It’s not tragic, sad or over the top.
I have a cooking disorder. It’s called “I can’t remember $h** when I’m cooking.” My mother had it too in her later life. I didn’t understand it until I got to that “later life part.”
Pulled pork was on the menu. Easy peasy. Rub, brown, crock pot for a long time. How can you screw that up? I had to work at it but it can be screwed up.
The group was 25 to 30 people so I wanted a big pork shoulder. Since we also had barbecue chicken, I though 7-1/2 pounds would work. I could have gone smaller but it worked.
I have a large oval crock pot. Big! I thought so until I tried to fit the dang shoulder in there. I had already rubbed it with spices and browned it. It was a large slippery beach ball. Hot too. (No I didn’t fit it first. I eyeballed it. Obviously there is something wrong with my eyeballs!)
I could cut it in half. I got out my kitchen chain saw and was doing well until I hit a bone. I thought this was boneless. (Do you see a theme here? My thought process must be suffering from “later life syndrome” too.)
If I jigged a little here and jagged a bit there maybe. Nope. Out it went back on the cutting board. In the end I cut it into four pieces and it fit. Tightly, but it fit.
It was in the crock pot overnight. I woke up to a roasting pork smell in the house (way better than cat farts). I’d rather shred it in the morning than late at night. Using sharp instruments after happy hour is discouraged in this house!
All was well and it was tasty. I did forget one ingredient in my rub but no one knows but you and me and you won’t tell, right?
That was the worst thing that happened at the reunion. We are blessed (except for that highly contagious “later life syndrome.” I suspect it runs in the family.)
That was funny Kate, but at least you can cook – I cannot cook at all and one time burned slice-and-bake cookies.
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I can cook and I burned slice and bake cookies!
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I don’t feel so bad now – I think they were too thin. That’s my excuse anyway.
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So glad the pork shoulder hassles at least resulted in tasty pulled pork! Also glad it was a nice reunion!
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Me too. Nothing better than good food except good people.
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Great family photo!
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Lovely family… you are very fortunate… but I know you know that!
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Thanks! We have our moments but it’s good.
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You can make your disasters amusing! This is a rare talent! Thanks for the shot of the whole gang. Y’all look marvelous.
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Disasters are amusing after the fact. In the heat of the moment, not so much.
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Wise observation, Kate.
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Kate, you just described my kitchen adventures my entire adult life. It seems there is always an “oh crap!” somewhere along the line. I really do hope it doesn’t get worse!!!
It’s a great photo and everyone is smiling which is the entire point 🙂 Nice to see your sister-in-law looking so well.
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She’s amazing. She’ll be 90 this fall.
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I think if you have this syndrome your family should encourage you to just be a guest and let others do the cooking. Play it to the hilt!
What a beautiful family, Kate. I see your brother and sister-in-law and my heart swells for you. I know you all must have acknowledged the gift of your all being together. You’re a good looking group!
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I was good to be together.You never know when that changes.
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Looks like a fun group! Glad you had a good time! I like your phrase Later Life Syndrome…I will be using that one for sure. I sympathize with your crock pot story, but it sounds like you successfully found a solution to your problem!
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I did but not without some creative words thrown around.
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Super, super picture! What I would have given to see you wrestling that pork shoulder… even though I hated that you had to mess with it. I think I need to go out and shop for a kitchen chainsaw… cracked me up! All smiles in that beautiful picture… It had to have been a wonderful reunion, Kate.
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Everything did turn out well. We were only missing one person and it was because of illness. Usually we lose some because of conflicts. No rain so all good! Even the pork shoulder wasn’t all that tough. It was just vexing.
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So glad that all’s well that ends well, despite the minor cooking missteps. You gave me a giggle and I enjoyed reading it. I’m having a party in September for about 35 people. I was going to ask you for tips, but now I think I’ll have it catered. LOL Just kidding, I already decided to have it catered. Although the hubs wants to grill burgers and I’ll make a couple of side dishes and dessert.
BTW, how did Sasha do?
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Sasha will tell you herself on Friday! My husband grilled on a hot driveway in 90 degree weather. Catering with some easy sides is a good way to go. September may be cooler too.
