France--There I Went

As most of you know, I lived in France for several years.  How I got there was an adventure.  I left Denver, Colorado in December of 1962 and traveled to New York City by Greyhound Bus, a three day express trip (No overnight stops), then after a night in a hotel near Times Square, I took a taxi (first time ever) to the port, and there I boarded my oceanic transportation the SS France-- At the time of her construction in 1960 she was the longest passenger ship ever built, a record that remained unchallenged until the construction of the 345 meter RMS Queen Mary 2 in 2004.  One area given an unusual amount of attention was the ship's kitchens; 1,500 square meters in area, and placed almost amidships, between the two dining rooms which the one kitchen served.  The France would not only display the best in French art and design, but also French cuisine. The kitchens were equipped with the most advanced machinery available, as well as many traditional cooking aides, including a stove that was 12 meters long and 2.5 meters wide. Staffed with 180 of France's best cooks, sauce and pastry chefs, rotisserie cooks, head waiters and wine stewards, this team made the France one of the finest restaurants in the world.  Too bad I didn't get to enjoy it much--I was seasick before we passed the Statue of Liberty.

Corn Days

I'm sure every town has its local celebrations, when I lived in Sleepy Eye, MN for a couple of years while my then husband was serving in Vietnam, they celebrated corn.  Sleepy Eye is in the corn belt and home of a Del Monte Packing plant.  Established in 1920, the facility produces the largest case quantities of peas and corn for the Company, planted by over 300 different growers on more than 26,000 acres. 

One of the highlights of the year was Corn Days, held every year in August.  Of course there was a big parade--homemade floats one carrying Miss Sleepy Eye, and a lot of kids on bikes and trikes.

and then everyone gathered at the city park, where local organizations served steamed corn dipped in tubs of butter for a gigantic FREE corn feast.  

My very young son, not quite three years old, loved corn, and still remembers this festival where he could have all the corn that he wanted.  Everyone was amazed at how many cobs this little tyke ate.  It was one of his happy days.

Of Garrison Keillor and Tater Tots

On this day in 1942 - Garrison Keillor was born.  He is a noted humorist, radio host: A Prairie Home Companion; author: Radio Days. He had a  monologue entitled The News from Lake Wobegon. Lake Wobegon is a quintessential but fictional Minnesotan small town "where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average", and every church social or family reunion includes a pot-luck dinner with Tater Tot casseroles and Jello salads.

Every time I hear a rebroadcast, I think of the time that I spent in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, population 3577, located 115 miles southwest of Minneapolis.  It is the typical Midwest small town.  The people are friendly, helpful and know all about you.

A couple of facts about Sleepy Eye--

• Many watchers of the "Little House on the Prairie" TV series will recognize Sleepy Eye as an important trade post for the citizens of Walnut Grove. It is also a midway point between Walnut Grove and Mankato.
• Residents of Sleepy Eye made headlines in the early 1990s for trying to ban MTV in the town

All the women had their own secret recipes that they would bring to pot lucks, but everyone made Hamburger hot dish.  They were similar--usually the type of soup would be the only difference.

Here is a recipe that my MIL often prepared--simple but tasty.  It is part of my Heritage Family Recipe Collection.

Hamburger Hot Dish                                 From Alice Murphy

Ingredients:

1-1/4 lbs Ground Beef 1 medium Onion, chopped	1 can Golden Mushroom Soup     Or regular mushroom soup 1 pkg. Tater Tots.

Instructions:  Put ground beef loosely in 2 qt casserole.  Add chopped onion, pour soup over top.  Place Tater Tots closely together to cover ingredients.  Cover with foil.  Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour.  10 minutes before serving remove foil.