For You

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WALLPAPER:  ROAST TURKEY BREAST

Sunday Treat

OH SO SIMPLE

Oh So Good

sort of  spectacular

 

WALLPAPER: START THE SEASON

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.. Around our neighborhood the holiday season starts today. Lights go up. Rooms get rearranged. Trees get cut. Gifts get wrapped and cached. AND . . . food becomes special: cookies, cakes, pies, candies, and so much more.

.. Our starter is the "Dutch Baby." The name is an American corruption of the phrase "deutsch baby."  

..  As the story goes:  Dutch babies were introduced in the first half of the 1900s at Manca's Cafe, a family-run restaurant that was located in Seattle, Washington and that was owned by Victor Manca. While these pancakes are derived from the German pancake dish, it is said that the name Dutch baby was coined by one of Victor Manca's daughters, where "Dutch" perhaps was her corruption of the German 'deutsch.'  Manca's Cafe claimed that it owned the trademark for Dutch babies in 1942, (from Wikipedia.)

.. The recipe is simple and delicious.  It allows for savory or sweet additions or decorations. It is prepared with stuff you already have in the kitchen It is a side dish or a main dish. It is a perfect start to adjust your attitude for the upcoming season.

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WALLPAPER: READY, SET, GO

The Eve

STOCKINGS UP ?

Log Lit ?

cookies out ?

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May your day be as joyous and as rewarding as your expectations.

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WALLPAPER: SWEETIES FOR BAKING - YUM !

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Sacrilegious ??

BENT TRADITION

Small Meal

intimate dinner

WALLPAPER: UNUSUAL 2-BONE SELECT GRADE STANDING RIB ROAST

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.. This year we're having an intimate Christmas with a special request. The normal, full mad-house, with fat laden roast, may be a thing of the past. The special request was for a lean roast.
.. Our butcher has been very accommodating. He cut us a very unusual 'select grade 2-bone' rib roast, (bone tied on.)
.. This chunk is in the process of dry aging. It will be ready in a couple of days and, still moist enough for an excellent roast. The dinner should be magical - if - we can figure out how to properly cook a lean piece of  select grade rib roast.
.. Experiment in progress.

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.. Around here most sport is being done with shotguns this time of year. A few folks are dredging the last open water in the estuaries on Hebgan Reservoir. Leaches and, Woolly Buggers and, San Juan Worms are the choices for those with access to a snowmachine.

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WALLPAPER: TRADITIONAL PRIME GRADE 4-BONE RIB ROAST

Morning After

TO THE BANK

To The Grocery

to do, to do, to do

WALLPAPER:  PERFECT PORK ROAST

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.. There are still some dishes and pans awaiting attention. There are bits of food and nibbles scattered around. Some libation containers still need to find their way to the recycle bin.

SIMPLY SUMPTUOUS PORK ROAST

.. Daily chores and celebratory chores will meld together this morning. Then off to the duties that have been on hold for the last few days.
.. We turned ourselves into gluttons for the sake of fellowship and a midwinter revel far older than the current namesake of Christmas. Gifts exchanged, yule logs split and burning, songs and stories were indulged, AND, a repast for the ages all but destroyed.
.. The little pork roast from the halogen oven was a hit. It was juicy and very tender. So tender in fact that even a very sharp knife had some trouble making uniform slices. So be it.

IMPROMPTU CONCERT

.. Visiting dignitaries were incorporated into the neighborhood revels and talk of shut down was light and limited despite the hardship.
.. Now to the business at hand. Change and empty the vacuum bag. Fill and use the mopping bucket. Securely tie and arrange the trash bags. Build a breakfast for sleep-overs and unexpected guests. Gauge the heavily overcast weather for some much needed snow. Ah . . . . the routine creeps back slowly.

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WALLPAPER:  FLUFFY SUPER PANCAKES

Up and At 'Em

BEGIN DA CHAOS

Some Sun Here

very quiet morning

WALLPAPER:  HALOGEN OVEN & PORK ROAST

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GOOD ON TOAST TOO

.. So: when the big ovens are full of traditional baking the countertop halogen oven gets pressed into service. It is more than just a handy device.
.. The fan swirls the air like a convection oven. The halogen lamp produces controlled heat. The thermostat holds temperature very well. It's big enough for giant cuts of meat and fits on the counter, (or elsewhere: washer, dryer, garage, etc.) while taking up very little space.

