Smithy

Thank you. Ruidoso looks like a nice area, but hasn't been on our (my) list of good options for our visiting times. Same for Cloudcroft, I'm afraid. The closest I've been so far has been Tularosa, but I didn't notice any good disc golf courses there at the time. 🙂

I've always wondered about the chile roasting season. This Lowe's had a roasting cage that was visible but not active, and didn't look like it had been in use recently. I assumed it meant that the roasting season stopped a few months after the harvest. Clearly, that isn't the case if you saw it in action in July! I love your story! 😂

FWIW ketchup would be wasted on me and most or all of my friends and (living) family. If you were going to go that route, then I think you'd also need to consider the other standard elements: salt, pepper, and sometimes mustard. I think that way lies madness, and unnecessary waste. In other words, don't worry about those little packets!

I'm sure it did. I've started learning to use skimmed fat, or excess oil from a salad (even though it includes vinegar by that time), for sauteeing other ingredients. Works a treat, I think, and it's thrifty!

Oh boy, I can relate! Laughs and frowns, all around!

They had several balsamic vinegars although I can't swear that they all were. My problem is that I buy these things thinking they look like a wonderful idea, then don't get around to using them for donkey's years. At least the vinegars shouldn't go off, but I know I have bottles of citrus-infused balsamic vinegars at home from trips we took at least 10 years ago. I'm kinda like a culinary magpie: it's shiny, I pick it up, then take it off somewhere to stash. 🫠 I'm trying to change that, and one way is to stick with the more straighforward stuff I know I'll use. I do like and use the varietal olive oils.

@patti, I continue to be in awe of your project and how it all works out. Those quiches look delicious! The hash brown patties and satsumas are just the right accompaniment.

It is cool! The first winter in my new house, years before I met my darling, friends came up for a winter camping and skiing trip. They brought a mini-keg of beer as a house-warming gift. It's too long ago now for me to remember its size, but it was probably a couple of gallons' worth. Opening it was a bit of a mess because none of us had messed with something like it before, but the mini-keg was cool and it did keep the beer in good condition. Not that the beer lasted long enough to go off. 🙂

Amusing signs seen around Alamagordo:

I think that may have happened to me once, but I'm a slow learner.

If you mean the big barrels, I think those are for tasting and supply. They pour into the squarish bottles of the size you choose, and then give them a special stopper that requires a bodacious press to shove it in. When I wondered aloud how I'd get the stopper back in once I'd opened a bottle, she told me that it has a built-in pour spout. I haven't taken the wrapper off one to see it yet (each bottle has a black plastic shrink-wrapped cap atop the stopper) but when I do I'll show you a photo of it.

