Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
Dear LORD, how do You always know what I need to hear????????????????
“I think we too are the people
who, on the one hand, want to listen to Jesus, but on the other hand,
at times, like to find a stick to beat others with, to condemn others.
And Jesus has this message for us: MERCY. I think – and I say it with
humility – that this is the Lord’s most powerful message: MERCY. Ah!
Brothers and Sisters, God’s face is the face of a merciful father who
is always patient.”
~ Papal homily on March 17, 2013
Sunday, May 22, 2016
First Real Weekend of Summer 2016
God be praised we were able to purchase a lawn mower and a weed whip to take care of all our lawn grooming needs... I cut the grass Friday night and whipped the weeds to-day and now I am resting from my labour. Would that Rick Porcello would give up several runs this inning.
I moved the seeded herbs to a bigger pot outside - hopefully they will continue to thrive. I need some ground space for the vegetables and have not yet decided where they will get to grow.
I moved the seeded herbs to a bigger pot outside - hopefully they will continue to thrive. I need some ground space for the vegetables and have not yet decided where they will get to grow.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Fresh Walleye
Thanking God this evening for my boss who shared some of his fish with me tonight - he even let me bring it home on ice in his Igloo cooler.
I have read that you need a ton of flavor on this species, as they are overly bland as fish go. I could not disagree more. Not wanting to freeze any of this double bagged goodness, I cooked up the two biggest fillets and shared with my neighbor, Uncle Jim, and his family across the street.
I used a simple sauce recipe and threw these right on the grill over the coals for an easy and delicious Monday night dinner.
For the sauce, I combined these in a glass bowl using a whisker:
1/2 cup butter melted
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
pinch of salt and pepper
generous dashes of our favorite herbs from last year's garden: Pineapple sage, Lemon thyme, Italian flat-leaf parsley, rosemary and oregano.
I let the coals get halfway gray and spread them out under the grate, then let the grate get hot with the lid closed. The grill temp was 300 when I got started.
I sprayed the grate with Canola oil, and threw the first two huge fillets on and brushed each with the sauce concoction. It gave me a bit of a flareup as the oil is flammable, but I had our garden hose ready at hand.
Probably ten minutes (these were almost an inch thick!) on the first side - most of the meat was white by then and i flipped each and doused the other side with the sauce. The second side only needed about five minutes - I'm not a fish expert and they might have been overdone - but as soon as they were done I threw the smaller two fillets on and followed the same protocol.
By the time I flipped the second pair, the grill temp had gone down to about 200. When they were flaking apart, I brought them in.
And devoured them.
No sides.
No appetizer.
To quote the most benign and absolute worst commentator of all time @Mario_Impemba, this fish was 'really good'.
Yep, mighty thankful.
I have read that you need a ton of flavor on this species, as they are overly bland as fish go. I could not disagree more. Not wanting to freeze any of this double bagged goodness, I cooked up the two biggest fillets and shared with my neighbor, Uncle Jim, and his family across the street.
I used a simple sauce recipe and threw these right on the grill over the coals for an easy and delicious Monday night dinner.
For the sauce, I combined these in a glass bowl using a whisker:
1/2 cup butter melted
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
pinch of salt and pepper
generous dashes of our favorite herbs from last year's garden: Pineapple sage, Lemon thyme, Italian flat-leaf parsley, rosemary and oregano.
I let the coals get halfway gray and spread them out under the grate, then let the grate get hot with the lid closed. The grill temp was 300 when I got started.
I sprayed the grate with Canola oil, and threw the first two huge fillets on and brushed each with the sauce concoction. It gave me a bit of a flareup as the oil is flammable, but I had our garden hose ready at hand.
Probably ten minutes (these were almost an inch thick!) on the first side - most of the meat was white by then and i flipped each and doused the other side with the sauce. The second side only needed about five minutes - I'm not a fish expert and they might have been overdone - but as soon as they were done I threw the smaller two fillets on and followed the same protocol.
By the time I flipped the second pair, the grill temp had gone down to about 200. When they were flaking apart, I brought them in.
No sides.
No appetizer.
To quote the most benign and absolute worst commentator of all time @Mario_Impemba, this fish was 'really good'.
