Pre-Thanksgiving in Louisiana

Days 114 and 115, November 24, 2010
Chicot State Park, LA, north of Lafayette
Gas $2.69 per gallon
Elevation 16’, 1,985 miles from home

It is the day before Thanksgiving and we are very thankful for what we have and what we are able to be doing. On day 115 it is remarkable to think back on all of the sites we have seen and all of the delightful people we have met and it is almost overwhelming to think that we still have months ahead of us.

Tonight we are in a huge campground surrounded by the sounds of kids riding bikes, some music thumping in the background, smoke blowing in my face, and a refreshing breeze rustling the leaves and making them drift down to the ground. It was 80 degrees today and humid humid humid but we have taken showers and washed off two days of sweat and grime; it is 30 degrees back home according to the TV in the campground office.

The past two days have been relatively uneventful but that is fine since we have a couple of heavy-duty social days ahead of us. Instead of decompressing, we are pre-compressing. We did meet a guy selling meat at the corner of a gas station and of course I couldn’t resist. A few minutes later and $20 poorer I left with 8 decent hermetically sealed filet mignons. Amazing the deals you can get on the side of the road.

We made our way yesterday to Lafayette to experience the Acadian Village—a living history farm that is supposed to be amazing. We wouldn’t know since it had closed on November 1st to get ready for the Christmas season and will re-open on December 3rd. You win some, you lose some. Well, there had to be something else to see in town, so we headed to the local historic Catholic Church and roamed around the cemetery. I have never been in a cemetery quite like that one and felt even a little claustrophobic as I wandered among the tombs. Some of the tombs were so opulent and others so modest. And there were quite a few that were reserved but not filled yet. What must it be like to see your name on a headstone even though you are alive and kicking?

We dined on French dips and salad for dinner and watched a few movies in the Wal-Mart parking lot. What a noisy place. If it wasn’t the traffic, it was the train. If it wasn’t the train, it was the employee notifications blasting over the intercom. If it wasn’t for that, it was the leaf blower. But what to you expect for a Wal-Mart parking lot?? Breakfast today was an egg muffin and coffee from Subway and then we hit the road to get to our campground tonight. Today was an easy day; Jake napped and I finished Lunatics, a book lent to me by Yolanda from Sour Lake, TX and one that I highly recommend for its whimsy. Showers felt good and tomorrow we will make the rounds in the campground before leaving to see if we can scrounge up some good Cajun Thanksgiving recipes.

Lima Beans with Ham and Sausage

Melony’s Limer Beans with Ham and Sausage

“You sauté onions and bell peppers in vegetable oil and then fill your pot up with water. Depending on how many pounds of beans you’re going to use, that determines how much water to use. Put in a seasoning salt like Tony Cachere’s and use a lot of it so that it seasons it well. Put in garlic powder, Tabasco Sauce, Worchester Sauce, and red pepper flakes. Then put in salt pork or bacon (chopped) and then you take sausage (I used a deer and pork sausage that we had made but you can use plain pork sausage) and put in a pound of sausage per pound of beans. Then put in chopped ham, a pound of ham per pound of beans. It’s a meaty dish! I ain’t never met a vegetarian!

Once it starts boiling, let it boil for 2 hours—keep it at a boil, a low rolling boil.

This is a meal for big groups. Serve it over cooked rice.

My favorite meal is lima beans and fried chicken. Use this recipe for the beans but buy the chicken. I am not going to fry chicken…I buy the chicken! I don’t like to fry anything.”

Louisiana--Christmas lighting ceremony in Nachotoches

Days 110-113, November 22, 2010 Fullerton Lake Campground (SW of Alexandria), $5.00 per night
No gas today but yesterday it was $2.65/gal
Most Louisiana roads, especially the back ones, are terrible!

Today I saw my first black widow spider. Jake had moved a log in the fire pit and I had just picked up some firewood and wondered at the lack of wisdom I had by not wearing gloves. We are slowly heading to the wedding in Opelousas and are enjoying the Louisiana scenery along the way, staying in State Parks and National Park Lands with one night in Natchitoches for the Christmas lighting ceremony.

