It’s the end. Pretty soon, if not already, the kids will be back in school and our days will take on a new rhythm. This is the time of year that I find very difficult to find inspiration to get in the kitchen. It’s like I am stuck. I am stuck between BBQ entertaining and long slow braises. I am bored with the BBQ, but the temps are still in the triple digits here and too hot for the oven to be working for long stretches of time (Moment of Truth – DO NOT talk to me about a crockpot – that is only for keeping things warm when serving, there is only one thing I COOK in the crockpot and it is pulled pork). I don’t want summer to end, but I can’t wait for autumn (even though we really don’t have a TRUE autumn in the desert). I even see the boredom on the covers of food magazines. This is the time of year when they roll out their “Best New Restaurants”, “New Kitchen Tools You Can’t Live Without”, “Chefs at the Top of Their Game” blah, blah, blah issues. IN July and August it was Ice Cream, Paletas and how to have the perfect Picnic/BBQ/Cookout. I don’t want to REALLY cook, and I frankly don’t want to go anywhere either. You would think this would make for a fab weight loss plan, but alas, I still weigh the same.

I think part of my ennui comes from back to school. When Jack lived at home full time, I couldn’t wait for school to start. You know that Staples Commercial?
That was me. Sister Nancy FOR YEARS had a Thank God They Are Going Back to School “Thanksgiving Day” dinner with friends to celebrate the beginning of the school year. They made a complete turkey dinner with all the fixin’s. For some reason her kids were insulted that there was a celebration about NOT having them around all of the time. Now that Jack goes off to school for 9 months of the year, I find I am in less of a hurry to have school start mainly because I won’t get to see my beloved only child for months at a time. On the one hand, I find myself wanting to cook his favorites for him, but not wanting to waste the time in the kitchen. On the other hand, I think going out to eat would be good because then we all can sit and enjoy the meal, but no one has a good idea of where to go or what to eat. We are all bored.

Jack, however, can’t wait for school to start. He can’t wait to leave Las Vegas and get back to Flagstaff where they have different weather, different perspectives and all of his friends are lined up waiting to get the party started again. He’s tired of doing chores, and I am tired of reminding him to do them. I guess I am ready for him to go as well. When he first comes home for the summer, the sleeping until 10 or 11 is kind of cute in a “Oh Honey, let him sleep. He’s young. We did the same thing when we were his age,” way. Now that he’s been home since May, I feel he should be on our sleep schedules by now and yet, he is still in bed most days long after we are up and at ’em I want to strip naked and go skinny dipping (or chunky dunking in this case), but I can’t do that with my son in the house. The fact that we are ready to part means I did a good job. I won’t even cry when I drop him at school this weekend.

Well thank goodness Friday starts the Fall Restaurant Week Fundraiser for Three Square. Roughly 100 restaurants around the city have created special menus at special pricing and part of the purchase price goes to the Food Bank. Planning on eating out in Vegas between the 23rd and the 30th? Well here is your list of GO TO places so you can lift a fork to help fight hunger!

In an effort to combat boredom I invited a couple of folks over for dinner tomorrow night. I decided to make the menu a bridge between summer and fall We’ll be having pulled pork sandwishes with Ancho Chile and Cider BBQ Sauce (sauce on the side of course), cole slaw, fried green tomatoes w/chipotle mayo, watermelon and whatever else I decide to make tomorrow. Thank you, Sister Tina, for the link to this great rub for the pork. The pork has been massaged and is resting in the fridge until tomorrow morning when it goes in the crockpot. Hey, wait! I am not so bored anymore!

Have a great week! Look for pics from my Restaurant Week shenanigans in next week’s posting.