Bye Bye Fire Pit, Hello Smoker

Well, I can really put the fire pit episode behind me now.  A friend with a legitimate patio is “borrowing” it forever for an unspecified period of time.  I can now appreciate the perks of having an open fire (think s’mores) without any of the dangers.  However, a new fire-breathing beast has taken its place on our deck – The Smoker.  I don’t think it’s much safer to have on a deck than the fire pit, but at least it has a cover that fits.

Glop has wanted a smoker for a long time (noticing a trend here with his wish list items), but couldn’t sway me until a neighbor brought over some smoked beef for me to try.  All I could say was WOW – smoked meat is really that much better than grilled, broiled, sauteed, roasted or stewed.  I did a little research to find out just how much these things cost and was as surprised by the price tag as I was by the smoker’s results.  The Green Egg, which is the top-of-the-line smoker, goes for $700, and Weber models start around $250.  Smoked meat is good, but not that good (though Glop would beg to differ). So we ended up paying $20 for a 17″ diameter Brinkmann (retails for $75) on Craigslist.

Glop was so excited he cleaned it out that weekend and smoked us some ribs.  YUM.  And then we did a 14 lb. turkey.  Even YUMMIER.  Now Glop is on a roll, with plans to smoke a turkey a different way each month (and for every holiday, too, of course).  The only problem with this?  Glop assured me at the outset that the smoker worked much like a crockpot, with way better results.  The reality is he spends much of his day “tending” the smoker.  Hope it doesn’t come down to me or the smoker one day, ’cause I’m pretty sure I’d lose.

Microwave Meatloaf – It’s a Revelation!

Well, maybe it’s not that great.  But it is surprisingly good!

Last time we had temps above 90 this summer, I was totally unprepared.  So, realizing how hot it was going to be this week, I got my act together and planned a menu of mainly cold or microwaved meals.  When I told friends that I was going to microwave a meat loaf, “eww – gross” was the immediate reaction.  Given my history in the kitchen, they had a pretty good chance of being right.  But I’m happy to report that they were so wrong!  Microwave meatloaf is about as tasty/tasteless (depending on your view of meat loaf) as one done in the conventional oven and takes only 10 minutes instead of 50.

I got my recipe where I have found many other good ones:  Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter’s Cookbook.  Not only was my meat loaf quick, it was healthy too!  Ha!

Microwave Meat Loaf with Garden Sauce (sauce not pictured!) Looks YUCK but tastes pretty good.

Here’s what was in it:

regular veggie soup mix

low-fat yogurt

dried dillweed

beaten egg

ground beef

shredded carrot

chopped celery

quick-cooking oats

You Know It’s Really Summer When…

• Pollen finally stops coating the window sills and car an icky green.
• You wish you were as persistent at something (anything!) as the crabgrass and violets overrunning your lawn and garden.
• You worry not only about dehydration, but also tooth decay, as you break down and serve Popsicles to the kiddos daily.
• There’s nothing to watch on TV but reality shows.
• Blueberries are finally in season and there’s something new to do with the kids! (If you can stand the heat in the fields, of course.)
• No one under 6 goes to bed before 9, even if that’s what those over 30 would prefer to do themselves.
• Bundling the kids up for winter is almost preferable to slathering on 2-3 coats of sunscreen a day.
• Large, scary looking beetles attempt to enter the house on a regular basis (what they hope to find, I don’t know…or want to know.)
• The lawn begins to die and turn brown because you’re too cheap green to water it.  Plants toted by Home Depot as “drought resistant” meet the same fate.
• You’re tired of drinking water and so begin drinking Crystal Light and/or diet soda by the gallon (not realizing in your haste that said soda is caffeinated.)
• Everyone is hot, cranky and tired and you let housework/yard work/anything to do with work slide.
• The forecast calls for 5 consecutive days above 90 (which you just know will turn out to be more, because it always does.)
• Your husband makes you shut down the computer because it’s generating heat.
• You add central air, an in-ground pool, and a Tiki bar to your house wish list.