Good morning, GUSsweatybutsweets! Hot here -- wasn't it just yesterday I was complaining about being frozen in the tundra? A string of sunny days which have been great for the veggie plants I have to repot toot sweet.
One of the fun things this time of year is watching out for our returning woodchucks. Somehow, 4 years ago, a couple of them dug right through the asphalt in the back lot and under the ramp that leads to the first floor former diabolical dentist's office. He's still diabolical but just in another state now. I'm on the 3rd floor so hoping the building doesn't cave in due to a tunnel network.
My landlord and the former attorney who owns the office I work out of -- right next door -- is an animal lover. He loves those little guys and feeds them every day. One of the adults is totally fearless -- and loves to have his/her picture taken.
Since I've practiced law in Connecticut -- 1993 til now -- I have had 2 different offices both with woodchucks. I've named all of them Walt Whitman because I don't think they care one way or another.
Here we have 3 babies who are just now venturing into the grass next door for a chomp. One of the neighborhood cats we call Skinny, loves the Walts and is always in the grass waiting for them. Adorable.
I've found distractions like growing stuff, cooking and watching wildlife in the middle of the city to be excellent aids to not think about smoking and other bad habits. We've all been through that urge out of nowhere no matter how long we've quit or are trying to quit. It seems overwhelming but really lasts about 5 minutes max which is enough time to focus on something wonderful.
One last word of advice: don't drink wine at night and read junk on DKos because you could end up like me and be NR'd for a week for uprating something you don't remember!! So, just know that I'm rec'ing all of your comments via my super duper extra powers. There's a reason to hang out in GUS -- you guyz keep me on the side of the angels.
GUS (Gave Up Smoking) is a community support diary for Kossacks in the midst of quitting smoking. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are quitting or thinking of quitting, please -- join us! We kindly ask that politics be left out.
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A message to ALL quitters. You don't have to avoid GUS if you have a failed quit. We won't give you a bad time and we consider the failed quits as "practice" for the real quit.
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No Woodchuck recipes -- because only chicken tastes like chicken and we love the little critters.
Adobo Chicken Under a Brick
INGREDIENTS
1 (3-lb.) chicken
1 lemon, thinly sliced, plus juice and zest of 2 lemons
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. Spanish smoked paprika
1½ tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground allspice
10 cloves garlic, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Use kitchen shears to cut out and discard chicken backbone. Using your hands, flatten chicken and tuck wing tips back to keep them from burning. Loosen skin over breast and thighs and slide sliced lemons under skin; transfer to a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Purée lemon juice and zest, olive oil, oregano, paprika, cumin, allspice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor into a paste; rub paste over chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Heat a charcoal grill or set a gas grill to high; bank coals or turn off burner on one side (see Grilling 101). Heat a plancha or flat cast-iron griddle over coals until very hot. Wrap a heavy brick with aluminum foil; place on grill until hot. Place chicken breast side down on the plancha and weigh down with brick. Grill chicken, flipping once, until slightly charred and cooked through, about 45 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 165°. If the outside starts to burn before the chicken is fully cooked, move plancha to the cooler side of the grill until the chicken is done. Rest chicken 15-20 minutes before serving.
Smokestack's Chicken Wings
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp. kosher salt
2¼ tsp. sweet paprika
1½ tsp. garlic powder
1½ tsp. onion powder
1½ tsp. dried thyme
1½ tsp. dried Oregano
¾ tsp. ground black pepper
¾ tsp. ground white pepper
½ tsp. dried sage
½ tsp. cayenne
2½ lb. chicken wings
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ cup mild hot sauce
¼cup Old Bay seasoning Juice of 1 lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a bowl, whisk together salt, paprika, garlic and onion powders, thyme, oregano, both peppers, sage, and cayenne. Toss wings with spices in bowl; chill 4 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Whisk together butter, hot sauce, Old Bay, and lemon juice in a large bowl, and then pour half into another large bowl; set both aside.
3. Prepare your grill using the kettle grill, bullet smoker, or gas grill method, (see links for instructions) using oak wood chunks or chips (see Fuel and Flavor). Place chicken wings on grill grate. Maintaining a temperature of 225°-250° (if using a kettle grill or bullet smoker, replenish fire with unlit coals, as needed, to maintain temperature; see instructions) cook, turning once, for 20 minutes. Toss chicken wings in half the sauce; return to grill and cook until well browned and tender, about 25 minutes. Toss chicken wings in remaining bowl of sauce and serve.
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