little nook and cranny.  Then cover the pork and place it in the refridgerator over night.

The next morning (before 9 AM if you want to eat at a normal dinner time), start your grill and get the temperature to hold between 250 and 300 degrees.  Preferably, generate the heat with a single burner.

While the grill is heating up, take a few handfuls of wood chips and soak them in water.  Once they've soaked for about 15 minutes, create an envelope of aluminum foil and place the chips in the envelope.  Punch several holes in the top of the envelope to allow the smoke to escape.

Once the grill is ready and your woodchips are moist and enveloped, place the envelope on the grill.  For best results, put the envelope under the grill surface, directly over the active burner.  Alternatively, as pictured, you can just place the envelope over the active burner on the grating.

While you let the chips heat up and start smoking, it's time to prepare the mop.  Mix the apple juice, vinegar, honey, syrup, and a bit of bourbon together in a container.  A bit more apple juice than vinegar.  You can also optionally mix in some Coke and throw in some of the dry rub.  Play with the mixture until you like the taste.

Now you're all set to put the pork on the grill.  Set the roast, fat side up, over the portion of the grill that isn't being heated directly. Use a brush to apply a liberal coating of the mop to the pork.

And now you'll wait.  It will take anywhere from 8-10 hours to get the internal temperature of the meat up to 190 degrees.  You should check on the meat every 30 or so minutes, applying a new coating of the mop each time.  Eventually you'll get a nice crusty layer built up on top.

Once the meat reaches 190 degrees, remove it from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes.  Be careful, because the roast is liable to fall apart as you handle it.

After 10 minutes, use 2 forks to "pull" apart the meat.  If it was cooked long enough, it will come right apart into tender little pieces that you will recognize.  Apply your favorite barbeque sauce (store bought or home made), an optional roll, and enjoy!  Unless you're cooking for a large group, you'll be eating pork for days.

Bahan ; 12 sayatan kambing muda tanpa lemak

Saos Sherry Pedas ;

½ cangkir sherry gula rendah

¼ cangkir kecap

¼ cangkir saos cabai

2 sdm gula coklat

2 bawang merah iris

2 siung bawang putih, hancurkan

Saos Provencale ;

½ cangkir saos tomat

1/3 cangkir anggur merah

1/3 cangkir air

1 sdt oregano

6 buah zaitun dipotong

1 bawang merah, iris

2 sdm minyak zaitun

Mentega Rempah ;

125 g mentega

1 sdm dill diiris

1sd peterseli dipotong

2 sdm sari sitrun Merica hitam halus

Cara membuat ;

Saos Sherry Pedas ; Campur semua bumbu dalam mangkuk

Saos Provencale ;

Campur semua bumbu dalam mangkuk

Panggang sayatan kambing muda selama 3-5 menit balik-balik setiap sisinya;

Perciki dengan salah satu saos pilihan selama dipanggang

Setelah matang, angkat dan sajikan segera

Catatan ; Saos percik sangat diperlukan untuk masakan seperti kambing muda ini, karena selain untuk menimbulkan citarasa juga agar terlihat lebih segar pada saat dipanggang

• Mmm, crepes at my place followed by Hancock, which became a great movie the second Will Smith put on his tight leather superhero costume;
• Sleeping in;
• Swimming at Grumma’s where Jane, the three-year old who doesn’t have accidents, stands on the side of the pool with a confused look on her face and relieves herself – or as my brothers would say, voided;
• Back at my place, Abe knocking on the bathroom door saying, “present for you Larrie Campbell,” – he drew me a picture, folded it and stamped it with my name/address stamp;
• Multiple BBQs at my parents and a BBQ with some soccer friends;
• Watching endless fountain fireworks with excited children and Mom let’s us know that “this is B. O. R. I. N. G.” while Annie, who surprise to no one, can spell, says, “Nuh uh”;
• Soccer – no injuries, one goal and calories spent;
• Sweating at La Frontera because the AC didn’t work, not because of the food;
• Not watching a movie at Ster’s, as planned, but instead, being entertained by one crazy sister and the humorous chemistry of myself, Ster, Nays, Maren and Kelly;
• People actually talking to me at church – SIX people to be exact;
• And after talking about Nays’s bratwurst diet in Germany, remembering that I had this picture to share with the internet:

More than 1 in 4
The chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed at your BBQ originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 17.6 million market hogs and pigs on March 1, 2008. This represents more than one-fourth of the nation’s total. North Carolina (9 million) and Minnesota (6.7 million) were the runners-up.

6.8 billion pounds
Total production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2007. Chances are good that the beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your backyard grill came from the Lone Star State, which accounted for about one-sixth of the nation’s total production. And if the beef did not come from Texas, it very well may have come from Nebraska (4.7 billion pounds) or Kansas (4.1 billion pounds).

