Best Ever Steak----Indoor Cooking

Bill and I love steak.  Here we only have a gas grill and when it is so dusty you are afraid you will have dust for a seasoning!!!!!  I have been trying to find a good way to cook it indoors.  Well, I have finally found it!
I found this in my Pineapple Days & Bread Pudding Nights  cookbook.  We love it well not as good as a grilled steak over charcoal but best we have found for indoors!

1 inch thick steaks ----mine are maybe a little thicker for Bill
salt and pepper for seasoning
black cast iron skillet---I have one that has the ridges in the bottom that I use but have used plain bottom also.

Preheat over to 550F or high as it will go

Place skillet on stove over high heat.

Trim steaks to remove gristle
Season each side liberally with salt and pepper

Quote from cookbook----
"Do not worry about the salt.  This is what gives the steak a wonderful brown crust.  As I teach in my cooking class---sure the salt will dry the steak out---after about 3 or 4 days."

You can test the temperature of the skillet by dragging a steak across it.  If the steak catches and sticks, it is not hot enough.
When the skillet starts to wisp, smoke, place the steaks in the skillet

Reduce heat to medium high.
DO NOT TOUCH OR MOVE STEAKS FOR THE NEXT THREE MINUTES!!!!!
after three minutes, turn steaks and immediately place in oven.

Leave in oven for :              

3 to 4 minutes ------medium rare
4 to 5 minutes-------medium
5 to 7 minutes-------medium well
forget about it-------well done

Also remember oven time will vary due to thickness of steak.

I leave Bill's only about 2 minutes!!!!!!!


Cheers!!!!!!

Thirty Three Years of Marriage

Bill and I have been married thirty-three years on 31st of March.  We went to a restaurant that was recommended to us by some friends.  It is a Japanese restaurant and is close to our house.  It was so perfect!  Undoubtably the most romantic anniversary we have ever had!  The restaurant is surrounded by a moat with lighted palms all around it.  We were seated at a table in front of doors that were open to the moat with a beautiful view.  It was like sitting outside but with the comforts of air-conditioning!  We tried lobster ceviche that we both loved.  

You all know that Bill got a bull for his present but I got a Bottega Bag!!!!!

Bill actually went shopping on his own.  He knew they sold these in the Moda Mall (Thanks Ryan) and he went looking.  He said he never knew there were so many stores that sold handbags!!!!! Boy does he have a lot to learn.  He came in telling me that is is deer skin and will only get softer with use.  I love it!
He also got me flowers!

Oh I got him the teak cart to replace the one we left in India-----

Cheers!

Rivers 5th Birthday

Jessi sent me pictures of Rivers and Brinkly at "his party".

Neither one looks excited.

But they did get a steak and porkchop supper!!!!!
Thanks Brendon and Jessi!

My Youngest Son

Today is my youngest son's birthday!!!!!!!
Here is his first picture:

And here are some of his most recent ones:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIVERS!!!!!!!

Bill Sense of Humor!!!!!!

We have our 33rd Wedding Anniversary coming up Wednesday.  Gosh how time flies when you are having fun!!!
He sent the boys this email this morning after I purchased his gift last night:

Boys,

Do yall know what you get for an anniversary present when you have been married for 33 years?




     A Lot of Bull!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are starting a cattle farm to have when we retire!!!! Thanks boys for all the help!


Cheers!

Bill made it home last night around 17:00.  We waited for our call (from someone very special---Matt) and then we went to the Country Club for dinner.  We always get the same thing to eat so tonight we both decided to eat something different but you know me at the last minute I reverted to one of my favorites!
This morning the sky really looks like RAIN---if fact I just noticed that is is raining!  I love the rain.  I just wish it rained more here.  The only thing that I do not like about the rain here is the driving.  People are so careless here but when it does rain they are worst because the don't seem to understand the oil on the road and water!  I have to get out in a little while but I am sure that it will be finished raining before I go.
I wish Bill were off today ----Carlos Santana and Elton John are playing in Dubai and boy would I love to see both of them.  They are at the same venue to it could be done.  Bill would like Santana but I am not sure he would like Elton!

got to run
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road...........

Today makes one year we have lived in Bahrain!
We arrived here last year from Singapore around 21:00.
We were going to celebrate tonight but again I am alone on the weekend.
This make three weekends in a row!!!!!!
We intended to make up for it next weekend----it will be our 33rd wedding anniversary.
We have been told about a Japanese restaurant near the Ritz that is supposed to be better than Sato's which we love.  If it is better, we will be going there more often as the drive to Sato's is not always fun!

My "places" are still not looking too good but hopefully I will get out some tomorrow.

I am getting excited----baseball season is just around the corner.  I have now kept up with my Astros like I did when I was in the USA but last year after we moved into the house we found baseball on the tv more so than we did in India.  Guess I will have to learn the players as most of my favorites have retired.

Going to walk the compound in a few minutes but about stir crazy sitting in the house.  Maybe I won't get to hot!
Cheers!