{"id":41181,"date":"2023-08-06T08:28:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-06T12:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.westbendnews.net\/autonews\/?p=41181"},"modified":"2023-07-31T13:30:28","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T17:30:28","slug":"matts-mishaps-69","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.westbendnews.net\/autonews\/matts-mishaps-69\/","title":{"rendered":"MATT\u2019S MISHAPS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cServing overseas as a small-town boy from America is intense, stressful and humorous! Enjoy a light-hearted story with me from our last 20 years overseas!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014Matt <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember the Raisin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember getting those little red boxes of raisins as special treats when going on road trips.  I would have much rather gotten M&Ms or some other candy, but raisins were better than nothing, I guess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we moved overseas, I learned that dried fruit had a more prominent role in many recipes than I felt comfortable with.  We had been invited to a family\u2019s home for a special formal meal, and she was making her family favorite dish.  I tried my best to disguise my \u201cscared, surprised\u201d face with a \u201cpleasantly surprised\u201d face as the hostess lifted the cover on the hot main serving platter \u2013 it was prune chicken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One dish my sons would never swallow were pocket sandwich that they were served that were filled with fish and raisins.  In traveling around America when back, I have learned that people now add dried fruit to tossed salads, but bacon bits do taste much better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Raisins and dried fruit are finding their way into recipes and dishes around the world.\u00a0 I think raisins are great, but keep them separate from other things and in red boxes for eating.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While traveling towards Indiana when back in the States and looking for a stop, we saw a National Historic Site in Monroe, MI.  It was the site of the River Raisin Massacre.  It was a terrible battle that happened in the much-forgotten War of 1812.  Four hundred and ten people were killed, nearly 100 wounded and 547 captured in the worst battle for the Americans of that war.  A war cry to mobilize and motivate the American troops was, \u201cRemember the Raisin!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The War of 1812 was just four years before Indiana was founded.  One important politician and soldier who died at River Raisin was John Allen.  Three states (Michigan, Ohio and Indiana) decided to honor him by naming a county after him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those living in \u201cJohn Allen\u2019s County\u201d and who largely have no idea where the name Allen came from, \u201cRemember the Raisin,\u201d just don\u2019t mix them in recipes, and eat M&Ms and bacon bits if you have that option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something similar ever happen to you?   Contact me and let me hear your story!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

mattsmishaps@gmail.com    Matt\u2019s Mishaps, PO BOX 114, Grabill, IN  46741<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cServing overseas as a small-town boy from America is intense, stressful and humorous! Enjoy a light-hearted story with me from<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":41182,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[25,13165],"tags":[6620,13025,19604],"class_list":["post-41181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-columns","category-matts-mishaps","tag-grabill-indiana","tag-matts-mishaps","tag-remember-the-raisin"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t