RSS Feed

November, 2011

  1. Slow Down or Carry Cash

    November 28, 2011 by Becoming Midwestern

    It was a pleasant Saturday night. Blake and I were headed back from grabbing some frozen yogurt and were just a few blocks from home. In the middle of what I’m sure was an incredibly important conversation, Blake stopped responding. “What?” I asked. “What’s wrong?” I continued. “I’m going to get pulled over,” responded Blake, “a police car just did a u-turn and I think I’m speeding.”

    Sure enough, there were flashing lights in the rear view mirror. We pulled over, and as Blake rolled down the window, the officer informed him that he was going 11 over the speed limit on Broadway. As she walked away to write the ticket, a look of terror spread across both our faces. “Oh, no!” we both thought. Eleven over the speed limit was going to be a massively expensive ticket and right before the holiday season! As I started to suggest to Blake that he no longer needed too buy me a Christmas present, I was interrupted by the police officer handing him his ticket. As she was about to leave, she reminded him to be sure to pay the $11 fine by the date marked. We said thank you, rolled back up the window, and sat in silence. Did we hear that correctly? $11? That can’t be possible. We checked and double checked the amount, and sure enough, it was only $11.

    While I consider myself a pretty good driver (except in snow), I am ashamed to admit that I have gotten two tickets in my lifetime. One in Virginia driving home for Thanksgiving break and one in Washington state. In both shameful incidents, I was going less than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, and both tickets were over $100 each. If Blake was pulled over going 11 over the speed limit back home, it would have been one seriously expensive ticket. In fact, going 10 mph or above in many states is considered reckless driving which adds additional costs.

    This wasn’t the first time I have been pleasantly surprised by North Dakota’s inexpensive vehicle costs. A few months ago when I became an official North Dakota resident, I was shocked when my license only cost $10 (not to mention my wait at the DMV was only about five minutes).

    Perhaps the low cost could be attributed to the North Dakota government feeling sympathetic to the 14 year olds that have to use allowance money to hit the open road. Or maybe it is because with the amount of times you will have to replace your windshield, install a block heater or purchase snow tires, they figure the least they can do is cut you a break with ticket prices and licensing fees. We both learned an important lesson that day: Don’t speed. And if you do, make sure you always carry a twenty in your wallet.

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 15 Comments

  2. Full of Thanks and Turkey

    November 25, 2011 by Becoming Midwestern

    The holiday season is in full swing. It is the time of year that family and friends come together and reflect on all that we are thankful for. While I typically can’t wait for this time of year, I have to be honest that I was a little blue as Thanksgiving crept closer. For a second year in a row I couldn’t make it back to visit family on the west coast or the east coast. However, in true Midwestern fashion, my boyfriend’s family quickly opened their arms and welcomed us for a fabulous Thanksgiving feast. What made this Thanksgiving even more special was the chance to bring two transplanted grad school friends along as well.

    As we hopped on I-94 west and left civilization behind, my friends were a little stunned. One is from New Jersey and the other from India… and we truly weren’t in Fargo anymore. While I sometimes laugh at how desolate this time of year looks outside of Fargo, there is something somewhat beautiful about the vast openness of the North Dakota country side. Miles and miles of farmland always causes me to take a big breath of fresh (yet cold) air. As I announced our arrival into the town of our destination, my friends looked around at what must have been the smallest town they had ever been in. “This is so cute!” one replied cheerfully. Over the past few months, I had watched them, like me, fall in love with the unique-ness that is the Upper Midwest. Instead of criticizing, you find the joy in experiencing something so different.

    The meal was everything you would expect from a North Dakota Thanksgiving- hearty, comforting and delicious! I was quick to overload my plate with the typical Thanksgiving fixings: mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, turkey, ham, the most delicious dinner rolls (oops… I mean buns), pumpkin pie and apple pie. One unique item that separated my plate from my plates of Thanksgivings past was the lefse. I had seen lefse in the grocery stores and heard locals rage about it, but I had yet to actually have a taste myself. In case you are unsure of what lefse is, imagine a tortilla that is made with potatoes. A Norwegian favorite. After a quick demonstration of how to properly fix my homemade lefse (unroll, smear with butter, top with enough sugar to hear the crunch), I took a bite of pure, sugary, potato heaven.