After Cloud Crossing we headed toward Natchitoches (pronounced Nakotosh—this took us days to remember!) to do some recon for the lighting festival and to take in some antebellum homes in the area. Natchitoches is the first French colony in Louisiana and is referred to as “Little New Orleans”. The town has a distinct European influence and takes on the look of New Orleans with its wrought iron fences and balconies. Natchitoches is also where Steal Magnolias was filmed. We talked with a local artist who shared with us that at the time of the filming the town was divided about whether they wanted the new media-inspired attention or if it would “ruin” things. Apparently the town was in a terrible depression and going nowhere but south and Steal Magnolias put it back on the map as a tourist destination. It still has a small town feel, but it is definitely touristy and I think becoming more so, and people are now laughing all the way to the bank.

We explored one plantation, the Oakland Plantation. I had had visions of Tara from “Gone With the Wind” and was surprised to see a rather modest farmhouse with not many rooms and no imposing façade. The plantation belonged to The Prud’hommmes who were some of the first people to move from Fort Jean Baptiste and, through a land grant, start farming the land along what is now called The Cane River. Jean Pierre Phillippe Prud’homme was a successful businessman even before he started farming the plantation so it’s no surprise that his plantation was successful, albeit on the backs of the slaves he owned.

The plantation stayed in the family for eight generation, the house undergoing the expected modernization of electricity and indoor bathrooms. Today it is part of the National Parks Service and it has been restored after the 1960’s time period. It was strange to visit our first antebellum house and see appliances from the 1960’s but it certainly did depict correct history. There were plenty of other furnishings in the house that depicted the fancier years: huge posted beds, armoires, paintings, and chandeliers. The family sold the home to the National Parks Service only a few years ago as the family had become land-rich and cash-poor. Excavations are still underway.

We camped that night at Dogwood Campground in the Kisatchie National Forest, free and serviceable but not at all pretty. We had lunched at the Pizza Hut buffet earlier so were not hungry for dinner, so we hunkered down for a cold night and went to be early. The next day we hit Natchitoches. Our first stop was Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site. Between 1716 and 1762 the fort was under the control of French soldiers until they withdrew. At that point the fort was taken over by the Spanish because the French lost the war to England during the French and Indian War. Spain occupied the fort for a while but since the territorial boundary no longer applied (Spain also had control over the area farther to the west), they left the fort and it fell into disrepair. Eventually the state of Louisiana was purchased by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase and the Fort mattered no more…except for historical reference.

Natchitoches is not Leavenworth. Jake and I are accustomed to the Leavenworth, WA Christmas lighting ceremonies where it is hard to find standing room, let alone parking or someplace to stay. In Natchitoches we parked in the Wal-Mart parking lot and walked the mile and ½ into town, thinking this the prudent thing to do. When we got into town we realized that this town’s annual lighting ceremony is still in its beginning stages and we could have easily parked in town. As it was, we enjoyed the afternoon just roaming the streets, stopping at Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant for their world famous meat pies, and for people watching. Jake and I agree that the crawfish meat pie is better than the beef meat pie at Lasyone’s and we both grooved on the dirty rice that the server brought us “just so we could try it”. During the day we joined the locals for a few drinks at Mama’s Oyster Bar and then headed down to the area of the festivities, complete with soap snow. I got to touch a baby alligator and we sang along with a pretty good cover band. Then it was time to walk the mile and ½ (seemed like 10) back to the camper.


I got to "pet" the gator!



Yesterday, we headed to North Toledo Bend State Park on the Toledo Bend Reservoir. We knew that it would certainly not be free, but we needed the amenities it provided like electric hook-ups, showers, water, dumping, and free laundry. We got there early and settled in for a lazy day of Jake watching TV and me reading a novel. Dinner last night was a cheat of hotdogs and baked beans; breakfast today was soup for Jake and left over mac and cheese mixed with some left over chili for me. Today was not a great food day at all, but I am looking forward to cooking a roast over the fire tonight, complete with potatoes, carrots and onions.

Jakeism: Much is heard and has been said about the area’s European influence. I lived in Europe for three years, albeit in the 1980’s and find nothing “European” about it. To me it is classic American Southern. Lots of pillars and wrought iron fencing. That being said the most interesting thing about Nachotish or Nakotish or how ever the hell you spell it, let alone pronounce it, was how we ended up there. Weeks ago while we were still traveling with Yourmom and Charles they asked us to find a cute spot for lunch. We talked to some locals and were referred to the Texas Eatery and Giftshop. While we were there I asked the owner what we should see in the area. He mentioned the light show and low and behold 2 weeks later we were there. How great is that. It was a perfect example of how Thewife and I are living this year. Life is good.

