NoDak

How To Smoke Spare Ribs

2021-04-03T14:57:00.001-07:00

Spare Ribs and How to Smoke Them MARK JENNERLAST UPDATED: JANUARY 2, 2021 A rose, is a rose, is a rose, according to Shakespeare. When it comes to ribs, though, there are many differences between types worth knowing. If you are or plan to be more than just a casual griller, this is seriously need-to-know […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/bbq-recipes/how-to-smoke-spare-ribs/

Searching for Ethical Sugar

2020-11-19T09:57:00.001-08:00

by Lela Nargi 11/12/20 Americans sure love sugar; we each eat an average of 6 cups of the stuff a week, for a total of 152 pounds a year. When we think of the granules and syrups we or manufacturers purposefully add to our foods (not the fructose, glucose, and lactose that occur naturally in […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/healthy-recipes/truth-about-the-sugar-addiction/

HOW TO MAKE BEEF TALLOW

2020-11-11T22:57:00.001-08:00

OCTOBER 14, 2020 Hey Grill Hey Making your own beef tallow is a great way to use extra fat trimmings from brisket or other parts of the cow. The beef tallow makes for a delicious substitute for oil or butter, and it tastes amazing. It’s quite easy to make and if you follow along, I’ll […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/bbq-recipes/what-is-beef-tallow/

SPATCHCOCK SMOKE ROASTED TURKEY

2020-11-04T13:58:00.001-08:00

NOVEMBER 7, 2019 Currated from Hey Grill Hey Spatchcock Smoke Roasted Turkey will be the star of your Thanksgiving spread this year. By spatchcocking the turkey first, you flatten the cooking surface, allowing for faster cook time and lots of smoke flavor. SPATCHCOCK TURKEY There is nothing more impressive than a beautiful whole roasted bird […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/bbq-recipes/spatchcock-smoked-turkey/

Never Thaw Frozen Fish In Its Vacuum-Sealed Packaging

2020-10-26T17:57:00.001-07:00

Why You Should Never Thaw Frozen Fish In Its Vacuum-Sealed Packaging Good to know! Did you know this? NATALIE GOULD TOMKO ·JUNE 5, 2018 SHAREPIN IT Adobe Botulism is a word often associated with home canning and dented canned goods at the grocery store. But did you know vacuum-sealed, individually wrapped pieces of frozen fish also pose a risk for […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/cooking/never-thaw-frozen-fish-in-vacuum-sealed-packaging/

Meat Your Maker: The Origins of “Barbecue”

2020-10-17T12:57:00.001-07:00

Meat Your Maker: The Origins of "Barbecue" By Peter BarrettJuly 9, 2020 It's summer, and that means it's barbecue season. The word barbecue can refer to a way of cooking with fire, the food cooked in this manner, or even the outdoor party where people eat all that smoky deliciousness. But where did the word […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/historical-cooking/traditional-origins-of-barbacoa/

Great Brown Butter Cornbread

2020-10-15T17:57:00.001-07:00

Brown Butter Cornbread From the folks at Field Skillet (fieldcompany.com), a modern take on the traditional cast-iron skillet, comes this dialed-up variation on classic cornbread that’s a sweet showstopper. The team took inspiration from their pals Melissa Clark, who published the original recipe for the New York Times, and Eric Bolyard, who’s worked in some of the […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/bbq-sides/great-brown-butter-cornbread/

True Barbecue

2020-10-13T16:57:00.001-07:00

True Barbecue BBQ Tips & Techniques Main Dishes American Food BBQ Food The Great American Cooking Tradition Written by Derrick Riches Updated 06/26/19 Regarding BBQ, Inc. The debate over the origin of American Barbecue is one that will probably never be resolved. By defining barbecue as a process by which meat is slow cooked over […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/historical-cooking/true-traditional-texas-barbecue/

Basic Meat Science For Cooks

2020-09-24T19:57:00.001-07:00

Basic Meat Science For Cooks By Meathead Goldwyn What is meat? Every time you step up to your grill or into your kitchen, you begin a science experiment. As meat is heated, it undergoes physical and chemical changes, and as scientific as these processes are, they are also magical. A basic understanding can help you cook […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/cooking/meat-science-for-cooks/

What You Need to Know About Wood, Smoke, And Combustion

2020-07-18T12:57:00.001-07:00

By Meathead Goldwyn Smoke is the essence of barbecue. It is what differentiates barbecue from other types of cooking. "'When a lovely flame dies, Smoke gets in your eyes.' Song 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes'"by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach, performed by The Platters Originally all barbecue and grilling was done with logs of dried […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/smoker/wood-smoke-and-combustion/

