Dear Jenny,
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Dear Jenny
Dear Jenny,
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
My (Easy) Corn and Ham Chowder
1 1/2 C cubed ham
1/2 package of Oreida frozen hasbrowns
2 cans chicken broth
1 can Cream of Celery Soup (or CO chicken, mushroom-whatever you got)
4 T butter
1 C finely chopped celery
1 C chopped onion
2 C milk +/- to desired consistency
1 can cream corn
1 can regular corn
salt
pepper
minced chives (optional)
Sautee onions and celery in butter until soft and translucent. Add chicken broth and bring to simmer. Add cream soup, milk, corns (don't drain), ham and hash browns. Bring back to simmer, stirring occasionally to break up hash browns and keep them from sticking to bottom of pan. Let simmer gently for an hour or so, stirring once in a while until thickened. Salt and Pepper to taste. Garnish with chives if ya want. Serve!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Paddle Faster
The Nature Center had some interesting things. Horseshoe crabs, blue crabs, snakes and fish- you name it, if it was something you could find roaming the land or swimming in Long Island Sound, "it" or a picture of "it" was there. During the long kid summers at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Connecticut, nature hikes were organized according to age and abilities. Our forays were led by sixteen year -olds that had scored some great summer jobs. We hiked through the marshes and along the shore, noting the wildlife, eating some edible plants including seaweed. We even made some sort of drink from the berries of the sumac plant, which I am sure would have resulted in some helmeted, asthmatic kid being helivaced off the beach had the concoction been brewed today. But no, these were the early eighties, a time when parents weren't always watching and kids were allowed to ride their bikes with no shoes and explore what was down the street.
My curiosity about the outdoors has never wavered. I have always thought that, given half a chance, if I could just pull myself away from the drudgery of working and going to school, of being a mom and a wife and a boring 30-something, overweight white female, I would do something fantastic. Something adventuresome and daring. Something involving, well, nature. I had been a Junior Naturalist, after all.
Maybe this is why I accepted an invitation to go whitewater rafting.
The weekend started off pretty well. We arrived to the campsite early Friday evening and set up camp, which was pretty easy to do since my husband Ted and I had decided to simply sleep in the minivan. (It was kind of buggy and damp on the ground, ya know...) What a good sport Ted was. I had signed us both up to accompany our neighbor on this rafting trip. He never questioned whether it was a good idea, never tried to talk me out of it. He simply wanted me to learn a lesson the hard way, and be there to watch.
My neighbor's wife had decided to stay home. I secretly felt that she was being a big ole' Scaredy Cat, and I was proud of myself for being the only female in the group now assembling around the campfire. We opened a few beers and began to chat. As the day slipped into night, I became acutely aware of the fact that I was way out of my depth intellectually. This is never a good feeling. The men sitting casually around us in holy jeans and well-worn hiking shoes were discussing scientific theories, geology and meteorology. With a good beer buzz going, one guy spoke prolifically on global warming. Most of the camp out discussions I had previously participated in involved dirty jokes and the pros and cons of using a potato launcher as a weapon. I was intimidated, but I gave myself credit for having the sense to stay perfectly quiet.
The next day, we all got up leisurely and started to gear up for our trip. At the edge of camp stood a faded outdoor kiosk of sorts, filled with mismatched and weathered rafting equipment. Multicolored life jackets, paddles and helmets hung perpetually ready for action. It appeared that our group leaders were once owners of a more commercial-type outfit, but had long ago given up on the idea. Now the group operated as a loosely formed rafting club. Invite only.
I chose my gear and waited patiently as the guys finished topping of our rafts with air and strapping them to our vehicles. It appeared that each raft would hold about 6-8 people, and we had 3 rafts. Prior to setting out, we had an extremely brief safety lesson. Our leader, Bill, explained the "do's" and "don'ts" of rafting, and threw in a couple of "what if" scenarios for good measure. What if, for example, you are thrown from your boat and come up for air under your boat? This doesn't happened very often, Bill pointed out, but you should still know what to do if it does. One might panic.
Yes. One just might.
We got on the road and stopped at what apparently was the traditional breakfast place on the way to the river. It was your typical southern fare; 10- pound brick-like biscuits with gravy or a slab of toe-curlingly salty ham. My biscuit descended in a heavy lump into my stomach, where it stayed undigested for 3 weeks. We supplied ourselves with sandwiches and drinks. We secured our lunches in "waterproof" boxes. Later, these boxes would be put together in a net bag and clipped to the inside of the raft for safekeeping.
