3/12/2020
(Above: A salt and pepper brisket I cooked overnight in the electric smoker. The only spices were oak smoke, salt, pepper, and olive oil.)
Active Summary: After performing this day’s morningly regimen and attending a hefty beef brisket (mentioned in TIL), I ventured down to the Harbison farm market, procured the weekly produce, and then returned to Jacobhouse where I put it all away. This was ensued by my making a massive 3-cabbage salad, putting potatoes in the oven to bake, and cleaning my abode. An excellent lunch followed.
(8:11 PM Update:) Afternoon activities included writing a Master Blend email, working on Macroeconomics for about an hour, resting, helping with a few cattle-related activities, helping Padre/Wag move some of the remaining large items from Oldhouse down to the farm, helping Madre move a fish tank down to her office, moving Moo-Magic bags down to the manure stand, helping Padre move a large post to a hole where I had moved a hefty amount of earth from the ground, helping Madre once more by moving a seat back into the van at Oldhouse, and then finally by my moving a number of kitchen-related implements into Jacobhouse. It was a moving afternoon, but not in the emotional way.
TIL: Over the past 24 hours I have learned two interesting concepts. The first occurred last night when – whilst entering and exiting Jacobhouse during the evening hours – a vast quantity of small flying insects flew into my residence because they were drawn to the kitchen light which is almost as bright as the sun. What I discovered, however, is that when I turned off that kitchen light and turned on the solitary hall-light, all of the small insects flew to the latter and became a far more concentrated mass. I capitalized on this by retrieving the vacuum cleaner and trapping them all within.
As to the second interesting concept, it was the reason I entered and exited Jacobhouse during yesterday’s evening hours; I was smoking a 10-pound brisket in the electric Charbroil Smoker. It took quite some effort to get it up and running again, including my transporting it back out to Jacobhouse in the darkest hours of the night, but I eventually did so. Then, after oiling, salting, and peppering the brisket (and getting the chips to start smoking), I simply slid the giant piece of meat into the smoker and let it go all night. In the morning it had just passed the ‘Stall Point’ (160 F), and it only took about 1.5 hours more. So, in total it went from 11 PM – 8:30 AM on 225 F. The bark was crisp, but the meat was quite juicy. I will cook this again.
Commentary: I was up about a half-hour later than usual last night getting the brisket cooking, but that half-hour was well worth it. The beef bore both fantastic flavor and texture, and it went sublimely with the cabbage salad* and baked potatoes that I served alongside it. Even better? Padre and I now have plenty of delectable leftovers to consume over the next few days – leftovers that will only increase in flavor as time passes.
Here are some additional pictures of tonight’s repast (as of 9:28 PM):
A closeup of some very fluorescent strawberries in the Jacobhouse refrigerator. 
A close-up of some kale utilized in tonight’s salad. 
Making the first omelet in Jacobhouse. 
Ignoring the puddle where I allowed the butter to sit for a while, note how the melted butter clings to this pan’s granite-like surface. 
Stirring the egg to create as small a ‘curd’ as possible. 
Final result: A French Omelet and fresh-garden salad (not dressed in this image because the olive oil and good balsamic were at Padre’s studio). Absolutely delicious.
Final Note: Once again Path of Exile (online game that I play) has come out with an intriguing new expansion, so I will be engaging in a three day weekend where I will be on partial-hiatus. It shall be glorious – after these past few weeks since returning from Europe, catching up with various shenanigans, and helping my people out of Oldhouse – to simply sit down in Jacobhouse and enjoy some relaxation.
*It was no ordinary cabbage salad. It was a three cabbage salad. Indeed, I thinly sliced three cabbages and a huge carrot, then mashed them into a large Dutch Oven while dressing it all with olive oil, red wine vinegar, white vinegar, garlic salt, sugar, and pepper. I kept it over in Padre’s house after lunch… which was fortunate because while we were out working the concoction began to ferment and emit a strong, flatulence-like odor. Needless to say, it has now been moved to the grain room’s refrigerator.