Baked Beans are good for you

2020-06-07T19:57:00.001-07:00

This is why you should be serving your family baked beans for dinner They're a pantry staple, but they pack a punch in the nutrition department. Piled high on a baked potato, or severed on the side with eggs and toast - baked beans are a quick weeknight meal in many households. But just how nutritious are baked beans for you and your […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/bbq-sides/baked-beans-are-good-for-you/

Best Wood For Smoking

2020-06-06T20:57:00.001-07:00

Ultimate Guide To The Best Wood For Smoking In 2020 Blake Dan May 24, 2020 No Comments Along my barbecue journey I’ve had great successes and great failures using different types of wood. When it works out like you hoped it would it really is a proud moment. Pairing wood flavors with each particular meat […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/smoker/best-wood-for-smoking/

BBQ Chicken and Apple Bread Pudding

2020-06-04T03:57:00.001-07:00

To me, bread pudding is the epitome of comfort food, and it’s simply too good to reserve only for dessert. This sweet and savory twist on the classic is a delicious new way to enjoy an old favorite. —Shauna Havey, Roy, Utah Test Kitchen Approved Contest Winner BBQ Chicken and Apple Bread Pudding Recipe photo […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/bbq-recipes/bbq-chicken-and-apple-bread-pudding/

Bisquick Drop Biscuits (Yeast-Free Bread)

2020-06-01T21:57:00.001-07:00

This simple Bisquick drop biscuits recipe fills your kitchen with the decadent aroma of moist fluffy oven-fresh biscuits in twenty minutes flat. February 18, 2020 By Kathleen | Leave a CommentThis One of the most famous Bisquick recipes has got to be this Bisquick drop biscuits recipe. It makes soft fluffy biscuits in about 20 […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/uncategorized/bisquick-drop-biscuits/

2020-05-26T14:57:00.001-07:00

This Step Changed My Meal-Prep Attitude Game-changing recipes for vegan barbecue sauce, avocado chimichurri, restaurant-style salsa, and more. Domino Rebecca Deczynski Photo courtesy of I Am a Food Blog. I have eaten hundreds of lunches that practically bored me to tears. Think: quinoa and sweet potato, with the addition of any other given vegetable—perhaps a […]

source https://www.tatubbq.com/store/17419/

Back at it again...it's been some time

2012-10-28T18:59:00.006-07:00

Wow, how time flies! It is probably been 7 or 8 months since I last wrote on this blog. That's also the time I sat up and started selling BBQ out of the RV, so it's been pretty busy. And now I'm inside a building, actually having a restaurant, something I said I would never do... never say never. I'm in this area, Dickinson North Dakota, where a 40 hour work week is part time. Recently I've been working 12 to 14 hours a day 5 to 6 days a week but now I have some help so I have a little bit of time to write in this blog and I definitely want to get some of this in writing and recorded.

I'm not going to try and remember everything that has happened in these last months but I do want to highlight some of the good and bad things that have happened. Living here has been different, it's a different culture, it's a different mindset, and it's different politically than where I came from. I've been pheasant hunting, have not been fishing yet and I am looking forward to my very 1st deer hunting season. I feel pretty lucky since it was a lottery to get a deer tag and I received a “any antlered” tag. So now I need to hook up with an experienced hunter and go out and see if I can knock me down a deer. I'm really looking forward to getting into 1st of all eating some wild venison my own killed, but even more so I think is learning sausage making which is pretty prevalent in this area. Hopefully I won't wait 6 months to relay this story to use.

