Our space at the Hillsville Flea Market this Memorial Day weekend

Black Chow

In an effort to keep a forward momentum I will be posting all sorts of things: lists, recipes, free-thinking strands, and whatever else I come up with. My goal is to communicate in some way, to write something, anything.

Cooking and baking have always been a big part of my life. My mother and both grandmothers were fine cooks and all of my sisters and I must have inherited the gene. I love trying new recipes and I love swapping recipes. How many times have I tried the chain recipe letter. Of course, I participate but rarely is this reciprocated. Still, I must cook and I must share these recipes. So why don't you try this recipe out. I made it up just last night. It's easy and you probably have everything you need in your pantry.

Black Chow
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole kernel corn
1 cup chow chow (hot, mild, sweet, whatever)
Combine ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Heat and serve. This is also great as a cold salad.

I hope you will try out this recipe and maybe pass one on me.

Hear me roar!

Why in the world and I starting this blog? To be honest, I'm not sure of the answer to this question. I actually attempted to start this blog several months ago but could not find the patience or ability (sadly) to figure it out. This morning (yes, I know it's now afternoon) I decided to defeat this beast and here I am, finally, typing away on my new but not yet paid for laptop. Who am I writing to? I don't know for sure who will end up reading my yada yada yadas, but really, I am typing for selfish reasons. Somewhere between losing my family home--the lake house where I grew up, the place where my parents lived and died--and having a baby, I've lost myself. I've lost writer Joy. I've become Slushy, wife of Steve and mother to Eli. And while I love both of these roles...no, I would not trade them for the world...I have to reclaim me: Joy Michele Beshears, writer, woman, human being. Any writer knows if you are not writing, you are lost. So hear me roar! It may not be a poem, it may not be a fabulous essay, it may be a rant, it may be a list of what I ate today, it won't be sent out for publication, and it might not even be good or correct writing. You may even see some misspelled words because I'm too lazy to do a spell check. But hear me roar! Perhaps this reclaiming of self will give me the patience and ability I know I have, not just for figuring out things like how to blog (I mean really!) but the patience and ability required for being a good mother for Eli and a good wife for Steve.