6
Number of states in which the revenue from broiler chickens was $1 billion or greater between December 2006 and November 2007. There is a good chance that one of these states — Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi or Texas — is the source of your barbecued chicken.

About 4 in 10
The odds that your side dish of baked beans originated from North Dakota, which produced 42 percent of the nation’s dry, edible beans in 2007. How about that yummy corn on the cob? Florida, California, Georgia and New York together accounted for 60 percent of the sweet corn produced nationally in 2007.

Pass the Potato Salad
More than half (52 percent) of the nation’s spuds were produced in Idaho or Washington state in 2007.

More than three-fourths
Amount of the nation’s head lettuce production in 2007 that came from California. This lettuce may end up in your salad or on your burger.

Nearly 3 in 4
The chances that the fresh (hopefully not contaminated!) tomatoes in your salad came from Florida or California, which combined accounted for 73 percent of U.S. tomato production last year. The ketchup on your burger or hot dog probably came from California, which accounted for 96 percent of processed tomato production in 2007.

Georgia
The state that led the nation in watermelon production last year (1 billion pounds). Other leading producers of this popular summer dessert included California, Florida and Texas, each with more than 400 million pounds.

More than 74 million
Number of Americans who said they have taken part in a barbecue during the previous year.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008, Table 1213 http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract.html

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service http://www.nass.usda.gov

I am back with Nicole... life without her is just not the same!

I am back with Jake and Paige... these two bring me so much joy, I love there smiles and laughter!

I got to sleep in my bed... Nicole had freshly washed sheets (this is not to mean that there are never freshly washed sheets on our bed).

I got to have embraces from Nicole, Jake and Paige... they are a blessing!

I get to see Jake wink at me again... I love doing this with him!

I do not get tired of hearing Paige say "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy"!

I went to church... I missed our community there!

I had a Starbucks venti 3 pump 180 degree mocha!  Thanks Mom!!!

I had BBQ!  Thanks Nelson!

I had Tex-Mex food!

I got to mow the yard, I miss how I feel when I am finished and it looks good!

I got to see some of my favorite people!

I realized how much I miss this place and the people here!

There are many more things I love about being home, these are just at the top of my head at the moment.  I am thankful to be home, yet I hope that I will not forget what was revealed to me on this trip.  We are a blessed people here, I want to be more compassionate for those that do not have or are different than I.

I also came back as it turned to our country's birthday.  I am reminded by a dear friend of the perspective of this event through the eyes of our faith:

In the wake of fireworks, homemade ice cream, and waving American flags celebrating our nation’s independence, I can’t help but be skeptical. Before you take me as a cynic, I have to say that the fourth of july has always ranked among my favorite holidays. It’s just this concept of freedom that I get hung up on. A seeming victory against one form of oppression seems to only treat the symptoms of a chronic case of slavery to one thing or another. The fight against racism has lead to shackles of political correction, battles for women’s rights yielding bonds of cultural feminization, the struggle for independence breeding threats of terrorism.

A college campus seems an unlikely place to see the face of desperation. With promising careers on the horizon and a metaphorical blank slate ahead, not to mention wealth beyond measure, it seems the students at my alma mater have everything they would ever need. Regardless, we all seem to be searching for a ticket to the underground railroad….able to transport us away from what controls us, whether it be our desire for money, power, possessions, approval, achievements, etc. This freedom we yearn for is an ideology that is outside our grasp. We are unable to attain it on our own.

One of the sweetest lines to my soul is this: there is freedom in surrender. Offering up everything to the only one who is able to break the bonds of sin liberates me by His great love. By His mercy, I am pardoned; by His grace, I am set free. Now, this is cause for celebration! Happy independence day.

May we be truly free... the TRUTH shall set us free!

ken

Zoals dat bij een BBQ hoort was er veels te veel vlees, massa's lekkere groentjes, sloten drank (oa. Homemade cocktails by bart en elsje;) en toch hebben we het deftig gehouden :)), en vooral veel plezant volk!
Merci trouwens, mama en papa voor alles zo goed te regelen ;)

Met dat we nu allemaal (zo goed als) afgestudeerd zijn wordt zoiets wat moeilijker te organiseren, maar als je maar lang genoeg de agenda's/pda's/kalenders bijeen legt lukt dat nog wel. En dat we dat nog veel meer moeten doen!

Ik zie al uit naar de komende housewarming party's... waaronder ook de mijne in een hopelijk erg mooie studio. Ik ga er nu eentje bekijken, dus arrividerci!

HM

And I'm here at home with just the dogs and insanely I decided to bbq (salmon) - for myself? Well, I just didn't want to be in the kitchen even though it's cooler in there than it is out here. Pretty much as close as I get to pioneering yet how satisfying it is to keep it simple.

