Handsome Hombre continues to amaze.
He got the "lawn ornament" riding lawnmower running and mowed the front yard.
The wood for this weeks BBQ had been rained on and was reluctant to start and once started was shy about settling down into coals.
A nest of bumblebees that was located beneath the south cinderblock that held up our grill took exception to our heating up their home. The Great Battle of Eaton Rapids ensued. The side with air supremacy did not win that battle but only because the good-guys resorted to chemical warfare.
Handsome Hombre loves beef. He only remembers having steak twice while he was growing up.
The winning formula seems to be to buy round steaks. Round steaks are typically an inexpensive, tough cut of meat with little waste in terms of trim-fat or bone. I buy them on Thursday morning when there are usually mark-downs for steaks that are approaching their sell-by date. I take them out of their packages and sprinkle both sides with Adolf's Meat Tenderizer and then place both of them in the same gallon, ziplock baggie and put them in the meat drawer for the Friday evening cookout. I flip the baggie over a few times because that makes me feel better.
Handsome Hombre comes from a culture that incinerates their meat. I think it might be related to the shortage of refrigeration and thorough cooking provides a modicum of protection against food-poisoning. High heat degrades some of the toxins and kills all of the bacteria that might want to rip your guts to shreds.
I about cried the first time HH cooked some $16-a-pound steaks. By the time he was done they had shrunk to the size of hockey-pucks. So, I buy $7.99-a-pound steaks that don't shrink. Feedback about toughness stopped after adding the Adolf's Meat Tenderizer step.
Family Reunion
Mrs ERJ and I will be hosting our extended family's reunion this year.
Traditionally, it was held at Mom and Dad's cottage. That property is in estate and there is a good chance it will slip out of family hands.
Low turnout is expected. One of my cousins on the East Coast died this week and nobody from that branch is expected due to funerals and so on. The southeast Michigan cousins are mostly doing their own thing as they now have grandkids and such.
We will have to get creative about parking. The closest commercial parking is almost three miles away which is viable for shuttling. The visitors unload gear, food and passengers and then moves vehicle to parking. A designated shuttle driver shuffles them back-and-forth.
The plan is to keep it low-key and to keep expectations low. We can hold about 40 between the house, garage and front porch if we get rain.
The menu will be simple: Sloppy Joes, baked beans, sweet corn. Maybe water melon and potato salad.
Our house and grounds are not refined or fancy. But nobody else stepped up. Relationships and traditions are fragile and need frequent nourishment. If I have one superpower it is that I am willing to look like a fool.
Bonus image
Just think how tender that round steak would be on Saturday, having been brined in its own juices for two days.
ReplyDeleteImagine the ultra-refined flavor of the beef, on Friday, as y'all prepare a fresh Michigan salmon on the grill. On Friday.
Old tradition. Only the passionate make progress.
that guy in Indiana
Hosting family events is hard work. Attempting to accommodate everyone's need requires some planning. My wife's family several years ago required three attempts to get an event going. the first two failed because the venue were public parks where everybody showed up with something to set up and take care of. Too lazy - not enough volunteers so the idea died.
ReplyDeleteFinally, one cousin set up her business as the location. Several parties made up of 2-3 family members took care of one or two items. Easier to do and older females who knew how to cook were finally able to help out. It was about 80 individuals who attended. The cousin with business also required people to help clean-up which was only fair.
My mother's side of the family used to have a large family reunion in Summer. Over time as my grandmother's generation died and their children moved farther and farther away, the attendance became less and less. My mother picked up the tradition and did it for 15 or so years. By the end, it was really just our direct related family and a few random cousins. I would not know how to contact most of the more distantly related members now.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young, there were 3 regular family reunions for different parts of the extended family, but over time they all withered away.
ReplyDeleteFor foul weather planning, and another shady spot I would recommend renting a "party tent" with several side walls, and tables. The guys we hired came the day before, set things up and returned the Monday after and took it all away.
ReplyDeleteMaybe rent a porta-potty or two.
If you really want to go all-out call on Ms.Piggy. She did two reunions for us, both times were excellent and she is a tremendously interesting person. She tells stories as she carves the pig. Cool stories.
http://mspiggiesbbq.com/
Milton
I see your contra points with your last two posts. Family vs. success.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Having family is far more difficult than having success.
Help me out here ... As a gardener you discover you built a primal ground fire pit on top of a bumble bee nest.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to hear the conversation in your head about choosing to use an alternate BBQ'ing method or deciding to go full Vietnam Tunnel Rat Flamethrower on your best garden pollinator.
Basic 22" Weber Kettles are under $100. Options brother, options.
https://www.almanac.com/native-bees-best-pollinators-your-garden
Bumble bees. Commercial beekeepers also use bumble bees to help farmers pollinate their crops. When the AgAmerica Lending team toured Kirkland Farms, a farm with a blueberry operation located in Lakeland, Florida, we learned that bumble bees are a necessity, because honey bees won’t work gathering pollen when it’s raining or even overcast!
You are assuming the primal ground fire pit came after the bees. Considering that the fire pit had been used before without bee issues, I believe it is save to presume the bees arrived later. I also expect that if the bees had been discovered before the lighting of the fire, the pit might have been moved and another block acquired.
DeleteThe linked article states ideas that helped me form the basis for my view that the bees were already living there ...
Delete"Most solitary bees have short lifespans as adults. Male mason bees only fly for about two weeks—just long enough to mate—and females only live a few weeks longer. With such a short adult lifespan, solitary bees have to use their time wisely! They do not have time to make honey, nor do they like to fly too far from home, which means that they spend the bulk of their time preparing their nests and pollinating flowers within a relatively small area.
A big chunk of a solitary bee’s life is spent in their mother’s nesting site, hibernating over winter in their cocoons."
The life cycle of a bumble bee colony.
ReplyDeletehttps://extension.psu.edu/the-bumble-bee-lifestyle