Smoke raised his bottle of beer. “It turned out just great. Here’s to good friends, good food, and a little fun. That’s all that really matters.”
“Here, here!” Brody said, clinking and drinking.
Jake and Junior were already asleep in their lawn chairs, and Babs was covering them with blankets.
“Take good care of your boys there, Babsy,” Deloris said.
“I always do! They worked so hard, poor babies.”
“And Junior really contributed a lot to the investigation too,” I said. “I was impressed.”
“What about me?” Brody asked. “I’m the Sheriff. Don’t I get any credit?”
“Credit? Yes, you do, Brody. You get credit for almost arresting Chef Gourdaine yesterday and Darnell Maki today. Looks like you’re 0 for 2 on this investigation. As always, I had to keep you from doing something stupid.”
He knew he deserved that and kissed my cheek. “Well, I do some smart things – like picking the smartest, prettiest lady in McLean County to be my girl.”
“I’ll drink to that!” Ruby declared with a big smile. “Let’s toast our team manager and the best sleuth in the state.”
Everyone raised a glass or a bottle, although Brody was slow to join in.
“Do I have to drink to that? I mean, I’ve solved a lot of big cases too.”
“You better toast me, me if you want to get lucky tonight cowboy,” I whispered to him.
“To Mercy!” he said with his glass held high.
“Now let’s get things cleaned up here,” I said after I took a sip of Brody’s beer to toast myself. “I want to get home to my own bed and get back to the diner in the morning. I've had enough of the great outdoors for a while.”
Smoked meat is delicious, but it takes a long time to cook. Here are a few recipes you can try if you have a smoker.
Smoked Spicy Brisket
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
2 Teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
7 to 9 lb. brisket
Directions:
Preheat smoker to 240 F.
Place the brisket in a throw away aluminum pan. Put the meat inside the smoker and smoke it for 4 hours.
After the first 4 hours, flip the brisket. Smoke the meat another 4 hours, but flip the brisket again after 2 hours.
Check the brisket with a meat themometer. Once an internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, place a piece of aluminum foil over the brisket. Cook it some more until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees.
Once it reaches 190 degrees, remove the brisket from the heat and continue basting it with the meat drippings. Allow the meat to rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes to seal in juices before slicing.
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Old School Diner Cozy Mysteries
Murder at Stake
Murder Well Done
A Side Order of Deception
Murder, Basted and Barbecued
THE CURIOSITY SHOP Cozy Mysteries
The Curious Case of the Cursed Spectacles
The Curious Case of the Cursed Dice
The Curious Case of the Cursed Dagger
The Curious Case of the Cursed Looking Glass
THE WE’RE NOT DEAD Yet Club
Fetch a Pail of Murder
Wedding Bells and Death Knells
Murder or Bust
A Hot Spot of Murder
WITCHY WOMEN OF COVEN Grove Series
THE WITCHING ON THE Wall
A Witching Well of Magic
Witching the Night Away
Witching There’s Another Way
Witching Your Life Away
Witching You Wouldn’t Go
Witching for a Miracle
TEASEN & PLEASEN HAIR Salon Series
A Hair Raising Blowout
Wash, Rinse, Die
Holiday Hooligans
Color Me Dead
False Nails & Tall Tales
CAESAR’S CREEK SERIES
A FROZEN SCOOP OF MURDER (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book One)
Death by Chocolate Sundae (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Two)
Soft Serve Secrets (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Three)
Ice Cream You Scream (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Four)
Double Dip Dilemma (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Five)
Melted Memories (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Six)
Triple Dip Debacle(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Seven)
Whipped Wedding Woes(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Eight)
A Drizzle of Deception(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Ten)
SWEET HOME MYSTERY Series
Creamed at the Coffee Cabana (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book One)
A Caffeinated Crunch (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Two)
A Frothy Fiasco (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Three)
Punked by the Pumpkin(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Four)
Peppermint Pandemonium(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Five)
Expresso Messo(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Six)
A Cuppa Cruise Conundrum(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Seven)
The Brewing Bride(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Eight)
WHISPERING PINES MYSTERY Series
A Sinister Slice of Murder
Sanctum of Shadows (Whispering Pines Mystery Series)
Curse of the Bloodstone Arrow (Whispering Pines Mystery Series)
Fright Night at the Haunted Inn (Whispering Pines Mystery Series)
MAD RIVER MYSTERY SERIES
A Wicked Whack
A Prickly Predicament
A Malevolent Menace