Joining the Club

[kayc]

Enza, interesting...the name of my son's dog that bit me so hard (he had to rehome him) was Enzo...my son is Italian on his dad's side.  The most beautiful dog, I don't have a picture of him, but he was a full blooded Husky with freckles on his face, a beautiful although vicious dog.

I've never eaten t.v. dinners, always preferring to cook from scratch.  I raised my kids on home caught fish, venison, elk meat.  I always canned and never used box mixes for anything.  I think we're better off for it but a lot of people don't have the time and prefer to cut corners and some even use takeout all the time.  If I couldn't cook I don't know what I'd do, I don't trust what they put in things.

[Margm]

7 hours ago, kayc said:

I don't trust what they put in things.

I don't trust what I put in things.  I gave "retired" a whole new meaning.  I still fix my Egg Beaters and Jimmy Dean Turkey sausage ever so often and buy that small (already cooked) brisket.  I use canned biscuits, keep bread in freezer.  My mammaw was such a good cook that I could not understand my aunt "sending her out to pasture" when she built Mammaw the new room with bath next to the kitchen.  My aunt did the cooking.  Surprise, she could cook like Mammaw.  As a little girl they would put food in "safe's" with screen on each side.  Pretty piece of furniture.  Mammaw lived just down the old corn field from me and I would slip off and have the best chocolate cake ever.  

[Gwenivere]

I have to trust in short cut prepared meals now.  I do miss cooking.  I’m even getting limited on what MW stuff I can handle making.  Makes for a very dull menu.  About the same every week.  Don’t want to use real dishes as they’re heard for me to clean.  Food is so vital. It’s more than just a life need.  It’s very social and personal.  I still get a little excited about something different, but not often.  Then it becomes old.  Mostly it’s because pain makes it hard to sit at the table and this isolation.  No sharing with Melody.  I really miss both Steve’s and my cooking.  Sure took that for granted.  Miss going out too.  We had some yummy places we loved.  I mostly keep basics around, bread, peanut butter, apples, cheese.  Lots of canned chicken and tuna.  Lots in the freezer too.  

[Widow2015]

3 hours ago, Gwenivere said:

 I really miss both Steve’s and my cooking.  Sure took that for granted.  

Gwen:  I understand how you miss Steve in the kitchen with you.   Eating alone is not enjoyable at all or trying to find something to shop or cook for one.  Eating alone in a restaurant is too painful for me.  

After Bob retired he'd have dinner ready for me by the time I got home from work.  I had a few more years to work to keep us in medical coverage.  At this time of the year between Thanksgiving and Christmas we would both cook together baking the Scandinavian Christmas cookies he grew up on.   And, of course  he would be in charge of the Turkey for Thanksgiving and sometimes for Christmas.   Throughout all seasons, he'd delight in cooking the fish, crabs, clams, venison; etc. waiting for the family to offer him congrats on his skills.  Oh miss that feeling of love and life. Dee 

[Widow2015]

17 hours ago, Marg M said:

I made hot water cornbread the whole family loved.  We are southerners.

Marge:  I'm a Mississippi Southerner, but have never heard of "hot water cornbread".   My Mother made cornbread, without sugar, for dinner in place of sliced bread.  Any leftovers would end up in a glass with "sweet milk" poured over it for dessert or as a snack the next day.  My Dad preferred buttermilk with his cornbread.  I still have one of my Mother's cast iron fry pans she'd make her cornbread in.  Dee

[KarenK]

Dee, so glad it's "normal" to eat cornbread and milk.  lol. My guys cringe when I eat it. They don't like fried okra either. No "southern" in those boys.

[Margm]

Dee, I always used cornbread mix so I wouldn't have to add anything but what was necessary.  You pour your dry cornmeal in a bowl, add oil (about 1/4 cup), I never measured.  The salt was already in it.  Took boiling water, had to mix with a spoon, but just enough to where you could handle it with your hands.  Mine were always oblong, my mom's were round.  Fry them in cooking oil till brown.  I guess some people called them cornpones because you used no eggs or milk.  Good with all the southern greens.  Good with all the potlikker from the greens.  Have not heard that word in a long time either.  Mama used to fix collards with a ham hock (every one will have to look up).  No one could fix them like her.  Not me (I didn't try, they stink up the house like cabbage.)

Oh, I loved my mom's hot cornbread in a glass of cold milk.

 

 

[Widow2015]

3 hours ago, Marg M said:

Good with all the potlikker from the greens.

Marg:  LOL have not heard "potlikker" since forever.   I don't have to look it up; I have memories of my family using that word and also eating collard greens.  I made collards  a few times even living up here in the Northwest on New Year's Day with a pot of black eyed peas for Good Luck.   Your cornpones sound yummy.  Thanks for the memory.  Dee

[Widow2015]

3 hours ago, KarenK said:

They don't like fried okra either. No "southern" in those boys.

