Monster BBQ 'Tater Overload

Me, I'm just a simple man ... and sometimes I just want some simple vittles ~ meat & potatoes. This is a big 70 ct. Idaho Russet potato, rubbed with bacon fat & dusted with a lil' bbq rub ... then baked hot & nasty 425* and topped with butter, shredded cheddar, sour cream & about a half pound of tender smoked bbq brisket. Now tell me ... do they got these things at yer local fast food joint ... huhhh?? I didn't think so. The loaded 'tater picture show <---click

~~~**~~~**~~~

Blind Faith ~ Can't Find My Way Home

Where The West Commences...

Sunset In The Beautiful Kansas Flint Hills
~~~**~~~**~~~

The Flint Hills

There's a simple kind of beauty
In the Flint Hills late at night,
When the moon shines on the bluestem grass
And there's not a tree in sight.

Just a'sittin round a campfire
And warmin' to its glow,
As the deep dark blue of nighttime
Covers the hills below.

You can see the rollin' prairie
Bathed in the moon's soft light
And the stars a'specklin' the midnight sky
Givin' beauty to the night.

And out there somewhere nearby
You'll hear a nightbird trill
And the lonely cry of a coyote
Upon some rollin' hill.

It's that evenin' quiet that frees us
From the daytime's work and toil
And our busy lives can rest a spell
Out on that ancient soil.

Yes, it's a simple kind of beauty
In the Flint Hills late at night.
When the moon shines on the bluestem grass
And there's not a tree in sight.

James H. John
~~~**~~~**~~~

Steve Goodman ~ Don't Fence Me In

Ain't No Damn Sissy Sammie

Mais, they don't teach you how to make this sandwich at Martha Stewart cooking school, no. I'm a skilled and experienced bigassed sandwich eater ... but this bad boy was a challenge ~ 4 alternating layers of tender, smoky burnt ends & sliced beef brisket, topped with raw Vidalia onion rings. Ain't no damn sissy *sammie*......

~~~**~~~**~~~

Paul Butterfield ~ Done A Lot Of Wrong Things

The Vegetable Lady

so ... ever since i discovered this ol' farm lady & her fruit/veggie stand, i been goin' back there on a regular basis & buyin' whatever she's brought that day. today i was makin' this *farmer's salad* and i bought some fresh garden growed cucumbers, cantalope, green peppers, onions, homegrowed t'maters and some dill weed. this ol' farm lady is about the most beautiful thing i've laid mah weary eyes on ~ she is 70 years old if she's a day, tanned as leather, wears an old tattered straw hat and a bandanna around her neck, men's khaki work pants and an old pair of wellington boots looked to be about as old as she is.

she sets up her veggie stand every morning in the parking lot of an old gas station, got a couple hand painted signs (painted on a sheet of plywood) that she props up against the side her old chevy pickup truck ... and commences to do business out the tailgate dat ol' truck. she says she has several gardens on her farm a few miles outside topeka, where she was born & raised ... and still lives wit her dogs & cats. today i noticed an old dog was layin' in the shade under her truck ... dog looked pretty mangy, but i have no doubt that if i'd so much as looked cross-eyed at that ol' gal, that dog woulda come out from under that truck & ripped me to shreds lickety-split. i asked her if she did any canning & preserving, and she told me she did some ... but says at the end of the day, if she's got any veggies left, she drops them off at a local homeless shelter on her way home.

