I've Been Everywhere Man...

...I've been everywhere!  

We have literally been everywhere the past couple of months - from Calera, AL to Chicago, IL to Cheyenne, WY to Boothbay Harbor, ME to Dallas, TX.  June was the busiest month of travel.  I think we were at home about 4 days prior to this past Sunday.

It is so good to be home and to be sleeping in my own bed for a while.  The house has begged me to clean it and to do a little redecorating.  My empty planters are begging for a few plants.  I broke 3 nails before my appointment yesterday.  Everything is in need of some upkeep!

We are having storms here in Nashville, but they are bringing some cooler temps, so I don't mind.  To celebrate the cooler temps AND to give me some time to get my bearings about me to write another blog post, I'm sharing this post from February.  You remember February don't you?!!?  That month when everyone was wishing for warmer temperatures??!!

This post is a three-fer....colder temps, a recipe and a little decor! 

FAT TUESDAY....AND A FEW DETAILS

Better Late....

...than never, right?

Since I didn't have internet service yesterday, I didn't get to post a photo for Silent Sunday.  So, here's my post for Silent Sunday...on Monday!

I Said Doctor...

...ain't there nothing I can take?  I said "Doctor, to relieve this belly ache?" (from eating all those pickles and peppers)

I want this song out of my head!  I share these videos with you so that the songs will leave my head, but this time it didn't work...*sigh*....moving on...

Last week, I wrote about things we recently saw in the north that you would never see in the south.  Soooo, this post is about things you will see in the south that will not see above the Mason-Dixon Line.

Pickled Pig's Feet

These are sold in most grocery stores in the south.  However, I had to pull this image from Walmart.com because I COULD NOT go look for them in the store to get a photo. I found out from Tammy that they are sold in Ohio AND from Kim and AnnMarie that they can also be found in New York.  Welcome to the south, y'all!  :-)

WHATABURGER

You, my northern and Tennessee friends, are missing out.  While the burgers "ain't nuthin' to chaw tobaccy over", their Texas toast is unbelievable! 

Hot Summer Temps

...in the shade...sort of speaks for itself!

Chitterlings (Chitlins)

Pork intestines....'nuff said!

Aunt Jemima Grits
 

I did find grits in a store in Newport, RI, however, they were Quaker Grits, which seem to be sold in most states.  If you want true "southern" grits, you have to buy Aunt Jemima!

Milo's Hamburgers

Milo's burgers are the best "fast food" burgers you will ever put in your mouth!  Just ask anyone who has had one of these while traveling through the Sweet Home Alabama...because that is the only place you will find this hamburger chain. Their sweet tea is well known throughout the south and is truly "all the rage" for sweet tea!

walmart.com

I found this hilarious article on Southern Living Magazine's website about southerners and their sweet iced tea!  We are NOT that dramatic about our sweet tea, heck, I don't even like tea....oops, did I just say that out loud??!!  Sorry, I know it is blasphemy to be southern and not like sweet tea, but I've never acquired a taste for it.  See yesterday's post on my weirdo taste buds.  :-)

There are so many other funky southern things, but I think this will give you a good idea of what goes on down here!

BTW, while up north we were in a restaurant and I ordered a coke.  The waitress uttered a phrase that almost caused me to fall out of the chair..."do you want that with ice or without?"  Huh??!!  Coke is never served in a glass without ice!  Down here, we even put ice in our coffee!  ;-)

Happy Friday!

Peter Piper Picked A Peck....

...of pickled peppers.  A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked!

I'm a weirdo, I admit it.  I have peculiar taste buds.  I enjoy sauerkraut, but hate cabbage. I don't like tomatoes, but love tomato sauce.  I love cheese...but only sharp to seriously sharp cheddar.  I won't eat cheese with bread or on sandwiches.  The one exception...a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  But in order for the cheese to be on this sandwich, there must also be potato chips on the sandwich...and the occasional stray pickle.  I love boiled eggs, but will not eat fried, poached, scrambled, deviled or pickled eggs.

Most southerners are pickling fools and enjoy a variety of "pickled" foods...pickled beets, pickled okra, pickled corn, pickled peppers, pickled sausage, pickled asparagus, pickled onions, pickled watermelon rinds (from my friend Donna) and many other things...most of which will not cross these lips, ESPECIALLY pickled pig's feet and pickled pig's ears.  Yep, you read that right.  Blech and gag!  Yessir, down here in the south, we are pretty adept at pickling just about anything.

