Food Glorious Food

I love food!  Lucky for me, I do not over love it, though my waistline might beg to differ.  Food equates love in my world.  When I think back to childhood, some of my fondest memories involve watching the women of my family cook.  Any time the family got together, cooking, grilling, even hand churned ice cream, was involved.  Recently, my aunt came in from Kentucky and I was able to cook for her and my cousin.  Having a new audience reminded me just how much I love providing nourishment for people I care about.  It's not "slaving" in the kitchen to me, it's pure joy.

Growing up, we ate at the dinner table almost every night.  My mother cooked every night, and I was expected to eat what was in front of me.  Even the liver.  I only remember liver once, if I had it more than once I have blocked that memory out as it must have been too traumatic having to do it a second time.  There are not a lot of things I remember disliking, and several that when recalled I think "I should make that sometime"!!  Salmon patties were my favorite, hands down.  I have yet to make them as good as my mother did (I would say does, but it's been ages since she has made them...hint, hint).  When I have made them, the raves from the boys are underwhelming.  There was an odd little salad she made as well, I have not even tried to put that in front of the boys.  Even some of the adults I have mentioned it to look at me funny.  (It was a lettuce leaf, or maybe shredded??, a pineapple ring, a plop of mayonnaise topped with shredded cheddar.  I loved it, I should make it sometime!!).

Grandmother and Granddaddy's house always had food!  To this day, there is always a pie or some cookies on the counter at Grandmother's, and she's 90something!  She makes pies for the neighbors, cookies for everyone that will take them at Christmas, it would surprise me if she still had some homemade jelly up in the pantry.  If there is one thing I wish I had learned from her, it would be how to can stuff.  I have dabbled with freezer jam, and one of these days will move on to the "real deal".  Her peach cobbler was The Best!  I watched her make it enough that I almost know how to by heart.  It is sinfully easy, it really should be harder.  One night, I got the craving, so I just popped in the kitchen, whipped one up, and MJ and I were having cobbler ala mode as a midnight snack!  I try not to keep all the ingredients in the house for that very reason.

In the Harrell family, it was a long standing tradition to have waffles, sausage and tamales on Christmas Eve.  I think the story was that Granddaddy gave Grandmother a waffle iron for Christmas one year.  The following year, when she was wondering what to make for Christmas Eve Dinner, she pulled out the waffle iron that she hadn't used yet and made waffles.  From that day, well Eve, the Harrell's ate waffles on Christmas Eve.  One year, after Granddaddy had passed away, Grandmother decided to be a little creative.  We all arrived, prepared for waffles of course, only to find a casserole sitting in the middle of the table.  Just think what it is like when you take a drink of what you think is coke and it turns out to be tea.  I think I can speak for all of us when I say that is exactly how we felt!  Grandmother didn't make casserole again for Christmas Eve Dinner.

There are two things I remember my Nana making, French Toast and Jambalaya.  When I spent the night with her, French Toast was what she made for breakfast.  I would sit on a little needlepoint stool at the end of the coffee table, and she would bring me two slices of French Toast slathered in butter and covered in cinnamon sugar!!  I didn't realize until I was an adult that not everyone put cinnamon sugar on their French Toast, bunch of weirdos. 

Another tradition, but from the Johnston side of my family, was Nana's New Year's Day Jambalaya, collard greens and black eyed peas.  Oh, and don't forget the cornbread!!  My mouth waters just thinking about it and I am not remotely hungry.  At some point in my adulthood, I picked up the tradition, though for years I made my own version because I did not have Nana's recipe.  My versions were good, but when you have a specific memory of a recipe/dish close does not count!  So one can imagine my joy when my mother found the original recipe and I was able to replicate the look and taste I remember!!  One of these years, I am going to get back into the tradition so mark your calendar for January 1, The Johnston House for New Year's Day Dinner!  It will totally be worth it!

My father deserves an honorable mention here as well.  He became quite the cook over the years, all self taught by watching the likes of Emeril and endless hours of The Food Network.  He could make anything, from lemon meringue pie to chicken fried steak to bread.  All of it good.  We often exchanged telephone calls that started off with "Guess what I ate last night"?  Today, in fact, I am making a big ole pot of beans and have thought of him.  Beans were a staple for him, the perk of living alone...I hope my beans turn out as good as his were.