she says she been selling her veggies on that corner for about 35 years, since long before the gas station was there ... and i can only hope she's still there 35 years from now ... long after dat gas station is gone.

~~~**~~~**~~~

Michael Martin Murphy ~ Old Desert Rat

She sits on the front porch of the old house that stands scorched
Under the sunstroke of the desert day that choked
Her old man who fell in the sun

With rattlesnakes and keepsakes, old boxes of cornflakes
Grammaphones and gemstones, and three unclaimed doorframes
And bleached bones and rocks by the ton

Goodbye old desert rat, you half crazy wildcat
You knew where it was at, what life's all about
You saver of catalogs, king of the prairie dogs
Success is survival and you toughed it out
You toughed it out...

You old loudmouth rockhound, you kept the kids spellbound
Half crazy and sunbaked, you earned your own grubstake
By breakin' your back all day long

With junk art and dump carts, old Model-T parts
Frustrated, outdated and uneducated
At eighty you still wrote good songs

Goodbye old desert rat, you half crazy wildcat
You knew where it was at, what life's all about
You saver of catalogs, king of the prairie dogs
Success is survival and you toughed it out
You toughed it out...

Sunday Morning Gospel Hour

A Gospel Medley by The Broom Sisters

The Boys In The Bunkhouse

Aiiiyeee, the bunkhouse would be kinda boring without this onery ol' cowboy in it ~ my buddy Bruce W. aka "Willdog" been raisin' the roof & scarin' the chilluns ever since I come to know him back in the late 70's / early 80's. Willdog's a right fine high-harmony bluegrass singer ... paid his dues singin' fer his supper in beer joints & roadhouses out in western Kansas, where he was born'n raised ~ his Pop a cattleman, still farmin' the home place out that way. Like most mah friens, Willdog got hisself married up & settled down (kinda) ... got a lil' peeshwank sprout name Charlieboy dat's wayyy to handsome to take after his doggie daddy ... but every once in a blue moon ... most often late at night when the wind is just right and the W.L. Wellers Reserve bottle gits 'bout half empty, you can hear ol' Willdoggie's voice wailin' the high lonesome. Yeah, all my rowdy friens have settled on down....

~~~**~~~**~~~

On account a very unfortunate accident involving a gas grill, three mah friends died and went to Heaven, lickety-split. Thereupon his arrival, the first guy, mah frien Hopper, gits handcuffed to one of the ugliest girls there. "Why you cuffin' me to this butt-ugly girl?" he asks.

St. Paul replies: "Hoppy ... when you were nine years old you killed a bird with a stone."

The same thang happens to the second guy, mah frien Alonzo. He also asks why he's chained to such a gawd-awful ugly girl.

St. Paul again replies, "When you were nine you killed a bird with a stone."

The third fella, mah ol' buddy Willdog, he laughs at the misfortune that's befallen his friens and says, "Thank God I din't do nuthin' like that", and then he gets hisself handcuffed to the most prettiest girl in Heaven ~ whooboy ah mean to say ... she was fine, yeh.

The other two guys was understandably irked ... and they ask St. Paul: "How come ol' Willdog git shackled to dat bee-you-tiful girl, huhhhhh???"

And St. Paul said: "Because when she was nine she killed a bird with a stone."

~~~**~~~**~~~

Larry Gatlin & Gatlin Brothers ~ The Midnight Choir

The doors to the mission open at seven
And the soup will be ready about nine
Right now its six-thirty, they're ragged and dirty
They standin' and sittin', and layin' in line
First they'll do a little singin', then hear a little preachin'
And get saved for the 3rd time this week
A bowl of soup later and a pat on the shoulder
And by midnight, they're back on the street

They walk to the corner of 4th street and Broadway
Then take the first alley on the right
One of them asks a stranger, how 'bout a hand
And he gives 'em one finger at a time
Then they spot an old buddy, with a bottle of heaven
Then pass around what means ev'ry-thing
One bottle for four, thank God, someone scored
And now the Midnight Choir starts to sing

Will they have Mogen David in heaven
Dear Lord, we'd all like to know
Will they have Mogen David in heaven, Sweet Jesus
If they don't, who the hell wants to go

Will they have Mogen David in heaven
Dear Lord, we'd all like to know
Will they have Mogen David in Heaven, Sweet Jesus
If they don't, who the hell wants to go

Burnt Ends ~ True To The 'Que

Here's a big plateful of burnt ends hot out my smoker ~ chunked, dunked & smoky caramelized hunks of tender, juicy bovine love ~ like buttah! Made from the point of a beef brisket, burnt ends (originally called beef brownies) were born in Kansas City, when Henry Perry & Arthur Bryant would sell the *burnt ends* of their briskets out the trunk of their car, to po'folk on the street, for 10 cents a pound. Nowdays, good burnt ends fetch about $12-$16 a pound ... and most KC bbq joints that sell them run out of them early in the day. Properly made, burnt ends are THE HOLY GRAIL of bbq, IMHO ~ nothin' better. The piece de resistance to traditional Kansas City burnt ends is Arthur Bryant's original bbq sauce ~ only then, have you experienced real burnt ends. Be True To The 'Que.

