tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57570432576157072722024-02-07T00:05:52.801-06:00Small Town GirlDirections to my house: It's that little gray house, on the brick street, without a garage. If you see a cat on the porch, you got the right house.Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-51171912675018504182011-08-21T17:47:00.000-05:002011-08-21T17:47:43.894-05:00It's been eleven days since my last post.It's been eleven days since I posted anything. Eleven days since I even logged onto my blog. That's a long time. And I have to say...I've got nothing going on. That's sometimes the worst part about living in a small town. Especially if you're trying to do it economically, which means no unnecessary trips out of town. The most exciting thing that's happened in eleven days is that the huge storm with 80mph winds that came through and knocked out our power went out for eight hours on Thursday night. Bill and I played rummy for two hours then went to bed, only to be woken up at 4am when it came back on and turned on all the lights. Neither of us even thought to turn them on as we walked through a dark house.<br />
<br />
We also found out that we'd have to switch from our local cable company to Dish Network or Direct TV. Probably Dish, because it seems a little less expensive. Anywho, that's our next big adventure.<br />
<br />
I got Netflix recently and discovered Anthony Bourdain. He's a douche. A prick. An ass. I love him.Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-62234385354732066662011-08-10T18:09:00.002-05:002011-08-21T18:13:30.435-05:00No menu equals more money spent, a lot more waste, and a lot more stress.When Bill and I first got married, I religiously made a menu and stuck to it four out of five nights. Nearly four months into our marriage I've quit making it. Not only do I scramble around most nights looking for something to eat, but a lot more food goes to waste and I spend a lot more money.<br />
<br />
I need to get back into the habit of sitting down once or twice a month and creating a menu. We ate better, we spent less, and we were a lot happier. I enjoyed making dinner, I had a lot less stress, and I had everything ready to go for dinner nightly.<br />
<br />
I'm going to start again soon. Probably. I don't want my mom to be right by saying that I would never stick to it. I figure this is just a bump in the road and I'll be doing it again next week.<br />
<br />
Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-3794197029022415712011-08-07T14:43:00.000-05:002011-08-07T14:43:59.062-05:00Sam's Club spareribs.Honestly, I have nothing for this, but on my stats it says that seven people have linked my site with these search words. When I put them into Google, I got something saying that page didn't exist. So, I'm making a page that exists. Really I got nothing to put in here. I can only say if you're going to do ribs of any kind a rub with brown sugar is a must, in my humble opinion. Oh, and refrigerate overnight with the rub and leave out for half an hour to bring to room temp. Remember to clean your grill before putting them on. If you're going to all the work to do ribs, you may as well make your own barbecue sauce, too. It's really not that hard...ketchup, molasses, vinegar, a variety of spices, and something sweet. I usually use peach or apricot preserved, but I think root beer might be interesting.Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-80967817278315989542011-08-01T11:56:00.000-05:002011-08-01T12:24:58.885-05:00Everything and the kitchen SinkPork chops are something we eat once a week. We sort of rotate our meat weekly and although I don't make the same thing twice, it still begins to get boring. Today I made a marinade that I think will be tasty. It's marinading now, so I don't know how it will taste. When I tried it before I put the meat in to make sure that it tasted edible, it didn't taste bad. It was simple, a little bit of this and that, and something I could throw together with ingredients in my kitchen. Since I decided that I wanted to start cooking for ethnically, I've started buying more international ingredients and that means I can create a more varied taste experience. There are no pictures, because I was too busy admiring my work and eating.<br />