Out of Arkansas and into Louisiana

Days 106-109, November 15-18, 2010
Cloud Crossing Campground, Kisatchie National Forest, LA--free
Gas is ranging from $2.76-$3.09 per gallon

I am getting behind in posting to the blog since we have been in the back woods of Arkansas and Louisiana for the past few days. We can sometimes get phone reception but are not able to get connected to the internet and forget about stopping in a little town along the way to “borrow” wi-fi. The little towns in this area are lucky if they still have an open gas station.

We did stop in a little (operative word there!) town called Saline today right around lunchtime to get directions to this little campground. Miss Ruth was at the local store gave us great information and sold us a better map of Louisiana so that we won’t get too lost. We noticed a little café called The Lunch Box so went inside to see what the local fare is. There were 5 tables topped with vinyl tablecloths and nothing but locals sitting at them. One table had just emptied so we snagged it and sat down to a double hamburger (Jake) and a shrimp po boy (Laurel). On our way to the campground we got a little turned around and stopped to ask directions from a lady just unlocking the fence into her property. When we stopped, she said, “Ya’ll huntin’ par?” Neither Jake nor I got it at first. In case you don’t get it either, she was saying, “Are you all looking for the campground?”



Ever seen purple fungus on wood?



We are finding that the camping in Louisiana is great because all the National Forest campgrounds are mostly free. The State Parks are all around $16, but with that you get full hook-ups, great bathing facilities, laundry, and a dump station. Now that’s worth it. Arkansas was more difficult for camping, but if you look hard enough you can find some great options at least for dry camping in the National Forest.

When we left Eureka Springs, we headed down scenic Hwy 23 which starts as this drive through idyllic countryside and turns into an up and down ride through some of the prettiest nature I have ever seen. The roads are steep but the vistas are more than worth it especially with the fall colors that are still out in all their glory. We breakfasted at Gramma’s Place in Huntsville along the way; we had huge meals and the price totaled $13…almost guilt-free.

The road that took us to our free camping spot outside of Shady Lake Campground was a fun, gravel, backwoods road that happened to also be used by logging trucks. I was taking my time to avoid going over the edge of the road when around a corner came a logging truck using the entire road to make the turn. With only a bit of adrenaline surging, I came to a polite stop and let the truck complete getting around the corner. Further up the road, a dog appeared out of nowhere and started following us, barking its head off. It persisted following us for quite a while and then dropped behind. Well, about another 2 miles up the road we pulled into a vista point and were admiring the view when who showed up but this panting dog! It obviously wanted us to love on it and groveled at Jake’s feet, but we kept our distance to avoid fleas or whatever else the dog was carrying. I felt so bad for it.

The next night we camped in Poison Springs State Forest , about 60 miles south of Hot Springs. We made quite the loop through Arkansas! The campsite was just a flat spot pretty close to a road, but the campground nearby did not have any primitive sites so we figured it’d be right around $30 to stay there. Dinner that night was taco salads and they were so yummy!

Yesterday we drove in circles through Camden trying to find the Arkansas Forest Commission to see if there were any other free camping spots in State Forests that they could direct us to, but come to find out that WAS the only State Forest! Hardly worth the 20 or so extra miles that we put on the truck to find the dang place. You win some, you lose some. So we headed to Louisiana down Hwy 79 to see what we could find.

We stayed last night at Corny Lake, a tranquil, quiet (when the neighbor’s generator wasn’t running) spot right on the water. We claimed our campsite and then headed out in search of wood. Jake got his workout in by chopping through some very hard wood—we have no clue what kind of wood it was other than hard. When the neighbor in the campground that had a chainsaw learned that Jake had chopped the wood by hand, he said, “Well, why didn’t ya’ll say sometin’?” Since we had a good fire and good water handy, we bucket bathed and settled in for a night of playing dice. Dinner was mac and cheese and boudain that had been gifted to us by Charles and Rena in Texas.

