Why Does Every Disagreement Have to Be a War? Apples and Oranges

I'm sure y'all have heard about the war on women, and the war on men, and the battle between the sexes. 

Now, via Instapundit.com I see there are the grill wars. 

It’s a beautiful day. The family’s in attendance, side dishes and beer in tow. Your sister-in-law brought a trunk full of Super Soakers. It’s BBQ time. Time to kick back in the yard and fire up the … stove?

Hmm, that doesn’t sound terribly exciting, does it? But that’s basically what you’re doing when you cook out on a gas grill, which is powered by the same largely flavorless fuel as your kitchen stove.

True fact: Cooking on a gas grill is more convenient than cooking with charcoal.
It’s also a lot less special. And, scientifically speaking, it creates less flavorful food.

As it happens, it is a beautiful day here on the Farm and Mr. Big Food has fired up one of his large oil drum grills.

Charcoal, mesquite and apple wood

Leaks, celery, onion and oranges in the water pan

Look at that flavorful smoke!

You can't do apple wood and oranges on a gas grill.

That said, Mr. Big Food knows there's a time and a place for gas.

(If you'd prefer to not see a photo of Mr. Big Food and a whole pig on a pig cooker, please do not click to read more.)

The Ghost in the Machine

Via Instapundit.com at Slate:

One recent evening, I celebrated my birthday in the outdoor courtyard of a bar. As the night wore on, and friends fell by the wayside, each departure occasioned a small ritual. A pal would sidle up to whichever conversational circle I was in; edge closer and closer, so as to make herself increasingly conspicuous; and finally smile, apologetically, when the conversation halted so I could turn to her and say goodbye.

Nothing but good intentions here. To some small extent, I appreciated the politeness of this parting gesture. It was not a major imposition to pause for a moment and thank folks for coming.

But there’s a better way. One that saves time and agita, acknowledges clear-eyed realities, and keeps the social machine humming.

Just Ghost.

In other words, just leave without saying, "Thank you."

You can send a thank you email the next morning.

Still think it’s an etiquette breach? Simply replace your awkward goodbye with a heartfelt email sent the following morning. This note can double as a formal thank you to the host—a rare gesture these days, and one that actually does have value.

1. "Agita." I didn't take 1++++++ years of Latin for nothing, smarty pants. Agita: (1) heartburn; (2) agitation, anxiety. "Saves time and heartburn" &/or "Saves time and agitation, anxiety." You need a better thesaurus, Dude.

2. How rude! Geeze. Amy is on the bottom of the pile but I see now that I have retrieved Amy Vanderbilt's New Complete Book of Etiquette: the Guide to Gracious Living (Amy Vanderbilt, Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, NY, 1967) page 313 is bookmarked with a slip of paper-- that's where the term "bookmarked" derived, by the way: an actual mark in an actual book. Amy says:

"It is never necessary to make elaborate and lengthy excuses for leaving a party. A reluctance to leave should always be shown by one's manner or words, of course, no matter what kind of time you've had."

 3. "There's a better way." And of course, you, Seth Stevenson, have found it, after all these years. 

Let me pause my little rant and acknowledge the obvious, as Seth does:

We all agree it’s fun to say hello. A hello has the bright promise of a beginning. It’s the perfect occasion to express your genuine pleasure at a friend’s arrival. But who among us enjoys saying goodbye? None among us! Not those leaving, and not those left behind.

4. The reason we civilized folk make such a big deal of saying "Goodbye" is that we know it may be our last "Goodbye." Shit happens.

How have you missed this lesson? 

Recipe: Seafood Gumbo I

Life is BIG when you have more than one seafood gumbo recipe in your very own Big Food Manual and Survivalist Flourishing Guide.

SEAFOOD GUMBO I

Makes a huge pot-ful

2 C olive oil

2 C flour (or more, up to 5 C)

6 C white onions, chopped coarse

3 C bell pepper, chopped

2 C green onion, white and pale green parts only, sliced

2 8 oz tomato sauce (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section).

½ C garlic

1 ½ C parsley, chopped fine

2 C dry white wine

2 dozen small crabs, bodies broken in half and large claws only, cleaned in boiling water

3 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp ground Cayenne pepper

6 quarts water

3 Tbsp salt (maybe more, maybe less, depending on taste—taste gumbo first before adding)

Rice or wild rice (or both), file powder (for serving)

Have onions and bell peppers ready. Make a very dark roux, remove from fire when done, and immediately stir in onions and green peppers. Stir vegetables in roux until roux stops cooking. Pour in tomato sauce and stir in green onions, return to low flame, and stir until all are mixed in and roux is back to original color. Combine roux, garlic, parsley, water, Worcestershire sauce, Cayenne pepper, and wine in large stock pot or gumbo pot. Taste and stir in salt. Cook the mixture for 45 minutes, then drop in crabs and shrimp. Let gumbo cook slowly for 2 or more hours, stirring occasionally. Serve by mounding rice in bowl, sprinkle rice with file powder, and top with ladlefuls of hot gumbo.

