Out Damned Snow

      In the 6 previous days prior to our departure, it snowed twice.  Not deep, but enough to make you a bit anxious.  We're off on our annual winter sojourn away from the snowy white north.  We were actually experiencing 'Indian Summer' (can I say that?) but have had snow already so we scooted out of town in time.  Our itinerary changed this year due to my mom's health concerns, but we plan to be back on track for the Great Southeastern Tour in 2023.  This will not be a long trip, but we'll take a couple of overnight stops for shopping and visiting our son and grandson.  Gas prices are a concern this year.  As of departure we were looking at $5.09/gal average for diesel, but $5.58 here at home.  The lowest prices are usually always after we cross the Missouri River in St. Louis, but this year who knows?  So much for the BS of 'Build Back Better'.   

      Stops we made included Pontiac 4H Campground Pontiac, IL $20, Lambert's RV Park Ozark, MO $33, Lake Thunderbird State Park Little Axe, OK $90/3 nights, and Town and Country RV Park Marlow, OK $60/2 nights.  We did make reservations at both Lambert's and Lake Thunderbird, but the rest are not necessary this time of year.  The final destination is once again our winter place at the Rotodome Ranch in Leakey, TX.  No boondocking this trip.  

      Most of our meals enroute were the OTR packages we prepared at home.  These are leftovers that we sealed and froze for later use.  Easy meals to warm up on the road and still mighty tasty:  Red Beans & Rice, Chicken Pesto Gemelli, Italian Sausage Soup, and BBQ Brisket meat for sandwiches.    

      We did have some maintenance issues to deal with in the weeks before our departure.  We needed to replace and seal the freshwater tank drain valve.  Also, we had to reseal the bedroom slider floor underneath.  Ultra-lite RV models use materials that are much lighter to save weight, but also result in construction repair issues down the line.  Lots of plastic, fiberboard and cheap fiberglass to aluminum frame mounting.  We have been dealing with such issues this past year.       

Replacing the old mounting structure to make a stronger floor

Lots of fabrication, new wood, and sealant work here   

    

      Our RV is 7 years old now with over 90,000 miles on it so here we are.  Given the price of new units, for now with help we are becoming quite the craftsmen at fabrication and on the road repairs.  You have to love Flex Seal.  We carry a supply of the spray, liquid paint, putty, and sealant with us.  The nickname of our RV has gone from 'McMansion' to 'Band Aide Betty'.  Additionally, we had our home septic tanks pumped as they were very close to full, and the grey water septic system flushed as well.

      Although we have made the trip on this road dozens of times over the years there are always several remarkable stops to be made.  Such is the RV Park in Ozark, MO at Lambert's.  It is located next door to Lambert's Cafe, home of the 'Throwed Rolls'.  I won't elaborate except to say that their cuisine is TOP NOTCH.  Nothing fancy, just incredible down-home cooking.  

Lambert's Café RV Park (lambertscafervpark.com)

      They are located in Ozark, MO Sikeston, MO and Foley, AL.  The best part of this stop was they deliver free of charge to the RV Park.  Order, set up, and enjoy a beer with the local news and soon enough it's dinner time.  $32 for an overnight here with full hookups. 

Lambert’s Cafe II | Lambert's Cafe (throwedrolls.com)

Lambert's Meatloaf, Catfish, and all the trimmings

      In Oklahoma we stayed a couple of days at Lake Thunderbird State Park, about 30 miles SE and beautiful.  Reasonably priced at $30 @ night, we always enjoy staying here.  Also, in OKC......we picked up some Meat Church Rubs, KOSMOS Wing seasonings, Blue and Gold Sausage, as well as a large fossil I had cut at a local lapidary shop and picked up Del Rancho Steak Sandwich Supreme on the way back to camp.  I learned a lot about that fossil.  At first, I thought it was an agate, but 'Rock Guy' at the shop showed me that it was a sea algae fossil.  Texas is full of great fossils from the Cretaceous Period.  I look forward to finding more.  If you're in the OKC area and an amateur geologist, I highly recommend this shop.  Good Earth Rocks Gallery - Oklahoma City Crystals, Minerals, Gemstones

Home Away from Home   Lake Thunderbird, OK

The Money

 Cretaceous period algae fossil

Del Rancho Lil' Steak Sandwich Supreme

Ok, now where's the wings? 

