Beans

Rivrdog asks in comments:

Can o'beans? Waitaminute. This is one of the famous Backwoods Chefs and you don't make scratch beans?
Say it ain't so, PawPaw. If it IS so, tell me which can(s) you open so I can have the best beans available in a can.

Old friend, only God can make beans from scratch, but lots of companies boil them for you, add a little tomato sauce and call them pork 'n beans.  For myself, I like Showboat brand beans, available everywhere

 But, that doesn't mean that we have to be heathens.  They need a little help, and that's where the can 'o beans changes from cook to cook.  For myself, I'll add a little prepared mustard, some brown sugar, I'll chop an onion and a bell pepper, If I've got some pork (and I do have a couple of leftover pork chops in the fridge) I'll chop those fine and add them too.  Then, you can get creative.  I've been known to add some bourbon whiskey, or a little good beer, or maybe even a touch of BBQ sauce.

Dried beans are good for lots of things, and some of my recipes call for dried beans, but I'm also partial to canned beans.  They're cheap, readily available, and they store forever.

Happy!

What are the happiest cities in the US?  According to Brian Williams, the top five are all in Louisiana.

Post by NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.

Oh, yeah, if we're not dealing with hurricanes, or floods, or corrupt politicians, we're a happy bunch.  We've got our problems, like anybody else, but the optimism of the people is infectious. Louisiana is a great place, and we've got good reason to be happy.  Jambalaya, gumbo, etoufee, all these things are easily in reach. Festivals and forests abound.  The women are pretty, the men are (mostly) sane, and we don't have any troubles that we can't fix.

I had to capture this screen graphic to give you an idea of how Louisiana stacks up.  The top five cities int he US rated on a happiness scale.

 Laisssez bon temps rouler

Hat tip to my sister, Frannie, who led me to the links.

Thunderbumper Thursday

The Weather Weenies are calling for rain today, and that's okay with me.  The patio is finished, the smoker is under the roof, and if it rains, it rains.  PawPaw don't care, it's not going to affect anything I have to do today.

As a matter of fact, I think that today might be a good day to use the smoker.  To that end, I've been marinating some ribs in my rib rub.

That'll do just fine.  Milady is at work and I've finished my chores for the day.  Early this afternoon I'll put those on and let them smoke for several hours.  When she gets home this afternoon, we'll put on a can of beans and feast on baby back ribs.

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a comfort food, and God knows where it comes from.  Some say it's Irish, some say it's English, some say...  well, people say lots of things.  If it's a true shepherd's pie, it was probably made from lamb, because shepherds herd sheep, but hereabouts, we use beef.  'Cause we don't eat much mutton.

A good shepherd's pie combines three things; meat, gravy, and potatoes.  Any shepherd's pie combines these three things, and I've played with the recipe a lot over the years.  Tonight, while talking about supper, Milady said that she'd like to make a shepherd's pie, and I'm okay with that, so we'll use her recipe (which is different from mine, but still very good.)

You'll notice that when I post a recipe, I don't talk about certain things, like salt and pepper, or the oil that we use to sautee an onion.  I assume my readers are smart enough to know about salt and pepper, or how to sautee an onion.

Milady's Shepherd Pie

Ingredients
One onion, chopped.  I don't care what kind of onion you use.  I happen to have a sweet Vidalai, so we'll use that.
Ground beef.  We're using about 1.5 lbs tonight.
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Mashed Potatoes  (fresh, or out of the box.  I don't care.)  Fresh is better, boxed will do.
Grated cheese.

Preparation

Chop that onion and sautee it in a large skillet.  Black iron works best, but use what you have.
When the onion is clear and sweet, add the beef and cook it.
Put on the water for your potatoes and prep the mashed potatoes.
Drain the beef, return to the skillet and add the cream of mushroom soup, and a little water.  Let that simmer for a while.

In a large Dutch oven, or a casserole, pour the ground beef mixture in, then top with mashed potatoes.  Add grated cheese and run it into a 350 oven until the cheese melts.

Oh, damn, that's good.