It all began because I wanted roasted and peeled Hatch green chiles. Well actually, that's not true. It all began because I realized one night that the ham and potatoes I'd cooked before leaving home were on the verge of going off...er, the potatoes had gone off but I thought I could salvage the rest of the ham. So I trimmed and diced the ham, and made mac 'n' cheese 'n' ham, more or less according to my darling's and my favorite proportions. (It was sobering to realize I probably hadn't made this since he died. I had to refer to my notes!) I used some really good white cheddar cheese, and this was dinner that night. It was okay, but bland compared to the usual. In the night I began dreaming about "Jim's Famous Green Chile Burgers" in Hatch, NM. I'd be passing near there. I've never had that burger, just heard about it. I love green chile cheeseburgers. Maybe I should take a detour through there. Maybe I could find some of those chiles roasted, for my own purposes. I asked my camp hosts the next morning, and learned that I shouldn't need to go to Hatch, or even stop in Las Cruces, for those chiles. I could probably get them at the local Lowe's grocery store. So away I went. For roasted green chiles. Can you guess the outlines of this story? 🙂 It was either Valentine's Day or the day before, and the place was geared up for the event. (There were more overtly Valentine's Day delicacies, like chocolate-dipped strawberries in heart-shaped plastic boxes, but I rushed past them.) This Lowe's is quite large and well-stocked. I was told that they'd recently renovated, and that may account for why they're nearly unrecognizable from their counterparts that we visited in past years and other cities. I got past the sweets-bakery section and ran full into the breads. Wow. It smelled good. It looked good. The jalapeno-popper-sourdough loaf caught my eye. "How hot is that?" I asked the man at the counter. He didn't know. I decided to find out, and that's what you saw in this morning's brunch. (Answer: a little kick, not much.) Across the way from the bread bakery is a staggering selection of wine, beer, and other spirits. Aisles' worth! I picked up a couple of bottles of Malbec. Then, on I went to the produce area. It's also quite well-stocked and attractive. The prices are good. Chiles? Did I want chiles? I had my choice of fresh or dried... ...but this is what I'd come for: All mild. I'd been hoping for medium heat, but now that I've had some I'm glad they only offered mild. The meat section was interesting. I've just remembered that collages like these have fuzzy detail. If anyone's interested in more detail from the labels, like prices, let me know. I'll post a better photo of the item in question. I was on my way out, more or less having stuck to my shopping list, when I passed by their tortilleria. Wow. This was a new experience for me! I didn't manage to get pictures of either of the gentlemen working the equipment, and probably should have asked. They were quite friendly and probably wouldn't have minded showing off their smiles! This machine was fascinating. At the front end (far back in the photo, top of collage) one man was kneading, rolling and shaping each tortilla, then loading it onto the conveyor belt. From there it went through the oven, came out puffed onto the blue curved conveyor in the center image, and then went through the traveling grid of cooling screens you see in the front of the photo (bottom of the collage) until it came out to the second gentleman. He'd inspect. If it was torn or split, he dumped it into a waste bucket. If it looked good, he stacked it. He watched me watching. The smell was wonderful and the machine was fascinating. I guess I've heard of tortillas puffing like this, but I've never seen them do it. The entire process reminded me most nearly of what we used to see in Egypt when pita bread was being made. "Would you like a sample?" he grinned. "Sure," I said, "hand me the next torn one you get." "Oh no," he responded as his buddy at the front end of the equipment laughed. "Only the best for customers!" Well. Let me tell you, you have't had a proper flour tortilla until you've had a hot, fresh, recently puffy one. I had no idea! I said so, and said "You're a great salesman!" as I grabbed a bag of ten tortillas. They both laughed and we bade each other good day. So that's my story of Lowe's in Alamagordo. I'm happy to report that the green chile is exactly what the mac 'n' cheese 'n' ham needed, with a slice of yellow cheese for extra cheesy flavor and color. I just wish I'd gotten more than one package of those chiles.

I spent a few days in Alamagordo, New Mexico, which is near White Sands National Park; Alamagordo also has a space museum and some pretty nice scenery. White Sands is good for a fairly quick driving tour, or for extended hikes. I saw folks doing both. The sand is unusual because it's gypsum, very fine, very round grains, and good for sliding down like you're sliding down a snowbank! The Visitor Center rents out sledding disks, but I borrowed one from the KOA where I was staying and enjoyed a few rounds of sliding as well as hiking, and watching other folks slide. The Visitor Center has good informative displays, as well. I'd intended to picnic there, but had forgotten the food! It was just as well. By the time I left, around 1 pm, the wind had come up and rain had started. I drove through the rain, a few miles past the other end of town, and arrived at the Heart of the Desert Pistachios and Wine place I'd noticed on the way to Alamagordo the day before. I'd also noticed a place called Pistachioland that looked interesting, but Heart of the Desert was closer to town so I stopped there. My interior photos aren't as good as I'd thought. Somehow, I missed the wine tasting room, the display of pistachios and candies, and the bags and bags of variously treated pistachios. You could taste almost anything there, and folks were enjoying the wine tasting when I arrived. I didn't try it; I concentrated instead on the infused olive oils and the nuts. The stuff isn't actually produced there; the gift shop is a cooperative of sorts. Still, you can sample and taste and enjoy. The oils and vinegars aren't cheap! I tried a Green Chile olive oil that nearly blew my head off. When I exclaimed, "OOFda!" the woman helping me laughed. She'd lived in Minnesota for a few years and her Norwegian mother-in-law had used that expression a lot. I tried a few other infused oils, but settled for some small bottles of straight varietals: If I have any sense, I'll use them as finishing oils but be sure to use them before they go rancid! The herb blends didn't impress me. These are samplers to be opened and sniffed. Maybe they were old? Their aromas seemed blunted. There are other doodads to be had: funny soaps, serving dishes and non-food gifts like sunglasses, and bags of pistachios with various flavor treatments. I bought a small bag of roasted pistachios and a smaller bag of chile-treated pistachios for an extra heat kick, and some biscotti that I'll try to save until my sister visits: Then I headed home to unpack my goodies, finally eat something, and admire the rainbow near sunset.

