My award-winning salsa!

From Friday 1/4/13

Ha! The first salsa I have ever made on my own - not counting making Bill's salsa, this was my own. I had purchased some dried chipotle peppers while we were in New Mexico last October and had been waiting to  make something wonderful with them. Before I get too far into this you need to know that before I met Bill, when I was Debby Bland, I used to comment when people asked about how to pronounce my last name, that it was bland, as in how I like my food. Well, let me just say that I have come a long way baby! Bill likes his food heavily spiced and over the years not only have I gotten used to it but I actually really like things spicy now, good thing I changed my name, eh?!

Anyway, I digress, last night Chris and Cherie, of Technomadia fame hosted a "Salsa Off" for the NuRVers that are hanging out in Cedar Key this month. There are actually quite a few of us here and more arriving every day. Then there are all of those newbies that seem to be floating around the island here that are ever so excited to meet others like themselves - it seems that every time we gather there is another couple that hunts us down. I do attribute a lot of this to Chris and Cherie as they have a huge presence on the web and quite a following. We have found a few of our own "stalkers" out there (people that we don't know that follow our blog) but the Technomads have dozens, even hundreds, I am sure. They are a wealth of information for those needing help with technology on the road and before we even hit the road I got a lot of information from them on how to set up our mobile office. And so I digress again!

A Salsa Off is the absolute best way to host a gathering of random people. It's the one food that can be made in so many different ways and also the one food that just about anyone can eat. Gluten-free, vegan, freegan, vegetarian, carnivore, etc., etc., etc... So we gathered for salsa, chips, margaritas, craft beer, tequila shots, guacamole, black bean couscous and some fabulous corn cakes - quite the smorgasbord! We all had to rate our own salsa as to it's spiciness and then everyone else voted on all the salsas as well. There were winners for best fresh, best roasted, spiciest and best non-salsa - I took home the best roasted (I was the only one in that category!) and SPICIEST, which I am most proud of! Everyone that participated was treated to the cutest little solar sunflower. I had actually been coveting one of these for quite some time.

Clarke and Elaine had brought over their very awesome fire pit filled with wood and we had a great night drinking and munching and meeting quite a few new people. Maria and Brian took off to go back to the Tiki Bar and knowing that there were only two nights left there before the owners, Pat and Cindy, went on vacation for a week, we decided to join them. We received a grand welcome as we walked in and we had a great time hanging out there, except for one teeny, weeny thing....the god damn smoke! The Hideaway Tiki Bar has been quite the work-in progress for Pat and Cindy and returning after seven months the changes are really fabulous. They finally got their liquor license, but along with that came the necessity to put in actual doors and windows and when it's cold and the smokers start lighting up it is quite unbearable for those of us who do not like to breathe in tobacco....can't wait for the weather to warm up when we can open up everything!

Bill always dressed for the occasion, thanks to Slider Magazine for yet another,great pic!