May 7, 2011

I couldn't believe the smell of something so simple as Southern fare. My mind and appetite wondered for something original at the farmers market this morning. I saw plenty of freshness. Green Beans. Yes. Green Tomatoes. Yes. Sweet Potatoes. Check. I stopped by the store to pick up some Yellow Cornmeal. The plans were being drawn in my head. Kentucky Derby 101: Ya' ever seen a Mint Julep talk? No, but I've seen one cry. So, the stage was set. Menu: Maple Pepper Bacon, Four Cheese Grits, Fried Green Tomatoes, Sweet Cornbread Muffins and Lace Cookies for dessert. If you've never heard of Lace Cookies, here's the explanation: a highly buttery and sugar cookie with a little flour and flavored with orange zest and crushed pecans and wrapped around a rolling pin to build a transparent like cookie with a lot of taste. It's a Southern Thing! Don't be caught off guard by this unmistakable beauty: it packs a lot of punch. Did my horse win in the Derby? And There Off...

Fried Green Tomatoes

1/2 cup Yellow Cornmeal

2 tablespoons of All-Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/4 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper

4 Green Tomatoes

1/2 cup Canola Oil

Stir together the first four ingredients in a shallow dish. Heat the oil in a large saute skillet over medium-high heat. Dip your tomatoes in the cornmeal mixture and coat both sides, shaking off any excess. Drop four slices into the oil and fry about 4 minutes per side. They should be slightly brown for overall appearance. Remove from the pan and drain on a cooling rack with paper towels underneath to catch dripping oil. Repeat process until all the tomatoes are done. Enjoy!

May 5, 2011

It's the 5th of May. Four weeks after my initial pacemaker surgery. The last 28 days have been full of excitement and bitterness on one giant roller coaster. The pacemaker has been removed from my chest wound and now the infection must be totally withdrawn before the new vision of life is placed in my body again. My patience is wearing thin from my long lines of nurses and hospital food trays. My calender has been filled by over 40 doctor appointments since the start of the year.My soul has offered me rest and comfort. I still have a slow bleed from my pacemaker surgical scar. My next visit to my cardiologist will be on Monday to concur what is to happen next. My fear grows longer with each passing day. It's not the hours. It's the miles. Last nights dinner was a celebration of the Mexican holiday. No extra large burritos. No margaritas from the blender. A tradition of fulfillment of life. BBQ Chicken Tender Nachos, Yellow Rice, Sweet Cornbread Muffins and Chocolate Orange Creme Brulee. Only using what was on hand. I live for these moments! The Chicken Tenders were baked then tossed in a Carolina Vinegar Exilir pulled straight from the Smokies. Chips, then Diced Tomatoes, then Tenders, then Cheddar Cheese, then Salsa followed by more cheese. Layered on a greased baking dish and then broiled over high heat for about 4 minutes. Removed from the oven and placed on a bed of organic greens. Topped with Sour Cream and Peppers. The Yellow Rice was packaged, but I added salsa to the mix for enhancement purposes. The Sweet Cornbread Muffins are a stable recipe I've had for years: a blend of southern hospitality and sugar plum fairy visits. The Chocolate Orange Creme Brulee was a winner. A 2nd place award from the Citrus and Celery Celebration of Oveido, Florida in many years gone by. If it wasn't about the glory, it was about the guts. Happy bloodshed and Merry Cinco de Mayo! Stay thirsty my friends.

April 28, 2011

1:16 P.M.

I really wish they could figure out this infection. More nasal swabs. More chest pus swabs. Another bad lunch. The machine keeps beeping until the nurse turns it off. I'm looking in all the wrong places for all the right answers.

