~FOOD~ :-)

A friend of mine, it seems every time we talk. one of the

questions I always ask.."what did you have good to eat today?"

And its really amazing at how long two people can discuss all

sorts of foods..to how to buy the ingredients, to the prep..to

cooking ..then of course the final meal..and since we are in

different countries there are not a lot of similarities yet there

are..like the bangers and mash or fish n chips lol..its the

same foods here they just have different names.. My friend is

in the UK, My mother was born there as I have mentioned

before..I know some of the old recipes she had that were

my grandmothers..But when I remember my grandmother

cooking, the one thing I remember most, my favorite was

her pea soup..Lordy that was good. When she knew I was

coming home from college for a week end she always made

a pot of soup. I think she did hoping I would stop by and I

would have soup or no soup lol..But..I love saffron, and of

course pastys..Up in the UP of Michigan and Wisconsin

even they are very popular.

Years ago ..my grandfather, moms dad, came over from

Cornwall..he and 2 of his brothers..they came over to work

the coal and iron ore mines that were starting up..this had to

have been back in hmm 20's? maybe a bit earlier..my mom

was born in 1910..so she was 8..1918.. they worked the mines

in the UK..and they needed the skilled men ..so after, the wives,

my grandma and aunts..came over with the children..my gramma

had 4 or 5 then..8 all total.lol..But to work the mines they made

these PASSS T EE S... im trying to put how to say the word

its not pASte..eee S .. those are special "coverings" for women's

you know what.I could say something but I wont lol..Ok.. they both

taste good..ask a baby lol.. :-) what? lol.. well anyway. :-) PASTY's

are good food..its like a pie crust rolled out in a circle then half

filled with meat..we use ground or minced beef, onion and potatoes

cut up kinda small..then you wet your finger and go just around the

edge of half of this circle..and fold the 2 halves together and press

the edge together.. kinda fold it over as you go around on top of

each other..put a small slice cut in the top and bake it..oh don't

forget salt and pepper inside too lol..I baked mine for about an

hour.till the potatoes are done. and they are good..Some put gravy

on them or cheese and all that but ..the original is like that. my

cousin June has an old newspaper clipping about where the Cornish

Pasty originated..of course Cornwall lol..They are even better when

they're cold..that's why they were so popular with the miners..

My grandfather and Uncle Stanley settled in Iron County, up there .

mines EVERYWHERE..none. but I think 1 is operational there.. my

uncle Leonard went up to Copper Harbor up north and a bit east

of where my grandfather was.the copper mines are up there by

Calumet..lovely area up there..well all of the Upper Penninsula is

just beautiful..well its mostly National Forest lol.. My dads dad was

a surveyor..and a mining engineer that helped to build and design

mines..he was the surveyor for most of the roads in the UP and a

talented map maker..lots of his things are on display at MIT ? the

university in Houghton I think it is.his alma mater. I have some of

my grandfathers old mining books..all the details and records.

back from years ago..I had planned to send them up there for their

archives and record keeping they are all hand written and drawn in

such detail..amazing..I never knew there were that many mines up

there Im surprised the whole UP hasnt sunk..or caved in..

Amazing..you realize we went from food to mining ? lol..now that's

pretty good..but that's how my mind works..the thought of food

and being hungry made me come back to the main subject..food..

lol.. Donnie was here earlier with Jerky ..hes a huge dog..told me

there was a explosion today a man killed..digging and hit a gas

line so powerful it blew a 80 foot deep hole..that's big.. of course

the 27 year old young man was killed..sadly and leaves a wife

that is due to have a baby in a month or so.. How I know the

details is..the property the man was digging joins my nephews..

and Donnie was on his way there when he saw them trying to

get the body out..so sad..he didn't have a chance..but the bad

part was..this poor guy didn't KNOW it was down there..he was

digging to build something a pole barn..and hit that gas line..

Donnie said as many times as he had dug almost in that same

line of it..and luckily didn't hit it.. but small world hey? I feel so

sorry for that little wife..how sad.. and this time of year.. but..well

everything happens for a reason..and whos to know what each day
will bring, when we open our eyes at sunrise that we will see the

sun go down at sunset..we all hope to everyday..but well we just

don't know and I, me..well I don't wanna know.. That little wife is

a sad girl tonite.. I feel for her and know the ache in her heart.. . .

But I do wanna know right now is how many of my doughnuts Donnie

ate while he was here lol. I had Penny get some for me and I KNOW

he ate one..cuz I watched him..but I heard him out there pretending

to get the dog.lol.. Penny will be back friday..I just hate to send

her back to the store again.lol. Got cold here and had to turn the heat

up a tad..Ken, Chris's brother came over said probly be a few weeks

before the new windows come..I told him he needs to hurry I DONT

like heating the out side lol. he needs to ..this all should have been

done.he had over a month knowing I wanted this place and it wasn't

ready when I moved in..painting especially ..only half done..like it

was only painted in spots in each room..lol. Ill get it done tho..I hope

before my 3 years are up lol.. Well time for a doughnut check..

ohh. only had to get up 3 times last nite.that was so fun..

*note to self: do NOT drink TEA before bed.......Nitey Nite :-D

Y'all have a good one now Y'hear? luv ya..and thanks.. :-D

Always, Lois ****

God Bless you is my prayer today,

I'm so honored to call you "friend";

I pray the Lord will keep you safe

until I write again..