Southern Nuggets

I'm going to come clean...I haven't been cooking. I know, the shame! As much as I'd like to say that I haven't fell victim to holiday gluttony - that would be a lie. In addition, I knew before arriving into the Land of Enchantment that the battle to cook for myself was an uphill, if not, losing battle. My mom has been known to cook seldom as it is. I forgot that her new condo, as cute as it is, lacks a kitchen. I helped her moved into this new place last year and when I left there was a refrigerator, a sink, and a microwave. Not much as changed upon my return with the exception of a conventional oven. But I suppose that this is part of the journey. This won't be my last time to New Mexico or my final trip anywhere. It's important that I learn to navigate restaurant menus, including recognizing sacrifices when menu options don't satisfy my appetite as it used to. I live in the most gluttonous country in the world, I really should doubt I'll starve. Ho...

My first visit to New Mexico was during my sophomore year of high school. I moved to Albuquerque two days after my high school graduation. I graduated on a Friday. I checked into the dorm Sunday afternoon. I started my first college classes on Monday. It wasn't so much that I was super smart or eagerly wanted to get college going. It was more because that was my one way ticket out of the small, reservation town that I grew up in and I cashed it in the first chance I had. I regretted by decision about two weeks into it. I remember getting so homesick. I literally didn't know ANYONE! What was I thinking?! Even my first day of college was rough. I didn't have the resources that would be available in the fall. It was quite a perfect example of "sink or swim." I didn't even have an idea where the dorms were. I remember the taxi dropped me off in front of the UNM book store and I struggling to drag four heavy suitcases, with wheels, all across campus trying to ...

Not going to lie, I indulged last night and had fried cabbage with ham. Well, the Hawaiian version of ham. It's not a steak or gourmet salad so it was what you'd expect, but I was pleased with it. In my on going effort to eat the vegetables that are slowly but surely reaching their shelf life, I threw together a cucumber salad as a side item. Cucumber salad is a side dish that my grandmother has made as a holiday side dish for as long as I can remember. Occasionally she makes it outside the holidays, but I associate it with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. It's supper simple to make. All you need are cucumbers, EVOO (thanks Rachel Ray), Vinegar, Pepper and Salt. I realized after my cucumber was sliced that I didn't peel it. Doesn't change the flavor, just the presentation. So...do as I say, not as I do. :-) Peel and slice your cucumber, as much or as little as you want. I tend to do one medium cucumber per person. But I enjoy cucumbers, so that mi...