http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blog.php Home for all reality TV shows. Discussion forums, interviews, show recaps, and news. en Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:02:14 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blog.php http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/bobofan/77-my-monkey-finny.html Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:06:31 GMT Hey Everybody!

Steve surprised me Tuesday and took me to the Fair in Winston-Salem. You guys should know how much I love riding those rides, and it's just something about going to the fair with that "Special Person" in your life that makes it very memorable and exciting!

We arrived around 5:00 pm and we got into the fair free of charge. Steve's a DJ & the station that he works for has a "Booth" at the fair. We walked, we talked, we ate, rode all the great rides... even the scariest ones... lol - I talk a big story but, it's more like "Chicken, Party of One"... yep, my table is ready! He got the biggest bang outta me on the Pirate Ship... naturally he wanted to sit in the back, so that when the ship was rocking very high, we were staring straight down... I though I was gonna fall out & go splat on the pavement. I held on for dear life, with my eyes squeezed shut & did a lot of praying lol. All the while, Steve was laughing his butt off at me.

Half way through the fair, Steve won me the cutest stuffed Monkey you've ever seen! A co-worker at the radio booth called the Monkey Finny (named after Steve) and it stuck! I knew that was the perfect name. After 5 hours of carnival bliss, it was very dark and fireworks were going off all around us. They were beautiful and we were parked at the ultimate spot for viewing! Now the sad part......

We were exhausted and Steve had to be at the station at 4:30 am, so 10:00 pm had become a late evening out. Apparently, while at the car, as we watched the ending of the fireworks, my monkey Finny became missing. However, I did not realize he was missing until the next morning. I could have sworn I took him in the house. I can't understand why it took me until morning to know he was no where to be found. I looked for over an hour, before I had to leave, go home & get ready to go to work on Wednesday morning. I was so distraught over that little monkey... He was so special to me, because it was from Steve. It was as special to me as if it were a diamond or a bar of gold. I've been in tears for 2 days over that Monkey!

Now for the good news... I had Steve looking high & low... he was to call me if he found Finny. This afternoon he called me. When I asked about the monkey, he told me that he must have fell out of my arms walking to the car or fell out of the car during the fireworks. I started bawlin' again. He told me he was sorry that he didn't call me earlier... he was at the fair and he won me another monkey just like Finny and won me a cute little Doggie too! WOW!!!! I'm floored! I'm surprised beyond belief, speechless! I'm still in shock that he went to those lengths to get me another monkey. Steve's soooo funny... He told me if I couldn't keep up with my toys that he wasn't gonna get me anymore. LMAO The man just amazes me!

Now, how's your week been? Mine's been drama filled, yet with a VERY happy ending!! ]]> BoBoFan http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/bobofan/77-my-monkey-finny.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/buglover/76-happy-birthday-mom.html Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:49:21 GMT Today I sit looking at my mother's picture. Her 67th birthday is coming up on the 8th of this month. It's been 8 years since she passed away but it's still very fresh in my mind. I go to bed at night and as I fall asleep I hear her tell me goodnight and I cry. Every morning I wake up with my eyes stuck together from crying in my sleep. I dream of her coming to me and feel elated. I wake up and feel deflated! She's always being ripped from me as I wake up. I almost want to go back to sleep forever so I can talk with her and hold her hand.
I cannot express how much I miss her. I still pick up the phone to call her and remember she's not there. Whenever something major is happening in my life, I reach for her to guide me through it and she's not there. There's a lot of emptiness in my heart without her.
Every year I begin to fear my own mortality more and more. I wonder how my son will continue on if I am not there for him. I raise him with the idea that he will be able to do things for himself in case something should happen to me but it's very lonely. Who will give him unconditional love and guidance when I'm gone. These thoughts run through my head all the time.
I miss my mother. I miss her smell, her hair, her hugs, her voice. I especially miss her smile.