The weather.
they have this term here called “ponding”, now you may or may not know what that is. Well let me tell you it's probably something you don't really want to go through very often and it is actually a term that comes up on the weather map. What ponding is, is when it rains approximately 3 or 4 inches in a matter of 20 to 30 minutes. This happened to me one day when I was at the RV cooking and lo and behold we saw this storm front coming in and they were predicting thunderstorms I didn't think too much of it, but then it arrived and ponding happened so much so that I was in the 1st I'm going to say 2 to 3 hours of smoking where I had to stop smoking pole the food out of the smoker and begin to shut down the RV even though I had the awning covering the smoker. The awning would have collapsed under all the water. Within 20 to 30 minutes water around the RV was up to my ankles and so much was falling that it was going into the chimneys of the smoker and actually starting to fill it up also. That my folks is ponding, where it rains so much so fast that ponds are created, it's just a wonder that I didn't start seeing fish jumping... ha ha.
Then we have summer, oh but wait, I forgot to talk about the wind. Now I can get used to cold, I could get used to the ponding, IKEA and get used to the heat. But this wind no way, and it's not just a wind that comes up every once in a while, it's a win I would say 90% of the days. It blows anywhere from 10 to 40 miles an hour and you're trying to do things you're trying to just go and perform a simple task that say opening up your car door, you'd better hold on tight or else you will spring your hinges. Or, try tying a rope when the rope is flapping around. And then there is also the dust storms that come along with the wind. Going through just these little, periodical, windstorms it really brings to mind what it must have been like to live through the dust bowl. I cannot imagine having wind blowing 40 miles an hour in dust storms being hundreds hundreds of feet tall going across the plains day in and day out for years. This is what made the people around here so hardy and so warm and so helpful towards each other. I picked up, at a small bookstore in Medora, a series of 6 cookbooks that were written from actual accounts of the dust bowl, these have become some of my favorite books, not just for the recipes, but for the accounts of how people survived through this time and how it drew them together. I wish we still had that sense of community and honesty and integrity today.
So then came the heat, the summer heat. Now I don't mind it being a bit warm, but when it gets into triple digits for a period of time that becomes a bit uncomfortable to me. You know, when it's cold you didn't dress for that, but when it gets so hot you can only take off so much clothing... and believe me you do not want to see me like that! This past summer has been one of the driest, hottest summers on record. So here it is folks, I move here in November and we had one of the mildest winters on record and then in contrast we have one of the hottest, driest summers on record. I've come to believe that North Dakota just has plain old “weather”. Oh and did I mention the flies, man were they plentiful during the summer. Again I've never been in an environment that supported so many flies, matches any flies, but these big ole horseflies. And you know horseflies actually bite, I didn't, until I got bit... ouch! I put up this fly catching bad that they sell in every store around and it smells or read but does work, and within a couple of days it was full. Now mind you the description of this bag on the box says that it will hold in the neighborhood of 2000 flies, yup you read right, 2000. I hope that brings a good visual to you... ha ha.
Now we are into October and the weather is starting to feel a bit like fall. But to get here you have this temperature change that may go from 80° one day to 45° the next day and then back up to 60°, so it is a bit like living in a YoYo and I am now scrambling to “winterize” my 5th wheel. Basically winterizing has to do with insulating your water hose, because it might get to -30°, and also your sewage drain pipe, for the same reason. Then you have to do this thing called skirting, which is framing the bottom portion of the 5th wheel to the ground and covering it with plywood on the outside and putting insulation on the inside the main reason for this is not to insulate and keep warm, which it does, but more so to keep the wind from blowing underneath and robbing what little heat you may have. Dealing with cold is not really all that hard, but dealing with cold and a 30 mile an hour wind is. This wind robs, steals whatever heat you may have. This becomes another challenge for me in smoking. I have smoked in 19° weather and done okay, but when you have 19° weather and a 20 mile an hour wind it is virtually impossible. The wind is a thief or robber you can say of any heat you may have. So blocking the wind, because you will never eliminate it, is another way of life I'm learning here. More on this subject as I progress into the depths of winter.

Random experiences.
Prairie dog hunting, as some may call it, but it's actually prairie dog shooting! There is no hunting involved. But it is a great way to hone your skills and keep them sharp. And there are so many of them around that you never run out of targets. If you are into guns and shooting this is definitely something you must try. It's fun, not boring and you don't have to deal with the dead carcasses... the coyotes take care of that for you.

It's all about People.

2012-04-04T06:05:00.001-07:00

Well, I just looked and it's been 2 months since my last writing... sorry.
Many things have happened during this time but I would like to focus on people. Who they are, what they are and how they relate.
I feel so blessed to be in this position, to be able to meet so many new people and to experience the differences of each one and how as a whole we are just one.
If you can imagine a small farming community that is being invaded by thousands of people of different backgrounds and ideals and how this is really shaping Southwest North Dakota. It is a wonderful story and I am excited to write about it. The sequence of events and meetings will undoubtedly be out of order but the "just" will be there. So, let's get started.

when in Rome do as the Romans

2012-02-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I was going to try and write this blog in chronological order but that is just not going to happen. So I will now write When I have the thoughts Of the events that Have happened.