~~~**~~~**~~~

Wayward Sons ~ Winter's Come And Gone

Got Wood?

Pecan, hickory, peach and apple wood ... chunked and split for the WSM ~ got'er fired up, locked & loaded for an early morning smoke session today. Nothing like the smell of hickory smoke in the cool pre-dawn air ~ Gawd, I love this country!! Smoker fired at 4:30 AM & loaded at 5:30 AM ... a whole choice packer brisket, couple slabs of pork spare ribs trimmed St. Louie, a big hunka bovine chuck roast, 2 whole chickens and a bunch of thick cut pork steaks. Had to git *creative* and rig up a 3rd shelf in the WSM ... but I got'er done ... visions of burnt ends fer supper dancin' in mah haid ~ but for now, we wait. Go to sleep mah little babies...

~~~**~~~**~~~

Bobbie Gentry ~ Ode To Billy Joe
~~~**~~~**~~~
Had'ta have a lil' breakfast while tending the smoker this morning ~ scratch buttermilk biscuits filled with a fried egg and bacon, then smothered with sausage gravy ... made the homemade sausage yesterday, using pork sparerib trimmings and flap meat.

When Life Gives You Cucumbers...

Pickle a peck them lil' puckers! For the price of about 1 jar of dem fancy store-bought Claussens, I put up about 10 quarts of good homemade pickled giardeneria mixed veggies. Loadin' the larder for wintertime, yeh ~ makin' homemade cherry preserves today ... gotta make hay while the sun shines. Crisis ... what crisis???

~~~**~~~**~~~
A recent study found the average American walks about 900 miles per year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of beer a year. That means us Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon. Gotta love dem renewable energy sources!!

Kind of makes you proud to be an American, don't it???
~~~**~~~**~~~

Van Morrison ~ What Am I Living For

Grits Ain't Groceries...

But smoked, homegrown tomato grits with caramelized onions & aged white cheddar cheese ... is damn good eats! Whoooboy, you slap'em with a knob of butter big enough to choke a goat ... then top'em with a pile of fresh crispy fried green tomatoes, then dust the whole shebang with a lil' cajun seasoning ~ fry mah hide!! If yer mama din't make'em dat way, you wasn't raised right, ah garrontee. Here's a lil' slide show. <---click

~~~**~~~**~~~

Levon Helm ~ Blue Moon Of Kentucky
~~~**~~~**~~~

Holy Moley ... phone's been ringin' off the wall, folks wantin' recipe fer smoked tomato grits ~ ain't got no recipe, but I can gestalt it for ya. I just took a big fat, ripe homegrowed t'mater & sliced it thick ... brushed dem slices wit a lil' EVOO ... seasoned wit a lil' salt & pepper, then onto a flat pan so I wouldn't lose none the juices, and into mah smoker whilst I was smokin' some chicken wit pecan wood. Smoked them 'mater slices real good, until they was real soft & smoky ... mebbe 'bout 2 hours. Then dump them smoked 'maters & juice in the blender with 1 cup water and 1 cup milk, and blend it real good ~ badda boom, dat's yer liquid you gonna cook yer grits in, yeh?

Now ... start yer saucepan with about a TBSP or two of bacon grease, add about 1/2 sweet Vidalia onion (chopped) and commence to caramelizin' the onion good'n'proper, med heat ... when onion is caramelized, dump dat smoky 'mater liquid mixture in the pan, throw a knob of butter in there, stir it good & bring it up to a slow-rollin' boil & stir in a 1/2 cup quick grits. NOT instant grits ... QUICK grits. Stir, stir, stir ... and mebbe 'bout 8-7 minutes later, you got yerself some smoked tomato grits! Now you gotta cheese'em up ... so take dat pan off the stove, and stir in about 2 cup or so of good shredded cheddar cheese ... and don't use dat damn cheap imitation fake cheese, ya'hear? Use good cheese ... me, I used some good sharp aged, white Tillamook cheddar ... why? ... because that's what I had on hand, dat's why.

That's mah story, and I'm stickin' to it.

Only Two Things That Money Can't Buy....