Well, we're "home" for now. I've brought out another special coffee mug, one I had made for myself earlier this summer, in celebration. I arrived a couple of evenings ago and will have several catch-up stories to tell. The mountains in this photo have nearly disappeared due to dust and a wind storm, but I can't be sorry about that considering the weather elsewhere. It was gusting up to 60 mph most of the night, back at my real home, and schools and roads are closed due to blizzard conditions. Meanwhile, it's dumping snow and rain farther north and west of here. I did some social activities yesterday and am content to stay here today, writing, organizing, walking, playing music, and cooking...something...I'm not sure yet what's for dinner. Brunch today was a classic case of "snatching the bacon from the fire". A few nights ago I went on a roasting and mixing extravaganza -- I'll tell more about that later -- and made what has to be the most disappointing batch of tabbouli I've ever made. The herbs were getting old and needed to be used. I had to pick through them. Apparently I didn't soak the bulgur enough, because it was crunchy the following morning. I left the tabbouli out of the refrigerator for several days, and eventually the bulgur softened enough to be manageable, but I still wasn't crazy about the flavor of the whole. Enter the "toastie" idea. Why not take a slice of jalapeno popper bread (I'll tell you about that later), griddle it, then top it with tabbouli and cheese? Why not, you ask? Well...how exactly did I think that cheese would melt? So I put a second slice of bread on it, flipped the lot, and ended up with a jalapeno-popper-sourdough grilled cheese sandwich with tabbouli. Pretty darned good, actually. I'll be more careful next time I make tabbouli, but I'll be able to use this stuff up.

I hope @blue_dolphin answers soon, because her answers so far have been much better than mine would have been! My advice is to see what the package instructions say to do, if they say. My guess is that you don't need to let it come to room temperature first, but it's too long since I tried using a frozen pie shell for me to remember how I did it and what happened.

I have one piece of Christmas fudge left that a friend gave me. I'll probably eat it.

Getting back to the Somali goat and rice dish, because I finished the goat tonight: the spices seem to be a blend called Xawaash. As with most spice blends, every one is a bit different. This page gives one recipe for it. The spices involved are cumin, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon bark, cardamom, cloves, and turmeric. I don't like cloves but in this small amount (yes, I could taste it tonight) it was acceptable. If I ever try making it myself I'll probably omit the cloves and maybe the cinnamon, but it's all pretty well balanced in these leftovers.

Could it be because the spinner doesn't quite reach the bottom?

Now that I've looked at Shelby's kit, and looked into fermented tea leaves, I see it isn't something I'm likely to be able to buy easily except through mail order*. I'm pretty sure all that stuff is available at one or both of the grocery stores adjacent to the place I visited today for that salad. I am NOT going back there, at least not this time around. *Of course Amazon has oodles of kits. I've no idea which one(s) would be good. (Maybe copying what Shelby has would make sense.) Arbitrarily, here's one (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). Now that I see the selection, I'm more inclined to think that going back to the nearby grocery store would make sense. Too bad. I'm tucked in for the night, and hope to leave in the morning.And I already have loaded cabinets!

I learned the same butter-wrap trick for greasing pans at a tender age, but didn't want to disparage anyone for whom this is new information. I'm not sure I've ever used the wrapping over the dish when melting butter in the microwave, though. I've generally used one of my silicone lids. Her trick saves a dish!