Mommy, I wish you could come home but I know someday I'll see you again. Someday this hurt will be less, someday I'll smile a little bit more. ]]> buglover http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/buglover/76-happy-birthday-mom.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/prism/75-bravo-so-boring.html Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:59:08 GMT Omigod, I haven't been here for awhile. Ho hum again, geez. I wanted to watch the Jo & Slade thing, Date 'n Sex, or whatever, ohhhh... Date my Ex. Oh yeah. Turned out it was so boring, I just come here a couple times a year to see what's been said. Damn, gimmee something interesting will ya Bravo?:hiya ]]> Prism http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/prism/75-bravo-so-boring.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/prism/70-ho-hum-bravo.html Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:39:29 GMT It's all so boring now, even the ones I loved to hate. There's no interest, no challenge with all this pseudo-reality stuff. Where to go from here, where to go.... bore, boring, bored. Sleep. ]]> Prism http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/prism/70-ho-hum-bravo.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/pgm35/69-new-blog.html Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:52:48 GMT From another site:

So it appears to be time for another journal! First of all I want to thank everyone that left me comments on my last one about my grandfather's passing. I am sorry for not responding to everyone separately but please know that your thoughts and prayers and support for me and my family were appreciated more than I can express. Love you all and appreciate LN so much!

Like my Old Journal, I have to apologize again for not commenting on everyone's journals as much lately but please know that I do read them! Or at least try to! [smiley7]

Well my "old journal" was also an update on what's been going on with me so this one will be as well. Since the last one was in June and we are now August (man, does time fly!!), I had a lot going on recently. There was a birthday happy hour,then a birthday evening, then painting during a vacation, building new furniture, then my grandfather's funeral. All in a couple of months.

In addition to all that, I've been continuing my journey to my weight loss goal. As the experts say my "not on a diet" but lifestyle change. Things have been going pretty well. Not there yet but have lost a total of 33 lbs in 18 weeks. Wish it was more but I seem to have plateaued and the loss has slowed down in the last few weeks. But I will keep on keeping on since I'm not there yet!

Now, I was worried to post anything because I didn't really want to "toot my own horn", but also this feels like I am accountable in a way with "writing it out". Sort of makes it real so to speak. I think I am also ready to show my "before" and "after" even though the after is just current and hopefully there will be another "after" when I get to my goal!!!

So here goes:
Click on the link to see it.
[url]http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l70/pgm35/BeforeandAfter4.jpg[/url]

The first picture was from April 4th (LN Tourney) and although, very embarrassing, it's a good reminder of where I don't want to be again! The after is from the 1st of August. Again, hopefully there will be another after but this is me so far. Been a long and at times, hard, road but so worth it. I go back for a checkup this month on bloodwork that was taken in April and I'm hoping there will be marked improvement with those tests. I feel great having accomplished as much as I have, and feel confident, knowing that, this time, it's for good.

Thanks for reading Nation! Have a great week and yes, it's almost Football and Tailgating time!!!!! Take care!:) ]]> PGM35 http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/pgm35/69-new-blog.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/foxymoxy/65-big-splash.html Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:15:54 GMT [B]FoxyMoxy Mood: Sleepy[/B]

I just woke up from a long nights sleep. I feel fully rested and refreshed. Our plans for today is to go to a water park called "Big Splash"! Im super excited since I haven't really been to a huge out door water park like this before.

Im planning to fly home Tuesday. It'll be a long trip but worth it! Im not saying that Im not enjoying my time here...Im just ready to go home.. Wow how can I make this not sound bad??? ]]> FoxyMoxy http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/foxymoxy/65-big-splash.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/white-orchid/64-day-life.html Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:52:00 GMT I scribbled this a few years ago, one evening, after work.

The best word to describe this man is simply...kind. He embodies the definition. His face radiates kindness. His eyes are compassionate and gentle. His smile draws you in.

My patient has cancer and will not live much longer. His courage inspired me today. "Life never turns out exactly as we plan." he said.

As the weeks pass...the facades melt away too. Why do we spend so much time and energy erecting these facades? And we take such great care that it doesn't crack. He was so REAL today.

For the first time he shared his disappointment. He was not angry or bitter. My heart was breaking, but I said nothing and just listened. He wanted pure 'truth' at this time. At this moment, it was as if he and I were the only two people on the Earth. We hugged each other tightly. The facade is crumbling.

