Beer Butt Chicken Salad

Hickory-smoked beer butt chicken, julienne pepperoni, sweet Vidalia onion, banana peppers, celery, fresh garlic, mayo, dijon mustard, salt/pepper and fresh oregano leaves.

Piled high on a toasted ciabatta bun with baby Swiss cheese.

Dressed w/shredded lettuce tossed with cracked black vinegrette.

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Stairwell Sisters ~ Paris Waltz

A Couple Of Excellent Products

I recon y'all have heard of Steen's Cane Syrup and Molasses ... but you may not have heard of PoBoy's BBQ Sauce. It's an authentic South Carolina mustard-based bbq sauce, made by my friend Mike Adams. Good stuff ... damn good.

Birthday T-Bone Steak

Nothing like a big ol' honkin' T-bone steak and a couple cold beers, to celebrate a birthday. At 2" thick and just over 2 1/4 pounds, this bad boy more than made up for that salad I ate last week!

Guy Clark ~ Randall Knife

On This Day In 1951

I made my grand entrance onto the stage of this big blue marble ... and have been doing my damndest to wreak a lil' havoc every since! Here's a pic of me in my birthday suit, enjoying my first birthday cake!! What a long, strange trip it's been. "We are all bozos on this bus, so we might as well sit back and enjoy the ride." ~ Wavy Gravy

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me......

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Guy Clark ~ New Cut Road

Coleman Bonner was a fiddle playin' fool
He's a backwoods rounder and a breaker of mules
Coleman Bonner's got a wore out bow
He's been playin' two days down the new cut road

Coleman's little sister said you better act right Coleman
Daddy's gone to Louisville he'll be back tonight
He's gonna get another wagon and a good pair of mules
And we gonna move to Texas we just waitin' on you

Now Coleman's daddy he pulled up in the yard
He said pack up your lives kids it's gettin' too hard
Kentucky's alright but there's too many people
Oh just the other day I thought I saw a church steeple

Now Coleman said daddy don't you worry bout me
I'm gonna stay here in Kentucky till the day I D
I'm gonna drink that sourmash and gonna race that mare
And find that woman with the fox red hair

Now you all been movin' west since the day you got married
Well I'm gettin' off the wagon daddy I'm too old to be carried
Gonna stay here in Kentucky where that bluegrass grow
I'm gonna play it all night down the new cut road

Now Coleman's daddy said what's it all comn' to
Young people these days are just as stubborn as mules
You can't make him go he's too old for that
It's that damned old fiddle and that bowler hat

Now Coleman's mama said let the boy stay
Cause he's raised up solid and he can find his own way
But as for me honey I'm with you
I always thought Kentucky was just passin' through

Now Coleman's little sister then she started into a cryin'
And his daddy shook his head for the very last time
Coleman's mama said somebody's gotta do it
Wouldn't be no Kentucky less you didn't stick to it Coleman

Coleman Booner stood on the porch of that cabin
And he watched 'em all go to Texas in a covered wagon
He pulled out his fiddle and he rosined up his bow
And he played a little tune called the New Cut Road

Nancy Griffith

Meatloaf Poboy

Homemade meatloaf on a toasted poboy bun, topped with sweet Vidalia onions and peppers sauteed in chile oil w/fresh garlic, oregano and black peppercorns ... and dressed with soft cream cheese. Here's a few more pics <---click

Kaw-Cajun Fire Oil

I made this chile oil yesterday, with dried guajillo, pasilla & ancho chile pods (toasted) and canola oil ~ easy peasy to make.

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Moanin' Michelle Malone ~ Tighten Up The Springs

Moanin' Michelle Malone

Hail Caesar!

We who are about to eat this salad, salute you!

Mais ... what can I say ~ sometimes a man's just gotta suck it up & eat a salad. This one was pretty good, as far as salads go ~ crisp romaine hearts, red onions, sliced cukes & radishes, shredded asiago and fresh croutons, dressed with Newman's Own Caesar Dressing. Good ... but I'd rather had a cheeseburger.

