Thank you for your weekly essay, Jeanne. I look forward to reading it.
I grew up in Maryland, the state that Northerners say is south and Southerners say is north. This might explain my love of food from just about anywhere. And, as a Marylander, I have to say blue crabs steamed with Old Bay seasoning are the best in the world. Hands down.
As for North Carolinian food, Pepsi - no, no, no; my mom made the best dill pickles ever; and, Vick's Vapor rub has helped me through many colds and flu. Mom used to also put it on face over my sinuses. It made my eyes water like crazy. I would rub it off when she left the room.
Now it is time to watch the women's Final game (which sadly the UConn women are not playing. Sigh.)
Thank you for this lovely trip down memory lane! I too, experienced the every-cure that is Vick's VapoRub! My paternal grandmother preferred a sock coated with wintergreen and pinned around her neck with a safety pin, but my maternal grandparents (and hence my mother) was all VapoRub, all the time!! I was never a drinker of Cheerwine, but I had to make a Cheerwine cake once, so I know those people are out there. And nabs were also very important in my life, though my favorite snack memory is going to a country gas station with my grandfather and getting a Banana Flip, my favorite Mickey's Cake!!
In further ruminating on your post I remember as a child only having sweet potatoes once a year and that was at Thanksgiving. They would come out of a can and were covered with marshmallows and brown sugar and nuts. I loved them prepared that way. I don't think we ever had a real sweet potato. I thought they were only fed to cows. Amazingly they are now part of our weekly diet and I love them.
As a Pennsylvania transplant to the south I love my adopted state of NC but not all of its products. I confess that have never developed a taste for its pickles in any form. I do love sweet tea but usually ask for it half and half as all sweet is just to sweet for me. I also confess I have never had a Cheer Wine but need to try one sometime after reading this blog post and being from the North I was a Coke person until I gave up soft drinks. I thought Pepsi was just to sweet. I do like the occasional Nabs especially on a road trip. I also never knew what the Hot and Fresh Neon Sign was all about until Jeanne patiently explained it to me one time when I wanted to pull into a Krispy Kreme shop and the sign was not lit. Needless to say we did not stop! Thanks for this NC journey.
Thank you for your weekly essay, Jeanne. I look forward to reading it.
I grew up in Maryland, the state that Northerners say is south and Southerners say is north. This might explain my love of food from just about anywhere. And, as a Marylander, I have to say blue crabs steamed with Old Bay seasoning are the best in the world. Hands down.
As for North Carolinian food, Pepsi - no, no, no; my mom made the best dill pickles ever; and, Vick's Vapor rub has helped me through many colds and flu. Mom used to also put it on face over my sinuses. It made my eyes water like crazy. I would rub it off when she left the room.
Now it is time to watch the women's Final game (which sadly the UConn women are not playing. Sigh.)
Thank you for this lovely trip down memory lane! I too, experienced the every-cure that is Vick's VapoRub! My paternal grandmother preferred a sock coated with wintergreen and pinned around her neck with a safety pin, but my maternal grandparents (and hence my mother) was all VapoRub, all the time!! I was never a drinker of Cheerwine, but I had to make a Cheerwine cake once, so I know those people are out there. And nabs were also very important in my life, though my favorite snack memory is going to a country gas station with my grandfather and getting a Banana Flip, my favorite Mickey's Cake!!
Our sandwiches wouldn’t be complete without the Mt. Olive sandwich pickles. Not the round ones, the long ones. Thank you NC.
I learned some things about our adopted state!
Sylvie
In further ruminating on your post I remember as a child only having sweet potatoes once a year and that was at Thanksgiving. They would come out of a can and were covered with marshmallows and brown sugar and nuts. I loved them prepared that way. I don't think we ever had a real sweet potato. I thought they were only fed to cows. Amazingly they are now part of our weekly diet and I love them.
As a Pennsylvania transplant to the south I love my adopted state of NC but not all of its products. I confess that have never developed a taste for its pickles in any form. I do love sweet tea but usually ask for it half and half as all sweet is just to sweet for me. I also confess I have never had a Cheer Wine but need to try one sometime after reading this blog post and being from the North I was a Coke person until I gave up soft drinks. I thought Pepsi was just to sweet. I do like the occasional Nabs especially on a road trip. I also never knew what the Hot and Fresh Neon Sign was all about until Jeanne patiently explained it to me one time when I wanted to pull into a Krispy Kreme shop and the sign was not lit. Needless to say we did not stop! Thanks for this NC journey.