Wednesday, July 6, 2011

OMG!!!

I know it's been quite a while since I've posted on this blog and I KNOW this isn't about cooking or food but I HAD to share it here simply because of it's length.

Coming from New England, I haven't had much experience with forced hot air heat. In fact I've only had one other home with it..... and that one had an electric electrostatic air cleaner that removed dust etc very efficiently.

Now, considering that Kathy has asthma and her Aunt Diane (who's 97 and still going [fairly] strong) we thought it was time to hire someone to clean our air ducts.

I called our local Heating/Cooling company who had done work for us in the past and they recommended Stanley Steemer.

Today was the day.

First of all, I can't say enough GOOD things about them! What (to me at least) was fascinating was that they took a small camera and took pictures inside every duct that they cleaned - before AND after using those air-powered 'whips' that clean the ducts.

What I really wanted to share, though, was the vast assortment of stuff that was found (in the BEFORE pictures, naturally!). Balls of all sizes, a few playing cards, a plastic swizzle stick from Sardi's Restaurant in NYC, some small kids cars, a baby's pacifier and, largest of all, a sports drinking bottle (pictured)..... well, I guess there was some dust and dirt too but those items were the ones that just blew my mind! Most of the smaller stuff was sucked right up into the vacuum hose they used on the furnace but I saved a couple of things (pictured) that were deposited in the bottom of the furnace once the hose was disconnected.

Just wanted to share that all with ya!


Thursday, January 20, 2011

Thursday Morn, Jan 20th

I finished the Lasagna yesterday with a bunch of Kathy's help. FOUR layers of thin, handmade noodles with the requisite homemade sauce, meat and cheeses...... it's gonna be AWESOME!!

Got the pork butt in the smoker this morning - Brined it overnight and rubbed it this morning. It's outside happily cooking at about 250 degrees - now to wait about 11 hours (but it's gonna be sooooooo worth it!!!!).

Monday, January 17, 2011

Big Gang on Sunday!

I've got a big gang of Barbershop friends coming over on Sunday..... am making a BIG lasagna (hotel pan) and smoking a pork butt for pulled pork. Everyone else is bring appetizers, salads, desserts etc.

So I've already browned the ground beef and Italian sausage (1 pound of each), made the sauce and bought all the cheeses. Perhaps tomorrow I'll start making the dough for the lasagna noodles (it's supposed to be a crummy day anyway - snow tonight followed by rain/freezing rain then turning colder again and back to snow - YUCK!

I'll wait a day or so before smoking the pork butt.

Stay tuned!