Karen:  Fried okra is great.  I only tried frying them a couple of times and was not very good at it.  I would order them in an local authentic Southern Restaurant Bob and frequented often.  Dee 

[Margm]

Alas, cannot have any I am typing about, but there was I time I could.  I have 7 crosses (I'm sure I've told this) in front of my "necessity" and I have prayed.  "Lord, I promise not to eat chocolate again if this hurting will quit."  I did the same with just a few specks of raw onion.  I can have corn nothing, but grits.  I can have cooked spinach.  I can make a cornbread using grits.  They just don't have the amount of fiber in them as everything else.  Authentic southern food is great.  Once someone told me when I mentioned black-eyed peas, they said they fed them to their cows.  

 

[kayc]

Marg, I was severely allergic to the whole spectrum of the onion family, including garlic, asparagus, lilies, still can't tolerate lilies, closes my breathing passages.  And tomatoes and fish.  Allergy specialist just said I'm not allergic to fish...I don't believe her, been allergic nearly 38 years, too scared to try it after some of the reactions I've had.  I've gotten back some of the onion, garlic, tomato but don't begin to eat it like I used to, afraid my body will reject it if I do!

No southern in me, I hate hominy, grits, okra, never heard "potlikkin."

George didn't cook, he was my "appreciater." 

 

[Margm]

8 hours ago, kayc said:

No southern in me, I hate hominy, grits, okra, never heard "potlikkin."

Potlikker  is the juice left in the pot after cooking collard greens.  This is what you "sop" your cornpones in.  That with sweet tea can't be beat (by some people).  

I do not eat wild game and am very hesitant about sausages and hot dogs.  So, I'm not a true southerner.  True southerners spread out crawdads, (crawfish, mudbugs, etc.) on a platter with short boiled corn, onions, and lots of Cajun seasoning. And, they eat the whole mudbug.  I don't eat this either.  Also, one of my sister's favorites is a sausage called Boudin.  Boudin (pronounced "BOO-dan," at least in Cajun country) is a cooked sausage made from pork meat and rice, plus various vegetables and seasonings, all stuffed in a natural pork casing. They make one with pork blood.  I have never eaten any Boudin.  

I'm not Cajun, but they sure have a good time.  

[Widow2015]

3 hours ago, Marg M said:

I'm not Cajun, but they sure have a good time.  

My cousin lives in Lafayette, LA and yes they know how to have a good time and how to cook that cajun food.  His mother, was born in south Louisiana and was the sweetest person I have ever known.  My mother always said she was the sister she never had; my mother had four brothers.  My last visit to Lafayette I got to eat all the good seafood and cajun cooking.  Never wanted to eat the whole crawfish, but did love eating the tails.  Got to eat boudin but not one of my favorites either.

 

12 hours ago, kayc said:

No southern in me, I hate hominy, grits, okra, never heard "potlikkin."

kayc:  LOL you're not a southerner unless you start your day with a plate of grits, bacon, eggs, and baking powder biscuits.  My Dad would top off the plate with ketchup.  🍽️ Dee

[Gwenivere]

Wow, lots of southerners here!  I’ve not had any of the foods mentioned but cornbread.  I made it from a box and baked it in the oven.  Cut it squares that crumbled easily.  Sweet and tasty.  Don’t think I’d care for okra, collards and ham hocks.  My cuisine was New Mexican.  Hear southerners are picky about grit prep too.  🙂

20 hours ago, Widow2015 said:

Eating alone is not enjoyable at all or trying to find something to shop or cook for one.  Eating alone in a restaurant is too painful for me. 

20 hours ago, Widow2015 said:

Throughout all seasons, he'd delight in cooking the fish, crabs, clams, venison; etc. waiting for the family to offer him congrats on his skills.  Oh miss that feeling of love and life.

*sigh*  Yes, the alone thing is very hard.  It was hard giving up buying raw meats to cook.  Guess I could have made them and had leftovers but that was not the norm. always factored in the dogs for meals too.  I’d never go to a restaurant alone.  Don’t want to sit by myself.  Can’t even handle take out from our favorite place.  Only invitations I got were from Steve’s boss when in town. He’s too manic for me.  Lots of invites when he died.  Didn’t appeal plus I like eating late.  Would have been too solemn too considering the circumstances.  Steve loved the accolades for his grilling, omelettes and turkeys too.  
 

Ew,  boudins snd mud bugs?  Pass.  Guess you have to grown up with this stuff.  New Mexico food is a combo of Spanish and native Indian.   Very unique.  Couldn’t find it outside the state.   Probably can now, but rarely.  Some brothers opened up a Santa Fe cafe here decades ago.  Was packed all the time.   Lots of NM people here for whatever reason.  Was great like at home.  Got snooty after awhile so we quit going.  
 