Yep, mighty thankful.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Recipe #8 - Pork Marinade
44 degrees out on our deck, and the snow falling reminds both
the hummer at our
feeder and I in my shorts and tee that we are somehow misplaced. God be
praised! I have already seen Mr. Bluejay, Mr. Red Bellied Woodpecker,
Mrs. Starling, Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal, the entire Sparrow clan, and Mr.
Hummer (chatting
much more than normal, I might add). Mr Copper Kitty next
door has a beautiful sheen to his coat and our Otis loves talking to
him through the glass.
I decided to go ahead and grill in spite of the chill in the air. I had some chicken breast that had been in Italian dressing overnight, and I made up a marinade for a 5 pound pork center cut tenderloin. I made shallow cuts across the fatty side, and also stabbed the meat all over with my carving fork. The marinade was simple - about 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 large cloves of minced garlic, a squirt of Dijon mustard, a couple shakes of Louisiana Hot Sauce, a pinch of ground black pepper, two or three pinches of salt, and dashes of dried herbs: lemon thyme, pineapple sage, rosemary, parsley.
The meat sat in the sauce for two hours in the refrigerator, and then about a half hour at room temperature before going on the grill.
On one side of the grill, I piled up a large pyramid of Kingsford charcoal briquettes, doused it slovenly with Gulf Lite fluid, placed the cast iron grates above the charcoal, and lit the pyramid. It warmed me well as I wire brushed last weekend's ground chuck off the grates. When the coals were about half way gray, I threw my bag of diced potatoes (with some diced mushrooms, pepper, and onion and a couple pats of butter) on the top rack. I seared the pork loin for just a couple minutes on all sides, then let it cook offset from the coals (coals on the right, meat on the left, taters on top).
I flipped the potatoes several times, then also put my bag of asparagus on the top shelf with the taters. I let the pork go about 15 minutes, then brought the side away from the coals to the coal side - a horizontal 180 degree rotation, not a flip yet. After another 15 minutes or so, I flipped the meat, and threw my boneless chicken (for our salad) on the top rack with the taters and asparagus.
When I first threw the pork on, the grill temperature was about 500 degrees Fahrenheit. It cooked for about 50 minutes total - I pulled it off when the meat was about 150 in the middle, and the grill temp had dwindled down to about 250. But I didn't have to add any coals during the cooking; my initial pyramid did the job!
I covered the meat with Great Value Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil and let it rest for a bit while I plated the potatoes and asparagus. It was a fine meal and we are mighty thankful.
The Tigers finally won, and we are mighty thankful.
My fantasy baseball team won - outscored everybody in the league this week - and we are mighty thankful.
The garbage is at the curb, my clothes are clean and ready for the week ahead, and we have ample food and ice cream for the week. We are mighty thankful.
I decided to go ahead and grill in spite of the chill in the air. I had some chicken breast that had been in Italian dressing overnight, and I made up a marinade for a 5 pound pork center cut tenderloin. I made shallow cuts across the fatty side, and also stabbed the meat all over with my carving fork. The marinade was simple - about 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 large cloves of minced garlic, a squirt of Dijon mustard, a couple shakes of Louisiana Hot Sauce, a pinch of ground black pepper, two or three pinches of salt, and dashes of dried herbs: lemon thyme, pineapple sage, rosemary, parsley.
The meat sat in the sauce for two hours in the refrigerator, and then about a half hour at room temperature before going on the grill.
On one side of the grill, I piled up a large pyramid of Kingsford charcoal briquettes, doused it slovenly with Gulf Lite fluid, placed the cast iron grates above the charcoal, and lit the pyramid. It warmed me well as I wire brushed last weekend's ground chuck off the grates. When the coals were about half way gray, I threw my bag of diced potatoes (with some diced mushrooms, pepper, and onion and a couple pats of butter) on the top rack. I seared the pork loin for just a couple minutes on all sides, then let it cook offset from the coals (coals on the right, meat on the left, taters on top).