I think it is very important that when you set out on a new adventure or to see a new place that the saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans." I can't stress this enough. part of the reason it has taken me longer to get started than I had anticipated is because, unknowingly, I have been getting to know not only The lay of the land but also the heart of the people. it would be wrong for anyone to move to a new community and expect to do business as they have done in the past from whence they have come. I have to attribute this understanding to my upbringing, that is, being raised as a military brat in Germany. you cannot travel throughout Germany and be successful in life without understanding the different cultures, as so it is traveling throughout America. We are all different and it is so amazing to see that difference and to become part of it where ever one might be. I am still learning about this area and only my own arrogance will hinder a successful adventure. I pray to God that arrogance is dead! Can you imagine, during the Alaska Gold Rush, going into a town or city with your understandings from let's say the East Coast, and wanting to do business in the same way in Alaska. I don't think that worked out very well... it's imperative in life that we become chameleons, I can't see any other way of living and being happy. I don't mean I will give up my core beliefs or personality I just mean that we should all be a bit more flexible especially if we are visitors and/or newcomers to an area. So in closing, as I am getting closer and closer to understanding this area and becoming a part of this area business is growing and growing. I can only wait to look back a year to from now and see the great strides that are made.
Now mind you, North Dakota is going through their own changes and especially Dickinson. I have often thought that this would be a great place for a sociality study. The study of how a very small town rural area handles expansion with all the trials and tribulations coming. Many people here are upset with the Growth, many people embrace the Growth in some good care less either way. But as an outsider looking in I get the privilege to experience this in a unique way. Here you have a small town that is becoming a city very quickly, crime is any increase, which they have not really experienced in the past. People have left their cars running in the parking lots their doors unlocked, and all in all are very trusting. But that is changing, no one likes it, but that's what the future as for Dickinson. There is an infrastructure that is and has to be built to sustain this growth. one example would be the parking, it's free everywhere, Sides of the roads, parking lots, everywhere you look you can virtually park for free. I guarantee you that will change. What a great, I want to say experiment, but it is really not an experiment because Towns have Been becoming cities for millennium, so that is all this my great adventure. I feel so lucky to be alive at this time and In this place, experiencing this change.I hope I can do this adventure justice by documenting it correctly and adequately.

You know, before moving out here, while I was still back in Poulsbo Washington, I heard from people there and here how terrible the winters were, how cold they were, how windy they were and how much I would hate it. Well today's Super Bowl Sunday and It is close to 51°, we have had maybe 4 or 5 days at subzero weather, the wind has been tame with no blizzards to speak of, although if there were wood around I definitely would be knocking on it. Some of the old-timers just keep telling me how lucky I am, which I am, and I appreciate it,but they also say don't count your chickens before they hatch. I guess the weather is pretty unpredictable, for the long-term anyway and we still have the months of February, March and April to go through, so as crazy as the weather has been everywhere who knows what the future has for North Dakota. I don't wish for harsh weather but if it comes I'll be prepared and I will survived It! Yesterday morning was one of the most Beautiful mornings I have ever seen anywhere. The roads Were dry and Frost was over everything, here you have what is generally seen as ugly weeds Of straw covered with frost That just Made the most beautiful sight ever.

There is one bright spot in the nation V2-04

2012-01-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

Obama's Magic Kingdom of Joblessness

Yesterday in Walt Disney World, the land "where dreams come true," President Barack Obama appeared before Cinderella's Castle to announce his latest plan to boost jobs in America--an effort to increase tourism to the United States. His announcement came one day after he flat out said "NO" to another plan that would have directly created at least 20,000 truly shovel-ready jobs--and 179,000 American jobs by 2035--while bringing more than 700,000 barrels of oil to the United States each day. That plan was the Keystone XL pipeline.

Had the President approved Keystone, a 1,700-mile pipeline would have been extended from Alberta, Canada, to Texas refineries -- lifting up the U.S. economy with private-sector investment, putting people to work, and helping increase the supply of energy to lower prices when fuel costs are through the roof. Despite a finding by the State Department that the pipeline would pose minimal environmental risk, environmentalists were still up in arms and lobbied the President to say no to the plan.

