Hello Friends! Spring showers are finally over (for the time being) and now we can enjoy the Sunshine! With sunshine comes the fun! I love this time of the year, when it’s not so hot that you can’t be outside, but warmer than before. This is the perfect time to get my yard into shape, mostly getting my porch ready so I can work in the sunshine and we can do some grilling. Last year we talked about cleaning our grills, you can always refer back if needed, but this time I want to talk about smokers. I know Texas is considered the Best Barbeque in the Country, but I think Oklahoma is a top contender for that title too! I have seen a lot of debate on whether you should even clean your smoker or not. I think you should, mostly to make sure the flavors stay smoky and not bitter. Being how popular Barbeque is here in Oklahoma, I thought there should be more information out there about cleaning your smoker. Basically, it is like cleaning a basic grill, except you want to make sure you seasoning it good ahead of time and keep it well seasoned. That’s where I think people come up with the idea that you shouldn’t clean it. Not cleaning it causes a buildup of that smoke which can fail into your food with a good example of this being when you take a lit candle and put something on it to put it out, (we’ve all used the candle lid), then it has soot on it. Now imagine that is what is building up in your smoker. So, if you use multiple kinds of wood in the seasoning, it stands that the build up might give a odd taste if it were to fall into your food. If you have a great seasoning on your smoker, in theory you could dry brush it in-between uses.
Last day of school in Cushing on May 15th, which means things magically get busier. I don’t make the rules, it just happens like clockwork. For us, it means I start using my crockpot for every meal and start micromanaging meals, so everything gets done properly. My favorite tip for staying together is: the bag method. Each event or activity gets its own bag and I make sure everything we need goes in to stay together. I then put the bag in the car the night before the event and recently, I’ve started adding an alarm for when I should be leaving with any extras that didn’t make it in the bag, just to make sure. The busier we get the more forgetful I feel. I don’t know if it is age or I’m just that busy now a days.
On to Sunshine, Did you know most people do not get enough Vitamin D? Vitamin D improves mood and helps shake off the winter blues. The wonderful thing about Vitamin D is that it is FREE from Sunshine. Doctors recommend 15 minutes in the sunshine. It doesn’t just improve your mood, it helps with muscles and bone health too. Making time to get your 15 minutes can be hard, but worth it. Schedule a little walk into your day and you are getting double the benefits!
A reminder that Spring isn’t always easy for everyone. This can be a challenging time of year, Spring brings change and change can be stressful. A little understanding, sprinkled with a little grace can go a long way. Remember to be kind to yourself, you are doing your best.
Happy Cleaning
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