Jerry CGI+

I made a run to the store to get two jumbo pineapples for 77¢, to make pineapple puree, but they were sold out. Alas, I got two 1 lb packages of strawberries on sale for 99¢ instead. That will give me seven pints of strawberry puree total. I wouldn’t have gotten them, except I have a tradition of getting 99¢ strawberries for puree, and while the earlier ones were on sale, they weren’t 99¢ strawberries. Ah, traditions, compulsive behavior, impulse buying, call it what you like.

I also got minis, a ham, and a brisket. The ham was a solid one, not the spiral cuts that were advertised and sold out, but the same 97¢/lb price. Since the majority of the use will be diced, I judged it sufficient. The brisket was sort of on sale, reduced price, but not a full reduction. I got the smallest one there, which should last me awhile with what I already have in the freezer. I will be roasting the brisket tomorrow, maybe starting tonight, since it’s the coolest day this week.

I think that I can fit the ham, pulled pork, and brisket in the top loading freezer. The pulled pork will be the fence sitter, since the Boston butt is still frozen, and it’s a slow cooker item. I’ll be getting shoulder roast next week when it goes on sale, for beef stew, another slow cooker recipe. The stew excess will go in the kitchen freezer, along with the strawberry puree. It will be a tight fit on both ends. The only thing not accounted on the cook-for-summer list is rib eye, and those can be frozen raw. And if they aren’t available before the heat turns on, I’ll survive awhile without them. I’m not going to go hungry if there aren’t any.

It will be around 50°F for the next two nights, good for the brisket slow roast. It’s the last major piece of meat to be in the oven this spring. I got the brisket at the price it was, because I didn’t want to delay oven use any longer than necessary at this point. The oven can go idle for the summer. I think the Tombstone Mesquite will be the rub. The pulled pork will get St Louis Brown Sugar. None for the stew and ham. I’ll be glad to get the final items on the summer target list behind me, get down to the strictly thaw and eat phase. Then I can get back to spring cleaning.

So there will be logistics in the kitchen, and the spaghetti will get bumped again, until I recover from the butchering chores, making little cuts out of big cuts (all day). But I have plenty on which to coast. The Caribbean rice has one serving, but the turkey has at least two more sandwiches, and a test piece of brisket will remain in the fridge until it vanishes. Tamales, brats, dogs, andouille, chicken fajita, taco meat, spuds… The schedule will adapt nicely, and there is a matching cool spell next week for the spaghetti.

It’s a nice sunny day, moderate wind from the north, low humidity. A pleasant afternoon with a fresh breeze through the house. There won’t be many more like this for quite some time.

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11 pm

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