Author Archives: Brenda Bell

Trying to make the world a better place…

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I challenge all my friends and followers:

  1. In the next 24 hours, I want you to bestow some random act of kindness to a total stranger or someone you don’t know well.
  2. Ask all your friends to do the same.
  3. When you’re done, reply to this post… not with what you did or who you did it for, but how it made you feel.

Go ahead… I dare you!

Nothing Warms The Heart Like The Kindness Of A Stranger

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On our recent vacation, my husband left his iPad in the seat pocket on the plane in Charlotte, North Carolina. By the time he realized what he’d done, the plane was well on its way to Pittsburgh. We filed a report with the airlines, but they couldn’t find it and we just assumed we were out of luck.

When we got home, Tom had an email from someone saying they had found it and asking us to contact them. I have to admit I was a little skeptical because it was from a hotmail address and I figured they were going to want a king’s ransom to give it back.

Long story short, I responded, they asked where they should send it, I supplied an address and they sent another email this morning indicating it’s on its way.

I replied to thank them and tell them we’d like to send something as appreciation for their honesty and trouble, and they replied back:

There is no need for anything. All I can wish for is that if I lost something someone would return it.

Score one for humanity!

Best potatoes ever!

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Slather red potatoes in olive oil in a large bowl and dump in a bunch of sea salt. Use your hands to mix ’em up. If they don’t feel gritty, you need more salt.

Fire up your smoker and get the temp up to 300-350. Throw in the chips, position a grate on top of the plate setter and put the potatoes on the grate.

Close up the smoker and watch the temperature drop to 200. And stay there. Oops.

After about an hour, put your chicken on the upper grate and watch the temperature get stuck at 200 while the chicken just drips its juices on the potatoes.

Wait another 45-60 minutes… screw this… remove plate setter. Oops, potatoes are done and chicken isn’t close. Remove potatoes and wrap ’em in foil.

Continue to smoke the chicken. Aw, crap! Now the darn smoker wants to settle around 350. Insert thermometer and discover that chicken might be slightly overdone. Plate it and serve it anyway.

Uh… anyone want to trade me their potatoes for my chicken? Anyone? Come on, guys… think about your health. Anything that tastes this good can’t be good for you!