Tuesday, May 25, 2010

There's an upside / or Am I just nuts?

I've been wishing someone would put an ice pick through my head stoically enduring a migraine for the last several days, and last night while laying in bed and praying for the life-saving pain injection to kick in, I realized something...

While a multitude of brain cells are busy dying from the agonizing pain - or at least going on an extended holiday to a land far far away ... the other brain cells, freed from their chronic over-crowdedness, kick into high gear.
And I think stuff.
Deep stuff.

Like I ponder the meaning of Grateful Dead songs.
(Which keep running through my brain like an old 8-track tape... and it brings back memories of John Pierce who kissed like an angel, but he only owned one tape... so I had to leave him. Fickle 16 year old that I was, I left him for a guy with missing teeth, but who had a GTO with a killer stereo, and an extensive 8-track library.
(So now you know how incredibly shallow I was in my youth. Not to mention how old I actually am.)

And in the depths of my deep thinkin', I wondered if Jerry Garcia actually wrote "Truckin'" just for me, somehow knowing that in the years to come, it might somehow strike, or re-strike a chord, and help me make the decision to move back home....
Well, I've already made that decision, (to move back home, I mean) and I've already set things in motion, with cheaply upgrading the kitchen and bathroom, and getting some outside work as well as landscaping done, so I can get the best price for this place.
Because the more I make, the better off I'll be.

So since the whole "Truckin" thing was kind of redundant, with me having already made the decision and all anyway... it kind of lead me to thinking about Cherry Garcia ice cream.

And since the nearest purveyor of Ben and Jerry's is miles and miles away from here, and I have no hope in he** of getting any any time soon...in my migraine pain and drug-induced stupor, my mind turned to other foods.

Namely blogs that feature food.
Lots of food.... as in recipes for a large family.

Like Pioneer Woman Cooks.
And Modern Day Ozzie and Harriet.

And I had an epiphany.

I've tried recipes from all over the place and have found a lot of favorites... but when it comes to 'down home cookin', I always seem to gravitate back to those 2 women on a semi-regular basis.

And those 2 women frustrate me.

Because, in spite of the yumminess and deliciousness of their recipes, and the prettiness of the food they cook... and no matter how much I may love them... I always wonder how anyone could cook and eat some of those foods, and still have the bodies of 18 year old girls.

And then the penny dropped.
They cook for crowds.

With PW, it's 6 people, plus the occasional guest or two or six...
And with Marjie, it's 11 all up... When all the kids are all home at the same time anyway.

So stuff like heart attack potatoes, fried mozzarella sticks, or cakes and pies isn't really as bad as you think, when the recipe or meal is being divided up a dozen ways.
And those gals would be lucky to get a mouthful at a time, so it's no wonder they look like they do.

Unfortunately, when I cook, there's just me, and occasionally the Old Guy... so I end up with a lot of leftovers that I really don't want, but which I feel morally obligated to eat over the course of a few days.
Or toss 'em in the freezer for later.
And since the freezer is outside.... well, you got it.

I eat it.

See, I taught my kids to cook at an early age.
They were told to find a recipe in one of my 1,000's of cherished cookbooks, give me the list of ingredients - which I would then buy - and then once a week, they each would cook dinner for the entire family.
Which meant that after me working 2 jobs, 6 days a week, I could have at least 3 nights off from preparing dinner. And they would gain necessary life skills.
Smart woman, eh?

Now with the recipes, they were always told that they needed to follow the recipes exactly - at least the first time. After getting an idea of how the recipe was actually meant to be, they could later tweak it a bit to suit themselves.
Exchange ingredients... add less or more of something... cut the recipe in half, etc.
I mean I drilled this into their sweet little developing heads.
And they got it.

However, I completely forgot about that rule... so when I make Chicken Spaghetti or some such, I still make enough to literally feed an army of hungry eaters. Even if it's just me and the Old Guy.
And I never think to cut the recipe in half.

So the thought of too much food led me right back to thoughts of Ben and Jerry's... and appreciating the fact that Cherry Garcia comes in cute little one person sized tubs.
Even if I can't locate any.

Which led me right back to the lyrics of "Truckin'.

And then wonder of wonders... on Face Book this morning, Robynn's (Robynn's Ravings) update was:

Sometimes the lights all shinin' on me,
Other times I can barely see,
Lately it occurs to me......What a long, strange trip it's been.

Which explains where my missing brain cells went to.

Robynn, could you send them back?

I might need them again...
Eventually anyway.

Feel free to use 'em in the meantime though... okay?

19 comments:

pam said...

