Archive for May, 2011

F IS FOR FOG

Written by Rocky Mountain Woman on May 25, 2011 – 12:02 pm -

This post is part of Jenny Matlock’s Alphabet Thursday.

For more fabulous “F” posts, click here http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/

Posted in She Shoots | 29 Comments »

This is the best damned sandwich I ever ate (excuse my French)

Written by Rocky Mountain Woman on May 20, 2011 – 6:05 am -

So, it is Twin Peaks night again in my neighborhood and I needed to come up with something to eat from the show. I’m a little short on time today so I decided to make brie sandwiches based on the following quote. Jerry had just gotten back to Twin Peaks from France:

JERRY (CONTINUED)
Brother Ben, this is the best damn sandwich I
ever ate, it’s a baguette, with brie and butter, had
four of these damn things every day I was there.
(he reaches in and finds another one)
Got a couple left – here, try one

I love that show! Again, I repeat, don’t judge me, I live in a very small town…

Anyhow, here’s how I made them.

Ingredient list

yep, that’s it, Brie, Butter and Baguettes

Start by slicing the baguettes lengthwise

Spread softened butter all over the bread

peel all the rind off the brie (if you stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes, this will be easier)

cut the brie into pieces and spread it on the bread

Close up the sandwich and place it on a baking sheet

bake it in a 350 degree oven until the cheese melts and the bread crisps up (about 10 to 15 minutes)

slice and place in a basket with a tea towel to keep it warm until you can get to your neighbor’s house

or maybe just sit in your truck for a few minutes and eat a piece or two (just to make sure that it tastes ok)

 Print This Recipe Posted in She Cooks | 26 Comments »

EAT, PRAY, LOVE

Written by Rocky Mountain Woman on May 18, 2011 – 12:00 pm -

This post is in honor of the letter “E” and part of Jenny Matlock’s Alphabet Thursday. For more entertaining “E” posts, please click here http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/

Here’s the thing. Typically, I try to stay away from reading books that are on the NYT Best Seller’s list because I’m kind of a rebel. I don’t enjoy books that spend weeks or months on the best sellers’ lists because I’m weird and don’t usually like what other people like.

So, when my book club decided to read “Eat, Pray, Love”, I let out a little groan and rolled my eyes. They ignored me , and decided to read it anyway.

I thought I would try and read the whole thing in one weekend to get it over with as fast as I could. The first few chapters were exactly what I thought they would be, a rich spoiled woman moaning about getting divorced and getting dumped by her boyfriend. Boo hoo! I’ve been through far worse things than that and I didn’t run off to Italy to lick my wounds. Grow up!

But, as I continued reading, I started to feel a kinship with the author. Her feelings about love, marriage, food, religion, etc., were very much the same feelings I had. Our values are similar. And the author has the ability to write in a way that made me understand what she was going through.

But, what clinched it for me was a part of the book about words. A friend of hers had brought up the idea that everyone and every place had a word that described them. For example, he thought that the word for Rome was “sex”. He asked her what her word was and she wasn’t quite sure, but later in the book she decided her word was “antevasin”. I sat there for a while, sipping wine (of course) and thinking about that word. An antevasin is someone who lives on the edge or the border of two worlds, while looking toward the unknown wilderness.

Elizabeth Gilbert comments in the book, that in this modern world the place between the unknown forest and border of the known would have to be figurative, but I actually do live on the border of the unknown world in that shimmering place where one can always be seeking to learn something new. I live on the edge of the wilderness with one foot in civilization and one foot in the forest.

It occurred to me that I did exactly what Ms. Gilbert did when faced with a traumatic life experience. When my husband died, I started looking to the unknown and searching for my border, my spot at the end of the known world and when I found it, I snapped it right up.

This place has given me the peace and quiet and solitude I needed to heal from more than one loss and I am so grateful to God that I found it.

When Ms. Gilbert’s friend first asked her what her “word” was, I sat and tried to come up with a word to describe me, and what popped into my head immediately was “sad”. But, I think I’ve traveled past there and I have come out on the other side as an antevasin. I certainly don’t know all the answers or understand the “big picture”, but I am on a quest to learn as much as I can while I still have the capability to do so.

I also think I need to go on a little trip of my own! I can’t afford to go to Italy, India and Indonesia, but I can probably scrape up enough cash to fill my diesel truck and go to California, Washington and Oregon…Time for a road trip, baby!

But first, I’m heading to the Big Easy for the New Orleans Food & Wine Festival next weekend! I’m planning on taking some cooking classes and doing some wine and champagne tastings, so I’ll be sure to take lots of notes and give you a full report sometime later in the summer.

No matter where we live or what our circumstances, we all can continue to learn.

If you haven’t read the book, do so. You’ll be glad you did!

Stop and think about it for a minute, what’s your word? What one word describes you at this point in your life?

Xxoo,

RMW

Posted in She Loves | 33 Comments »