Our little caravan of vehicles traveled through a few windy miles of West Virginia countryside on our way to the river. It was a bumpy ride, and it became apparent that Bill was saving the brakes for a real emergency. I worried about the safety of my lunch banging around in the backseat and possibly the danger of breakfast revisiting, but my husband seemed completely serene. Or maybe it was resigned. I couldn't tell.
We made it to the put-in and reassembled. Bill was in charge of one boat and had designated two men to be guides in the others. Our 'teams' were selected. I felt confident that I was being placed with a competent, beginner-friendly guide, and that my boat would be filled with rafting pros who would willingly help me on my journey and keep me out of harms way. We'll call my guide Tom. Tom had long grey hair and unshaven but a "not-quite-a beard" kind of look. He seemed amiable and laid back. My heart, which had started to do a little fluttery dance, slowed to a more normal rhythm as two other beginners were chosen to be in my boat. All together, in our slightly smaller boat, we had two experienced (including Tom) and three beginners, including myself, my husband Ted, and a man I will call Pete. Clearly, this was the boat that would be following behind, taking its time to learn as it went while the other boats took on some of the rivers' more hair-raising challenges.
Apparently, this was all we needed to know.
Within minutes we were approaching our first rapids, and I felt my entire body tense up. I looked over at Ted. He gave me a weak smile. I glanced across from me at Pete. He looked as though he was about to be unloaded on Omaha Beach on D-Day. It occurred to me that he was more terrified than I had seen a grown man, and indeed he might even have been more scared than I. The previous hour, Pete had talked almost incessantly. He was from an urban area, and he strove to radiate a certain street-smart but funny toughness. In reality, he was an overweight white guy who was about to go for several involuntary swims. It was Pete who scared me the most as we began a slow paddle towards out first set of rapids, for in his eyes I saw pure fear. I suddenly took serious notice of all the gear in our boat. All the hard plastic edges. All of the potentially flying helmets and bodies. Pete's paddle. Oh God. Pete's paddle. It might as well have my name on it.
Why in the world, I thought, is this guy assuming we're going to fall...
The current was taking me in the right general direction and I spotted my dear husband. He wore an expression similar to that of a cat who had been given a bath, but he appeared no worse for the wear. He had my paddle. Did I mention I love that man? We made our way back to the boat, where, I discovered, I had absolutely no upper body strength. We were expected to pull ourselves back in the boat. This was ridiculous. I got about halfway in when another boat member gave me what amounted to an atomic wedgie and pulled me the rest of the way in. (Did I mention Ted was trying to push me in from the water?) I tried not to think about the scene I made as I floundered my way back into the inflatable trampoline.
I had just decided that this might actually turn out to be one of the most remarkable and pleasant outings of my life when we were plunged sideways into another set of rapids. This time, we flipped almost immediately. I came up under the boat. Yes, that thing that hardly ever happens, happened to me. I saw sunlight glowing through the top (bottom) of the boat and I knew what had happened. I walked my hands along the boat until I came out from under it, as Bill had advised. I inhaled some sweet air and looked around for Ted. Ted had somehow got his sneaker caught in the rope tie along the edge of the boat and was dangling in the water like bait. Ever helpful, I swam over and tried to lift his body up out of the water to take some pressure off his foot. This act hopefully instilled some confidence in Ted that I truly loved him. I was completely useless as far as real assistance was concerned, but I livened the mood by adding an 'I Love Lucy'-ish feel to the whole scene. We did eventually free Ted and slithered back into the boat, one and all. It was then that someone noticed that my knee was bleeding from a fairly nice gash. I tried not to look concerned. I was one of the guys. A couple of scars or a bacterial infection did not worry me. We were out of the rapids and back in the boat, and that was all that mattered. It was then that Tom suggested we go back into the rapid to do what is known as "surfing".
Surfing is when you turn the boat back into the rapids, locate a little hole (aka hydraulic) in which there are some little waterfalls and willfully stick the front of your boat into it. Your boat becomes stuck there and you are tossed about like pork chops in a Shake N' Bake bag. If you manage to stay in the boat, you are congratulated by any onlookers who happened to be watching. If you don't, you are flushed into and then back out of this little physics experiment like last night's dinner down the toilet. We tried this many, many times. We even succeeded a few times. I didn't hear any cheering. All I heard was the blood rushing through my ears and the otherworldly garbles of voices as I fought to make my way back out of the water, time and again.