<div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Everything and the kitchen sink pork chop marinade</b></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">2 tablespoons honey</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">2 tablespoons rice vinegar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">2 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">2 garlic cloves, minced or grated</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">1/2 teaspoon berbere</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">1/2 teaspoon chili powder</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">1/2 teaspoon marjoram</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">1/2 teaspoon oregano</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">1/4 teaspoon pepper</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">Mix all ingredients and add pork chops to marinate for four hours. Bake with your preferred method.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; line-height: 22px;"><b>My Homemade Dressing</b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><b>preheat oven to 350*</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">1/4 cup </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><b><i>real</i></b></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"> butter</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">2 stalks celery, diced small</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">1/2 an onion</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">1/2 teaspoon sage</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">salt and pepper to taste</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">1 can cream of celery soup</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">4 large hamburger buns, torn into pieces</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">1. In a frying pan combine first five ingredients and saute onions until translucent.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">2. While onions are sauteing, tear bread into pieces.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">3. Add torn bread and cream of celery soup into a mixing bowl.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">4. After onions are sauteed, add everything to mixing bowl.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">5. Mix well and add to a 8x8 casserole dish.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">6. Bake for 45 minutes, until it browns.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">7. Let cool slightly and serve.</span></div>Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-48595221586406397312011-07-28T20:02:00.001-05:002011-08-01T18:08:17.574-05:00Peach-blueberry-raspberry crisp.I made up a dessert. Frankly, I don't believe it. Okay, I didn't completely make it up. I know what goes into crisp and just used up the fruit in my fridge. I don't care though. It's pretty darn tasty. So good that I'm having a second bowl as I type my second time today. Does anyone ever feel weird that they have to specify <b style="font-style: italic;">real </b>ingredients? **Note: My pictures aren't that great. Sorry.**<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oKeoHKIVSLnKlt6brlq4JVGBOxnv6x2v9k-LTEIa3A6gM1U5H-2bMx4ZPK5K7X7MVT4f0FM1Gmo2PopSOnB0S-FaacV17pOFwNOxos-nk_IA94g9P7SkUjpjQMmUPfU9cD0DLbRn7bve/s1600/0728111943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oKeoHKIVSLnKlt6brlq4JVGBOxnv6x2v9k-LTEIa3A6gM1U5H-2bMx4ZPK5K7X7MVT4f0FM1Gmo2PopSOnB0S-FaacV17pOFwNOxos-nk_IA94g9P7SkUjpjQMmUPfU9cD0DLbRn7bve/s400/0728111943.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnibevKIdroSrWi4P8P3VrZ2LLqDvXIRqT9VDeHw27TmCSyeiu695khQLL8-xTOrey7U4aI20Dq9eO75oLaA8ONnGP6tvmHyBuIZCvQCVR3RxstNv5AsCkYva7kR06WTi9JeULJ5K3bNJY/s1600/0728111948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnibevKIdroSrWi4P8P3VrZ2LLqDvXIRqT9VDeHw27TmCSyeiu695khQLL8-xTOrey7U4aI20Dq9eO75oLaA8ONnGP6tvmHyBuIZCvQCVR3RxstNv5AsCkYva7kR06WTi9JeULJ5K3bNJY/s400/0728111948.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBJOPy-41lHuZ-CTl4_afT0SdlV3NNBAo64HP8m-gI9BWCJ8J3TQ-_S9gZ_sn1C5jr3G1iOFKaEqRl1v8wY3eNCoI2WzM90tG3WacIaA0ucsrxC8Hzgq9OvBx-9Q_wM6PqMZUMhVRs5e9/s1600/0728111950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBJOPy-41lHuZ-CTl4_afT0SdlV3NNBAo64HP8m-gI9BWCJ8J3TQ-_S9gZ_sn1C5jr3G1iOFKaEqRl1v8wY3eNCoI2WzM90tG3WacIaA0ucsrxC8Hzgq9OvBx-9Q_wM6PqMZUMhVRs5e9/s400/0728111950.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: large;">Peach-blueberry-raspberry crisp</span></b><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px; white-space: pre-line; width: 370px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">~~preheat oven to 350*</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px; white-space: pre-line; width: 370px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">3 peaches</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">1 pint blueberries</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">1 cup raspberries</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">2 tablespoons flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">1/2 cup real butter</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">1 cup oatmeal</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">1/3 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">1 teaspoon cinnamon</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">1. Spray or grease a 9x9 pan.