Recipe: Peach Supreme

I know it's bad form to post a photo of food that's half-eaten. We couldn't help ourselves. Sorry!

This recipe come from our local Baptist church cookbook. The woman who contributed this recipe commented, “This makes a wonderful cool summer dessert.” It also makes a wonderful mid-summer morning pick-me-up.

Recipe below.

Recipe: Creole Potato Salad II (Veganizable)

Non-vegan version

To veganize, omit hard-cooked egg. Duh.

CREOLE POTATO SALAD II

Serves 6

3 C diced cooked potatoes, still warm

2 Tbsp grated onion

1 Tbsp minced bell pepper

¾ C finely diced celery

1 hard-cooked egg

1 Tbsp chow-chow (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics and Canning … sections)

5 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp vinegar

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Lettuce

Combine all ingredients except lettuce in order given above. Chill and serve with lettuce garnish.

Recipe: Pan Fried Round Steaks

Danged good! But then again it is a simple recipe.

Mr. Big Food used minute steaks instead of round streaks. And if I'm not mistaken, he used the electric skillet rather than a skillet on the stove. 

Don't fear the meat tenderizer. It's not like you cook with it every day.

PANFRIED ROUND STEAK

Serves 5

1 ½ lbs beef round steak, ½ inches thick, cut into 5 serving pieces

Instant meat tenderizer

Flour

Hot shortening

Use instant meat tenderizer on steaks according to label directions. Don’t salt steaks. Coat meat immediately with flour and cook quickly in small amounts of hot shortening, just until browned on both sides.

Recipe: Holiday Brunch Casserole

Made with Homemade Hot Sage Sausage which is not the same as Homemade Sausage with Sage.

Mr. Big Food put this together late in the afternoon on Wednesday. It was ready on the 4th. 

Recipe below.

Recipe: Homemade Hot Sage Sausage.

This is the sausage Mr. Big Food used in this week's Holiday Brunch Casserole. (It's not especially hot.)

HOMEMADE HOT SAGE SAUSAGE

Makes 1 lb, but easily multiplied

1 lb ground pork
1 tsp curing salt (like Morton’s Tender-Quick)
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp rubbed sage
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ tsp Accent

Combine all ingredients, blending well. Form in log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 24 hours. Use or freeze.

Recipe: California Barbequed Beef

So tender!

Mr. Big Food cooked the California BBQ'ed Beef in a cooking bag, so the cooking time was reduced to about 2 1/2 hours, and he added about 1/4 C of the marinade to the cooking bag.

CALIFORNIA BARBECUED BEEF

Serves 8-10

4-5 lb boneless beef shoulder roast

1 C white vinegar

5 C tomato juice (for a spicier barbecue, use Spicy V-8)

1 C brown sugar, packed

1 ½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ C water

Liquid smoke

California Rancho Barbecue Sauce (see recipe in Barbecue Sauces subsection)

Instructions below.

Recipe: California Rancho Barbaeque Sauce

Fresh!

CALIFORNIA RANCHO BARBECUE SAUCE

Makes about 3-4 C

1 large onion

4 oz green chilies

2 C celery, chopped fine

1 C tomatoes, diced

1 tsp salt

¼ C water

Peel onion and grind or blend together with green chilies. Combine with celery, tomatoes, salt, and water, blending well. Chill before serving.

Greener Pastures

Purdy, ain't it?

We're doing some work on our pastures.

This is what it looked like 10 days ago.

(See the fellow on the tractor? Believe it or not, he leans libertarian.)

There's a surprise coming in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

Sea Food Gumbo

with wild-caught shrimp and crab from The United States of America

If you've never had Mr. Big Food's Sea Food Gumbo, you don't know what your missing. Which reminds me-- .

Dear Mr. /Ms Low-Man-on-the-Totem-Pole-Who's-Tasked-with-Reading-My-Little-Blog,

You know you're welcome to come out to the Farm, don't you? We eat pretty well. What we lack in fancy markets-- the nearest Whole Foods is in Memphis, but you knew that-- we make up for in gardens, Mississippi farm-raised cat fish, & the like. And Mr. Big Food does love to cook for city mice. So you're welcome to come out any time.

