Well, this "Granola girl" has officially been eatin' grits for one month now!
Feeling more like home, for sure! I have been driving around like true tourist, exploring all the great haunts in this southern town, taking in the sights,sounds, festivals, and local eateries. Loving me some fruit tea and even wipped up my own homemade batch for visiting friends! I have decided that the sweet tea is WAY TOO SWEET and omitted the sugar in my fruit tea recipe. . .the "TN Belle" approved! Tally one for the "Granola girl"!!
One observation this "Granola girl" has noticed is the beverages being served in. . .wait for it. . . if you are from the NW you may want to cover your eyes. . .STYROFOAM!! Last I checked this was outlawed in WA, but it seems to be the material of choice for cups here? Well, I have also figured out why it is used, and they have a very good argument to boot! When you order a cold beverage or take an object from the fridge and set it on the counter it takes about 30 seconds for condensation to form and it begins to drip! And as you may well know, Styrofoam doesn't sweat! Tally one for the "grits"! :) And. . . my hand stays dry!!
The kids are doing great, adjusting wonderfully to there new school and have been to TWO birthday parties already! We had a "cook-out" with our neighbors and I have met new friends for lunch at Chic fil a! My son performed in his first Kindergarten concert the other night. It was a cute performance and he did great for only 2 weeks practice! On the way home, we decided to go out for ice cream to celebrate. On our way, rain came down in buckets. . .and I mean serious deluge in the matter of minutes! Add intense hail the size of marbles, and there was no way we were getting out of our car for ice cream. We decided on the drive through window, and headed for home. When we got in the house we could hear a siren and assumed there was an accident from the bad rain storm. We entertained ourselves by storm watching out the window, in awe of the intense thunder and lightning outside, since we don't see much of those out west. The Dad flipped on the T.V. to see a news flash at the bottom of the screen that a "tornado warning" was in effect, in fact, one had touched down at a baseball field 3 miles away and flipped some cars! OH, WOW, that must have been a TORNADO WARNING siren!! And here we were eating ice cream and looking our the front door! Well, we will know for next time I guess. . .
I am off to make another pitcher of "fruit tea". . . minus the sugar, the pool opens in a week and I have to fit into my new suit. . .how do you drink your tea??
You are seriously making me want to move to the south!!! :) SO fun!! And WOW on the tornado warning!! I'm glad you'll "know for next time" LOL! Sounds like you've already made it a home. And I'm with you - sweet tea is WAY too sweet!! How do you make your "fruit tea?" I usually drink my tea plain, no sweetener - unless I'm drinking hot black tea, then I add a bit of sugar. My favorite iced tea recipe came from my friend Nikki Gray - brew STRONG decaf green tea, pour over ice and fresh mint leaves, add water, add Stevia (I omit the Stevia) and - voila! The fresh mint is the "secret" ingredient, and it's delicious and refreshing! Keep blogging - I love it!! ~ Amy Paulson
ReplyDeleteI'll have to post the fruit tea recipe soon, getting lots of requests. . .it's delish!
DeleteWhen I was fresh out of college, a friend and I lived in Oklahoma City. Being from WA, I did the same thing you did. Sat in the apartment picture window and watched the thunder and lightning. Our story ended in just the same way yours did! We really don't know "weather" in WA, do we? I'm kinda glad. Sounds like you are making the best of your new life! Enjoy everything but the tornadoes!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ann, we are enjoying our new town! :)
DeleteLove it Granola Girl! So many drinks are served in styrofoam cups down here b/c many of us have learned the secret of the "to go" cup. The "to go" cup works like this - next time you're in a restaurant (usually around lunchtime) ask for your drink in a "to go" cup. Doesn't matter if you're eating "in" - they will bring you a cup "to go". When it's time to leave - just ask them to top you off - then you have one for the road too. Considering the margin on restaurant drinks (they are marked up sooo much!) - it's just a way to get your money's worth. Oh and when it's August and your car temp hits 105 - you'll be glad you have that "to go" cup with ya! Many restaurants just go ahead and serve the drinks in the go cups already - especially if they do a brisk lunch time trade. I had never thought about them not sweating (and I've lived here all my life) - but I guess they don't - do they? Even this TNBelle can learn new things about our lovely culture!
ReplyDeletethanks TN belle, I will remember that for next time! :)
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