The President's decision is so out of line with fact and reason that The Washington Post strongly condemned it in an op-ed yesterday, saying the "pipeline rejection is hard to accept" and "We almost hope this was a political call because, on the substance, there should be no question." As the Post explained, even without the pipeline, Canada will still export its oil--but across the ocean to China, instead. Meanwhile, the United States will continue importing crude oil from the Middle East. In other words, the environmental lobby might have stanched the flow of oil from Canada, but it's being diverted onto the seas, and fossil fuel consumption will necessarily continue.

The environmental left's "victory" is ultimately another loss for the American people -- especially the 13.1 million unemployed workers. It's a loss for small businesses, such as restaurants and hotels, in the towns along the proposed route. It's a loss for state budgets that would have seen billions in tax revenue as a result. And it's also a loss for those who are struggling with high energy costs.

Gas prices are at a record high for January and are 28.5 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. And that's expected to go even higher--some analysts predict that the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded could hit $4 to $4.25 per gallon by the spring.

One might think that given the high cost of energy, the President would be seeking to increase domestic production, especially given Iran's threats to block the Strait of Hormuz, thereby cutting off a quarter of the world's energy supply. Think again. Under President Obama, oil and natural gas production on federal lands is down by more than 40 percent compared to 10 years ago, 2010 had the lowest number of leases issued for oil and gas production on federal lands since 1984, and the Administration held only one offshore lease sale in 2011.

There is one bright spot in the nation for energy production: North Dakota. Overall energy production has increased thanks to the state's pro-energy policies, and North Dakota has reaped the benefits, as have other like-minded states, as Heritage's Rob Bluey reports:

North Dakota's unemployment rate is 3.4 percent, the lowest in the country. According to a recent report from IHS Global Insight, North Dakota already returned to pre-recession employment along with energy-rich Alaska. Texas is expected to do so in the first quarter of 2012, followed by Nebraska and South Dakota next year.

There's much more that could be done, though, to move America further toward safely developing energy resources here at home--and the Keystone XL pipeline would be one such step. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing to review legislation that would restart the project, focusing on a bill introduced by Representative Lee Terry (R-NE), which would allow construction on the pipeline to begin a month after passage. Heritage's Nicolas Loris explains that "a simple, effective approach would be for Congress to authorize the pipeline application as submitted by TransCanada pursuant to its authority to regulate commerce with other nations."

Sadly, this action wouldn't have been necessary if President Obama put the interests of the American people before his own political interests. He could have green-lighted the Keystone XL pipeline this week and helped create real jobs and increase the supply of affordable, reliable energy, without spending public dollars or advocating tax hikes. But instead he headed for the Magic Kingdom and continued to spin the fantasy that he has the answers for job creation in America. In the meantime, Americans can only dream of a stronger economy and a brighter future.

First Catering Gig V2-03

2012-01-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

In this issue I will talk about weather and my 1st catering gig.
Click here - www.tatubbq.com

Let's get right into the weather, yesterday I think the high was around 12 and the low this morning was -9. Today we will reach a whopping 13 and the night low will only be 2.And tomorrow we're going to reach a very very high 01 and Wednesday night the low is due to be -11.but then from there on out it starts getting warmer and until the following Thursday it'll be in the mid-30s with lows in the upper teens. So all in all not too bad.
What have I learned about whether, a couple of things don't go out in desert boots, never forget your gloves, always have your ears covered, and if your going to stay out any length of time make sure you have a ski mask.... And never never pee into the wind!you learn pretty quickly how important it is to plan your moves, your day trip. You don't want to be outside any longer than you have to be, you don't want to be in the wind.and it became very apparent to me yesterday driving around that you have to understand if anything were to happen to you... IE break down you better have an emergency kit with you. Generally this kit will have warm blankets, snow shovel, some hotties, Chapstick (lots a Chapstick) and a candle.I can't imagine what it would've been like to come across these planes during the winter in a covered wagon it's mind bogglingto think how our ancestors did it, what a hardy bunch they were. I mean just imagine living in a tepee on the plains. Also reminds me of Shackleton and what he endured for a year and a half in the Arctic. Man's will to live, to explore, to prosper is a force to be reckoned with. That's what makes our human race Fantastic. All over the world this spirit exists. But it's sad to see this spirit declining, with all the technology to make life easier it has also made us lazier and not as in during. We tend to not want to explore if it will upset our cushy life. but then it's always been just a few that exploration is what drove them to greatness, and some to their death. And so it goes on today in NoDak!