Eat to live, not live to eat.  That is all fine and good as long as I can keep cooking and feeding people.  It's one of the few compliments I actually like to receive "MmmMMM, this is good food"!  I will start having people over for dinner.  That is something that isn't exactly easy with three boys running around!  They are getting older though, to fast for my liking (but that is another story), and having dinner guests should be withing the realm of possibility soon!  For now, I will just keep trying to wow my 10, 6 and 4 year old.  My 42 year old is pretty easy and eats almost everything without complaint.  The 10 year old however, is the one I try to impress.  Last week he even told me "Hey, this isn't as bad as I thought it'd be"!  I will take what I can get.

Now, what's for dinner??

All Over the Place

Yesterday was not my favorite day.  I was...grumpy and moody and generally annoyed with pretty much everything.  Austin, my oldest, sprained his thumb the day before, and seriously, you would think we need to amputate it.  I was less than sympathetic as I watched him get dressed for school.  That should totally get me a "Mom of the Year" nomination.  As the day progressed, my bad mood did as well.  But by days end, I was actually not a horrible witch to be around, of course, that's without asking the rest of the family.

Today was, is, a new day.  I was determined for this day to be better than yesterday.  Well, it started off finding out the same thing that was bothering me yesterday, is still wrong today and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.  While I silently flip out on the inside, I focus my energy on other things.  So, that meant a trip to the library!!

I love the library.  Like LOVE it!!  It's like the dollar store, but even better because you don't spend money!  The dollar store is a store that a person (read woman) can go and get her retail therapy for cheap.  Of course, this may be below some people, I am not one of those people.  Five bucks, five (albeit crappy) things and it really can satisfy that need we (read women) have to spend money to fill a void we aren't sure where or why is there.  Now, for me, the library does the same thing.  I guess part of it is being a book lover all my life.  A book is an amazing thing.  There is really no telling how many books I've purchased over my life time, hundreds and hundreds without doubt.  For me, a book is almost equal to a pair of shoes.  (I know, that won't compute for some of you).  The second part is that I live on a fixed income, have three boys and do not have money to spend every time I need a little boost!  So, to the library I go!

Here is a glimpse into my mind and how random it can be:

Cookbooks (well, weight loss cookbooks), crocheting, cleaning, photography and grammar.  Now, I just have to figure out which one to open first!  I think I'll start with the weight loss cookbooks...it seems my new hobby is gaining weight.  It seems only JLo can pull off a JLo butt. ~sigh~  I looked at all the pictures in the rice diet book, but didn't see rice...so I am very interested to see how/where rice fits in.  I read a snip-it of the Grammar Girl's book, and it satisfies the geek in me.  Digital Photography got thrown in because it grabbed me as I walked by looking for the "Crochet" section.  That's the one thing that irritates me, I never remember where what is in the library.  It is like going to a new grocery store every time.  Photography was my thing in high school, and I still love it, I just don't make time for it.  Crocheting in Plain English I came across looking for a book for granny square patterns.  There are so many times I read a pattern and it makes my head spin!  I am hoping this book helps a bit.  And for those that haven't stopped laughing, Real Simple Cleaning was just for giggles...and heck, maybe something will click (really, stop laughing).


Ok, let us zoom over here!!  These are a few pictures that made me smile this morning.  I love looking a pictures, old, new, mine, random pictures that belong to people I do not even know on Facebook...

This was in Lake Charles, LA.  I have/had never seen one like it, and it really gave me a good laugh, before coffee even!

These are great shoes aren't they?!  I was not even looking for shoes when I found mine, but I loved them and thought they were perfect eloping shoes!  MJ's are hot shoes, if there are such a thing.  And this is one of my favorite pictures from our wedding photographer!

MJ took this picture, he was laying right in the middle of the road!!!  Crazy man.  This is waaaaay out in West Texas.  Spring Break 2010, I told MJ I wanted to go on a road trip...he was thinking Fredericksburg, we ended up in Big Bend.

Colorado always makes me smile.  Austin asked if we could go this Summer, and I don't think we can.  Makes me a bit sad.

I love this picture of us.  Even though I have my typical "smile for the camera" smile, it's not a bad picture considering we are all looking in the same direction, have our eyes open and are smiling (damnit Austin, would a smile kill you?!).




