tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94272642024-03-12T21:42:30.345-06:00Barbecue and Beer - The Smoke Is In The AirFor the love of family, friends, great food and good times - I welcome you to BBQ and Beer. May your meat be smoked and your beer be cold.Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-67121648608326205712010-05-28T08:51:00.000-05:002010-05-28T08:51:03.811-05:00Primal Grill / BBQ University Marathon on Memorial Day WeekendTune in for Steven Raichlen's "Red White and Barbecue" TV Marathon on Saturday, May 29.<br />
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From 6 a.m. to midnight, Create TV will air back-to-back episodes of <a href="http://www.createtv.com/CreateProgram.nsf/vProgramsByNola/PGSR">Primal Grill</a>, Seasons 1 and 2, and BBQ University for 18-hours of live-fire cooking featuring Steven Raichlen.<br />
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Find the station and check the schedule for your time zone at <a href="http://www.createtv.com/CreateProgram.nsf/ScheduleLookup?ReadForm&date=05/29/2010#06:00AM">Create TV</a>.Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-16436878963640589972010-05-05T07:53:00.001-05:002010-05-05T07:53:58.613-05:00Grilled Fish Tacos<img src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs511.ash1/30179_1443088998996_1286225584_31218036_3253929_n.jpg" width="450"><br />
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Orange Roughy brushed with olive oil and seasoned with a taco style seasoning mix:<br />
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2 Tbls chili powder<br />
1 1/2 tsp paprika<br />
1 1/2 tsp cumin<br />
1 tsp onion powder<br />
3/4 tsp garlic powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
Dash cayenneCaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-9394749570223571432010-01-14T12:21:00.001-06:002010-01-14T12:28:56.942-06:00Growing Peppers from SeedEvery year I plan to grow a variety of peppers and every year passes without any gorgeous pepper plants bearing the fruit of fire. This year, it will happen! <br />
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Here is the plan.. When starting from seeds, they must first be germinated. I will start by germinating the seeds using the paper towel and plastic bag method as documented at <a href="http://www.chocolatehabanero.com/seedstart.htm">chocolatehabanero.com</a>. Once the seeds have sprouted they will need to be moved to a soil for growing. I am thinking of transferring the germinated seedling to flower flats in a currently unoccupied fish tank for light and temperature control. After the pepper plants have begun to grow and the weather warms up, they will moved outdoors for some of mother natures sunlight and spring rain.<br />
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As a first timer, I think a few pepper varieties will be enough to keep my hands full. The line will consist of jalapeno, bhut jolokia (AKA king cobra chile, naga jolokia, Dorset naga, naga morich, ghost chili), habanero, sweet banana and some beefsteak tomatoes to round things out.<br />
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Those of you who have grown your own, do you start from seeds or buy seedlings? <br />
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Any tricks to making sure the seeds germinate?<br />
Any recommended sources for buying seeds?<br />
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Pictures and updates to come as things progress...Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-43135867231108440162009-10-26T20:40:00.005-06:002009-10-26T21:31:58.343-06:00Smoked ChuckieSmoked a chuck roast on the kettle grill Sunday afternoon. I used about 5lbs of charcoal, offset grilled using the <a href="http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/fireup2.html">minion method</a> with a few hickory chunks for flavor. The fire burned pretty warm at around 300, nice and steady for about 3 1/2 hours. Took them off with an internal temp of 205.<br /><br />Keeping it simple with some kosher salt, black pepper and granulated garlic.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRa2JO3Ii7bHjU_eLKWmx9lqXcNphe1wBBY4OPH3l96Osi8qvwo-J3tyfKpjDHacvaiUf8anOyy8Zlg8KdQmwd4szFpvtiYTePxoBj1MVUNnCywPMMX__S4O_Mc-Z_9g2qEEcFfA/s1600-h/food+088.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRa2JO3Ii7bHjU_eLKWmx9lqXcNphe1wBBY4OPH3l96Osi8qvwo-J3tyfKpjDHacvaiUf8anOyy8Zlg8KdQmwd4szFpvtiYTePxoBj1MVUNnCywPMMX__S4O_Mc-Z_9g2qEEcFfA/s400/food+088.