For those of you who have been reading you know that I've been smoking in Smokey off and on for last few weeks, months actually. and this last weekend was no different in that I Put on a family smoke, that's where the family of my good friends with by a bunch of meat and file night smoke it. The nice thing about doing that is it affords me the opportunity to organize and figure out the procedure to smoke in the garage of Smokey. And it was no different last weekend. And it seems now that Smokey is set up about 90% in the smoking garage anyway. So yesterday, Monday, Brenda had me cater a birthday party luncheon for a mechanic at her work, there were about 15 of them. I put together a shoulder, half a dozen pieces of chicken, baked beans, Lexington red slaw, and a pickle... put on a 4 1/2 inch bun.I tried to do most of the kitchen work in Betsy so I can get used to serving out of her and also organizing her, a lot was learned in doing so. Took the food to her place of work setup lets people serve themselves And what is now become an common response... ever ready was pleasantly pleased and 4. Rave reviews Flowed all during lunch. the owner, Tom, after eating a 2nd pulled pork sandwich came up to me and tell me that he's got connections with the oil companies and would hook me up with one in particular that did safety meetings twice a month... the attendance ranges from 200 to 400 people each meeting. What a way to start the new year! Here and no back it's not really potential, it's opportunity, and you would really have to work hard to screw it up. There is so much work here that if you had the "adventurous spirit" you could live a prosperous life...

Town Meeting Place V1-12

2012-01-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

I met a lady at the rec center today, 12/24/11, her name is Tammy and found out that she is one of the lead bookkeepers of pretty prominent oil company around. I started talking to her about BBQ and she mentioned that she could get me all the work that I wanted. Of course I've heard that a lot and took it with a grain of salt. She gave me her number told me to call her today sometime and to bring some samples over to her. So I did, I went over to her house met her husband and son, found out her husband also works in ‘the patch". We talked BBQ for a while... go figure, huh... and it turns out this might be a very good lead-in contact, they're both so kind and nice and hopefully upon them liking my BBQ they will spread the word and in their words ”keep me as busy as I want to be”.

I remember Dale telling me, when I 1st got here, to join the rec center. He said that that is where you'll meet all the people. And you know he was right, joining the rec center has been the absolutely very best investment I have made thus far in NoDak.

Living in Dickinson V2-02

2012-01-13T11:57:00.000-08:00

This is why I came here!

Think it’s difficult to get a room in Dickinson? Well, it is.
Grand Forks, Fargo, Jamestown, Rapid City, S.D., Aberdeen, S.D., Pierre, S.D., and Billings, Mont., also submitted reports. An oil boom in western North Dakota has made it difficult and expensive when searching for a place to stay, Koeser said. Koeser said Williston opened three hotels last year and plans to open six more this year. He is doubtful it will help relieve the pressure. Kessel said there are plans to open three hotels in Dickinson. Martin said he has an occupancy rate of 98 percent. Though he is not booked solid, he said he has bookings through October. “There is no room in town worth $150 or $200,” he said. With hotels being built to meet the demand, Kessel had concerns when enough would be enough. People looking for a place to stay overnight have had a hard time finding one because Dickinson has the highest reported occupancy rate in North Dakota, officials said Friday. “I would suggest whoever is (making reservations), make them as soon as they know what’s going on,” said Nodak Motel manager and owner Scott Martin.
City Administrator Shawn Kessel said a star report, which is a voluntary survey for hotels, revealed that Dickinson had a 90 percent occupancy rate as of November. Minot was second at 89 percent and Bismarck stood at nearly 78 percent. Kessel said Williston did not report numbers in November. Mayor E. Ward Koeser said he thought occupancy rates in Williston were around 95 percent. “About the only time you can ever get in is once in a while on a weekend night,” Koeser said. “We have people who come here all the time, and even my wife and I end up taking people in because there is just no place to go.” “What happens here — and I assume the same thing will happen if it hasn’t already in Dickinson — is before the hotel has opened, oil companies come in and lease maybe 30 rooms for the next year.” Kessel said hotel rates in Dickinson run between $130 to $200 per night when rooms are available. He said it appears to be up $20 from last year at this time. The Nodak Motel has a starting rate of $55 per night plus tax. While Martin said companies and oil field workers have made offers to rent rooms at high prices, he said he wouldn’t take them. “The fear that you have in any of these construction projects is that how do you determine when we have hit capacity or have hit the upper limit?” he said. “Can you maintain 17 hotels in town maybe in 15 years or whenever this boom slows down?”
Koeser said when the oil boom is over, Williston will be a prime spot to accommodate tourists. Until that happens, visitors should make their plans well ahead of schedule.

