Its The First Monday of March

Other than stating the obvious based on the calendar that also means this past weekend was Trade Days in Canton Texas.  First Monday Trade Days has been going on in Canton since before the Great Depression.  But, before I write any more on that let's start with where is Canton.  Not the Canto that is the home to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Ohio but the small almost East Texas town.  Canton is your typical small Texas town.  It has a town square and boasts almost 4,000 people.  A sleepy quite town for most of the month it swells to 200,000 plus on Trades Day Weekends.  The town owns most of the grounds so as a result Canton has no city property taxes.  Trades Day funds their local city government.  There are many in the town who make most of their living on these twelve weekends per month.

Trades Day itself is hard to describe.  It was started by local Farmers and ranchers who would get together to trade Dogs, guns, tools and crops.  By the time we started going in 1982 it was well established as the place to go to find eclectic items.   Though the gun dealers have pretty much disappeared so you no longer see people walking around with rifles over their shoulder.  Over the years we have bought craft items, tools, craft supplies as well as two dogs.  When we first started going it was almost completely open air and had a few ramshackle shops in the down town area but it was over 180 acres of open air market and just as heavily attended then as today.  Over the years they have covered most of the market and you find fewer junk dealers than before and fewer artists and craftsmen.  The famous Dog Alley is still mostly open air and you can get most any animal there domestic or exotic(legal).  We tend to stay away from Dog Alley these days as we don't need any more pets with two high maintenance cats.  We also don't tend to make the three secondary markets that are privately owned and also large.  You simply can't see the main market at Canton in a day much less make the other three.

We decided to go this weekend as the weather was supposed to be great (and it was).  We arrived about 11:00AM and left at 3:30PM suitably tired and according to Pam's Pedometer having walked in excess of 10,000 steps.  We found a few small items bought a few treats.  There are food vendors spread out through the grounds.  Had a great time watching all the people from the serious shoppers on a mission to find that great deal to the East Texas native that does a significant amount of their non food shopping at Trades Days once a month.  While I am a dyed in the Wool Texan I will admit some of these East Texans would do Jeff Foxworthy proud.

I have attached a number of pictures that will give you some idea of the scope.  There are not any of individual shops as taking pictures of product is frowned on.  Canton is one of those places everyone should visit at least once.  Buy a bag of Kettle Corn, a sausage on a stick and a big glass of ice tea and prepare to have an interesting day.  As I find myself channeling my dad more and more these days don't miss the chance to chat up the vendors as most have interesting stories to tell and unless they are swamped, like to tell them.  Wear comfortable shoes and don't forget your hat.

We have just arrived its 11:00 on a Sunday morning.  You will note there are not a lot of people yet.  This is just one piece of the many covered sale barns.

Yet another barn and the crowds are increasing.  You will notice we came prepared complete with a rolling cart.

This is around 12 o'clock.

Heading out into one of the few open areas left.

This is what Canton used to look like.

The crowds at 2 o'clock.

Decorators Alley.  This building is full of warehouses that open to the public during First Monday.


More Later

Bruce

New Blog

I have started a new blog dedicated to my wood carving and wood turning.  You can find it at http://www.bruceandpamsspot.blogspot.com/.  I will still post pictures of the projects here from time to time but the majority including the instructions on how to make some of them will be found on the new blog.

Hope all is well.

Bruce

Well When You Live in Texas....

After several weeks of record breaking cold more traditional Texas weather has returned.  From Wednesday and Thursday that never got above freezing to today (Saturday Feb 13) is a beautiful sunny day in the low 70's and indeed that is the prediction for all week.  I am looking forward to it as there are a lot of projects to get done this spring.

I have started a blog just for my woodcarving and wood turning hobbies. The address is http://bruceandpamsspot.blogspot.com/ The title of the blog is Just Fooling Around Woodworks.  I will have a link on this site as well.

Hope all is well

More Later

Bruce

DeJa Vu all Over Again

Last week was some of the coldest and most treacherous weather in recent History for Dallas.  We had just thawed out when it returned.  It is 9:45 Wednesday morning and the snow is falling steadily.  Schools are once again out and Pam has the day off.  This time it is only supposed to last through tomorrow afternoon.  I however, am ready for Spring.

When you click on the picture you will see the snow falling.  At the time this was taken it had not yet begun to build up on the grass.

Yet another day stuck in the house.  Something about knowing that you couldn't leave even if you wanted to that makes is worse.  I really had no where planned to go today.  The weather just reinforced that.

Stay Warm

More Later

Bruce

Is It Soup Yet?

Pam and I both like soups and this time of year I make several that she likes usually in the order of her request.  This weekend it was tomato.  Now this not canned tomato soup it is made fresh and I have messed with the ingredients to make it more healthy.  What sou not healthy.  Just read the side of your favorite soup and I think you will be surprised.  This does not take long to make and we like it.  This makes a big batch and I freeze several quarts to be brought out later.  This is a recipe that I combined from Rachel Ray and Emeril.  So I guess it is mine.