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397109722051212770" /></a><br /><br />Pulled the chuckie after about an hour of rest.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_XFAgU48A_nvGyVUghvtU7luMLAi5LDE2nvzY2C9_dS5TYTQv3Vq8WL9CMdS64E6Oya-dtoeEoR7sH0Aq4xzj26NmTmPL5LGqZgwAG4cjma2VAhUlOleJOqFzVvcbFuqHTz71Q/s1600-h/food+099.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_XFAgU48A_nvGyVUghvtU7luMLAi5LDE2nvzY2C9_dS5TYTQv3Vq8WL9CMdS64E6Oya-dtoeEoR7sH0Aq4xzj26NmTmPL5LGqZgwAG4cjma2VAhUlOleJOqFzVvcbFuqHTz71Q/s400/food+099.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397110485509554466" /></a><br /><br />Grilled asparagus over the remaining coal bed.<br /><br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislxbKarY-oQgyVbuKuV0MaveJb3ji9tz4dC9aSrY0lTiFABBDbDBvUtDk2zbltps1ZXMyLULEYB7FEetS3R95bdkBNj74JQWUQY3E3VUPWyUY8H0UjCCRIOyLmdQDu5ehfDZ9AA/s1600-h/food+091.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislxbKarY-oQgyVbuKuV0MaveJb3ji9tz4dC9aSrY0lTiFABBDbDBvUtDk2zbltps1ZXMyLULEYB7FEetS3R95bdkBNj74JQWUQY3E3VUPWyUY8H0UjCCRIOyLmdQDu5ehfDZ9AA/s400/food+091.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397116249316449106" /></a><br /><br />Everything turned out wonderful..Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-1002976544429489882009-10-26T19:37:00.008-06:002009-10-26T22:07:10.542-06:00Double Brew DayWell I finally got a chance to catch up on some things that have been sorely neglected lately, besides the blog *ashamed*.<br /><br />Saturday night I had a double brew day with another member of the <a href="http://www.ale-iansociety.org">Ale-ian Society</a> homebrew club, <a href="http://elliottbrewingcompany.blogspot.com/">Elliot Brewing</a>. We brewed a Caribou Slobber (Moose Drool Brown Ale clone) and an American Wheat. As a fairly new homebrewer, this was my first time to brew along with someone that knew what they were doing so it was nice to see the differences in our methods and learn from each other. We had a great time and Jerry was a very gracious host. Maybe a little too gracious with the 14% Applewein and the 9% Old Ale *ouchy*.<br /><br />Here is the set-up for two all grain brews in Jerry's beer friendly garage. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftXQ4giXfXsGmxFuGB_0LNjYV5vxcs8UQth1jXDrEP6fwalaW1M9IEA444vJamOtI9k3-XYLvzUNRGSVTcDw5_TiEPyork3m9_aV8ooLoy-O_PX25HeN7IGLjxphrId7zgp021Q/s1600-h/beer+041.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftXQ4giXfXsGmxFuGB_0LNjYV5vxcs8UQth1jXDrEP6fwalaW1M9IEA444vJamOtI9k3-XYLvzUNRGSVTcDw5_TiEPyork3m9_aV8ooLoy-O_PX25HeN7IGLjxphrId7zgp021Q/s400/beer+041.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397093964643064322" /></a><br /><br /><br />Jerry vorlauf's the second running of the American Wheat. <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJ6ZWjOtcX9DLII6qfoaw9WSdsihJsPzGzNDfzeU29RYBQaL06dh4vmrLX67Nm9d_stDaUaulafcx7F6mS7EWYKTtvFMRU15QFiag-ISsfqVia16CWWOQmnUUtT1O1AfOfZlyWg/s1600-h/beer+042.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJ6ZWjOtcX9DLII6qfoaw9WSdsihJsPzGzNDfzeU29RYBQaL06dh4vmrLX67Nm9d_stDaUaulafcx7F6mS7EWYKTtvFMRU15QFiag-ISsfqVia16CWWOQmnUUtT1O1AfOfZlyWg/s400/beer+042.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397099650865717282" /></a><br /><br />We hit all of our numbers and even exceeded them with about 80% brewhouse efficiency. Other than the fact that I ran out of propane, we had a very trouble free and enjoyable brew day. Don't forget that November 7th is <a href="http://www.sograte.com/blog/sograte/teach-friend-homebrew-day">Teach A Friend to Homebrew Day</a>!Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-32014825393150513002009-09-10T20:40:00.002-05:002009-09-10T21:45:35.620-05:00Labor Day 2009Been a lot going on in the world of Sograte BBQ and the long Labor day weekend was much needed. After using Saturday and Sunday to catch up on beef jerky orders, it was finally time to cook some low and slow BBQ. It has been a while since I have been able to cook some barbecue and I was ready to light the fire. On the menu was a couple racks of spare ribs, orange/honey/chipolte glazed chicken and the star of the show was the stuffed pork loin. Pork loin has to be my favorite cut of meat yet I rarely cook them.<br /><br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/SqcbwMNvBPI/AAAAAAAAChk/RLiIwLRsESw/s400/picture%20020.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/Sqcbwxi4wlI/AAAAAAAACho/2xe6U9maeRg/s400/picture%20021.