BBQ'd Nerves

BBQ is good!  Stress is NOT good!  BBQ'd Nerves, are really, really bad.

Lets hit a few highlights of this recipe ...

Add 1 part daughter getting married (see previous posts)
Add 2 parts financial stress, worried about said wedding
Add 1 part trying to lose some weight for said wedding (ie, don't want to look like a penguin)
Add 2 part new puppy running around the house that the kids leave me with to handle (Argghhh)
Add 2 part upcoming professional certification test
Add 1 part pressure from work to pass said professional exam
Add 4 parts normal routine is shot (I love my routine!)
Add 1 part all the crap that I keep hearing from my "friends"
Add 10 parts The Learning Channel

The Learning Channel?  What is that?  TV?  What the hell comes on that channel?  Apparently, I don't watch enough TV beyond fighting and crab fishing.

I don't know how many "parts" that is, but here is the "rest of the story" ....

I don't like change!  Yeah, I know, in my line of work, I am an agent of change.  The reality is that I love change, for others, but cant stand it for myself.  Additionally, I don't deal with financial stress real well.  So lets define stress as .... anything that I don't find as necessary or that I don't understand or that I don't institute!  Bottom line, its all about me!  So, with the clear understanding that this isn't about me, lets move forward by looking at the points above.....

The wedding is coming and guess who isn't in charge of the budget??????  Yeah, I "laid down the law" in respect to the budget, but do you think that matters?

Elizabeth and I are trying to lose some weight.  For her that means increasing exercise and skipping a few things, for me that means skipping carbs which includes my normal stress relieving potion.

Elizabeth and I are baby sitting the new puppy that thinks he owns the world!  I really dislike that dog as he has completely disrupted the whole "animal" vibe of the house.  Which really means this dog isn't MY English  bulldog so I don' like him.

On the job, we've been tasked with passing our Project Management Professional (PMP), yes, I will be a certified PiMP) certification.  Its probably not the hardest certification but I know its not the easiest.  To make matters worse, I really don't know what to expect as this will be my first professional certification.  Add a little pressure to pass since I am not the first to try and everyone else has passed!  IE, this is the root of the problem, I have pass a test!!!!

I am a creature of habit.  I am getting worse with age (thanks Dad, LOL).  The reality is that I feel great comfort in my standard routine.  Man is that interrupted right now.

Lets skip the "friends" part for right now, that will become evident in minute....

Now for the Learning Channel.....  Apparently, Jessica registered to be a part of a show on the Learning Channel, Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids AND guess who got selected?  That's right, we are headed to Atlanta for some fancy dress shop to try on some dresses and film a show.  Well, we aren't headed there, all 10 of the bridal party is headed there!  I am staying home to get some last minute cram in for the test.

Enter the "friends" here...and all the jokes!  I should go because ...........

Here is the kicker, do you think there is any compensation for being on the show?  NO, NOT at all!  See this is hitting two of my stress points, its WAY out of the norm and its hitting the budget badly (think travel).

This is an "experience" so it doesn't count against the budget because they are going to be on TV!  TV?  Who cares?  What is so special about being on TV?  Besides, who is to say you will be on TV?  That isn't a given, it depends on if you bring the drama!  I hope they don't bring the drama (I don't want people to see our family drama!)  Trust me, our drama is pretty, it isn't funny except that is why I started this dang thing to begin with, so I guess our drama is funny after all.

OK, so I don't want people to see the drama, but I am happy to sit here and complain about it?  That does sound a bit like a double standard!  Maybe my real problem is that I am simply stressed about this test?

Maybe I need to kick out some BBQ, not nerves mind you that would probably be gross?  Besides, do you think that the local butcher has nerves for sale?  Yeah, I think I will throw a few steaks on the grill, maybe smoke a butt or two, and forget that lose weight thing this weekend.

Of course, I will cram for the test, I will worry about the girls traveling to big city without me, but I really hope they have some fun AND I will worry about ALL of this until its over, they've had their experience, and I am certified and the coolest episode of that show EVER actually airs on TV, till then .... these are the days of my life.  I hope some day that someone, somewhere decides that they want to air an episode of me, winning the biggest lottery ever!

I don't really think that mega millions will solve my stress BUT I am willing to volunteer to see if it does!

July 4th Brisket

Regardless of the holiday, especially in the spring, summer and fall, grilling and smoking are going to be part of the experience, particularly in the south.

For this fourth of July, Todd and I decided to try a beef brisket!    Here in south-central Alabama, smoking BBQ is more about pork and chicken than beef, but we decided it would be fun to expand our horizons.

With that in mind, we decided that an appropriate recipe might be needed for us (given we had never tried a beef brisket).  As usual, Todd and I decided to go for the gusto, ie. we went for one of the more ambitious recipes that we could find.

The "Wood Chick" is a nationally known, competition grilling and smoking QUEEN.  She regularly competes in BBQ competitions and does rather well.  You can find here at this location ... http://woodchicksbbq.com/.  We found the brisket recipe at this location ... http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bbq-with-bobby-flay/wood-chicks-bbq-smoked-beef-brisket-recipe/index.html.  The bottom line, Wood Chick, is givings away one of her competition or restaurant recipes there for free.

Todd and I made the mop sauce and BBQ sauce on Wednesday night and started the brisket at 7:40 AM on Thursday. Here is a breakdown of the process.....

Below are the ingredients that we needed to purchase, this doesn't include the long list of ingredients that we already had in the house....

That BBQ sauce was simply awesome.  In fact, I think that is the best sauce that we could have made.  In the future, we will modify it a bit, since this one was completely sweet, no heat here.

Right before I put the beast one the grilll, we slathered it down with the mustard sauce to help tenderize the meat.

After 2 hours of smoking, this thing was moving along.  The green egg really helped with keeping the temp just right, 225 degrees.

At 185 degrees, we took the brisket off the smoker!

Once it was done, we sliced across the grain and used the tip to create some "burnt ends".   They are not well known in the south but they are fantastic.