Bele Chere

      Living here in the southeast, we are fortunate to have a plethora of festivals, one of which is Bele Chere.  I should say The Festival is Bele Chere.  It is the largest FREE festival in the southeast, and is an event worth visiting at least once...just to say, "Yeah I've been to Bele Chere".  If you've never heard of it, here is a brief history.  Bele Chere began in 1979 as a collaboration between local merchants to help boost a struggling economy.  In an ancient Scottish dialect, it means Beautiful Living.  There couldn't be a better name for this 3 day celebration of art, food, music, people and just enjoying the beauty of life in general.  If you get curious you can go to www.belecherefestival.com and check it out.  


    With that being said, if you ask the locals about Bele Chere, their response is usually something close to "it's when all the freaks come out".  I kid you not, every person I talked to about the festival always asked me "Have you been before?" then replied with widened eyes, "you have to go, just to experience the people."  There's no real good way to fully share the experience of Bele Chere with you through pictures, it's something you just have to see for yourself. As a preface to my pictures, I need to include that many of the artists had signs on their booths stating "No Pictures, Please Don't Steal My Artistic Expression". Sorry, but you won't see any pictures of their work. In this blog I will be sharing my newly gained appreciation for the term "Ashevillians".  

Music obviously can't be conveyed through pictures, but Bele Chere hosts several stages set up through out downtown (all free) featuring different bands.  Every kind of music that you can imagine.  Rock, country, folk, and of course bluegrass.  While walking through the streets it is common to see bands or groups set up on the sidewalk.   

This little bluegrass group caught quite a bit of attention, not only for their totally awesome suspenders, but because they were actually really good.  

This downtown resident decided to have a little fun, making their balcony into a bathtub complete with rubber duckies and even bubbles.  It possibly could have been a subtle hint to the thousands of people roaming the streets, saying "Your sweaty stench is wafting up through our window, please take a bath."

Here area few of the thousands upon thousands of people who need a bath.

I have a confession to make...I am a confirmed Foodie.  Hi, my name is Kelly, I'm a Foodie.  Because of this affliction, every event I attend is budgeted with the recognition of my food defects.  I have come to accept, and even embrace these defects. With that, I have also adopted the rule that I have to try something new, whether it's something I've never tried before, or maybe never even heard of before.  This time around it was something I had never heard of before for my Friday dinner, and an all-time favorite for Saturday dinner.

Sweet Potato+Goat Cheese+Walnuts =Sweet Potato Nachos.  Whatever your first reaction is, all I can say is I know, right?!  I had every possible reaction go through my mind when I saw this, finally settling on, "sure, why not."  The verdict is still out.  

Saturday evening I had a melt-in-your-mouth Crab Cake Sandwich and a Shrimp Skewer, seasoned with Old Bay and a side of dipping sauce. Delicious. Delectable. Down right luscious, and just plain yummy!  






With my food infirmity satisfied, I was then able to take a good look around me at the people who joined together in the streets of Asheville.  Everywhere I looked, I would see a celebration of diversity and individuality. The phrase "It takes all kinds" comes to mind.  

Yes, she has fairy wings. And a tiara. And a craft-foam flower purse. And bubbles (orange tube).  I couldn't help but wonder if this was her vain attempt at being Sookie Stackhouse from HBO'S True Blood.
"A f-----  fairy?!?!"  You have to be a fan to understand that one.   

       


This kid's balloon octopus hat was just fun.  I had to take a picture because I knew no one would believe me when I said I saw a kid with an octopus on his head.

Yes! Rainbow Bright is still with us!

These two decided to flex their entrepreneurial muscles by advertising Free Hugs, with tips accepted.  I thought briefly about adding to the tips they had stuffed in their shorts, but decided that the ego-boost I was giving them by taking their picture was payment enough.

Personally, I have to agree with the girl's "I'm with
Stupid" sign...Anyone wearing a suit in 95 degree
heat for hours on end can't be the brightest crayon
in the pack.  Just sayin'.

With every festival in the Bible Belt, there are always the warriors for Christ making sure all the fornicators and sinners are aware that "Most people go to hell when they die" and "You are all sinners." Very encouraging and enlightening. And of course the aforementioned sinners and fornicators have a right to oppose that opinion, with as much vigor and passion. 

Even the human statue got involved by playing her snare drum to drown out the preaching. Although I'm not sure if it was to support her right to religious, political and sexual freedoms or simply good business. Apparently fornicators and sinners are loose with their money as well as with other things.  As soon as she began to play, the tips started flying in.
 

This proselytiser's (red shirt and bull horn) message was that "if you support Obama, then you support homo sex".  Who knew?  The little guy used a whistle to do his talking.  By the end of the day it really didn't matter which side you were on, we all had a headache.  

