On the Road Holiday Cuisine

      We did finally get on the road this winter; still very much enjoying our holiday celebration and meals.  Christmas was spent in Monroe, MI although it was a warm, comfortable family celebration.  Our holiday traditions suffer nothing as we travel.  We are pretty solid in our family traditions for Thanksgiving, but Christmas can take various avenues.  We vary from ham to goose to lamb and even to turkey again, but this year we chose ham. This recipe is quite simple considering there are only two of us in an RV.  http://thefrugalgirls.com/2015/11/best-crock-pot-ham-recipe.html  This crockpot beauty takes just four ingredients:  maple syrup, Dijon mustard, allspice, and brown sugar.  I like to add a ham too.  We usually select a ham no more than 5 pounds as we have a 2 quart crockpot and this suffices plenty.  It only takes about 4 hours on low to finish.  Any recipe in a crockpot is so divinely simple and allows much more time for other side dishes and desert.
      I served this with Cornbread Casserole, Deviled Eggs, Hawaiian Rolls, Ham Salad Stuffed Endive,  and of course pie.  This year we enjoyed Apple pie w/ice cream.  A special 'shout out' to Yoki Artress.   This is your mom's recipe for Cornbread Casserole which we both love so much, but promise not to share.  Merry Christmas.
 

      A week later we were camped at Lake Thunderbird in Oklahoma.  I always try to honor Barb's family tradition at least once a year with Black Eyed Peas w/ham hocks and trimmings. I prepare this recipe in a large enameled stock pot over the stove as it takes about half a day to cook.  There are many recipes for Black Eyed Peas.  I follow the one I was given by Barb's mom years ago.

      Soak dried beans overnight; drain and pick out chaff.  Cover with 3-4 cups of chicken broth.  Bring to boil till peas are nearly tender, then reduce to simmer.  Add 1 chopped carrot and 2 chopped stalks of celery.  Add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; salt and pepper to taste.  I like to add a bay leaf.   Just add a ham hock (or two) and some spare ham chunks and voile'.  Simmer for 3 or more hours. In addition I served cornbread, and pecan pie for desert.  Our special tradition twist is to put a dime in the pot of peas n ham as it cooks.  Whoever finds it in their bowl at dinner will enjoy GOOD LUCK for the next year.  

      Another wonderful holiday for our family.  We will be stocking our freezers here with many more treasures such as gator, sausage, boudin, chorizo, and roux at this stop.  Next week we'll be heading southwest to spend some long overdue time with our grandson in Marlow, OK.  Even more goodies (and some love) for the freezer there.  

"What is Christmas.  It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present and hope for the future."

Agnes M. Pahro

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We'll Be Baaaack

      Well, Barb and I have been here in Monroe, MI for the past 9 weeks now.  We have run the gamut through University of Michigan Medicine (no help) and the Veterans Administration Health System.  I have to admit that the VA has been very thorough and efficient even though the appointments are so damned difficult to get.  We waited here for 4 weeks just for the first consult.
      Our VA doctor was incredibly competent and forward thinking,  scheduling Barb for a Endoscopy within 3 days, knowing he would be the one performing it;  he fit it into his schedule.  He wanted to follow it up with an MRI as soon as possible, knowing Barb's situation.  The initial prognosis suggested a possible fistula leak in Barb's stomach as well as a thickening of the small intestinal wall where the stomach joins.  However, our appointment on December 3rd yielded different results.
     Barb has a huge ulcer where her stomach joins the small intestine.  They gave her several meds and scheduled a re-eval for March.  There is still the matter of the MRI which is needed to view another spot on the small intestine they couldn't get to today.  Surgery is still not out of the question.  The hardest part will be quitting smoking.  The doctor insists on it as do I.  She has been trying for years, but to no avail.  It is time.  I am hoping time will settle her down to see the logic and health of it.  The best part of our day was arriving at 9:45 for a 10:00 appointment and finding out the doctor was waiting to take Barb in first.  Finally the chips landed our way.
     The next couple of weeks had their share of ups and downs.  Barb has been able (so far) to quit smoking, but it hasn't been easy.  I'm sure it never is.  The meds have significantly helped her pain.  It isn't nearly as severe as it once was.  Unfortunately, after waiting for another 10 days we were informed there were no MRI appointments available for at least 6-8 weeks. So, we rescheduled her next Endoscopy for March 25th with the MRI the 26th and follow up shortly after.  We decided to pack up and head south for at least the near future.  It will be a short tour this year, visiting our grandson, Barb's family, and some friends with a week or two to ourselves.