Cast Your Bread Upon The Water

Seesta B ~ (my sister, Brenda)

NoBob ~ (my ol' buddy, Rob Bell)

Lil' Missy ~ (Robin Bell ... ol' NoBob's bettah half)

My good frien, Hoppy (James Hopper) was part of the paintin' crew also ... but I didn't git a pic of him while he was over here painting. This is a pic taken last fall out at the Perrydize Lodge & Nature Conservatory (NoBob's Farm) ~ dat's ol' Hoppy in the middle ... NoBob on the left ... and me, doing what I do best ~ sittin' on my ass!

I could blather on all sappy-like fer hours on end, about what a blessed ol' curmudgeon I am to have such good friends & family that would spend their holiday weekend workin' so hard to paint my house...and my dear Seesta B who started this whole project last fall by winterizing all my windows, and then spent a whole week prepping this house for painting. It's humbling, to say the least. Thanks to all involved, fer makin' this ol' coonass feel so loved.

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John Mellencamp ~ Little Pink Houses

Little Green Tents

The little green tents where the soldiers sleep
And the sunbeams play and the women weep
Are covered with flowers today

And between the tents walk the weary few
Who were young and stalwart in 'sixty-two
When they went to the war away

The little green tents are built of sod
And they are not long, and they are not broad
But the soldiers have lots of room

And the sod is part of the land they saved
When the flag of the enemy darkly waved
The symbol of dole and doom

The little green tent is a thing divine
The little green tent is a country's shrine
Where patriots kneel and pray

And the brave men left, so old, so few
Were young and stalwart in 'sixty-two
When they went to the war away

~~Uncle Walt Mason 1916
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We Were Soldiers ~ When They Come

Grits Is Good Groceries

Especially if they loaded with cheddar, asiago, caramelized vidalia onions & smoked fattie chunks ... sided up alongside some tender slices of medrare smoked beef tri-tip rubbed wit a lil' DP redeye express & smoked over applewood & pecan wood! Yeah, grits is good groceries ~ tru dat.

Make A Bill

Gotta restock the pantry & larder t'day ~ coffee, bacon, flour ... mebbe even splurge & get a few oranges and apples?

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Norman Blake ~ Times Ain't Like They Used To Be

Ten And A Half Hours In

Butts reached target temp 190* around the 10.5 hour mark ~ they weren't very big butts, weighing in at around 6.5# each - got'em wrapped in foil & in a thermal cooler ~ ready for pick up @ 4 PM

This is the smoked turkey wings and drumsticks ~ dusted with a lil' rub and spritzed with a lil' homemade Piedmont style vinegar bbq sauce ... thinkin' they oughtta snack right fine wit a cold beer, eh?

Five And A Half Hours In

Just took the turkey off the smoker @ the 5 1/2 hour mark ~ breast temp reading 168* ... dat's close enough fer gubmint work. Also took this fattie off ... it took about 90 minutes to cook ~ temp was about 150* ~ ran a lil' quality control on dat fattie fer lunch, schmeared wit a lil' creole mustard. It didn't suck. Only thing left in the smoker now is the 2 butts ... they gonna need another 5-6 hours. Time for me to go take a nap. God Bless America.

Four Hours In

At the 4 hour mark ... turkey is reading about 150* in the thigh, so it's got a lil' ways to go yet ... but is a beautiful golden color & the skin is getting nice and crisp.

I brushed this tri-tip with a lil' Steen's cane syrup and gave it a good dusting of DP Redeye Express fortified with a lil' extra black pepper ... pulled when it reached 125* & let it rest before slicing.

Got horseradish? Turkey, butts and a homemade apple/maple fattie still in the smoke ~ will check again in about an hour or so.

The Smoke Gods Have Been Summoned

5 AM launch was successful ~ WSM is now locked, loaded & chuggin' along just like it supposed t'did ... thin blue tail drifting up to bbq pigmeat heaven. Now ... we wait & let the magic happen.