Today...my courageous friend cried...

Thanks for listening...
~~~~~~~~~~~~
~A Hidden Place~

Each of us has a hidden place
Somewhere deep within ourselves;
A place where we go to get away,
To think things through,
To be alone, to be ourselves.

This unique place, where we confront our deepest feelings,
Becomes a storehouse of all our hopes,
All our needs, all our dreams,
And even our unspoken fears.
It encompasses the essence of who we are and what we want to be.

But now and then, whether by chance or design,
Someone discovers a way into that place we thought was ours alone.
And we allow that person to see, to feel and to share
All the reason, all the uncertainty
And all the emotion we've stored up there.

That person adds new perspective to our hidden realm,
Then quietly settles down in his own corner of our special place,
Where a bit of himself will stay forever.
And we call that person a...Friend....

-Poem by Carol Elaine Faivre-Scott

[IMG]http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u255/kortni_28/cute%20kids/a2.jpg[/IMG] ]]> White Orchid http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/white-orchid/64-day-life.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/paridy/63-yes-its-summertime.html Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:04:41 GMT And time for another season of Big Brother. Well two seasons this year, well I try to forget the winter one. I am trying to keep a open mind on this one, but from what I am seeing and reading, its sounds like the Nerd Herd from Season 6 minus Cappy are back. I never got why seemingly normal people become utterly crazy and stupid in the Big Brother house, but it must be the slop that makes them do things that will embarrass their families on the outside. Showmances with the preacher's son and the OCD Boobies girl, can you say vomit in many languages. The only thing that has been remotely funny has been the Sock Puppet Shows but now that Brian has been evicted, nothing. Well lets see how long I can stand it, before I declare another season of Big Brother sucks. ]]> paridy http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/paridy/63-yes-its-summertime.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/foxymoxy/62-missing-home.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:16:58 GMT [B]FoxyMoxy Mood: Sick[/B] :shrug

Im here in Montana visiting a friend. She's been a best friend of mine for...well, not even a year, but it seems like forever. I've been here for about two weeks now and im beginning to miss home very very very much. :crying

I miss my mom, dad, sister, and puppy. (He'll always be my little puppy, even though he's 8)
I miss my room, friends back at home, computer, neighbors, everything. Its not the same here. I mean, hell, it's like a million degrees! I feel like I'm going to die.

Im being a wimp. Trust me, I know this. Ill live. I hope:rofl

Everythings going great except for being sick to my stomach. I went shopping today a bought some make-up, underwear:nod, jewelry, and fake nails (because I have none).

Youtube is going good. Believe it or not I got 2,266 views on one of my vlogs! Thats crazy! Especially for someone who only gets about a 100 views per vid. :omg
If any of you are interested in checking out my vlogs (thats short for video blogs).. the link is down below:

[url]www.youtube.com/midm94[/url] ]]> FoxyMoxy http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/foxymoxy/62-missing-home.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/kashathediva/61-rusted-rhinestone-tiara-doesn-t-fit-me.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:03:50 GMT I hope you are reading this. I do. :nod
Because you could be one of those people. You know. They're the ones who pm you and act like your friend. Basically, all they want is to brain drain you. Find out all the dish on The Bachelor or Bachelorette so they might actually win in the RCG super prize or weekly prize--or better yet be FORT Queen Sleuther!!! No prize for that btw. SORRY. :tongue
You even have a following that you have recruited in your secret club to do your bidding. To pm those of us unsuspecting, who think just maybe you want to talk to us because it's fun to make friends and discuss a reality show that entertains us both.
But no. That would be too normal and counter productive to your goals.
Here's an idea. Next season put more energy into doing something productive--join a gym, volunteer in your community with kids or the elderly, convert to green.
Do something that when you get up in the morning you can look at yourself and feel good about that reflection looking back. Because time marches by fast and in 1 yrs time, that RCG prize isn't going to mean much, being FORT Queen Sleuther won't get you a tiara like Erica's and most people won't even be able to name who made the F15 in season 12 and if they can, do you really want to admit you know them anyway? :laugh