"I can't (sob) do this (sob) anymore."
So logical. So true. So then I called on what little energy reserve I had left and rolled my battered body back into the boat. We only had one more set of rapids before we reached the end of our trip. When we came out on the other side, Tom offered, "Do you want to go a little further or get out here?"
"Get out here!" I practically begged. I was bleeding now from several places, including a little fat lip.
I nodded.
And then he put his hand on my chest and pushed me out of the boat.
The truth is, I never even bothered to learn anything about the Gauley or area in West Virginia before the trip. After an exhaustive few minutes of Wikipedia research, I have since learned that the river is loosely separated into 2-3 parts; the Upper Gauley, which is an almost 10 mile run of more difficult, mostly Class V rapids and the Middle/Lower Gauley which is delightful mix of Class III, IV and V rapids. The river and its rapid difficulty vary dramatically with the water levels. The Gauley is damned by the Summersville Dam, an Army Corp of Engineers project until the first Friday after Labor Day, when "Gauley Season" begins. A series of damn releases during the fall open up the Upper Gauley to the brave souls who want to tackle rapids with names like "Lost Paddle" and "Iron Ring". The Gauley River itself has many names and is also known as the "Chin-que-ta-na" and also "To-ke-bel-lo-ke". I imagine these are Native American names that loosely translate to "where stupid white people crash in boat".
That day taught me a bit about myself that I might not have otherwise ever learned. It wasn't deep or even life-changing. It was this: I am a Big Baby. There is a reason I have a toiletries bag with "MOM" written boldly on the front. I am pale and flabby because I DON'T go outside, I DON'T swim in raging rivers and the only decorations in my minivan were crushed potato chips and unopened ketchup packets.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Mark of Materialism
I bought a new pair of sneakers. They are somewhat of a cross between hiking shoes and tennis shoes, and they look really tough. I normally don't splurge on footwear, but I knew that I planned on steppin' out as the weather warmed up. An amazing thing happened as I tied those shoes on for the first time and walked around in them. Not only was I an inch or so taller, but it became immediately apparent that I would most certainly become faster, stronger and more athletic just by putting them on my feet. I felt foolish, but there was no denying the instant sensation of coolness; something akin to biting into a York Peppermint Patty, as I strutted in front of the little foot mirrors in the store. I wanted to enlist the the other patrons in the store and organize a parade of happy sneaker purchasers to hit the street for a quick jog around the block. Instead, I reluctantly took them off and replaced them with my old, unmagical pair of crummy shoes I had worn in.
On the drive home, I wondered about my reaction to these new shoes and I suddenly remembered the very first time I had believed in the power of new shoes and what could be accomplished while wearing them.
Zips.
I searched the Internet in vain for the commercial for Zips that had made such an impression. All I can remember now is a very cool kid making a 'Z' in the dirt with the toe of his sneaker and then disappearing in an explosion of speed and agility. Clearly, this commercial was a turning point in my life. Once, when I was very small, I was blissfully unaware of my urgent need for material things. The advertising machine that would soon convince me of my need for not only Zip sneakers but also a Trapper Keeper, Baby Soft perfume, Jordache jeans and a Swatch had not yet wormed it's way via the television into my greedy little brain.
Had I imagined this commercial? Surely not. The desire to own Zips went way past just wanting to run faster than the other kids in my neighborhood. I wanted the other kids to be jealous.
"Oooh...she has ZIPS!" , I hoped they would cry out as I left them choking on a cloud of dust behind me. Their faces would be green with envy.
Alas, unlike many children today, the fact that I wanted something did not mean that I would eventually get it. On the contrary, sometimes it would ensure I wouldn't. My mother, in her infinite wisdom, somehow knew that Zips were not capable of improving my life and simply were not necessary. This is not a woman who would stand in line for a Cabbage Patch Kid or buy white clothes for children. It just wasn't going to happen. Period.
So, now, in my mid-thirties, I can enjoy the thrill of purchasing shoes with the wild abandon of a child, however lame their eventual use may be. Will my friends be jealous? Probably not. They are pretty secure in their own footwear choices at this point. Will I run faster? Well, considering I haven't moved fast enough to break a brisk walk in years, its not very likely. Will I carve the letter 'Z' into the dirt with my toe?