Today is Thursday and Jake is just discovering that the satellite was able to lock in on a signal so he will get to watch Thursday night football. I, on the other hand, will bury my nose in a book and enjoy the warmth of the heater. It is supposed to get down to 38 degrees tonight.

J and J's Smorgasbord Burrito Filling

Jennifer and James’ Smorgasbord Burrito Filling

When you’re camping you’ve got to have a big dish and you just want to put it all together and make it one big, happy dish. So we use what we have. We improvise. For this we took full potatoes and cut them small, yellow onion—cut it very small, a jalapeno and a habanera pepper and cut them up a bit, and some fresh ground sausage-style pork. We put a little canola oil in the bottom of a pan and we mixed it all together. Then take flour tortillas and put one pat of butter on each layer and then put those in foil at the end of the cooking, heat over the fire, and then make burritos.


For the burrito place meat on the tortilla, add a spoonful of hot sauce, some black olives, some sour cream, some chives and fresh tomato. It’s not that hard!

Beautiful Arkansas

Days 103-105, November 12-14, 2010
Alpine Inn, Eureka Springs, AR--$36
Gas $2.79/gal
Winding, scenic highways through colorful hills

Hot Springs was way more interesting than I thought it would be. I knew that we’d eat good BBQ and that it is the former home of Bill Clinton, but I didn’t know anything about the history of the bathhouses that used to take advantage of the 47 natural hot springs that percolate up through the Earth. In fact, one of the original houses is still in operation. The National Park has taken over one of the buildings and it is possible to tour the whole facility and see how it used to be back in the early 1900’s. The facility is glamorous with marble and stained glass windows throughout.

The water itself is a piping 143 degrees and contains traces of minerals that are thought to have therapeutic properties. People didn’t just come to the bathhouses to be pampered, they came to be cured and have their health restored, too. Some of the steamer cabinets, chiropody tools, Zander mechano-therapy equipment, and needle sprayers look a bit like torture instruments, but I’m sure they did the job. The people in the old-time photos looked awfully relaxed.
We walked through historic Hot Springs window shopping and building up an appetite for McClard’s BBQ. The shops are a funky mixture of biker paraphernalia, hooky redneck junk, hippie tie-dye, and art. It definitely is not like the swanky street shops we meandered through in Fredericksburg, TX. It seems to be a rather eclectic town. McClard’s, however, is not eclectic…it is delicious. Jake got the brisket plate and I got ribs and Richard our server treated us to one of their tamales. I don’t know how anyone ever finishes a plate there; the portions are not petite. And it’s not just their BBQ that is divine. The baked beans and coleslaw were amazing, too. Sadly, I could not get any recipes since they are trade secrets. (The BBQ sauce recipe is even locked in a vault in a downtown bank.) Go to McClard’s!



Jennifer enjoying her yummy meal.

 We camped that night about 5 miles out of town at Gulpha Gorge Campground ($10). We parked next to a couple camping in a tent and started chatting with them almost immediately. They asked about our signs for Eating Up The Road that are on the doors of the Tundra and shared with us that they had just been sitting there talking about how they could make a business that combined camping and cooking. Their names were Jennifer and James and James just happens to be a chef and Jennifer happens to be a darn good cook. They shared a recipe (of sorts) with me and we ended up sitting around their fire that night along with a couple from Mexico, Alex and Marcella. It was a good time and it was just a shame that Jake and were still full of BBQ because the food smelled amazing!

The next morning we headed north up scenic Hwy 7 to Moccasin Gap Horse Camp. It’s just impossible to describe the color and beauty of the autumn leaves along with the rolling hills and valleys. We felt like we were driving through a postcard. We stopped at a place called Booger Hollow and were disappointed to find out that it is no longer in operation. I would love to have a t-shirt that has Booger Hollow on it. The campground was carpeted with leaves and small but the price was right at $3 per night. Unfortunately the outhouse was unusable because of some gross person.

