These are random musings of my life journey, the people, animals, places, and events which have woven, and continue to weave, a tapestry that is me. We all know there is no real destination, only the ongoing experiences which blend together, creating the trail. Each step gives a glimpse of what is to come, without allowing me to see the end result. It is exciting. I have a home base that is mine, that gives me a place to rest. This is it. This is where my heart is, no matter where I journey...................

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Cooking Out

OK, it went alright. The grill does work. Sigh of relief. The electric igniter might need some adjustment; I'll check on that. It is possible that it was just the initial start up, "burning the dust out of the pipes," so to speak. There are three sets of burners in the grill itself and another on the side cooker, and when I tried to light it last night, the center one wouldn't light without the aid of a lighter. One of the adjacent burners did, so it could be that it was just the "first time jitters." I'll see how it does when we do the steaks tonight.

The burgers were good. I tried a new recipe from a friend who works in an upscale restaurant here, and the flavor was excellent, but the patties were a little mooshy. She always gives me recipes in one of two ways ... they are either restaurant size and I have to scale it down, or like last night, in terms of "about this much (fingers held 1/4 inch apart) of so-and-so, and maybe yay much of that." Not exactly science, but the way that really good cooks/chefs like herself cook. Clearly "about this much" of the liquid ingredient was too much. Part of one patty broke off, falling onto the heat-plate below the grill. No matter ... when I was finished cooking the patties, I moved the grill plate and fished it out. It was cooked, so it went onto the plate with the others.

And then ..........

I turned with a plate of burger patties and toasted French bread to go into the house, and ... I have no idea what really happened here ... somehow I guess I tipped the plate and everything, yes, everything slid right off onto the deck! I howled my, uh, displeasure, and Gail ran out the door, and her response was perfect ... "Five second rule!!!" I was already beginning to pick up what I could, and she helped. Then we let China Doll go out and clean up the rest!! Can we say "happy puppy"?

We put provolone and Muenster slices on the French bread slices and added lettuce, tomatoes and condiments as desired. It was very good! But we had to pull out occasional sunflower seed shell, compliments of the birds who feast at my feeders every day! It was, well, interesting, anyway! So the report card .....


Correct assembly of grill - A (pending ignition follow-up)

Preparation and cooking of burgers - A

Food handling - D-

Comedy routine opening act - A+



Tonight is steak night. I'll let Gail carry them into the house.




While I was cooking, I looked to the North and noticed how mystic the Carrizo and Vera Cruz Mountains looked. It was hazy after a day with quite a lot of rain, almost an inch here at my place. I was in town when pitchforks and puppy dog tails flew out of the sky!









This is a mountain in back of my house, roughly NNW. Not so "mystic," but certainly a pretty shot.













The Capitans to the East were also not "mystic, but in the last vestiges of twilight and being teased with some clouds, very pretty, as well.













Another shot of those shadowy ones to the North .....




A while later, after our bird-seed dinner, we were both reading and Gail looked out the window and said, "Ohhhhuuuuuu." Yeah, I got the camera again to capture the moon flirting with us from behind come very dark clouds.


I promised a disclaimer if I post pix I've "enhanced," and this is it ... the is some light adjustment on these. What we saw was beautiful, but in the camera, there was not enough distinction to produce a really good picture. The night was very dark, giving me insufficient light to show the moon, so I have changed some settings to bring it closer to what we saw.







The moon kept slipping in and out of the clouds with a beautiful, slightly eerie effect.














This one has a bit more of the moon showing, making it more "printable."












Another of the better ones.


















And this one is nice if you click to enlarge it. A nice mix of the dark clouds and sky with highlights by the moon.


A good evening, all considered. Yep .......

Life is beautiful!!!

18 comments:

  1. I am definitely a fan of the "five second rule too"! Go Gail! Beautiful pics. The moon is so... mysterious!

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  2. Hey, at our house the 5 second rule works as long as the dogs are in the other room! The moon pics are so cool!

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  3. Hi Lynilu, the second photo from the top in your blog today - as you can probably see yourself - has a very large and beautiful face encompassing almost the entire sky of that photo. Beautiful eh.