A Bunch of Firsts V2-01

2012-01-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

Well it has been sometime since I last wrote, actually only about a couple of weeks. But a lot can happen within that time. There has been Christmas dinners and a solemn New Year's Eve, some hunting, smoking and some just all around get in my stuff together.

I think tonight I'm going to try and find a history movie about the Klondike Gold Rush. I feel there are similarities between what I am going through and what some of those prospectors went through and we all know history is the best teacher. I can only appreciate the fortitude of the spirits of those that pursued their desire for a better life. Knowing that the majority of people that sought out the gold rushes actually failed to prosper. I could Fail,but I won't because I have them to learn from. Imagine all the people that left the East Coast to move west for a new life of prosperity and how many of them actually succeeded? I face here not to believe a failure but more the openness toward change within. Not a change in my core belief of giving but a change in my being to do something. One cannot just believe in something and expect that to happen, you actually have to go out and do something to make it happen. One saying that I heard years ago and I try to live by is "you can't steer a parked car" sometimes that's easier said than done but as long as your feet are moving I believe he'll end up getting their at some point.

I found out today that my house sitting gig will end Thursday, January 12, so new challenges are arising... i.e. Where the hell am I going to live! But there are some options. What I need to implement is the "what if" scenarios for these options. I have a 5th wheel which I could live in an RV parkbut then I could not use the garage to smoke in. I have an RV that I could live in but then I would have no delivery service vehicle for the BBQ. There may be a house available with a detached garage that I could smoke in but that won't be ready until the end of January. I am meeting tomorrow with a gentleman to see if I could use a decent size space next to his pizza delivery service as a kitchen but I would need to have a place to smoke in which I could bring "Smokey" there to smoke and or perhaps put up a storage unit to smoke In.or I could leave the 5th wheel where in fact in the backyard of her friends, bring Betsy there, live in the 5th wheel smoke in the garage and use Betsy as the delivery vehicle. Now having said all that I need to throw in the other variable which is the health department and the business license and whether or I could get bolts in any scenario or only in certain scenarios that I need to find out. But anyway those are the challenges that I face can you imagine the challenges that faced the settlers and the prospectors and leaving everything to go to a completely new environment to take part in a great adventure.

8 degrees

So I went hunting last week, now the funny thing about that is that the very 1st time I went pheasant hunting was right before I got married 32 years ago and now the 2nd time that I go pheasant hunting is after I was divorced from that marriage... how ironic is that! Really happy before and really happy now. It was a very good time, walking through grassy fields flushing up birds shooting at them hitting 3 but only finding one getting a great workout enjoying the company of a friend in just feeling very fortunate for the place I'm at. Nice thing about when I hunt the birds don't have to worry about becoming extinct actually I think they clapped when they see me drive up. So many things to look forward to Here in this new life.

Dinner

First BBQ in Smokey! V1-11

2011-12-23T21:47:00.000-08:00

Family smoke:

I am as gitty as hell right now. I just finished the inaugural smoke in Smokey today. I wish everyone would find that one thing that makes them happier than anything else in life and that they would have the opportunity to do It.

Just as I have with smoking.

Everything went fairly smooth today, except when I went to shake my white BBQ sauce (used on fowl), the lid popped open and half the volume exploded all over the kitchen area, but it's not about how smooth things went, it's about how happy my spirit feels right now. Being able to smoke for friends, who have shown me so much kindness in the past six weeks, is something that makes me happier than anything else. The only thing in my life that has brought me greater happiness than smoking today, was seeing the birth of my son. I can't even put into words the joy and happiness I feel right now. I know I am in the right place at the right time. Today's joy brought me thoughts of all the people that have befriended me and helped me out in the last year and a half and all those who I have come to know and love over the past 20+ years. To all my friends in Poulsbo I miss them tremendously and they all have a special spot in my heart. I wish them the best of luck and happiest of times to come. Words just can't express the emotion I have right now. God bless America! I am so looking forward to what the future holds, to see how much I can give.
It's still up in the air as to how exactly I am going to open up for business, but because of dreams and the talk among local people that I have had I believe the route is set and now I'm just waiting to see it....WOW what ever that means! B{
I dropped off a couple of portions of pork with David (Expresso) to see if he would add the sandwiches to his menu. Find out Monday.

