Come along for the Ride!

I am so glad you are here. Stay with us as we travel everywhere. I hope you will enjoy the ride.

Friday, May 31, 2013

I guess we'll try to earn some extra cash while we are here.



Random Pictures


CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA


LOVED THIS PAINTING ON THE SIDE OF THIS BUILDING IN MINNESOTA


RURAL MINNESOTA

ALONG THE ROAD IN MINNESOTA

Lake Pepin, MN


Lake Pepin is a naturally occurring lake, and the widest naturally occurring part of the Mississippi River, located approximately 60 miles downstream from Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is a widening of the river on the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The formation of the lake was caused by the backup of water behind the sedimentary deposits of the Chippewa River's delta. It has a surface area of about 40 square miles (100 km2) and an average depth of 18 feet (5.5 m), which makes it the largest Lake on the entire Mississippi River.



Then the rain came.


Thursday, May 30, 2013

Andouille

We were in LaPlace, Louisiana today. I didn't know what andouille was so I looked on Google. I saved you the trouble.

Andouille

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cajun andouille
French andouille de Guémené.

Andouille (/ænˈdi/ an-doo-ee in US English; French pronunciation: ​[ɑ̃nduj]) is a smokedsausage made using pork, originating in France and which was taken to the United Statesthrough Louisiana by French immigrants. It is distinguished in some varieties by its use of the entire gastrointestinal system of the pig.

In the US the sausage is most often associated with Cajun cooking, where it is a coarse-grained smoked sausage made using porkgarlicpepperonionswine, and seasonings.[1]Nicknamed "The Andouille Capital of the World," the town of LaPlace, Louisiana, on theMississippi River, is especially noted for its Cajun andouille.[citation needed] Andouille sausages are sometimes referred to in the US as "hot link" sausages.[citation needed]

In France the traditional andouille is composed primarily of the intestines and stomach.

Though somewhat similar, andouille is not to be confused with andouillette.


Boudin (which I love) is something totally different.



Anyone want to go?

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Military Bases are Interesting

The Watervliet Arsenal  is an arsenal of the United States Army located in Watervliet, New York, on the west bank of the Hudson River. It is the oldest continuously active arsenal in the United States, and today produces much of the artillery for the army, as well as gun tubes for cannons, mortars, and tanks. It has been a National Historic Landmark since 1966.
The arsenal was founded in 1813 to support the War of 1812, and was designated as the Watervliet Arsenal in 1817. It occupies 142 acres of land.

Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) is a major United States Army facility fulfilling various depot operations. The depot is located in Bynum, Alabama.
The depot employs over 5,000 people and covers 25 acres.
ANAD is the only depot capable of performing maintenance on heavy-tracked combat vehicles and their components.

We have visited many in our travels and have been to these two recently.


Sunday, May 26, 2013

Thousand Islands




Pops and I will be spending part of our weekend at Leeds, 1000 Islands. We have to enter Canada late Sunday evening for a Monday morning delivery.
We will be looking for a church to attend on Sunday morning that won't take us out of route and then spend the remainder of the day in the 1000 Islands region.
It is so pretty there no matter what time of year you are there. 
We have always enjoyed the drive across the 1000 Islands bridge. It is a high arch and the view of many of the Islands is awesome.
Someday we hope to visit the Boldts Castle and cruise among the islands.
We are going to enjoy some shrimp on Sunday with our Thousand Island Dressing.

Thousand Island Dressing
Its base commonly contains mayonnaise and can include olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, cream, chili sauce, tomato puree, ketchup, or Tabasco sauce.
It also typically contains finely chopped ingredients, which can include pickles, onions, bell peppers, green olives, hard-boiled egg, parsley, pimento, chives, garlic, or chopped nuts 
Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chili sauce or ketchup
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
3 Tbsp. capers; chopped
2 tsp. cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.

According to The Oxford Companion of Food and Drink, "the name presumably comes from the Thousand Islands between the United States and Canada in the St. Lawrence River." In the Thousand Islands area, one common version of the dressing's origins says that a fishing guide's wife, Sophia LaLonde, made the condiment as part of her husband George's shore dinner. Actress May Irwin requested the recipe after enjoying it. Irwin in turn gave it to another Thousand Islands summer resident, George Boldt, who was building Boldt Castle in the area. Boldt, as proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, instructed the hotel's maître d'hôtel, Oscar Tschirky, to put the dressing on the menu. A 1959 National Geographic article states, "Thousand Island Dressing was reportedly developed by Boldt's chef."

The Thousand Islands constitute an archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada-U.S. border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about 50 miles downstream from Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario, the U.S. islands in the state of New York.
The 1,864 islands range in size from over 40 square miles to smaller islands occupied by a single residence, or uninhabited outcroppings of rocks that are only home to migratory waterfowl. To count as one of the Thousand Islands these minimum criteria had to be met: 1) Above water level year round; 2) Have an area greater than 1 square foot; and 3) Support at least one living tree.