We took a short hike, tying red bandanas on our heads since it is hunting season and of course our coats were black and gray, and then picked up a bunch of fire wood as we got closer back to camp. We can tell that we are farther north than we have been in a while since there is a bite to the air and we have to layer on the clothes. We lunched on left over BBQ and leftover chili at around 2:00. (We are learning that we really only need 2 meals a day since we do a lot of sitting even though we do try to get hikes in whenever we can.) The rest of the afternoon was spent luxuriating in having the afternoon off the road, reading, napping, and completely ignoring the computer. Eventually we were driven outside by the cold and built a fire to get our cores warmed up. Yes, we do have a heater in the camper, but we try to conserve propane when we can since our tank holds only 4 gallons. Eventually we were driven Inside and turned on the heater and made some phone calls to friends and family. It’s important to check in every now and again.

This morning’s breakfast was a skillet of potatoes, green onions, green peppers, ham, eggs, cheese, and tomatoes and then we hit the road. We intended to head east but a group of quaders pulled over at a scenic overlook told us we “had” to go to Eureka Springs because it was “f***in’ awesome”. Okay. So we headed west instead and landed in the town around noon. We got about 75 yards down the sidewalk when I spied a bar announcement that they had a Bloody Mary bar with 30 different ingredients, not to mention a slew of hot sauces. I had never seen such a thing so down we went! I had a Bloody Mary with pickled asparagus, olives, a peppercini, a hot dill pickle spear, a stalk of celery, a small beef stick, pickled mushrooms, and Worchester sauce. And then the bartender came out with a warm cheesy bread stick that he laid on top of the glass. It was more a salad than a drink! Jake had a shot of liquid marijuana (no THC involved) and a Bud. Boring.

The town itself was full of touristy shops that have things that neither of us needed or wanted. But it was fun to walk around. Eureka Springs built its reputation on the miraculous cures that the local spring waters offered. There are over 60 springs in the downtown area, some public, some private and in the town’s heyday it boasted a population of 10,000 people. Much like the bathhouses of Hot Springs, the popularity of the spring water as curative began to die out as more modern medical discoveries were made. The town dwindled to 2,200. And the water is no longer potable.

Our big dilemma after town was if we should stay in town at a cheap hotel (advertised at $36) or head out to a state park. We decided to go to the park since we will be having a couple of town nights in our near future and they are always way more expensive than if we are out in the woods with no temptations. Well, we drove the 18 miles to the campground to learn that it costs $30 per night. I think our jaws hit the ground. So, back in the truck, back the 18 miles, and into a hotel room that allows me to blog without using my air card, has guilt-free Sunday night football for Jake, has a complete bathroom, and is right across the street from the a biker bar and restaurant. Oh, and it’s supposed to get down to 35 degrees tonight so it’s nice to have heat! Dinner was pizza across the road (not spectacular) and tomorrow we will find cheap camping to make up for our indulgences today.

A bit of Oklahoma and into Arkansas

Days 101 and 102, November 10-11, 2010
Big Brushy Recreation Area, AR
Gas $2.63 and $2.79/gal
Right around 200 miles both days—long driving days

For the past few days I have noticed a certain damp odor when we first get into the camper. I thought that I had tracked it to under the sink, but upon investigation there was no leak or anything that had spilled. Tonight Jake figured it out…it was our sandals in the little cubby by the sink. They never had a chance to dry after our showers so they just sat there and got funky…ah, the challenges of the road.

We said goodbye to Mom and Charles today after having what so far hands down is the worst meal of the trip. We were in Quinton, OK and our choices for lunch were a café in the grocery store or a café in the feed store. We opted for the feed store and have regretted it ever since. The waitress was slovenly, the service surly, the food greasy and tasteless, the ceiling spotted and sagging, and one of the cooks had a nasty smoker’s cough. It was far from the quaint, down-home kind of place we were hoping to stumble upon, but they can’t all be winners.

Thankfully the rest of our short Oklahoma experience was far nicer. We headed toward OK from our gator-less bayou campground and headed north so that Mom and Charles could be moving in the direction of home, which is Sioux Falls, SD. We stopped for lunch at Beavers Bend State Park in southeast OK and munched on sandwiches and tomato soup. Back on the road, we moved further north to Talemina Drive in the Ouchita National Forest. The autumn colors blanketed the area for as far as the eye could see…red, orange, yellow…Jake called them “fireworks that seemed suspended in time”. I had no idea that Oklahoma was so beautiful since I always thought of it as flat ranchland and oil pumps.