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">2. Cut the three peaches in half and then slice to desired thickness.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">3. Add peaches, blueberries, and raspberries to pan; and toss with 2 tablespoons of flour.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">4. Cut butter into thirds, then each third into thirds, and dice into small cubes.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">5. Combine butter, oatmeal, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Using hands break butter into the other ingredients until pea size.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">6. Top fruit with crumb.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">7. Bake for 30 minutes.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">8. Let cool for 30 minutes.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">9. Serve in a bowl with ice cream and enjoy.</span></div>Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-47891266243175082982011-07-28T19:29:00.000-05:002011-07-28T20:08:25.515-05:00I'm not sure what's wrong.I went to the doctor today to find out why I've been nauseous for almost two weeks now. They did the urine test to check for pregnancy...and I'm not. I was told to come back in a week if nothing's changed and they'll run more tests. This is the second time I've been to a doctor for this, couldn't they have tested this time.<br />
<br />
Oh, well.<br />
<br />
I'll go back to the doctor's in a week.Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-57853280763443319502011-07-27T10:59:00.000-05:002011-07-27T10:59:26.777-05:00So much for writing every day.On Sunday I made it a personal challenge to write every day for a week. Well, I haven't done it. I've been feeling sick for the last two weeks. I have it narrowed down to three things it could be:<br />
1. Gallbladder<br />
2. IBS<br />
3. Pregnant<br />
<br />
Apparently they all have the same symptoms. Why do people need to tell me this? I was laboring under the happy delusion that I was pregnant. Even if I wasn't, who wants to possibly have problems with your gallbladder or have IBS. Come one! Those are two terrible things to have.<br />
<br />
Bill seems to be jumping between being absolutely positive I'm pregnant and absolutely certain I'm not. I'm sure for a guy this is normal. He's terrified of many things:<br />
1. Being a good father<br />
2. Providing for the child<br />
3. And finding money to get the nursery done.<br />
<br />
I'm not worried about any of those. If it happens it happens and we'll make it work.Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-82747683136880617292011-07-24T14:24:00.000-05:002011-07-28T20:09:25.117-05:00A personal challenge.Starting today, it's my goal to write every day for a week. Now, I know most people challenge themselves for a year, but I work on the theory that small steps are better to get you towards the big goal.<br />
<br />
Living in a small town might cause some problems with that. For starters, there's not really much to do here. We really are in the middle of nowhere. The closest movie theater is half an hour away. The closest farmer's market is about twenty minutes away. Thanks to <a href="http://localharvest.org/">Local Harvest</a> I did find a farm in the area, called Eggleston Farm, to buy local produce and pork and chicken, and goat milk. How awesome is that! I put in an order for half a hog, but all orders were already filled. I gave her my number in case there were cancellations. I have a feeling that's not going to happen. In any case I'm on the Spring 2012 waiting list. I can't wait.<br />
<br />
Bill and I have decided that we need to start eating better. We eat fine now and I cook at least five out of seven nights a week, but we don't eat a lot of veggies and fruit. In fact, if I buy it, chances are it's going to go bad before we eat it. I think once a week, we're going to begin having a vegetarian night. Fifty-two weeks of a new fruit and veggie a week. My only problem is how I do it. Do I do it alphabetically, in season? Well, obviously I'm going to do it in season. Now to find out what's in season.<br />
<br />