      We treated ourselves to NO TURNPIKE from Oklahoma City 80 miles SW to our grandson's place in Marlow, OK.  We arrived to more rain.  While in Marlow we stayed at Town & Country RV Park, small, but nice at $30 @ night.  We needed to do some laundry this stop.  We made a side trip with our grandson up the road to Rush Springs resulting in some of the best BBQ in the state.  Smokin' Joe's Rib Ranch is legit with everything you could ever want or need.  They are also located in Davis, OK.  

Smokin’ Joe`s Rib Ranch Rush Springs 

Brisket, hot links, and okra, oh my! 

Yeah, that'll take about 11 minutes to devour

Grandma Barb & Brock

      The last leg of our journey is a stout 436 miles south through the heart of Texas on county and state roads.  Not a bad drive, Texas roads are good.  1571 miles, highest diesel was $5.79 in Sawyer, MI, whereas the lowest was $4.59 in Bellefontaine Neighbors (St. Louis), resulting in 12.1 mpg.  Arrival in Leakey and the ranch is always good, we were trying to beat the rain coming in next week.  We pray daily and hope for good news about mom.  We keep up with her status each day so far.  All our love.   

"When I started counting my blessings my whole life turned around"

Willie Nelson

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Crawfish Etouffee

 

      We're just a few days short of our departure south for the winter.  Cool, fall weather has been on us for several weeks now with fall's onslaught arrival.  This is my favorite cuisine, as well as dish, that I love to prepare.  I am surprised I haven't posted this recipe until now.  Cajun and Creole come from a culture rich in tradition and history, be it with French or Acadian influence or the contents of their roux.  Crawfish, crawdads, or mudbugs call them what you will.  This is the very definition of southern comfort food.  There are so many different varieties as you travel throughout the south, and some pretty sad ones up north.  

      This is the first Cajun dish I learned to make and the one I took the greatest pains to perfect.  This dish is a thick, savory, creamy bowl of vegetables, crawfish, and some heat.  Admittedly, there are no fresh crawfish here in Michigan, but the packaged tail meat can be found in the larger stores in Traverse City.  This is Enola Prudhomme's recipe.  I learned it years ago and we have always loved it.  It is simple to make and so good.  I'm sure there are hundreds of other delicious variations that are just as tasty.  

            As such the rest of the ingredients and prep is pretty straightforward.  This is a delicious dish and with many southern dishes requires the marriage of cornbread for the perfect meal.  I have always found Jiffy Cornbread mix to be the easiest, tastiest solution.  We do add some sugar.  

      

1 can Cream o’ shroom soup

1 lb crawfish tails (2 pounds if you LOVE 'em)

½ cup butter

1 can ROTEL

3 Tbsp. chopped garlic

½ cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped bell pepper

2 Tbsp. EVOO

Green onions

1 cup cooked rice or orzo

1 cup seafood stock or water

1 Tbsp. Tony Chachere’s

HEAT here is a matter of preference:  red pepper or other to your tastes

 

      Chop celery, green bell, garlic, onion, ROTEL, butter and EVOO into a large, deep baking dish.  I have a deep-dish cast-iron skillet that is perfect for this.  This is commonly referred to as the Holy Trinity in Cajun Cuisine.  Roast uncovered in oven at 375F for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Be careful, this pan will be VERY HOT after it has been in the oven.  

       Take out and add crawfish, water, soup, and rice; stir thoroughly and return to oven and bake for 20 minutes more.  Barb cannot digest rice, so we use orzo and add it at this point to let it cook in and soften.  

        Serve garnished with green onions.  Cornbread is usually the order of the day, but we used fresh baked 'garlic knots' to accompany our meal, not a bad choice.   