April 28, 2011

4:15 A.M. It's been a long 48 hours. The infection from my pacemaker surgery has gone ballistic. I wish I could tell you the pain doesn't hurt, but I'd be lying. A large infectious blend of pus and tiny bubbles has emerged from my skin. Price has a toll to pay, even when you're not going through the toll booths. Don't mind me. I just had to turn off the news. My mind wonders in this hospital room. Again. The door has been left open from the nurse who has just redressed my wound. All I know is that it's going to be a long day. The breakfast was really bad. A lot worse than the dinner I had last night. The eggs were powdered, the jelly on my toast was surgar-free and the coffee was decaf. Thank God for the regular I grabbed from the nurses earlier. The smiles are hearty and the walks are brisk. The clock in front of me on the wall is moving like a second hand in slow motion. I hear the talk of nurses and so forth down the hall. The sun is new and gleaming through onto my notebook as I write. It's a nice day. The code orange that was called out on the intercom system minutes ago, has been cleared. The only dominate sound in my room is the sound of AC coming in through the vents. It's cold.

April 26, 2011

There is peace on earth. Whether you know it or not: Peace will be heard one day. It will be of no whisper. No sounds of birds chirping. No trees swaying. No children laughing. It will be a peace you will not understand. A reign of fall from grace. A silence that is misunderstood. Don't take this phrasing as a threat upon yourself, but as a warning of things to come. In the coming months, the laws will be twisted and turned like you've never seen before. The rules of government and society will be the likes you will have never seen before. The passing of time will be in the blink of an eye. When this happens: you won't know it hit you until it's too late. Our culture has already forgotten the likes of 9/11 and what happened that day. The 21-year-olds were only 11, and the dirt was just something to throw at neighbor boys you didn't get along with. The dirt is about to get a lot dirtier! Let this be a warning to all. God bless and good luck.

April 24, 2011

Happy Easter! Doors have been opened for us and doors have been slammed in our faces. We've all been there. Not knowing why some doors are closed and others that are opened. You can say that about a lot of things in life. Can you say that too many doors have been opened for you? Probably not. One door was slammed in our face a long time ago. And it still hurts today. Time! What are you going to do with all that extra time on your hands? Sit and worry. Stare out the windows and wish you were one of the... So tell me. How do you know. The difference between the here and the there. Between the dark and the light. Between the wrong and the right. When you looked at yourself in the mirror this morning, what did you see? Was it the door being slammed in your face? Or was it the hand in front of you that graciously held the door for you to let you in? To see the light on the other side. To capture the rays and make us shine. Again! We often don't have a clue why things happen to us on this path we call life. There are many paths to wonder over. The good ones. The bad ones. The broken glass on the floor paths. The fragrant flower paths. We smell the sweet aroma of the green grass and take in the essence of awe. Some paths have now turned mechanical. Electrical. Magical. But, in all honesty, we often seek the simplest paths. The one with dirt and mud. The tiny pebbles now trapped in the corners of our shoes and the crevices of our toes. Where are you going today? They say that the most humble of paths lead to home. These are not the most travelled. They are often cluttered with thorns and high brush. They are rocky. They are treacherous. They require a careful eye and a willing hand. My hands are trembling. They are worn and dirty. Full of guilt and ego. I try to wash them, but the dirt remains. I scrub over and over. Nothing. Wash away the sins of the world and have mercy on us. Wash away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us. Wash away the sins of the world. Grant us your peace.

April 23,2011

Take away all the pain, and I will give you life. This peace on earth is not an easy thing to come by. We slumber in our apparels and wonder why we even wear a shirt on our back. If your not careful, you'll lose it. Quick! These days of modern times. The salt keeps pouring out of the container and the smell of my flesh is burning. Will the healing ever stop? One day. One day. One day... My sheets will hang outside for days before they are completely dry. My sorrows and joys have all been bottled up for the celebration. A rebirth of our lives into another world. The forever smiles. Reality Check! Where ya' goin'? The rain is starting to fall and the salt is being washed away. Ouch! The salt of life continues to wash away our sins and we scream for attention. "Hey, someone throw me a rope." More salt continues to roll down our back. The choices we make. The consequences we partake. The candy-coated skins on our bodies has melted away and the flesh within has been exposed. Exposed to the real light. The only light that matters. This light from above will conquer our soul and make us whole again. REGRETS! Is that salt too simple for you? Is it too fine? Try some coarse some time. A sea. A kosher. A different texture may lead to a new discovery. Regrets! Imagine the consequences. A simple tune for a hardened man.