STRIP AND CRUSH

.. This pork roast was swimming in brine overnight. Dried and brought to temperature and then augmented. Very simple chore: salt, pepper, and some fresh ground cloves patted into the meat.
.. Then,  sweet mustard and Worcestershire sauce painted on the cap. When nearly dry some orange marmalade and rosemary leaves are slathered over all of it, (strip and lightly crush the leaves.)

.. The crust can be brought to desired state of caramelization at 450°F and then instantly the temperature can be reduced to cooking temperature.

USEFUL TOOL

.. Because of the characteristics of the cooking cycle this will be "pull apart tender" when done.
.. About 4 hours at 200°F will reach an internal temp of about 140°F.
.. No need to tent and wait - just leave it in the oven. 
.. Fat will melt through the cut and collagen will become as soft and flavorful as in a braise.

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SCARLET IBIS = EGG ?

.. Had an early morning seminar on the current snow/weather regimen.
.. Some unidentified government employees are here and, trapped during the shut down, needed diversion.
.. They came around early for coffee, (too early,) but - that's the way of it. We all prepared the roast.
.. Speculation allows that this could be a low snow year with rains. We hope not.

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WALLPAPER:   MICROWAVE  FAUX  FUDGE

Come Tomorrow

CELEBRATORY  MEAL

Nearly Traditional

another white meat ?

PORK ROAST = CONJOINED PORK CHOPS

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.. Preparations under way for a feast.
.. We're celebrating a season of mad merchandising and the faux reenactment of gift giving to the savior of humankind.
.. Peace on earth   ---   Goodwill to all !

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WALLPAPER:  ALMOND/LEMON CURD TURNOVERS

Practice

BE PREPARED

Perfection Achieved

neighbor approved

SOME CHRISTMAS CHEER

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.. Because of the way our calendar works the neighborhood is starting the year end holiday season a wee bit early this year.

DE-CORKER, DE-CAPPER

.. The coming weekend is good for five, (count 'em FIVE,) days. It starts today and we're practicing for the finale.
.. Glogg, (Glögg, Gløgg,) is just one of the libations that are swilled around the neighborhood.
.. In our part of the universe the overwhelming favorite is sangria, (or some variant thereof.) We have a large Hispanic population of neighbors.
.. There are, however,  other ethnicities in our neighborhood. We celebrate the diversity of food and drink that appears during the holidays. There are several concoctions that appear during this time of the year. 
.. This year we've been delegated to augment the neighborhood supply of Glögg. We're happy to do it.

SIMPLE  STANDARD  RECIPE

• 2 bottles dry red wine
• 1 bottle sweetish red wine
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange
• 10  or 15 cloves, (lightly ground to freshen)
• 10 cardamom pods (or ground cardamom)
• 3 or, 4 or, 5 cinnamon sticks
• 1 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 cup raisins
•  As many prunes as desired 
• 1 cup blanched almonds, (or slices)
• 1 cup sugar (or to taste)
• 1 tablespoon bitters
• 1 cup Aquavit or Vodka 

SIMPLE  STANDARD INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine wines in a large pan. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of citrus fruits. Squeeze fruits and add juice to wine.
2. Tie up lemon peel, orange peel and spices in cheesecloth, (or you can use an old sweat sock for added flavor,) and add to wine. Add raisins, almonds and sugar.
3. Bring wine mixture to the first steam - IMMEDIATELY -  reduce heat and gently warm for 15 minutes, or until flavors are well blended and almonds are soft. Skim wine from time to time to remove any foam. Taste glögg and add sugar as necessary.
4. Just before serving, remove the sweat sock and add bitters and and Vodka. Ladle glögg into mugs or cups. 
5. Provide each guest a spoon for eating the raisins, almonds and prunes if the revelry is a formal affair.

.. Our local recipe uses gallon jugs of cheap wine. We use the combination of Burgundy and Merlot, (substitute Port if you like.) We put the bucket in the fridge for four to six hours before reheating to serve.
.. To hell with bitters! We stick with a generous slug of tasteless cheap Vodka and simple sugar to taste.

