… First, I found one of my favorite main items in the meat case — oxtail — cheap! $1.49 a pound, and it was the good stuff too — from Misty Isle Farms, near Seattle — so I got two packs. Total so far: $6.50 …

… Meantime, back, waaaay back before we landed in this house, we had a large kitchen and Chopper brewed a batch called Psycho Amber, and I made a label for it, and entered it in a contest, and won us a wort chiller. …

The Cat is brooding. She cannot get past that whole Year of the Dog thing.

We tried to lure her out for photos, but alas, she keeps to darkened rooms and dusty corners. …

… So, I had every intention of baking referee striped gingerbread cookies on Monday and then biting their heads off, but then this freaky yellow thing appeared in the sky and I noticed equally freaky purple things in the garden and got distracted. …

…Dang, we need to get out more. Not only do we need to get out more, we need to get out more together. I will note, with much embarrassment, that of all of those vacations, only one took place after Chopper and I met: the trip to Black Butte, which was our honeymoon. …

Do NOT touch my catnip-infused crumply paper until my licking is DONE!

…because what is this all about if not celebrating our diversity to blog about food any damn which way we want to — including singing praises to the Mighty Cheese Sandwich? …

(Recipe available to the highest bidder.)

(Just kidding. We’ll post it later.)

… Now, I have a personal favorite aphrodisiac. It’s a combination of dark chocolate and Barry White. Gets me every time. …

… Citizens of Gastroblogia, today on the 2240th Anniversary of Cheese Sandwich Day, it is vital that we reflect upon the humble origin of this great symbol of our freedom, and so, I offer up a brief history as precursor to our riotous and cheese-filled celebration that will begin in just a few short moments. …