Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Baptism-by-Fire

No pictures to post yet. I don't have my computer up and running, so I am using Katie's for now. If I did have a pic to post, it would be of the nearly impossible feat of me driving down the canyons in a snowstorm after 22 years of being in the South where we just stay indoors when we have a storm such as the one I came into Salt Lake in.

... Talk about stress! I was driving down through the Strawberry Resivour area and the driving was very treacherous. It was snowing hard and I was trying to follow JD in the truck, but I am not used to the icy conditions... I counted at least 4 cars that had spun around and/or went off the road, so I had my hazard blinkers going and was only going about 35 to 40 tops.... a jerk was behind me for at least 5 minutes flashing his lights at me and blinding me with his brights. Apparently, I wasn't going fast enough for him....so, I did just the opposite. I slowed down until I could finally stop...I guess he got the hint that he could just drive his rude little butt around me. Katie and JD tell me that Utah drivers are not the friendly type...( and I think JD calls them "Utards") lol..I secretly hoped that I would find his car spun around or off the side of the road stuck in 4ft. of snow so I could ask him if it was worth all the effort trying to get me to speed up. The roads were not only snow-packed, there was an ice layer underneath. JD told me that I needed to be extra careful because he could see people "ass-ending" it ahead of him. ( that means that the back end of the car is sliding out to meet the front end) As far as the rude drivers in Utah who have no patience for a Georgia driver such as myself, well now, I guess I'll just have to give them a little bit of that Southern Hospitality now, won't I ????

Bless all their little cotton-pickin' hearts...
...and Lord help them if I have to open a big ol' can.....

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Deep South Cuisine

There are things eaten here in the South that most people haven't tasted or heard of..I myself have had a few (and dissed a few, too)... Collard Greens and Black-eyed peas for instance, are a Southern tradition that are eaten on New Year's Day to bring luck in the coming year. Okra is eaten fried...interesting texture, kinda slimy in the middle..it is great in Gumbo, though. Fried Green Tomatoes are really good. BBQ is king here.. the sweet smoked kind, not the typical BBQ I grew up eating (ie. anything you grill on the BBQ grill).. I am talkin' pulled pork or beef covered with the sweet sauce and served up messy! Oh, and don't forget all the fresh fish and shellfish.. Grouper, Shrimp boil, crawfish and catfish! ( I have only tried the Grouper sandwich covered with slaw. That is how alot of things are served up here, and it's great!) Well, apparently, there is a famous place down in Albany Georgia that is very well known. I had heard about it since Roger had been talking about it for our entire marriage, but I had never been there until over the holidays.

Jimmie's hotdogs. A long tradition of cheap red weiners, and a favorite of the Albany area. Roger says Jimmie's has been around for as long as he can remember, and the hotdogs look just the same as when he had them as a young child (I googled Jimmie's and they have been around since 1925..) If you are ever in the South, and down in Albany, check out Jimmie's !

This is Roger's great-nephew enjoying a Jimmie's.

The hotdogs are bright red.. don't ask me why or how, they just are. AND they are tiny...you can eat 2-4 without feeling full. I was worried what they would do to my sensitive digestive system, but I was fine. lol !
Most people like them with chili (loaded) with onions... not me! I think onions were put on this earth to make everyone's breath stink!

Roger and his sister Bonnie love Jimmie's... and they are a great value in these difficult times... Bonnie says that she remembers when they were only 15 cents a piece... they are 90 cents now, but you can't even get a burger for that!
I wish we could have enough time when JD and Katie come out to make a trip down to Albany, but I guess we'll just have to take them to another famous eatery.. the Varsity!

Bon Apetite!