You don't have a standing invitation, though. So you'll have to let me know ahead of time when you're coming. That shouldn't be too much of a burden-- you have my email addresses, home address, home and cell telephone numbers, as well as those of the folk with whom I am in regular contact. You can figure it out.

I know that you might be a little tiny bit scared b/c of the gun and wacko-bird Libertarian talk, but you shouldn't be. Some of our best friends were once Liberal Progressives who pined for the good old days of feudalism. You could be one, too! A Friend, that is. (It's amazing what the rush of the recoil of a 12 gauge shotgun and a bowl of seafood gumbo can do to one's political views.)

Please do note that at our first meeting, I will give you a good old fashioned dressing down. You deserve it. You should know better than to be drawing a paycheck for spying on me-- although I do appreciate the hits! But once we've gotten past that, I'm sure we'll get along just fine.

So call me. Let me know if you have any dietary restrictions-- I'll pass them along to Mr. Big Food and he can plan the menu accordingly.

Oh. Also. If you want the full experience, I'd recommend a weekend in the Fall when State plays a home game. You could come with us to an American football game complete with the SEC (that's South East Conference) American football game tailgate. Do you know what an Sec tailgate is? The SEC kicks ass.

We might even host a little thing here at the Farm in your... "honor" isn't really the right word, b/c we all think what you're doing is deserving of shame. But I'm sure a bunch of folk would come out to meet someone who has no shame.

Think about it. Give me a call.

Sincerely,

Marica

He'll never call.

"Has the smoke cleared?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said.

Mr. Big Food is making seafood gumbo for supper. And you know what that means... .

First, you make a roux.

Mr. Big Food's roux for gumbo is always deep dark red-brown. He's knows it's almost ready when the kitchen begins to fill with smoke. (I'm funnin' with y'all. The smoke pictured above is from last night's fireworks, not the kitchen.)

Mr. Big Food planned an all-American menu for this extended weekend.

Yesterday morning we broke fast with Holiday Brunch Casserole.

Last evening we dined on California BBQ'ed Beef (Sirloin Tip!) with California Ranch BBQ Sauce and Creole Potato Salad II-- veganized.

This evening it's the gumbo served with rice and wild rice. 

For Saturday Supper we'll have Traditional Southern BBQ (pig shoulder), smoked then finished in a cooking bag, with beer BBQ sauce. Miss M will have a vegan meat-substitute of some sort with the BBQ sauce.

Gumbo should be ready by about 7. I can't wait!

That's Final!

About the Declaration there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have had new thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern.

But that reasoning can not be applied to this great charter.

If all men are created equal, that is final.

If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final.

If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final.

No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions.

If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.

Calvin Coolidge, The Inspiration of the Declaration, July 5, 1926

From The Founders' Almanac: A Practical Guide to the Notable Events, Greatest Leaders & Most Eloquent Words of the American Founders (Matthew Spalding, ed., The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C., 2002).

Happy Independence Day

from all of us at Farther Along Farm!

Sweet Land of Liberty, of Thee I Sing

This evening, Mr. Big Food, Miss M & I watched a video of a television special that aired on NBC in 1976.

Here it is.

It stars John Wayne and features Ann Margaret, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, Roy Clark, Bing Crosby (as Mark Twain), Roscoe Lee Brown (as Fredrick Douglas), William Shatner, and many others. 

And a musical rendition of the Declaration of Independence!

Enjoy!

As an added bonus, it has Budweiser commercials narrated by Ed McMahon. Really enjoy!

The Grievances-- Final Edition: #27 of 27

Thomas Jefferson & Co. presented The Grievances in ascending order of importance. Taxation without Consent was #17. In TJ's mind then, Taxation without Representation wasn't the worst of what the American People-- a people whose heritage of freedom dated to the Magna Carta-- had endured under the reign of King George III. 

Grievance #27

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

~~
Other Grievance posts (all with external links to more reading):

The Grievances 

The Grievances: Swarms!

The Grievances: A Classic

The Grievances: Things that Could Never Happen Now

The Grievances: Things that Could Never Happen Now

but are interesting historical notes. 

Can you imagine having to house troops in your barn? Or being denied the right to a trial by jury? Or suspending State Legislatures?

Remember-- The National Humanities Center has an annotated Declaration of Independence which very very briefly notes the event(s) that precipitated the Grievance, and how the Grievance may have given rise to a provision in the Constitution, or Right in its first 10 amendments.