This is one of my all-time favorite summertime salads ~ I make it every summer, only when the homegrown tomatoes are available ~ learned to make it years ago, from an old Greek guy who owned a hotel where I used to be Chef ~ he (and I ) call it Greek Tomato Salad: ripe homegrown tomatoes, garden fresh cucumbers & onions, fresh garlic, lemon juice and zest, oregano, basil, vinegar, EVOO, Kosher salt, cracked black pepper & a pinch of sugar. True Love ~ highly overrated, IMHO ... but you cain't buy homegrown tomatoes!

~~~**~~~**~~~

Hazel Dickens ~ Beyond The River Bend

Sunday Morning Gospel Hour

Gillian Welch ~ Sweet Beulah Land

I got a mother in Beulah Land outshine the sun
I got a mother in Beulah Land outshine the sun
I got a mother in Beulah Land.....
Way beyond the sky

Oh come on and go to Beulah Land outshine the sun
Come on and go to Beulah Land outshine the sun
Come on and go to Beulah Land....
Way beyond the sky

I got a father in Beulah Land outshine the sun
I got a father in Beulah Land outshine the sun
I got a father in Beulah Land.....
Way beyond the sky

Yes come on and go to Beulah Land outshine the sun
Come on and go to Beulah Land outshine the sun
Come on and go to Beulah Land.....
Way beyond the sky

I got a sister in Beulah Land outshine the sun
I got a sister in Beulah Land outshine the sun
I got a sister in Beulah Land......
Way beyond the sky

Yes come on and go to Beulah Land
Come on and go to Beulah Land
Come on and go to Beulah Land.....
Way beyond the sky

Couple More Bunkhouse Boys

Here's a couple more very talented friends of mine, both excellent musicians and fellow members in good standing of the F.O.L.B. Dat be ol' NoBob Rob on the left ~ grand poubah of the Fraternal Order of Lost Bobbers and proprietor of the Perrydize Lodge & Wildlife Conservatory ... and dat be ol' Bill W. on the right ~ a plankslapper extraordinaire from down Franklin County way. Bill and his mo'better half, the lovely Mz Kathy, host the annual New Year's Day Bluegrass Jam & Chili Festival <---(click) always one the highlights on mah social calendar!

~~~**~~~**~~~

Jimmy Martin ~ Freeborn Man

~~~**~~~**~~~

Mais ... dat Department Of Water Resources representative from Lawrence stops at the Perrydize Lodge & Wildlife Conservatory and talks wit ol' NoBob. He tells NoBob: "I'm gonna need to inspect your farm for your water allocation, yeh."

Ol' NoBob, bein' the cooperative sorta fella he is, says: "Well aw'rite ... but don't go in that field over there, ya'heah?"

Dat gubmint water representative says: "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal U.S. Government with me. See this here card? This card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I WISH on anybody's land, no questions asked or answered. Have I done made myself clear ... do you understand me boy, huhhhh?"

NoBob, he just shake his haid & nods politely and goes on about doin' his chores.

Purty soon NoBob hears loud screams and sees dat gubmint fella runnin' fer his life across dat field, lickety split, and close behind him was Nobob's bull ... and dat big ol' onery bull is gainin' ground wit every step. Whooooboy, it was plain to see dat gubmint fella was plum terrified ... so NoBob, him, he calmly lays down his tools, ambles over to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs:

"YOUR CARD ... SHOW HIM YOUR CARD!!!!"

Tanner's Onion Rings

Celebratin' the end of the Vidalia onion season ... with some homemade steak-cut onion rings for a lil' snack. I learned how to make these onion rings when I was Chef at a big sports bar in Kansas City, called Tanner's. The secret is in the *spoo* ~ these bad-boys have been voted "Best Onion Rings In Kansas City" for many years runnin' .. and there's a reason for dat, ah garrontee!

~~~**~~~**~~~

Sonny Landreth ~ Mississippi Blues
~~~**~~~**~~~

Fresh Peach & Blueberry Clafoutie

Mais, I got me a frien down Sout Carolina way ..... he goes by *Rawtalent* ... and he turned me on to this foofoo Frenchie dessert called clafoutie. It sure looked and sounded good, so today I hauled off and made me some ~ whooooboy, I ain't nevah gonna make fun them froggies & their foofoo desserts again, me, no ... this is some seriously good eats. Tru dat!! See the video here: <----click

Rajun Cajun Beans

Mama used to make these when I was a kid ~ she called'em Old Settler's Beans ... I bleeve she got the recipe out one them lil' community cookbooks the First Congregational church ladies put out. I've also heard the dish called Trailer Park Chili, and most recently Funeral Beans!! Me, I've put my Kaw-Cajun spin on'em & I call'em Rajun Cajun Beans.

