Pre-Thanksgiving Smoking Party

For the more than a decade, Uncle Kenny has hosted four pre-holiday smoking parties per year (for St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas).  People -- friends, family, strangers off the street -- are free to drop off whatever they want smoked, and he takes care of the rest.  It's a social event for him, an opportunity to hang out with some friends and throw a big party at the end that involves a taste of just about everything.  We had taken meat to be smoked before, and had attended the sampling afterwards, but had never been there for the actual smoking.  This year, I decided to change that.

Uncle Kenny's smoker is an industrial bakery oven that he salvaged and converted.  It contains a giant rotisserie, and he has rigged a woodbox to it to provide the smoke. 

The woodbox, piped into the smoker.

It's an all-day event, with work starting around 5 a.m. and the last item leaving the smoker after 7 p.m. or later.  The record for the most meat smoked at one of his parties is a bit over four tons.  This year's pre-thanksgiving event didn't quite hit that level, but it was still impressive.  The tally for the day was:  18 briskets, 23 pork shoulders, 53 turkeys, 73 slabs of ribs, 21 hams, 6 chickens, 3 corned beef briskets, two pork loins, about 25 pounds of sausage, a half dozen salmon filets and a couple of trout.

Turkey's going into the smoker.

Spraying down the briskets with a bit of apple juice.

Briskets coming off the smoker.

Above: Rib prep and ribs going on the smoker.

Just about done.

The procedure for pulled pork is pretty neat.  When a pork shoulder comes off the smoker, it goes into a (clean, I promise) paint bucket.  Then, using a power drill and a custom-made shredding attachment, the pork shoulder is shredded.  It only takes four of five quick pulses, and saves a lot of time compared to doing it by hand.  The entire process is shown below.

What's most impressive is that, despite dealing with hundreds of items, everything finds its way back to its rightful owner.  Each item is tagged with a numbered metal washer (as seen on the ribs below), and that number is logged along with the name of the person who brought it.  When meat comes off the smoker, it is identified on the log, packaged and labeled with the appropriate name.

Fish and ham are the last items to go on the smoker, as they take the least amount of time (the fish will overcook fairly quickly, and the ham, being pre-cooked, only requires enough time to warm up, take on a little smoke, and let the glaze melt).

Wrapped, racked and ready for pick-up.

World's Best Bro!

Okay, so he's not earning the title right at this moment, since he's grumbling in his bed loud enough to wake Elizabeth up, but anyway...

Uncle Tony & Aunt Jen got Ben a "World's Best Bro" shirt when we visited in July, along with an "I love my bro" shirt for Elizabeth. They are doubly appropriate since Ben's initials are BRO. Ben's shirt didn't fit so they kept it and had Jen's mom Dena make it into an incredible cape. It was a windy day yesterday, so Ben modeled it outside so it would look even cooler.

World's Best Bro & Best Little Sister

Fun Day at the K

Today the Royals held an open house for potential season ticket buyers, so we thought we'd run over there and let the kids wander through the seats for some free entertainment. It turned out to be even cooler than we imagined- free hot dogs, drinks, Cracker Jacks, and popcorn, plus the chance to sit in all the seats, walk on part of the warning track and both dugouts, check out the Diamond Club restaurant and the swanky Crown Club private lounge, and tour the visitors' clubhouse. Plus 20% off in the team store! I got a clearance Billy Butler shirt for about $10. Great-Grandma Meyer had sent the kids each $5 so Ben excitedly picked out a pack of baseball cards and Elizabeth chose a set of 2 necklaces with big baseball beads (she wanted to touch everything else in the store first, though!). We will definitely try to check this out next year, even if season tickets aren't exactly in the budget!

Elizabeth makes a call to the visitors' bullpen- we could actually hear it ring in the outfield!

He wanted to run like Daddy & Uncle Eric did at the 5K.

"GO ROYALS!"

Ben calls the Royals' bullpen and tells them to get Greg Holland ready to pitch.

In the Royals' dugout

The view from the $16,000 seats! (I am not kidding!)

In the clubhouse

Happy Halloween!

