Ramblin' Darlin'

Sometimes you just wanna ramble!

This post really has no finite point to it.  I have my days and nights in a whirl, and although I had gotten my sleep schedule back on track several weeks ago it seems as though again I'm spending more time awake and less time asleep!  I'm not sure what made this pop into my mind at 1am, but for some reason or another "The Galloping Gourmet" crossed my mind, and I decided that tonight, being good a night as any to fix this debacle I have with sleep at the moment, I would watch re-runs of Graham Kerr leaping tables- wine glass in hand!  If you haven't ever had the pleasure of watching this dashingly handsome comedian/chef then PLEASE DO!  When I was a kid my mom and I would watch "The Galloping Gourmet" together, and then I would pretend to have a cooking show of my own.  I love to cook.  Sometimes my concoctions turn out grand and other times the only person that will eat them is my husband- good thing he isn't a picky eater!  lol.    I told you this post would be nothing but rambles lol.  I'm on the 15th or so episode of "The Galloping Gourmet", and he is making treacle tart.  Maybe I'll try making a recipe or two of his.  I just watched him prepare a beer braised roast, and it 'looked mouth wateringly delicious- then I remembered I want to become a vegetarian.  Darn.  Maybe I could use the word "vegetarian" loosely.  I love scrambled eggs, can I eat eggs and still be a vegetarian?  Also earlier this evening I thought to myself how much I love smoked sausage, and this dish my family makes called "Cabin Mix".  I named it.  Not a very fancy name, but none the less a name- that describes the dish perfectly.  You see my family has a cabin, and for as long as I can remember we've gone there for mini holiday's (I'm typing this and speaking in a British accent- mostly because Graham Kerr has a lovely accent lol), and lots of other occasions- and not occasions.  Any who, at the cabin we eat.  That's pretty much what we do the entire time unless the weather is nice and then we either go swimming or go into town to do a little bit of shopping (I say little, because there are really very few shops).  We cook lots of different dishes at the cabin, but one dish in particular we created, together.  It's really easy, and after many trials the dish finally took shape, and now, years later, we still enjoy it together- not just at the cabin.  You take red potatoes, carrots, green peppers, onions, squash, zucchini, grape tomatoes, smoked sausage, butter, broth or water, and Mrs. dash and cook all that deliciousness together until the potatoes are soft and the flavors have come together beautifully in the sauce.  You can cook it in the crock pot (which is my favorite way when I'm at home), or over a campfire which is how this dish began.  You used to be able to get these big tin foil bags and we would toss all the ingredients together (and we used to add chicken which you can do, but you'll have to be a bit more specific as far as cooking times go), and put the bags into our campfire.  I'd say that was the best way to eat it.  Eating it outside on our porch at our cabin in the middle of the woods, smelling the warm summer air (you see the cabin is in a remote area that you can't really travel to in the winter), watching the sun go down behind the mountains and trees while everyone is either gathered around the fire, setting with you at the old picnic table, or setting inside enjoying re-runs of Andy Griffith or listening to some good old music from the civil war era (or possibly the nearly worn out copy of the soundtrack to Dirty Dancing).  The cabin is amazing.  No phone.  No wifi.  No cable.  My parents actually went to the cabin for their honey moon :) so romantic.  I think my god parents may have went there as well for their honey moon.  My husband and I went to Florida, and spent the week on the beach in Daytona and topped off the vacation with a trip to Disney!  Although our very first trip together was to the cabin.  :)  When you go to the cabin it's tradition to sign your names and write the dates you stayed there inside the frames of the doors, but seeing as how the cabin is gosh... probably close to 50 years old or more, you can imagine we're running out of space!  We've added a few wooden plaques to sign, but I'm pretty sure we've signed the ceilings and maybe even started on the walls.  I'm sure one day when my kids bring their children to the cabin every inch of the place will be grafiti'd with memories of wonderful trips.  My favorite part of the signing of the walls is looking back at all the times we've been there together, all of us, my whole family.  I love seeing my mom's handwriting; she always added if the weather was nice or not :).  She was a fabulous lady.  Well I suppose this was enough ramblings for one night.