Tuesday, Trivial Tuesday

Lots of stuff going on, none of it connected, destined to fill up my day.

PawPaw needs a haircut.  I'll get that done this afternoon.  My standard #2, it's been almost eight weeks since I"ve had a haircut and I"m positively shaggy.

Later today, after running her errands, Milady is going to drink a gallon of laxative because tomorrow she's scheduled for a procedure.  Simply a look-see, not a big deal.  The prep is the worst part of the process.  Of course, she's on a strict preparatory diet, so no food.  After we're done tomorrow, I"ll take her to breakfast.  A big breakfast with eggs and bacon, and hasbrowns.  She'll be hungry.

Had a close family friend show up on our doorstep last night, seeking sanctuary.  Of course, we're always happy to provide sanctuary.  Hubby is an asshole, and she's had enough.  You've heard this story before.

While I'm across town today getting a haircut, I need to pick up a bottle of whiskey, because I'm out.  And toilet paper, because I don't want to run out later today.

Yesterday, I realized that I haven't done any recreational shooting in several months, (since the beginning of summer, anyway).  I need recoil therapy in the worst way.  I think I"ll slip off Thursday or Friday and find some.  I need to feel a rifle punch my shoulder.

More On the DC Gun Ban

I noticed Saturday afternoon that the Court in Washington DC had struck down their gun ban, but I figured I'd nave to wait until Monday to learn more about it.  Sure enough, this morning after chores, I clicked over to Volokh and learned some interesting new interpretations.

As reported by the Washington Post, D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier has approved an order which allows District residents to carry a handgun IF AND ONLY IF the handgun has been properly registered with the District Police, pursuant to the District’s handgun registration ordinance.

Okay, so residents can carry handguns that are properly registered.  But what about non-residents?  I'm glad you asked.

 Fox31DC reporter Emily Miller reported the non-resident rules slightly differently on her Twitter feed late Sunday night: “STUNNING DEVELOPMENT: DC Police Chief Lanier just told force not to arrest a person who can legally carry a gun in DC or any state.” “More — DC police chief using guidance from AG — grants full reciprocity for all open and concealed carry from others states.” “Only gun arrests now in DC can be DC residents with unregistered guns and non-residents who are prohibited under federal laws.”

That is interesting.  It looks like full reciprocity for non-residents.  We'll see if that stands, or if the District will apply for a stay until they can cobble together some regulations, but in the meantime, I like what the Court has done.   The Washington Post fives some additional reporting on the Judge's motivation.

Legal experts have said that in many cases all parties in a lawsuit are given the opportunity to appeal a ruling before it takes effect. However, it was decided at some point Sunday that Scullin’s ruling took immediate effect, and that set off efforts to bring the city into compliance.
Scullin, a senior U.S. District Court judge who normally sits in the Northern District of New York, wrote in his ruling that he was stopping enforcement of the law “unless and until” the city adopted a constitutionally valid licensing mechanism.

Interesting.  It looks like the next move is up to the city. And, reading the comments at the various news sites reveals an over-abundance of hippy tears.

Cry me a mug full.  Hat tip to Tam.

Sunday Morning Dawg

Checking the mail on Saturday afternoon, the dog didn't find anything of interest and decided to head back toward the air conditioning.

Yep, ti's hot out there for a fuzzy mutt.

IT feels like 106 out there.  Being inside is a great idea.

DC Gun Ban Struck Down

This is huge, and it comes right from Alan Gura's blog, about a decision handed down today (yeah, on a Saturday) by the senior district judge for the District of Columbia.

In light of Heller, McDonald, and their progeny, there is no longer any basis on which this Court can conclude that the District of Columbia’s total ban on the public carrying of ready-to-use handguns outside the home is constitutional under any level of scrutiny. Therefore, the Court finds that the District of Columbia’s complete ban on the carrying of handguns in public is unconstitutional. Accordingly, the Court grants Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment and enjoins Defendants from enforcing the home limitations of D.C. Code § 7-2502.02(a)(4) and enforcing D.C. Code § 22-4504(a) unless and until such time as the District of Columbia adopts a licensing mechanism consistent with constitutional standards enabling people to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms.4 Furthermore, this injunction prohibits the District from completely banning the carrying of handguns in public for self-defense by otherwise qualified non-residents based solely on the fact that they are not residents of the District.

