Smithy

Thanks. That sounds like a good, rather classic combination except possibly for cooking it all together in a slow cooker. (I'll have to try that!) Did you make up the name? If not, do you know its derivation? It sounds like a takeoff on, oh, steampunk.

"Gutterpunk"? Please enlighten me.

Numeric culture is funny, isn't it? There's the perennial question of why hot dogs and hot dog buns aren't sold in the same multiples in this country. I hadn't heard of selling things in multiples of 15, though. I actually have an egg container that I picked up at a garage sale last year, same idea as yours but for a dozen. If it falls out during a refrigerator avalanche however, the eggs will be just as broken as in the standard containers. Maybe the mess will be contained, but it would still be a mess. The more standard cartons are relatively secure now, I think. For sure, the 18 eggs on the left are fairly secure, because the container under that carton has a lipped lid. They'd both have to come out at the same time. The blue dozen-egg container on the right may be relocated before I move. I've learned the hard way to be careful opening cupboards and doors after traveling. A few days ago I was glad for that caution; when I parked after an especially rough road, I started to open the refrigerator door and could hear contents shifting. BOTH those cartons you see in the collage above were trying to slide out, along with a couple of condiment jars! I managed to save the eggs and have relocated them since that near-disaster.

This egg isn't especially photogenic, at least not in my hands, but it came out well. The others will probably go into salads of one sort or another. When I left home, I had 4 boiled eggs and 3-1/2 dozen raw eggs, thanks to the generosity of my DIL and her prolific chickens. In fact, I gave another 2 -1/2 dozen to the friends who helped me finish loading. I tend not to eat eggs unless I'm putting them into something -- nothing against them, it's just my cooking style -- but of course I couldn't turn down the gifts. I'm not in a hurry to work my way through these, but I do need to include them from time to time in my meal planning. They'll last a long time in the shell, but there's also the possibility of opening the refrigerator door after a rough road and having scrambled raw eggs on the floor. That nearly happened last week!

I saw it happen last year, when I was staying put but needed to go somewhere in the pickup only. The highway message boards were flashing the warnings, but people tried it anyway. It wasn't pretty.

Getting back to food: This rather odd pinkish stuff is mixed-berry kefir, while I wait for eggs to boil. I'm giving them more time than I would at home, because I'm a couple thousand feet higher here than there. (My instant-read thermometer says the water is at 204F.) I'm not especially crazy about the boiled-egg idea for breakfast, but I don't have any better ideas and the kefir won't hold me through my shopping and errands. Just as last year, I'm realizing some things I'd forgotten -- not things I couldn't find, like the Instant Pot and hand mixer, but things like window washing equipment. There are at least 2 squeegees and 2 extending poles sitting at home, in plain sight, due to previous purchases that my darling and I made and then forgot to pack! So in addition to the groceries and trailer consumables I need, I'll be picking up some cleaning equipment if I can find it. Last year I only needed 1 day to rest and recuperate before traveling again. This year I'm making it 2 (and counting). I feel much better and more rested than yesterday, but I still have things to do and I'd be fighting a strong headwind anyway if I wanted to move on today. As much as I love aerodynamics, I'll simply say that a headwind makes a huge difference in fuel consumption.

What about olives added to it? You could take it in a Mediterranean direction like this salad I had a few days ago: a nice vinaigrette, not too sweet. One issue is that it might clash with the sweetness of the pulled meat sandwich. I'm not sure about compatability, but I'm throwing it out as a suggestion. You say you don't want green beans in the bean salad. What about wax beans? Or are you simply trying to avoid those long skinny legumes this time around?

Following up on this: in case someone's interested, I snapped a photo of the works in progress, because my description may not have been clear. I still wouldn't bother buying another.

I'm out of the cold country! It took about 9 hours of driving against or across a stiff wind yesterday, and learning what that feels like (and what it does to fuel mileage) but I'm settled for a few days where I can get ready for "regular" camping -- that is, self-contained boondocking, I hope, or at least being able to use my own water. Today I flushed the lines of antifreeze, to the best of my ability, and filled the water tank. The water is still fizzy and vaguely pink, and not especially pleasant to drink, so i'll continue using bottled water until it's all flushed below my personal detection limit. This was yet one more reason my darling always wanted to be gone by now: I really detested the lingering taste of RV antifreeze, so when we bought a new trailer we ensured that the stuff had never contaminated the pipes. But that meant, of course, that we had to leave before the temperatures dropped below freezing. (One year we did have a severe cold drop in October, so we winterized that Princessmobile that year. It was only for a couple of weeks, and I don't recall having objectionable flavors. Holding time is probably a factor; this Princessmobile was winterized several months ago.) I luxuriated this morning in the idea that I could have my OWN coffee (once I found the stuff) and didn't have to go anywhere in particular. Sunshine outside, steamy coffee in bed! Yay! The coffee mug has a wedding photo from my best friend's youngest son's wedding in Kenya last summer. I'm farther around in the photo, next to my best friend and the happy couple; I'm "Auntie Nancy" to the gang. I've never written here about the Kenyan food I sampled, but you may see some of it later this winter. It was delicious. There's a prairie dog town across the field. I finally know what those mystery "birds" are that chirp so peculiarly from the ground. 🙂 I'll need to go to town tomorrow for fuel and, believe it or not, a few groceries. I finished off the yogurt today, and I think there are other things on the list as well. I worked hard getting the Princessmobile ready (mostly) and waited far too long for lunch; it became dinner. Still, I had a chance to try out my new cast iron griddle atop the stove. I haven't had much luck cooking grilled cheese sandwiches on cast iron at home without smoking up the kitchen, and that's why I almost brought along my panini press. Today's trial worked pretty well, though. The sandwich was salami, turkey, Havarti cheese (I'm out of the other sliced stuff), mayo, mustard, on sourdough bread. I'd already had an uncooked version of this sandwich. As much as I like that bread's flavor it's a bit too soft without being toasted or griddled. This worked out much better. Butter on the outside for the griddling. Salad greens and pickles added after griddling. It isn't the "ooh, what will I cook first when I have time?" dinner I'd envisioned, but it's all I had the energy for.

I agree, and I wish I had the chance to eat seafood by the sea. I've done it, hope to do it again, but right now I'm enjoying the vicarious trip. I would have an awful time choosing what to eat, given those menus! The menus and the food shown look wonderful, but I'd be tempted to have conch chowder, or conch fritters, each and every time. I'm glad you, @liamsaunt, are more adventuresome that that.

That would even fit in the Princessmobile!

Sheesh. Another reason I may have to join Costco!

@liuzhou, do you think those are "real" photos? Or are they simply staged to amuse or appall people? The closest I can come in this country, and the closest I care to come, is from some years back when my darling and I were treated to the sight of a gaggle of friends enjoying all-you-can-eat snow crab legs. The crab legs came in buckets...and kept coming, and coming, and coming...we were impressed at the fun and gusto at that table. (This post shows photos of that activity, but includes a lot more sedate eating, and restaurant decorations.)

I've never heard of it. Given the size and the procedure, it looks like a handheld version of the Ninja Creami. Does that sound fair? At any rate, I'll be curious to see what you think!

@FrogPrincesse, where do you get edible quince? I've given up on trying to get it from a grocery store in the Upper Midwest. Maybe I've just forgotten what it's like to live in California. In the Central Valley we had access to loquats, but I'm not sure even there we got quince. I'm envious. Your color looks perfect.