      Of course, fresh 'mudbugs' are always best and I'm sure we'll get our share this winter.

"Crawfish have ding dongs and vaginas"  

Phil Robertson

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Jenga Economics: A Basic Tutorial of Where We Are.......and Why

DISCLAIMER:  I WRITE THIS BLOG TO ENTERTAIN AS WELL AS TO INFORM.  FROM TRAVEL TO FOOD AS WELL AS OPINION, THIS IS A JOURNEY OF LIFE.  ALTHOUGH BASED ON FACT, THESE ARE MY OPINIONS.  I SHARE THEM TO INFORM AND EDUCATE.  

      It's been a while since my last soapbox blog chapter so I thought with the mid-term elections on the near horizon, this might be appropriate.   The country is in a mess right now and there seems to be a never-ending supply of blame to go around.  The current administration is continuing the unfortunate trend undoing all the good the previous administration tried to accomplish.  Notice I said, "....continuing the unfortunate trend" Although President Trump tried and did many good things, his handling of Obamacare was a 'backburner mess'.  He did make us energy self-sufficient and tried to answer America's call to secure the border.  As I see it his biggest negative is that he could have been much more 'Presidential'.....staying the hell off social media. Yet the current party loves to blame all of our current problems on him, although none of this began till they got in power.  

      The mainstream media hasn't been a friend of America since the beginning of Vietnam.  They only survive to sell what sells and avoid a lack of this by creating more.  This has been becoming more common since the Spanish American War and the beginning of Yellow Journalism.  The vast majority of news these days is completely taken out of context.  The only difference between their work and outright lies is a spinning Thesaurus. 

      I make it no secret that I do not like the current administration or their party.  I am not going to blame one man just their entire philosophy.  Their 'bastardization of the constitution and economics' should be our biggest fear.  Democrats LOVE to spend money.  The real problem with this is that is your money, not theirs and they only get it thru a stranglehold of taxation.  Yet with all this influx of cash, nothing ever gets done unless, of course, you are the Ukraine or an illegal immigrant flooding across our southern borders.  The issue of 'pork barrel' has been around for years and this party thrives on it.  They promise relief thru their programs, yet the vast majority DOES NOT go the Americans.  This is simply defined as a legislator slipping funding of a local project into a larger appropriations bill.  If you look at POTUS' current Inflation Reduction Bill, much of it is actually diverting funding into the 'New Green Deal' brimming with a boat load of new taxation.  At least it's keeping AOC quiet these days.  

     Yet, I finally digress.  Although there have been many advertised or mentioned over the years there are 3 main types of economic theory:  Keynesian, Neo Classical, and Marxian.  I am not going to go into DEEP analysis of each, but just state the main points and pros/cons, keeping it as hopefully understandable as possible.  You can decide what type most applies to us and where we've been and where we're probably headed.  Regardless the government can and does influence the economy by changing the level and types of taxes, the extent and composition of spending, and the degree and form of borrowing.  

KEYNESIAN ECONOMICS

      Keynesian economics believe that, because prices are somewhat rigid, fluctuations in any component of spending-consumption, investment, or government expenditures cause output to change.  They believe that demand drives supply and that healthy economies spend more than they save.  Demand is more likely than supply to be the primary cause of inflation or recession.  This theory has driven America for majority of our history, but in light of the recent COVID pandemic, the supply chain 'hangover' has resulted in a pretty dangerous situation.  

NEO-CLASSICAL ECONOMICS

      This focuses on supply and demand as the driving forces behind the production, pricing, and consumption of goods and services.  It is simply just that.  The consumer determines what the demand is, and industry is driven to supply it.  This includes choices of style, etc.  For example, if you desire to purchase designer apparel because of the attached brand label (i.e., Jordache) the value exceeds the cost of production, rationale, and actual utility.  Neo-classical probably affects more of the upper class while Keynesian affects us all at one time or another. 