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/SqcbxpKxY-I/AAAAAAAAChs/iHsOOSTnJfQ/s400/picture%20022.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/SqcbzR5JNoI/AAAAAAAACh0/OawH8Ivd0XA/s400/picture%20028.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/Sqcb0Rmg-WI/AAAAAAAACh4/Rt5fshcWp1M/s400/picture%20029.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/Sqcb20ulSyI/AAAAAAAACiE/Wl2BiLxdBPw/s400/picture%20031.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/Sqcb5Mgn9FI/AAAAAAAACiM/FZUkhDuOM_Q/s400/picture%20035.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/Sqcb7KCPfLI/AAAAAAAACiU/Oq2WX2R1HjE/s400/picture%20040.jpg" />Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-22481325491009773152009-09-05T22:46:00.001-05:002009-09-05T22:46:58.759-05:00In Heaven There is No Beer!<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W6ZQx11TbQU&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W6ZQx11TbQU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-31170380706918918782009-09-03T11:41:00.003-05:002009-09-03T11:47:40.922-05:00Make Your Own Barbecue Mop<a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Barbecue-Mop"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6k_s4RY5whFYy6oURunyoN2pnxEcoX5Ia-4IqfcjiyhbNRzz_jdOm2mJg3PB4HLuc91TR9QZXYOt_IGCPqtjDVlSQjxg0Zu2Z5P5KPy7hemPACb0EhkGyypEzW60iqv_JgVnuOA/s400/800px-Finished_Head_on_Mop_921.JPG" border="0" alt="Make Your Own Barbecue Mop" /></a><br /><br />Wiki How posted an interesting new article on the process of <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Barbecue-Mop">making your own barbecue mop</a>. Perfect for the do-it-yourselfer.<br /><br /><blockquote>A common tool in any barbecue arsenal, the mop is used to baste meat while it's on the grill or smoker. The mop looks like a miniature floor mop, and is essentially a cotton-string head on a handle, so it's easy to make your own! This mop has the added bonus of having a removable head for easier washing.</blockquote>Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-5482896912320360882009-08-14T22:12:00.003-05:002009-08-14T22:24:11.567-05:00Friday Night Drinking MusicHere is a nice thirst quenching song for a Friday night. The legendary <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_T._Hall">Tom T Hall</a> is known to have played many songs in the early days of <a href="http://www.stubbsbbq.com/aboutus_3">Stubbs Bar-B-Q</a> here in Lubbock TX (now located in Austin) as did many Texas musicians as they worked their way to the national stage.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8i5k4I1AOEI&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8i5k4I1AOEI&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-47688249401167409582009-08-05T21:54:00.000-05:002009-08-05T21:56:28.536-05:00La vie en rose - Louis Armstrong<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8IJzYAda1wA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8IJzYAda1wA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-57378095045359435362009-07-30T21:13:00.004-05:002009-07-31T09:02:07.266-05:00Atomic buffalo Turds, RevisitedAlmost five years ago, I posted a recipe blog for the crazy spicy delicacy called <a href="http://bbqandbeer.blogspot.com/2004/12/atomic-buffalo-turds.html">Atomic Buffalo Turds</a> here on the Barbecue and Beer blog. Since then, it has been featured on the <a href="http://whitetrashbbq.blogspot.com/2005/11/recipe-atomic-buffalo-turds.html">White Trash BBQ</a> blog and even <a href="http://www.bbqreport.com/archives/barbecue/2005/08/21/recipe-atomic-buffalo-turds/">The BBQ Report</a>. After all this time, the Atomic Buffalo Turds post continues to be the most viewed post of the blog. While I am still not a great writer or photographer, both skills have improved since that time as well general BBQ knowledge and skills. It is humorous to look back at the post see how far I have come.<br /><br />Beyond my own growth, the ABT recipe itself has also come a long way as well. There have been several blog posts featuring a similar recipe such as this one on <a href="http://hogwildbbq.blogspot.com/2007/09/atomic-buffalo-turds-abts.html">Hogwild BBQ</a>. Most recently, the talented crew at BBQ Addicts (home of <a href="http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/">The Original Bacon Explosion</a>) has provided their <a href="http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/atomic-buffalo-turds/">new take on an old recipe</a>. The photography and graphic design is much better for sure and the results look delicious!