Hi, I'm Torrey. Welcome to Left Field, where creativity runs amok and imagination is ALWAYS more important than knowledge. Shoes are not allowed but ties are optional. This is a repository of snippets from my life out here in Left Field. One never knows what shiny bits of creativity will be found here... cards, scrapbook layouts, photography, poetry, recipes, ponderings, rantings and musings. It could be anything! Life in Left Field is always changing, always real, always ...interesting.

February 18, 2015

When in Rome...

So, Jonathan and I are in (not so) sunny Florida visiting his parents. I thought Florida was supposed to be warm.

Apparently, I was wrong in my assumption.

It is absolutely FREEEEEZING here. I even had to scrape ice off the windshield. What's up with that? I want to go to the beach so badly...but there is NO WAY. I would end up with Popsicle toes, a runny nose with snot that froze on my cheeks, and pneumonia.

That is SOOOOo wrong. I mean, Pensacola has the most gorgeous sugar sand beaches.

'sigh'

I am holding on to hope, however. According to the weather forecast, it's supposed to be 70 on Saturday. And if it does reach temps above 60...I'm dragging Jonathan to the beach.

In the meantime, I've been sampling some "local" fare. I discovered a lovely soft drink called Cheerwine.

I had never heard of it.

Ever.

That is before last week when I started reading the "Mitford" book series by Jan Karon (they're quite entertaining). They drink Cheerwine in the book. It sounded so refreshing that when we were in the grocery store and I spied it on the shelf...I was tempted to get it. Then, a young man zipped right up to it and grabbed a 2 liter bottle of it. He exclaimed, "YESSSSSSS!!!! They have it!!". I asked him what it tasted like and he said it is as unique as Dr Pepper...but better.

That decided it. Jonathan and I grabbed a bottle to take home. (and a few days later, we picked up a 12-pack of cans to bring back to Texas).

It hails from North Carolina. And (according to the can) has been around since 1917. That's a long time. That's around the time of Model T cars, electricity in the home, and the invention of the wheel. Heck, that's even before my mom was born (oh she's gonna kill me).

I like the name. It's happy. It conjures up images of barefoot kids in overalls, sitting on the wooden steps of a country general store after a long, hot day of fishin' at the swimmin' hole. Except in my image, they aren't drinking it out of a 2-liter bottle, they're drinking it out of glass bottles.

It's a pretty shade of burgundy (probably why it has "wine" in the name, duh). It tastes like cherry with a hint of Dr Pepper and a splash of Pepsi. Mostly cherry. I like it. A lot. Darn, just when I was giving up soda altogether.


Another thing that is popular down here are boiled peanuts. These just sound nasty. They've been around even LONGER than Cheerwine (says so right on the label).

1838.

In retrospect, after having tasted them, I don't think that date is when the company was founded. I think that's the actual date these things were canned.

They look sort of appealing according to the label...

But in actuality, this is what they REALLY look like. Nothing like "truth in advertising", eh? Margaret Holmes (whoever she is) can keep her old "bahled" peanuts. Yuck.

I think they should be called Swamp nuggets.


To say they are disgusting is an understatement. They're beyond salty. They are more briny than the Great Salt Flats of Utah dissolved in the Dead Sea. I'm not kidding.

Not only are they pure sodium, they are waterlogged to the point of being mealy. Now, in my book, peanuts are supposed to be CRUNCHY and roasty toasty...not saline-ified mushy blobs.

Jonathan loves them. He bought 5 cans of the darn things.

I won't fight him for them. They're all his.

So, I guess that means I flunked being a Floridian, but I pass being a North Carolinian with flying colors!

3 comments:

  1. At the risk of sound like a total witch......tee hee hee hee. Aw, did you have to scrape your window one day? Poor Tory. With the windchill it's -30ºC here today. That's -22ºF. I have to remote start my van for a least 20 minutes and then sprint to it like a demon is chasing me just so I don't freeze solid before I get there. Us Canadians are sharing the extreme cold temperatures we've been suffering through all winter with the southerns now. I take it you're not enjoying our generosity. :-)

    The Cheerwine does indeed look like it would take like happiness poured over ice. However, the boiled peanuts look like seven different kinds of gross. Honestly, I don't get them. So they're in some sort of sludge and you pick 'em out, shell them and then eat them? Looks like they'd be messy as all get out. Couldn't even imagine touching them much less putting one in my mouth. Blech!

    Thank you for the education on North Carolinian delicacies. Stay warm. :-)

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  2. Oh my goodness those peanuts look absolutely disgusting. I can't believe you even tried them or for that matter that Jonathan like and bought them. Ugh, there's no telling the taste in that man (of course, except for his taste in women).

    We are supposed to get around 16" of snow this weekend... 70 degrees today. Gotta love Colorado weather. Wish you were here with me to enjoy the snow with crafting and large pots of soup.

    Miss and love ya!
    Jodi

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  3. Oh, when I said "Tory" I meant "Torrey". Coincidentally I had been writing an email to a Tory earlier that day, which is probably why I misspelled your name here. Sorry!

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