Yes, this really does go on, Virginia. ]]> KashatheDiva http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/kashathediva/61-rusted-rhinestone-tiara-doesn-t-fit-me.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/amy-lee/60-george-ge-nius-anzaldo-so-hot.html Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:56:21 GMT [IMG]http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n79/Arularrock/Sofuckinghot.jpg[/IMG]
George is a crew member of Supreme Soul dance group that currently has a spot of America's Best Dance Crew. I love watching him the way i enjoy watching Laura Edwards(Fysh N Chicks) dance. They slay me.

[URL="http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/2591/281x211xz1.jpg"]http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/2591/281x211xz1.jpg[/URL]

My next obsession might just be Kristin Lorello(fellow Fysh N Chick)er
[URL="http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n79/Arularrock/179492.jpg"]http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n79/Arularrock/179492.jpg[/URL]


P.S. I totally loved Fanny Pak's performance last week of Gwen Stefani's "Wind it up". ]]> Amy Lee http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/amy-lee/60-george-ge-nius-anzaldo-so-hot.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/katydyd/59-farewell.html Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:44:16 GMT I can't believe of all the things going on in the world this would be the one that spurred me to write the first blog of my life. I'm sitting here, crying, like I've lost a friend, and yet I've never met the man. Strange how someone who enters your living room through a flat screened box can settle in so comfortably. No, I didn't know him, but somehow I know I would have liked him. I certainly respected him. And when he spoke, I trusted what he said. When Heath Ledger died, I was saddened by the loss of such a young man, the loss of promise and talent not fully realized. But it was a distant feeling, compassion for a stranger and those who loved him. This feels different. Perhaps its because as a journalist we catch a glimpse of the real person, not just a character portrayed. Still, he was two dimensional in my home, but a flesh and blood man to those who knew and loved him. Part of me feels almost guilty in my grief, because my loss is nothing compared to what his family, friends and co-workers must be feeling. I will miss seeing the man on the screen, the man who informed, educated, and challenged me to think. He inspired, made me smile, and entertained. God bless you Tim, the world has lost a wonderful human being. It is Friday the 13th indeed. ]]> Katydyd http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/katydyd/59-farewell.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/pgm35/58-new-blog-updates.html Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:31:22 GMT [I]written for another blog but I just copied and pasted it here - hope you don't mind!!![/I]
Bout time for a new journal. First off, I want to apologize to every one of my friends on here that write journals. I haven't been commenting on them like I used to and for that I'm sorry. I do still read them all but I used to comment on all of them as well but haven't had the time to do that or I get sidetracked and then never get back to them.

I've been pretty busy at work lately so that has cut into my LN time. Also, had to reformat my hard drive and reload WinXP on the notebook/laptop so that affected my time on LN as well. Lastly, when reformatting the system, I lost my home software for AT&T DSL or High Speed or whatever it's called, and literally, my dog (D.Bo) ate the installation disk so I've been waiting for a replacement to arrive. I could pay to have one overnighted to me but thought free was fine so I sit and wait. That just means no surfing or LN time at home before and after work. I've been managing though!

Those who know me on LN might think I spend a lot of time here. Well, I usually get obsessed with something and then I'm hooked. Like crack (which I've never tried and would never try b/c I would get addicted!), that is what LN is like for me. Some say, I know everything LN. Haha! Well, thankfully, I have a new obsession. BTW - Mike's favorite saying is "Obsessed is what the Weak call the Dedicated. I never understood that until now!

What is this obsession, you are probably asking? Well, my new obsession is my diet and exercise. By diet, I mean the food I eat, not necessarily the "diet" I'm on. Very important difference there! Back in April - after the LN Golf tourney - I had 2 major things happen. One, I saw a picture of myself that I was not at all happy with, and Two, had my annual wellness/checkup doctor's appointment. Both made me realize that I was at my highest weight ever and I was at risk for lots of health related problems that I knew I had to get a handle on. So that week (of the dr's visit), I decided to cut calories (to 1200) and add more workout time to my schedule (an early morning workout). As simple as that for me. Once I set my mind to doing something, I work to get it done. I am not saying that the actual losing weight is simple, but my drive/desire to do something about it is what gets kick started and I continue until I get there. Since going to the gym in the evenings with Mike wasn't getting me what I needed as far as cardio goes, I started going to the gym at 4:30AM for an hour / hour & a half. It was tough at first but it's been 8 weeks now and it's now a habit for me. I even went this morning after having a few cocktails with Pope at Cool River last night. Obsession or dedication? Hmmm. LOL

