WOW! Twenty Years!

If memory serves me correctly (which it hardly ever does, but this time I think it just might!), this Fall marks the twentieth year that my family moved to Iowa from North Carolina.  This fact dawned on me last week as I was cooking up a Southern staple (pinto beans, turnip greens and corn bread) for lunch.  It really doesn't seem like twenty years ago for two reasons:  1) I can't believe that I'm going on thirty years old come January; and 2) I can remember walking into Mrs. Ryan's fourth day classroom for the first like it was just yesterday! 

So, in honor of twenty years, a picture of last week's lunch  :-)



Pinto beans, turnip greens and corn bread.  We had it ALL the time growing up as a kid, but since marrying a Northerner I think I've only made it once.  I added lots of ham for Josh  :-)

By the way, turnip greens are the leaves from the turnip plant.  We pick them, boil them and either eat them or freeze them.  They look somewhat like spinach, but have a totally different taste.  Alot of people season them with bacon or fat back (I don't) and eat them with a splash of mild vinegar (I do!).  One of my favorite foods!




There's my helper!  We spend a lot of time in the kitchen together.  I'm teaching her the "right" way to make cornbread.  I love Iowa and wouldn't move for anything (almost), but I've yet to taste cornbread from "up here" that's as good as mine or my mother's.  You Northerner's just ain't got the cornbread touch ;-)