After a few days of rain, we had a nice evening for trick-or-treating. Elizabeth has been getting used to her ladybug costume over the last few weeks. She wanted nothing to do with it at first but after seeing online photos of other kids in the same costume, she understood what it was and let me help her try it on. (Full disclosure: they were bribed with delicious apple cider caramels to sit together and smile for the picture!)

On Halloween Elizabeth was excited to get her costume on (did not even want me to bother with the shirt or tights, just wanted "bug! bug!") but freaked out when the first trick-or-treaters came to the door. We carried her most of the way when we went out, though she did warm up and want to go get "treat, treat!" eventually. She was really interested in the Hershey bar she got to eat when we got home and savored it in little bites with intense focus

Ben had a ball in his Chiefs outfit and ran from house to house enthusiastically yelling, "Trick or TREAT!" He also enjoyed watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" with Dave when we got home.

Elizabeth at 21 months

Elizabeth is 21 months old and in the middle of a really fun developmental period. She's learning more words, loves to explore, and is definitely developing opinions! "NO" is one of her favorite words. She loves books, music, peek-a-boo, This Little Piggy, and Play-doh but don't try to get her to finger paint or take away something she wants or you will hear her protests!

This truck has probably been the best toy purchase we've made. We bought it for Ben's first Christmas and both kids have driven miles and miles around the living room and kitchen.

Dancing together

A neighbor of Dave's parents is a beautiful woodworker and had made these rocking horses for his grandchildren, who are older now. When they moved out of KC, he gave them to our kids. We cycle them in and out but this was the first time we'd gotten out the big horse for Ben. Ben and Elizabeth like "racing" each other. Elizabeth is as fearless as Ben was on the little horse, necessitating the beanbag to keep her from rocking too far backward. We're pretty sure the horse is designed not to let that happen, but just in case, the beanbag is there.

I changed her diaper and then went to wash my hands before getting her into pj's. She used the time to lounge around and grab a book!

Hanging out in the mei tai during our zoo trip

She has been getting more into using markers, crayons, and dot markers. Here she is gleefully shaking the crayon box:

Proudly modeling a Play-doh watch designed by Mommy

Autumn has arrived!

After a September with rather unseasonably warm temperatures, it is finally starting to feel like fall in Kansas City.  The kids are enjoying being outside and would probably stay out there all evening if we let them.  Ben loves playing football, baseball, soccer, and going up to the middle school track with Dave. Elizabeth likes when we help her sit in the tree, taking walks or wagon/stroller rides, and carrying around a baseball glove and ball.

Eric and Dave completed the Royals 5K run at Kauffman Stadium. The kids and I went to cheer them on. Elizabeth did NOT like it when Slugger, the Royals' mascot, came over to say hi after the runners left.

Eric and Dave high-fiving the hot dogs as they run into the stadium. Dave is in the Frank White shirt, Eric's ahead of him in dark blue.

Running along the warning track in the stadium

Celebrating! (Ben is unsure and was probably wondering where the promised free food was.)

Dave took Ben back to the stadium for the last Royals' game of the season. (I was at camp for work and Elizabeth was getting some extra Grandma & Opa time.) They got to see a 10th inning walk-off grand slam by Royals player Justin Maxwell to win the game, then got to run the bases afterward!

In September, our friend Neilam visited from California. We had a great relaxed weekend with trips to the local farmer's market and of course, the obligatory barbecue meal!

Ben & Neilam playing "Word on the Street," which is a really fun game!

My parents flew out at the beginning of the month and Ben milked his Papa time as much as possible, with two trips to play miniature golf and a lot of outside playtime. We had lovely weather and the kids loved spending an extra day home with Grammie & Papa as their daycare was closed on Columbus Day.

Elizabeth & Grammie goofing around

Ben doing a puzzle sent by Great-Grandma Meyer

We also took a trip to Bass Pro Shops on a randomly very warm day in September. It's one of our favorite free places to go on days where it's too hot or too cold to spend much time outside. The kids love watching the fish (giant catfish Bess is below) and the ducks.

Ben thought he might add this boat to his Christmas list.