The first Grievances post also has a lot of links to, e.g., Thomas Paine's writings and other crappy old stuff that provide background. 

If you haven't already, be sure to read the "classic" Grievance: Taxation w/o consent.

And now, some more reasons the American Colonists were pissed off at King George III-- with no commentary.

Grievance 11 of 27

He has kept among us, in time of Peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our Legislatures.

Grievance 12 

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

Grievance 14

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us

Grievance 15

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States

Grievance 18

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury

Grievance 21

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments

Grievance 22

For suspending our Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

Grievance 23

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

Grievance 24

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

Recipe Re-Do: Ed's Hot Squash

With squash and zucchini season upon us, I thought I'd recycle a recipe post for one of our favorite squash recipes. 

We used crooked-neck yellow squash this evening.

 Here's how the post from a year ago begins:

With 15,000 or so recipes in Mr. Big Food's Big Food Manual and Survivalist Flourishing Guide we seldom have the same dish more than once. But there are exceptions and Ed's Hot Squash is one, as you can see from this dated photo.

Wow. Mr. Big Food now has 18,650+ recipes in The Big Food Manual. What a productive year! 

Here's the recipe & a couple of variations!

You have 10 minutes, Mississippi!

Daughter C sent me a link to an article with some photos of crappy old stuff -- no, "crappy old stuff" is reserved for stuff I like. There was nothing to like about what was pictured. The article, by one Brian Galindo, begins:

Last week, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court struck down Section 4(b) of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a key provision in the law that mandated nine states with a history of racial discrimination, mostly in the South, to get federal permission before they could change their voter laws. 

True enough. These are statements of facts, and last week's news. Tying these statements to photographs or scans of the literacy test-- which had to be completed perfectly within 10 minutes-- given to Blacks in Louisiana in the early 1960s implies that... what? The Supreme Court erred because nothing has changed in the South since the 1960s and Black Americans here don't or can't vote? That may be true. It may be false. But you know what, Brian Galindo? There is a way to actually find out which it is!

And so, I shall.

Let us ask, "Nationally, and for each state, what percentage of Black Americans voted in the 2012 election?" Call me silly, but I think this might be a pretty good indicator of whether or not the South needs to be babysat by the Feds when it comes to "voter laws."

Fortunately, The United States Census Bureau collects such data and makes it available on the World Wide Web for all to see. (I'm looking at you, Brian.) The data, in the form of MSExcel spreadsheets are here: Table 4b. Reported Voting and Registration by Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin, for States: November 2012

Nationally, 62.0% of Black Americans voted in the 2012 election-- so that's the average for the country. (FYI, I'm reporting data from the category "Black alone" meaning these are American who self-describe as only Black, contrasted with "Black alone or in combination" which would include mixed-race Blacks.)


Top & bottom states below the fold. 

An Excellent Way to Start the Day

Click to enlarge and zoom in. Swallows filled the sky.

Missy

Rocky

Have a good one!

That's It for the Recipes-- Now on to the Books!

The other day I said,

Just so you know, Mr./Ms-Low-Man-On-The-Totem-Pole-Who's-Tasked-With-Following-My-Little-Blog, this coming Monday is the first Monday of the month. That's the once-a-month day the Public Library in Starkvegas has its book sale. I'll be there. I'll be especially interested purchasing crappy old books pertaining to American and English history, as well as those containing practical information such as how to properly tar and feather folks.

Unfortunately, I did not find any books about how to properly tar and feather folks.

But I did score big time.

A complete set of The Encyclopedia Americana Complete in Thirty Volumes (Americana Corporation, New York, Chicago, 1952).

"Set $5.00 or Make an Offer"

So I did.

"I'll give you five dollars for the set it you throw if the bookshelf."

Here on the Farm, we are book rich and bookshelf poor.

The nice Friend of the Library lady rejected my offer. She countered with $8. But she had to check with her boss.

Short story long. $8. I got a bookshelf and some crappy old books to populate it.

AND the crappy old books in the other room were on sale for $0.20.

I spent $10. I got Russell's popular philosophy book, another Bobbsey Twins book, ... .

Mr./Ms-Low-Man-On-The-Totem-Pole-Who's-Tasked-With-Following-My-Little-Blog, do you know what I'm talking about?

Do you know who Russell is? From what I've picked up, Russell wasn't the greatest philosopher, but that said, I did pick up his A History of Western Philosophy: And Its Connection with Political and Social Circumstances from the Earliest Times to the Present Day (1945). 