This is just a peak into Bele Chere.  Whether you are a fellow Foodie like me who likes to enjoy an eclectic atmosphere, or just looking to hear the good word, this is clearly an eye-opening adventure. Look it up for next year and add it too your "to do" list and enjoy the celebration.   

The Spoils of Summer, or Spoiled in Summer?

My father-in-law, Ed, has the most beautiful garden every year. I think
the trick is hanging pie plates to keep the crows away.  
This year's garden features cantaloupe, tomatoes, yellow squash,
green peppers, cucumbers, and okra.   

Justin in the cantaloupe patch.

Ed's cunning nemesis...he has a twin brother hiding in the trees.

Malea hiding behind the blueberry bush.

Justin picked a few, and ate a few,
picked a few, and ate a few...

Every year we look forward to green tomatoes,
by far my favorite southern tradition is to
make.....

Fried Green Tomatoes!!!!
Nummmmm!

Actually these are baked.   Here's the recipe from Southern Living Magazine.


                  Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes
                       
  4 large green tomatoes                        1 1/2 cups buttermilk            
  2 tsp. salt                                         2 cups Panko
  1 tsp. pepper                                     1 Tb. Creole Seasoning
  Vegetable Cooking Spray                     1 tsp. paprika
   Parchment Paper                               1 cup all-purpose flour

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut tomatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Sprinkle both sides of tomatoes evenly with 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper.
2.  Place a wire rack coated with cooking spray in a parchment paper-lined     15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan.
3.  Pour buttermilk into a shallow dish or pie plate.  Stir together panko, Creole seasoning, and paprika in another shallow dish or pie plate.
4.  Dredge tomatoes in flour.  Dip tomatoes in buttermilk, and dredge in the panko mixture.  Lightly coat tomatoes on each side with cooking spray; arrange on wire rack.
5.  Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until golden brown, turning once after 10 minutes.

We eat ours with either remoulade or marinara sauce.  These go great as a side dish with lasagna, or you can even make Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches which are delish!

How quickly can you get out?

How quickly can you be ready if you are told to evacuate?  12 hours? 2 hours? What if you only had 15 minutes?   
In the last two weeks, we have had strong reminders of how disrupting and destructive natural disasters can be to our lives.  My father-in-law's vacation home in Florida was effected by Tropical Storm Debby when up to 25 inches of rain fell.  In the Northwest, fires in Montana have been threatening many homes across the state.  Helena banned fireworks for the 4th due to fire danger, and the last information I saw was that 3 homes had burned and many others had been evacuated just in Helena alone. Needless to say, Colorado has been hit hard as well.  The fire threat is so high that my mom was concerned about leaving her home to go to Cabo for vacation.  Sure, mom worries a lot, but to not want to go to Cabo...
                        

damage after 6 ft of water
flooded the home

This is what Mike opened the door to.

The neighbors pool

  

Coral Fire on the outskirts of Helena

           In the event of a flood, house fire or wild fire, hurricane, earthquake or tornado would you be able to leave your home and get to safety as quickly as possible?  Do you know where to go?  If your family is separated, would they all know where to meet at?  It's scary to think about, but imagine how terrifying it would be if one of these situations presented itself and you weren't ready?  

One quick and easy step to help you in the right direction is to have a 72 hr kit ready.  There are tons of sites where you can find more information, but here are a couple that I used to make my own...

http://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/checklist_1.pdf 

http://beprepared.com/images/art/72hourchecklist.pdf 

My kit doubles as my emergency bag in case I get stuck out of town.  In the winter I will add shoes suitable for snow, a blanket and extra coat, hat and gloves to keep in my trunk.  This is a habit that most Montanans develop, however simplified, especially if you travel fairly long distances for any reason.  My extra shoes and coats came in handy more than once while I was out and about.  I'll never forget getting a flat tire on the stretch between Three Forks and Townsend. at about 11:30 at night.  Standing on the side of the road in pitch black, and of course my batteries had died in my flashlight, ugh. Listening to the critters move around in the grass was not my idea of a good time.  Coyotes are not my friends, nasty little buggers.  But I digress...

My 72 hr kit I keep in my car.

My bag contains...

• cash, legal documents, social security cards, credit card (kept at home in the fire safe to be grabbed if necessary)
• NC road map
• change of clothes, shoes and socks
• feminine and oral hygiene products
• first aid kit (all contents fit inside the water bottle, you can find DIY lists on line)
• food/drink mix
• baby wipes
• emergency contact info
• medicine
• flash light, extra batteries
• multi-tool, emergency cable saw, pocket knife
• trash bags 
• rubber gloves
• emergency blanket

The only thing I am missing is my water...1 person=1 gallon per day.

