Annual physical this morning: my doctor has never seen me so healthy. Hmm. BP was 112/74, outrageous! Weight loss the reason, all that weight I lost from stress after H's heart arrest.
Well, long as I pass befoe the food and water wars!
Preparing a routine where I grill most of our meals, even in winter, for the LABOR AND ROUTINE of it, things that keep me sane, keep me from thinking about those food and water wars. If I spend most of my time prepping dinner, fine, that is old school, like 17th C school ha ha.
Lots of learning to do, esp as regards wood smoking. Eager beaver!
Another 100 day, then a cool down ... we have soccer tickets for women's team next week, shouldn't be too unbearably hot then.
H off to air conditioned movie house with girlfriend.
Behind on everything but cooking.
SATURDAY. Grilling with Weber portable, fine for two but restricted in its uses. But I want to know what I'm doing, so this morning I am running some tests, using an oven thermometer to record heat levels over time, see exactly what I'm dealing with here. Going to put coals on one side so I have both direct and indirect heat; going to use a water pan to increase humidity. Tweak as I go along, I suppose. Starting with Lump briquettes.
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First impressions. Charcoal chimney is terrific. Never used one, not after all these decades of bbquing. But it makes lighting so much easier, and with no chemicals. I think I was just lazy and habitual, with the self light or the lighter fluid. Dumb dumb dumb.
Since I have fire, I might as well cook something! Have breakfast sausage links, will work I think.
Music day, I hope. Behind on everything. Spending my time brooding about grilling and doing cooking prep things.
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First temp, after 5 mins, is 400. Will make separate entry with results for easy access later.
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I am impressed with how long it maintains good heat ... still 400 after 25 mins.
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380 after 45 on grill ... what a valuable test! Who would've known? And this little portable has no bells and whistles. I see no need to invest in something better ... we actually have a larger Web in the basement ... but this is great for two, and the secret is to learn how the damn thing heats, then I can act accordingly ... hence this test, which is a lovely way to spend a morning.
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Peaks at 450 after 10 min ... after 15, declines 10 every 5 min until an hour, then 20 every 5.
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The bottom line is, I can cook anything up to an hour and maybe more, without adding heat ... going to continue the test to see how long it takes to get down to 300.
Pleasant, even cool, out here on the deck now ... but the forecast is another day 100 or close. Will end, this heat spell, in a few days.
After this test, breakfast!
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Starving but I want to see the temp after an hour and a half. Hope it is above 300.
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Stays above 300 for an hour and a half.
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