Bruce's Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

3-4 Large ripe tomatoes
2- cans tomato paste
2- Fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 -tablespoon olive oil
2 stalks celery
1 medium onion (we prefer Texas Sweet also known as 10-25)
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon of fresh minced garlic
1 tablespoon of salt (preferably sea salt)
1 tablespoon of ground black pepper
3 cups fat free milk
1 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 cup shredded Italian Cheese
1/4 cup agave nectar (you can substitute sugar but the agave nectar is better for you)
Several Slices of your favorite sourdough french bread or just french bread

Directions:

In a large sauce pan add olive oil and bring up heat.  Once pot is hot add onions that have been coarsely diced, celery coarsely diced and garlic.  Saute for about five minutes then add the three fresh tomatoes that have been cubed.  Continue to saute and add celery salt, salt, pepper.  When onions are translucent and tender add the Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (I use Hunts) and quickly add the milk as the tomatoes will temporarily lower the temperature in the pan and the milk will not scald or curdle.  Bring to a boil and add the tomato paste.  Using an Immersion blender blend the stock up until it is smooth.  Bring back to a boil and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.  While the soup is cooking dice the bread sprinkle with garlic and give a very light mist of olive oil.  Place in the oven at 350 removing when they start to brown. (You have just made croutons)  Add the sour cream to the soup and stir well.  Check seasoning and add salt if needed.  Bring back to boil and cook for about 5 minutes.  Just before serving put the Italian cheese in the pot and stir well.  Spoon into your favorite bowl and add croutons.  Add a grilled cheese sandwich and you have a great winter meal. 

This recipe makes a gallon of soup.  Serves 10-12



Hope you are staying warm

Good eating

More Later

Bruce

Now This Is Just Getting Silly

In the Dallas area we are used to a few cold spells during the winter and usually have a couple of inches of snow once or twice in a season.  Last winter the total turned out to be 17 inches and there were two days of school called off.  This week with the Super Bowl in town Mother Nature decided to show off.  So we started of with a couple of inches of ice on Tuesday that just hung around.  Never got out of the teens with a wind chill of 0 or below.  Schools were called on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday neither Pam nor I can remember them being out for three days in a row.  We were supposed to receive a light dusting of snow last night.  We woke up this morning to six inches and the snow is still falling though it is light at the moment.  Needless to say schools are out again today.  We have stayed in and our cars have not moved and will not today.  They now think we may see 42 by late tomorrow.  Here are some pictures I snapped this morning.

My poor welcome bear is wearing a snow hat.

Click on this picture and you will be able to see the snow falling.  It has started up again as of about 9:30

For something different here are the two cats supervising as we went through files yesterday.

Blaze was fascinated by the scanner and sat like this for about 20 minutes.

Smokey was intent on scrutinizing what Pam was doing.  Oddly enough she was going through the folder with his vet records in it.  He just kept his eye on every paper.

It is almost like he is making sure she doesn't throw away anything important about him.  When she finished with his file he decided to leave.

Hope you are staying worm.

More later

Bruce

Now For Something Completely Different And Tasty

Some of you may or may not know that Pam has a degree in Homemaking.  Now I thought I had everything figured out.  Homemaking she would like to cook right.  God knows I like to eat should be a match made in heaven well 35 years later the match is good but I now know she does not like to cook.  So I have taken over most of the cooking.  I am pretty good at it.  I clean as I go and there is never a mass of dirty dishes when I am through and I tend to make things that taste pretty good.  The other thing is I like simple.  So with that background here is today's tip not really a recipe but you will like it.  Especially if you are like us and have a weak spot for fresh bread.

 Easy Cranberry Cinnamon Almond Bread

To make this bread I get frozen bread dough loafs at our local Kroger.  They come in a bag of five for about 3.50.  The are basic white bread.  We like them as there is no long list of preservatives or additives.  Just flour, yeast and water the things you would expect in bread.

I thaw a loaf in the icebox overnight.  The dough will be defrosted by morning.  I flour the counter and roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch.  I then liberally sprinkle with Cinnamon, Damara sugar, dried cranberries,and almond slivers.  I roll the dough back up tightly and pull the dough over the ends and place in a loaf pan for the bread to rise.  When it is ready to bake it is in to a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  You are left with golden brown goodness.  We like this better than the commercial loafs as it is sweet but not to sweet and it is fresh.  It keeps for about three days once baked.  Longer if you put it in the fridge after a day or so then toast it. 

To bad you can't smell it.  Time to go eat some.

Try it.  It is easy and you will enjoy.  You can substitute raisins for cranberries and walnuts for almonds it is good either way.  Don't have Damara sugar use brown sugar.

More Later

Bruce