Pictures and Information from Wikipedia.



Saturday, May 25, 2013

Syracuse, NY

Pops and I are in Syracuse, NY. It is a stopping place enroute to Ontario. I looked up some local history and facts for the area. 
Hmmm.
Hope you enjoy learning things like I do. The recipe is simple, but who doesn't eat potatoes?
Syracuse
Little Known Facts
The dental chair was invented by Syracuse’s Milton Waldo Hanchett in 1840.  
Did you know that at one time there were more than 50 breweries here in the Syracuse area. 
Syracusan Charles F. Brannock invented the measuring device that tells the shoe salesman, what your size is. Also Nettleton patented the world’s first “Loafer” in 1933. 
Our State Fair in the longest running State Fair in the country, in fact it started in 1848.
Crouse Hinds, of Syracuse,  manufactured the country’s first traffic light installed in Texas in 1921.
Robert E. Dietz can boast ownership of an English patent for a mousetrap. 
27 antennae located on the moon were made in Syracuse by Sims. 

The salt industry has a long history in and around Syracuse, New York. Jesuit missionaries visiting the region in 1654 were the first to report salty brine springs around the southern end of "Salt Lake," known today as Onondaga Lake. Until 1900, the majority of the salt used in the United States came from Syracuse. Even today, Syracuse is sometimes known as "the Salt City."
Syracuse Salt Potatoes
"Salt potatoes are a regional specialty of Syracuse, New York, a.k.a. The Salt City. Salt potatoes date to the 1800s, invented by local salt mine workers who created a simple and inexpensive lunch by boiling small potatoes in brine. The potatoes are still very popular today with the Central New York crowd, making an incredibly easy and delicious side dish. 
Original recipe makes 8 servings
 4 pounds new potatoes
 1 1/2 cups fine salt
 8 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
Wash the potatoes and set aside. Fill a large pot with water; stir in salt until it no longer dissolves and settles on the bottom. Place potatoes in the pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender but firm, about 15 minutes. Drain; cover to keep hot.
While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a small pan over medium high heat, or in microwave. Serve immediately poured over potatoes.


Friends

I got a phone call from a good friend this morning as I was drinking my coffee. And yesterday I had a nice note in my email from another friend. 
Thank You, Lord, for friendship.
"You look like you lost your best friend." Have you ever heard those words said? What is meant by that saying?
Well, I think that is easy to understand. We all have friends. They are important to us. We know having someone by our side in life makes everything seem better. So when or if we lose our best friend we carry a sense of grief and sadness and also a heaviness in our soul.
God knew we would need friends. We are created to be social, to fellowship. 
It is great to have friends to encourage us, share our burdens, spend time with, talk us out of doing stupid things, talk us into doing good things. We need friends.
Thank you, Lord, for giving us our friends. Help us to be a good friend too. 
How sweet it is to hear the voice of a friend. I cherish my friends. I recognize the gift that they are to me. 
The sweet smell of incense can make you feel good, but true friendship is better still. (Proverbs 27:9 CEV)

Friday, May 24, 2013

Depression/Anxiety

It strikes again!
I sometimes suffer from depression and/or anxiety. Although I now believe that I have had this even as a child, I was not diagnosed until 25 years of age. 
It is an invisible illness. Most people would not be able to see that you have it even while in the midst of the worst of it.
But it can be just as debilitating as any other illness.
And too many people suffer in silence because it is such a misunderstood illness. People that do not have it many times cannot understand that it is a physical illness as well as affecting you mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. 
It wears you out physically. You really get fatigued while going through it. A lot of the time you won't eat or you don't eat right so your immune system fails and you get sick.
I do not know what causes it, but I have learned some of the things that could trigger it in me. There are many medicines that can help. Talking with a therapist can also help. There are coping skills. 
It usually affects smart people and influential people, people most others would consider strong,  but it  knows no social or economic or cultural barriers.  Here is a list of some of the symptoms that I get.
Anxiety/depression symptoms:
Nervous/jumpy
Startles easily
Heart feels strange,  like to close the speaker at a concert
Ears throb, like hearing a heartbeat 
Creeping up my neck
Function normally, but no recollection of performing tasks
No concentration
Extreme lack of patience with others
Desire to be normal to the point of OCD
Sweaty
Quiet
Bad dreams
Tired
No excitement or interest in anything
Isolation
Doesn't want to be alone
Feels alone in crowds
Panics in stores or theaters or restaurants (cannot stand or wait in lines)
Loses confidence in your abilities
No sexual desire
Crying bouts
Hates loud noises
Does not want to be touched
Does not want anyone too close to you 

It is very hard and embarrassing to admit to and I usually don't ever want to talk about or even want people to know that I have it. That is because of the reactions and comments by those that don't understand it.
I once had a very well known and highly respected evangelist tell me to "quit ruining things for your family." Other well meaning but ignorant people will say things like, 
Just get over it!
Why don't you  pray about it?
Well, what's bothering you?
It's all in your mind, Quit thinking that way!

