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We have finished grouting the tile in the Tiny Great Hall. It turned out really well.
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We used grout that we had already bought for other projects, trying to use up what we have. So despite not buying specific grout, the colors we used worked well.
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Now, there is finishing work to be done on the Tiny Great Hall. Molding and some painting. At some point, we will pop the door off its hinges and repaint it. Next year, we’ll replace the roof. So the work is ongoing, but the big things are done for this year.
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Here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea. Blaze wanted to divide the room up into areas, and we did that by using the various types of tile. Basically, the gray just inside the door is the “mud room.” There’s an area to the left of the door, the long corridor going straight to the back wall, then the space in the back left corner, where the bar will go.
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Last week, I made Earl Gray truffles which were really tasty. And all gone. So today (Sunday) I’ll make more truffles, only this time, I’ll infuse the coconut milk with coffee and vanilla. I roasted almonds yesterday, and I plan on chopping those up to use as a coating for the truffles.
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What I’ve already made this week was an AMAZING brisket. Seriously. So tasty. It’s so good that even cold the meat is yummy.
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I made it a bit differently than I usually do. I didn’t inject the meat, just coated it in my CCP rub (recipe below). After I put the rub on the meat, I wrapped it in plastic wrap for overnight (though usually I let a wrapped meat sit for 24 hours.)
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Normally, I cook everything at 225° F. However, it’s getting cold here. I learned last year that even with a coat, my grill just doesn’t retain heat well enough when it’s this chilly. So I cooked it at 250° F.
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I used my typical spritz on the meat, which is equal parts tamari, maple syrup, whiskey, tart cherry juice, then twice as much water. Generally I do one-quarter cup of each, then one-half cup of water. (The type of juice is the only thing that changes every time, just depends on what we have open.) I spritz the meat once an hour to keep it moist. And I have a pan with water that I keep in the grill as well, for more moisture.
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Instead of cooking the brisket until the internal temperature was 195° F, I only cooked it until it was 185° F. This particular cut of meat had some thick parts and some thin parts, so while the center of the thicker part was at temperature, the thinner parts were already well past that. (I did wrap the meat when the internal temperature was 160° F, to help it get past the stall.)
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I rested the meat as I always do. I put it in a plastic bag in a cooler and let it sit for four hours before slicing it up.
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One of the best tools I’ve recently bought for myself is an electric knife. Wow. It’s a cheap little thing, but it makes such a difference when slicing up things like pork belly for bacon and brisket.
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What have you made recently that you’re proud of? Doesn’t have to be food, could be anything.
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1/4 c espresso instant coffee
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My new book, available in November! Check it out!
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November brings NaNoWriMo. We got you covered! We're putting a collection of five Business for Breakfast books on sale for the month of October.
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In addition, for this month Blaze Ward's Star Tribes series is collected together into a box set for the first time! Get all five books, the entire series, for just $9.99!
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Daniel has had enough as a chef. The burnout convinces him to sell the restaurant to his Sous Chef, walk out the door, and never come back.
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Kathra Omezi’s star tribe faces poverty on a daily basis. Twenty-five ships in deep space against the entire Sept Empire.
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And then a conqueror steps into their lives.
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The Mbaysey tribe, and the galaxy, will never be the same.
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