This Pampered Chef

Some weeks you get the bear and some weeks the bear gets you. It was one of those weeks. I had plenty of fodder for meditation while mowing, except the mower is in the shop. There'll be plenty to mow when it gets back, so I'll have ample supply to meditate on all of the things that happened during this bearish week.

Mostly the stuff going wrong was inside of me. One of the dynamics that has developed in me during all of these food issues is a need for things to stay put after I have a solution worked out. After I've found a source, a vendor, a supplier, a food, a product, I need them to STAY PUT. Every time a label changes, I get cold sweats, because that usually heralds an ingredient change. We lost Applegate Hotdogs to corn-based lactic acid starter culture in just this way. I try to remind myself that I have to remain flexible. After all, that's how we found The Buffalo Guys buffalo hotdogs that are even better.

I had to disassemble the stove again. It wasn't my fault this time. Truly. Well, it might have been an artifact from the boil over, but at least it wasn't any fresh stupidity on my part. My blow torch burner began to lose its power and it took me rather a while to realize what was going on. When the flame was a tiny puff of blue instead of a two inch tongue, I caught a clue. Sleuthing around under the cover, I learned that the gas comes out of little jets underneath. After scrubbing around the jet, I discovered that the hole in the jet was clogged. A quick session with a straightened paper clip and Bob's your uncle! I can't tell you how heartening this is, especially since I've got a week's worth of daily frying fries coming up and was exceedingly discouraged by the stove's failing performance. The doctor says that my sling will come off by then, as well.....all that back patting, you know....

Lots of other upheavals inside, too, which are typical of a woman my age, as well as seeming to follow the Hobbits down this path of food intolerances myself. This means bye-bye to my favorite foods. Isn't this always the way it works? Feh.

Tool Guy has been a real trooper through all of this. Neck rubs and sympathetic hugs. Meals that I don't have to cook. Tool Guy, being internet handy, started surfing and found some absolutely divine recipes that he can cook without having me hover in the kitchen. After I got over the idea of having my space invaded (that being flexible thing again), I found that this can get addictive. After he made this recipe, all of the Hobbits and I agreed that it needs to be in our weekly repertoire.

Cajun Pork Roast

3 T paprika
2 t dried crushed oregano
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground pepper
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 T garlic powder
2 t dried crushed thyme
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground cumin
2 lb. boneless pork loin roast

Preheat oven to 350* or as Tool Guy did it on the grill with a temp running between 350*-400*ish.

Combine paprika, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt, white pepper, cumin and nutmeg in a small bowl; rub over all sides of roast. Place roast in shallow baking pan or, as Tool Guy did, wrap in foil, seal and place on grill.

In the oven, bake for 1 hour or until no longer pink in center and internal temperature of 155*-160* is reached, or as Tool Guy did, for 20-30 minutes.

Slice and serve.

He serves this with a side dish of mashed sweet potatoes, garlic, and ghee, which is truly delicious. Especially when I don't have to make it. The hobbits have unilaterally announced that they prefer this rendered with Potato Buds instead of sweet potatoes. I told you they're Philistines. I've tried my hand at it once, but the Hobbits have caucused and agreed that this wasn't my dish and informed me that I needed to leave it to the expert. Oh. Well. Punish me.