I flipped the potatoes several times, then also put my bag of asparagus on the top shelf with the taters. I let the pork go about 15 minutes, then brought the side away from the coals to the coal side - a horizontal 180 degree rotation, not a flip yet. After another 15 minutes or so, I flipped the meat, and threw my boneless chicken (for our salad) on the top rack with the taters and asparagus.
When I first threw the pork on, the grill temperature was about 500 degrees Fahrenheit. It cooked for about 50 minutes total - I pulled it off when the meat was about 150 in the middle, and the grill temp had dwindled down to about 250. But I didn't have to add any coals during the cooking; my initial pyramid did the job!
I covered the meat with Great Value Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil and let it rest for a bit while I plated the potatoes and asparagus. It was a fine meal and we are mighty thankful.
The Tigers finally won, and we are mighty thankful.
My fantasy baseball team won - outscored everybody in the league this week - and we are mighty thankful.
The garbage is at the curb, my clothes are clean and ready for the week ahead, and we have ample food and ice cream for the week. We are mighty thankful.
Pentecost
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and kindle in us the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth.
Oh God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructs the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolations. Through Christ our Lord, amen.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Mr Smith Goes to Washington 1939
If this one doesn't get you right in the gullet, you aint got no heart. Frank Capra is brilliant - period.
The naive man of integrity who can't help but do good
His screen mother, who also played George Bailey's ma a few years later
The hardened senator played so well by Claude Raines
The corrupt political machine pulling all the strings of the hardened Senator
Eugene Pallette reprising his Friar Tuck role from 1938
Thomas Mitchell as the clumsy press agent (Diz, a wonderful egg) pining for press agent Saunders, played by Jean Arthur
Jean Arthur, who just shines as press agent Saunders , especially, when as she is realizing she's in love with the naive man of integrity
Harry Carey as the knowing and fair president of the Senate
H. B. Warner as the sober senate majority leader
Charles Lane, just your little rent collector, as Nosey the reporter
Washington, District of Columbia; with all it's history and glory as this Nation's capital
The naive man of integrity who can't help but do good
His screen mother, who also played George Bailey's ma a few years later
The hardened senator played so well by Claude Raines
The corrupt political machine pulling all the strings of the hardened Senator
Eugene Pallette reprising his Friar Tuck role from 1938
Thomas Mitchell as the clumsy press agent (Diz, a wonderful egg) pining for press agent Saunders, played by Jean Arthur
You love this monkey, don't cha?
Jean Arthur, who just shines as press agent Saunders , especially, when as she is realizing she's in love with the naive man of integrity
What d'you think?!?
Harry Carey as the knowing and fair president of the Senate
H. B. Warner as the sober senate majority leader
Charles Lane, just your little rent collector, as Nosey the reporter
Washington, District of Columbia; with all it's history and glory as this Nation's capital
Liberty's too precious a thing to be buried in books, Miss Saunders.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Happy Mother's Day!
Another gorgeous day here in southeast Lower Michigan. Friday began the recent warm spell with an absolutely perfect spring day. Yestreday started sunny and then it looked like it might rain all afternoon but naught more than a few drips came our way. It was a bit cooler but I still got alot done outside. Why, I was sitting down enjoying the beauty of the bumblebees while wrapping the.065 inch blue chord around the spool for our Black and Decker 3.5 Amp 12 inch 2-in-1 Trimmer/Edger, and thanking God for the durability and long life of this tool. We bought it the year we moved here in 2011 and have used it regularly (all three of my power chords together will allow me access to all spots needing the weed whip); we've loaned it out to neighbors and family and the amazing thing to me is that the spool still feeds via a bump! on the ground. As I was just getting into a rhythm (my first whip of the year I confess), I noticed the rpms were slowing down - it wasn't whipping as fast as it had been - the tone was lower, and lower, and lower... then I smelt that tell-tale smell of bunt engine. It died.
I coiled up my three power cords and tried to come up with something else I could do to postpone cutting grass. Nothing really came to mind, so I got out the mower, still thankful, but wondering how much a new weed whip was going to cost, and thankful again (huff, puff) that our lawn was not larger than it is.
I took a nap during the Tiger loss, and then rooted for the Astros and their Cy Young pitcher, who I have on my fantasy roster. He pitched well, but was in line for the loss until Luis Valbuena hit a shot into the right field seats to tie the score in the ninth.