Camping that night cost a mere $4.00 and the setting was priceless, up in the hills overlooking the colorful valley...our elevation was just a bit over 2,000’. The camp hosts, as it were, were stick bugs that were everywhere, including inside the women’s port-a-potty. They are harmless enough but still made it difficult to relax while taking care of business. Jake wondered if he rubbed two together if he could start a fire. He didn’t try, but did get busy and built a fire so that I could cook up some chili. I find that dehydrated chili mix augmented with hamburger, onions, and green peppers makes for a delicious, rib-sticking meal. We fancied it up with some crushed corn chips, shredded cheddar cheese, green onion, and sour cream and the smell of the campfire topped it off. Camping food just tastes better.



Quartz...


After our terrible lunch today Mom and Charles headed further north and Jake and I started heading east. We will spend the next few weeks exploring Arkansas and Louisiana before heading to a wedding in Cajun Country the day after Thanksgiving. Our little camping area in is in the quartz area of Arkansas and it is not fancy, but it is free and has a pit toilet and we get TV.  Since it is drizzling we will stay inside and enjoy a combination of football and the Food Network. No dinner tonight since we are still feeling gross from our lunch. However, tomorrow should be better. We are going to a BBQ place in Hot Springs that is in the 1,000 Things to See Before You Die book and is a favorite of Bill Clinton and Aerosmith.

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice—Rena, TX

Cook a bag of pinto beans. Boil some beef sausage to get all the grease off and dice it up. Reserve the liquid and put it in the freezer to make the grease solid and then remove the grease and put all the juice back into the beans along with the sausage. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Serve over rice and with cornbread.

Rena and Charles, TX

Rena and Charles, TX

Rena, Charles, and Jake

My favorite food from my childhood was probably my grandmother’s homemade soup…vegetable soup. It all came in from the garden and was put up in quart jars. She canned it. It was so good because it was all fresh vegetables. I don’t garden so I can’t make it. Every bit of hers came out of the garden. (Rena to Charles…) Yours is probably your momma’s cornbread. Not sweet…sugar belongs in cake. We do not put sugar in our cornbread. Even in the restaurants here they serve sweet cornbread. We put milk in a glass with our cornbread and we eat it like that for dinner.

Charles: When I grew up we killed our own hogs and she (my momma) cooked the cornbread with pure lard. It makes it more delicious.

Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Spaghetti—Rena, TX

Your boil your chicken, a whole chicken, de-bone it, set it aside. Then you cook 1 lb. of spaghetti noodles. After you cook the noodles, set them aside in a bowl. (You know that they’re cooked when you throw them against the wall. If they stick, they’re cooked. If they fall off you have to cook them some more.) In a bowl mix one lb. of Velveeta cheese, 1 can of cream of celery soup, 1 can of Rotelle diced tomatoes, 1 small can of evaporated milk, and a can of sliced mushrooms. Melt all that together in a bowl in the microwave. Combine all of the above in a 9”x13” pan, sprinkle cheddar cheese all over the top. Put it in the oven long enough to melt the cheese and evaporate some of the liquid—15-20 minutes, to your desire.

It’s easy, just all done in stages. When you’re cooking your chicken, you can cook your spaghetti, you can put your mixture together in the microwave. I got the recipe from 2 or 3 different people and I made my own (recipe) out of theirs.

7 Layer Taco Dip

7 Layer Taco Dip—Nancy Keath

(Best if it sets overnight.)

3 medium avocadoes
2 T. lemon juice
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
1 c. sour cream
½ c. real mayonnaise
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 cans Frito jalapeno bean dip
2 cans black olives, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. onions, chopped

Mash avocadoes, mix in salt, pepper, and lemon juice, set aside. Combine sour cream and mayonnaise with taco seasoning, set aside. Spread bean dip in a 9”x13” pan, top with mayo mixture, then avocadoes, sprinkle onions, then tomatoes, then olives. Cover with cheese.

Buttermilk Pie

Buttermilk Pie—Nancy Keath


First mix:
3 eggs
1 ½ c. sugar
2 T flour

Add to above:

1 ½ sticks butter, melted
1 t. vanilla
½ t. lemon extract
¾ c. buttermilk

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Makes one pie.