Well, the reason for the update is just to let everyone know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth, that I'm still around and doing pretty good. So far, I've lost 20 lbs and spent a night last week trying on and discovering clothes that I own that I can fit into again! It's a terrific feeling! I haven't been doing many happy hours (until yesterday) as a way to stay away from temptation. I guess now I feel a little more confident that I won't slide back completely or throw out the plan with just one happy hour.

Other news, Buddy and D.Bo have been having issues again. They had a pretty major scuffle a month ago and Buddy got hurt pretty badly (torn ear) so we kept them separated for a while. After a few weeks, we tried to introduce them to each other again and another fight happened. Last night, Mike accidently let D.Bo out in the yard not knowing Buddy was out there and yes, another fight! We thought about giving D.Bo back to the rescue group but decided in the end, that we are going to work it out - mainly by keeping them apart from each other. When one is outside, the other is inside and vice versa. At least they both seem to be getting along with Jaxi alright. I can't imagine having to give D.Bo up - he's my baby! At the vet this morning, he suggested we try a dog trainer to see if she could possibly help out with our situation. We'll see how it goes.

Just remembered one more thing! I won my first ebay auction ever on Wed - I'm so excited! I ended up bidding on another item as well and won that one later in the day!

So that's the update Nation. Hope everyone is doing well!! ]]> PGM35 http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/pgm35/58-new-blog-updates.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/myrosiedog/57-lecture-part-6.html Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:14:17 GMT And speaking of frying, where would we be without the most basic kitchen essential, the cast iron skillet. It’s the most versatile of cooking implements and has been prized for hundreds of years by settlers, Native Americans and cooks all over the South. This particular one has been in my family for well over 120 years. It was a wedding gift to my great-grandmother in 1888 and was given to me as a wedding gift by a great-aunt in 1989. I use it almost daily and without a doubt is my most prized possession. It has been wielded by the sure hands of many of my forebears to delicious effect. And it is treated with the reverence of a delicate piece of china. Woe be to anyone that uses soap on my well seasoned skillet! Oh, a gift or purchase of a new skillet is a good thing to be sure, but the inheritance of a well loved and well used cast iron skillet is to receiving the blessing of all the cooks that have used it before. It carries a magic all of its own. For there is literally nothing that cannot be cooked in a crusty bottomed, well seasoned cast iron skillet. Our early ancestors valued them as well. The Indians traded for them, the early settlers and farmers used them to cook up the bounty of their land and when that bounty was scarce, when flour and lard were the only things left in the pantry, then the skillet was still the basis of a dinner of biscuits cooked in it. And they were good! But the best thing a cast iron skillet is good for is to fry something. We’re fried everything we could get our hands out. Lard was a staple just like flour and sugar and it was used prodigiously. The early African slaves brought with them the propensity for frying in oil. But even before that, the early explorers and settlers could season a rather bland meal by frying it in pig or bear grease.. Our heritage of fried foods was forged in the backwoods and in the slave kitchens and it has endured to this day. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at how Colonel Harlan Sanders and his chain of fried chicken restaurants have circled the globe. Fried chicken is now not only enjoyed in the South, but has even reached places like Tokyo thanks to KFC. But even before frying became the most popular form of cooking both our meat and vegetables, the Native Americans were smoking meat and teaching the settlers how to do it themselves. As early as the 18th century, “receipts” for barbeque included smoking a pig over a slow, smoky fire and basting it with a combination of wine, lemon juice and spices. Tomatoes were a very late arrival on the BBQ scene. Different styles of BBQ have developed over time and as I mentioned earlier can cause a deep rift as to sauces and even the type of meat that is smoked. Depending on the area of the South depends on whether you use a dry rub or a wet marinade, whether you use vinegar or mustard based sauce and even in some areas whether you use pork or beef. But predominantly in the South and particularly in the Carolinas, BBQ is pork! And today it’s not BBQ, if it’s not served with coleslaw and sweet tea. And a BBQ is also not a BBQ if it is not eaten in great quantities with lots of friends and family in attendance. This brings me to the point, that as Southerners we believe that our food brings us together, whether in happy times or as comfort to the ailing and the recently bereaved. No sooner has word gotten out of a loved ones arrival at the pearly gates than the casserole brigade begins arriving. When my grandmother passed, we had barely gotten back in the house from the hospital when the doorbell rang. In fact, my mother had put her purse down and walked into the bathroom and was yelling at us from there to answer the door. On the porch was an old friend with a rice casserole ready to offer the much needed comfort of Southern sympathy in the form of food. But here’s a secret: this friend was the wife of my grandmother’s doctor, so she had gotten word sooner than most, as she had an inside connection. Still whether it’s within the hour or over the course of several days, the steady parade of visitors bringing their best foods in their best dishes is the balm to the soul of a family in grief. While my own parents have been gone for many years and I truly do miss them, I have still not forgiven them (we do have long memories in the South) for depriving me, my siblings and family of the kindly bounty of caring friends and neighbors by opting not to have a funeral or visitation. We missed out on the stuffed eggs, pound cakes, potato salad and the many variations of the Campbell’s soup casseroles that arrive to sustain us through the arduous process of saying goodbye to our loved ones. And honestly nothing brings out the best in Southern cooks than tragedy, sickness, death and new babies. Minutes after Hurricane Charley had left us in ruins in SW Florida, I was in the kitchen whipping up food for those friends who suddenly had views of the big dipper from their living room sofas. And never underestimate what a Southern cook can whip up from a can of Vienna sausages, soda crackers and a can of cream of mushroom soup. We are nothing if not adaptable and creative. We’ve had to be. We’ve had close to 300 years of hardship, bad crops, wars, pestilence and famine. We’ve had to “make do” for a long time and we’re good at. In conclusion, while Southern food has sustained us in good and bad times, while it has forged a heritage unlike any other region of the country, it is still looked down on by many that just don’t understand it or us. But we don’t care, because we know that there is NOTHING else like the foods we grew up on, that our mother’s and grandmothers and ancestors cooked and handed down over the generations along with the wonderful stories that go along with them. It ties us to our roots and helps us fondly remember those that have gone on before us. And we are working on trying to educate the rest of the world about our food traditions. We have successfully exported many of them, like BBQ, Coca-Cola and Krispy Kreme donuts. But sadly, grits have not taken on like that triumvirate. I’ve had Coca-cola at the foot of the great pyramid in Egypt and in front of the Taj Mahal, but you cannot get grits in either of those places. So while we have sent Coca-cola, fried chicken and BBQ around the world, let’s hope that our heritage and proclivity for grits and sweet tea will not be far behind in the near future. And speaking of frying, where would we be without the most basic kitchen essential, the cast iron skillet. It’s the most versatile of cooking implements and has been prized for hundreds of years by settlers, Native Americans and cooks all over the South.
This particular one has been in my family for well over 120 years. It was a wedding gift to my great-grandmother in 1888 and was given to me as a wedding gift by a great-aunt in 1989. I use it almost daily and without a doubt is my most prized possession.
It has been wielded by the sure hands of many of my forebears to delicious effect.
And it is treated with the reverence of a delicate piece of china. Woe be to anyone that uses soap on my well seasoned skillet! Oh, a gift or purchase of a new skillet is a good thing to be sure, but the inheritance of a well loved and well used cast iron skillet is to receiving the blessing of all the cooks that have used it before. It carries a magic all of its own. For there is literally nothing that cannot be cooked in a crusty bottomed, well seasoned cast iron skillet.