<br /><br />ABT's continue to be a favorite of my family and friends as well. Rarely is there a fire in the smoker without some ABT's on the grates. Below are some pictures from one of the last cooks in a simplified version, minus the lil smokies. While there is always room for improvement, the photography has come a long way.<br /><br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/SnJWQNjJCLI/AAAAAAAACPE/z03CiCGrbNo/s400/delete%20110.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/SnJXNQMqsPI/AAAAAAAACPI/ObviSb79zLA/s400/delete%20111.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/SnJXOdcc6GI/AAAAAAAACPM/yVgOw0dkaj8/s400/delete%20115.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/SnJXPIaTNaI/AAAAAAAACPQ/2sBudanjspM/s400/delete%20119.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/SnJXQLVJ34I/AAAAAAAACPU/2hsIGsIO8U0/s400/food%20038.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/SnJXQ2cNP-I/AAAAAAAACPY/aC-Em4igz2A/s400/delete%20136.jpg" />Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-49155951015765080022009-07-30T07:17:00.006-05:002009-08-05T21:01:15.302-05:00BBQ Chicken Bacon Ranch TacoIn this weeks <a href="http://bbqandbeer.blogspot.com/2009/07/taco-fail.html">Taco Tuesday challenge</a>, it was a battle of the BBQ chicken tacos. Although, it was not much of a contest against my girl's mad skillz. While I can admit defeat on this challenge, I will maintain that my Chicken Bacon Ranch Taco was indeed worthy of an honorable mention. <br /> <br />My smoked Chicken Bacon taco with topped with Ranch Salsa<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dm1hvUJ5YXQ/SnozSRhfULI/AAAAAAAACQs/MVe_kGATCz4/s400/ChickenBaconTaco%20009.jpg"><br/><br/><br /><br />Her Smoked Chicken Taco with cilantro Caesar ranchero cheese, salad and pinto beans with jalapeno's<br /><img src="http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/86/l_02577bbe810d4415bbc816086bf103b5.jpg">Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-53115551303951832652009-07-25T00:28:00.003-05:002009-07-30T07:46:17.143-05:00So it has BegunMy free pre-release copy of the <a href="http://bbqandbeer.blogspot.com/2009/07/full-plate-diet.html">Full Plate Diet</a> book arrived in the mail today. This diet was created by the Lifestyle Center of America (read the <a href="http://www.mondaymorningmemo.com/?ShowMe=ThisMemo&MemoID=1827">back story here</a>), a non-profit organization "whose only mission is to improve the health and vitality of hum beings around the world". This is a well planned spiral bound book beginning with The Full Plate Concept as chapter one then walking you through the steps of changing your eating habits. The general concept being that you add fiber to your meals by way of fruits and vegetables. Easy and basic. Loaded with recipes as well as lessons and instruction, it looks like the Full Plate Diet will be easy to follow.Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-21854522054439280562009-07-22T12:34:00.005-05:002009-07-30T07:46:26.049-05:00Taco FailThe wonderful woman in my life and I have turned Tuesday nights in a semi-challenge with Taco Tuesdays. It all started innocently enough with a little chatter about not having to decide what to make for dinner on Taco Tuesdays. We both enjoy cooking and sharing our food adventures through pictures so it It didn't take long before this came as a challenge between us to make the better taco. She is an amazing cook with the unlimited creativity of an artist and the hands of a surgeon so the idea of one-upping her is not an easy task to take on. As we create our different tacos, I will post pictures and recipes as a series in the blog.<br /><br />This week, I decided to stick with a traditional ground beef style taco and shift my focus to making my own puffy style fried taco shells using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000IJYK4?ie=UTF8&tag=sogratebbq-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000IJYK4">Maseca Corn Flour</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sogratebbq-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000IJYK4" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />. I made the the tortillas as per the directions on the bag and rolled them into little balls. With a dutch oven full of hot oil, I began pressing these balls into gorgeous flat tortillas. Well at least I tried to make gorgeous flat tortillas. This is where some nice tools like