Well Done, Mr. Gura.

Let Freedom Ring.

Plumbing

Plumbing on a Saturday morning is one of the joys of home ownership.  Toilet flange, wax ring, you don't want to know the rest.  Hammer-drill and Tapcons.  No pictures, this is basically a family-friendly site.

However, now it's done and just got off the phone with elder son.  The new word is Power Steering Pump, which is plumbing of a different kind.  It's shaping up to be a great Saturday.

Speeding, and Speed Limits

The speed limit on most roadways is set too low.  That's a given, and any traffic cop can tell you that when he (or she) is not in uniform.  The reason why is complicated, and fairly simple if you understand how traffic flows.  The simple fact is that most speed limits are set by political considerations, rather than the design of the roadway.

We've all seen it.  You're tooling along on a nice, level, well maintained roadway and you come into some town.  The speed limit deceases by some amount, usually 10-20 mph, and you slow through town.  So, we slow down and drive through town, until we get the outskirts, and we speed up.   The simple fact is that most of us would do that anyway, because towns have more traffic entering the roadway, and red lights, and small-town cops.  Who write tickets.  But most of us slow down going through town even though it is precisely the same roadway, built at the same time that the other, faster roadway was built.  It's a psychological thing.

I've taken traffic management courses over my career, and basic Traffic Management 101 teaches you about the 85th percentile, which basically says that you want to set the speed milt on a roadway so that 85% of the motorists will drive at or below the speed limit, and 15% of the motorists will drive at or above the speed limit.  As this article points out.

This “nationally recognized method” of setting the speed limit as the 85th percentile speed is essentially traffic engineering 101. It’s also a bit perplexing to those unfamiliar with the concept. Shouldn’t everyone drive at or below the speed limit? And if a driver’s speed is dictated by the speed limit, how can you decide whether or not to change that limit based on the speed of traffic?

The best method of setting a speed limit is to observe traffic from a place where motorists don't know that they're being observed.  Gather your data, and set your speed limit at the 85th percentile.  Then round up to the nearest 5mph (when have you ever seen a 57 mph speed limit).

Our cars are safer, our roads are safer, and in many cases, the speed limit remains the same.  Why is that?  simple, it's politics.  One of my very dear friends is the mayor of a small town, and the US government recently upgraded the US highway that runs through town.  What was before a poorly maintained two-lane highway is now a beautiful, new four-lane highway,  Outside of town, the speed limit is 65.  Hit the town boundary and the speed limit drops to 45 mph for less than a mile, until you hit the other boundary.  Why"  Safety"  Not likely.  It's the same level, new, four-lane highway.  More likely the reason is revenue.

The other reason speed limits may remain low, which John Bowman, Communications Director of the National Motorists Association strongly insists on, is that cities and police departments use traffic citations as a revenue generating tool. As Bowman says, when speed limits are artificially low, it’s easier to give out citations and pull in fine revenue.

Go read the whole article, but the simple fact remains that if you're interested in traffic safety, you have to understand how traffic flows, and that in most of our country, cities and towns, the speed limit is simply set too low.

Finally Friday

After the two-week project of mid-July, I spent yesterday recuperating and this morning cleaning up the work area.  Putting away tools, cleaning patio furniture, straightening, and puttering.  I had a half-load of sand in the bed of my truck, so after mowing the front yard and side lot, I drove the truck over to two holes and used that remaining sand to fill the holes so a horse (or grandkid) doesn't step in them and break a leg.  Took the truck to the driveway and hosed out the final dregs of sand.  Put the lawnmower away.  Came inside, poured a glass of tea, complaining to the dawg about how hot it is out there.  Turned on the computer, and clicked on Accuweather.

Great Jumping Jehosephat!  It feels like 113F out there?  With 70% humidity and strong sunlight, it's hotter than Old Billy Hell out there.