Off to do research!Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-90904733177201873582011-07-23T16:03:00.000-05:002011-07-23T16:05:25.588-05:00My new menu notebook.I've gotten away from making menus over the last couple of weeks and I know why. I was bored. Who wants to write out menus in the same old boring composition book, when a decorated one would be so much prettier. This is just my first one, so it's not all that good; but it is mine and I made it. I'm going to make a second one, although I'm not sure what I'm going to use it for.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4ZHgjigfUE8pjK3wXIHN2bzXzlTmCcWHoCWf3WvIHDUYjmWdPrSKiEl2T5ya6uTHzL7Co1tBwwerSDLmpfu3bKVMj2u-ZsH-U2CfCP_cpsYDNlA8C73v0L6gvTU35qRGzaALUG-zjZO8/s1600/0723111553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4ZHgjigfUE8pjK3wXIHN2bzXzlTmCcWHoCWf3WvIHDUYjmWdPrSKiEl2T5ya6uTHzL7Co1tBwwerSDLmpfu3bKVMj2u-ZsH-U2CfCP_cpsYDNlA8C73v0L6gvTU35qRGzaALUG-zjZO8/s640/0723111553.jpg" t$="true" width="480px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My new menu notebook.</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left">As you can see, it's very simple and very homemade. All it took was two different types of paper, a little glue, and a composition book. Glue the paper on and cut to size. Done. I think it took five minutes to make. I remember seeing something like this on Martha Stewart's show years ago, but I forgot about it until I was on Etsy looking for a simple, cheap journal. Instead of paying $5 for one, I used an old composition book I had and paper for scrapbooking that I had. Mine was free and I think it turned out pretty good. We'll see if it holds up though. That'll be the test.</div>Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-2849349928997710472011-07-20T21:03:00.000-05:002011-07-20T21:53:50.338-05:00Sam's Club and a touchy breaker box. Oh, my.<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Things this week have been...interesting. To say the least. It all started out on Friday evening. All of a sudden, our breaker box started breaking in the TV (soon to be nursery) room every half hour or so. I'm not going to say how many times before I figured out that running the TV, AC, and two laptops in the same room was causing the problem. We still can't run the AC and TV, so we've been playing a lot of games-Scrabble, rummy, Phase 10, and Yahtzee have become our favorites. I'm good at Scrabble, but not so much so at the rest.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Not only have I recently discovered Amazon</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/grocery-breakfast-foods-snacks-organic/b/ref=sa_menu_gro12/176-3714026-6508500?_encoding=UTF8&node=16310101"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">,</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> but recently I was introduced to Sam's Club. I've never known how I felt about those huge bulk stores, but I admit that I'm a fan now. You can buy huge cuts of meat and cut them down to something you need. I spent a hundred dollars but I walked out with enough butter to last a couple of months, foil sheets for grilling whatever, sugar to last my baking and Bill's iced tea for a month, frozen fruit for homemade popscicles, a ten pound log of Angus ground round that had to be sold by tomorrow that I cut down into eight packages, and ten pounds or so of pork loin that I cut into a roast, a butterflied roast, and eight loin chops, and wings because I love making them when Bill gets off work late and I'm still up. I also got pork spareribs at a discount price because they also had to be sold by tomorrow and we're having those for dinner tonight. I may never shop anywhere else again. That's an exageration, but ya'll know what I mean.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">I also took my husband the the ER for the first time. I got woken up this morning, my day off!, by a numb hand and an arm that hurt to move. He's fine. Just arthritis, which he knew about, but I have done my first early morning husband disaster. No more. For a little while at least.</span>Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-52451690412197855232011-07-14T12:14:00.000-05:002011-07-14T12:16:45.633-05:00I haven't written anything in, oh, awhile.It's been fifteen days since I've written anything. Not that I have any followers to please, because, well I have no followers; but I was trying hard to write something a couple of days a week. I forgot since I was having a normal life with hubby, but now that I'm back in the two week wait I have some time on my hands.<br />
<br />
I've gotten two recent packages from Amazon. The first one contained much needed slow cooker liners, preserved lemons, berbere, and ras el hanout. My second package contained the sweet, sweet nectar of the gods...organic extra virgin olive oil from Spain. I've used the berbere and the slow cooker liners.<br />
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Wednesday is my next payday and I'm planning on a couple of more things...I'm thinking sweet, smoked, and hot paprika; and maybe tamarind paste. I love cooking and I love spices. Although now I feel on the guilty side since hubby quit smoking. My thinking was if he could buy cigarettes, I could buy things off Amazon. <br />