Life, in and around Dickinson V1-10

2011-12-20T14:40:00.000-08:00

This may be unusually longer than my other writings because I've waited actually about nine days since the last writing. Hopefully you won't get too bored. I'll try to make more frequent writings in the future.

The weather has been pretty good so far, actually it's been very abnormally warm and by warm I mean above freezing. It is a bit hairy, because there's this underlying fear that when it does get cold it will be very cold.

Dan, getting ready to make the trip home.

Smokey

Good old Smokey arrived last week thanks to Dan and his brother Aaron. I love young people that can drive straight through and it doesn't bother them. Although I must say that Dan had a few red streaks in his eyes. But thanks a lot Dan. I guess it was a white knuckle trip for Dan, because of weight distribution in Smokey he was not able to drive more than 55 maybe 60 miles an hour. But it's here now with everything I needed to start a kitchen, at least half of it is here and it's enough to get going , which I must do it soon as possible, need to get that cash flow going... I was hoping to already be up and running. But getting space to set up a kitchen is the challenge with all that's happening here. The growth in everything spaces at a premium. So it's taken a little bit longer but also I want to be precise in what avenue I open up with. Do I cater to businesses, do I supply box lunches to workers in the field, or do I look for a place to have sit down food? With so many options I want to make sure that they set up in the best option that allows for growth. It is coming together, though, and I'm excited to what the results may be.

Noodles

Molly

One thing I am very grateful for is that a house-sitting opportunity opened up for me through Brenda very good friend of mine that started December 16 and will go through till the middle or third week of January. It's a very nice home with two lovely dogs that I get to take care of them become friends with. This will afford me more time to decide where I'll stay during the winter and while I'm setting up TaTu BBQ in Dickinson or somewhere close around.

North Park RV

I looked at an RV park, North Park that I think will suit my needs just fine. Very clean, very nice and had the pleasure of talking with the owner during a workout at the rec center. The only drawback may be having to haul drinking water to the RV because the only spaces. They have available are those that are not winterize. That shouldn't be too much of a problem, because I've been hauling water to the shack for the last six years. Electricity and sewage is there as a hookup. If it works out that I do move there after this house-sitting then I would probably turn Betsy into a mobile delivery kitchen.

Allen's smoke house

Allen's Hobby

During one of my days working at the fifth wheel, Mark, and his cousin, Alan, while working on his man cave, told me about their smoking experience with sausage and jerky, Allen revealed that he had a walk-in smoker that I could utilize if I needed it. So later that evening we drove about 8 miles out to Alan's place to take a look at it, I was pleasantly surprised on how efficient he had set it up and looking at the inside I estimated I could feed 500 to 700 people out of that smokehouse alone. Still need to find a place for the kitchen though...

Expresso

The Brew

Many of you know me to like my coffee and my old office at Hot Shots Java in downtown Poulsbo. While, I've been looking for a coffee shops around Dickinson and found a very nice one called The Brew, which is inside an old historic church that is known to have been the worship place of Theodore Roosevelt... and they make a pretty good cuppa Joe. Then, Larry, another family friend, took me to Expresso coffee… now that was a pleasant surprise. The proprietor David knew his coffee, understood its virtues, and found a great roasting company in Montana. After having my traditional dark roast drip I was elated to have a cup of coffee that matched or you could say even rivaled Hot Shots Java. Expresso is a very small coffee shop, but by far the best I've found.

Oh, and now I have to tell you about the only, so far, bad experience I had and that was at Papa Murphy's, where the young gal taking our order was disrespectful, demeaning, arrogant, bitchy and should in no way in hell be in the service industry. I doubt I will ever go back there! Enough said, no use giving them any more press.

Oil Storage tanks

Pipe Storage

I wanted to take these pictures of the finished oil storage and rail lines that were being put in on my first trip here in October. It is now fully functional. It's just amazing to see what is going on here almost unbelievable. This is also a pipe storage yard, and it is only one of many many.

Dickinson Airport

Ah, now as I close I will show you pictures of the Dickinson airport. One nice thing is you don't have to worry about hitting any mountains or running off the runway into water. You may want to be leery of peace on the runway or even landing sideways because of the wind. But other than that. I think it's a pretty safe place. The only thing I wish I would have done is taken a picture of the small parking lot, which is full of oil rigs and by rigs I don't mean tractor-trailers anime automobiles and trucks that are owned by oil people that come and go out of this airport. Oh yeah, this airport has just gone through an upgrade... would hate to see it before the upgrade... ha ha.

Until next time..." happy trails"! Please share!