a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref%255F%3Dnb%255Fss%255Fgf%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dtortilla%2520press%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dgourmet&tag=sogratebbq-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">tortilla press</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sogratebbq-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> or even a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D5%26ref%255F%3Dnb%255Fss%255Fgf%26y%3D21%26field-keywords%3Drolling%2520pin%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps&tag=sogratebbq-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">rolling pin</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sogratebbq-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> would have come in handy. I could quickly tell that a lack of these simple tools was going to be a distinct disadvantage. <br /><br />After using every thing I could get my hands on to smash these little balls into a semi-recognizable tortilla like shape, they were carefully folded into the hot frying oil. Unfortunately the <a href="http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2007/06/good-bad-and-puffy.html">Home Sick Texan</a> made this look at lot easier than it really was. In the end, we had some pretty tasty nachos on a bed of homemade fried puffy crumbled tortillas that were not worthy of a picture.<br /><br />Luckily, I had a huge advantage this week as my sweetie was unable to make it to the kitchen which allowed me to take this week by default. Next week, I wont be so lucky!Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-47094313840673680612009-07-20T08:56:00.006-05:002009-07-30T07:46:36.974-05:00The Full Plate DietAs I was reading the <a href="http://www.mondaymorningmemo.com/">Monday Morning Memo</a> this morning, Roy introduced us to a new book by the name of <a href="http://www.fullplatedietbeta.org/">The Full Plate Diet</a>. I am not big on the idea of chasing diet fads and looking for easy answers to all of life's problems. Everyone knows that the trick to losing weight is simple math, burn more calories than you take in. Even though it seems so simple I have the hardest time feeding myself and my family healthy foods and getting the exorcise we need. You can read all the diet books in the world and nothing will help you until you are ready to make a change to your own behavior and self control.<br /><br />After I <a href="http://www.mondaymorningmemo.com/?ShowMe=ThisMemo&MemoID=1827">read the memo</a> my interest and curiosity was peaked. Just like any hungry fish in the sea, I took the bait and ordered up my pre-release free copy. The only catch is that they want feedback on how it worked. Now as a taker of the free pre-release copy, I agree to share my thoughts and experience using this diet method. Therefor, this is the beginning of a new journey which will document here for the record.Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-48901681511431125782009-07-16T00:05:00.002-05:002009-07-16T00:31:07.496-05:00Promises, PromisesI have been very unfaithful to my poor little blog over the years so I am now looking to fix that problem. Writing is not a strong point for me which makes the whole blogging thing very difficult. It is not for a lack of ideas, rather a lack of organization of my thoughts and spitting them out in a legible format. Maybe I should not have slept though all those classes at school. Whoda thunkit?!?<br /><br />Things have changed in many ways since the time I started the Barbecue and Beer blog and I have a lot to talk about. I have gone from building a smoker for the backyard to competing in BBQ competitions to creating and building a <a href="http://www.sograte.com">marketable brand</a>. All of this said, I have a lot of great things to blog about. <br /><br />Now for the promise.. I promise to myself and to my poor little neglected blog that I will dedicate the time needed to create at least one blog entry per week about a BBQ or beer related issue. So, starting at this point I will start posting entries to the Barbecue and Beer blog as well as the <a href="http://www.sograte.com/blog">Sograte BBQ Blog</a>. K, that's it for now, see you soon!<br /><br />Oh and don't forget to <a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/BarbecueAndBeer">subscribe</a>!Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-90572395365403389192009-07-02T06:49:00.004-05:002009-07-02T07:35:29.573-05:00"Life's a Pitch, Then You Buy It" - RIP Billy MaysEvery time I turned on the TV, this man was yelling at me about some life altering product. Some of these products became common house hold items. Whether or not you ever bought anything Billy Mays was selling, you were familiar with his face, his voice and his pitch.<br /><br />In April of 2009 Discovery Channel launched a new series featuring this unique man and the team behind him called <a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/pitchmen/pitchmen.html">Pitchmen</a>. In a single episode, Pitchmen earned my respect. In a single episode, I was no longer annoyed with these commercials selling a magic putty, drill mounted hole diggers and other seemingly crazy products. I was now mesmerized with Billy Mays and his producer Anthony Sullivan for the process of finding products that thought would be useful in our lives. The insight into the process of finding products to pitch, the effort put into giving the consumer maximum value was eye opening. The Pitchmen series quickly became a 'must see' show along with Deadliest Catch and Man Vs Food.<br /><br />Billy Mays made many peoples dreams come true. He spent his life bringing other peoples inventions to a very broad market. Billy put everything he had into closing the sale, no matter what the product was. What an inspiration to us aspiring entrepreneurs.<br /><br />On June 28th 2009, Billy Mays was found unresponsive by his wife. The fascinating pitch man had passed. With my new found respect for his booming voice telling me why I need Oxy Clean or Kaboom, I will truly miss this man yelling at me about his latest product.<br /><br />Discover Channel will be airing a tribute show to Billy on on July 9th.<br /><br />May GOD bless your soul, Billy Mays!Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-13531449120594858942009-02-13T21:13:00.002-06:002009-02-13T21:20:45.197-06:00Friday Night Drinking ThreadAs I work on getting back to blogging on a regular basis, I introduce the BBQ and Beer blogs's Friday Night Drinking Song. This Fiday the 13th and Valentine's eve I give you Ribs and Whiskey from Widespread Panic. <br /><br />Lyrics:<br />I seen your sister naked<br />Nothing I tried to see<br />Caught your sister by the pool there<br />Nothing I tried to see<br />Well I hope it's not huntin' day<br />I hope it's not your daddy's shootin' day<br />Ribs and whiskey make my mind feel tight<br />Whiskey makes my body feel hot<br />If you won't be my love<br />I'm gonna find a new place to spend my night<br /><br /><br /><object width="250" height="40"> <param name="movie" value="http://listen.grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf"></param> <param name="wmode" value="window"></param> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param> <param name="flashvars" value="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&widgetID=3736304&style=metal&ap=0"></param> <embed src="http://listen.grooveshark.com/songWidget.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="250" height="40" flashvars="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&widgetID=3736304&style=metal&ap=0" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="window"></embed></object>Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-9583397859865755792009-01-30T22:15:00.003-06:002009-01-30T22:48:23.177-06:00The 2009 Crawfish Season is Here!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/87/l_ab52fc9639376890d1c8a640badd5b51.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px;" src="http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/87/l_ab52fc9639376890d1c8a640badd5b51.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />If you are in the market for live crawfish but cant find them locally, I highly recommend The Cajun Shop. You can order live or precooked crawfish delivered to your door in a shippable and reusable cooler. A shipment of crawfish comes complete with cajun spices, mardi gras beads, instructions and even crawfish bibs.<br /><br />At the time of my last order, crawfish were out of season and only available as pre-cooked and frozen. Even being pre-cooked we re-boiled with more spices and had a great time with it. I chose them because they were about $4.00/b cheaper than buying them locally, and that included overnight shipping charges.