NaBloPoMo

You Suggested. I Answered.

/ Ally Bean / 10 Comments

Yesterday I didn’t know what to talk about.  And then you came to my rescue…

•  Zazzy of zazamataz.com suggested that I “post more photos of your pretty area.”

I like that idea… except that it is gray and rainy today.  And quite frankly, if you’ve seen one bleak midwestern day, you’ve seen them all.  So I’ll do that when the sun shines again.

•  Katie of slow down & savor suggested that I could “always use a silly #NaBloPoMo prompt from the BlogHer website.”

If I were a more rational person I’d do that.  My problem with those prompts is that all they seem to do is make my mind go completely blank.  They remind me of a sinister essay test question—  which is going to count for 90% of my grade.  And true to form, when I see them I immediately have nothing to say.  My ability to think & write vanishes.

•  Kristen of Kristen Loves Design suggested, among other things, that I “talk about my favorite color.”

Naturally, me being me, I don’t have one favorite color.  I like all of them– depending on the shade.  So, for instance, I like crimson red [not tomato red];  pumpkin orange [not football team orange];  lemon yellow [not neon yellow];  kiwi green [not kelly green];  denim blue [not baby blue];  plummy purple [not royal purple];  mahogany brown [not mustardy brown];  warm gray [not purplish gray];  golden or greenish white [not pinkish or taupe white];  and greenish black [not bluish black].

•  Margaret of Stargazer suggested, among other things, that I “could do a book review of a book I’ve recently read that I hated or loved.”

Under normal circumstances I’d be delighted to do that.  But the reality is that I’ve stopped reading during the month of November because all my free time has gone into NaBloPoMo.  Doing this project has become a part-time job for me and uses up my daily allotment of wordiness.

•  Laura of Team Tantrum suggested, in her own quiet way, that posting a “declaration of quit” is always an option.

I agree with her as a matter of fact.  There’s no indignity in not making it through the entire month.  Sometimes just giving something new a go is all that one needs to do— to learn what he or she needs to know about something.

Does This Never End?

/ Ally Bean / 10 Comments

I’m bummed.

I thought that Tuesday was the last day of November… and that would be the last day on which I would need to post something here on my sweet little bloggy.  But I was wrong.

Apparently, November continues on until Wednesday this year.  Humph.

Okay.  Quick show of hands: who can’t read the calendar?

Knowing that I have miscalculated the end of this NaBloPoMo project and that I have nothing worthy of note to say on Sunday, worries me.  If it is this difficult for me to find something to talk about today, then whatever will I blather on about tomorrow?  And the next two days after that?!

I guess that we’ll all find out together, won’t we?

Because right now, I haven’t a clue.

…Whose dumb idea was it to do this anyhow?

Yesterday’s Turkey Is Today’s Soup

/ Ally Bean / 4 Comments

My mother was a very good cook.  Not a chef mind you.  A cook.

I have her cookbook of all sorts of practical, yummy recipes.  Mom got most of her recipes from magazines and from the newspaper– then tweaked them.

Here is one of Mom’s recipes.  I have no idea of the original source, but do know that this makes a very tasty, rather healthy soup.

Enjoy!

Split Pea Soup With Ham & Turkey

2 carrots (or more)

2 celery stalks

1 medium size onion

2 small turnips (or use cabbage)

1-16 oz. package of dry green split peas

2 Tablespoons salad oil (or less)

1/4 lb cooked ham, diced

2 teaspoons salt (or omit entirely)

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon cumin (more or less depending on preference)

8 cups water

1 lb cooked turkey cut into 1/2 inch pieces

###

1.  Dice carrots and celery.  Chop onion.  Peel and dice turnips (or chop cabbage if using that instead of turnips).  Rinse peas with cold water and discard any stones or shriveled ones.

2.  In pot with salad oil in it– over medium heat– cook carrots, celery, onion and turnips (or cabbage) until tender crisp.  Stir in peas, ham, allspice, bay leaf, cumin and the water.  Over high heat cook to boiling.  Reduce temperature to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes.

3.  Stir in turkey.  Cook 10-15 minutes longer to blend flavors.

Makes 6 main dish servings (huge) or 8 soup servings (normal size)

###

[FYI, when I make this recipe I use cabbage, half the recommended amount of salt, and triple the amount of cumin.  But you do whatever suits your fancy.]

[Also, in recent years I’ve made this soup substituting leftover rotisserie chicken from the grocery for the turkey.  I’m sure that Mom would approve.]