Planning For Sudden Changes...!

When the rain or bad weather forces you to change your plans for a cook out, here are some tips for moving the cooking to the inside!

Once again, these little helpful hints are gifts from "The Old Farmer's Almanac". I can guarantee you that they have nearly anything and everything you need to know about outdoor cooking, gardening, planting, history, weather predictions, and on and on!

Hope this comes in handy someday!

Beefsteaks
Marinate 3 to 24 hours; broil about 3 inches from the heat source for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until achieving desired degree of doneness.

Chicken Parts (bone in)
Marinate 3 to 24 hours; roast at 425°F for about 40 minutes, or broil 5 to 6 inches from the heat source for 25 to 35 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Chicken Breasts or Thighs (boneless and skinless)
Marinate 1 to 3 hours; roast at 425°F for about 20 minutes, or broil 5 to 6 inches from the heat source for 12 to 15 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Game Hens
Marinate 3 to 24 hours; roast at 375°F for about 50 minutes, until juices run clear, or broil split or quartered hens 5 to 6 inches from the heat source for 25 to 35 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.

Fish Steaks
Marinate up to 1 hour; roast at 425°F for about 20 minutes, or broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat source for 10 to 12 minutes, until just cooked through.

Pork Chops
Marinate 3 to 24 hours; roast at 375°F for about 30 minutes, or broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat source for 14 to 18 minutes, turning once, until juices run clear.

Shrimp
Marinate up to 30 minutes; broil about 4 inches from the heat source for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until shrimp turn pink.

If things do get moved indoors, let me suggest that if children are present try and find some activity ahead of time that can keep them entertained. That way the adults can carry on a conversation without having to holler over the joyous sound of children at play. Most all outdoor games do not translate well to indoor activity, but most of you already knew that...especially if you have little ones at home!

Now, my friends, let's get some coffee and go to the patio table for a bit. We can decide what we are going to grill next time...OK?

Changes...!

At some time or another, we may be forced to make some changes!

Now don't worry, I'm not talking about changes in your lifestyle, or plans, or even your beliefs. The changes I'm talking about are the outward changes, the outward appearances, the ability to blend in with your surroundings.

Think of it as wearing camouflage in a hunting situation, only now you are using it in any situation to become a very low profile target.

There will be people looking for the standouts, the self reliant, the folks that are known to have food or weapons in quantity. They may be looking for nothing more than money or drugs in the form of scripted medicines. Whatever the case, it might be to our advantage to blend in, to appear to conform, to look like we are the same as all around us.

It doesn't matter who is doing the looking...the government, the neighbors, or even some roaming band of petty criminals. At some time, in certain situations, your best bet may be to make some changes! Don't talk about your provisions. Don't talk very much about your bug out plans or your destination. try to avoid any discussion that would reveal your dissatisfaction with the PTB, if the neighbors are pro gov...you don't have to agree, just don't appear to be on the fringe and draw attention to yourself.

If all else fails, then maybe we can all take some lessons from this little guy. Talk about blending in! Mother Nature is a MASTER at this...and we could learn a lot by just being observant!



Now why don't we get some coffee, my friend, and sit for a bit on the patio. Today we can take pleasure in the fact that we are surrounded by friends! That's always a good thing!!