The BBQ Dance Has Begun

Mais ... supper's over, and I've got the Royals baseball game on the ol' antique Crosley radio ~ been sittin' out in the shop drinkin' a beer & getting the WSM smoker ready for a 5 AM blast-off in the morning ... beautiful calm late spring evening & I'm happy to report that everything is unfolding according to the master plan. I bought another pork butt today, so getting ready to go rub down 2 butts and a tri-tip ... and prep the whole turkey (just evoo, no spices) ... then set the alarm fer 4 AM and hit the sack. There's no rain in the forecast, and temps should be around 55* when I fire up dat pre-dawn smoker ... think I'll go with an applewood/pecan mix this time. T-minus 7 hours, and counting......

The Lone Ranger

Lassie

Rabbit Food

Been busy last few days doing some work around the house, prepping the house for painting this weekend ~ lotsa help from friends & family, which is indeed a beautiful thing. No time for cooking, though ... Chinese take-out last night & quick salad the night before. Relief is in sight, though ... as I have a whole pork butt and a whole turkey in the fridge, waiting to go in the smoker early tomorrow morning. A man can only eat so much rabbit food!

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Delaney & Bonnie ~ Only You Know And I Know

Flint Hills Landscape

Clearing In The Green ~ Judy Mackey

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Kathy Mattea ~ Green Rolling Hills

Sunday Morning Gospel Hour

Spring Showers In The Flint Hills ~ Judy Mackey

Near Matfield Green ~ Judy Mackey

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The Carter Family ~ No Depression In Heaven

King Wilkie

Sin City

Down A Country Lane

Friday Night Jukebox

Blue Mother Tupelo ~ Appalachian Sunshine

S.O.S. ~ My Way

Albeit a kicked up version ~ big chunks of smoked pork chops in a creamy bacon gravy, with fresh asparagus & sweet vidalia onion, smotherin' a couple scratch buttermilk biscuits ... topped with crispy bacon bits.

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Carl Rutherford ~ Love Can't Fly (On Broken Wings)

Feesh Tacos

Catfish filets, cut into strips, gettin' all happy in a wallow of RT's homemade lemondrop hot sauce & Dizzy Pig Swamp Venom.

Rolled in cornmeal & deep fried crispy.

Soft taco ... catfish, chipotle remoulade, lettuce, thin sliced sweet Vidalia onion, shredded Tillamook cheddar, homemade salsa and a few japs.

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Kansas Relics

Old chicken coop in the hickory holler ~ made of native limestone.

Lone silo standing sentinel at the edge of the clearing.

Chocolate Rice Pudding

Got a sweet tooth this afternoon, and decided to stir up some kinda dessert for after supper ... scan of the fridge and pantry turned up some milk, eggs, butter ... had some raw rice, so decided to make rice pudding ... and at the last second I spied the cocoa powder and decided to make it a chocolate rice pudding. Chilled and garnished with a dollop of whipped cream and a few fresh blackberries. Good eats.

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Norah Jones & The Little Willies ~ Night Life

GONE FISHIN'

Instead of just a wishin'

Hot Out The Oven

Scratch Buttermilk Catheads ... about to be slathered with sweet butter & homemade blackberry jam. Country boys can survive!

Sunday Morning Gospel Hour

Grisman/Rice ~ Wildwood Flower

Prairie Fire

Highway To Heaven

Backroads thru the Kansas Flint Hills ~ Chase County

Trucks For Sale ~ $1,000 Firm

Blackened Catfish Stuffed Shrimp

Blackened catfish filets, flaked

Blackened catfish stuffed shrimps, remoulade sauce

Blackened catfish stuffed shrimp poboy, dressed with homemade remoulade and fresh lettuce. Slide show <---click

Flames In The Flint Hills

These are a couple paintings of the spring prairie burn by my friend Judy Mackey, the original Flint Hills artist. When I lived in Emporia, Kansas I witnessed this spring ritual every year ... and visited Judy's studio in Strong City on several occasions. I have about 5-6 of Judy's original paintings hanging in my house.

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Peter Rowan/Don Edwards ~ Buddies In The Saddle