Keep in mind any specific needs you have that would cause need for specific tools, clothing, medicines.  For example, my son's bag has extra pull-ups and toys.  Another example is when I was staying at Canyon Ferry Lake with my parents I would keep a screwdriver in my console.  If  I ever were to drive into the lake, a screwdriver could be an invaluable tool to break out the windows as an escape route. Anyone who drives across the dam will notice a cross on the Yacht Basin side that stands as a reminder of how easily it could happen.  

I remember a woman's story about how thankful she was for her 72 hr. kit.  Her husband had had a heart attack and was in ICU for several days.  She had her kit ready with all his medical history, medication list, insurance cards etc. ready to give the hospital.  At the same time she had everything she needed to camp out at the hospital, including coin change for the vending machines and a crossword puzzle book to keep her thoughts focused on something other than her husband's state.  She was also able to immediately call all their family and friends to let them know what was going on so they could get to the hospital more quickly and to also make sure her dog was taken care of at home.  If she hadn't had her kit ready, how much more stressful would her situation have been?  You certainly can't make a bad situation like that better, but there are steps you can take to prevent it from getting worse.  

Natural disasters, or even every day hiccups like my flat tire in the middle of the night, can create disasters in our lives.  We can't make them less horrible, and we certainly can't prevent them.  However, if we take just a small amount of time to prepare (my kit took 20 minutes), recovery from these disasters can be that much easier.  

                                                   

Stretching My Dollar

Several people have asked me about my grocery shopping and couponing. I don't claim to be a wizard at couponing, and certainly will never be on featured on Extreme Couponing. But I have been able to pick up and utilize a few tools for saving my money - lets face it, every penny counts. I have a budget of $500.00/month for 4 people. This includes all grocery items, toiletries, dog food...everything that is bought from a store comes from this pot of money. Saying "pot" makes it sound like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...if only it were that easy. It's more like the pot that I don't have to piss in, ha!

So here are the basic tools that I use in order to stretch my dollar.

1. Sale Fliers in the Mail

2. Meal Menu (for one week)

3 Sunday Newspaper/Coupons

4. Store Savings Card

Before I even get to the grocery store, there are a few tools I need to be thinking about. The first one is every Tuesday I receive my sale fliers in the mail. Using these I make my meal menu and grocery list. First I start with my meat (right photo), since that is the core of our meal. The fresh whole fryer chicken is .79/lb. That's a good price and we like to make Beer Can Chicken. Actually we use Sierra Mist or Gingerale, but it's still called Beer Can Chicken. At that price I could buy a couple if necessary and freeze one for later in the month.

Now, the next step is to pick my veggies. Down next to the Cokes, I notice that sweet potatoes are .59/lb. Can't pass that up. On the back of my sale flier (left photo), asparagus is 1.99/lb. Score!! Some people have told me to look for it at .99/lb but I have never been so lucky as to find it at that price. I think it's a myth. Under the picture of corn I see that cantaloupe is 2.50/each. A nice healthy dessert. So there I have one dinner (plus tons of leftovers for my lunches the next couple of days) for just about $2.50 per person.

The next thing I need to do before I get to the store is buy my Sunday Paper. Buy the largest paper you can. For us it is the Charlotte Observer. In Montana the Billings paper will have the most coupons. Coupons are going to be your third tool, which I will explain more in depth later. Cut out all your coupons, don't be picky. Well ok, so I don't typically cut out the coupons for denture cleaner or adult Depends...Common sense please. The best way to organize your coupons is whatever way works for you. I use baseball card holders in a binder. But if you find that an accordion file or an envelope work for you, go for it. I'll get into how I use my coupons once we're actually in the store.

At this point you have your menu and shopping list ready, your coupons are cut and organized. Now you'll need to start making sure you have a clean space to put away all the items you will be bringing home. Clean out the fridge, pantry and closets if you need to (I suggest doing this through out the week in order to not be stuck for an entire day doing this). Not only will this help you make space, but you will be able to double check for the items that you are running low on or already have 6 months worth and don't need to purchase any more.

Now, head out the door. You are FINALLY in the store. You will need to plan about an hour to do your shopping trip. If you have your kids with you - which I strongly urge you DO NOT BRING THE KIDS - then plan for about 2 hours. Have your calculator ready (I just use the one on my phone). If your budget is very strict, write everything down to make sure you are not going over your set amount. Get what you need on your list, but as your are moving through the store look at what's on sale that wasn't in the flier. After a while you will start remembering what your family uses a ton of and you need to stock up on. We use salad dressings like crazy, so if there is a good sale (with a coupon, of course) I will stock up on it even if I have 5 at home already.