Texas Hot Trash

Texas Hot Trash—Nancy Keath, TX

1 Box Cheerios
1 Box Rice Chex
1 Box Wheat Chex
2 lbs. Mixed nuts
1 Bag pretzels—small or sticks
1 Bag sesame sticks
(alternative ingredients: Quackers or Fish Crackers, Corn Chex, or Fritoes)

Liquid Mixture:

1 ½ lbs. melted butter
3 T chili powder
2 t. garlic powder
3 t. red pepper
3 t. accent
Worcestershire sauce to taste

Mix dry ingredients well. Pour liquid mixture over it and stir until well coated. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 ½ hours.

(Some of the girls put the mixture in a large garbage bag to mix it. That seemed to have worked well because I used a huge roasting pan and it was really hard to mix well. This really makes a lot!)

Jalapeno Corn Bread

Jalapeno Corn Bread—Nancy Keath, TX
3 c. yellow corn meal
1 c. cream-style corn
1 t. sugar
2 t. salt
1 c. grated onion
1 1/3 c. grated cheese
1 ½ t. baking powder
1 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
½ c. chopped jalapenos
Pepper to taste

Mix all of the above ingredients together. Pour into a 9”x16” ungreased pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Last few days in Texas

Days 98-100, November 7-9, 2010
Caddo Lake State Park (northeast Texas)
Gas $2.65/gal
165 miles today, none yesterday, 137 the day before
Elevation 186’, 1,813 miles from home

When we left the Gulf, we headed to Sabine Pass Battleground State Historical Site where—depending on which plaque you read—47 men defeated 5,000 and captured 3 ships. (Another plaque said 42 men defeated 3,500 so the truth must be somewhere in between.) The site didn’t have much to look at but it was a good stop for topping off the water and dumping the black and gray water. You just never know when you’ll have the next opportunity so Jake and I probably are a little OCD about those things.

In Port Arthur we did laundry and finally got tacos from a real taco truck. Check that off the list. We got back in the trucks and headed on the back roads up to Sandy Creek Park, a beautiful campground that was fully worth the $16/night that we spent. We had electricity, water, showers, fire pits, lots of space, and a beautiful view of the lake. It was relaxing and rejuvenating since we decided to stay an extra day. Sometimes you just need to recharge the batteries. We grilled up the sausages we had gotten at Opa’s in Fredericksburg and heated up left over mac and cheese and had a yummy dinner.

We met a delightful couple, Rena and Charles, who seemed to bend over backwards to help us enjoy our stay in “their” campground…they sometimes stay there 3 months at a time because it is so darn beautiful. We visited with them the first night and the next morning Charles came over with some frozen jalapeno boudain for us to take with us. Once he and Rena found out that we were going to stay another day, they extended an invitation to join them for red beans and rice for supper. Never one to arrive empty handed, I cooked up some spaghetti sauce, noodles, and garlic bread; Mom made peach cobbler. It was quite the feast.

It is interesting how we have developed a bit of a “twang” when we talk. It’s easy to fall into the relaxed way of speaking that is indicative of the South. I catch Jake saying “y’all” and not ending words with “ing” but only “in’”, as in “cookin’, livin’, laughin’, lovin’…”. It seems natural and maybe keeps us from being perceived so much as Yankees. Or not.

We stopped for lunch at the Texas Eatery and Gifts that had been recommended by two people in Center. We didn’t realize that the place had been open for only 6 weeks until the owners told us…its reputation had really spread! We had their sampler platter for starts: fried boudain balls, jalapeno poppers, fried green tomatoes, and fried dill pickles. A far cry from a sampler platter at Applebees! Jake and I had burgers, Mom had smothered chicken, and Charles had a huge chicken fried steak. Everything was great and we enjoyed the meal only slightly more than we enjoyed looking at all of the antique mish-mash that adorned the walls. It was a cool place and the owners were eager to share some recipes once they learned of our project. Apparently we couldn’t leave empty-handed because the owners gifted us 4 CDs and had us take a copy of their menu with us. If you’re ever in Joaquin, TX, look them up!

Now we are at Caddo Lake and it’s almost too dark to write anymore. We went to the fishin’ pier and looked for gators and snakes but saw only a bunch of benign turtles…still pretty cool. Jake and I have never been in a bayou before and it is a little creepy. We feel like city-folk all of a sudden. But it is cool and new and day 100 has been great.

I just heard a splash…