~~~**~~~**~~~

Tab Benoit ~ These Arms Of Mine

We Smoke Anything

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I had a bbq joint back in the early 80's called Walter Roscoe's Hickory House ~ folks just called it Roscoe's fer short. This is the t-shirt that I had made ... logo on the front is a caricature of me, drawn by my artist buddy Joe Oswalt. For some reason the slogan on the back proved to be *real* popular with all my cosmic cowboy & hippy friends. LOL I sold a ton of these shirts. Far Out, Man!!!

~~~**~~~**~~~

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young ~ Suite Judy Blue Eyes

Mac & Cheese ~ Fried Green Tomatoes

Made this kicked-up mac & cheese yesterday ... with aged white Tillamook cheddar, milk, butter, sour cream & egg ~ then added a few chopped Spanish olives & thinly sliced Vidalia onions ... topped it the last 10 minutes of baking with some crushed nacho cheese Doritos. Just damn!

~~~**~~~**~~~

James Taylor ~ Sweet Baby James
~~~**~~~**~~~

Mais, I fried a lil' bacon in this pan first ... then dumped most the bacon fat out & fried these green tomatoes ~ for to make some fried green tomato, bacon and sliced avacado sandwiches w/ cold mac & cheese 'n a big ol' quart Mason jar of sweet tea for lunch today. If that ain't country, I'll kiss yer ass!! LOL

Mama Mia ... BBQ Pizza???

Yeah, that's right ... bbq pizza ... homemade dough got cheesy grits & caramelized onions in it. Sauced with Sweet Baby Ray's, then topped with smoked/chopped bbq beef chuck, monterey jack cheese, red onions and 3 kinds of sweet bell peppers (why 3 kinds of peppers ... because I had them on hand, that's why), and finished with pepperoni and a sprinklin' of red pepper flakes.

~~~**~~~**~~

Earth Opera ~ Home To You

Sunday Morning Gospel Hour

Oriskany Strings ~ I Feel Like Travelin' On

My heavenly home is bright and fair
And I feel like traveling on
No pain nor death can enter there
I feel like traveling on

CHORUS

Yes I feel like traveling, traveling on
I feel like traveling on
My heavenly home is bright and fair
And I feel like traveling on

Let others seek a home below
I feel like traveling on
Which flames devour or waves o'erflow
I feel like traveling on

CHORUS

The Lord has been so good to me
I feel like traveling on
Until that blessed home I see
I feel like traveling on

Couple The Bunkhouse Boys

Phredeaux & Johnny ~ Souvenirs
~~~**~~~**~~~

Mais, these two hep cats is a couple my oldest and best friends ... and pretty damn good musicians, both ... but don't tell'em I said dat, on account they git the big head, yeh. Dat's ol' Arkie Johnny Clark in the bibs, and NoBed Fred aka *Phredeaux* in the shades. I cain't tell ya Phredeaux's last name ... because he's in dat gubmint witness protection program (hence the shades) and is currently flyin' incognito down on the low-low, kwim??

This is the old house I lived in, back in Emporia in the early 80's ~ those two ol' scoundrels, Phreddy & Johnny, played their first gig together on this front porch. I owned a bbq joint back in them days, Walter Roscoe's Hickory House, so mah circle of friens included more than one *starving musician* that was wont to sing fer their supper...and I was happy to oblige. Had lotsa great jam sessions on the porch this ol' house, that's seen better days, yeh.

~~~**~~~**~~~

Phreddy and Johnny, two old friens, met in the park every day to feed the pigeons, watch the squirrels and discuss world problems.

One day Johnny didn't show up. Phreddy wasn't too too concerned; He thought Johnny might have a cold or some urgent appointment.

But after Johnny hadn't showed up for a week or so, Phreddy got really worried, yeh.

