California, Smoked Chicken, and a Blue Fish Rillette

Dr. Food and I went to California for my birthday! It was awesome getting to see Annie, Tim and my Parker. We had plans and there was no stopping us.... well, or so I thought.



It started off on Friday by us heading over to Shoreline to visit Tim and for Dr. Food to hangout and see Lady Antebellum. No, I DID not marry him for his taste in music. We ate dinner there and people watched. Then Annie, Parker and I went home. Dr. Food stayed and Tim worked.



Next day was the A's game in a Suite. It was really amazing. Here are the three amigos enjoying the popcorn and the game.



God, I love this kid.



I can not tell you how much food we had in this suite. It really was amazing (ok, I know I said that already).



Mr. Parker was chowing down.

And there folks was the end. I woke up the next morning with the worse sore throat and earache I have ever had. I was down for the count. This meant that I dragged everyone down with me.



Parker watched Nemo with me though.

Next day Dr Food was down. He was barfing. What? TMI? Sorry. All plans were scratched. My birthday dinner was chinese food and a cake. Tim and Annie saved the day and made me smile.

Thank you Annie, Tim and Parker for making a bad situation still fun. I love you.



So, on the way home landing with and ear infection is fun. Nevermind I had taken a Xanax because I am a badass on the ground but a big ole baby on a plane. It hurt. But we got home and the weather was amazing. Um, that is a picture of my neighbors yard because I was standing on my back porch. Pretty huh?



Someone was happy to see us. So, I had no voice and felt like crap. We hung out at home this weekend and Dr. Food smoked some chicken thighs.



I have a dilemma here. You see, the recipe for the chicken is in a cookbook and online. It is by some BBQ dude. Problem is that BBQ dude doesn't give the recipe for the rub or sauce in the cookbook or online. He tells you that you have to buy the recipe separate from the book. WHAT? Never heard of such nonsense.



So, I snooped around and on some really weird forum I found a recipe for the BBQ rub and sauce. It was hidden in a discussion about a foot fetish. I am not kidding. So, I will take a picture of the thread. That means I am sharing a picture. Is it the real rub and sauce recipe? I don't know but it doesn't matter because it WAS that good.



I can't imagine a cookbook where many recipes call for something that you have to pay for the recipe for that component. Tacky.

Hmmmm. Then again I don't understand alot of stuff.



While he was at it Dr. Food smoked some Blue Fish that had been marinaded and dried.



This morning I made it into Smoked Blue Fish Rillette.



The recipe called for Scotch and for the life of me I can't remember why I put this "Good Scotch" in another bottle and labeled it "Good Scotch".



While I am sharing, did I ever show you the Moonshine that I carried back from Texas about 15 years ago? Yup, I still have it. It has mellowed with age. I got it from "friends".

Ok, carry on....