Happy Birthday Times 2!

Its party tiiiiimmeee….oooohh oohhh its party tiiiiimmmeee…

If you grew up in the same era as me, you were a Nintendo freak. I remember being in 4^th grade sitting there glued to the TV as me and my friends played Super Mario Bros for hours and hours. The tune is unmistakable and was the soundtrack of my childhood. When you got tired of that, there was always Duck Hunt. Shooting those quick flying quackers was always fun and the dog that laughed at you when you missed always made us smile. You ever just sit there with the gun pressed against the TV trying to get the fast ones? Haha, we did too. I could go on and on about all the parties I went to where we played the newest, coolest games and how we would just sit there and play the night away with our childhood friends. I’m talking about Legend of Zelda 1 and 2, Super Mario Bros 1, 2, and 3, Mega Man 1 and 2, Metroid, Contra, Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, Double Dribble, EXCITE BIKE!! I mean the list goes on and on. Even the less celebrated games like Dragon Warrior, Skate or Die, T&C Surf….awww, memories….the music sticks in your mind, you recall all those kids behind you cheering you on until you run out of mans…great time to be alive…so… basically, that was how long ago? Here I sit, old man dad, uncle status, father of twins and they still play Nintendo! Mario gots staying power! Man, its true what they say…times may change but the more things change…the more they stay the same. Usually I hear that in a negative way, but in this particular instance….I feel comfort…and I feel tired, because for this one, I am taking you to a party!! My kids just turned 9 and holy sh*t where did the time go?? They were just born last week weren’t they? I mean I remember changing their diaper and I’m scared because next thing I know they’ll be changing mine!! Ok well that’s how life goes, enjoy it while it lasts, right? So….well….do you want to go to a party? Sweet…here we go!

Corny pork

Pork shoulder
BBQ rub
Mango/Passionfruit jelly
Corn husks (soak in water for 20 minutes then you can use them)
Apple juice

I have done this so much I feel like I can do it in my sleep. And I do. I add wood, go nap for half an hour, then wake up, add wood, go back and nap. You get the fire to 250, rub the pig in spices, then add the pig to the smoker, smoke it for 5 hours, pull it out, put it in an aluminum pan, cover in the jelly, add more rub, cover in the husks, pour in some apple juice, wrap in foil and smoke another 4 hours. Take it out, let it rest for 20-30 minutes, pull out the bone, then shred. Sit back and enjoy…

Chopped Chicken

Chicken thighs
BBQ rub
Honey Mustard BBQ Sauce

Cover the chicken in the rub. Next grill up them dead chickens until they are done. Pull them off the grill; let them rest for about 10 minutes before chopping them up. It was my first time doing this recipe so I went for a mix of fine chopped bits and larger chunks to give the texture some variety. When the chicken is all chopped up, put it in a wok or frying pan, heat up on high for a couple minutes, then fold in the BBQ sauce to taste. I like to let it cook a bit longer so the sugars caramelize and get all crunchy, whoo wee! People at the party asked me how I made the BBQ sauce which I don’t mind telling them, but I don’t measure so you will have to play around on your own to learn. At its most basic, the BBQ sauce is just mustard, honey, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and liquid smoke. You want it to be mostly tangy with a bit of sweet. Start with those basics and then once you have a basic sauce down, you can start to get crazy and add all kinds of funky twists. That is the best advice I can give. Nobody taught me, I had to learn on my own…you can do it.

Baked Spaghetti

Dude, you know how to make spaghetti so I won’t waste your time with a recipe. The only difference is when it’s done, you put it in a Pyrex dish and bake it at 350 until the edges are kind of brown. If you add cheese, it’s all done when the cheese is melted and is nice and light golden brown.

HI Mac Salad

Elbow Macaroni
Mayo
Julienne carrots
Diced onion
Salt
White pepper

This is an ancient family recipe that is closely held, can’t share how it’s made but I can give you the ingredients. It’s not hard to make but it’s easy to mess up. My advice is just go on YouTube and search for Hawaiian Mac Salad recipe, I’m sure you will find a good one.

Ok so for this party, we were prepping all week. There were some long nights and early mornings but we only have 1 party for 2 kids so we go big every year. My wife is amazing I must say. These parties are always due to her effort, I’m just the labor while she has a vision and makes it reality every single time. The amazing thing is that it’s always improving too and that impresses me. Thanks to everyone who came, I think we gave away 10 Costco pizzas, 20lbs of pulled pork, how much mac salad and chicken, but that’s how it goes. We throw down big and make you take home food. The kids had fun swimming, eating all the candies and cake. What more can you ask for? It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything but I haven’t been cooking too much. This one was massive! Thought I’d at least share this one. I’ll return with a more toned down article next time. Like always, if you try this at home, take your time, have fun and I’ll see you next time!