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DOUBLE MIDGE

.. This first batch will be ready about sundown.
.. It shall be good and ready for a post fishing warm up.
.. It's true; the neighbor kids went out early to catch the early streamer bite.
.. They will be home right after the midges quit, about 3:00 PM.
.. We promise to make a quality control check.

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WALLPAPER:  TACOS AMERICANO - SPICY ROAST BEEF

Believe It Or Don't

CAN IT BE ?

It Must Be !

thermometer says so !!

WALLPAPER:  FIRST MUD THEN ICE

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.. If it's 40°F it must be mid December! This warm spell looks to last through the next week with lows in the 20's. We may get an inch or two of snow on Wednesday or Thursday.
.. Of course the daytime mess of melting snow and puddled water turns to ice over night and the creative parking begins each morning.
.. The neighbors are loving it and there are even reports of late caddis, (STILL !!!) Between The Lakes. How do the bugs know what the weather is?

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.. Our gift baking and fly tying are proceeding apace. Soon we will have poisoned all the neighbors and will have the water to ourselves. Ho, Ho, Ho.

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WALLPAPER:  SIMPLE CHRISTMAS CAKE

Strange Bedfellows

FISHING FOR UKES

Fish Much ?

leaders for ukuleles ?

TENOR AND SOPRANO UKULELE

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.. There does exist a small subset of fly fishers that not only tie their own flies but also their own leaders. Formulae are legion and occasionally guarded as well as Area 51.

GOT PACKAGE ??

.. Some fly fishers even use braided horse hair. It can be obtained from the neighborhood nag or, bought by the bunch as violin bow bundles.
.. There are even a very few folks that incorporate dental floss in their  arsenal to fool and capture those pea brained denizens of the deep.
.. Most fly fishers, (affluent bunch that they are,) buy leaders and tippet supplies in little packages at the local feather merchant's store.
.. This provides an excuse to visit the highly knowledgeable and sage counter help and, avoid the myriad chores around the house and garage. A worthy excuse for sure.

GOT SPOOL  ??

.. The stuff of leaders is now, and almost always has been, great fodder for the pub or, club or, lodge or, dusty aisles. This is a great field for all manner of discourse and,  most certainly marketing hype.
.. Topics like diameter, strength, stretch, hardness, stiffness, brand, etc., are full of good fun and sadly lacking, (mostly,) in facts. Must be the temper of the times.
.. Some cagey folks have bothered to explore the various parameters of strength and diameter and material and such. [LINK-1]. If you are interested in the details check it out.
.. Some other folks have explored the specifics of the conversation about the manufacturing process = nylon, monofilament, cat gut, fluorocarbon, thermoplastic and such, [LINK-2]. Another excellent read for those so inclined.

EVEN MORE SPOOLS  !

.. For us the minutiae surrounding all these bits of arcane knowledge is, in fact, useful.
.. As it comes to pass, both the stuff used for fishing line and, ukulele strings and, classical guitar strings is exactly the same in many instances. And, (no big surprise here,) is made by only a very few manufacturers, (but that is another story.)
..  With not too much specialized information it is possible to use our hoard of spooled and crinkled stuff for both fishing and stringing. Who knew it? In fact many ukulele and guitar players have known it for some time.

