Today's Trip

>> Mmmmm, barbecue. What style? <<

Long-smoked with sweet-smoky sauce. We got a platter with pulled pork (excellent), pulled chicken (excellent texture, good flavor), and pork ribs (delectable in flavor, although not falling-apart tender).

>> Reminds me, I could use a few more pocket polos... <<

These were $3 at Wal-Mart, I think they're Faded Glory. Gorgeous colors, my_partner_doug got a heather purple, a teal, and a black. Plus a couple of flannel shirts for $8, and I got a blue-and-white flannel too. \o/

>> Ah! Western Carolina style! The molasses-and-hickory thick sauce was what I grew up with. <<

Things I like in barbecue sauce:
* hickory
* mesquite
* applewood
* oak
* molasses
* honey
* brown sugar
* apple butter
* or most other fruits
* ginger kick
* thick and sticky

Things I do not like:
* vinegar as predominant flavor/texture
* mustard
* hot peppers
* high-fructose corn syrup (there goes 95-100% of the stock)
* runny

>> Sounds like your ribs could've used another couple hours. Ribs in a restaurant are tricky; you never know how many you're going to go through, and you can't just hold'em all day.... <<

Yeah. As long as they're not tough I don't mind.

>>Flannel shirts... 'cause y'all get real winter out there!<<

Yep. I love flannel shirts. In addition to being warm and cuddly, they make my masculine side happy, especially when I can find them on the men's racks that fit. \o/

>> I think we're very much on the same page on the sauce. Not *too* much on the ginger, but enough to get my attention is fine... maybe some black pepper for a little bottom-spice, and a hint of cumino for the middle... but not very much. <<

I like quite a large range of spices. I think I put a dozen or so into my version of Ras el Hanout, although some places will do thirty or more. I like all the different colors of peppercorns, although I use them in different recipes. Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, paprika are all tasty in barbecue sauce.

>> I get warm far too easily, and wear short sleeves in the office on all but the coldest of days.... and a fleece and a biker jacket on top of that outside until it drops quite a bit below freezing. But I do appreciate clothing that *does what you want it to*... <<

I overheat easily too. But here it sometimes gets cold enough that the house is cold even with ALL the heating on, and we can't afford to heat it most of the time. We try to go at least a month between air conditioning and heating, use the woodstove to make the house marginally habitable, and reserve the heat pump for when it's cold enough to freeze the pipes. I tolerate cold much better than heat, and a key way I do that is by layering clothes. T-shirt, winter shirt, sweater and I'm good for most everyday purposes.

>> I'm guessing you do tagine a fair bit? <<

Not per se, but we use a similar principle. If I'm making mushroom medley, I usually flavor it with garam masala or Ras el Hanout.

>> What would you think of silk or silk blends for an inner layer? Aside from "too pricey"; that's not an issue. ;) <<

I love silk. It's finding clothes to fit that's challenging. Usually by the time I can fit my tits and hips into them, the sleeves and legs are hanging off the ends of my limbs. :/

People really don't think that an hourglass figure comes in short. :/

*laugh* Technically Ras el Hanout isn't a recipe, or even an algorithm. It literally means "head of house." It's a blend of what each spice merchant considers their best stock.

This is my recipe.

I have tried that sort of thing, with no success. What I have noticed is that bulbs planted in grass are more likely to escape. I am also testing some new types of flowers which are tagged "deer-resistant." I'm pretty sure nothing is going to eat the allium, for instance.