Our early ancestors valued them as well. The Indians traded for them, the early settlers and farmers used them to cook up the bounty of their land and when that bounty was scarce, when flour and lard were the only things left in the pantry, then the skillet was still the basis of a dinner of biscuits cooked in it. And they were good!

But the best thing a cast iron skillet is good for is to fry something. We’re fried everything we could get our hands out. Lard was a staple just like flour and sugar and it was used prodigiously. The early African slaves brought with them the propensity for frying in oil. But even before that, the early explorers and settlers could season a rather bland meal by frying it in pig or bear grease.. Our heritage of fried foods was forged in the backwoods and in the slave kitchens and it has endured to this day. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at how Colonel Harlan Sanders and his chain of fried chicken restaurants have circled the globe. Fried chicken is now not only enjoyed in the South, but has even reached places like Tokyo thanks to KFC.

But even before frying became the most popular form of cooking both our meat and vegetables, the Native Americans were smoking meat and teaching the settlers how to do it themselves. As early as the 18th century, “receipts” for barbeque included smoking a pig over a slow, smoky fire and basting it with a combination of wine, lemon juice and spices. Tomatoes were a very late arrival on the BBQ scene. Different styles of BBQ have developed over time and as I mentioned earlier can cause a deep rift as to sauces and even the type of meat that is smoked. Depending on the area of the South depends on whether you use a dry rub or a wet marinade, whether you use vinegar or mustard based sauce and even in some areas whether you use pork or beef. But predominantly in the South and particularly in the Carolinas, BBQ is pork! And today it’s not BBQ, if it’s not served with coleslaw and sweet tea. And a BBQ is also not a BBQ if it is not eaten in great quantities with lots of friends and family in attendance.




This brings me to the point, that as Southerners we believe that our food brings us together, whether in happy times or as comfort to the ailing and the recently bereaved. No sooner has word gotten out of a loved ones arrival at the pearly gates than the casserole brigade begins arriving. When my grandmother passed, we had barely gotten back in the house from the hospital when the doorbell rang. In fact, my mother had put her purse down and walked into the bathroom and was yelling at us from there to answer the door. On the porch was an old friend with a rice casserole ready to offer the much needed comfort of Southern sympathy in the form of food. But here’s a secret: this friend was the wife of my grandmother’s doctor, so she had gotten word sooner than most, as she had an inside connection. Still whether it’s within the hour or over the course of several days, the steady parade of visitors bringing their best foods in their best dishes is the balm to the soul of a family in grief.


While my own parents have been gone for many years and I truly do miss them, I have still not forgiven them (we do have long memories in the South) for depriving me, my siblings and family of the kindly bounty of caring friends and neighbors by opting not to have a funeral or visitation. We missed out on the stuffed eggs, pound cakes, potato salad and the many variations of the Campbell’s soup casseroles that arrive to sustain us through the arduous process of saying goodbye to our loved ones.
And honestly nothing brings out the best in Southern cooks than tragedy, sickness, death and new babies.

Minutes after Hurricane Charley had left us in ruins in SW Florida, I was in the kitchen whipping up food for those friends who suddenly had views of the big dipper from their living room sofas. And never underestimate what a Southern cook can whip up from a can of Vienna sausages, soda crackers and a can of cream of mushroom soup. We are nothing if not adaptable and creative. We’ve had to be. We’ve had close to 300 years of hardship, bad crops, wars, pestilence and famine. We’ve had to “make do” for a long time and we’re good at.

In conclusion, while Southern food has sustained us in good and bad times, while it has forged a heritage unlike any other region of the country, it is still looked down on by many that just don’t understand it or us. But we don’t care, because we know that there is NOTHING else like the foods we grew up on, that our mother’s and grandmothers and ancestors cooked and handed down over the generations along with the wonderful stories that go along with them. It ties us to our roots and helps us fondly remember those that have gone on before us. And we are working on trying to educate the rest of the world about our food traditions. We have successfully exported many of them, like BBQ, Coca-Cola and Krispy Kreme donuts. But sadly, grits have not taken