MARXIAN ECONOMICS

      Obviously, this is the result of Karl Marx 19th century Russian revolutionary policies. It focuses on the role of labor in the development of an economy and is critical of productivity but emphasizes the role of the specialization of the labor force, coupled with a growing population, pushes wages down, adding that the value placed on goods and services does not account for the true cost of labor.  We cannot let this result in the 'nationalization of anything'.  

      You can see that all of these theories have had a significant place in our history.  The labor movement owes its beginnings to the Marxian style, but has also significantly affected all 3 prices, supply, and demand.  I harbor no ill will towards unions, but unfortunately, union labor costs also drive up the cost of living as well.  It's a vicious one-way uphill struggle.  

MY CONCLUSION

      Current events, most notably the issue of COVID and its lingering supply chain hangover is the most notable.  However, Keynesian policy of going into debt has resulted in America borrowing trillions of dollars from China over the years.  Also consider POTUS decision to stop the Keystone Pipeline and seriously reduce or stop government leases for further oil exploration or production has further crippled our economies 'catch up' efforts.  POTUS has tapped our National Petroleum Reserve for millions of barrels to help with the rising gas prices, but over half of that was sent to China.  So much for self-sufficiency not to mention integrity.  All they did was further a demand for us, but from outside sources.  The equation of gas production/prices + regulation + supply chain strangulation + increased costs and prices + labor issues + Jenga Economics = disaster.  Additionally, the monumental influx of illegal immigrants only adds to our debt to support them.  Now for the final 'cherry on the cake' add the restless labor faction ready to stop our entire country with airline strikes, railway strikes, and teacher strikes.  I use the term 'Jenga Economics' to illustrate a pretty simple concept to grasp if you know the game.  These actions are simply of individual or party interests, not the best interests of the American people.  We have very nearly stopped being a nation dedicated to the best interests of us all, just an ever-increasing horde  of selfish individuals scrambling to 'get theirs' before it's all gone.  The hole is being dug from which there is no escape.  You don't like the word socialism, then show me a better term for where we're headed.  Apathy is just a word till you realize that is what they are counting on from us.  The current policies of the last two years are responsible, there is no other explanation.  They are blaming the past but paying the resultant debt forward for all of us badly.   We each have our own minds and opinions, just vote.  REMEMBER NOVEMBER. 

"I believe now, as I always have, that America's strength is in We the People"

Ronald Reagan

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The Art of Wood Pit BBQ

 

      Now that I have cleaned and stored my wood pit in the barn for the coming Michigan winter, I guess it is about time I waded into these waters.  Many of us cook outside and some even BBQ.  This 'art form' takes many shapes and a variety of equipment.  I have been doing it for about 29 years now and still own my original Oklahoma Joes Chuckwagon Wood Pit.  I realize that there will be a difference of opinions as to the models and styles we each use as well as the taste and results of each.  I will offer the basic facts so that you may compare and decide.  I won't address the LARGE competition models that you see on TV for competitive cooking as we all operate on a much smaller, but no less tasty, scale.  Opinions are like.......well, you know.  No matter which way you go, as cooks the results are ours, we all have our own preferences, tastes, audiences and methods.  

      There are so many models and types of cookers:  Big Green Egg, Webber, Brinkman, Oklahoma Joes, Trager, electric, drum, barrel, offset, reverse flow, etc.  I will only address the Top 3:  True wood pit offset, reverse flow, and pellet.  Some of the drum or barrel smokers heat with charcoal and wood chips beneath a water pan and the meat racks.  I started my journey many years ago with a Brinkman such as this.  Many good meals in deer camp.  

Brinkman Smoker with water pan

OK Joes Barrel Smoker with hung or over grill meat

      We have all been influenced by the onslaught of TV shows showing competition of BBQ, etc.  First of all, let's get one thing straight.  Cooking over direct heat such as charcoal or fire is not BBQ, it is grilling. That should be 'Ruffled Feathers #1'.  True BBQ is cooking over indirect heat whether it be wood, chips, pellets, and charcoal.  It cooks via smoke and heat.  If I use charcoal, it is 'lump style', which is larger chunks of charred hardwood.  Look for the label on the bag, LUMP STYLE; your choice of wood is up to you.  It burns longer with more flavor and stable temps than regular briquets.  I will use this to start my firebox then add a split piece of my choice of wood as we go, adding more lump as needed.  It saves wood and keeps temps constant.  The offset style does require a supply of split wood of your choice to operate.  I find the taste to be superior.    

