Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July!
The 4th of July means many things, certainly in terms of raw history, personal memories, civic pride, and even political opinions.
I know, that last one is shocking. Who knew, right? Not like there aren’t literally millions of people seeking to drive their thoughts on the subject home for everyone else, right?
Anyway, for me, this year, it has some specific attachments.
First, we got a call from our daughter, on Friday, telling us that her A-School in the Navy might be put on hold. She has roughly two weeks left of bootcamp, and was picked to delay A-School in favor of a 2-yr deployment to D.C., as a member of the Navy Ceremonial Honor Guard! Hugely proud of her. True to form, she tempered this with “assuming I make it through my last two weeks of RTC,” but that is also her way.
As with many, the 4th also brings up … BBQ. Our new neighbor invited us over for pulled pork and ribs, cooked in the 800lb smoker he brought to WA from TX, as part of his move. Very, very good smoked meats, small group, and good conversation. When we asked what we could bring, the answer was just “beans.”
Okay…but, like so many other things, I don’t do even “beans” halfway. Below is the recipe I have (loosely) used for years, finally written down.
Some points to make:
- No, this does not have to take 30 hrs…but it’s worth it, if you do. The depth of flavor grows enormously.
- If you are time crunched, high-quality, canned Great Northern Beans can be used, and a stove-top simmer to combine flavors, etc, can be accomplished in 2.5 – 3 hours.
- Don’t hate on me for using the phrase “…high-quality, canned…”. I know this is ridiculous, but fine some you can at least accept, if you need to go this route.
- This was refined into a vegetarian form, as our younger daughter and some friend go through fasting cycles, and I wanted this to apply at any given time. Not looking for that? Render out two or three strips of bacon, cubed, instead of the vegetable oil, at the beginning.
- Also, if you want spicier…tinker with some cayenne powder or crushed red pepper flakes. I have also done batches with a few Calabrian Peppers diced into it.
- If you want a deep but smokey add, maybe smoked paprika?
- Customize to your wants!
I have updated a few of the photo galleries, if you want to stop my the Echoes page. This updater includes adding the 3rd Quarter of 2022 page, although I have not had anything I think is honestly that impressive, yet in this quarter. More to come, I am certain.
If today holds (it was cool enough in the morning to get out and do the lawn…without feeling like I was also taking a hot shower in the process), I may actually get a chance to go out and fly fish! Not sure if the riverbanks will be packed in the evening, or if the masses will be finding spots to watch fireworks, starting with securing their temporary domain well before sundown. I hope I get a chance to find out.
Again, I hope everyone has an excellent 4th of July. Keep it safe, keep it enjoyable, and keep the tradition alive.
Tight lines…