 

[KarenK]

Mexican is my absolute favorite, Gwen. Good thing I'm in Az. Tried grits once. Ya'll can keep your grits. Give me good ol' biscuits and gravy. No crawdads either. Loved shrimp when I had teeth.  lol

[Gwenivere]

Our tastes are the same.  Yes, shrimp!  Also I have a weakness for pizza.  Really miss having that as there are no buy by the slice except maybe at the mall.   Only other place is Domino’s and they aren’t great.  May get desperate tho.  Pasta too!  Would love that!  Perfect for shrimp scampi🍤🍕

[nashreed]

Aw, I love Dominos, but it's probably because I delivered for them almost 30 years ago now (wow). I have memories of many a Saturday night working past midnight because the last order of the night was a huge order to the Scientologists. 

I have been having a real bad case of the Saturdays. I hate them. I always feel it tonight the most, how life is going on without me. Me and Annette used to go out dancing on Saturday nights another lifetime ago, but the call of the night can still hit me (though that club is long, long closed). 

It's just beyond surreal to live here in my hometown again after 25 years away, and how it's changed for the worse. It's now a crime and homeless filled shell of a once peaceful retirement community. I feel like Marty McFly. I must have gone back in time and really screwed things up, because my town is not the same. 

[V. R.]

5 hours ago, Gwenivere said:

Our tastes are the same.  Yes, shrimp!  Also I have a weakness for pizza.  Really miss having that as there are no buy by the slice except maybe at the mall.   Only other place is Domino’s and they aren’t great.  May bet desperate tho.  Pasta too!  Would love that!  Perfect for shrimp scampi🍤🍕

Reading your posts about cooking, I thought I just had to comment, being of Italian blood (both my parents are Italian).  Gwen, when you mention 'pizza' and 'pasta', well, over the years I've learned to cook dozens of pasta dishes but there's one thing I'm not very good at and that's PIZZA, our southern neapolitan speciality. My darling husband was the expert here, we have a wood oven out in the courtyard and he used to make all sorts of delicious pizzas. Now I can only use the oven(my love had constructed with my FIL), to burn old dried leaves and branches which I have to throw away after the pruning season. 

By the way, another I can't do anymore is our crop growing. We have a couple of acres of land where we used to plant tomatoes, aubergines,zucchini,beans,melons,pumpkins,oh I can go on but I better not.... 😭

[kayc]

16 hours ago, Marg M said:

Boudin (pronounced "BOO-dan," at least in Cajun country) is a cooked sausage made from pork meat and rice, plus various vegetables and seasonings, all stuffed in a natural pork casing

I can't eat rice so it's off my list, never tried it!  Hot dogs and sausages vary greatly as to what is in them and whether they're healthy, I like Kirkland weiners but don't buy them, not sure how healthy they are, I do get Bratwurst, a certain brand I like, but spendy.

 

12 hours ago, Widow2015 said:

kayc:  LOL you're not a southerner unless you start your day with a plate of grits, bacon, eggs, and baking powder biscuits.  My Dad would top off the plate with ketchup.  🍽️ Dee

My little sister lived in New Orleans, she sent me a cajun mix years ago, too hot for our liking!  (I later discovered an allergy to hot peppers)

I used to love Marie Callender's Cornbread, with honey butter but of course both are off my diet now.  That and Marie Callender's left Eugene years ago.  It was one of my family's favorites along with McGrath's, also gone.

Anyway I don't eat anything within about 8-10 hours of getting up, I do intermittent fasting.

11 hours ago, KarenK said:

No crawdads either.

My dad used to pay me $1/crawdad to catch them.  They're good!

10 hours ago, Gwenivere said:

Also I have a weakness for pizza.

I can't eat what they sell but make Keto recipe ones.  I love pizza, made one a while back.  I have an idea for one I want to try out that I think the crust will taste/feel more like the real deal!

5 hours ago, V. R. said:

Now I can only use the oven(my love had constructed with my FIL), to burn old dried leaves and branches which I have to throw away after the pruning season. 

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at having to exchange pizza for burning branches in it!  Italian and Chinese were my favorite cuisines, alas my diabetes doesn't do well with either!  Learning to substitute!

[Margm]

5 hours ago, kayc said:

Learning to substitute!

