What R you doing today?

[cmason1957]

Sitting with my wife at a winery today. $5 glasses of wine and $10 for a hamburger. Really, really good hamburger, decent enough wine.

 

[Kraffty]

Two full weeks and the deck rebuild remodel is finished. Very happy with the contractor and the finished job, both quality and look. Mostly glad we took the opportunity to expand the size. Time to move stuff back onto it.

 

[Ohio Bob]

Retired now so no more excuses not to tackle those multi-hour projects. Sidewalk in front of the house started tilting, maybe an inch at the worst, but definitely could be a trip hazard. Also makes shoveling snow a hassle when the shovel blade hits that area. So it affects me more than anyone else in the family. I don’t think the kids even know it’s there.

I vaguely remember watching my dad do the same. I was probably 10, so I watched, didn’t really help. He used those old fashioned car bumper jacks, when changing a flat meant hooking up the jack to the cars metal bumper.

I used a MAP gas torch to bend some heavy duty S hooks into lifting hooks. It took over an hour to get the hooks just the right shape to catch on the underside of the sidewalk. Finally got it level, packed in some rocks, and threw in a little mixed up concrete to hold the rocks in place. That area really doesn’t get a lot of load so it only needs to last another 5 years. At that point the wife will have no expectation I will have to fix it again, I’m old enough now I shouldn’t have had to do it in the first place. Lol. But she appreciates saving a few bucks. Leftover concrete mix not included, I spent less than $10 for the S hooks.

Now I’m celebrating with a few ice packs on my knees and a gin and tonic.

 

[Hazelemere]

Zucchini Roasted Tomato Meat Sauce for Freezer Lasagne

3 lbs cremini mushrooms sliced and sauteed in butter

Organic young onions from the garden diced including the green parts with 3 minced garlic cloves and then sauteed in the mushroom butter drainings

3 medium grated zucchini (skins on) and sauteed in 1 litre salt free beef broth

4 lbs lean ground beef browned in olive oil

1 super large can of roasted Italian diced tomatoes

1 large can heirloom crushed tomatoes

tamari, worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, fresh organic - lemon thyme, lovage, sage, basil, oregano

We'll have this as spaghetti sauce today and tomorrow I'll use it to make lasagna with baby spinach, ricotta, grated mozzarella and shredded parmesan cheese. The idea behind this recipe is to find a really good zucchini freezer recipe in this case Beef Zucchini Lasagna..

I skipped spaghetti sauce and made this. This is a perfect way in IMHO to use a bumper crops of zucchini i.e. grate it into a beef tomato lasagna sauce for the freezer. I'll absolutely make it again.

 

[winemaker81]

Yesterday my son & his girlfriend helped me bottle last year's Metheglin/Cyser. She has no experience in fermentation, so this was all new to her.

First we topped barrels, which gave her the opportunity to taste a couple wines. Then we bottled, and she acted as go-fer.

She was given a 1 gallon cider kit, and now she's excited to make it! My son will help her with that.

Oh, and the reason this is "Metheglin/Cyser"? Last August I started a Metheglin, and some where along the way decided to flavor it with apple, so I backsweetened it with undiluted apple juice concentrate.

Next time I start a batch I'm going to dilute the honey with apple juice, and backsweeten with sugar.

 

[Hazelemere]

summer pruning grape wines. I have 66 left with 22 to a row. After that I need to hack the weeds and then inspect for any powdery mildew. So far the vines look healthy. I've been spraying with Kumulus S and potassium bicarbonate to control mildew. After that I'll leaf thin around grape clusters and then start putting up bird nets.

 

[Kraffty]

Making progress on getting the deck in working order. I’ve moved all the bbq and grilling stuff onto the expanded section. Had to extend the gas line for the grill and, to hold charcoal and cooking utensils, lori found a cart with a stainless top on wayfair. It was waycheap but after a few modifications it should hold up for a few seasons. Next up I want to run some water and electric under the deck to an out of sight outlet near the bar the put a small bar sink in the return end of it. I’m also looking into some type of sun screen overhead, the direct sun just makes the stainless almost untouchable.

 

[cmason1957]

If it is in direct sun, that composite decking gets to nearly the same temp as stainless might. It doesn't hold the heat well, so it cools off quickly.

 

[Codfish]

Are those speakers in the jeep grill?

 

[Kraffty]

Nope, working bulbs, but, that’s an awesome idea that I’ll have to look into. Thanks

 

[Ohio Bob]

Freezer is starting to fill up with foraged blackberries, thought I would start getting things lined up for the ferment. My fruit press has awful legs, there is no good way to stabilize the press when turning the crank.

Driving around yesterday and saw a sign in a guys yard saying he does custom welding. Sent him a text of my press and asking if he could do it. Quick response was yes. I took it to him today and 10 minutes later I have 3 sturdy and flat plates for screwing the press down. One of the best $25 ever spent on wine equipment.

