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| My outside spigots froze up a couple of times this year. I went high-tech and made some over-coats for them. I used about 2" of left-over "swim noodle". I cut this one a little bit long but fixed it by counter-sinking the outside end to shroud the handle. "Yes Mrs ERJ, I planned it that way (in fact I did not)" Two minutes work per faucet. |
Looking out the window and watching the snow come down.
I had changing the anode rod on the water heater on the docket for today but was unable to find a 1/2" extension for the rachet. I will look at my 4-way lug-wrench and maybe one of the sockets is 1-1/8". I am just not feeling very motivated today.
Belladonna got stuck with a "dirty" needle Friday while at work. The good news is that it was an out-of-control, 70 pound child. Test were done and the kid does not have any known viral contagions. The kid was flailing and Bella was not mindful of where the business end of the needle was pointing after she pulled the IV out of the child's arm.
Wealth
Has anybody ever used grapevines for smoking meat?
I have a friend who I supply with wood every now and then. He likes the traditional applewood and hickory but is curious enough to try other woods.
Given the price of meat it would be nice if he had some guidelines regarding which meats it pairs well with.
One bit of advice I picked up off the internet is that the smoke from the wood from grapevines is exceptionally flavorful when the cook is well soaked in wine beforehand.
Vitis riparia grows well here. I need to stay on top of it or it will smother my fruit trees. It would please me if somebody could get some use out of it.
Rolls
I have some rolls that I had rising. It is time to toss the into the oven.
Gonna make a cheesecake today. Got the makin's from the supermarket yesterday.
ReplyDeleteWe got rain here in the upstate of SC so nothing doing outside.
On smoking with grapevine...
ReplyDeleteHot-smoking, a partial yes as long as one observes the following.
Let the bark burn off on hot coals with the smoker open. This gets rid of the dense resinous smoke which is "un-good" for the flavoring meat. Two, a rough handful is all you really need. Three, limit yourself to meats that are going to cook quickly so as to lower the residence time. (dark colored fish, spicy sausages already boiled in beer, burgers or my favorite...lamb chops)
Cold smoking? Well, I have not tried it because I have not had the time to peel bark to give it a try with just the wood. Perhaps one could add it, a little at a time to the mix of usual smoking woods to judge results for oneself.
Here's my favorite way to use grapevine, learned ages ago in a village north of Zaragoza, Spain:
Have your base fire going well into the "glowing coals" stage. Throw in 5-6 handfuls of grapevine of at least 3/4" thickness and let the heavy smoke burn off and the vines are burning well. Throw the cooking grate on the fire, toss on lamb chops, and close 'er up.
Cook 3-5 minutes per side. Plate alongside a nice salad and hand-cut fries. A glass of red will not go amiss.
Da Perfessor
6 inches overnight here in Illinois, took the day off (not driving today !!)
ReplyDeleteHad a heroin addict pull a needle and threaten to stab me "I've got AIDS, I'll stab you!". If that ever happens again, I'll beat them to death.
Matthew, that sounds to me like a threat of death or severe injury. With stated intent, possession of means, and, if within speaking distance, opportunity.
ReplyDeleteMy reply might sound very much like "Tag! You're IT!"
At 1200 fps.
I will certainly consider it a deadly threat !!!!
DeleteWater heater anode rod voice of experience: Why You Need a 6-Point Socket to Remove a Water Heater Anode Rod https://softsolder.com/2009/09/24/why-you-need-a-6-point-socket-to-remove-a-water-heater-anode-rod/
ReplyDeleteWhen you get to the bottom of one post, there are cross links to other relevant posts, so you can find out about all the fun he had with the water heater...