Really?!? Does anyone think that I want to bring affliction to my family? And nobody wants it to end as much as I do, but I can't just "turn it off" or I surely would. And I have spent more time in prayer over this than any can imagine. 
I honestly am not just trying to get attention. I could think of more creative and less painful ways to do that.
Look, I don't want your pity. I don't know why I am writing this and putting it out there. I guess I just want you to know me and understand me better. I am not using it as an excuse to get out of doing things, Or to manipulate anyone else. The guilt of that would make the anxiety worse for me. Maybe I just want everyone to know and understand that we all have burdens, we all have issues, we all have needs, we all have concerns. Each of us have loads that we must carry through this life. 
Even the people that seem the strongest, even the people that appear the happiest, even the people that look like they have it all, we all have our burdens and problems. 
We need each other. We need The Lord.
Pray for me, please. I am praying for you. 

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Proud to be from PA



Pig lick in' cake

Pig lick in' cake
 2 large cans mandarin oranges
1 yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
Mix and bake in greased cake pan. Follow temp and times on box.
Once cake is cool, frost with:
1 tub cool whip
1 box vanilla pudding
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
Mix and spread on cooled cake
Keep refrigerated

Faribault Church of Christ

Pops and I attended services this morning in Faribault, Minnesota. The church was very close to the trucks top where we were and easy to find. We parked in the back of the parking lot.
We got here early so parking was easy. 
We went into Sunday School. It was taught by Ralph. It was a lesson based on Hebrews chapter 11. It is the Hall of Fame of the Faithful.
It was a very good discussion .
After that we went to the auditorium. The singing was good and they sang some of my favorites songs. We had communion and then Garry Rosenau, the evangelist, brought a message from Exodus chapter 1. He talked about how the Hebrew midwives, because of their reverent fear of God chose to disobey the government, the Pharoah. They would not murder the innocent babies as they were born. And because of this God blessed them richly.
Knowing about God is not the same as knowing God.
Would you disobey the legal system if it went against God?

Maybe we will get to come here again sometime.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

The Avenue of the Saints

This is the route we traveled today. 

The Avenue of the Saints is a 563-mile-long (906 km) highway in the Midwestern United States that connects St. Paul, Minnesota, and St. Louis, Missouri.The Avenue of the Saints was the idea of Mount Pleasant, Iowa businessman Ernest Hayes, who envisioned a four-lane highway between St. Paul and St. Louis in the 1980s.

3 States, 3 recipes

We left Georgia yesterday after sitting for 3 days with no loads. Finally one came and away we went. Good riddance to Atlanta.
Pops drove all night and when I woke up we were in Missouri. I started to drive and we then went on through Iowa and then into Minnesota for our delivery.
We delivered at a place that makes and distributes bacon bits.
Now we are relaxing near Minneapolis waiting again for a load.
We have found a church to attend tomorrow.

Juicy Lucy Burgers (no, they aren't made out of my dog)
A favorite of Minnesotans! The famous Juicy Lucy! Mmmm. So good. You MUST use American cheese on this to achieve the juiciness in the middle! 
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 slices American cheese 
4 hamburger buns
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and pepper in a large bowl; mix well. Form 8, thin patties from the beef. Each patty should be slightly larger than a slice of cheese.
2. Cut each slice of American cheese into 4 equal pieces; stack the pieces. Sandwich one stack of cheese between 2 ground beef patties. Tightly pinch edges together tightly seal the cheese within the meat. Repeat with the remaining cheese and patties.
3. Preheat a cast-iron or other heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Cook burgers until well browned, about 4 minutes. It is common for burgers to puff up due to steam from the melting cheese. Turn burgers and prick the top of each to allow steam to escape; cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside; about 4 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.


Kansas City Steak Soup
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound round steak, chopped
1 cup margarine
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 gallon water
1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 large carrot, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed
vegetables
16 ounces stewed tomatoes
12 cubes beef bouillon
2 tablespoons margarine
DIRECTIONS:
1. Make a roux by melting the butter or margarine, then stirring in the flour. Brown gently.
2. Gradually add 2 cups of the water to the roux and stir until smooth. Add the remaining water, the carrot, onion, celery, frozen vegetables, canned tomatoes, and beef base granules.
3. In a skillet saute the steak in 2 tablespoons butter or margarine until browned. Drain off all the grease. Add the browned steak to the soup and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours or until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Once cooked this soup may be frozen for later use.


Iowa Ham Balls
Ingredients
3-1/2 pounds ground ham
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) tomato soup, undiluted
3/4 cup vinegar
2-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
Directions
In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients. Using a 1/3 cup
measure, shape mixture into 2-in. balls. Place in two large shallow
roasting pans. Combine all remaining ingredients; pour over balls.
Bake at 325° for 1 hour, basting frequently with sauce. Yield: 15 servings