I think I"ll find something to do inside for the afternoon.  I may feel a nap coming on.

Doctor Shoots Patient

In what seems to be a justifiable self-defense shooting, a doctor in Pennsylvania shot a patient who was undergoing an episode.

A psychiatric outpatient opened fire Thursday inside a psychiatrist's office at a hospital near Philadelphia, killing his caseworker and slightly wounding the doctor, who reportedly shot the gunman with his personal firearm, authorities said.
The suspect was reported in critical condition after the shooting at 2:20 p.m. in an office at the Mercy Wellness Center of Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan said at a news conference.

Good job, Doc.  You probably saved some lives in your clinic.

That's A Wrap

Phase V of summer project 2014 is done.  4 cubic yards of dirt out, 4 cubic yards of sand in, 220 pavers laid, cut in, and finished.  It's done.

Five of my grandsons helped me with this project, and I couldn't have done it with out them.  Special thas to my stepson, who showed me hoe to use a wet saw and fit odd-sized pavers into a hole.

I couldn't have done it without y'all.

Tuesday Sand

After excavating the hole yesterday, today we filled it with sand.  Sand is an absolutely critical part of a paver job, and I learned this from my grandfather's knee.  He never used gravel under pavers, unlike all the YouTube videos today.  More sand is better, but a good base is at least 4" deep, so that's what I've always tried to do.  Coincidentally, one shovel-depth will give you a good base, over 4" of sand.

So, today we moved sand.  I'm unable to get any equipment in the tight spaces of my backyard, but there is always the shovel and wheelbarrow drill.

That's what the base looks like.  Just a nice bed of sand, the same process that the Romans used 2000 years ago, and the same process that my grandfather used 50 years ago.  Tomorrow, we'll do the final leveling and install the pavers.  I'll be glad to be finished with this project.

Muggy Monday

It's muggy out there today, with the temps in the high 80s and bumidity in the low 70s, it feels like it's in the high 90s.  Muggy, wet, with a little breeze augmented by a large fan pushing air across the work area.  The boys and I spent the morning digging dirt out of the hole for phase V of the summer project.  We've taken a lunch-time break, and we'll commence about 2:30, when the shade is better in that particular spot in the yard.  We got a little less than half of it dug this morning, and thankfully there is no serious rain in the forecast till later this week.  We'll dig this afternoon until it's done, then tomorrow we'll fill the hole with sand.

I'll be a happy sonofagun when this phase of the project is finished.  I can do Phase VI by myself, there's not much to it, simply installing a base for my fire pit, and helping Milady re-arrange furniture on the new patio.

UPDATE  My dirt crew in the pool, about 4:30 o.m. after the hole is dug.  They did good, over about 4 hours, and they deserve a swim to cool off.

Tomorrow, we fill the hole with sand.

Apollo XI

I am reminded that 45 years ago today, Apollo XI landed on the moon.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the lunar surface, and Michael Collins orbited in the command module.

Even today, the only footprints on the moon are American footprints.  I remeber watching it on live television.

Sunday Morning Dawg

Overcast these last couple of days, and the dog is harassing the cat.

Yeah, he's out of focus, but he was moving.  I had the camera set wrong for the shot.

That's a little better.

Brisket blogging

Twelve hours at 250F.  Dalmatian rub.  Pecan-shells for smoke.

I'll let them cool for a bit, then slice them.  We've got to be in Jena for noon, so we're leaving here at 10:30.

Finally Friday

It's finally Friday and Milady should be home in another hour or so.  Tomorrow we celebrate her mother's birthday, 94, I believe, and I'm on the hook for a couple of briskets.  So, this afternoon I went to the grocers and selected two nice packer-cut briskets.  Just before bedtime I'll crank off the smoker and put the meat on.  Low and slow is the secret to a good brisket.  Over they years, I have modified my brisket recipe somewhat, to make it simpler.  In 2005, I gave this recipe for brisket, but today I do it differently.  Of course, that recipe went in the oven, and it still works, but now I'm using the smoker, and this recipe works as well.

