Slight Detour: HWY 95 Food Run

The goal was to get another box of Gala apples.

I have 11 pints of applesauce made from the last box, and it's tasty sauce.

I've been told that applesauce is good for sensitive tummies like mine. Throughout my lifetime, I've never needed to be told to eat my applesauce cuz I've always loved it, especially when it's lumpy and cold.

My mother made applesauce that way, and I've done my best to carry on the tradition.

Anyway, needing more apples to add to the winter supply of sauce, I took off yesterday morning for Sharon's Country Store at The Gathering Place north of Bonners Ferry.

Once on the road, I decided this needed to be a more complete food run, maybe including a stop at Super 1 and, for sure, a stop at Elmira Store to buy some more of that wonderful sourdough bread with cranberries and pecans.

After arriving at Sharon's Country Store, I remembered that my canning lid supply was low, so I picked up a bag of lids and box of apples and a bag of peaches and six ears of corn.

I knew that Bill would be happy to munch on an ear of corn with more than two dozen kernels, like those I raised this year.

He had also put in an order for a peach fry pie from the Bread Basket---ya know the ones I've talked about that you don't want to eat while driving.

The first bite is okay, but with the second, the peaches and other innards shoot out the sides of the pie and dribble down your face, onto your hands and, always onto the steering wheel.

No need to worry about stopping the car yesterday to clean up cuz I wasn't going to eat the two pies, and Bill would have a better and safer, less sticky setting to eat them at home.

I topped off my Bread Basket visit with a medium cup of black coffee for the road.

Having purchased more than enough at The Gathering Place, I drove right on by Super 1, with the Elmira Store as the next stop.

I also decided during the trip that, since I was traveling HWY 95, why not stop off at Wood's Meats and buy new supplies of hamburger patties and German sausages.

So, after spending a few minutes visiting with Frank and Rebekah at the Elmira Store, I walked out with a loaf of sourdough bread which had to have been baked just hours before.

Frank and Rebekah, from the Cook family, told me that the weekend at Elmira Store had been busy and that, for now, the burgers are being fried on weekends only.

They said the lady who flips the burgers has another job, so they need to figure out what to do on the other days.

I saw a "Help Wanted" sign on door, so if there are any seasoned burger cooks out there, maybe a weekday job awaits.

After heading on down HWY 95, I added to the grocery supply, leaving Wood's with a box of quarter pounders and a big bag of our perennially favorite German sausages. I also felt pretty satisfied during my drive home that the trip had been a culinary success.

Hints of that came last night when Bill announced that the corn was good. He has also also devoured one fry pie and maybe a little sourdough bread.

I liked yesterday's food run because it fits somewhat in with the philosophy of farm to table meals rather than a bunch of processed food.

Besides, the trip offered a nice change of pace and, as usual, a relaxing but productive drive through some beautiful scenery.

Now, it's time to start peeling some more apples and filling those canning jars with tasty sauce.

Have a great Tuesday.