The first cut is the deepest

They say you know where you are from by the things that you would want as your last meal.  Me?  If I knew I was saying bye to planet Earth (or "rrrrrrrrrth" as Max Von Sydow said in Flash Gordon) it would be Clifford's fish fry  - Wauwatosa WI - (well worth the google my friends!!!!) I'd eat until I pretty much exploded.  I wouldn't worry about the flour on the fish breading or the grease or my hips expanding beyond their already Germanic proportions - I'd eat the fantastic tangy cole slaw with abandon and take plate after flaky plate of fish - french fries and slaw.  Thank you Jesus.  If there is is no fish fry in heaven I don't want to go. 

Tonight was group - family - crazy contingent that I call kids friends and extras - dinner.  We feed them all happily.  I'm a feeder by nature so hey grab a fork - bring it.  Bring an appetite come to my house you won't leave empty.   My house is going to be the teenage hang out.  I feel it - oh wait it's started already.  That to me is not a bad thing.  I'm slightly smarter than your average 16 yr old so I got a leg up.  Yeah me. 

But the meal. ?

Call it the Holy Trinity plus

Everyone in the south talks about the holy trinity.  Besides Jesus God and the Spirit - we are talking - celery, onion and pepper - to the French it's carrot onion and celery also called mirepoix - I won't start a war so I made peace and just made it all good.  Bacon fat is the great equalizer.   true that.

Bacon fat.  yeah.  Fat is flavor.  I should have that tattooed someplace . . .  :D

But it's true folks - it's the vehicle for which all other things will have tasteful meaning.  It either tastes good and you want to eat it or it's a freakin rice cake and you are eating it because you feel guilty.  I won't eat another thing out of guilt or fear again.  I have lived that life and am done with it.  My body belongs to me and God.  I like me.  I like me at 130 lbs and whereever I end up after running this marathon.  I can not run and eat and run and eat and well - eat.  Whatever.  I like me.  I hate me.  I get me.  I'm bitchy.  I'm real.  I can be ugly and sexy and stupid and genius.  I'm just me.  Hey.  Revelation - I sort of don't suck - what I say is witty and worth publishing (hello  - I want to write a booooooook???) :D

But end of day - I don't look at what I look like anymore to gauge my self worth - I really don't - in fact my clothes don't fit and I'm kind of pissed to have my  favorite skirt not fit right.  I'm just gonna wait til I'm done with this marathon.  There will be another but the first is kind of the litmus test.  Do I want more ?????? I think I do.  I'm kind of hooked.  Disney in January may be the next.  The kids and I have never been to Disney - Tell me that's not cool.

So - what did we have tonight

Southern Mama Roasted Chicken' -
Heat the oven to 500

wash and dry the bird and stuff her full of limes and garlic
salt and pepper the outside and cover her in butter.

stick her in the oven and then turn it down to 350

when she's brown bring her out and put a cup of white wine around her and tent it with foil

bake for at least 1 1/2 hours.

let rest and cut up

I made honey corn bread and the holy trinity plus to add with

The HOLY TRINITY PLUS

Bacon fat

cut up celery
carrots
corn
onion
garlic
pepper
hot pepper

saute until soft - enjoy

I may be a girl from up nort' but I know from good - and you may not be able to fix stupid  - but when you know something is right. . . . . . .  it is.