Peace, Love & Barbecue came in. I am doing the happy dance.

I had been waiting for "The Barbecue Bible" by Steven Raichlen to come in the mail.

It came.

Oh yes. I am a happy camper. Well, I don't actually like to camp. I always thought that was a form of torture designed by my parents to ruin my teenhood. I was the oldest, so we did not hit that circuit until I was over the age of "getting it" I think. The main things I remember about camping were that all the bugs ate me up, it rained and my baby sister put her feet on the tent causing leaks, and the camp stew gave me the runs. Oh well. I now have Scouts and must do this camping thing from time to time but still think it is not what it's cracked up to be--that sleeping under the stars. I like a bed, a pillow, and a real toilet. I especially like the toilet. Women were not designed to go behind trees.

Anyway, my new book looks interesting. It will take me a while to soak it up. It says "over 500 recipes" on the front, and it has 556 pages. Yep. That is looking like a bible or a doorstop. I may still be looking it over when the maker comes back for us all. It does appear to have everything I might even think about doing outside (that is legal) and includes all the ways every sort of person might barbeque, barbecue, or BBQ. I am going to be most busy.

My current favorite barbecue book is Peace, Love and Barbecue. I do need to warn you that you're looking at bbq as in smoking if you go with this book. So, if you're using a grill, then you will be in for a shock if you buy Peace and Love. It does tickle my fancy, because it has all kinds of cool stories, and I'm a sucker for good stories. That is my mountain heritage coming to the surface. I wouldn't even care if I ever smoked meat at all. I'd read the book. It's that neat. But, it's not a cookbook for grillers if you lean that way. It does look like Barbecue Bible would work for those grilling but also for most other outdoor cooking types. I'll have to get back with you all on that. But, it looks like a good bet (unless you like pictures). This is not a photo cooking book. You need some experience and/or imagination.

One of my editors sent me an email today. She said that my Beer Butt Chicken article was getting some notice. Seems some discussion group was linking that one up and talking about trying out the recipe. It appeared to be a British group as they were talking about shoving the beer can up the bum, and I don't think many folks on this side of the pond talk about bums. I could be wrong on that, but I just don't hear that around the States. Anyway, some of the women thought you had to go out and buy special equipment. NOPE. A can of beer, a chicken, and a grill (with a lid). This is not rocket science. But, it's sure good eating. It's hard to beat beer butt chicken.

I am thinking I should check again on that message board and tell them that they don't need to cut the can. Someone said something about cutting the beer can in half. Unless your chickens are really scrawny (like bitties), I sure don't see doing that. You drink the extra beer. Then you try cutting a can. You are going to end up at the ER. This sounds like a safety problem. Those English folks. They are making this too hard. They don't need to do a thing to the can. Just shove it in.

Now I will probably go down in history as the Beer Butt Chicken lady. I can just see my tombstone--Here lies Cyndi . . . she wrote lots of articles . . . but she is best known for telling the world that she sticks a can of beer where the sun don't shine up a chicken. The family will all be most proud I am sure (not). And, most of the rest of them don't even buy beer. Of course, most of the relatives don't ride a Harley either. But, that's another story for another day.

I must get myself to bed. The only reason to stay up way past dark is to watch a smoker or for a really fun party. Neither is happening here this evening. So, I will grab my Barbeque Bible, put on my flannels, and call it an evening.