    As we said our goodbyes and hit the road, I started reflecting on how truly thankful I am for my experiences in the Midwest so far. Like my boyfriend’s family, I have been embraced by those around me with open arms. My move would have been a hundred times more difficult without the amazing people I have met so far. From new family, to new friends, to the cashiers at the grocery store who ask me what I’m planning on cooking for “supper”, all have made the past 15 months a joy. Clearly, I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!

     

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 8 Comments

  3. Dukes in Bison Country

    November 20, 2011 by Becoming Midwestern

    J-M-U DUUKES!

    This weekend, a fellow JMU Duke was in Fargo. Why you may ask? Well, he recently took a job at the Minot Daily News and was covering the volleyball tournament this weekend. I was overjoyed when I saw that another Duke would be in Bison country and of course had to show him around Fargo and discuss all things North Dakota. As we reminisced about college days, my JMU pride was in full swing.

    As many of you may know, I am obsessed with my alma mater, James Madison University. I wear my purple and gold proudly, sing the fight song whenever possible, and check football scores obsessively on Saturdays. When I enrolled in graduate school at NDSU, my boyfriend questioned where my loyalties would fall if JMU ever played NDSU in playoffs. Since I knew amazing things had to happen this season for a situation such as this to have the potential to occur, I said, “Well, obviously I’ll have to cheer for JMU. But maybe I’ll wear a little bison gear too.”

    Of course I was quickly told that, no. I can’t cheer for both. I must choose where my loyalties fall. “Well, then it would have to be JMU.”

    Go Bison!

    With that, a promise was made: I promised that if JMU played NDSU at the Fargodome, I would proudly wear my purple and gold.

    If you follow Bison football, you probably heard the announcement this morning that NDSU and JMU are not only both in playoffs, but they have a pretty solid chance of playing each other (dependent on JMU making it through to the second round). While my original reaction was great rejoicing about how awesome this would be, a silence soon came over me. This was not good. This was horrible. I’d have to turn against NDSU.

    When I suggested that maybe I could wear my Bison shirt underneath my JMU sweat shirt, my boyfriend quickly snapped, “ABSOLUTELY NOT! You promised!”

    Yes, there is still a chance that JMU could lose in first rounds against Eastern Kentucky and I won’t have to worry about turning against NDSU. However, chance are still pretty strong that Dukes will come to Bison country. For the first time, my two worlds would collide head on: My east coast roots clashing with my midwestern love. With this, I ask you to be kind. If you see me in purple and gold in the midst of a sea of green and gold, please refrain from throwing things.

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 2 Comments

  4. It’s Hunting Season

    November 13, 2011 by Becoming Midwestern

    About a week and a half ago excitement was in the air. Was it the unseasonably warm weather? The fact that the holidays were right around the corner? No. It was the start of hunting season. Now, I have no problem with hunting. There have been hunters since man lived in caves. Did this mean I had it in me to shoot a deer? No. But I am also the person that sets spiders free outside, rather than smashing them. Up until November 4th, however, I had no idea just how huge this “hobby” actually was.

    My realization began when I started receiving e-mails from students saying they were going to use their free absence to go hunting. One e-mail, normal. Dozens of e-mails… strange… or so I thought. When I chatted about this with my colleagues, they laughed and said it was normal. In fact, I was told that last year the university sent around an e-mail telling students where they could safely and securely store their guns. Soon, I began hearing stories about small towns around the state canceling school on Friday since the first day of hunting season was practically a holiday. It soon became obvious that this was a lot more than a simple hobby, it was a way of life.

    A few days later I started browsing the local news. A headline popped up about the tragic hunting accidents that had occurred so far this season. I mentioned this to my office mates and they replied, “Oh, you’ll see a few more headlines like that before the season is out.”

    This sparked my curiosity. “What age can you start hunting?” I asked. To which a few shrugs responded.

    Here is the direct quote from the National Conference of State Legislatures website: “For big game, minimum age is 14, with hunting safety class required.  Small game has no minimum, but anyone 12 or older must have passed hunting safety class.”

    Was this normal? I browsed a few more state descriptions and found that while some states have similar laws, the majority specify that anyone below the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult (usually an age of the adult was mentioned). Even Minnesota specified that anyone aged 11 or under may hunt non big game if accompanied by an adult. (Side note… I had to look up what “non big game” meant). Am I naive or is this just accidentally missing from the description for North Dakota regulations? It seems like some North Dakotans practically emerge from the womb with an orange vest on. While I don’t pretend to hide my feelings about children handling guns… I also am the first to admit that is probably because guns were just simply not part of my upbringing.