With the weirdness of my taste buds, I only eat a few pickled items...sauerkraut, pickles, bell peppers, olives (green, not black) and Greek peppers.  Occasionally I will risk my life for jalapeno peppers (I'm highly allergic to them).

While I was preparing pickles, I decided to go ahead and pickle some bell peppers.  I love pickled bell peppers, but do not like stuffed bell peppers and do not like unpickled bell peppers in my salad or on anything else I eat.  See...WEIRDO!  

Pickling bell peppers is a pretty simple process and you can eat them after they have "pickled" for a couple of days.  I like them crunchy rather than soggy, so I start eating them as quickly as I can.  This deal is easy peasy and you can't really screw it up.

Supplies:

Apple Cider vinegar (amount depends on how many peppers you have and what size jars you have)
Fresh green bell peppers
Mason Jars with rings and lids

Start by sterilizing your mason jars.

You can get any size you want for the peppers, but I used the half-pint jars since that is what I had available.  While the jars are boiling and draining, wash your peppers and cut them into slices.

Also, bring a few cups of apple cider vinegar to a boil.  Once your jars are ready, place the sliced peppers into the jars (as many as it will hold) and pour the hot vinegar over them, leaving about a 1/2 clearance at the top of the jar.  Tighten the lid and ring on the jar and move to the next one.  Wait for the "ping".  After all, "it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that "ping", do wop, do wop, do wop"...sorry!  ;-)

These peppers can be served with any meal and you can chop them up and put them on a salad if you want a little "bite" to the salad.

I'm going to strongly suggest you do not eat pickled pig parts....you will not like it.  And believe it or not, you can find them on grocery store shelves here in the south.  Scout's honor!!

Oh, and before I forget...the pickles were excellent!  ~doing the happy dance because I didn't screw them up~  On one of the jars the lid never would "ping", so I opened it.  I ate every pickle in the jar!  Seven quarts half-pints to go!

Wordless Wednesday...6.24.2015

Put The Lime In the Coconut....

Well, I'm sharing another video.  This one is pretty bizarre but it was the best one for this song and I thought the gorillas were a nice touch! :-)  It is long so don't worry about watching it all the way through...just watch it long enough so that you get the gist of the song!

Since I had all of the ingredients, I decided to make another sugar scrub to compliment the Peppermint Scrub I made.

This one is just as refreshing but has lots of summery overtones - Coconut Lime or Lime Coconut, whatever floats your boat!  I'm not the sugar scrub naming police so choose the name you like! :-)

Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub

1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
6-8 drops of essential lime oil OR 6-8 drops of lime juice

Melt the coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Mix in the sugar until thoroughly blended.  Add shredded coconut and lime oil or juice.  Blend thoroughly.

I think you will enjoy it.

You should play the video while you mix up the scrub.  Then, while you are in the shower using this wonderful scrub, you can dance around a little and sing this song, as it is one of those that sticks with you.  You know, like the "Banana Boat Song" in Beetlejuice!

Hey, what can I say...what this post lacks in substance it makes up for in cheap entertainment!

Enjoy the scrub!

sharing on Purfylle, Cozy Little House, Sparkles of Sunshine, The Winthrop Chronicles, Cherishing A Sweet Life,  The Organized Dream, The Honeycomb Home, Mila's Little Things, French Country Cottage, Karen's Up on the Hill, No Minimalist Here, From My  Front Porch to Yours, Seeking Lavender Lane, Moonlight & Mason Jars

Aunt Bee's Kerosene Cucumbers...

I apologize for the horribleness of this clip.  But I didn't want to post the entire episode and this person could at least spell "pickle" when they uploaded it onto YouTube.  Start at about the 1 minute point in this clip.  If you want to watch the full episode (for those of you who don't know about The Andy Griffith Show) you can click here to see it!  This episode literally has me cackling for days and I always have to eat pickles when I'm watching it.

I love pickles (but not bread and butter pickles or sweet pickles -- YUCK)!  And I have been waiting to make some homemade pickles since February when I just had to get out and purchase the supplies for homemade pickles during a snowstorm (see that post here).  Don't ask me why, I have no explanation!  Cabin Fever or stupidity...take your pick.

After our long road trip, I had to make a run to the store, so I picked up some small cucumbers while there.  I was determined to get these pickles made since I've had all of the "fixin's" since February.

