The Bard said it best in his play "Twelfth Night"
"If music be the food of love, play on"
Let's skew his meaning a bit and see just where the love of food and the love of music takes us.
I am not exactly sure how it happened but this week saw a lot of eating out. When it is this hot I certainly do not mind being out of the kitchen. And what could be more pleasing than going out a night, or two, or possibly even three?
What was planned; (Insert delusional laugh here)
1. Taco salad
2. Leftover squash, leftover lady peas, cornbread, cuke tomato and onion salad
3. Monte Cristo sandwich, tossed salad
4. P F Changish lettuce wraps
5. TheHub has a dinner meeting I am not cooking just for me
6. Pork chops, succotash, sliced cucumbers
7. Out to eat
What really and truly happened:
Monday: I had picked up some pork chops on sale at The Pig, so dinner planned itself.
Pork chops, succotash, sliced cucumbers
Tuesday: I bought 7 pounds of ground chuck on sale at The Pig Monday. Most of it was portioned and processed for freezing but I did leave about 1/2 pound out for dinner.
Taco salad
Wednesday: TheHub was very late getting home and I was not planning to cook until he let me know he was on the way. Sorry but I was not going to begin cooking at 8. Dinner was on him
Salvatore's: Lasagne, salad
Thursday: TheHub had a dinner meeting and we already know I don't cook for just me.
Leftover pork chop and squash caserole.
Friday: TheHub wanted to go out to eat. I am not stupid enough to disagree with him about that.
The Electric: pastrami sandwich w/ coleslaw, or the classic flatbread
Saturday: Son3 said Saturday would be the best night to celebrate his birthday
This week a couple of things that were planned fell apart, but were rescheduled for this week and next week.
Last week was another very hot week where it is too hot to indulge in my favorite morning ritual. I love sitting on the screened porch and having coffee while I listen to the birds. This week sitting out there is like being on the front porch of Hell. Coffee had to be enjoyed in the house, though it is not quite the same.
Sunday: The day was hot and steamy, but it is summer in Alabama and is to be expected. Son2 and DIL2 stopped by for a bit. It always makes my day so happy when we get to see them.
Monday. Son3 had been in NYC working for a couple of weeks, but flew to Spain for a wedding before returning to back to finish his job.The SAG and writers strike forced a few of the events he was working on to cancel so he found flight to Nashville Monday night. I was his entertainment while he cleaned one of his best friend's apartment. His friend was in San Francisco and let Son3 crash at his place. We had a long and enjoyable talk while he worked. Interestingly even after the short time they have lived in Nashville, he could not wait to get back to a house with a back yard, and a much cheaper cost of living.
After I got off the phone with him, I had a call from my cousin S. As always I love talking with her and will be seeing her in August at our family reunion.
Then I went to The Pig to pick up the freebies for the week: a tuna pouch and an 8 ounce block of sharp cheddar. I only get the freebies if there is a good enough sale on things I need, to warrant the $10 purchase requirement.
Tuesday: Went to the bank and shopping for a few items. An amazing realization hit me. If I go to the store before about 10 a.m. all bets are off. I walked through the door wearing shorts and no makeup, and the clerk still completed my transaction. And to my surprise not only were no small children or dogs harmed, but the earth's axis was not swayed and the orbit around the sun continued as usual. So much for my universal grandiosity, huh?
I had a huge to-do list once I got home, but promptly ignored it and read a book instead. "Falling" is not deep and was pretty predictable, but it was a fun (only if every crisis known to man can be called fun) and very fast read.
Then instead of getting up and getting busy doing the tasks that needed to be done, I made the mistake of opening book two for the day. I read about 1/4 of Bad Mormon, before starting anything remotely productive. (Because not everyone is like me, and calls improving your mind reading fast paced, predictable fiction or a reality tv type memoir a worthwhile endeavor)
Remember this old commercial?___
__________Inspiration!!!!!
If you move the vacuum cleaner into the den and just vacuum the main footpath, get rid of any clutter, clean the kitchen sink, and swish the toilet you can make it look like you actually did something other than read.
Wednesday: This was the day for my biggest joy of the week. I have mentioned several times how much I love volunteering at Independence Place. I am continuing to help with their life skills agenda, doing cooking classes with them. Wednesday we made wacky cake with chocolate icing. It was a huge success, and the only part they did not do was take it out of the oven. I will not be doing it again until mid August. They decided they want to learn to make Sloppy Joe's. Do you think they object when I pad the recipe with shredded carrots and zucchini to up the nutritional value?
