As I type this, it is 7:00 PM on Thursday, April 25, 2019, and it is 94 degrees outside. I am sitting outside because I have my AC on today and I can’t turn it back down until 8:00 PM. I’m back to living in a cave and it is dark as night inside. How is it possible that my last post was titled “The Definition of Spring” and now it’s nearly 100 degrees. Oh yeah, I live in Arizona, that’s how!

There is a slight breeze out here, so I decided to come out of the dark and deal with the heat. It’s not all that bad, honestly. I’d have to say that 100+ degrees is where my tolerance is kaput, the denial sets in and my non-acceptance is in full force. That’s when the real crabbiness and bitching seriously kick in. That could be as early as Friday, which, as you read this … is TODAY!

So, the way to live through the summer is to use a slow cooker. I have gotten mine out of the garage and it is ready for action.

For this recipe, which I made last week, I decided to use the frozen ginger cubes from Trader Joe’s. Super convenient and they worked great!

I bought 4 pounds of beef chuck roast at Costco with the knowledge that after I cut out a bunch of the fat, there would be about 3 pounds of meat remaining. I was right, of course.

I don’t say that to brag. As all of my friends and family know, my Superpower is Spatial Recognition. Give me a pan or a pot or a bowl full of stuff that needs to fit in a container to go in the refrigerator, I will give you THE PERFECT container. It’s a gift. Not a superpower useful in The Avengers sort of way, but a superpower nonetheless. Anyhow, keep that in mind when purchasing the beef, there will be waste, and there ain’t nobody who wants all that fat!