Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Grilling in the 21st Century & Moving In

I bought a hibachi on July 4th this year. A cheap little $3 one. The bag of charcoal actually cost more than the grill itself! But I had a hankering for a cookout on the Fourth of July and figured, just because we're 3000 miles away from family doesn't mean we can't have our own little cookout for the holiday.

It took D and I about ten tries to get the charcoal lit. And we grilled up our own little feast that day, in the driveway of our little apartment. :)

Tonight I'm giving it another try and am pleased to say it only took me three tries to get the coals going strong. And now, here I sit, waiting for them to get good and hot--with my laptop on my knees, blogging. Yep. That's grilling in the 21st century for ya. :)

I've kept a nearly vegan diet since July 8. That's only four days, but it's something. Tonight I'll be grilling chicken for the guys. And I'll be having tofu sausages or something of the sort. Grocery shopping yesterday was a challenge as I tried to come up with veggie alternatives that wouldn't mean cooking several different dinners each night. We shall see how this goes.

The big celebration for today, however, was taking over my first loads of books to my new office! I don't know what we'll do in an apartment that isn't crammed with books. But how I love filling those shelves in the office. How immediately the walls spring to life with the things I love. Like filling the office with old friends right at the beginning. It's a beautiful thing.

If I keep up a good pace tomorrow, I should be able to bring over the rest of the books. Little by little, step by step I'm moving into this new life. Amazing.

3 comments:

cyen said...

So jealous of your grill! :)
One of my cooking shows that I like to watch (America's test kitchen) recommends using a "charcoal Chimney"... http://www.amazon.com/Weber-87886-Chimney-Starter/dp/B00004U9VV
I bet you could make the same thing out of an old coffee can with the bottom cut off, and a few holes punched in it. It's supposed to make the whole charcoal lighting that much easier. It's definitely an art :)

Congrats on the veggie challenge. BUT... Just the other day, I read this post online... http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/56087/
The dark side of soy.
I also distrust PETA... that video is heavy on the propaganda side. ie: I'm sure that showing a video clip of a guy hitting a pig in the head with a cinder block is not common everyday practice.

Everything in moderation :)

PS> Books = old friends - I like that.

Amy said...

I also love the comfort and familiarity of books that have impacted your theology and journey. So nice that they can be part of your cloud of witnesses as you start this new journey. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm a big America's Test Kitchen fan too!! I can attest to the benefits of the charcoal chimney. They are awesome and easy to find at any store that sells grilling stuff.