Now here's what you need to know.  I have never made homemade pickles in my life -- EVER!  But I figured with a few cucumbers, Aunt Bee's Kerosene Cucumber Recipe Mrs. Wages Pickle Mix and some canning jars, how difficult could it be??!!  At this point, I suppose I should refer you to the numerous failed craft projects that I have blogged about.  This project will be a hit or miss and you might have to wait another week or more to find out if the pickles were a flop or not (even though the package says 2 days).  Actually, so do I.  We can sweat it out together!

Anywho, back to the story.  I wanted to get the pickles made.  The first thing to know and remember is that before pickling or canning or baking anything in mason jars, they must be sterilized.

I usually boil my jars and lids 15-20 minutes.  I gently removed them from the pot and turned them upside down on a CLEAN dish towel to drain until I'm ready to use them.  NOTE:  Do not touch the jars if they fall over...they are hot!  Guess who did this when one fell over??!! 

While the jars were boiling and draining, I thoroughly washed the cucumbers.  You can leave them whole if your jars are large enough or slice and dice anyway you please.  I used half pint jars so I needed to slice mine a few times.

No, the cucumbers are not sweating in fear wondering what will happen to them, they are freshly washed!  Sheesh, have a little faith people!  ;-)

While the jars and lids were boiling and draining, I also started preparing the pickle mix.  Follow the directions on the package.  It was pretty simple...water, vinegar and the pickle mix.  Except, don't do like I did and spill the mix all over the counter when you open the package.  I will never get the smell of pickle juice out of the kitchen.  And the hubster hates pickles!

Load your jar of choice with your sliced or whole pickles, pour the pickle mix over them leaving about a 1/2 inch space at the top and seal those lids.  As the lids cool, you will hear a "ping" sound.  If you don't, after about 30 minutes, you can press down on the bubble in the middle of the lid.  If it stays, they are sealed.  If not, give it a few more minutes and try again.  If it won't stay down, I don't know what you did wrong.  Remember, this is my first time....we are learning together.

So there's how you make my Aunt Bee's Kerosene Cucumbers, except hopefully they will be pretty tasty!

I will keep you posted.  (start at about 1:39 mark on this clip)

Also, if you have not ever seen this episode of The Andy Griffith Show, you really should watch it. This episode and the Haunted House episode are my favorites!

sharing on Cozy Little House,  Cherishing A Sweet Life, The Organized Dream, The Bajan Texan, Have A Daily Cup, No Minimalist Here, Surroundings by Debi, Rattlebridge Farm,  Thoughts from Alice, Between Naps on the Porch  

Silent Sunday....6.21.2015

shared on Cosmic Girlie and One Dad 3 Girls

If You Are On a Diet....

...do not watch this video.  It is called the All Day Breakfast Burger.  YUM!!  Well, except for the egg and cheese....

I can pretty much guarantee that if you eat this for breakfast, you will not eat for the rest of the day...possibly the rest of a week!

The hubby drooled over this.  I told him to forget it.  I'm not making it and neither is he.  He can enjoy the visual and daydream about it while he's watching the Velocity Channel!  :-)

Happy Saturday!

Incense and Peppermints....

.....Occasions, persuasions clutter your mind....Incense and peppermints, the color of time....

Before I get into my post, I would like for you to notice a few things about this video.  1)  They are not really playing their instruments.  B) The guitar player sitting down looks a bit like Mick Jagger.  C) The keyboard player looks similar to Freddie Mercury.  4) That dark-haired dude with the glasses looks amazingly like the dorky guy on Spin City -- Richard Kind....and F) Some of these guys are barefoot...I suppose some sort of 60s protest/hippie/free love stuff.  Just a few side notes.  :-)  Another one of my bizarre two-fers..well, really a three-fer.  You are getting a video, some pointed information AND a recipe!

We have been on an almost 2 week jaunt to the New England area.  This trip was for a business meeting, but we decided to include some personal sightseeing while we were in the area.  After all, we just can't run up to Maine any ol' time we feel like it!  It's a bit of a drive from Nashville, TN.  :-)

Needless to say, we are exhausted.  Our trip took us to Newport, RI, Salem, MA, Boothbay Harbor, ME and Gettysburg, PA.  Those were the business meeting and sightseeing stops.  There were overnight stays in Virginia and Vermont as well.  This post is not about the trip.  I will write more on that later.  This post is about coming home.

