Our Annual Trip To Marco Island, FL

You are likely aware that my girls make a three-week trip to our timeshare in Marco and I rarely go because I don’t like to go where it’s hot after just getting thru a long hot Tennessee summer, but this year I decided to go so Bev wouldn’t have to make that long drive.  So, after saying good-bye to Cindy and the very disappointed pups, we got on the road at a foggy 5am.  We came down US-411 to near Cartersville, GA then I-75 where the traffic was light to Atlanta then pretty heavy until the Florida Turnpike peeled off in Wildwood.  They have been widening I-75 for as long as I can remember but they should have made it four or five lanes rather than just three.  As it turns out, I’m more relaxed behind the wheel than as a passenger (maybe it’s a control issue) so I did the driving and 12½ hours and 800 miles later we pulled into The Charter Club Of Marco Beach.  Listening to a book helped the time pass quicker.  While Bev doesn’t like spending a night in a hotel, I think it’s time to start making this a two-day trip.  

We got in at sunset and had this view from the balcony.

My New Cooker

Over the years, I’ve had several smokers with the last one being a Masterbuilt electric smoker which I really like for many things.  However, it does not work as well for big meats with long cook times.  Oh, the Masterbuilt smokes fine but it doesn’t matchup with my lifestyle as it requires additions of wood chips every hour and for a 12 hour brisket, it must be started at 5am for supper that day.  My previous Stumps gravity feed charcoal smoker worked well for the big meats as I could just put it on and go to bed for a brisket that was ready the next morning.  All of my smokers are shown in this post.  

Show Him Your Badge (Humor) And Jimmy's Wrigleyville Grill San Antonio Italian Beef

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE VETERANS

Our neighbor with the cows has this sign on his fence.

A Little Roundabout Trip To Nebraska, Days 13 & 14, Trip Home

We started our final day in Hartington by going early to the café so Kathy could make us a delicious good-by breakfast then it was a 10½ hour drive to MT Vernon, IL via NE-57 & 59, US-20, I-29, I-70, & I-64.  The roads were all decent to excellent with lots of improvements being made and the traffic wasn’t bad until we managed to hit St. Louis at 5pm. 

The terrain really varied from tabletop flat to pretty rolling along US-20 and we saw plenty of crop harvesting going on as evidenced by the big cloud of dust that the combines generated. 

Longhorn Steakhouse Parmesan Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Sweet Potato Hash

When I saw this recipe for Parmesan Chicken from Longhorn Steakhouse on the “Then And Now” blog, it called my name so on the cook soon list it went.  The blog describes it as “A delicious and crispy chicken dish inspired by Longhorn Steakhouse, featuring tender chicken breasts coated in a Parmesan crust and topped with a melted blend of mozzarella and garlic. Perfect for a comforting and flavorful dinner.”  I followed the recipe except I used shredded cheddar & buttermilk and I increased it by 50% to get the one below.

A Little Roundabout Trip To Nebraska, Day 9 - 12, Hartington - Visiting Kathy

 Day nine broke to a pretty day in the upper mid-west farm country with a brisk breeze and a little chill in the air.  By the afternoon, it was a little hazy due to the wind blowing up dust, the vehicles traveling gravel roads, and the web pic of harvesters bringing in the dried corn and soy beans (they just say beans around here).

Homemade Basil Pesto And Leftover Meatloaf

We had a good crop of basil in our herb garden and with frost predicted, we decided to turn some of it into pesto to freeze.  We used Ina Garten’s recipe for the pesto and I amended it for the amount of basil we had to get the recipe below.

Basil Pesto – Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients:

3/8 cup English walnuts

3/8 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

5 tablespoons chopped garlic

7½ cups fresh basil leaves, packed tight

1½ teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2¼ cups good olive oil

1½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds.

Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed.

Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or freeze in half cup containers.