 

[ibglowin]

Making progress on getting the deck in working order. I’ve moved all the bbq and grilling stuff onto the expanded section. Had to extend the gas line for the grill and, to hold charcoal and cooking utensils, lori found a cart with a stainless top on wayfair. It was waycheap but after a few modifications it should hold up for a few seasons. Next up I want to run some water and electric under the deck to an out of sight outlet near the bar the put a small bar sink in the return end of it. I’m also looking into some type of sun screen overhead, the direct sun just makes the stainless almost untouchable.
View attachment 114470View attachment 114467

Looking good Mike. I would get one of those sun shade sails for the patio to put up over the grill area . Should be easy peasy to set up and attach one side to the house and the other to some support poles you could add to the patio deck side. I have the same SS prep cart on my BBQ patio. I would pick up a cheap grill cover and keep the prep cart covered except for when you are actually going to use it. It will stay like new for many years if you do that.

 

[Ohio Bob]

What an ending to a great day. Neighbor is throwing a graduation party and hired a professional fireworks show. Unfortunately when I try to upload the video, the site says the file is empty. This is from the finale. Never saw a fireball incorporated into a fireworks show before. This screenshot will have to do. Note the car in the foreground for scale.




From earlier in the show...

 

[Kraffty]

Sometimes things just work out for all concerned. Lori's mom, at 90 years old, had made the decision, all on her own thankfully, to give up driving. She asked us if we'd handle doing something with her ford Fusion. My FIL was an auto mechanic and the car was bought new in 2013, well maintained and always garaged. My wife's best friend just moved to our town a few months ago to retire and their auto lease had just expired. They wanted to pick up a used car for cash but weren't having much luck so we offered them the Fusion at a really good price. Tuesday morn the three of us drove over to lake havasu city to pick up the car. Lori stayed an extra day but her girlfriend and I drove the car back here wednesday. It drove like a dream, Mom's happy, Lori's happy, Simone and Ron are really happy and we're heros to everyone concerned. Gotta Love it!

 

[bstnh1]

Busy day coming up. I'll be going to Lowes to pick up the $200 DeWalt tool kit I've won. And then over to Harbor Freight where I've won a $240 combo tool. If I see anything else I like, I can pick it up for free because Walmart and T-Mobile have sent me a couple of big ($1000 +) payments to my PayPal account. But before heading out I have to call and see why my SiriusXM payment was declined on an account I don't have and why all my i-Phone photos will be deleted from my Android phone! And when I've finished all that, I'm gonna check my e-mail again to see what else I might have won. I just hope the IRS doesn't call me again and make me pay any back taxes and penalties with i-Tunes gift cards!!! I'm running low on cash after bailing out my grandson in Moldova.

 

[back2it]

I was talking to my daughter yesterday (girls like to talk ) and she asked me about my wine, I of course told her about my blackberry wine and that I was going to rent a press to press the fruits in a few days.

This lunchtime a box arrived …

After I assembled it, I checked the instructions to make sure I had assembled it correctly and proceeded to make a base and extra blocks from offcuts that I have lying around. I can still hear my father saying, “Don’t throw away offcuts son, you never know when you will need them.” and I can see him now, saying nothing but nodding and smiling approvingly


I knew my investment in having kids would be worth it

 

[vinny]

I was talking to my daughter yesterday (girls like to talk ) and she asked me about my wine, I of course told her about my blackberry wine and that I was going to rent a press to press the fruits in a few days.

This lunchtime a box arrived …

After I assembled it, I checked the instructions to make sure I had assembled it correctly and proceeded to make a base and extra blocks from offcuts that I have lying around. I can still hear my father saying, “Don’t throw away offcuts son, you never know when you will need them.” and I can see him now, saying nothing but nodding and smiling approvingly

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I knew my investment in having kids would be worth it

You should speak to her more often. It seems like a very rewarding relationship.

 

[back2it]

You should speak to her more often. It seems like a very rewarding relationship.

You know in high summer when the temperatures have hit a new record high, and you have just squeezed yourself into the roof space to replace a penny washer that is in an area that only a 9-year-old should fit - that is when she will call and say, “I just called to chat, is this a good time for you?”.

I, like all of us, will of course say “yes, how are you?” cos I’m dad

 

[winemaker81]

You know in high summer when the temperatures have hit a new record high, and you have just squeezed yourself into the roof space to replace a penny washer that is in an area that only a 9-year-old should fit - that is when she will call and say, “I just called to chat, is this a good time for you?”.

I, like all of us, will of course say “yes, how are you?” cos I’m dad

After contorting yourself into that space ... howinthuheck did you reach your phone to answer it??? I'm impressed!

 

[cmason1957]

My wife and I went to see one of the funniest comedians i have ever heard. Look for him on DryBar Comedy and else where. Brad Upton from the Seattle area. Everyone in the audience laughed and laughed so hard our faces hurt. Then he did around afterwards taking pictures for probably an hour or longer.

Ps. I take horrible selfies. Never can smile for some reason. Probably age related.