Welcome to San Antonio. It's not always this hot. I've been to Minneapolis in January and can say I'd rather live here even with the summer heat. Find things to do inside for a few months and then spend the next eight months outside. You will get lots of help here on this site, so don't hesitate to ask. Our weather in San Antonio isn't as tropical as it seems in the summer, we can get hard freezes in the winter so you have to choose plants that can handle both heat and cold or move your plants around accordingly. The big difference is that the next day it will warm up again. A GW San Antonio plant exchange is planned for Oct. 10 and we would love to see you there. Look for more info as it gets closer. Also on October 17 is the Herb Market and plant sale at Aggie Park. Master Gardeners are there to answer questions. When you get a chance check out Rainbow Gardens for excellent advice on plants that work here. I tried to post the link below in the URL box so you could just open it, but GW rejected it. It's a list of garden events you might enjoy in San Antonio. http://gardeningvolunteers.org/phpweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_printable&PAGE_id=10&lay_quiet=1

I have had a very similar experience and likewise revelations after moving into the temporary apartment after our flood. We had no idea how long we would be out of our home, but the apt. we're renting is literally half the sq. ft. of what we were used to - so I directed the movers to send about half of my kitchen stuff into storage. I took the basics - dishes, all clad pots (my 6 le crueset dutch ovens and bakers went to storage) a few baking essentials. I sent my cuisinart into storage but took the blender, the hand mixer, the immersion blender and the panini grill. After moving into the small apartment someone got me the book "Reducing your clutter with Feng Shui" as sort of a joke (since had reduced most of my clutter thanks to 80 thousand gallons of waters which washed thru my apt) but in one of the most memorable paragraphs the author suggests that you take the things you are having trouble deciding to get rid of in a box. Leave it for a month and at the end of the month - if you can't remember what you put in the box then get rid of it! I feel that way about much of my kitchenware that went into storage! what do I miss most? My cast iron skillet (why didn't I bring that with me?????) my all clad lasagna pan which I use for roasting vegetables alot. My two largest le crueset dutch ovens. what could I live without? my cuisinart!!!!!! Between the hand mixer and immersion blender (and because I like chopping things by hand) I really feel like I don't need it!

When smoking pork ribs or butts, I regularly make one of these sides to put under the pork for the last couple hours of cooking. The porky goodness drips onto them and adds some ridiculous flavor on top of the smoke. Keri's Hog-Apple Baked Beans Potatoes Au Gratin I just made those very beans this weekend along with a beef brisket, burnt ends, and corn on the cob all on the grill. I leave my corn in the husk, but remove the silk and let them soak in water with a little sugar for about an hour. Then just cook until there's a slight char on the husk and the kernels darken a bit. I have in the past used that same grilled corn to make this Mexican Street Corn Salad which I am obsessed with. For steaks, I pretty much exclusively do the reverse sear method. I almost always use ribeye and the reverse sear is perfect on a ribeye as it gives it time to render down a lot of the fat. My go to seasoning is Montreal, but will sometimes go simple S&P and maybe some garlic salt. I normally season right after I start the grill which takes about 45 minutes to get up to temp and stabilize. If you prefer to keep your meet in the fridge until grilling time, you can do that too. I aim for a temp of 225-235 on the grill, and I grill in-direct. I use a leave in probe and pull the steaks when they hit 125 degrees which takes 35-45 minutes. I then prep the grill for direct heat, and jack up the temp to 500-700 degrees (takes about 10 minutes which is perfect to rest the steaks during this time). The steaks get thrown back on the grill to flash sear for about one minute per side which with the rest and the sear normally brings the temps up to about 130-135 depending on your steak thickness. Steaks are perfectly cooked edge to edge and deliciously juicy. When I grill salmon, my go to is to use cedar planks as it gives them an amazing flavor. I typically stick with sockeye salmon as to us it's so much better than the atlantic we can get here in MN. I portion them out prior to cooking, and use a bit of salmon rub and cook until flaky. Because of the planks, you don't get the crispy skin, but I don't miss it.

Your grill should be at least 10' from the dwelling. Your insurance co. might require that. Grills must be 10-feet from the side of a building unless the manufacturer's instructions say it can be closer. Make sure grills are not underneath overhanging branches. Grills cannot be used on a porch, balcony or deck with a roof, overhang or wall (other than the exterior of the building). Grills can only be used on open first floor porches, decks or patios if there is an outdoor stairway to the ground, or the porch is at ground level. Grills cannot be used on fire escapes. Place grills away from the house and deck railings. https://www.mass.gov/service-details/grilling-safety