Everything is Awesome!

Completely seasonally appropriate, but also completely and totally unrelated to my blog, I ran in the Great Pumpkin Run today with Team AWESOME.  And let me just say, "it was Awesome!"  Check out the pics! It was such a positive, uplifting experience with friends and family.  I am so BLESSED!  I say this despite the fact that I pushed myself so hard that I thought I was going to puke, or possibly die a horrible death...

Preparing for the Great Pumpkin Run!  Kara make shifted me this shirt and as usual I fueled up with an Ecotrekbar.  The very best (and local) pre-workout food!  They are tasty, full of nutrients and vitamins and will get you through even the most demanding run!

 Lookin' Awesome!

The socks say "Team Awesome" but they have nothing on that Orange Suit Coat, Mark!

Switching topics, redneck roots are kinda like gray hairs, they are somewhat disturbing, but all things considered you are thankful for them because the alternatives aren't so great.  And heck I have them; the redneck roots that is, not the gray hair! Praise the Lord!  I might as well embrace them and get on with life. Yes, I actually have a fairly impressive hillbilly (the southern version of redneck) pedigree and a full blooded hillbilly cousin, Terry, who is something else!  He really is!  Let me start by saying I love him like crazy. CRAZY!  I really do, but he is a hillbilly breed all his own!  Despite the 800 plus miles that has typically separated us, we have always been quite close because he often spent summers living at our house to help on the farm.  Terry starts most sentences with, "so here's the deal!!!"  and this statement is said with his full blown, over-the-top, southern drawl and is often followed by, "so what I am fixin' to do is to take all ya'll to Walmarts"  It is a wild ride whenever you hang out with him.  A wild, fun ride!  You just never know what you are going to get!  So compared to him, I don't seem so damn crazy...But here in Michigan, I do realize I am the crazy one...Maybe that is why Terry and I have always gotten along so well!  We both have a titch of crazy in our blood!

 Pretty well sums up my life!

So what's this got to do with my pantry/freezer challenge?  Not a whole lot, but I wanted a good dedication this time around so Terry this Bud's for you!

Anyhow on the cooking home front things have gotten somewhat interesting again.  They generally do when I get creative and daring all at the same time!  I am cooking somewhat regularly and primarily with items that have been in my freezer or pantry for extended periods of time.  Much to my husband's surprise,I cleaned the fridge and pantry again this weekend to see where we are at with things and shockingly I found this...

 while you can't read the expiration date on this margarine which was purchased a very long time ago (I think Bush was still President) not sure which one... Anyhow without revealing too much horror, let's just say the the expiration date was prior to the birth of our youngest child and just leave it at that.  I threw that shit out...Now I am waiting anxiously, hopeful that Hazmat officials don't hunt me down because I am pretty sure that stuff was possibly lethal on contact. Man,  Ebola's got nothing on this ancient margarine I handled!  I sure wished I'd been clothed in full on Level 4 contagion gear!  Speaking of Level 4 contagions, I recently reread The Hot Zone by Richard Preston.  It is a book of true accounts of various outbreaks of Ebola.  The year I was born was a very active Ebola year and there have been accounts sprinkled throughout history for the past 40 years.  If you are freaked out about Ebola DO NOT READ THIS BOOK.  If you are like me: eternally curious, love science and have a strong stomach, read it soon because you will LOVE IT.  I may read it again before I return it to the library.

Then tonight Kara and I made a batch of Karla's Famous Home-made Mustard and shortly after starting the stuff simmering a little bit splashed up into my right eye; it burned like Hell (or at least like what I imagine Hell would burn like) and I may have sworn a couple of times before frantically submerging my entire head under the faucet in order to rinse my eye.  Being witness to the ordeal, Kara was freaked out and ran out of the room upset.  I rinsed on because I was concerned about permanent eye damage and I figured I could do damage control with Kara once I knew I was not going to become the next One Eyed Willy.  She returned a short time later wearing a pair of shades ready to safely cook on....Smart Girl!

Future's so BRIGHT she has to wear shades!

So the mustard is now chilling in our fridge, I am writing for "all ya'll" while occasionally talking to myself and Jeff is snoozing in his chair.  Life is really good!

Vern Out