    Do you think there might be a message there.

    Goodlife.

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  4. You live in the most amazing area!

    Love the 5 second rule!

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  5. Dang you are making me hungry!!!!!!!!!!!! In a house of many cats, even five seconds is too long...everything that falls immediately turns into a pom pom.

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  6. As always, your pictures are amazing. Oh yeah, five second rule goes here as well.

    When I wanted my mom to teach me how to make potato salad (because my mom's potato salad IS THE best!!!), there were no measurements, it was a little of this, a little of that, then taste.

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  7. Those moon pix are awesome!

    The French bread and patties sounds delicious, you know, minus the sunflower seeds.. We may have to give that one a shot.

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  8. Patti - LOL! It worked for us! Thanks on the pix.

    Traci - Fortunately, the dogs were in the house, but China needed no second invitation to "help" me on the clean up! Thanks!

    Robert - I had not noticed that, but now I see it and what a wonderful face! I see the face to be friendly and smiling. Hmmm. I wonder about the message. I'll ponder that one.

    Goodlife, friend.

    Sassy - I think so, too. Every day is a treat in one way or another. i can't remember a day since my return that I've not been in awe of a piece of my world.

    Where would we be without the 5 sec rule????

    Sandra - You should have tasted the steaks from tonight! I had a strip, Gail chose a filet mignon, and I grilled zuccini and eggplant had a garliced baked potato and a glass of excellent local red wine. Oh, yum!!!

    LOL! It is a good thing that Idon't have cats or we wouldn't have had dinner!!

    Daisy - Oh, thank you. I don't know any houses that don't use the 5-sec rule. I'm sure there are some, but I don't know them!

    I love that kind of cooking. One difference with me ... I don't taste because it becomes impossible to differentiate. I smell. Yeah, I know that is weird, but I smell and rarely taste, and believe it or not I'm an excellent cook.

    Burg - Thanks! And I'll share the "secretrecipe" with you ... slice some Spanish olives, put a little of the juice from the jar, lots of garlic, salt and pepper. It was really, really good!

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  9. Beautiful pictures!

    Glad your grilling wasn't a loss! :o)

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  10. I just taught Bellie the 5 second rule. Not sure what I'd do without that one!

    Awesome pics.

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  11. Jenster - If you think about it, the difference between a loss and a gain is often just a frame of mind ... the attitude saved our dinner! thanks!

    Jenn - It was easy to teach my kids the rule. The more difficult part was helping them understand when it did NOT apply! Good luck! And thanks.

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  12. Now I am hungry. Love the 5 second rule.

    Pictures are amazing especially the moon shot.

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  13. Best worst usage of the 5 second rule: when my sister (3 at the time) used on gum, outside.
    Your pictures make me miss the western sky. All that space, all those stars...

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  14. I am so jealous of people who know how to just wing a recipe and guesstimate amounts of ingredients! I need exact measurements in teaspoons and tablespoons or it all goes horribly wrong.

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  15. the difference between a loss and a gain is often just a frame of mind

    That's so true! Even in the really big things. :o)

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  16. I realize this can go without being said, especially by me (smile). But, what gorgeous photos. Simply beautiful.

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  17. Oh,one more thing...when's the next cook out? LOL There is just something about food cooked on the grill. I LOVE it!!!

    Have a beautiful weekend.

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  18. Pepper - LOL! Sorry! And thanks. The "real thing" was even better than those shots. Just gorgeous.

    YMP - Welcome! I agree ... gum doesn't work in the 5 second rule. Yuck. I'm glad to be back home under those skies. Where are you from? And where are you now?

    Sandra - you need one of my special sets of measuring spoons. It hasa "nip," a "smidgen," a "pinch," and a "dash." that should help you a lot!! ;-)

    Jenster - Quite true!

    Dawn - Thanks ... as usual! And I'm cooking out every couple nights, so just show up!

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If you have something to say about it, just stick out your thumb, and I'll slow down so you can hop aboard! But hang on, 'cause I'm movin' on down the road!!! No time to waste!!!