Round 2!

Just as I watched the dust from the last rig leave headquarters last Friday, more dust was headed our way. We had a full house and a busy weekend with 6 extras here to celebrate Father's day. I love it when the front of the house looks like this:

Nothing makes me happier than when all of our family is together. Saturday was brutal as far as the heat:

And this week promises more of the same. Everyone finds their favorite shady spot in the heat of the day

:

The wind was whipping up a storm on Sunday morning and wind and smoking do not a good team make. So DH moved the smoker:

I put all of my leftovers to good use this weekend and DH filled the smoker with chicken. Cornish Game Hens on one side:

And big chickens on the other:

Everyone pulled out on Sunday: One in the morning because she was headed to North Dakota (I made a trip into town to meet her ride from the university), 2 in the afternoon, 2 headed south in the evening, and 1 headed east. I made 24 Buckaroo Bundles on Sunday to send with the kids:

Buckaroo Bundle Recipe Here

                                             
I made 16 2 weeks ago and our girl's bringing a college buddy home this next weekend so I'll probably be making more to send back with them.

I loved every minute of the weekend and can't wait till we get to do it again. My FIL is turning 80 in August so that's the next clan gathering!

After work on Monday, I made another trip to the grocery store because the crew was gathering around my table at 4 the next morning and I think I was expected to feed them. :)  Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert is on the menu for dessert so I know there will be lots of happy cowboys!

Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe Here

                                             

I've got roast in the pressure cooker for barbecue sandwiches tomorrow and am fixing to put together the Chocolate Eclair dessert. It's DH's favorite. :) Can't remember if I've shared it or not. I'll check - and if not, I guess I ought to do that. :) I've got to tackle that laundry too. Lots of bedding from everyone being here this weekend and I'll need it for the next round this coming weekend. I think I need a nap. 2:30 a.m. will be here before I know it.

Just in the Nick of Time

Whew! Christmas festivities are in full swing at the end of my dirt road. My mom flew in on Tuesday and poor thing hasn't left the kitchen sink since she stepped foot in the door. We made all of our favorites which include Oreo truffles, dipped pretzels, Rolo Pretzels, Sugar Cookies, and my favorite - Gingerbread Cowboys.

                                

And since the kids were babies, we've always made my Sour Cream Cranberry Pound Cake for a Birthday Cake for Jesus:

                               

We were unable to make our annual trek to the mountains to cut a tree this year and 2 weeks before Christmas, there was not a tree to be had in town. DH said we had a bumper crop of tumbleweeds so we went in search of the perfect tumbleweeds.

                                

Have y'all heard of The Tumbleweed Christmas Tree written by Andy Wilkinson and performed by Red Steagall? All I can say is that we failed miserably. I had to sit in the bed of the truck and hold on to the tumbleweeds while DD drove and then we couldn't get them in the door. And can you say stickery?! We did get one in the door and it wouldn't fit in the corner of the living room and we had to drag it back out. Needless to say, we'll be finding tumbleweed stickers in the house until the 4th of July, but we gave it the old college try.

DH smoked 52 quail for dinner today

                                    

and I am telling you that it was the best thing we've ever eaten and yes, we do say that every time he smokes quail. :) While my mom and I were baking, our college girl spent an entire hour prepping the quail:

                                                 

They each get a slice of jalapeno, wrapped in bacon, and dusted with a smoking rub. Best. Dinner. Ever.

                                    


And as good as those quail were, it's going to get even better. I make a smoked quail soup with the rest of the quail and I've been informed that its everyone's favorite meal of the year. I wholeheartedly agree! The weather has been unseasonably warm this December, but according to the weather experts, we're in for a big change:

See those lows?! And that's in town. We'll be up to 10 or 12° colder here. I'm looking forward to the first snow of the winter on Sunday though! You can bet we'll be snuggling a little deeper into those quilts when we get back from making feed runs!

Our boy will be here in a few hours and we'll head to church for Christmas Eve services before going out to eat. We're all on the fence about eating out. We know its going to be hard to top those smoked quail!

I know y'all are all busy as cats in a room full of rocking chairs too, but I think I'm just in the nick of time to pop on here and wish all of y'all a very Merry Christmas from  here at the end of the dirt road.

                                        

Presenting DH's Project...

Drum roll please. Yes, I am very excited to show y'all what he's been working on for the last 3 months. I tried to take occasional pictures as he worked on it:

                                     

He put in lots of hours:

He found bits and pieces from the junk pile and molded them into usable parts:

                                    

He bought just one piece of flat metal for the firebox and end caps. On Saturday evenings and Sundays, this is where he could be found for a couple of months:

                                                 

He even designed a nifty adjustable damper to control the air intake:

He made the wheels from scratch too:

                                      

The grates slide in and out. Yep, he made those too:

He did buy the handles:

                                         

And he made a couple of tools:

                                           

Sorry bout all the pictures, I am just so impressed.

                                          

On Saturday, we loaded it up

                                

and moved it down from the shop:

                                                       

This rascal is HEAVY.

                                    

Here he is, installing the thermometers:

                                                             

He didn't work from a pattern. Just did a ton of reading online about people who build smokers and before long, his pile of odds and ends turned into this:

Then it was time to build the first fire to season the smoker:

                                      

Adjusting the tuning plates:

                                        

After 26 years of marriage, this man still amazes me:

                                                    

Basting the chicken:


                                                       

Now that the smoker is done, I have been informed that I am expected to learn to cook on it. :) I don't know. It's going to pretty hard to beat this awesome chicken!

                                      

And smoking a roast turns the meat into something absolutely mouthwatering. Next up, brisket and ribs, and salmon, and ham, and turkey, and ...

Good job Honey!