Shopping Around the World

 This month we are highlighting items that you are known for.   This is easy.  Mom is *known* for her cornbread.  Here in the south, cornbread is an important side to any meal.  And some of you friends have asked how mom does her cornbread.  So without further ado, here it goes 🙂 – take it away mom!

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The ingredients to my cornbread are very simple.  In the south, you will find several different versions of cornbread – some with sugar, some with corn, some with jalapenos – the list goes on.  You can make it anything you want in a cornbread.  We often serve cornbread with chili, soups or good old Sunday dinner.  This is a recipe that I tweaked from my family that is so simple.  Here is what you will need:

Two large eggs ($0.26); three strips of bacon ($1.00); a cup of milk ($0.40); a cup of cornmeal ($0.40); and melted butter ($0.20) = total $2.26

AND if you have one (being in the south we have several in different sizes), you need a small iron skillet.

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Turn on your over to 350 degrees to preheat.  Take the 3 strips of bacon and cut them in small pieces (sometimes we use more – depends on who you are making it for).  Put your iron skillet on the stove on medium and fry the bacon.  Once the bacon is done, remove the bacon to the side and put in your butter.  Let all of this melt together – the butter and the bacon grease.  Trust me, you will love the taste of this when the cornbread is finished.

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Now, take your milk and eggs and mix them together.  Slowly merge together the flour with salt/pepper and add the cooked crumbled up bacon.  The batter is going to be in a thick consistency – that is what you are looking for.  Now, take your batter and pour it into your HOT skillet.  You should hear a sizzle.  That is the sound you want to hear.  Once the batter is in your HOT skillet, place your skillet in the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes.

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At 30 minutes, take your skillet out and your cornbread should pop right out of your skillet into a plate.  Serve slathered in butter or crumble up in your soups/chili.  The inside will be moist and hot.  And while you are eating, you will enjoy the buttery bacon taste.  Please try one and let me know what you think.

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Here in the south, we even take a cold glass of buttermilk and crumble our cornbread in it for a meal.

 

Dear Bacon

Dear Bacon – I don’t understand.  I think I need help.  You see.  Every time I smile, my eyes crossed.  I’ve tried holding my face straight.  I’ve tried closing my eyes and opening them at the last minute.  I’ve tried even holding my breath.  Nothing works.  This is the look I get every single time.  What in the world am I doing wrong?  Can you help?  Signed Happy Cross Eyes.

Dear Happy Cross Eyes – You know my friend, sometimes life throws us twists and turns. It’s how we handle these mountains and curves that makes us who we are.  Instead of dwelling on your look, embrace it my friend.  Not everyone can look as happy as you.  I would market that look – just think of your face and smile on coffee cups, calendars, posters – the possibilities are endless – and so is the money.  Make it work my friend. And do me a favor when you hit it big – remember this little oinker that believed in YOU!

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Dear Bacon – Do you need a kiss?  Cause I’m here for YOU my sexy little piggy.  When my human asked me what I wanted to be this year for Halloween, I knew.  A kiss just for YOU.  You help all of these people in the world and I want to help you.  What do you say?  You wanna dress up with me?  Signed Chocolate Kisses

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Dear Chocolate Kisses – What can I say?  That’s a proposition that I just can’t turn down.  And why would I, right?  So I tell you what I’m going to do.  I’m going to get mommy to dress me up as a giant peanut butter cup … cause you know chocolate and peanut butter go together, right?  I’ll keep you posted on my outfit okay.  Until then, Happy Halloween..

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Dear Bacon – There we were hanging out in the house having a great time while the humans were away.  Yaki – he might have drunk too much.  That brother of mine – he can’t hold his milk like he used to do in the old days.  This is how the humans found us.  Of course, they thought exactly what you are thinking, that I was dunking his head in the throne.  Nah, I wouldn’t do that to Yaki.  I was holding his ears back while he was throwing up.  See, I’m the nice guy.  Signed Teri and Yaki

Dear Teri and Yaki – I am shocked and somewhat astonished – perhaps even surprised.  I will admit it.  I did think you were baptizing him in the water.  I was wrong for sure.  That is very nice of you to help your brother out of a bad situation.  I say bravo and well done.  I think you may even get the big brother of the year award..

