ness

Beef shanks braised in red wine and beef stock with onion. Parsnips and carrots added later. Shredded beef, defatted, thickened a bit and added it all back together.

We'll be fine. Lots of others not so lucky.

We're getting rolling blackouts around here. Nothing at my house yet. https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article249265505.html

Welp, it's mid-February and nobody has kicked off the annual thread, so I guess I'll start it. It's a fine day to think about spring since the temp outside this morning is -5 degrees. I've been going through the annual planning process the last couple weeks. I have a couple new things going in this year, but it's mostly the same favorites. Gonna try Bok Choy. The missus wants bell peppers, so we're doing them -- that's a first. I can't stand raw green peppers, can tolerate them well cooked, and actually like red when they're cooked. Also going to do carrots for the first time in a few years. Another request -- we do eat a lot of carrots around here. 8 to 10 tomatoes again -- about the right amount for us and to give a few away. Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Celebrity and Sun Gold cherry. Some pole and bush beans: Rattlesnake and Dragon Tongue at least. Several varieties of lettuce, some snap peas, radishes, Swiss chard and beets. Also, Jimmy Nardello and Sweet Banana peppers. Might also grow a hot one -- kinda think it would be fun to try ho' made hot sauce. I tore out the raised beds last fall -- they'd started to rot at the corners after 11 seasons. Going to change the configuration and location a bit to get better sun. Trees have grown a bit since they went in in 2010. I've got tomatoes and pepper seeds on heat mats to pre-sprout. They're at a toasty 87 degrees this morning. And, the missus has been looking through catalogs at flowers seeds. She's got several picked out that we'll start indoors soon. So -- what's going on in your garden this year?

I’m pretty sure the sparrow to the right of the cardinal in your first picture is a White-crowned sparrow. Had a friend post one on FB yesterday.

Woke up this morning and dinner was still on the deck and doing fine. Basic prep -- nothing fancy here. Boiled lobster tails with melted butter. Filet with salt, pepper done in screaming hot cast iron skillet to rare, finished with a little butter. Wifey loves the Italian beans, so she got them. A little bubbly that we didn't end up needing last weekend. It was all delicious, and just the right portion size for us. It left room for dessert. So about dessert...Saw this one from Chef John / Food Wishes the other day. He's one of my faves. Basically a chocolate pudding/custard thing. Egg yolks, cream, sugar, chocolate (I used Lindt 70% cacao). Even a little butter at the end. This one rates a double-dang. I think ness 2.3 summed it up nicely when he said, 'Holy $%#&, that's good!' Will make this again, but can't do it often.

That .7 helps 😀

Yep, Red-Bellied woodpecker with the red head. The black and white with red cap is likely a downy woodpecker. I’ve got Flicker coming to the feeder now. Trying to get a shot of him.

Welcome! I’ve always wanted to get into RC planes. I’ve got that on the ever growing list of things to do when I’m retired. Loved to build all kinds of models as a kid; recently stuck my toe back into the water again doing a ‘63 Corvette model. There are some talented photographers here on OAF too. There’s a thread going here with some good stuff.

I'll admit I'm a sissy. You guys can handle much more heat than us, based on the devil dust stuff you sent. I had to have a HAZMAT unit come handle that for me The recipe called for ½ cup of the gochagaru (I'm tired of looking up how to spell that. From now on this will be 'Korean chili flakes' ). I just couldn't see that much in 2 quarts, so I went with one tablespoon. First pass, so I guess we'll see. I figured I'd rather wish there was more spice than pitch the stuff because I couldn't eat it.

I've never bought kale before the other day. Both recipes called for it, but I do think spinach would taste better. Weird, but I thought the kale tasted better in the first soup somehow.

And, while the cabbage was wilting down I made some Tuscan bean soup. Cannellini beans, shell pasta, diced taters, maters, kale, etc. Perty good, but I'd change it up some for next time (like leave out the pasta, less kale). Some ho' made sourdough too. Earlier this week the missus made Olive Garden copycat Zuppa Toscana, which was pretty similar but with sausage and some cream. Also pretty good:

I'm walking down the coffee/tea aisle at the store today and a label catches my eye. And, I think to my self, 'No... they wouldn't!' But they did:

Took the kimchi plunge today. Used the same recipe as @BilletHead, from the Ball canning site. I was a little chicken to do a whole tablespoon of the chili flakes though -- did about half of what the recipe called for.

Had these guys show up today

A guy can afford a lot of seafood when he doesn’t have a boat😄

Yep -- two smallish tails, a couple 4 oz. filets and some chowder too.

I love the stuff. I could even do it with cherries

Loved them as a kid—I always went for them first. Now, not so much. None in my fruitcake. 😄

Tomorrow’s dinner:

I'm gonna give kimchi a try soon. Got the fermentation lids and glass weights the other day. Also some gochugaru. Gotta find a recipe and just do it.

Yeee doggie!

This guy started showing up a couple days ago. First time I've seen a Red-Bellied woodpecker this year. Taken through our dirty window:

Gumbo tonight. Shrimp, chicken, andouille and cod too. And, Red Beer!!

I need to go get some to recover from the conference call I just endured.