      Although we were here far longer than expected we made the best of it and Harbortown RV Park was a great help.  It is the ONLY RV PARK IN MICHIGAN OPEN YEAR ROUND.  This was never a matter of choice.  We got the winter monthly rate at $675 although it included us paying our own electricity.  We ran space heaters as well as propane, but Super Lite RVs have marginal  insulation and as such we used quite a bit of both.  They do have very nice laundry facilities.  The staff was very helpful and friendly throughout.  Masserant's Feed Store just up the road 2 miles had the cheapest propane at just over $19 for a RV 30 pound bottle.  Diesel ran $3.05 throughout our stay.  We made our reservations here as well for our return in 3 months.  There are plenty of other RV parks, but they do not open till April.  

      Monroe has nearly all the amenities of any community with all the stores, etc. you might desire. It is also the boyhood home of George Armstrong Custer and La Z Boy World Headquarters.  We dined locally at several places including Panera Bread, Pete's Garage, and Harbor Inn & Ale.  I developed a love for Jimmy Johns Big Italian Sandwich.  We both loved Jet's Pizza and the breakfasts at R Diner were the best we've ever had for the money.  I have blog posts for several others.  They were all delicious.  Tony Packo's Hungarian Hot Dogs in Toledo is well worth the trip.  

      I got a bit of work done on my next book, most notably the Detroit Chapter.  It is nearly wrapped up.  We also visited Cabelas and Duluth Trading Company;  we dropped good coin at both.  This was a winter visit out of necessity, but the area has quite a bit to offer as well as easy proximity and commute to both Detroit, Toledo, and Cedar Point.  There is lots of beach here to enjoy during the summer months.

      I prepared many meals among which were Beef Oxtail Stew, Rosemary Garlic Crockpot Chicken, Creole Tasso Rabbit and Grits, Kung Pao Chicken, Hatch Tortilla Steak Crunch Bombs, and German Sausage Bean Stew to name a few.  I do love to cook.  It makes even the most uncomfortable situation comfortable.  Barb always felt the love from both me and the furbabies.  Roux even got a visit to the groomer's to clean up all her CHAFF and thin her out before winter.

Pitkin County Pork Steaks

Kung Pao Chicken

Ungarische Bohnenkasserole

Creole Tasso Rabbit w/Spinach n Grits

      Some will say that we should have never traveled nor stayed here this long.  We always head south this time of year and these circumstances only required us to modify our itinerary.  There is a definite weather window where we live and we didn't want to try and travel back and forth here as well as eventually get underway for the winter.  It has never been an ideal situation.  It is what it is. We're still together, loving life, and saving money.  This winter it has always been our original plan.
      On Thursday our anchor's up and sail will be set; on our way once again.  We head southwest towards Oklahoma and our grandson.  Obviously our itinerary has become truncated, but we head out in search of the best in  life.  When you're retired, it's all good.  Joie de Vivre.  WE SEND OUR BEST WISHES AND PRAYERS TO ALL OF OUR FRIENDS IN ALASKA DURING THIS TIME.  WE LOOK FORWARD TO VISITING WITH YOU ONCE AGAIN NEXT SUMMER.  MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE.

"America's doctors, nurses, and medical researchers are the best in the world, but our health care system is broken"

Mike Ferguson

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