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Dear Bacon – Aaww crappers!  There I was sunning myself in the open air minding my own business. I must have fell asleep.  I was so warm and content.  Then when I woke up, I was stuck on a rock and was in a hard place.  The water had went down and I literally was wobbling there.  The only thing I could move were my feet and head.  I wobbled forward.  I wobbled backwards.  Finally, I rocked enough that I fell into the water.  Trust me – you don’t want to do this.  Signed Wobbles

Dear Wobbles – oh my friend.  I’m so glad you were finally able to wobble off that rock.  I can just imagine how you would feel stuck there.  And you are right – this pot belly does not want to be stuck on a rock and hard place.  Take care my friends.

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Dear Bacon – Why do humans want to dress us anipals up this time of the year?  Can you answer that for me please.  I mean I get it that they want to dress up, go door to door and have parties.  But, why us anipals?  Why do we have to get pulled in to their hysteria?  Let us stay at home alone and do our thing.  Cause what the humans don’t understand it that we will party our own way, am I right?  Signed Ted in Disguise

Dear Ted in Disguise – AMEN!  You said it perfectly.  Yes I agree that the humans don’t understand that we will celebrate this Halloween holiday in our own right.  Let them go out and do their thing – we will do our thing.  Take for instance me.  This little oinker has worked all month long on my 31 Days of Spook.  By Halloween, I’m going to be exhausted and barely moving.  When the humans go out for the night, I’m hitting the big bed, turning on the big television, setting the Select Comfort to around 65 and that’s where you will find me snoozing and snoring.  Is it Halloween yet?  Have fun on your night my friend.  And let me tell you something – I think you are dressed up enough with those glasses.  I love them!

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REMEMBER my friends – Dear Bacon can’t happen without YOU.  Please keep sending your letters and pictures to my email address. 

 

Shopping Around the World

My friend Fozzie and I have scheduled a group posting today of Shopping Around the World.   We thought it would be interesting to see the differences between different countries all over.Here are our prices for the following from our area – Georgia USA.

 Items to price this month:

• Milk.  Mom usually buys 1/2 gallon store brand which lately has been on sale for $1.00
• Tomatoes.  Mom loves Roma tomatoes.  They are small but meaty.  She bought some for the dinner at $1.29 a pound – that was about 4 tomatoes.
• Canned Product.  Black beans.  How could you possibly go wrong with black beans – especially when you can buy store brand for a $1.00 a can.  Mom bought two cans for the meal.
• Homemade Dish.  Jalapeno Cornbread with Black Beans 🙂 yum – see below
• Random Item of your choice.  Jalapeno.  Mom bought one very large one and it only cost $0.69 the day she was at the market.

 Okay my friends.  Mommy went easy – really easy on this month’s Shopping Around the World – go mom!  She was able to combine all of her prices and items into the Homemade Dish – which is one of our favorites here at the Hotel Thompson.

Jalapeno Cornbread made with with a diced up Jalapeno (according to taste how much you throw in), cup of milk, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 cup of cornmeal and shredded cheddar cheese.  We have a small iron skillet that will serve four slices of cornbread.  Mix ingredients, except for shredded cheddar cheese, and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  When done turn over skillet onto a plate and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Black Beans with tomatoes, diced Jalapeno’s and diced red onions. So easy here – snorts.  Open store bought black beans and heat over the stove on medium heat.  Add a little chicken broth (or whatever broth you have on hand), diced Jalapenos (to taste for heat) and diced tomatoes.  When bubbles, turn down to low and stir.

When bread is ready, spoon black beans into bowl and top with more diced tomatoes.  Mom even added some cilantro into the mix this date.  A meal made for a king and queen.  Filling and hot for a cold rainy night that we seem to be having a LOT of lately.  Happy eats my friends.

Oh… and this entire meal when you break it down ends up to be around less than $6.00 for two people.

I hope you had fun my friends with this month’s edition of Shopping Around the World.  Hope to see you shopping soon!

 

Shopping Around the World – REMINDER

Me and my pal Fozzie started Shopping Around the World in April 2014.  This has become a huge hit and we all want to know if we are paying more or less than everyone else – snorts.

We are going to do it again this month on – Friday, March 27th.

Do a posting on your blog linked back to mine.  That way we can keep track of all of the different prices.  It should be interesting to see the differences between.  Mark your calendar so you can do a posting with us.

List what is your favorite of the items we are pricing.  

Items to price this month:

• Milk.  It seems like milk has sky rocketed lately.  Have you noticed this?  Post what size/product and price you buy.
• Tomatoes.  A lot of us are not as fortunate to have a garden out back these days.  What are the prices of tomatoes in your area/what kind do you buy?
• Canned Product.  This could be anything that you use.  What is it and the price.
• Homemade Dish.  Okay this is a twist my friends.  A lot of us prepare homemade meals on Sunday – especially here in the South.  Tell us what it costs.  What do you prepare?  It could be as simple as a potluck to a lasagna.  Tell us all about it.
• Random Item of your choice.