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I can’t promise I won’t tell if I run into any of them. But I’ll try at least. The good thing, as mentioned above, is that nearly everything always tastes good in a crock pot; especially after browning.
Points of some sort to me: I recognized Beloved Husband before anyone. It’s also nice to see your sister-in-law back in with the fold. Great pic! – Marty
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Thanks! Hear, hear for crock pots!
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Glad all went well and Plan B worked out for you.
I used to love the family get togethers from years ago when we’d meet up somewhere with something for the table and have a picnic. Numbers started at about 25, and one year complete strangers joined in the queue for food as their kids played with ours in various activities. The death slide from dad’s truck (only 6 feet up but a long way if you’re a young child) was the most popular. Happy days. No such reunions now. The family has divided, distance is key anyway, and nobody stays in touch anymore. Shame really.
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That happens. When I was a kid, the reunion was my mom and dad’s siblings and their kids. It was over 100 people (most kids) and everyone brought their own food and kicked in $$ for kegs. My uncle has a farm so it was in a big meadow with a pond. So much fun for a kid. Eventually family members started to bring friends and it got too big so my uncle stopped it altogether. It was work for them even without being responsible for food. Meadow had to be cut and tables and benches fashioned out of whatever they had. This one is small and manageable. At least so far.
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Still lovely though, and I wish my family relationships were different so that we could enjoy it again.
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That bone would have thrown me too… a bone??? Fortunately, a crock pot will mask most food oversights. Good to see your sister-in-law in the picture and looking great.
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I was fortunate the bone wasn’t longer than the crock pot! That’s what I love about crock pots. That and I can do the work in advance. SIL was good and her old social self!
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What a great shot! Is Dan’s son in the photo or behind the camera?
At first glance, I didn’t see your brother crouched down next to your SIL and thought he missed the reunion. Some of those faces are “mirror images” of yours! Lot of family resemblance going on.
Who is that crouched down next to your SIL (on the opposite side from your brother)? She looks like she could be your sister.
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Dan’s son is to the left of Betty (my SIL with the white hair). The other person is my niece. She is three years younger than me and there is a family resemblance. The woman on her knees with jean shorts to the right of my brother is my other niece and “they say” she looks more like me. One nephew was ill and wasn’t there but he has the family looks too. The other nephew lives in Wisconsin and doesn’t look like any of us.
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Your 2nd niece (in the jean shorts) is another one where I saw the family resemblance.
I wondered if that was Dan’s son next to your brother and SIL. When photographers set a timer and run to get into a shot, they often “reach out and touch someone.”
Glad you had a fun reunion. Looking forward to hearing the cat’s views on Friday.
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Wonderful family photo and sounds like it was a great time.
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It was. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
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Hah! Great photo and lovely funny story, Kate. That’s often how my cooking adventures turn out too.
I recently had a houseguest who said he suffered from CRS (Can’t Remember Shit) – a general case obviously, not the cooking-specific strain. 🙂
I thought it was pretty funny and said I’d have to steal that one, but of course I forgot because…CRS…until your post reminded me of that particular acronym!
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I’ve heard of that too. It’s worse when I cook. I have had to take steps (like put the ingredients in order on the counter and check off a list) to ensure I don’t forget things. What’s a chocolate cake without the chocolate?
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What a wonderful family photo!
Oh and about that cooking disease — I have it too, but….
all’s well that ends well!
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I suppose that’s how take out became so popular!
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Such a lovely looking family. At least you all seem to ‘suffer’ from smiling faces around each other. And that’s not half bad.
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That’s due to the photographer (my stepson). He was diligent about placement and ignored the complaints about it taking too long. All worth it. Best ever picture.
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Kudos for putting all that together. Looks like a happy well fed bunch and thank goodness the pork shoulder hatchet job worked!
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I learned from my mom (and Di from pensitivity) that if plan A doesn’t work, you have the rest of the alphabet to try.
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Thanks for the nod! Great picture.
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You are the queen of plans B through Z!
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Thanks. When we get to Z we start on the paragraphs and sub sections!