We arrived home at 2:00 a.m. on Thursday.  Gettysburg, PA had been our last stop and we didn't leave there until around 1:00 p.m.  It was a very, very long drive.  But we were anxious to get home.  You know how it is after a long trip.  You are ready to be refreshed and relaxed and in your own bed.

Since my skin was feeling a bit icky after being in so many different hotels with so many different water softeners, I wanted and needed an invigorating exfoliation.  I fired up the computer and went straight to Pinterest.  Yes, I know it was amazing that I had any brain cells left to do so, but determination spurred me on.

Since I needed a boost, I wanted something with a little pep.  Cha-Ching!  Found one!

I whipped this scrub together (AND took photos...you should be impressed)!!  :-)  I then treated myself to little bit of wonderful!  It was easy to make, smells fabulous and looks good enough to eat!

PEPPERMINT SUGAR SCRUB

1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of coconut oil
4-6 drops of peppermint essential oil
4 drops of red food coloring

Melt coconut oil in microwave safe dish for 30 seconds or until liquid.  Mix in essential oil.  Combine with sugar in a mixing bowl, until sugar is completely mixed with oils.  Divide scrub in half.  Mix one half with red food coloring and stir well.  Fill jar with red mixture and white mixture as you desire.  Store in airtight container.

I hope you enjoy this invigorating body scrub.  I know I did and I think you will also!  Guess you noticed there was no incense involved....I just like the song and wanted to share it with you! LOL

shared on Amaze Me Monday,  Karen's Up on the Hill,  Seeking Lavender Lane, Totally Terrific Tuesday,  The Winthrop Chronicles, Thoughts from Alice  

Wordless Wednesday....The Longest Bridge

Things You Will Never....

...see in the south.

While on our recent trip up north, I discovered a few things that you would never see in the south.  We got quite a kick out of these.

The south has no moose or meese...whatever the plural might be. ;-)  We have deer.  Period.

It is never 58 degrees in the middle of the day in the middle of June.  Ever!

Our signs only show miles, not kilometers.  We have never accepted the metric system.

We never see the fancy Christmas decorations out in June...only the icicle lights hanging on the house.  Occasionally, Santa gets left behind.

No streets with this name in the south.  Just goes against the grain.

Happy Tuesday y'all!

The Witch Hunt

"It's just a bunch of hocus pocus".....a line from one of my favorite Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus, which was set in Salem, MA.

We recently visited Salem, specifically, the historic district.  I have always been fascinated with the Salem Witch Trials and the Salem area.  I envisioned Salem filled with all sorts of historic Puritan overtones relating to the witch trials, with volunteers or paid city employees walking the streets in costumes reenacting the 17th Century way of life.  I realized quickly that I live in a fantasy world because that's not what I found.  I found quite a bit of modern day shops selling current witch-type items....voodoo dolls, potions, magic charms, incense, etc.  There were also psychic shops and tarot card readers o'plenty.  I was totally NOT interested in this bunch of hocus pocus.

I wanted information that would substantiate or contradict everything I've ever read and heard about the Salem Witch Trials.  I was looking for something a little more solid than religious hysteria.  While I couldn't find anything concrete to contradict the craziness of the witch trials, I was able to speak to someone who offered a little more plausible explanation for the witch trial period (which was actually only 4 months in the Salem area).  She said that most locals believe the witch hysteria occurred over land disputes.  If John B. had some land that William S. wanted to get his hands on, then Willie boy would accuse John (or someone in John's family) of witchcraft.  John (or said family member) is executed and the land becomes available for the taking.  Sounds pretty reasonable to me.  After all, these guys were in a new country trying to find their footing and trying to escape the long arm of the country they left behind.

They worked under the premise that "he who has the most, wins".  This makes sense to me.  Other plausible reasons for the unexplained illnesses include food allergies.

Again, these people are in a new country and if you eat something poisonous or something you are allergic to because you don't know it's poisonous or that you have an allergy, it would make you sick or kill you.

This period of US History is so surreal.  We are so far removed from this time period that it is hard to imagine that this type of religious and political hysteria took place.  But it's all there, in black and white or living color.

I've provided a few links for your inquiring mind.  Salem Witch Trials;  Salem: The World Behind the Hysteria; Wikipedia Salem Witch Trials.

Silent Sunday....6.14.2015