My surgeon had a reputation for being abrupt, not friendly with patients (he told Billy he was just not a huggy person) and that man worked so hard to save my life, consulted so many other surgeons and then felt sure enough of himself to  try something that he "invented."  I'm still alive nearly 8 years later.  But, he was very abrupt with me, sat down and explained things in a "do it this way or no way" manner.  My macerated insides (had the most radiation they could give one person), and doc's at MD Anderson told me that more than once. Me, I was thinking, "I'm gonna die anyhow, do your worst."  They did.  I lived until age made all the organs that were connected to the GI tract and colon were unable to hold a stitch or even the glue surgeons sometimes used.  Well, he did not take anyone's advice except himself.  Interventional radiology performed the "surgery" and here I am waddling around from my fluffy "low residue diet" all these years later.  A year after the colon ruptured, it destroyed the GYN system, which was never much good anyhow and they told me they could do a D&C, but nothing else. (I always hated my feet up in those stirrups anyhow.)  The dietitian (sweet), but she scoffed at the idea of staying on a low residue diet the rest of my life and knew I was mistaken.  Now this doc (God knows I love him), he had to take anger management sessions, and I kind of knew how he was going to handle the cute little dietitian that knew more about diets than him.  She called me back and her voice was not so cutesy, and I knew she had talked to "him."  She said shakily, "you are right, he said you never could get off the diet, but you could add wheat bread."  I have tried a couple of times eating what I craved, and I prayed to my 7 crosses on the wall directly in front of my "necessity."  "Please Lord, I will never eat chocolate or onions again."  I haven't.  I can have all the fattening food I want.  My favorite is fried chicken tenders and white gravy.  All the cakes and cookies I want, just no nuts, coconut, and the only corn I can have is the grits.  But I make good grits bread, akin to corn bread.  I can have all the fried meats I want as long as they are tender. I can have a lot of below ground vegetables, potatoes, beets, I can have green beans, cooked spinach (for my "gritpones")  I'm hanging in today, tomorrow I'm not sure.  

I've said all this before.  I can have the powders, (onion, garlic, etc) so I don't suffer, except from being too fat.  

I almost said "Happy Holidays."  I thought "happy" had eliminated itself from my vocabulary.  Kelli fixed me some contraption (new to me) where I can get all those new fangled networks and naturally I have screwed it up and my TV won't come on.  I'm fixing to put up my table Christmas tree.  Have as good a day as y'all can.  Love you all.  (Gwen, thinking about you gal, I read how hard life is treating you and admire your strength).  You know that.

And, this is a word salad that I've already written a dozen times.  

[kayc]

19 hours ago, Marg M said:

Kelli fixed me some contraption (new to me) where I can get all those new fangled networks and naturally I have screwed it up and my TV won't come on.

That's why I try not to change things, I'm not a techie!  I really need to get a better internet plan but the thought of setting up stuff has immobilized me.  I need my son back!  He hasn't been here for two years.  I have weathered Covid, 11 hand injuries, losses, alone, this has been a very isolating time.  I try not to look at the future too far, can't handle it, glad it's unknown.

[Gwenivere]

I want to know your secret of not looking into the future.  How do try not to when your hands remind you like my back?

[Margm]

I look into the future each night and then I take a Xanax.  I know y'all think I'm acting like a baby (well, it is 2nd childhood), and I have always been afraid of the dark.  (I have a night light.)  Now it is not the atmosphere of darkness, it is the dark hole in our minds.  And, when Brianna left, there was this big hole I had never really faced.  Now I face it with a Xanax.  Might be up for criticism (especially from my Louisiana doc), but sometimes I do for me what I have to do.  No apologies.

Kelli is coming to take this new contraption off my TV.  I get Netflix anyhow and lots of other channels.  I sort of resent something that takes time from my reading anyhow.  

 

[V. R.]

I used to be sceptical about Internet and all that navigating in the web, etc etc. It didn't really interest me at all, but now I'm really grateful to it, because we've been without TV for more than a week(the usual 60kmh gales once again moved our TV aeriel) I sent my son on the roof to take a look, but poor thing, he tried but we really don't know how to put it right. Maybe it's something else that's broken, the wires or the connections... Who knows? Anyway, thanks to the web, I can watch programmes on my tablet and in the evenings we connect pc to TV to watch films,and most importantly, it has given me the possibility to connect with you delightful people and provide comfort for me in this dark, dark, dark life I'm living now... Oh how I miss him! Sometimes it really is unbearable! (actually, not sometimes, always). 

[Widow2015]

40 minutes ago, Marg M said:

Now it is not the atmosphere of darkness, it is the dark hole in our minds.

Marge:  I agree with you, "it is the dark hole in our minds" that creates darkness for us.  Some days the darkness doesn't want to fade into daylight depending on our minds for that day.  No, you're not acting like a baby, you are missing the love of your life.   We do the best we can to get through each day the best we can.  

I so understand your frustration of the addition to your TV contraption.  I have been on my laptop today trying to order Christmas gifts for family and no matter what I did I kept getting messages I omitted information off order form.  I gave up and will try again tomorrow.   Can't tell if it is me or my poor computer skills.  And to think I used work in an office entering information into a computer system generating salaries.   Hugs, Dee