on like that triumvirate. I’ve had Coca-cola at the foot of the great pyramid in Egypt and in front of the Taj Mahal, but you cannot get grits in either of those places. So while we have sent Coca-cola, fried chicken and BBQ around the world, let’s hope that our heritage and proclivity for grits and sweet tea will not be far behind in the near future. ]]> myrosiedog http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/myrosiedog/57-lecture-part-6.html http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/myrosiedog/56-lecture-part-5.html Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:13:39 GMT Tomatoes have been another staple of the Southern diet and fried green tomatoes have become almost as much of an institution as grits have. However, I hate to burst ya’ll’s bubbles, but fried green tomatoes are NOT a Southern dish. The very first recipes that appeared in print for fried green tomatoes appeared in Northern and Midwestern newspapers around 1900. These recipes were attributed to Jewish immigrants and to the Pennsylvania Dutch. The first recipes for fried green tomatoes that appeared in Southern Newspapers didn’t appear until around 1920. Now I know many of you are saying, but we grew up eating these. I did too, but my grandmother was from Midwestern stock and was of Pennsylvania Dutch descent so that might explain why my family ate them so often. Too be sure that book and movie by Fannie Flagg in the 90’s broadened the popularity of those wonderfully tangy, green, battered slices and nowadays you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a restaurant, humble or upscale that doesn’t serve some form of them, but they are not an original Southern dish. Now that’s not to say that we didn’t enjoy them, because obviously we have adopted them as our own, but until the Great depression, fried green tomatoes were not as commonly known here as they were elsewhere. Tomatoes in their ripe form have graced the Southern table from way back, but were often just served sliced or stewed and with the rise of sliced bread, as a wonderful taste of summer in a tomato sandwich (made with Duke’s mayonnaise or course). The green tomato, though, has certainly received its share of fame and I like nothing better than a good fried green tomato (and who can resist anything battered and fried in bacon grease particularly if you were born south of the Mason Dixon line). But its humble beginnings were formed outside the South and like many foods we eat today were imported and again we claimed them as our own after a while. But rest assured we can take credit for such Southern delicacies as fried macaroni and cheese, fried Twinkies and snickers bars and the more recent and strangely intriguing fried Coca-Cola. Tomatoes have been another staple of the Southern diet and fried green tomatoes have become almost as much of an institution as grits have.

However, I hate to burst ya’ll’s bubbles, but fried green tomatoes are NOT a Southern dish. The very first recipes that appeared in print for fried green tomatoes appeared in Northern and Midwestern newspapers around 1900. These recipes were attributed to Jewish immigrants and to the Pennsylvania Dutch. The first recipes for fried green tomatoes that appeared in Southern Newspapers didn’t appear until around 1920. Now I know many of you are saying, but we grew up eating these. I did too, but my grandmother was from Midwestern stock and was of Pennsylvania Dutch descent so that might explain why my family ate them so often. Too be sure that book and movie by Fannie Flagg in the 90’s broadened the popularity of those wonderfully tangy, green, battered slices and nowadays you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a restaurant, humble or upscale that doesn’t serve some form of them, but they are not an original Southern dish. Now that’s not to say that we didn’t enjoy them, because obviously we have adopted them as our own, but until the Great depression, fried green tomatoes were not as commonly known here as they were elsewhere. Tomatoes in their ripe form have graced the Southern table from way back, but were often just served sliced or stewed and with the rise of sliced bread, as a wonderful taste of summer in a tomato sandwich (made with Duke’s mayonnaise or course). The green tomato, though, has certainly received its share of fame and I like nothing better than a good fried green tomato (and who can resist anything battered and fried in bacon grease particularly if you were born south of the Mason Dixon line). But its humble beginnings were formed outside the South and like many foods we eat today were imported and again we claimed them as our own after a while.
But rest assured we can take credit for such Southern delicacies as fried macaroni and cheese, fried Twinkies and snickers bars and the more recent and strangely intriguing fried Coca-Cola. ]]> myrosiedog http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/blogs/myrosiedog/56-lecture-part-5.html