Ok, now we are ready to talk about coupons. Typically you will have most of your savings come from your in-store sales that you see in the fliers. Your coupons are an additional perk to help maximize your savings. For example, my last big shopping trip I saved $116.00, but only about $25.00 of that was coupons. The rest was in-store savings. The best way to explain is to give you an example. You can see in the right hand picture below 4 items which at full price would have cost me $23.99, before tax. Here is a break down of how I was able to pay only $6.35.

Colgate: 2.99

Sale price: 1.49

Coupon: -.75

Doubled: -.75

Final price 0.00

Skintimate Shave Cream: 3.29

Sale price: 2.00

Coupon: -.55

Doubled: -.55

Final Cost: .90

Schick Razor: 11.99

Sale price: 9.59

Coupon: -4.00

Final Cost: 5.59

Got 2 B Hair Product: 5.72

Sale price: 2.86

Coupon: -3.00

Final Cost: +.14

When you see "Doubled" that means that the grocery store's policy allows for my manufacturer's coupon to be multiplied by 2 up to .99 (if the coupon is not coded "do not double"). Double check with your grocery store what their policy is. Simply ask someone that works there, or look up their website and print off their policy. It's always a good idea to have it printed off and take with you when you shop.

As you can see, my coupons are simply a tool to provide additional savings, but the majority of my savings come from the in-store sale price. Now that I have my items in my cart (or buggy as they say here in the South) I am ready to use my last tool, my Store Sale Card. This is the little key chain tag with the bar code on it. If you don't have one, go get one now. Miss Kelly says you have to. Get one for every store you plan on shopping in.

Does this take time, absolutely. But is saving $100.00/week worth it? It is to me, but I'll let you guys decide how much time you want to invest into your budget. Saving money is just like anything else, the more time you put into the more results you will see.

These are the basics, nothing too fancy. And there are definitely 100 more ways to save even more, but that's another blog. If you live in the South, SouthernSavers.com is a great site to utilize for savings, coupons, freebies, information, etc.

The most important thing I have learned from "couponing" is that it takes more patience than sometimes I think I have. It takes a few months to build up your pantry and freezer, and ever a few more months to start seeing the savings you hope for. The first 3 months (at least) I was almost in tears because I didn't think I'd ever stay within my budget. But at about the 4th month, I was saving on average $100.00 each week. Last year I was elated to see on my receipt that my yearly savings was over $7,000 just at one store alone.

Good luck, I hope this helps!

Today's Word: Alembic

Dictionary.com is one of my most used sites (yes I'm a language nerd). Every day there is a new word posted as their "Word of the Day". I thought today's word Alembic was very fitting to incorporate into my brand new blog Turning My Thoughts Inward.

Alembic: 1. Anything that transforms, purifies, or refines.

2. A vessel with a beaked cap or head, formerly used in distilling.

Quotes:
The dream-world of their experiences in the wood near Athens becomes a kind of ' alembic ' which they pass through to a truer perception of reality.
-- Ronald P. Draper, Shakespeare, The Comedies
But the more he read the more he was astonished to find how the facts had passed through the alembic of Carlyle's brain and had come out and fitted themselves, each as a part of one great whole, making a compact result, indestructible and unrivaled...
-- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Origin:
Alembic is derived from the Arabic word al-anbiq , which means "a distilling cup." It developed its broader meaning in the 1300s.

If I took all the fancy words out, and broke it down into the technical, I'd be talking about making Moonshine. However, I will beg to differ that alembic vessels were "formerly" used. Nothing "formerly" about people making a little bit (or a lot) of White Lightning. Actually, Moonshine is making quite a tasty comeback in the hills of North Carolina. If you happen to peek in a friend's freezer, and notice that the jug full of "water" isn't freezing, it's probably not water.

So, that's the technical meaning. What got my attention was the 1st meaning - "anything that transforms, purifies or refines". I like the idea that we can all improve ourselves, transform and become better. Obviously there are quite a few people in the US who feel the same, or else Julia Roberts' Eat Pray Love wouldn't have been such a hit.

Being that I am a first-timer with the blogging world (besides the random comments I make on MyFavoritePalendrome's blog) I'm sure this will be awkward, silly and not much fun...but let's face it, all first times are that way. This will be a work in progress, and that is the whole point of my title, Turning My Thoughts Inward. Anyone reading this will be lucky (or not-so-lucky) enough to have a peak into my undertaking of self-evalution, discovery, health maintenance and, even possibly the hopeful attempt at "a truer perception of reality". The goal is not for purification - no reason to shoot myself in the foot- but we'll go with transformation. Change is always good.

I may decide after writing this post that this is not for me. But I've always been a joiner, so I might as well jump on the bandwagon and become a blogger:)