The Sweetest Thing

A friend and coworker of Manly Man asked my advise tonight. He wants to purchase a gift for a woman he admires who has recently been promoted. She is now a master trainer at the gym he works out in.

I suggested he go to one of those engraving places and get her a little plaque or statue with something heart felt engraved on it. No overtly romantic gestures and no expectations. Just be a nice guy.

He said Manly Man had suggested a hand gun, bfff. Now, let me tell you a little about Manly Man. He gives flowers ,diamonds, sapphires, chainsaws, tillers, greenhouses, and shotguns. He will move a greenhouse where ever I want it. He makes excellent monkeys. He is the best gift giver ever. He is one of the best cooks I know. That's right, I said it. He can cook as good as I can. You should see the necklace I received for mothers' day this year. Gorgeous. My man has it all figured out. I won't even talk about the really good stuff.

I am one lucky woman.

Legacy

You know you might be in Texas if you have cheese burgers with fried okra and fried green tomatoes instead of french fries. That was dinner for us tonight. We are still getting okra, squash, and tomatoes from the garden and will until it freezes.

Fried green tomatoes and fried okra

Green tomatoes sliced thin and/or okra cut to 1/2 inch pieces
1 egg white + 2 tablespoons water
1 cup corn meal and 4 tablespoons season salt or Cajun spice

Dip tomatoes and/or okra in egg wash. Dredge okra and/or tomato slices in corn meal/season salt. Fry until golden brown.

I was taught to cook southern fried foods as soon as I was tall enough to see over the stove top. The dishes include chicken fried steak, chicken fried chicken, okra, tomatoes, and fish. I was also taught to make pickles from cucumbers, okra, green tomatoes, and watermelon rind. Later I decided that almost anything can be a pickle so we have pickled carrots and green beans. Later I learned to make homemade bread. All of this cooking and baking was taught at the elbow of one of my grandparents. Margaret taught the frying and pickling, Bill taught the bread baking, and Rhodella taught me never to be afraid of trying new things (thus the weird pickles). They have been gone for a number of years, but every time I cook these old favorites, I feel close to them again.