"I'm A Little Bit Country"

Today was a busy, busy, day. I am planning ahead for my trip on Friday. I want to have as many things done as possible and have things ready for the "Menfolk" to care for themselves.

I did a bit of laundry and put up my "DIY" clothesline. It's not perfect but it does the trick:

I have always loved clotheslines to dry clothes for as long as I can remember. My grandmother and great-grandmother used to wash clothes in a huge black pot similiar to a Witches cauldron when I was a little girl. I used to love wash day as I remember the clean linens hanging on the line to dry in the sun and the breeze. Although it was hard work they never complained about it. They just did what they had to do. I remember watching them and always saying that I wanted to do the same thing when I grew up. Many of my friends over the years have told me that it was too "country" or too backwoods to hang laundry on a clothesline. They said they'd never do it. I wonder what they will say in the future as gas and electric prices continue to rise and they have to take out a loan to pay their bills, LOL!! One of my aunts lives in a very nice neighborhood, has a lovely home and she has landscaped her yard into one of the most beautiful around. Still to this day, she dries her clothes outside on a clothesline. I guess I was not the only that enjoyed watching the women that came before us use this means of tending to their clothes.

I woke up in a cooking mood and decided to try a few things. One of the items that I had planned for the "main" household meal, not to be confused with my own vegetarian fare was some potato pancakes. I had them all ready to go and to add to the household menu of: Pork chops, mac and cheese, green beans, and skillet cornbread. I was alternating between doing laundry, cooking the pancakes and answering the door. Unfortunately, I stayed at the door too long and all but two of them burned too bad to salvage. These were the only ones that I could save. I'll just have to make them again the next time I make mashed potatoes.

Here is the skilletcornbread:

And here is the requested pan of fudge brownies with icing:

I would like to call this section of my entry: "I'm Just Wild About "Ruta" and she's Just Wild About Me"

At the prompting of a friend, I was challenged to try a different vegetable each week. I took up this challenge not only because I thought it was a good idea but also because I wanted to try new things and consider them for my garden. A similar prompting from another friend has made me a lover of asparagus, a vegetable that I swore I would never eat!!! My other friend suggested "Rutabaga". I had seen them in the store but never even thought about purchasing one. That is until now.

I took my trusty rutabaga and diced it and shook a bit of salt and pepper and some canola oil and popped a few pieces in the oven:

While prepping these, I kept popping raw pieces into my mouth. I AM HOOKED!!! There is a delicate sweetness about them. To me they are like a cross between a carrot, a potato, and a yam. Scrumptious. Since they were so good raw, I did this:

That's right, I sliced them up and tried them with a bit of ranch dip. YUMMY!!! I was nice enough to share this bunch and they were very well liked both roasted and raw. I set aside one bunch to boil and try mashed, but decided to keep those to add to a stir-fry for tomorrow. Thanks "FM" for the challenge!!!!

I also set up a larger composting bin in the kitchen for scraps. As I was putting the rutabaga peels in, it triggered a memory for me. I wondered what the peels reminded me of and remembered that not only did my grandmother and great-grandmother raise chickens, they also raised a few hogs. It flashedback to me that as a little girl, it was my job to take what they called "slop" out to the pigs. I remember turnips and potato peelings were a huge favorite. It is amazing how one thing can make you remember another:

While tiring, it was a good day. Hooray for simplicity!

 

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