'I love smoking!'

From the tub to the smokers, thirteen salmon are in the process of being smoked! It's a huge and messy job but my husband and I do it! After filleting, the salmon sit in a brine for two days consisting of brown sugar, course salt & different seasonings. Besides flavor, the course salt is used for curing the meat. The meat becomes tacky and then once heated it binds the meat with all the flavors. For years we've been using these electric smoke houses although our smoking production has become larger quantities. So as "talk" about preparing a garden with raised beds instead of a greenhouse, we're adding a home-built smoker that allows mass production. Our work list seems to continue to grow. (There is no end) One quote we live by is "Work smarter, not harder" Right now, our time frame for smoking thirteen fish in little smokers is two days! Next year it will be half that time! Smoking salmon is a tradition of mine, every year before Christmas. It's a tasty treat to put on platters and to make sushi with through-out the year. It's an excellent source of protein and a tradition fondly savored by our children. We just don't smoke fish. These little electric smokers will smoke absolutely anything. Shellfish, cheese, sausage, steaks, ribs, ham, chicken, turkey, you name it - you can smoke it! Depending on the size of your family, you can purchase these smokers in a Mini Chief, a little Chief and a Big Chief. They're very easy to use and it makes you smell deliciously wonderful! For me, the smells of smoke and fish combined would make anyone hungry! (Ha ha) This weekend I'm going to smoke prawns on shish kabobs! Cooking is a favorite for me. I love to cook. I love to make different ethnic foods and I'm willing to try anything new! This is a trait that is excellent to have with a large family! Our children's taste buds go wild when I'm cooking in my kitchen! OR they run away! Believe it or not, with all the work involved....smoking salmon makes me happy. The end results and because of my traditional time framing, it's one task closer to Christmas! My craft room is looking more like an elf room, Christmas cards will be sent out by December 1st, our decor will be up for the 24 day countdown coming up in three short, definitely quick weeks! I've been preparing for our annual Christmas party in my craft room - it's very exciting. I've written in a previous post that this Christmas will be very special, for the first time in many years, our whole family will be here on Christmas day! Christmas isn't about the presents, it's about being together because after all, we don't know what the new year will bring. Each and every day should be treated as if it were our last. So it makes sense to spend our time with who we love, who we have connections with as much as possible because we're not here for a long time. This is why memories I believe to be the utmost of importance and if we can provide the best of what we can with everything we do - at the end of our day we're happy. This week I love smoking and I believe our children love me smoking too! Salmon that is!