    Like many things I’ve learned this past year, hunting is apparently a bigger part of the Midwest culture than I ever realized. It is the time of year men, women… and children… wait months for: to wake up early, sit quietly in the freezing cold, and fire a few shots. Perhaps I’ll try it sometime. But I’ll probably leave the shooting to the experts.

     

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 13 Comments

  5. My First Hotdish

    November 7, 2011 by Becoming Midwestern

    First hotdish complete!

    Last week I discussed my love of hotdish. I had contemplated making a hotdish myself so that I would not have to wait for my next pot luck or “supper” with Blake’s relatives, but I had no idea where to begin. There seemed like an endless combination of starches, veggies, meats and sauces that could be meshed together to create the masterpiece that is hotdish. What I needed was the perfect hotdish recipe. Over the past year, I have discovered that when I need suggestions about midwestern things, I should turn to those that know it best: midwesterners.

    You all submitted around 20 or so different hotdish recipes ranging from the simple to the complex, from the traditional to the contemporary, and from the appetizing to the peculiar. After reviewing all the recipes I came to a few conclusions. First: there are way too many hotdish recipes to choose from. Second: I’m going to be eating a lot of hotdish over the next few months.

    So how to decide on which recipe to start with? Well, I knew I wanted to go the traditional route this first time and stick with a tater tot hotdish. To me, the tater tot hotdish is the epitome of all that is midwest, mixed together in one pan and topped with fried, golden, starch. The next part was a bit more challenging: which tater tot hotdish recipe? Instead of selecting just one, I decided to make somewhat of a hybrid recipe. It went as follows:

    And the verdict is... DELICIOUS!

    • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
    • 1 lb. ground beef
    • 1 can green beans
    • 1 can corn
    • 1/2 cup sour cream
    • handful of cheddar cheese in mixture
    • bag of tater tots
    • handful of cheddar cheese on top of tater tots
    Mix ingredients together, top with tater tots. Yum.
    Thank you for everyone that submitted recipes! I’ll have plenty to pull from to get through the long winter months. And the best part, Christmas present shopping is all done! Can we say Hailey’s hotdish cookbook?

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 15 Comments

  6. Try the Hotdish!

    November 2, 2011 by Becoming Midwestern

    Hands down, my favorite Midwestern term is “hotdish”. The reason for this is not only because hearing locals say it with the perfect North Dakota accent makes me grin from ear to ear, but also because it raises questions by both locals and outsiders alike.

    The one hotdish I have tried-- the tater tot kind.

    From the local perspective I always get asked, “You’ve never heard of a hotdish? Well, what do you call it then?” To which I reply, “Umm… a casserole… I think?”

    For outsiders, I am often asked, “What the heck is a hotdish?” To which I reply, “Umm… a casserole… I think.”

    To be more precise,  a hotdish can be served at any occasion, though potlucks and church gatherings are common locations for a hotdish to make an appearance. The dish itself usually consists of three things:

    1) a starch (typically pasta, rice or toter tots)

    2) a meat (typically ground beef)

    3) a gravy binder such as cream of mushroom soup

    From time to time additional items might be added including an array of mixed frozen vegetables or anything else that may be left over in your fridge or pantry.

    So what is the difference between a hotdish and a casserole? This is a question I have tried to figure out since I moved to ND. When I Googled, “What is the difference between a hotdish and a casserole” a few inconsistent responses popped up:

    • A hotdish is any food you bring that is not picnic fare, while a casserole is a multi-ingredient dish that serves as one meal.
    • They are the same thing just a different name depending on the state you live in.
    • A hotdish typically uses a potato starch while a casserole typically uses noodles and rice.

    It seems like no one has a clear answer and I may forever be confused. Whatever the difference may be, the fact remains that one thing that I have not done since moving to the Midwest is actually making a hotdish. But with so much confusion, where do I even begin?

    Here is my task to you: please provide me with a hotdish recipe. Point me in some direction. I will choose the most delicious sounding recipe and attempt to make it for Sunday “supper” this weekend. Good luck!

     

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 60 Comments