DISGUISED

.. Chet Atkins occasionally used fishing line for his guitars.
.. Classical guitar maestro Andres Segovia started using fishing line from the DuPont company for some of his strings and encouraged guitar builders to pursue this new material.
.. The result was the development of a much more reliable and trouble free E, B and G strings for the concert classical guitar.
.. For those of you out there that play the ukulele, (or classical guitar,) there are a few very handy references for the use of the correct leader material for strings on your box of air, [LINK-3, LINK-4 , LINK-5,  ].
.. Like anything, best is usually better. In both fishing and stringed instruments trial and error is a pretty standard approach. Depending on your arsenal of attack some bits and pieces work better than others.
.. Fiberglass, bamboo, graphite, boron, casting style, visibility, weight of fly, and many other factors come into play when selecting the stringy parts of the rig.
.. The same holds true for a ukulele: type of wood, sound and tone, construction details, size, strum style, scale length, and so on. {It is even propitious to use discarded instrument strings as part of our fishing ensemble.}
.. However, in both realms there are just a few brands that stand out.
..  DuPont invented nylon in 1939 and fisher folks figured it out very quickly, (stockings were shredded after WWII for fishing line and for flies.) Maxima is about as old as DuPont and started it's production of fishing lines in 1950. Seaguar is a fairly recent entrant into the line business; started in 1966 and has risen to the top with it's innovations in  Fluorocarbon and braided lines. There are a few others  --  of course!
.. Many "House Brands" contract with these companies for their own products. Ask the counter help at your favorite feather merchant if you are buying string over the counter. Right now, (subject to change at any moment,) Seaguar seems in the ascendancy in both the fishing world and the ukulele world.
..  We don't see many lazy gatherings streamside these days. Hardly time for a song or two and certainly not with a guitar.
.. In other parts of this nation and, the world at large, fishing can be found that is a bit more genteel and relaxed. Harmonicas, ukuleles, and even kazoos, can be found.
.. Serious fishing around here, (with very few exceptions,) demands immersion and it approaches a true vocation. Nothing wrong there -- strokes and folks.

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.. Time for a snack and a nap. Then time to restring a couple of instruments before going to a neighborhood gathering.
.. There will be food, fishing talk, hunting talk, children, and some singing. There are fiddles, guitars, ukuleles, and even an Irish harp. It happens around this time of year  --  every year.

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“Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow,
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.” 

. . . the Bard

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WALLPAPER:    RESTING FOR THE MORROW

Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/william_shakespeare_155061

'Tis The Season

WALLPAPER:   MADISON RIVER IN WINTER

Traditional Obscenities

DINNER THEN,

Breakfast Then,

lunch

WALLPAPER:  HALOGEN CONVECTION OVEN

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SOMETHING EMERGED

.. The holidays are just too full of too much feasting and too many festivals. We shall endure!
.. Fishing postponed for another week. We'll suffer through the upcoming obscenities.

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STANDING RIB ROAST FOR DINNER

WAFFLES AND HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY PRESERVES

PUMPKIN SOUP + BUTTER, CREAM, SWEET PAPRIKA

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE & WHIPPED CREAM

Eventide Of The Crepuscular Elf

NORTH POLE HEAT

Elves Behind Schedule

check in with norad

WEST YELLOWSTONE WAS 59 DEGREES COLDER THAN THE POLE

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.. Be it Christmas, Chanukah,
Brumalia, Korochun, Shalako, or your own mid winter celebration; tonight is auspicious.
.. Our news hounds have gathered the best tidbits  of news from sources at the bank, Post Office, grocery store, hardware store, and a few dark corners in the only pub where there are more neighbors than visitors.
.. Ahem, the cold spot of the northern hemisphere is not in Siberia. It's not at the North Pole. It's not in Iceland, Greenland, Lapland, or Bangor, Maine. It's just a small trek north of the border with Canada. And, occasionally downtown West Yellowstone.That is auspicious.

CORPULENT AND CREPUSCULAR

.. Arctic sea ice is disappearing at a record rate. That is auspicious: even if you deny it.
.. Santa Claus must have some good antifreeze in his veins as he leaves the tropical North Pole for destinations in lower North America. That is auspicious even if you are a reindeer.
.. NORAD is working hard to justify it's Santa tracking facilities in the face of anticipated budget cuts after January 20, 2017. Probably auspicious.
.. They will soon be spending most of their time with only last generation jets for defense and the need to be ever alert for some over the pole incursions of updated nuclear threats. That seems to be auspicious.

CLICK TO FOLLOW SANTA

.. This evening may be the last opportunity to follow the course of Santa on his rounds. Whoa! - way auspicious!
.. The precise identification of Santa may be sketchy with the poorly maintained last generation radars. He may get shot down if our obsolete jets can catch him. Most definitely auspicious.
.. It looks like today and tomorrow we will climb to temperatures approaching those at the North Pole. We're glad for the warm up and that certainly is auspicious.

LOW AND SLOW

.. Time to put the standing rib roast in the halogen convection oven. it will swelter most of the day. It will be so much better than a conventional oven.
..  Probably need to have some cherry pie for breakfast. That is about as inauspicious as it gets.

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WALLPAPER:  CHERRY PIE AND WHIPPED CREAM