The Town Day and Oatmeal Made Easy

Today I went into South Carolina on a new adventure. First, the town stuff, then the adventure stuff.

The gas across the state line is 20 cents cheaper per gallon, and there's a Save A Lot that, well, can save you a lot of money on some items. But, beware! Today they charged me $7.99 for dry milk per box, not the $6.99 posted on the shelf by the item. You bet I called their attention to the decrepancy. The flour was more, so by passed that and instead got real Yellow self rising cornmeal. You know how easy it is to make corn bread when you use this stuff?

Vegan Corn Bread, Cast Iron Style

Measure 2 cups self rising corn meal and 3/4 cup flour into a bowl. Add 1/3 cup dry milk if you like for more protein, 1/3 cup oil, and about 1 3/4 cup water to make a medium thick batter. It should look and feel like thick pancake batter. I also add 1/2 teaspoon of salt because of the flour. (Straight self rising products don't need salt) You don't need eggs, but add one if you like. I don't use them. Still all this up and pour into an oiled, about two tablespoons,  cast iron 10 inch skillet. Put the flame on low, cover with a tight lid, and let "bake" for about 15 minutes. Turn off heat, let coast another 10 minutes. Lift lid and check, it should feel firm.

I use this method for corn bread when I don't want to heat up the whole oven. When I use the oven, its full of other goodies as well. Never run a part way empty oven. Baked potatoes, a nice quiche, some cake if you want sweets.
Back to town day. I'd heard Burger King was instituting the Oatmeal option. The sign in town said, Oatmeal $1.99. Are you serious, BK? Oatmeal is so easy to make, why on earth would anyone pay $1.99 for a bowl of it? I will divulge that I never buy stuff that I make at home, like oatmeal and grilled cheese. Just me.

Make oatmeal so easy by bringing to a boil in your tea kettle enough water to pour over the 1/2 cup you've placed into a mug. Let this sit a minute or two so it "cooks".  Season with cinnamon, couple dashes of salt, sweetener of your choice. I add raisins once in awhile. Add other nuts or dried fruit, serve with some milk on the side. Yummy. Cost, about 25 cents before fruit or nuts are added. Cheap.

I bought my gas and headed home, stopping by this park called Stumphouse Tunnel Park. The town of Wallahalla keeps it up and running. The gates close at 5 every day. After all these years, I finally took the time to do this. I will definitely come back to hike the trail down to the Issaqueena Falls and take the yellow blazed trail labeled B.RR Trail. Not sure what that even stands for.

The park has a lot of huge garbage bins which are black bear proof. The reach in handles show you they are serious. There's a shelter, and several wonderful signs which give the rich history behind this park. The railroad tunnel was never completed because the Civil War got in the way. I'm going to be writing and posting photos over at my hiking blog, http://brawnyview.blogspot.com if you're interested.

I bought a huge box of soap powder today. Writing my novel has made a true practitioner out of me, and I don't know if I will ever recover. One thing for sure, I'll be ready!

A Cast Iron Stove For $35

Saturday is not my normal town day. Its usually crowded and hard to find parking spots. I like a mid week town day when everything is open, getting in and out early before the school buses are running.

For some reason, I felt to go in yesterday. I had a package to mail before they closed at noon, and decided to see how the flea market was doing.

You may remember a post a couple weeks back where I was wanting a wood stove, and considering a "packer" style which is created for tents and hunting trips.

Much research showed me I didn't really want such light weight galvanized steal in my studio.

Anyways, I pull into the flea market parking lot, which sadly was pretty empty. The first booth I walk to had a cast iron wood stove. It was love at first sight. Sure, my darling had some flaws, but love is blind. I asked the price without slobbering Too much. I called my man at home and asked advice, considering some important pieces were missing.

After consultation, and some bargaining, the man gave me a discount, took the legs off and helped me loaded it in the trunk of my Geo.

Back home, I proudly put it back together, created the missing pieces from and old licence plate, and got the sliding door unjammed through hammer and oil persuasion.

The legs had biblical issues: they'd been laid up where moth and rust do decay. An extra nut on the end of each bolt and it is standing pretty sturdy.

Next town trip I'll pick up some stove caulking and decorative bricks to serve as a protective floor padding. There was an extra top lid for the stove laying inside it, I just set it below the stove on the floor to show it to you. It needs sanding and stove paint.

Now, just between us friends, the trail gods knew I would be second guessing my new love. I knew that like new cars and pregnancy, buying this little stove was just the beginning of my installation adventures.

On the way home, I stopped in an indoor flea market for fun. It too was sadly under whelmed with clientele. There, in one of the booths was the same stove I'd just bought, only the missing piece was there, and the bottom door slid perfectly. Asking price, $275.

Thank you trail gods. I can stop second guessing.