<br /><br />Check them out here <a href="http://www.cajun-shop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=CR">cajun-shop.com</a>Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-34928744507270910972009-01-28T09:25:00.001-06:002009-01-28T09:25:55.595-06:002008 Barbecue Season Wrap-UpThis is a quick wrap-up of the 2008 season. Out of 6 events, we placed a total of 13 top ten finishes. Of these 13 top tens, there were three 1st places, one 3rd place, one 4th place, one 6th place, three 7th places, two 9th places and two 10th places. This was a good year overall with some good times and some bad times. We endured some very crazy weather and even a flood but still managed to leave every event with at least one reward. Looking forward, we are very excited about the 2009 season as we will be chasing a few bigger events this year and even try to hit some Texas State Championships cook-offs. As always, we are willing to promote the good name of any business that wishes to support the efforts of the Sograte BBQ team.<br /><br /><br />13 top ten finishes out of 6 events<br /><br /><br />4th Buffalo Springs Lake Buffalo Wing BBQ, Lubbock, TX<br />Date: 4-26-08 <br />Number of Teams: 51<br /><br />Brisket, 7th<br />Pork Spare Ribs, 6th<br />Buffalo wings, 9th<br />---------------------<br /><br /><br />Homer's Backyard Ball BBQ, Amarillo, TX<br />Date: 5-17-08<br />Number of Teams: 79<br /><br />Brisket, 10th<br />Chicken, 9th<br />---------------------<br /><br /><br />Odessa, TX<br />Date: Not sure<br />Number of Teams: Not sure, 30ish<br /><br />Brisket, 10th<br />---------------------<br /><br /><br />No Adult Supervision BBQ Cookoff, Tahoka, TX<br />July 26, 2008<br />Number of Teams: 31<br /><br />Brisket, 7th<br />Ribs 7th<br />---------------------<br /><br /><br />High Plains Epilepsy BBQ Cookoff, Lubbock, TX<br />August 2, 2008<br />Number of Teams: 5<br /><br />Brisket, 1st<br />Ribs, 3rd<br />Chicken, 1st<br />Beans, 1st<br />High Point winner<br />---------------------<br /><br /><br />Bruce Thornton AC BBQ Battle, Lubbock, TX<br />Date: 8-16-08<br /><br />Chicken, 4th (Ashlee's Chicken)<br />---------------------Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-33509322289013939492007-10-03T11:45:00.001-05:002007-10-03T11:45:45.792-05:00Barbecue SurpriseSo, this guy buys some kind of smoker at an auction, only to find a <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20982414/?GT1=10357">human leg</a>.<br /><blockquote>A man who bought a smoker Tuesday at an auction of abandoned items might have thought twice had he looked inside first.<br /><br />Maiden police said the man opened up the smoker and saw what he thought was a piece of driftwood wrapped in paper. When he unwrapped it, he found a human leg, cut off 2 to 3 inches above the knee.</blockquote><br />Now there seems to be a <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21088150/">custody dispute</a> over the detached appendage. The new owner had turned it over police, who then turned it over to the funeral home after finding that it was not a result of "foul play". Now there is a fight over who gets the leg back from the funeral home.<br /><br /><blockquote>Whisnant, who put a sign on the empty smoker charging adults $3 and children $1 for a look, now wants the leg back.<br /><br />"He's making a freak show out of it," Wood told The Charlotte Observer for a Monday story. "He wants to put money in his pocket with this thing."</blockquote> I would have rather bought the house with $100K <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gdZ_QRpmTuZPYr4yZw3vR0f4ISlwD8RUL5E81">in the attic</a>.Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-19068478405942561922007-07-22T20:32:00.000-05:002007-07-22T20:33:31.620-05:00Cary's Hard LemonadeAfter a day of hard day of setting up a lemonade stand, standing guard and cleaning up - it was time for a cup of lemonade that I could enjoy. I poured some leftover raspberry lemonade over some rum and was surprised with the results.<br /><br />Here is the recipe for some excellent lemonade the adults can enjoy.<br /><br />1/2 gallon water<br />1 can Frozen lemonade concentrate<br />1/4 cup frozen raspberries<br />3/4 cup sugar<br />1 bottle Captain Morgan Spiced Rum<br /><br />Good water is an essential trick to a quality drink, make sure to use filtered or bottled water for best results.<br /><br />Boil 1 cup of water, add sugar. This dissolves the sugar down to a simple syrup.<br />Mash the raspberries in a bowl. Strain the raspberries into a pitcher.<br />Add the frozen lemonade concentrate and simple syrup to the pitcher, then fill pitcher with water.