Jerky Weekend

Planning started a couple of months ago. I talked to my two sons who live locally and to my brother who lives about a 6 hour drive away. After they checked their schedules it was decided that this past weekend would work out for everyone to come here.

My brother C left his home shortly after lunch on Friday and was making good time traveling until he was about one hour away when he came up on an accident and spent an hour sitting in traffic. Both of our sons left their homes in the city hoping to arrive here at about the same time as their uncle. Only because of heavy rains passing through the area causing slow traffic they also arrived much later then they wanted. Our daughter and her husband arrived after everyone else. So the prep work started a couple hours later than originally planned.

Once everyone arrived and had something to eat, they began preparing two beef briskets and one turkey breast. One brisket was prepared by slicing it into long thin slices and divided into two equal parts. One part was rubbed with a pepper jerky mix; the other was marinated using a teriyaki marinade. The other brisket was rubbed using a rub my brother made using a recipe he has used many time in the past. While some of the guys were working on the briskets, son J prepared the brine for the turkey breast. At some point during all of this activity, my brother started a batch of No Knead bread. He started with the basic No Knead bread recipe and modified it by using some of his sour dough starter instead of yeast, using 1/3 part whole wheat flour to 2/3 white bread flour and using beer instead of water. I was in bed while all of this activity was going on in the kitchen. However, there was a lot of visiting, talking, and laughter going on in the kitchen.

First thing Saturday morning was getting both smokers setup and started. The whole brisket was on my charcoal smoker while the sliced jerky brisket was on J’s electric smoker. Once that was done, brother C dealt with the bread dough. He told me that it was too wet and that he had to add a lot of flour making the batch even bigger. The turkey was removed from the brine and the jerky rub applied. The turkey was put on the smoker after the brisket was removed wrapped in foil and placed in the oven to finish.


Needless to say it was a wonderful weekend. It was great having most of the family here and being able to visit with my brother. Everyone had brisket and jerky to take home.

Happy 80th Birthday

Saturday was Uncle B’s 80th birthday and P. and I went to a local park where his children and wife were having a family party for him. It was a lot of fun and I was able to visit with a lot of my cousins. Just after the food was delivered the announcement was made that before we would be allowed to eat, there was to be a group photo taken. I have to say that the photo was taken in record time. I will have to remember this the next time I need to take a large group photo.

My earliest memory of Uncle B. is he taking my older brother and myself to a White Sox baseball game. I have a vague memory of riding up a major street to the ball park. I have a vague memory of the game. I have a vivid memory of me sitting in the family car on the morning we were leaving my grandparents and my dad telling me I had to tell Uncle B. thanks for taking me to a baseball game. I sat there in the back seat pouting and I finally told my dad that Uncle B. should be thanking me for going with him instead of me thanking Uncle B. My Dad was so upset and I remember Uncle B. graciously saying that was all right if I didn’t say thank you.

Uncle B. owned a television sales and repair store. When we would come on our summer vacation to my grandparents, we always seem to stop at his store. We would park in the back of the store and walk in the back door. I loved standing in that repair area of his store. Sometime Uncle B. would take me along when he would go to a large shopping center to pick up televisions for repair. I think watching Uncle B. repairing televisions, going on those rides with him played a part in influencing my decision to go to a technical school after high school.

A Big, Big, Busy Month

WOW May has been a Big Big month at our house. On May 17, 2009 our youngest daughter K. graduated from Valparaiso University Summa Com Laude with a degree in Social Work. The next day she started her new job. Not only was K. busy getting settled into a new job, she was busy packing, getting ready to move out of her family home, and getting all the many small details seen to for her wedding which was two weeks after her college graduation.

While K was busy with the new job and everything, her mother had the week before the wedding as vacation. P. didn’t want to be so busy just before the wedding that she would be so stressed that she would not be able to enjoy the wedding. Even with taking the entire last week off, P. was busy every day. I think this did help so K. didn’t have to worry as much. All she had to do was tell her mother what she needed help doing.

On Thursday P. picked up my niece at the airport. My niece M. of “Those Northern Skies” was the wedding photographer. Also late Thursday evening, K.’s brother, sister in-law and nephew (the ring bearer) arrived. So the house was rather full on K.’s last evening here. K. asked her nephew to let her sleep until 7 AM, so at 6 AM our grandson was tip toeing around the upstairs so he wouldn’t wake up his aunt. However, at 6:30 he went downstairs, he said to get a toy, but his aunt heard him sneaking down the stairs as only a 4 ½ year old can sneak. She told me later that once he got to the bottom of the stairs she saw her bedroom door knob slowly turn and the door slowly open. Once it was open enough L put his head around the door to check if his aunt was still sleeping. Then the door slowly closed and L got his toy and quietly tip-toed back up the stair. So much for sleep until 7:00, K told me later that she was already awake.

The wedding took place at the Valparaiso University’s Chapel of the Resurrection. So shortly after noon on Friday we all left and drove to Valparaiso, IN. We had arranged to have an early check in at the hotel so I would be able to rest up from the drive before the 3 P.M rehearsal. I made it through the rehearsal; I didn’t make it to the rehearsal dinner. After the rehearsal, I went back to the hotel room and went to bed. I wanted to be well rested for the big wedding. This turned out to be a good decision on my part because; my sisters and nieces were in out of my room all evening. It was great, I lay in bed and listened to them talk while they sat on the bed and talked.

Saturday I stayed in bed most of the morning resting while everyone else was busy with all the last minute wedding business. K. decided to have our family photos taken just before the wedding so I wouldn’t have to be at the church as long. So we had family photos at 12:00.

Shortly after 1:00 K. and I took a long walk down the aisle of the church. I must tell you that it is difficult to drive a wheelchair, smile, and not run into the bride while one’s eyes are all teary. But I managed it and K. arrived safely at the front of the church.