Ingredients

Packer cut brisket
Salt
Pepper
Beer

That's it.  A packer-cut brisket is sometimes called a whole brisket, or an untrimmed brisket.  It has two muscles, the point, and the flat, and while you can separate the two and cook them separately, I find it just as easy to cook the whole brisket and use the fat as seasoning while it renders through the meat.  Lots of folks use fancy rubs on their brisket, but the better cooks use what they call a Dalmation rub, which is simply white salt and black pepper.  You can add more seasoning if you like, but all the beef really needs is salt and pepper.

Preparation.
Take the brisket out of the package and find the fat cap.  That cap will be on top while we cook.  Liberally salt and pepper the brisket, then put it in a cooking pan.  Pour half a beer over the brisket.  Drink the rest.

Cooking
Put the brisket into the smoker, pan and all.  Set your temperature for about 225F and leave it alone for about ten hours.  When you take it out of the smoker, let it rest for a few minutes, then trim any extra fat, and separate the point from the flat muscle.  Slice across the grain of the meat.  Place into serving dish, then sit back and enjoy the accolades.

Brisket is easy.

More Sand Filters

My post yesterday on sand filters generated some questions, better answered here than in the comments.  So, let's see if I can address them.  I'm no expert, and Google is your friend, I'm sure that better answers can be found online, but I'll give them a shot based on my experience.

Milady and I installed the pool in April/May 2007.  The sand in the filter is seven years old.  We noticed earlier this year that the filter wasn't catching as much of the normal crud that moves through the system as it should, so we started casting about for answers.  Obviously, the filter wasn't doing as good a job as it should and in our research we learned that locally, people tend to change the sand in their filters every three to five years.

Our pool carries approximately 15,000 gallons of water and the installer gave me a filter to handle that amount of water.  It's a Triton II, a fairly standard design, and easy to access.  So, to the questions.

Mostly Cajun asks if sand wears out>  When I opened the top of the filter, I could see that the sand was dirty, and the sand didn't feel like good river sand.  It was less abrasive, didn't have those nice sharp edges we associate with sand, and it just felt different, and it looked dirty.  Of course, it has been filtering water for seven years, so I expected it to be dirty.  I back-wash it regularly when I sense a reduced flow, but the filter didn't seem to be catching as much dirt, so we decided to change the sand.  My particular filter takes 300 pounds, and a local lumber yard was running a sale on pool filter sand, so I picked up six bags on sale.  It took me about an hour to scoop out the old sand and pour in the new sand.  Not a bad job, but a dirty one.

Rivrdog asks if that filter could be used for primary filtration of creek water?  I don't know why not.  We don't cover our pool during the winter months, and when I start cleaning the pool in the springtime, it's pretty cruddy.  The filter cleans the water quickly, although before drinking, you'd need to sanitize it and have it tested, but it would be clean water.

We use a salt system, which uses a charged grid to release the chlorine in the salt to sanitize the pool.  It needs to be cleaned regularly, normally twice per year, a process that takes about 30 minutes and is fairly straightforward.  The salt system has up-sides and down-sides, but the biggest upside is that it uses salt rather than toxic chlorine to sanitize the pool.  The salinity of the pool water is about the same as human tears, so the grandkids don't come out of the pool with red eyes.  And pool salt is cheap as regular salt, because it is simply salt.  I have used livestock feed salt on the occasion that I could't find pool salt.  Morton salt is Morton salt, and I could probably use table salt.  The pool normally uses six or seven, 50 lb bags of salt per year.  Total chemical expenditures on my pool normally runs about $50.00 per year.  Salt is cheap and it's the only chemical I put in it.

That's not exactly true.  In the winter months, when the water temperature gets below 50F, the system quiits making chlorine, so we have to supplement a little bit.  Milady normally picks up a little bucket of chlorine tablets and we'll drop one in the skimmer during the winter months.  So, add another $30-$40 for the chlorine tablets.  Those little buckets, when empty, make a great container for storing range brass and cast bullets.

I hope this answers your questions.