Wow. This post kind of went all over the place, didn't it! I hope you're feeling better. I still cook as if all my kiddies are home to, but before I even serve it, I portion of two lunch servings and pop them in the freezer. How else would I know when to stop eating?

Tatersmama said...

Pam, it's all over the place because the brain cells still have more room to bounce around in, I think...lol!

Nancy M. said...

I hope your head is feeling better! It's interesting to think everyone once in a while, lol! I would have picked the guy with the cool car and the music too!

Katidids said...

HAHAHAHAH! I want some of your pain meds!

Alison G said...

How funny that you mentioned Ben and Jerry's! We don't get it in Austria, but I was in Germany a couple of weeks ago and just happened to see it in a grocery store there. Unfortunately, we had no way of transporting it back without it melting so I had to walk right past it :-(

Momlady said...

I empathize(sp?) re: the migraine. Luckily acupuncture took care of that for me. Haven't had any since I was 19 (a VERY long time ago). As for the cooking, I wish they would come out with a cookbook for one. Feel better soon....

HermitJim said...

I always get a grin after reading your post!

Sorry about the headache, but since I don't ever get one, it's hard to really know how they are!

Food is always a very short distance from my front thinking parts of the brain (or what I have that passes for one)!

Hope you get to feeling better soon!

Kerry O'Gorman said...

I had a migraine for 3 days which basically turns me into a vampire...no light PLEASE! If I had read this post while in my sufferage, I probably would have felt better...you know...laughter being the best medicine and all...cheers for that...by the way...my sister had a boyfriend with a GTO and LOTS of 8 tracks too...

farmlady said...

What kind of pain meds are you taking? This is better than Morphine.
What a "trip".
If you don't do some writing for the local newspaper or send some of your stories away to magazines when you get back here, you will have missed your calling.
Your amazing...

Tami said...

I love the way your brain jopped from one thing to another and made a complete circle. I do that frequently, myself. Thanks for the comment on our blog (Just One More Thing...) I will be checking back to your blog regularly.

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Oh, my...Kate, you are priceless!!! What a pair you and Robynn are!!! Side-splittin' funny!!! Loved this as I have suffered and found myself with crazy stream-of-consciousness stuff, too!! But nothing as entertaining as yours! You are a classic...I love it! Love, Janine XO

Marjie said...

Well, I still have my 8 tracks...AND a car with an 8 track player...AND a living room stereo with an 8 track player that gets killer radio reception. So that's how old the Modern Day Harriet is (Ozzie's older). And the real secret? Lots of chocolate desserts, because I only eat the real stuff, of the most expensive variety. Otherwise I'd weigh at least half a ton.

And when my head won't stop splitting, I take 2 advil AND 2 tylenol at the same time. Sometimes it even works. My dentist said it's OK.

Robynn's Ravings said...

I can't believe I have been gone SO MUCH I haven't seen this post until RIGHT NOW! And do you think it's weird that I think this post was very organized and made perfect sense? It must be because I have your brain cells and you have mine! Something happened between us when we met. I knew we shouldn't have touched!

And I'm WITH you on your epiphany on the cooking. I had to swear an oath to myself that I would never make that chocolate sheet cake or Grandma Iny's cake (of PW's) unless I was leaving the house with it! There's like FOUR CUPS of SUGAR in them dang things. Unfortunately, I DO EAT WHAT I COOK!

Just keep truckin'. :)

Linda said...

I think it is great that you can deep think that way, I think sometimes I am nearly at the end, and it all fades away lol.

Taste have a cooking for 1 or 2 collection.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/collections/cooking+for+1+or+2

Linda said...

I will have to look Jerry Garcia up.

http://remotetreechanger.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-favourite-trucking-songs.html

Linda said...

Too deep for me right now. I may try again later.

http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/36355/

Sniffles and Smiles said...

I hope you are feeling better! You're in my thoughts!!! Have a wonderful weekend, Kate! Love, Janine XO

The W.O.W. factor! said...

Yup! You are still as crazy as ever~ too much coffee??? Naw....that could never happen! Thanks my Dear Lady Tatie Katie for prodding me! Glad you found my facebook...since I only did that to keepp up with my kids....
...coffee? Cold is fine too!

Joolz said...

8-track? What's an 8-track?? Nah, just kidding, even I'm old enough to remember (just). My sister's boyfriend had one in his panel van!
Oh my, head on over to Pee-Dubs for her Tequila-Lime Chicken with all the fixin's (wrapped in tortillas with her salsa, jack cheese and black re-fried beans, avocado and sour cream). Dear Lord!

Cheers - Joolz

PS: Keep on Truckin'


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