respublica

Cooking bacon

After way too many years of making a complete greasy mess of the kitchen, I finally realized that frying bacon in the oven is the absolute best way to do it. No grease splatters all over the stovetop, counters and even walls, no bacon smoke lingering in the house for days. Yessir, it's the oven for us from now on.

Preheat the oven to 400, lay the bacon strips on a baking sheet which has a raised edge and is lined with foil. Put the bacon in the oven and after 17-20 depending on the thickness you have crispy bacon without the mess. Hardly any cleanup at all. Note: a few cooking experts like to put the bacon in the oven without preheating it. Let it cook as the oven warms up. But they are in the minority as far as not preheating goes.

Since this is sweet corn time, we like to eat it with a BLT which is tonight's Sunday supper. Now if only someone would invent a kitchen tool which removed the silt from ears of corn. And, if only food writers and chefs would just call bacon-bacon and stop with telling us it is pork belly or pork cheeks.

Officially summer

The local sweet corn is in and being sold at farm stands. At least on the Illinois side. Ignore all the advice from fancy foodies about how to take your corn on the cob up a notch by using flavored salt or maple syrup or cilantro. That's for popcorn. The first weeks of new sweet corn need nothing more than melted butter and salt. Maybe not even those. 

And, since summer officially began only a week ago, why is it garden sections of big box stores are starting to slowly but surely eliminate things we'll need for weeks to come? Garden sprayers are hidden away in places you just know are waiting for a cart to take them to the back storeroom. And other stuff as well. I heard Hobby Lobby was getting shelves ready for Christmas items but come on garden centers. 

And back to summer food ideas, there really is no need to grill every single thing on your dinner menu. I'm seeing pictures of grilled romaine lettuce, corn, tomatoes, and even potato salad. Pizza. Grilled fruit in cocktails. Enough. Although we did grill some Kosher hot dogs last night and that is the way they taste the very best.

Beep Ball 2013

For the second year in a row, Concordia Seminary's athletic fields were the site of a Beep Ball tournament featuring teams from St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Bloomington Indiana. 

Beep Ball is a modified version of baseball played by the sight impaired, either fully blind or partially. The ball has a high pitched beeping sound as the pitcher pitches to a batter and the sound continues out into the field so that fielders can track it. 

The 3 boys and I went over to watch and ended up staying much longer than planned because they became very fascinated in the rules and how plays were made. "This looks really hard, doesn't it?, asked Connor many times. Well yes it is, but the players were cheerful and into the game, that is for sure.

When the ball is hit, the batter must run and hit the big blue pylon. If he gets to the pylon before a fielder grabs the ball, a run is scored.

They paid attention.

The dog in the tent is not Ferdie, this was a service dog.

Time out between innings to entertain Nick.

Look at the clouds

Of course put kids down by a tree, someone will try and climb it.

That would be Connor.

This looks photoshopped, but it isn't.

Setting out the flags

Fourth of July is this coming Thursday so we decided that since we had the boys here, we'd get some work out of them and set out the flags around the campus.

Loaded up and ready to go.

Nick is watching the boys in the Gator and probably wishing he was in there with them or, back in his bed.

Ok, we're all loaded up and heading off

Where's Connor?

There he is in the back, Ferdie's ready too.

Christian and Opa get a flag set in. Where's Connor?

Of course, by the ducks

Christian had the idea that if he put Ferdie on the leash, Ferdie would not go into the water.

Wrong.

But I had the idea that if we had the boys help with the flags, they wouldn't go in the water either.

Wrong.

Back to work

The bell, of course, was just too tempting, for Dale and the boys. They looked and then he clanged it.

Thus far the day.

Roller Derby facts

In recent years, Roller Derby has made something of a comeback, especially with womens leagues and is quite popular in St. Louis. In the 50's, Roller Derby matches were on tv all the time, black and white images of rough and tumble, take no prisoners action.

When Highway 40 opened in December of 09, St. Louisans were able to take a walk on the new pavement a day ahead. Ferdie and I went and ran into a Roller Derby team member.

It's back and here's a link to 13 things you might not know about Roller Derby.

This parking garage speaks volumns

The Kansas City Library has a parking garage facade which looks like this

When the garage was built in 2006 people in the community and library card holders were asked to vote on the titles to be displayed and the ones chosen reflect a wide range of famous literature.

How cool is this? Nothing ugly about a parking lot here.

Pointed out by my sister, thanks Kathy.

Sweet Corn!

Keller's Farm stands will begin selling sweet corn tomorrow in various places in the metro east. Yay. Does anyone in Collinsville know why their original stand on 157 is not there and where they might be selling? Will they be in the new building across the way?

As to Fournie's I haven't heard when their corn will be in. 

What to feed ducks

Having had a number of ducks on the seminary fountain pond for several months, the obvious thing for people to do is feed them. But feed them what? Seems the foods many of us automatically think to put down are foods that really aren't all that good for ducks. Think about all the things the ducks at the Forest Park Boathouse get from diners.

The most common items fed to ducks and waterfowl are also the least nutritious and most unhealthy: bread, chips, crackers, popcorn and similar bread-type products and scraps.Bread is bad because the food has little nutritional value and can harm ducklings’ growth, pollute waterways and attract rodents and other pests.

Here's a list of things that ducks can eat and which are good for them.

 

• Wheat, barley or similar grains
• Oats (uncooked; rolled or quick)
• Rice (cooked or uncooked)
• Milo
• Birdseed (any type or mix)
• Grapes (cut in half)
• Frozen peas or corn (defrosted, no need to cook)
• Cracked corn
• Chopped lettuce or other greens or salad mixes
• Vegetable trimmings or peels (chopped)

Stop signs aren't just for cars

They are also for people on motorcycles and bicycles. 

Do you eat European style or American style?

For the 3rd time in 3 days, I've read or listened to, talk about the correct way to put a piece of meat in your mouth after cutting it. Do you use the cut and switch method which involves the fork in the left hand while cutting with the right. Then putting the knife down and switching the fork to the right to eat. 

Or, do you cut the meat and then raise the fork in your left hand immediately to your mouth without changing hands? 

Supposedly the switching thing is American and the non switching is European. The second form is easier in many ways but awkward looking to most of here in this country.