Things to do

We stayed home this weekend and did a little exploring. We found a practice track for the kids to ride the dirt bikes. They had a peewee track and a large track with lots of doubles and triples. the soil was clay and a little slick from the recent rains.
















The kids had a great time riding and met a Boy "Cletus" who just moved up from his 85 to a Kawasaki 250f. Only two other bikes were on the track all. On Sunday we went to the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center. They had a kennel so we could bring the dogs. We spent about five hours looking at everything and probably missed half of it. We did see an Imax movie "Hurricane on the Bayou". We all had a great time.

















I will post some more pictures on the web.

Its on a stick

While attending the BSU football game in Ruston, La I came across something else new to us. Fried chicken on a stick! Even though it cost a million dollars to eat at the stadium we went ahead and sampled this treat

Tasty but under seasoned for my taste I am going to have to investigat how these are cooked and if the stick is introduced before or after the cooking provess. While looking into it I did find out that the Minnesota state fair has the most food on a stick in the country. See for your self at this YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-5Lr2IhB_o If I can find and try a decent recipe I will post it on the site

Southern Comfort

While visiting my Aunt and Uncle in Somerville the topic of favorite food came up and one of them kind of stood out for me because I have never heard of such a thing. Deep Fried Pickles, I know what your thinking Why? or for some ewww Yuck. Apparently they are good with a side of ranch dressing. Well I was thinking I did have a package of vegetable batter that I had bought for some Okra (another southern staple) and should give it a try.

Above is a picture of what was left of a medium size jar of Vlasic dill hamburger slices. Everyone except for Caitlin (who would not touch them) loved them. These would be great as an appetizer while watching the game or as a side dish. Make sure you make plenty because they will not last long. Below is a recipe, if you don't want to try the packaged vegetable batter (not tempura). My package had mushrooms on it I forgot to look at the brand I think I bought it at wally world.

What Do I Need?

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (You could also try corn flour)

• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup ice water
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
• 4 cups drained dill pickle slices or equivalent amount of medium to large pickles, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• vegetable oil for frying
• a large bowl
• a wire whisk
• a deep fryer or large saucepan
• paper towels


What Do I Do?

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center. All at once, add the water, egg yolk, and pickle juice. Stir the mixture with a wire whisk to make a smooth batter. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.



2. In a deep fryer or large saucepan, heat at least 2 inches of oil to 375º F. In batches, dip pickle slices in the batter, lightly and evenly coating them. Without crowding, place coated slices in the hot oil. Fry until golden and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Go Broncos

We traveled to Louisiana on Saturday to watch the BSU game. It was a seven hour drive but traffic in Tuscaloosa held us back for over an hour. When UA plays football it seems everyone in the state attends. We had lost our tickets but did have the printed receipt. The staff a LA Tech were excellent and took care of us. They said attendance was low because of the LSU vs Auburn game on the same day. We took our time coming home and stoped in Vicksburg Miss. We found the first Coca-Cola bottling store and museum and spent some time at the Mississippi visitor center next to the river. we plan to return to Vicksburg when we have more time to visit.

Week #2

Well the first week here in Alabama was not so bad. We are all just trying to get settled into a routine. The Kids had a lot of other kids to play with in the last week during the fall break here. There seems to be a few kids here in the park on a regular basis. Most of the families we have met from Alabama only live a few minutes from the park. Now that we are in a park we can start organizing the trailer to make day to day life easier. Tammy has not had much to say about her current contract but I am sure she will keep you posted. Feel free to comment and post as much as you like. I will have the kids start posting to this site weekly.

Welcome

Welcome to the Colver Family Travel Blog.