GNO, Barbecue,and a Good Time

If the people of Kansas City know one thing better than all things, we know barbecue.

And our barbecue is on display this weekend loud and proud!

online photo, source unknown

This weekend, The American Royal kicked off with it's American Royal Barbecue. Located in Kansas City's west-bottoms you will find amateur and professional smokers rule this weekend.

I feel almost un-Kansas Citian to tell you all that I have never been to the Royal before. Some girlfriends and I were planning a GNO (that would be what they call a girls night out for those of you like me, who never get out). Instead of kicking up our heels at a local 80's dancing club, we were offered free tickets to the Royal and one of the many private parties going on. You say free food and free drinks. We say YES!!

What can I tell you about this event?

1. Well, it is HUGE! According to the American Royal's official website there are over 500 teams who compete in this bbq event each year. Then you add in all the corporations who are there just to support and celebrate the Royal, you end up with nearly a thousand little parties going on. These parties are catered and even have live entertainment.

2. The FOOD is the star of the show! The party we were invited to was catered by The BBQ Shack from Paola, Kansas. They served us yummy pork and the most insanely yummy smoked baked potatoes. No one is saying how many calories or fat grams were in those potatoes, but you know, what happens on a GNO is a secret! I have no real idea where Paola, Kansas is at, but I am sure it is worth any amount of driving to get another bit of those potatoes!

3. This is a COMPETITION! While there maybe a lot of dancing, laughing,and catching up going on, there is some serious smokin' going on too. The rules of the competition is that each team has to smoke at least ten pounds of meat. Teams from all over want a chance to bring home those ribbons and trophies. I have a good friend, who is certified by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. He has served as a judge for the Royal in the past. I sure thought about him a lot last night. Harry, you would have loved it!

4. You must get creative when selecting a TEAM NAME! Oink, Moo, and Cock-a-doodle Doo, Do The Hockey Smokey, This Little Piggy Got Smoked, and Silence of the Ham are just a few of the teams competing at The Royal. We ladies had a good time just walking around looking at the names of each team.

I would like to say THANK YOU to my dear friend Shannon for inviting us to the Royal. A big THANK YOU to Marnie for planning a GNO! And to LaVona and Julie, it was really nice hangin' with both you gals!

If you did not make it to the American Royal this weekend, don't worry. This event kicks off a month long celebration of Kansas City agricultural heritage. You still have time to get tickets to other totally cool events.

My Weekend Project: A PVC Camping Lamp Post and Flag Holder

I have seen a few of these around campsites and I knew I would like to have one. The only problem that I had is The Husband. He already thinks we drag too much stuff with us when we go camping and if I had told him my desire to have a PVC Camping Light Pole he would have shut it down quickly! So, that leaves a girl with only one choice: Figure out how to do it by herself. I did some internet searching and found a few road maps on RV forums. They seemed easy enough! I visited the local hardware store for the supplies: An exterior post lantern light 2 inch PVC pipe (I used 5 feet but had to purchase a 10 foot piece) A 3 inch toilet flange A 3 inch to 2 inch Reducer PVC Glue A 12 foot electric cord kit 2 - 3/4 inch PVC Caps I also used a few supplies we already had on hand: White Spray Paint 3 1/2 foot - 3/4 inch PVC Pipe Drill Bits (1 inch and 1/2 inch) Tent Stakes The first step was preparing the lantern light. I could only find black i

Tonsillectomy (Warning Photos!)

The Short Chic came down with a pretty nasty case of strep throat back in April. So, when The Boy started complaining about his throat hurting about 12 days later, I was pretty confident that he had inherited his sister's strep. Instead, The Boy was diagnosed with a peritonsillar abscess growing on his right tonsil. We had to immediately see an ENT Physician who took a needle and drained the abscess. He removed about 5.5 cc of puss from The Boys throat.and then told us that once you have a peritonsillar abscess you were high risk to keep getting them. The Boy's tonsils were now compromised and needed to be removed. We were told to plan for a two week recovery so we worked a surgery into our summer plans. Between family vacations, summer sports, and the beginning of school The Boy had his second surgery. A tonsillectomy. Pre-surgery prepping went well. It must be nice to be young and have healthy veins for an IV! The Boy had lots of pre-surgery visitors. My

Liver Cheese: A Family Tradition

Today is an anniversary date. One of those dates you wish you did not have to remember but there is no way you can forget. Fifteen years ago today,two days after his birthday, my father died of lung cancer. He was a lifelong smoker and his cancer was aggressive. His battle was short. He fought for six short months after his diagnosis. He knew the chemo was not working and that his time was limited. When he came to this realization he became the best dad in the world. In the days before my father's passing, my family shared some memorable moments. One of those moments centers around the deli meat: Liver Cheese.I would not be surprised if you have never heard of it, or even never tasted it. But I was raised on it as it was one of my Dad's favorite things. What is it? Well, it is a German food that is actually called Leberkase. It is bacon, corned beef, pork, and onion that is ground together and baked. It comes with a

It's My Life

Search This Blog