Yup.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Crazy Bus
I called out of work this Friday. It was snowing pretty hard, and I live an hour from work. This seemed pretty reasonable, and I can't imagine why a responsible adult would even try and brave a snowstorm in the south. The roads are atrocious, and the people responsible for clearing the roads were apparently paid in Confederate money last year.
It was nice to stay in bed. Too bad I couldn't enjoy it. And ya know why? You know why I couldn't just fall back asleep and wake up when I was good and ready like Mother Nature intended? Guilt. Good, old-fashioned, self-inflicted guilt. I spent an hour or so picturing my hapless co-workers struggling to pick up the huge slack I had made by my absence. I thought of their harried expressions, their fists shaking at the sky and their sad inquiries of the man upstairs.
"Why? Why didn't she come in? How could she?"
After a while, it did occur to me that I was being ridiculous, and perhaps somewhat egotistically dramatic. I was not one of the major cogs in the works. I could easily be replaced.
Oh -oh.
Did I say(think) replaced? Oh no. What if they decide to replace me? They wouldn't. They couldn't!
I visualized myself storming into my boss' office and advising her of my rights as an employee and my intention of calling an attorney. I was always to work on time and I never called out, I would inform her. I was a good worker! I was kind to others and... and..ugh.
There I go again.
Off on tangent of my own imagination. My boss would never be that unreasonable. Why was I voluntarily raising my own blood pressure? Why? I'll tell you why. You see, unfortunately, much like a child, I can piddle away many valuable moments in my life imagining outlandish scenarios and unlikely conversations. I spend an exorbitant amount of time functioning from a part of my brain that long ago should have matured into the part that remembers where I put my keys. Instead, this grey matter is occupied by the "As The World Turns (around Jen)" Episode Generator. I can actually move myself to real tears by imagining future slights, loved ones early demises or heated discussions. The people involved in my fictional situations are often times oblivious and almost always innocent of whatever I am imagining about them. Many people have been unwilling passengers on the Crazy Bus that is driven by my mind's eye, without ever having asked for a ride.
Immature as I may be, I am never bored. The people in my life perform for me whenever I conjure up a good storyline for them and I have time to daydream. Of course, they have to be willing to share the spotlight with the star of the show.
JT
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
How To Try On Clothes
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The "No-Fair!" Flag
It is sometime during my ill-fated discipline attempts that the "No-Fair!" flag is thrown. This is hardly a rare event in my household. We have a blended family, and fairness in a blended family is never truly obtained. If they are lucky, the parents figure it out eventually. The kids however, never give up hope toward this ideal.
Fairness is one of those problems you struggle with as a parent. Can you ever really treat all of your children equally when they are of different talents, abilities, ages and (in our case) families?
I have come to a conclusion. The answer is no. No, and we shouldn't beat ourselves up about it. It's time for a little Old School Parenting and the time is NOW. Parents UNITE! Kids, GO TO YOUR ROOMS!
Oh yeah and BTW.....
Life is not fair.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The Best Bread Ever
Some basic things you need:
Really big bowl or a 6 qt plastic, food-grade bucket
3 Cups lukewarm water
6 1/2 cups All-purpose King Arthur Flour (use the scoop and level with knife method)
1 T salt
1 and 1/2 T instant yeast
Mix everything together with a big spoon until you have a rough, sticky dough. Don't go nuts. You should have accomplished in only a few minutes of elbow grease.
Let rise, loosely covered on your counter for a few hours, then stick in the fridge. You can leave it in there for days! The longer it stays there, the tangier it gets. Lightly flour the surface of the dough when you want to pull out a grapefruit size lump to make bread. It also helps to spray your hands with some cooking spray. Take about 30 seconds and shape it into a roundish-lump. Let it rest on your counter for 40 minutes or so. Slash it with a sharp knife, and throw it in a PREHEATED oven at 450. Use a pizza stone for best results, but make sure you preheat it in the oven. Also, a small roasting pan slid underneath the pizza stone is perfect for pouring in about a cup of BOILING water when you throw in the bread. Quickly shut the oven door and wait about 30 to 35 minutes. The steam from the water makes the best crust!
Enjoy!
(Adapted from the recipe "No-Knead Crusty White Bread" from King Arthur Flour.com)
JT