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I have a similar memory problem when cooking. One minute I’m in the kitchen looking through the cupboards and getting ready to cook, and the next minute I’m at a restaurant ordering Chinese take-out. How did I get there?
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You are a smart man. My family is definitely pizza delivery. We have some who don’t eat exotic (yes there are some people who consider Chinese food exotic) food and it would take forever to decide who would pick something up.
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There are only three of us in my house. When we entertain, I have to borrow everything from tables to big pots.
Andy loves bringing out the cleaver for the bones. But the sight of it makes me feel like I’m in a horror movie.
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I didn’t cut through the bone. My mother had a kitchen hacksaw just for that but I work around them best as I can. I have an assortment of beach chairs and old kitchen chairs in my basement that come out and have to be cleaned of all spider cocoons. I don’t talk about that because it freaks people out even if they are no longer there. If I don’t have something big enough I use aluminum containers. I could have put the pork in the oven at a slow cooker temp but it would have heated up the kitchen on a day that hit 90. Next time it’s KFC and hoagies.
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Yeah, Andy has the big smoker for the yard. One year he did a Thanksgiving turkey in it, but it took HOURS.
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I’m always tempted to get a smoker but we are two people and would rarely use it. *smoker envy*
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I think Andy like to punish the neighbors after they’ve been partying until 2 AM.
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I’d make a great neighbor. I don’t party much and certainly not until 2 and I love food.
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You would. You are probably very quiet.
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We are and we are home a lot so we keep an eye on the neighborhood. Reminds me when I was young and that all those old people were busybodies. Now I have a different view. I’ll catch it if someone unusual backs their truck up to a neighbor’s house.
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Excellent problem solving there.
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Thanks!
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If that was the extent of bad things happening, you’re in great shape!
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Yes, we were blessed. I wished it was 10 degrees cooler but it didn’t rain. Not complaining. Cats were not happy though. All those philistines roaming around.
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Oh it all sounds perfect to me. I imagine that everyone will look back on this day with laughs and love. Even you, if you can remember it. 😉
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What reunion?
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LOL! The pork sounds so good even without the missing ingredient and my lips are are sealed!
Glad to know that was the worst mishap! How did Shasha do, did she come out of hiding?
Oh and don’t feel bad, our family has that gene as well! Pretty sure I had it fairly early in life so our gene may be even stronger!
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Sasha and the rest are writing their thoughts for Friday but she did not come out from under the bed until an hour after everyone left. It also needed the help of some nice smelly food.
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Ahh! Can’t wait to read their perspective. 🙂
Not many can resist the aroma of food! Unless its red beets. LOL! Never could handle my Mom cooking them.
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We pickle them in our family. People call them Harvard beets but we just call them beets.
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Harvard beets , yes! That is what my Mom did, she picked them too. To nw they were just awful beets no matter the name or if they were pickled. Sorry! 🙂
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We ate a lot of root veggies when I was young — carrots, parsnips, any kind of potato (potato was king in our family) and beets. Occasionally a turnip was found lurking in the soup.
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Potato was my favorite out of veggies 🙂
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Potatoes, corn and tomatoes. I didn’t need meat much although I was told my teeth would fall out if I didn’t eat it.
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You can have the tomatoes! Oh My, glad your teeth didn’t fall out! 🙂 I was told veggies would make me grow but I didn’t listen to that either, which is obvious now! ☺️
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But your hair is shiny, right? Or is that from bread crusts?
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Haha!! Must have been the bread!
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As long as it tasted good that’s all that matters. What a great picture! No doubt everyone had a wonderful time.
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This is the best reunion picture ever. Dan’s son was there and he’s a more patient photographer than the rest of us. He positioned us all (with a lot of complaining going on). He took 2 shots and both were great. No eyes were closed. There were rabbit ears on someone’s head but that’s to be expected. We don’t have any adults in our family.
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In the scheme of things – and knowing how best laid plans can blow up so easily – I’d say you had an epic win over that pork shoulder and a wonderful family reunion! That Later Life Syndrome might give us a tumble and stumble along our way but it doesn’t win – WE do. Great family photo too………….looks like a fun bunch.
Hugs, Pam
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Other than it was dang hot, it was a good one.
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