This morning I was awokened early by my beautiful bride and then left to go see mom for a bit. After an epic (sorry) visit, I was just in time for 10:00 Mass at St Damian in Westland, God be praised!
I coiled up my three power cords and tried to come up with something else I could do to postpone cutting grass. Nothing really came to mind, so I got out the mower, still thankful, but wondering how much a new weed whip was going to cost, and thankful again (huff, puff) that our lawn was not larger than it is.
I took a nap during the Tiger loss, and then rooted for the Astros and their Cy Young pitcher, who I have on my fantasy roster. He pitched well, but was in line for the loss until Luis Valbuena hit a shot into the right field seats to tie the score in the ninth.
This morning I was awokened early by my beautiful bride and then left to go see mom for a bit. After an epic (sorry) visit, I was just in time for 10:00 Mass at St Damian in Westland, God be praised!
Monday, May 2, 2016
Drippy rainy and cold these last few days. Woke up this morning with a significant headache (not an annoyance, inconvenience, dilemma, or bother - my head was actually pounding!); thanking God for my 800 milligrams of generic Advil.
Been busy at work. I am finding enough work to fill my eight hour daily shift.
Our Tigers have been hot (and will sure as my name is David, after their night off tonight, accordingly slump back into mediocrity due to my mention here.
Monica has the day off and is resting after a hectic six days straight at work followed by two straight helping her parents downriver.
I found a box of compact discs that had been shoved in a drawer and I am playing them in order to-day at work. I found one that just said 'mix' in my prominently slanted printing and shoved it in the disc drawer on my HP p-7-1234 tower. Windows explorer tells me it's from March 25, 2008; the music is timeless and eclectic and, other than a few I may not currently want to hear, the songs are favorites:
Sting, Five Iron Frenzy, Indigo Girls, MxPx, Bare Naked Ladies, The Specials, Ghoti Hook, Gang of Four, Fun Boy Three, Clapton, The Beat, Dixie Chicks, The Police, The Dead Milkmen, The Dead Kennedy's, music from the Master and Commander soundtrack, (and at this point, if I were to add an 'etc.', I don't think that would convey much meaning, but there are a few others).
I don't remember things as well as I once used to.
I watched the first Narnia movie and Frozen over the weekend. The Silver Chair has been in production for several millennia it seems.
I played a little Zelda: Ocarina of Time over the weekend.
I cooked some mean-ass enchiladas on Friday, and did us a slow-cook roast yestreday.
Ron shared some of his pizza and fajitas with me to-day.
I am listening to my Caribbean disc now.
I am almost done for the day, God be praised!
Been busy at work. I am finding enough work to fill my eight hour daily shift.
Our Tigers have been hot (and will sure as my name is David, after their night off tonight, accordingly slump back into mediocrity due to my mention here.
Monica has the day off and is resting after a hectic six days straight at work followed by two straight helping her parents downriver.
I found a box of compact discs that had been shoved in a drawer and I am playing them in order to-day at work. I found one that just said 'mix' in my prominently slanted printing and shoved it in the disc drawer on my HP p-7-1234 tower. Windows explorer tells me it's from March 25, 2008; the music is timeless and eclectic and, other than a few I may not currently want to hear, the songs are favorites:
Sting, Five Iron Frenzy, Indigo Girls, MxPx, Bare Naked Ladies, The Specials, Ghoti Hook, Gang of Four, Fun Boy Three, Clapton, The Beat, Dixie Chicks, The Police, The Dead Milkmen, The Dead Kennedy's, music from the Master and Commander soundtrack, (and at this point, if I were to add an 'etc.', I don't think that would convey much meaning, but there are a few others).
I don't remember things as well as I once used to.
I watched the first Narnia movie and Frozen over the weekend. The Silver Chair has been in production for several millennia it seems.
I played a little Zelda: Ocarina of Time over the weekend.
I cooked some mean-ass enchiladas on Friday, and did us a slow-cook roast yestreday.
Ron shared some of his pizza and fajitas with me to-day.
I am listening to my Caribbean disc now.
I am almost done for the day, God be praised!
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