Texas Talk

Wouldn't you know I start a blog and the computer gets a virus! Yay my techie husband got it resurrected and we're back in business here.

So, I live in Texas. I don't live in any of the well known prominent typical Texas towns or cities. I live in the eastern part, called the Piney Woods, a couple hours south east of Dallas. Thankfully, where I live, I have no pine trees. They can be a mess! But I like pinecones.I do live in the woods basically, there are trees all over our property that we need to cut down so we can have both more sunlight and more yard.

I am a proud Texan. I don't wear boots in the summer, or own a cowboy hat, or have anything remotely western at all in my home. I mean, I live here, I don't have to adorn my house with all things Texas- I'm in Texas. I do plan on getting a metal star to put on the outside of our house eventually, and maybe plant some bluebonnets. I do have an accent- big time. My husband, who was born and raised in the upper peninsula of Michigan, now has an accent. He's lived here long enough that it's part of him too. We are not fans of country music at all. Typically people view most Texas as gun owners, and for us that would be true.We absolutely are Texan when it comes to food! On any given week we are eating something at least once with chili powder or hot peppers. Our main purpose for growing a garden was fresh homemade salsa, which we have had in abundance.

Typical Texas Food (not a comprehensive list)

Breakfast burritos
fried okra
fried squash and green tomatoes
peach cobbler
blackberry cobbler
chili beans (spicy pintos)
CORNBREAD
biscuits and gravy, usually sausage
Any and all tex mex
bbq brisket
smashed potato salad, no chunks of potatoes
black eyed peas with hamhocks, or peas of any kind really
chicken and dumplings (these dumplings are rolled and cut like egg noodles)
dressing, not stuffing, made with cornbread that we eat any time we feel like it
Iced SWEET tea
watermelon and cantaloupe
sweet potatoes in any form
fried catfish

I'm sure you can get this stuff pretty much all over the south, but growing up, these were the things I ate in most people's homes.I myself don't fry things much, and I really like more experimental sophisticated flavors, but we sure do love tex mex here. I made chili last night and have been gradually getting the girls used to chipotle- super hot-and the one that is most sensitive to pepper told me it was really good. Yes! Mission accomplished ha ha. I still haven't mastered tortillas, and our grocery store sells freshly made ones, so we eat those, and they are good!

So, today, I will make dessert with some beautiful ripe local peaches that we've all been waiting for. Not sure what yet...and I will be slicing our homegrown tomatoes and topping with basil and olive oil who hoo! I will finally make a pitcher of beloved sweet tea for everyone (been trying to reduce it some) and we will eat chili leftovers that probably taste amazing now that it's been sitting in the fridge.

Also another great thing about Texas is the homeschool laws. Basically all I have to do is tell the school I'm homeschooling and that's it. There are no records or requirements. The state of Texas views homeschoolers as a private school. Done. I am still keeping some records though just in case, but talk about freedom.

And like many other Texans, I am astounded at how on this day, June 24th, it's just not that hot. In fact we haven't had much really hot weather at all. It's confusing because we're all prepared to be miserable and roasting by the end of May, and it's been raining a lot....nice, but different. We actually have to wait until afternoon for our pool to not be freezing to swim. I know it will eventually get hot and the swelteringly hot summer will be here. Of course, if  I want my fall garden, that's when I have to start planting!!

There are some not so great things about Texas, one of which is the heat. It stays hot hot until October, then gets milder and sometimes a cold snap happens in October. We have lots of mean bugs- fire ants, mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, wasps (just google Texas bugs)...poisonous snakes, locusts, various varmints... (ok a varmint is anything small like opossum, raccoon,armadillos, squirrels, rats, rabbits) coyotes, foxes, probably some wild cats. East Texas weather can change rapidly and drastically. It's not unusual to have the heat on in the morning, the air conditioner on in the afternoon, and the heat back on at night. Mild and temperate is not what we have here- many extremes!
Almost every year, in August-September, we really question why we still live here. It's that hot. But, overall we're glad to be here. In just our small area, there many world wide ministries headquartered here. There are lots of great churches and a lot of religious freedom in the public schools and businesses. The local stores play Christian music, allow churches and youth groups to have fund raisers, and in my town, a fireman was injured badly back in January, and the ENTIRE town posted signs in their yards and businesses that said 'Pray for Joe'. And we do, and he is doing well!

So, this is just a random post about me I guess. I plan to have some more purposeful ones coming up about homeschool plans, food etc.