NOTE:  Canned product and random item choice can be put together in your homemade dish.  Just tell us all about it – description and prices.  Can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with in their choices.

Hope too see you here on March 27th!

 

Shopping Around the World – Mark Your Calendars

Me and my pal Fozzie started Shopping Around the World in April 2014.  This has become a huge hit and we all want to know if we are paying more or less than everyone else – snorts.

We are going to do it again this month on – Friday, March 27th.

Do a posting on your blog linked back to mine.  That way we can keep track of all of the different prices.  It should be interesting to see the differences between.  Mark your calendar so you can do a posting with us.

List what is your favorite of the items we are pricing.  

Items to price this month:

• Milk.  It seems like milk has sky rocketed lately.  Have you noticed this?  Post what size/product and price you buy.
• Tomatoes.  A lot of us are not as fortunate to have a garden out back these days.  What are the prices of tomatoes in your area/what kind do you buy?
• Canned Product.  This could be anything that you use.  What is it and the price.
• Homemade Dish.  Okay this is a twist my friends.  A lot of us prepare homemade meals on Sunday – especially here in the South.  Tell us what it costs.  What do you prepare?  It could be as simple as a potluck to a lasagna.  Tell us all about it.
• Random Item of your choice.

NOTE:  Canned product and random item choice can be put together in your homemade dish.  Just tell us all about it – description and prices.  Can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with in their choices.

Hope too see you here on March 27th!

 

Muahahahah

 

Happy Weekend

HAPPY WEEKEND my dear friends.  Do you have anything planned?  What are you doing?  I think we have errands to run tomorrow.  I’m going to see if I can persuade mom if I can tag along for some of them.  It should be a blast.  So if you see a little blue Smart car in a drive thru or on the road somewhere, check the back for me.  I’ll be the piggy oinking and snorting.  I would wave but you know I have short legs – snorts.

But I do want to leave you with something to think about this weekend. I saw this in the kitchen the other day and snagged a picture.  Mommy said it was milk.  Let me tell you something – I want to see the size of the cow that filled these little cups with milk.  OMP (oh my pig!)  Do you see the size of this milk bottle?  That’s about the right size of it too in the picture.  Was it a mini-cow?  And how long did it take to fill those cups? Remind me that I don’t want *that* job.

Have an awesome day and weekend!!

 

Shopping Around the World

My friend Fozzie and I have scheduled a group posting today of Shopping Around the World.   We thought it would be interesting to see the differences between different countries all over.

Here are our prices for the following from our area – Georgia USA:

• Loaf of bread – $1.00 on sale or $1.99 if not on sale
• Gallon of milk – $3.09
• Dozen eggs – $1.79
• Gas per gallon – $3.61
• Movie ticket – $1.50 at the cheap theater or $9.50 at the luxury theater (my mom/dad haven’t decided if the ‘cheap tickets’ are worth it.  Last time they went, they thought they were going to have to get the jaws of life to get them out of the seats made for children – snorts)
• At the movies, how much are the concessions? – $20.00 easy – Bucket of popcorn/2 drinks (at either place – the cheaper theatre or the luxury theater).
• McDonald’s cheeseburger – $1.00 for a plain one or $3.49 for the Big Mac
• Jar of peanut butter – Store brand $1.88 for small jar or name brand $4.99 or higher!
• A can of Fancy Feast cat food – $.69 each!

Are you surprised at any of the prices above?  Do tell.

 

Shopping Around the World – Don’t Forget My Friends

My friend Fozzie and I were talking the other night about shopping prices from around the world and how different they are.  Don’t forget to do your posting tomorrow,  Wednesday, April 30, 2014.  Post what you can – have fun!

It should be interesting to see the differences between different countries all over.  Show your prices for the following:

• Loaf of bread
• Gallon of milk
• Dozen eggs
• Gas per gallon
• Movie ticket
• At the movies, how much are the concessions?
• McDonald’s cheeseburger
• Jar of peanut butter
• A can of Fancy Feast cat food

Come join the fun of Shopping Around the World – mark your calendars Wednesday, April 30, 2014.

And work with the list however you can.  If you don’t have gallons, show what you do have.  Have fun my friends and I’ll see you tomorrow!

 

25 Days of Christmas Cards – Day 24