Merry Christmas!

Here is the result of my seemingly good idea of cooking my standing rib roasts on my grill. 

I didn't think that there was any danger of fire as I had firebrick on top the grates.

I put $140 of meat on the grill and changed my clothes.  Thank goodness I didn't dawdle.  Coming downstairs and looking out the door I could see flames rolling out the back.  Calls for help from the men folk went unanswered.  I checked the garage.  Nothing.  Called out the front door.  Nothing.   I think that they migrated from one space to the other--each time out of earshot.

I turned off the gas, rolled the grill away from the house.  Looked frantically for my kosher salt.  Didn't find it.  Did find about 2.5 lbs left of my 5 lb baking soda bag in the laundry room.  After grabbing a mitt and flinging the grill top up to have flames charge out, I flung scoops of baking soda over my charring roasts. The fire quickly abated.

The meat was in minutes of being ruined. Dust off baking soda.  Into the oven.  But I was definitely shaken.  Our 6 p.m. dinner was about an 1.5 hours later.  We had wine, beer, appetizers and good company.  Plus it gave my daughter more time to spend at her in-laws. I watched degree by degree from 50 to 125 for the roast  Dinner was later than planned, but delicious.

I have a fire extinguisher, but I didn't get my hands on it.  I need to recharge my baking soda supply.  It dispatches a fire quickly. 

That's my Christmas safety message:  Have a 5lb bag of baking soda handy at all times.  Good for a chimney fire too.

Had I not had that soda, I'm not really sure what would have happened.  Nothing good--at least for the meat.  House was safe.  Had the meat burned up, we would have still been fine.  It would have been installment 2 of failed main meat dishes--the first being when I stuffed my refrigerator too full and temp did not maintain during a Thanksgiving foraging mission.  When I opened the fresh turkey, it smelled like it had been baking on a pavement for several days.

There was ham at least, not from Mark's lack of effort to finding a fresh bird on T-G day.  None to be had.  I have a bit more perspective than he does at time.  One side-dish (among our many) is more than many have to share for a dinner.  I try not not to lose sight of our many blessings.

Tis the season to be mindful of ours and share generously with others.