A couple of years ago my then fiance and I decided to go down and visit his parents. They live in a rural area not a long drive from Walnut Grove so we decided we were going to have some good clean fun and go to the original home of Laura Ingles Wilder.
Now that I am much much more mature I don't do this - but way back in the olden days I used to get a little bit cranky when I was forced to be good. Literally - and it's not that I am bad - I have manners and the whole nine - it's just that I wanted to be better - super good for his parents. Because they are really and truly good people. I have some growing up to do. So, when faced with the challenge of not swearing, eating like a lady, looking interested, figuring out small topics of conversation that do not include farts, my love for cocktails, the latest naughty shenanigan of one of my family members I don't tend to have much to add to the conversation.
I was particularly paranoid about talking about food - I didn't want to come off as being a pompass food-snob to people who knew the value of working hard for a meal - something our generation has absolutely no clue about. They also have good motivation for their good-behaviour. They live in a smaller community where every one knows if their neighbors drapes match their carpet, they are active in their religious and their civic community and in a smaller community you can't melt away into the social fabric like in urban settings - people really seem to know each other and I would imagine that respectfulness and gratitude is pretty key in such close quarters where minor offences can get you flogged - or at least stink-eyed when you come into the Wooden Shoe bar to get a boiler maker at 5:30 after you dropped off your first load of soy-beans. (I think I just typed the longest sentence on record).
So, to make this part of the story even longer - they are well-behaved, I am the demon seed and end up with a lot of bottled up bad behavior and a totally R rated inner-monologue.
So, with all do respect for the Wilder family, the dugout on plum river was such a let-down. We are literally talking about a bump in a field next to a tiny little stream that has about as much water flowing through it as my neighbor's boulevard when they drain their pool. Not to mention the freakin' bugs!!! Dude! We all stood around trying to be well-behaved trying to make small talk so we didn't seem like we were rushing each other - as if any one of us wanted to stand around in a field taking in the history even one more second. So, finally.. someone is like - well, I supposed we should maybe go into town and go to the museum what do you think? In chorus everyone was like " oooo yaaa - that is such a goood idea - ya well - ya then that just sounds like a good idea now.." (insert your best MN Norwegian accent here).
So we head into town and learned we missed the Laura Ingles Wilder pageant by about two months - I guess their marketing budget is pretty small and they leave the advertisements up year around save for a few dated ones off the highway. So, we head over to the museum and I'll be honest... to use corporate terms I was "non plus" about it - it was more of an homage to the show than to the actual person. I read all of those books as a kid and loved them. I DVR the episodes so I have something uplifting to watch in the middle of the *night when my mind is spinning. So I was looking forward to a little more history. But we got our money's worth and I got to check it off of my minor-minor-bucket list.
When we were done we decided to get some lunch and as luck would have it - there was a diner right across the road - by golly it was Nellie's Cafe! Go figure!
In restaurant evolution I have noticed the following: Really salt of the earth places do alla-cart food where you pick the sandwich, then you pick a vegetable like coleslaw or what ever and then you pick a start and you compose the whole thing yourself. Then you get to the mid-range where they toss a buch of stuff into a basket and then typically toss it into a friar full of old oil and then onto your table - food, fries and other odd items (liked deep fried pickle garnish) and you pay one price. Then you go up one more class of restaurant and you are back to Ala-cart again. This is a serious trip hazard for those unfamiliar with fine dining as you assume that the $21 chicken breast is a meal - but o that is not so - it's just the chicken. I secretly find it amusing when you see the meals being served to teenagers at prom and they have this confused look on their face like "what the hell is going on? Is this it???" "Ummmmm.... what is the difference between table water and flat water???". This is amusing because I am a bad person.
Back to the story - I see the wonder-bread through the kitchen door and know that this is going to be interesting. We get the bomb-ass table literally right next to the window air-conditioner - that was cranked way up because it was sweltering outside. This table came equipped with a hood and fly swatter and the first thing I had to do was fold up some napkin and put it under the table leg so that the fresh cups of water didn't slide off the side of the table. Did I mention how much we looked like interlopers??? Were were eye-balled by the rest of the folks for so long I had to bite my tongue not to yell out "take a picture - it lasts longer".
When we ordered everyone was trying to be on their ultra best behavior - screw getting what you want or indulging on something fancy. We need to establish our frugality and be sure not to look too indulgent or pushy. There could be an ambassador around that frequents their home town and would report back that they had desert before lunch. So, we ordered and of course there is a strange order to this process - the "no you first... no - you first... ooo - - nooooo - gooo ahead" so my husband starts and goes for the ham and cheese. I wanted to desperately explain that my intuition tells me it is going to be a tiny sandwich on a tiny part sitting alone. But I didn't. Then everyone else ordered their tiny sandwiches and I knew nibble on their sandwich for as long as it lasted so as not to look like the piglet of Walnut Grove. But, my mother in-law surprised me and asked if everyone would share an order of tots. We all agreed.
When the meal was served on wonder bread and little four inch in diameter plates (including the tots) we all sucked up our reaction and Ann distributed evenly the tots - one for each of us. And then there was one damned tot left. Hmmmmm... with our super-manners how were we going to handle the situation???? Of course we waited and waited for someone to grab it naturally, then we all fussed "no you have it, o no - I am stuffed you have it - no really please do"
This where I came to my breaking point... and couldn't help myself I had two options 1) reach across the table and flick it off of the plate onto the floor and across the restaurant so as to end it - or tell KG to freakin' eat it for gods sake!!! Instead of either 1 or 2 I said KG please go for it - and he did because I said "please" so politely.
Yes folks - I was a good girl. I minded my manners and everything. And from that point on we make sure to pack snacks on road-trips.
To honor the tot I have this recipe from my gramma:
One bag of tots
One can of cream of mushroom soup
One cup of milk
One can of green beans
One pound of burger
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup of diced mushrooms (optional)
Seasoning Salt, Garlic salt or just good old salt (please no iodized if you can help it).
Grind the Burger and add the seasonings to taste. Combine this with the rest of the ingredients but the tots and milk. Now use the milk a little at a time until you get it to a smooth paste but not runny. Simmer for a few minutes until the mixture is heated through. Now line the top of the dish with tator tots until the whole top is covered in tots. Now read the the tot bag for the baking time and instructions as if you were just making the tots alone. Once it is done let it sit and cool for 15-20 min. so it can set-up.
I think you can add just about what ever the heck you want to this dish to fill it out or change it to reflect what you have left in your fridge or cabinets.
Enjoy!
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