      'Ruffled Feather #2:  I am not a fan of electric or propane smokers.  I know friends who use them and have had excellent results.  Everybody has their own style and that works for them.  I am a 'purist'.  I use 2 offset wood pits, one in NW Michigan and another at our winter place in Texas.  There are pros and cons to all models, and I have found for us this works the best.  I like tending my fire.  

      Our pit in Texas is a Texas Longhorn Smoker offset as well, but with a smaller stature and no vertical pit, just an exhaust stack.  It still operates on the same principles, but with a smaller chamber so I have to plan accordingly.  Interestingly this pit has a detachable bottom mount and a hitch adaptation to mount to the hitch of a truck for transport.......BBQ on the road.  Both of these units produce excellent results from brisket, beef ribs, spareribs, baby back ribs, turkey, pork butt, pork belly, lamb, and even cheese.  These models are simple.  They have an offset firebox, a cooking chamber (or 2) and a stack with 2 flues.   I only use the vertical stack for fish as it runs 100-150F cooler.  They also have a flat plate over the fire box to heat beans, etc. 

      Offset smokers have better airflow and come up to temp faster and a cleaner burn.  The smoke/heat runs from the firebox thru the cooking chamber and out the stack.  These types of wood pits have hot and cold zones.  Temperature control here can be tricky, but with experience you'll get the hang of it.  The smoke flavor is very good with this type of pit.   

      This brings us to the world of reverse flow offset smokers.  These units are constructed similarly except that the smoke travels from the firebox to below the cooking chambers deflected by steel plates and then up and over top of the cooking chamber thru to the exhaust which is right above the fire box.  

      This type of pit has several pros and cons.  It is the easiest to regulate temperature.  It is very nearly a fire up and leave type.  The addition of the baffle plate helps to create a more consistent temperature control.  However, reverse flow smokers are less fuel efficient and takes longer to come up to temperature.  Since the baffles are welded in, cleaning becomes a more difficult task.  The smoke flavor here is very good as well.  

      

      Which brings us finally to pellet smokers.  These came on the scene about 15 years ago. They employ many of the same features of a true offset smoker, but are fed with small, processed wood pellets for burning.  Both these and wood pits provide smoke flavor, but wood pits produce a bit more.  First of all, these are all powered by electricity, firing up the wood pellets and providing heat when needed.  The simplicity of these is that you just empty the bag of as many pellets as you need into the hopper box and rock n roll.  Although not true wood pit, the principal still works.  Heat and smoke are provided which flows across the meat and out the stack.  These provide great smoke flavor as you are able to choose the type of wood you want when buying bags of pellets.  Firebox temp regulation with these is very good as well.  You just set the temp and leave it.  My son has a very nice Trager and swears by it.  These are very straightforward and a GREAT first unit for anyone. 

 

      As you can see there are many types and styles to match your outdoor cooking needs and desires.  Tastes, ease of operation, and costs are all part of your consideration.  The one thing I would recommend is that you purchase one that has good heavy-duty steel at least 1/4" thick.  Less is cheaper but will not last as long.  Also, be sure to clean all the ash after every use.  Nothing corrodes steel like leftover wood ash.  This is the easy part.  Now comes the recipes and cooking temps/times/wood/ etc.  Don't worry, I screwed up a lot of ribs before I got it right.  Don't let that discourage you.  Enjoy the journey. 

"Sure, I was poor, but BBQ has never been a rich man's pleasure.  It's always been a culture of thrift.  It's a poor rural cuisine based on the leanest, throwaway cuts of the animal being cooked until edible with a fuel that can be picked up off the ground"

Aaron Franklin: A meat smoking manifesto

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