After a month had passed, Phreddy figured he had prolly seen the last of ol' Arkie Johnny, God rest his wretched soul...

On his next visit to the park, however, Johnny was sitting on their usual bench, feedin' dem pigeons like nuthin' was amiss.

Amazed and delighted, Phreddy exclaimed, ''For crying out loud Johnny, what in tarnation happened to you, HUHHHHHH?''

Ol' Johnny replied, ''Mais, I been in jail.''

''Jail?'' cried Phreddy. ''You? What on earth for?''

''Well,'' Johnny said, ''you know Sue Ellen ... dat cute lil' blond waitress at the cawfee shop where I sometimes go?''

''Yes,'' said Phreddy, ''I remember her. What about her?''

''Well, one day she filed rape charges against me. At mah advanced age, I was so proud that when I got into court, I pleaded ''guilty.''

''Dat wiley ol' judge, him, he took one look at me...and then he hauled off and gave me 30 days for perjury!!!!!"

Is That A Chimichanga In Yer Pocket.....

~~~**~~~**~~~
Ry Cooder ~ Slide Guitar Blues

Smoked Shredded Brisket In Adobo

This sure made some good chimichangas, I garrontee...if it was any better I'd hafta slap my mama for not makin' it so good!

~~~**~~~**~~~

Peter Rowan ~ Take Me Back To The Range

Brisket Two Ways

Smoked Brisket Flat Braised In Homemade Adobo on
Homemade Black Pepper Tortillas

Ground Brisket/Jalapeno Cheddar Burgers ~ Atop Homemade Shoestring Fries ~ Topped With Homemade Roasted Corn
and Black Bean Salsa
~~~**~~~**~~~
Hank Jr. ~ Tee Tot Song

Smoked Brisket Carnitas

Yesterday I ground half a brisket (mostly point) to make burgers ~ here's the other half that brisket (mostly flat) that I smoked to 165* internal, poured some homemade adobo sauce over it. Will braise it tender in the dutch oven today, and shred it to make chimichangas, soft tacos, carnitas. Got mah pintos soakin, yeh.

~~~**~~~**~~~

Los Lonely Boys ~ I Walk The Line

Fat Johnny's Redeye Brisket/Jalapeno Burgers

Mais, I'm gettin' ready to head to the grill wit these bad-boys ... fresh ground brisket, seasoned with dat good DP Redeye Express & some other *secret* ingredients, diced red and green jalapenos and a splash of Wooster. Ground the whole point, and part of the flat ~ ended up with 11 big-assed half pound burgers. You won't see these burgers at yer friendly neighborhood Mickey D's, and that there is a tru fact! Here's a lil' slide show. <--click