Are you familiar with Russell? I asked Mr. Big Food about Russel's History and he responded that it was a popular book for the common folk. I take it that you, Mr./Ms-Low-Man-On-The-Totem-Pole-Who's-Tasked-With-Following-My-Little-Blog, are above the common folk. 

But surely, you are acquainted with Bertrand Russell. We invited him to the dinner party.

He writes about that Extremist, John Locke who was such an inspiration to Tomas Jefferson.

Recipe: Mary Anne's Fettuccini Zucchini (Vegan)

Fresh.

“Zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, herbs and spices makes a savory sauce for fettuccine. (Recipe contest entry: Mary Ann Rohm, Simi Valley, CA)”—The Garlic Lovers’ Cookbook (1980)

MARY ANN’S FETTUCCINE ZUCCHINI

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium-sized sweet red onion, chopped

4 cloves fresh garlic, sliced

1 lb zucchini, sliced

1 Tbsp parsley

¼ tsp oregano

¼ tsp sweet basil

¼ tsp thyme

1/8 tsp marjoram

1/8 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped

1 lb fettuccine, cooked in salted boiling water until al dente, drained

¼ C shredded Parmesan cheese

Melt butter with olive oil in heavy saucepan over medium heat, add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes. Add zucchini and sauté 10 minutes. Add parsley, oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, black pepper, and red pepper, and continue to sauté until zucchini is almost tender. Add lemon juice and tomatoes, and simmer. Toss drained fettuccine with sauce mixture, top with Parmesan cheese, and serve at once.

Recipe: Peach Crisp

Life is good.

PEACH CRISP

2 ½ C peaches, sliced or chunked

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

¾ C sugar

2/3 stick (1/3 C) butter, melted

½ tsp salt

1 C flour

1 egg

Preheat oven to 375^o. Place peaches in a lightly greased baking pan and sprinkle with cinnamon. Sift together baking powder, sugar, salt, and flour, add egg, and mix with a fork until blended well. “This mixture will be crumbly.” Spread mixture over peaches, drizzle melted butter over top, and bake 40 minutes.

Recipe: Chinese Fried Rice II (Vegan)

Best with home grown veggies

CHINESE FRIED RICE II

Serves 6

2 Tbsp oil

2 large onions, chopped

2 C cooked rice

1 to 2 Tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp salt

2 C chopped cooked meat (optional)

2 Tbsp peeled diced carrots

2 Tbsp cooked green peas

Heat oil, fry onions until brown, add rice, soy sauce, and salt, and saute until done. Add meat (if using), garnish with carrots and green peas, and serve hot.

Recipe: Lime Glazed Pork Chops

Grill

LIME GLAZED PORK CHOPS
Serves 6

1/3 C Karo dark corn syrup
Rind from 2 limes, grated or chopped very fine
Juice from the two limes (about 1/3 C)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ tsp ground cloves
6 pork chops, 1 inch thick (reduce initial grilling time for thinner chops)

Combine all ingredients except pork chops in a small bowl, stirring well to combine. Grill chops 6 inches from heat, covered, for 30 minutes, turning once. Baste with some of lime mixture. Continue grilling about 30 minutes longer, turning every five minutes or so to create criss-cross grill pattern and basting with remaining sauce.

The Grievances: A Classic

Grievance 17 of 27

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent

1913 Form 1040. The first-- and as such, an instant Classic. 

[From The Good Years: From 1900 to the First World War (Walter Lord, Harper & Brothers, Publishers, New York, 1960). How anyone could refer to the years that brought us the Federal Income Tax, the Internal Revenue Service, and the direct election of Senators as "the good years" is beyond me. But that's an aside.]

That's a poor photo. Here's the caption:

Anyone who escaped the impact of war almost certainly found his life altered by a new form that arrived in the mail-- the first income-tax blank. A married man making $20,000 discovered he owed Washington all of $160. "From a cloud no bigger than a man's hand . . . "

I had to look that cloud up. 

1 Kings 18:44

English Standard Version 

And at the seventh time he said, "Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea." And he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.'"

Translation: Clouds that look small on the distant horizon can bring big storms.

The annotated Declaration of Independence at the National Humanities Center annotates Grievance 17 thusly:

“Taxation without representation” became a rallying cry against British rule. In 1765 Parliament began imposing direct taxes on the colonies, which had no elected representation in Parliament. In the U.S. Constitution, money-related bills must begin in the House of Representatives which is directly elected by the people (as is the Senate since 1913, when the 17thAmendment ended senatorial election by state legislatures)

(Alternatively, just one year ago, JR The First decided to tax us.)

From a cloud no bigger than a man's hand... .