Emma the Cat weighs eight pounds. She has easily doubled our waste stream, mostly due to kitty litter. I’m just glad Emma tolerates me enough not to throw up in my shoes which I’ll take as a success.
We get the red bag of “World’s Best Cat Litter” from Amazon. Not the cheapest but our Amazon driver leaves it right by the garage door. We love our Amazon driver.
I could use a good cheesesteak. Provolone please, no Cheese Whiz.
Have a GREAT Birthday! 
Do you make your own bacon?
Nope, that was a pre-packaged apple wood bacon pork loin, I didn’t do much more than remove it from packing and place on grill.
The cook looks great though. It’s easier to buy good bacon but I smoke a belly about twice a year just for the fun.
This was my first time EVER using a “smoker” at all. So I have absolutely -0- experience and just decided to do it last night, well because! So I’m looking forward to having more time and starting to experiment a little more. Primarily you buy a slab of belly and smoke it for how long? (please share or private message me if you prefer I would be interested in any tips) Thanks!
Happy birthday! B’days are made to enjoy so I hope that yours is pure enjoyment.
thanks all, for the bday wishes! here is the menu for today: i made a frenchy potato salad with olive oil, shallots, thyme and capers. mussels escabeche with pimenton that are marinating now, aguacate tostadas tapa coming up. i bought a shit-ton of conservas - tins of seafoody delights, to be eaten alone and/or with good bread and cultured butter. 5 or 6 different types of sausages for the grill, including butifarra, to stick with the Spanish theme. also for the grill, salmon fillets that I’m going to rub with a coffee/smoked paprika/brown sugar rub. i made a beet/tomato/yellow pepper gazpacho. Fixings for my favorite tapa of all time, pan con tomate. Mission figs that will be split, goat cheese crumbled over, thyme, and Mike’s Hot Honey. We have manchego and other cheeses, Torres jamon-flavored chips, anchovy stuffed olives. Someone is bringing Cowboy Caviar. Someone else is baking me a peach pie, my favorite, and i bought Bi-Rite vanilla ice cream for that.
Tomorrow we have a whole spatchcocked chicken marinated in Herbes de Provence to grill, hopefully leftover sausages, i’m going to make a corn/pepper salad, and a green salad with Green Goddess dressing i made. also, our gang’s favorite dip, the simplest thing ever, Cambozola mashed and blended slowly with heavy whipping cream, s&p, and drizzled with olive oil. I’m sure there is more i’m forgetting… i’m feeling like there’s not enough food!! (ETA: i just went out and bought 4 lbs. of shrimp to make gambas al ajillo!)
and much vino, bubbly, and cocktails. Leaving in about an hour, all packed and ready to go, can’t wait!
You got it… trim up the belly, cure it for a week (at least I do), smoke it, then slice it (after cooling).
Amazingribs.com is an excellent grilling/smoking resource. Lots and lots of good info there…and dispels a bunch of myths too.
This is Is the BEST way to celebrate a big ugly birthday…good food, good drinks, good friends to enjoy both, lots of laughter and smiles. Have a wonderful birthday weekend, my friend!
That’s GORGEOUS!!! 
Eight pounds? Alfie is easily double her weight! LOL He scarfs down the dry food, and I have to watch to make sure he doesn’t horn in on Finn’s canned food. That’s why he’s my Fat Boy Slim Shady…aka Mr. Chubbalicious. 
But delivery is a no-go for me.
I’m not home during the weekdays…I go in to my office on a week-daily basis.
Packages have been stolen in my townhouse complex this past year.
AND I refuse to have heavy cat litter (90 lbs to last slightly more than a month and a half?) or canned/dry cat food delivered to my workplace, as I’d still need to truck it out to my car in the parking lot.
My sister recommends Chewy.com on the regular to me, but then I have to remind her I’m in-office 5 days a week. (She’s freelance and has been WFH for the past 5-6 years, and forgets. LOL)
HOLY HELL.
I want to celebrate my birthday with YOU! Have a wonderful time!
How could that possibly be an ugly birthday? I am drooling over your menu. I love Spanish food. Happy beautiful birthday and looking forward to pictures.
People steal cat litter? That’s…interesting.
