Sep 28, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Now, y’all know my five-, or maybe ten-year plan includes a move to the Carolinas. Will it happen? Prob’ly not. My desert roots run deep. Having said that, I do consider them my vacation home especially since I head out to Asheville every year for a quasi-family reunion known as the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.
There’s Nothing Like Coming Home. . .
A lot of my people live in South Carolina, but it’s the beauty of the northern C we’re celebrating today.
Imagine my joy when I received my Daily Celebrations email and National North Carolina Day was listed for tomorrow. This Girl say wwhhhaaat?! I didn’t even know there was such a thing! Well sweeten my tea and bake me a biscuit!
Here’s a few things you may not know about the Tar Heel State:
- There are 29 state parks. South Mountain is the largest, at around 87,000 acres. (Of course, I’m partial to Blue Ridge.)
- The state flower is dogwood. The state tree is pine. The state bird is cardinal. The state insect is honeybee. The state reptile is eastern box turtle. The state gemstone is emerald.
- It is the birth place of Virginia Dare, the first person born to born in America to English settlers
- In 2013, the entire state population was less than 10 million. That’s roughly the same as Los Angeles.
- In 1903, the Wright Brothers made history with the first manned self-propelled airplane flight from a cliff near Kitty Hawk.
- One of the original thirteen colonies, North Carolina was admitted to statehood on November 21, 1789.
- It was the first state to tell its delegates to vote for independence from Britain.
- After the Revolutionary War, it developed an expansive slave plantation system. It was a major exporter of tobacco and cotton, even though the slave population was smaller than other states.
- In 1861, North Carolina seceded from the United States with ten other states. This began the American Civil War. And while no major battles were fought in North Carolina, the state sent more soldiers to fight for the Confederacy than any other rebel state.
I’m pleased as punch that my second home has such rich history.
And let’s not forget the pizza.
The Biltmore Pizza, Asheville Brewing Co.
What do you celebrate about where you live?
TWEET THIS: Happy National #NorthCarolina Day! @RealMojo68 #celebrate
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Sep 27, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Hobo Dinner
The Menagerie’s not helping with this recipe. This one’s all mine. (Like I want to share this with a frog or zebra, anyway.)
Can I get a hello for another family favorite recipe that’s easily changeable? I love love love the meat-and-potatoes flavors, the easy clean up, and of course, the wallet-friendly ingredients. I mean, who wouldn’t? Even the Catford Manor felines drool for this savory meal.
So, on a busy week like this (writing NOLA, working the new day job, watching NCIS season premieres), it’s nice to have a quick dinner fix. Am I right? Especially when it’s midnight and you finally remember to do a blog post. [Note to self: Make more notes to self.]
Now, this is a foil dinner, which means you can also make this on the backyard grill or when you’re camping. Cool, huh? Just make sure you use the extra strength foil to avoid any leaks.
The Unemployment Cookbook: Hobo Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef, make into four patties
- 1 medium onion, sliced. Thick or thin. Doesn't matter. Well, depends who you're breathing next to.
- 2 or 3 medium potatoes, sliced or quartered. You can peel or not peel. User's preference.
- 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup.
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Tear four large squares of heavy duty cooking foil. Not large enough to cover a window, but you know.
- In the center of each square, layer a hamburger patty, onion slice, potato, and approximately 1/4 can of soup. Salt and pepper each layer to taste.
- Wrap tightly.
- Place on a cookie sheet or in a cake pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven.
- Be careful upon opening as packets will be very hot and steamy. But also very delicious.
Notes
Use heavy duty cooking foil.
Line your pan with foil also for easy clean up.
3.1
https://franklymydearmojo.com/2017/09/27/the-unemployment-cookbook-hobo-dinner/ (c) 2012 Frankly, My Dear... New Inklings Press
I like to serve up a side of mac-n-cheese, maybe a nice greens salad, and of course, a tall glass of sweet tea.
CHANGE IT UP:
- Season the meat with smoke or hickory flavorings
- Indulge in a sweet potato or yam
- Add a few French-cut green beans
- For a Mexican flavor, season the meat with taco spices and add diced green chilis
TWEET THIS: Need a good meal for your busy schedule? The Unemployment #Cookbook: Hobo Dinner @RealMojo68 #recipe
With a busy schedule and healthy appetite,
Happy eating!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
you can find this and many more recipes in The Unemployment Cookbook available through New Inklings Press.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : My Favorite Cookbooks
Sep 26, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Can we talk? Seriously. Can we just come together for a discussion? There’s been some conflict going on lately. Some serious name-calling. Finger-pointing. Some not-so-loving of thy neighbors. Some getting-our-signals-crossed dialogue.
Frankly, My Dear . . . Can We Talk?
Now, I know we all have different:
- backgrounds
- belief systems
- economic status
- health
- heritage
- personality dynamics
And all these go into making each one of us unique.
But does that mean we shouldn’t respect each other?
Is a firefly any less beautiful than a peacock because of its size? Is a fish any less magnificent than a bear?
We can disagree with someone’s actions, but still respect them as a person. But you can’t force someone to respect you back.
Can we each take a breath, take a corner, take a seat, take whatever we need to take in order to stop this collision course we’re on with hatred and animosity? Can we consider that maybe, just maybe, not only are others not perfect, but we’re not either?
Maybe there’s some middle ground we can reach.
Together.
TWEET THIS: We can disagree with someone’s actions, but still respect them as a person. @RealMojo68 #canwetalk #franklymydear
With a handshake and a hug,
Happy peacemaking.
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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