There are things in our day that have the potential to ruin it.  However, it's up to each of us to decide if we will let it or not.  I cannot control some things and I refuse to have my whole day go to hell because of it.  The sun is shining, birds are chirping and I am smiling.  Life is good.

Uh-oh.  I just heard the bus, that means the boys are home.  EEK!!

In Case You Wanted to Know

I play a chipper morning person on the internets. ~yawn~  In real life, not-so-much.  I tolerate people in the morning, not well, but better than I use to.  If you don't look at me, talk to me, touch me or stand near me, I'm ok.  But if you do any of those things, especially before my first cup of coffee, well, I'm not responsible for what happens.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day wondering what I would write about today.  Here's a little glimpse of how my brain works:

"Hmm, what should I write"?
"I should probably write about me a little more?  So people, what people?, get a sense of who I am".
"Where should I start"?
"At the beginning of course".
"Start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start".
(Ok, so how many others have now gone into full "Sound of Music" mode??)

Alright then, a little more about me.

I was born to be a coal miners daughter.  Actually, I was born to be an only child.  Nothing fancy or traumatic happen in my childhood.  My parents were good role models, raised me with  the perfect balance of discipline and love.  My life would make a rather boring movie I'm sad to say.  But it has been a wonderful life.  Full of ups and downs, a few sideways thrown in for good measure.  I have no regrets looking back, life has been good.

This year, I will be 40.  40!!  I am not freaking out, I mean, I am because I cannot believe I am 40, but not in the way most people freak out.  It's more like the realization that "I am 40, wow, when did that happen".  You know when you are ten, and all the adults tell you "time flies"?  All I ever pictured was a clock with wings, I was ten, what did I know??  Suddenly, I realize I am an adult, no question!  I have a 10, 6 and 4 year old.  I have been divorced, and remarried.  My father passed away.  If I look at all the facts, I really am going to be 40!  It's kind of exciting, because I have this illusion I will feel like a true adult!  But I will not be holding my breath on that.  I think the only thing I will know is that the older I get, the less I really know.  There is not the same need to fit everything into a little box, I do not need a reason for something to be, some things just are.  And the beauty of 40 is, that now, I have the confidence of years behind me to support the way I live my life.

Enough with the serious stuff.  That's part of my charm, I am serious with an ounce of humor, or is it humorous with an ounce of seriousness?  There is nothing that cannot be made better with a bit of humor.  I can, and do, find humor in everything.  It is a gift.  Laughing is better than crying any day.  Though tears are cleansing and necessary, the beauty in life is brought forth by a smile.  The sound of laughter can melt the coldest of hearts.  So, my goal in life is to not be so serious, always look on the bright side, spend more time smiling and laughing than worrying and being angry or sad.  Works for me.

So enough about me.  Oh, wait, it's a blog about being me.  There's so much more, but I'm not going to cram it all into one day.  Besides, I need more coffee and Master William (4) is up.  His wegs(legs) hurt, must be growing!  Of to put on my Mom Cape!

Have a blessed day!

Hi, it's just me.

I've always heard about following your heart, so, I decided to try it.  My passion?  What makes me happy?  Writing.  I love to write, I just don't on a regular basis.  Recently, I came across some writing I did in high school.  Journal type stuff, a few short stories (I should burn!!), it made me happy to find them.  This love of writing isn't new, it's always been there.  If only I had figured out how to make a living off of it.  Now, it will just be my hobby, well, one of them at least.

Several of my friends, both real and imaginary, have blogs.  Food blogs, photography blogs, farm blogs, craft blogs, you name it, it has been thought of.  It looked like a great way for me to fill my craving for writing, but what on Earth would I write about??  I have hobbies, but not one I love above all others.  Nor did I have one that I really excelled in.  I kind of crochet, I kind of cook, there is nothing about me that farms/gardens.  So I asked myself, "Self, what is it that you do well"?  The best answer I could come up with was being me, Stephanie.

This blog is my purpose.  One must live every day with purpose, now, I have found mine.  Do what you love, that is what I am going to do.  It is a start, a beginning.  Life has so much more to offer and I need to grab it before it slips by!

So, stay tuned!  I am excited, there is so much I want to share, I wonder where I should start?! 

Step 1:  Make a Plan.