It was the kind of beautiful, balmy evening that makes a casual American barbecue such a perfect way to end the weekend. That dreaded Sunday-night-before-Monday-morning feeling never got a look in. The steaks were pink and juicy, the salad crisp and refreshing, and the wine flowed just enough, not too much. Sometimes I struggle in my parents' company, but not tonight -- everything was easy. The girls ate their dinners and then chased lightning bugs around the garden while we sat back in our chairs around a table of emptied plates and chatted. It was lovely.

I had worried a little when I saw E1 reaching to steal a piece of steak off of her daddy's plate, because it was nestled next to his salad covered in a creamy dressing. My first thought was that the dressing probably contained egg, so I immediately stopped her and gave her a piece of meat off my plate instead. And for the rest of the meal, I kept one eye on that plate with its creamy residue round the edge and one eye on her, until it was finally swept up with some other dirty dishes and taken into the kitchen.

And my guard was instantly awoken when a Ziplock bag of walnuts appeared, to be sprinkled on the salad. E2 saw it and began pulling at M's trouser leg and making a noise that insisted she wanted to try whatever intriguing thing it might be. He took a handful of the nuts and chucked them neatly into his mouth and then bent to pick her up, as I yelled out with a slightly panicked voice, "Wipe your hands first! Quickly, please! And your mouth..." With nut-allergy results as severe as hers were, there is the risk that even the walnut dust left on his hands might trigger a dangerous reaction.

When, at last, I fed E2 and got her down to sleep, the pain came on quite quickly. If there's soy in my system, then breastfeeding will set it off like flicking a switch. I had forgotten how sharp it is -- how it takes my breath away, screws my face up, and leaves me unable to tolerate little annoyances with grace. I barked at M for waffling on about something that didn't interest me. He looked at me in surprise, and we suddenly both remembered this person that I haven't been for so long now. I apologised, and slumped down at the kitchen table, my head in my hands. It would pass in an hour -- or perhaps three. Nothing to do but wait...

After it began to ease off a bit, I picked up the phone and rang my mother. "Guess what? I've been in quite a bit of pain." She felt terrible -- and took it as a criticism, as she so often does -- and quickly began explaining how it had all been a misunderstanding... I stopped her -- no need, I knew. I had just wanted us to both be aware of the lesson I had just learnt: even the littlest bit of soy brings the pain. Vigilance and complete abstinence are the only solution.

And then I realised it had to go a bit further. I told my mother that it had been a lovely evening, except that I had spent half of it being worried about leftover creamy salad dressing and the possibility of dropped walnuts. Our family barbecue should be a relaxed environment for everyone. I asked if next time, and from now on, we could make our family get-togethers allergen-free for everyone -- no wondering if that has eggs, no watching to see where the nuts are, no guessing which salad dressing is safe -- just a nice, relaxing time for everyone. There was a little part of me that felt angry that I even had to ask this, and I wondered if she might think I was being over the top, but she agreed right away. I was surprised by how relieved I felt -- I had been more stressed during that relaxing evening than I'd realised.

And then I sat down to ride out the last few waves of pain -- brought on by a simple misunderstanding and a mere teaspoonful of the wrong food. Small mistakes can have very big consequences. Lesson learnt -- again.

Michelle and I had planned to BBQ and then head to the Grizzlie's game Friday for some baseball and fireworks. So I fired up the grill and created what I would call the preeminent example of fine hamburger dining. It was quite delicious, and I masterfully paired it with Michelle's potato salad and a can of that timeless American standard; Pork 'n' Beans.

I have to say that there is no more notable meal than the backyard 4th of July BBQ. And in fact, I would go so far as to propose that the Last Supper actually took place on the 4th of July, and was prepared on a Weber BBQ. I can't find that in the Bible anywhere, but it's my theory.

Anyway, after chowing down this pinnacle of American culinary delights, we just didn't have the willpower to actually get up, and expend the energy to go somewhere. So we skipped the game and chilled out for the rest of the day.

Saturday was uneventful, but Sunday.... what a day. I played at church this weekend. The first time in months, and I gotta say, it felt really good. I mean really, really good. I've been praying literally every single day for healing in my wrist, and I had booked this weekend with Paul (the music director, not the famous apostle) months ago, and so I just decided to go for it. And I'm glad I did. My wrist is actually no worse from playing and I had the best time jamming with everyone in the band and worshiping with the crowd. Good times man.

Then after church a bunch of us went over to Aron's house and watched the UFC fights. The Jackson / Griffin fight was really good and went to a decision which nobody expected. Great fight with some great people.

So the weekend was a winner. I hope everyone had a good one. God bless!