Hi! I'm really looking forward to being a part of SP and to learn and share ideas, recipes, successes, failures, etc. I'm a native Texan and currently living in Kazakhstan. Cooking over there is a bit of a challenge (horsemeat is a fav---sorry, have to pass on that one) and very expensive but hubby and I are managing. Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies and I'm happiest when I'm preparing meals for others--I also like to read and collect cookbooks.:p

I think there is room for another here so I'll scoot down a little for you Welcome! What's it like in Kazakhstan? Hot, dry, wet, cold, etc. It' been a hot summer hear of late in the eastern US.

K

Khartman,

Thanks for the welcome! K. is a large country next to Russia that used to be a satellite of the Soviet Union. Both Russian and Kazakh are the official languages spoken. I've tried to learn Russian but the brain cells are not what they used to be---it's a VERY difficult language. Anyway, you asked about the weather--I hope that you are sitting down---it gets down to the minus 40's in winter--Astana, the capital where we are posted , I believe is the 2nd coldest in the world!! My husband is there now (I'm in Texas for the summer---uggh) and said that the temps are in the 70-80's during the day but in the 40's in the evenings. It was warmer last summer when I was there. Astana is on the steppes so it gets a lot of wind and is dry a good deal of the time. We had snow the beginning of November and it wasn't gone until end of March.

Hope that you guys along the east get some relief

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Houston wouldn't exist without a/c--hang in there. Thanks again for the welcome.

Hey there expargirl!
I'm sitting down, and am wondering how you stay warm in the winter with minues 40 degree temps? That's cold (brrr).

I worked with a guy who had this goal of living in every state. He lived in Alaska in the winter, as well as other cold places like Nebraska, and Wyoming. But what I remember him talking about most was the news stations in Houston frying eggs on the sidewalk in the summer.

It's hot here in Maryland this year. It cooled some today. But I've never seen anyone cook an egg on the sidewalk around here.

So you folks in Houston must be tough! Do you get used to the heat? I mean, I played golf on Wednesday when it was really hot in the afternoon, so by starting early we beat the big heat. We started at 9am, and were done by 1pm. There were only a couple cars in the parking lot when we finished.

Welcome to the forum.

HI, Old Bay,

Thanks for the welcome! We stay warm in the winter by having heated garages (no lie) and going from the car to wherever you are going which are usually overheated. If you have to walk in it (and it's not a pretty sight) you wear parkas that have big overhanging hoods and a face cover. Also very insulated pants. Even so, hubby's and my tender tooshes and back, faces, still had to be slathered in "Crisco" like moisturizers. We still had "lacerated" dry skin at times even with that. But our apartment overlooks the river and it is so beautiful to watch the snow drift down

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ice fishing is very popular to watch. When the river finally thaws out it is just as beautiful

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it is mostly sunny there so the river just sparkles in the afternoon sun and the sunsets are gorgeous. Lots of paddle boats on the river and many people walking the promenade around it. They LOVE disco music here!!

Yes, you can definitely cook an egg on a Houston griddle road. It's miserable right now (90's and 70-80% humidity)

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only arrogant, old coot wildcatters had the nerve to build a metropolis over a swamp. Like you, we do everything early in the morning and if you're doing sports, you drink lots of water, and bring towels. How construction workers and roofers, etc., do it is beyond me but many of them come from Mexico where it's even worse, so I guess they are used to it. Houston does have great restaurants however and we're not called the fattest city for nothing. Ha!
Thanks again, y'all for the welcome!!