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The Great 2012 4th of July Backgammon Tournament And Firecracker Hot Dogs Blast! 07/07/12


Saturday morning 07/07, Sue and I were up and out the door doing party food shoping for The Great 2012 4th of July Backgammon Tournament And Firecracker Hot Dogs Blast so we could get back home and take care of some overdue tasks before folks started showing up.

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I started getting the dogs ready around 4:40 thinking I'd do them in two phases: cutting everything up and then the actual cooking. However, once I started I realized I had to do 95% of the work first and then broil them in the oven for 10 minutes right before we ate.

I pretty much made this all up, but here was the process. First, I sliced the dogs down the middle just leaving enough casing to hold the two halves together lengthwise and then cooked them face down in a skillet bath of virgin olive oil, garlic, paprika, and black pepper with just a sprinkle of white and cayenne peppers. When browned good, I took them out and laid them into a long metal baking pan. I cut dog-width slices of pepper-jack cheese and laid several along them. The guy at the meat counter had suggested for me a brand of dog with a good casing just for this reason. I then took slices of a good deli ham and cut them diagonally, rolled each dog up in the ham, and then pinned it with a toothpick. I set them into the refrigarator until I wanted about an 8 minute broil in the oven.

While I was doing all of that, Sue finished up a terrific potatoe salad she had started earlier and got the fixin's together for tequila and mango margarittas. Excellent.

Tony showed up a little after 5:00pm ready to play some backgammon, but I still had the butter sauce for the corn on the cobb to do. So, while I did that, Sue poured out a margaritta for herself and Tony and they went out on the deck to play some backgammon.

The corn sauce was a couple of sticks of butter sauteed in about a tablespoon of lime juice, a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a little garlic, a splash of dry sherry, and a whole bunch of fresh (and it's got to be fresh) chopped cilantro leaves. I got that going and as others arrived, I was out on the deck throwing the dice and talking trash.

We ended off the evening with the movie of the night: Centurion (2010), which was pretty good.


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Sue and Tony get started playing out on the deck.

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I finally got a chance to sit down and play some backgammon with Tim.

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The dice are rolling!

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Rick and Tony setting the board up for one of their games.

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I'm trying to explain to Tim that he just shouldn't mess with the cosmic forces of Nature that are about to descend upon him.

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As I threw the dice, I called the role that I needed to sweep the game. Did I get it? Check the next picture....

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Ten the hard way: double fives and the only way I could win the game. But, a win's a win....

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Not sure if Rick is collapsing under the pressure of Sue's throw here or not....

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Tony and Tim square off for a game.

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Chris relaxing with one of Sue's special tequila and mango margarittas.

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The Firecracker Hot Dogs going into the oven.

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Jim and Chris brought this great desert for us all.

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I'm on cleanup detail with Tim, though it appears he is trying to supervise.... Get the plates, Tim, and quit flapping your arms around. Gad....

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Chris and Jim ready for the start of the movie, about 8:00pm.

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