I Ate From A Trough!

I love living in Smalltown America. Contrary to popular belief, there is so much to do. No, I am not inundated with farm chores, nor have I been overwhelmed by boredom.

Quite the contrary, in fact. As a writer, I have benefitted in many more ways than I could have possibly imagined. Now, I have the time to write that I never had before and I am finding that ideas and opportunities abound at every turn.

Take, for instance, the fun that my good hubby-buddy and I were involved in yesterday. Who knew that eating from a trough could be such an amazing experience? Yes, you heard me correctly; we ate from a trough.

Okay, lemme' back up and 'splain. There was a Cowboy Cook-Off in one of the nearby towns. I hafta' admit that I was a little concerned when I heard that the food would be dumped into a trough for everyone to feed from.

Have you ever eaten food that was cooked in a Cream Can? You know those big ol' cans that farmers use to pour fresh milk into? Well, that was just the beginning. My guess is that cooking in this manner was prob'ly first discovered by those who traveled in wagons. Everything on the menu goes into the cream can and the lid is placed on top. Then the can is placed over an open flame. As far as I can tell, its just another form of Dutch Oven Cooking and it is remarkable!

As I stood in line... a very long line, I might add... waiting to eat from said trough, I worried about little things like, "Have the cooks taken cleanliness into consideration?" and "Was this trough ever used by cattle or hogs?"

Naturally, I was thrilled to discover that the trough had been especially built for people and it was freshly-lined with aluminum foil. *whew* Thank goodness!

My next feeling of relief came when the food was served up by a line of people who had been involved in the cooking. No one else was allowed to dip-in and take what they picked through. I repeat, "Whew!"

If you have never had the opportunity to eat Cream Can Cooking from a trough, I urge you to rush right out and find the nearest Cowboy Chef you can. You will not be disappointed. The food is absolutely unbelievable. Then, you can share your experience of eating from a trough and watch the eyebrows raise.

Until the next time, keep a hug on.

~ Yaya

The heroes that used to be

Do you do genealogy? I've been doing genealogy for about eleventy-forty-seven years and over the years I've developed quite a deep admiration for those brave souls who laid the groundwork for my comfortable life.  No, as far as I am aware, none of my direct ancestors invented anything of note or created something to ease life's pains. But you know, they were the ones who cut a path through life's fields so I could come along later and drive my little go-cart or whatever.

My good hubby-buddy's family have tales aplenty of members who traveled by wagon or lived in soddies.  He even tells the story that some of his family members were the first into Salem, Massachusetts... and among the first to leave when they began burning some of their neighbors as witches. Quite an interesting legacy, if you ask me.

My stories are much closer, as I only recall the tales told by people I actually knew personally. Things like the night my little gramma' shot the ghost and how my mama and her sister chased the burglar away with their purses. Does this make my ancestors' lives as pioneers less important? Absolutely not! Without their input, I might just now be building my own little soddie. I'm sure thankful for those who have struggled to make my life easier.

Do you know stories of your ancestors? I'd like to suggest that you help keep those stories alive for your posterity by writing about them in a tablet or some other convenience of modern-day life. Or even, write some of your own experiences. Your children and grandchildren will be very grateful if you do.