~~**~~**~~

IIIrd Tyme Out ~ John & Mary

~~~**~~~**~~~
Breyer's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & IBC Root Beer Float

Sunday Morning Gospel Hour

Norman Blake ~ I'd Rather Be An Old-Time Christian

In this world I tried most everything and I’m happy now to say
There’s nuthin like religion in the good old fashion way
I am walking in the old time way and I want the world to know
That I’d rather be an Oldtime Christian, Lord, than anything I know

CHORUS
I’d rather be an Oldtime Christian, Lord, than anything I know
Nothing like an Oldtime Christian w/the Christian love to show
I’m walking in the grand old highway and I’ll tell it everywhere I go
I’d rather be an Oldtime Christian, Lord, than anything I know

There are many things I'd like to be as my journey I pursue
I would long to be a leader, as a mortal man would do
I'd like to be a millionaire with a million to bestow
I'd rather be an Oldtime Christian, Lord, than anything I know

CHORUS

All the world is bright since I got right, I sing and pray and shout
All my burdens have been lifted since the Savior brought me out
I will tell the world both far and near as I travel here below
That I’d rather be an Oldtime Christian, Lord, than anything I know

I’d rather be an Oldtime Christian, Lord, than anything I know
Nothing like an Oldtime Christian w/the Christian love to show
I’m walking in the grand old highway and I’ll tell it everywhere I go
I’d rather be an Oldtime Christian than anything I know

Godfather Boudreaux

Boudreaux, da Cajun Mafia Godfather, finds out that his bookkeeper, Jamie Lafitte, has taken him for $10 million.

Dat bookkeeper wuz plumb deaf ~ considered an occupational benefit and why he got the job in the first place, since it was assumed that a deaf bookkeeper would not be able to hear anything if he'd ever have to testify in court. When Godfather Boudreaux goes to shake down the bookkeeper about his missing $10 million, he brings along his attorney, Etienne DuBois...aka Hambone...who knows sign language.

Godfather Boudreaux asks on dat bookkeeper: "Where's the 10 million bucks you embezzled from me, HUHHHHH?"

Ol' Hambone, him, using dat sign language ... asks the bookkeeper where the 10 million dollars is hid.

The bookkeeper signs back: "I don't know what you are talkin' about."

The attorney tells Godfather Boudreaux: "He say he don't know whut you're talkin' about."

Along 'bout that time, Godfather Boudreaux pulls out a pistol ... puts it to the bookkeeper's temple, cocks it, and says: "Ask him again!"

The attorney signs to the underling: "He'll kill you for sure if you don't tell him whar dat money is, lickety split!"

The bookkeeper signs back: "OK! You win! The money's in a briefcase buried behind the shed in cousin Armand Fortier's backyard in Lafourche Parrish!"

Godfather Boudreaux asks the attorney: "Well, what'd he say?"

The attorney replies: "He says he don't think you've got the guts to pull that trigger!!!!"

Lil' Red Weber

I been cookin' on Weber grills since before I can remember ~ ain't had a lot of 'em though...because they just don't wear out. I bought this lil' red one in '95 ~ 13 years, and counting. Every summer I think mebbe it's time to buy a new one...but this lil' red one just won't give up the ghost. Gotta love American made products!

This is a recent shipment of some of my favorite bbq rubs, that I got from hawgeyesbbq.com ~ these are all great products, and I highly recommend hawgeyesbbq.com ... dial'em up on the WWW & tell'em ol' Chez sent ya!

~~**~~**~~
Steve Earle ~ Sweet Little '66

Happy 4th Of July

Made some spicy/garlicky/lemony green bean pickles, with more goodies from the Perrydize Garden ~ also made a couple quarts of homemade roasted corn & black bean salsa using 4 kinds of chiles. Hope all y'all have a groovy 4th!

~~**~~**~~

Randy Newman ~ Sail Away

In America you'll get food to eat
Won't have to run through the jungle
And scuff up your feet
You'll just sing about Jesus and drink wine all day
It's great to be an American

Ain't no lions or tigers ain't no mamba snake
Just the sweet watermelon and the buckwheat cake
Ev'rybody is as happy as a man can be
Climb aboard little wog sail away with me

CHORUS
Sail away ... sail away
We will cross the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay
Sail away ... sail away
We will cross the mighty ocean into Charleston Bay

In America every man is free
To take care of his home and his family
You'll be as happy as a monkey in a monkey tree
You're all gonna be an American

Maytag Blue

Ain't no steenkin' French *roquefort bleu* cheese ... it ain't no steenkin' British *stilton* cheese ... and it ain't no steenkin' Italian *gorgonzola* cheese, no. This exceptional, albeit slightly steenky, blue cheese is made right here in the good ol' USA ~ Iowa. Git'cha some ... you'll be glad ya did.

~~**~~**~~

Delmore Brothers ~ Blues Stay Away From Me

Lil' Green Tomato

Green Tomato Haiku

Summer’s first nightshade
become fried green tomatoes
for impatient boys....

~~**~~**~~

The Paladins ~ Just A Matter Of Time

Smoked Catfish Deviled Eggs

Who doesn't like a deviled egg, eh ~ kicked these up by adding some dat smoked catfish spread to the egg yolks ... and a few drops of PoBoy's Mustard BBQ sauce. Pity it took me 57 years to figure out this lil' culinary fusion. I'll tell you one thang right now, and it's fer true ... I din't make nearly enough of them.

Perrydize Salad

More fresh veggies from Lil' Missy's garden in Perrydize ~ fresh broccoli, english cucumbers, bermuda onions, peas, fresh herbs, maytag blue cheese, etc. You ain't gonna find this salad on the salad bar at Sizzler, unless perhaps .... you live in Perrydize!!

~~**~~**~~

Allman Brothers ~ Little Martha