<br />Mix well.<br />Fix a tumbler with ice and a shot of rum. Top off with raspberry lemonade.<br /><br />The kids can enjoy a cup of "virgin" raspberry lemonade while you relax with a glass of Cary's Hard Lemonade.Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-85880978186619225022007-06-06T14:42:00.000-05:002007-06-06T14:46:03.465-05:00Picture Slide Show from a Cook-offBeen a while since I have posted anything so I thought I would post a slide show of pictures from one of the cook-off we have done this year.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcary.franklin%2Falbumid%2F5072271307035616289%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-79664721679455032662006-10-17T09:03:00.000-05:002006-10-17T09:51:05.480-05:0015K Worth of Free Barbecue Related Prizes at Smokinaphattie.com<a href="http://www.smokinaphattie.com/"><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a265/terramichelle/phattie126X236.gif" border="0"></a><br><br>My friends at <a href="http://www.smokinaphattie.com/">smoking a phattie</a> are offering $15,000.00 worth of prizes to the first 1000 registered members of their new website, <a href="http://www.smokinaphattie.com/" http://smokinaphattie.com="">www.smokinapahttie.com</a>. That is an average of $150.00 each in barbecue related prizes ranging from smokers and barbecue grills, to gift cards, BBQ sauces, rubs and Smokinaphattie.com apparel. To qualify you must: <a href="http://smokinaphattie.com/Member_Register.aspx">complete a profile</a> by answering all profile questions <strong>and</strong> upload a profile picture. IT'S THAT EASY!!!! And it's FREE.<br><br><a href="http://www.smokinaphattie.com/">Smokinaphattie.com</a> is like myspace for the barbecue aficionado. This social networking site has features like your own personal page, personal blogs, people search forums, classifieds and recipes. There is no reason look any further for a friendly barbecue community. Meet new people, swap ideas, or just read-up on what everybody else is doing in the world of barbecue. <br><br>I am in no way affiliated with Smokin a Phattie and only helping them get the word out to all of my friends in Q. And yes, I am <a href="http://smokinaphattie.com/Member/MemberProfile.aspx?MemberID=5328">registered</a>. Now quit messing around, get over there and <a href="http://smokinaphattie.com/Member_Register.aspx">register your new account</a>. They can also be found on <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=102835762&MyToken=14e60d32-7146-41b4-bda6-dfc96a2a3f3f">myspace</a>.<br>Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9427264.post-1158345236512074652006-09-15T13:33:00.000-05:002006-10-16T16:05:02.000-05:00BBQ Contests for ProfitBBQ Blog has a great post regarding the idea of atttempting to make money through barbecue competitions. <a href="http://bbqguyblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/bbq-contests-for-profit-editorial_06.html"> BBQ Contests for Profit -- an editorial</a><blockquote>BBQ contests have not yet reached the point where the contest itself offers a substantial enough purse to be economically feasible for more than one or two of the competitors at each event. By the time you factor in expenses for meat, travel, lodging, entry fees, wear and tear on vehicles and equipment just for starters, you're in the hole already....unless you are fortunate to win the $1,500 or $800 (average amounts, some contests pay less), you're never going to come out on the positive end of things.</blockquote> <br /><br />Read it all.<br /><br />While I will glady pick a competition that has greater prize money over lesser paying comps, I am not in it for the money. Sounds funny, but think about it. This is a hobby. Just like any hobby, it is an expense and not a means of income. You have to pay to play. Any time that you think you are going to profit from your hobby you are asking for disaster. <br /><br />While I like events that promise bigger payouts, I am not looking come home and payoff my debts. Rather, if I can recover some of the expense involved, it is more likely that I will be able to hit another competition. Bigger paying events also bring in better competition. It is more fun to compete with heavy hitters that have an extensive track record and trailer full of hardware. Before you can be the best, you have to beat the best. Still working on that, but keep your eyes open.Caryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08852165931802492039noreply@blogger.com0