Well, let me enlighten you! To quote a favorite movie line: My mind has been expanded! Oh my goodness, this is good stuff. Here's a preview. The place, Shwe Myine Thu, is only a couple of miles away from my current camping spot. Given the high recommendations of @Shelby and @patti , how could I not go out to get some tea leaf salad to try? I bundled up -- for a Texas norther, that is, not for Minnesota -- and drove over. The outside has picture menus of various dishes they offer, though I didn't see tea leaf salad listed. Inside, the place was clean and quiet. I ordered my salad and had a lot of time to enjoy the artwork and other picture menus. At some point I realized that I was looking through an interior window at an attached Burmese market -- not the Asian market on the east side, but another one attached at the west side. The entrance is so far from the restaurant that the place must be huge! I did not go over there. I already have Condiment Creep problems. However, I couldn't resist this packaged mix in the restaurant: The description / ingredients were posted below the stack of containers: I asked about what to do with it, and was told that it's a good addition to rice. I think she said to fry it first, although the ingredient list suggests it's already been fried once. What the heck. It was only $5. I have now added it to my pantry goods, and will be pleased to get recommendations for use. Eventually my lunch was ready. The young woman behind the counter was very apologetic for the wait, and said it's always best to call ahead. I really didn't mind; I'd been enjoying looking around and even watching some of the activity in the attached market that I was resolutely avoiding. So, here's what I opened when I got home: See the garlic cloves and little chiles there in the corner? I've saved them for later. I didn't think the salad needed any help. One of you who knows about tea leaf salad can tell me how I should have used them. If flavors could be drop-dead gorgeous, this would fit the bill! Crunchy. Very crunchy. A llttle tart, a little spicy heat, a LOT of flavor. I think I can identify some lime juice and fish sauce, but I'm not sure what else is there. I'm not sure what-all is in it. Fried peanuts are easily identifiable. There's something very finely sliced that might be cabbage of some variety. Tomatoes, of course. Some other crunchy things too. What is this green thing? It's very crunchy, and has some heat. Wuf. This is wonderful! I'm glad I followed patti's and Shelby's recommendation! It was only $8, and I'll be getting 2 meals out of it. The gentleman you can see sitting with his back to me suggested I eat this over rice. Maybe so, but I ate it straight this first time around. If you're ever in Amarillo, I recommend you look these folks up: @patti. @Shelby, and anyone else who has a recipe for tea leaf salad, please share it. I've been looking online and the recipes are all over the place as far as procedures and ingredients.

I'm in Amarillo, Texas -- the panhandle part. This is turning out to be a good stopping point, and I'm glad I've had a few extra days here.

I've never tried the box grater on its side, either. I'll have to try that and see what I think! It does make sense.

Well, maybe I'll have to go check out a tea leaf salad. I've never heard of it before now! I'm here for at least another day. The wind has shifted around from the southwest to the north, in a classic "Texas Norther". The temperature right now is 43F, which isn't bad compared to what I came from but not much fun to be out in, since the wind is 25 gusting to 33 mph. I'll leave that crosswind to the professionals. And it would definitely be a crosswind for me today. Breakfast this morning was from the yogurt I bought yesterday, and a healthy dose of frozen blueberries. The only plain Greek yogurt I could find yesterday was Chobani nonfat Greek yogurt. I don't know for sure whether it's the brand or the fat content, but this yogurt is thin and disappointing. I usually get Fage 2% or 5% fat content. This yogurt is certainly edible, but I won't get it again if I can help it. The blueberries are Wyman's wild blueberries, and they're wonderful. I generally find cultivated blueberries to be hit-and-miss as far as flavor; wild blueberries have more intense flavor. This frozen food is a nice product. My best friend, who lives in San Diego, says she can't find it there.

I'm sure she was filming in a studio set! I have never seen a freezer that empty, and I wonder who among us has that kind of space? That's what I was giggling about. I'm certainly going to check the vanilla extract bit, next time I use vanilla in something. I think she's mistaken about that being a universal rule. Let me know what you find out too, please.