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I'll probably keep buying things off Amazon. Of course I could also join a gym with what I spend a month, but that would end up costing me more because I have to go out of town to join a gym and it's next door to where my sister works, so I'd have to go in and see her. I'd probably buy stuff I didn't need.<br />
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What's a girl to do?Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-58595245493912518272011-06-29T12:46:00.000-05:002011-06-29T12:46:16.142-05:00A blog with no direction.Most blogs that I like seem to be about something...food, family, life. My blog doesn't seem to have a direction. I've tried a couple of different types of blogs, but nothing seems right. I never remember to take pictures of the food I make. We don't have children. And, well, my life is just plain boring.<br />
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Why am I writing this blog then? Because I can. When hubby is at work and I need something to do, I can spend half an hour or so in front of my laptop writing something. When I was younger I wanted to be a writer and this is a way to do it. I may not be good, but it's something that I like doing.Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-45977788091302801632011-06-20T15:50:00.000-05:002011-06-21T18:15:41.932-05:00International cuisine in a small Iowa town.I have developed a fondness for international cuisine. There are a couple of problems with that. The first problem is that I live in a small town in Iowa and I might not be able to find the ingredient that's called for. The second is that sometimes it's expensive and I live on a tight budget...Not stifling, but there's not always room for that one ingredient that costs $10 a bottle or more. Saffron I'm talking to you.<br />
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I'm lucky though that I have a lot of spices-36 at last count-and most of those are called for in Indian, Thai, etc. I am on the hunt though for marjoram. I don't know why I can't find this spice. Hubby asked why I needed it. Some women buy shoes, I buy spices. On a budget. I do love the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/grocery-breakfast-foods-snacks-organic/b/ref=sa_menu_gro12?ie=UTF8&node=16310101">Amazon grocery section</a> because I've found a lot of stuff on there I didn't know that I needed. I never thought that I'd need ras el hanout or berbere or even peri peri. I need it though. I don't know what for, but with a number of food sites I'll find one.<br />
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Lately I've started baking my own bread for meals. I started with a super simple naan with four ingredients. I jump between knowing how to do it and being afraid to try it because it might not turn out. Tonight I'm supposed to make Manchego Cheese Popovers. I have everything but the eggs to make them and I have to go uptown anyway, because I have to get my late Father's Day present. I keep talking myself into not going up, because I don't know if I want to make them. I know I should make myself do it, because it would be the perfect thing to go with garlic shrimp. Then again, I already have French bread, so I should use it so it doesn't go to waste.<br />
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What's a girl to do?<br />
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Update: The day I wrote this I found marjoram in my itty bitty town's grocery store. Go figure.Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5757043257615707272.post-32459625185293159282011-06-16T22:31:00.000-05:002011-06-16T22:31:37.174-05:00I am not a Christian.It seems that every family blog I find is about Christian families. More power to you, but it's now what I believe. I'm not atheist, but I do bounce between agnosticism and deism quite frequently. I believe there's something greater out there, but I have no idea what it is. Sometimes I call my greater power God. Sometimes I call it The Universe. We didn't come from nothing. Something didn't just explode and create everything. There had to be something there.<br />
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I went to get my driver's license updated today to my married name and I had to do my voter registration again. I am a proud Libertarian, which, by default, makes me unable to be Christian. Also the fact that I'm pro-gay marriage and pro-choice are huge hits against me. I can't help it. I respect other people.<br />
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I have no idea where this blog will go, or if it will even survive, but I started it. I hope you enjoy reading at least this one post.Small Town Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03736245703064351835noreply@blogger.com0