My Beloved Sister went with me and she loves going there as much as I do. For me, having her with me just doubled the joy!
Thursday: TheHub was not going to be home for dinner and I had no where I needed to go. Instead I had a shorts and flip flops kind of day, with a little water time and reading mixed in for good measure. My book was due and while I was reading it, time ran out with 3 chapters left. When I tried to extend the time borrowing it, I found there would be a 4 week wait. Now honestly was I going to wait 4 weeks before the last three chapters were done. Nope! The Libby app had an audio version of the book and it was available. I got it and listened to the last three chapters while I folded clothes, mopped the kitchen floor and tidied the shelves in my armoire. I really do not like listening to audio books, but I had to find out for sure "whodunit". There is a huge joy having an optional way to finish the book without a delay.
Friday: I always know I am not enjoying a book if I put it down and read another book before finishing it. "Bad Mormon" came highly recommended but I honestly and kind of "Meh" about it. As far as memoirs go this one had been pretty unenjoyable so far. My hope is to finish it before I start reading anything else, but the jury is still out.
TheHub decided he wanted to go out to eat. Fine by me! We went to a little neighborhood joint where the people actually know us and call us by our names.
Saturday: We had a nice evening with Son2 and DIL2. Nothing beats celebrating your kids birthday, even when they are well into adulthood.
Look for your joys, no matter how small. They are always out there.
I know there are several blogs where I would regularly post a comment. For the blogs that accept comments only from Google/Blogger only, I can no longer comment.
We had a glitch in our internet service and when TheHub "fixed" it, I could no longer connect to the internet without updating my browser. When that happened whatever internal security controls my ad blockers and such also updated. Now Blogger does not recognize me when I try and post even though I have logged in and out of it several times.
Long story short, I am still reading your blogs even though it might look like I have gone silent.
For those of you without the Blogger restriction, I can still comment though it requires a couple of additional steps. Most of the time I remember to do them but occasionally I forget and my comment will post as anonymous. So if you see one that looks like something I would post, it was probably me.
I you see a scathing or mean spirited post__that is not me. I have never/will never be one of those trollish blogs.
Hopefully I can resolve this soon but for now, it is what it is.
When it is hot and steamy outside my general love of cooking flies out the window. Or it would fly out the window if they were not bolted tight to keep the air conditioned air in the house.
When it is like this I don't give a flip what we do or do not eat and the plans certainly reflect my dinner time apathy. I need to make dinner fun!
If I were not keeping a list of my daily joys, I would not even bother doing this. I am not feeling sorry for myself nor am I depressed. I have just been respecting the heat, staying in the house for the most part, and other than my daily call with My Beloved Sister and talking with TheHub at night I have had very little interaction with the outside world this week. In fact if I did not love reading so much, I might have felt alone this week.
Sunday: We were both tired and the day was mainly a day of rest and reading.
Monday: I did a ton of laundry. The actual doing was not joyous, but having it done and put away was.The best part of the day was getting to talk with Sluggy.
Tuesday: Debated going to the grocery store. Publix had Duke's mayo logo, but when I looked in my stash I found I had another jar that was still unopened. There was nothing else that was really enticing in the food ads, so I stayed home and read "The Silent Wife". I also had a catch up conversation with my good friend C. We have been friends since we were in high school together.
Wednesday: Another day spent at home, but I did at least start working in the laundry room. We have a huge laundry room that tends to become a dumping ground for anything that does not have a dedicated space. My focus is to see what I can live without, or is no longer useful to me, and get rid of it.
I also keep our excess pantry items on shelfs there. I was able to organize all the canned foods by type and expiration date. Now I know I have to find somewhere to use a large can of tomato puree__PDQ
Thursday: More shuffling through stuff.
Friday: Friday was uneventful until I talked with Kim's Sissy.
Saturday: TheHub and I did our usual running around, came home and we both read for a while, then ended the night at the Independence Place annual fundraiser. Our neighbors K and P went with us and it was nice getting to know them a little better while we ate dinner then listened to 5 performers sing. Instead of coming home with things from the silent auction, this year everything we bought was either an experience or consumable. Win/win
Now this week is over and it is time for me to get out and about. Fortunately I have several plans for the week so I don't have to rely on self motivation to be around people..
I had originally titled this Adult Toys, but then decided that could be terribly misconstrued. Instead I am just going to say that what you like playing with as a kid is completely different from what sets you over the moon as an adult.
I purchased a few things in the last week or two that I never knew I needed (Thanks Amazon Prime Day) Now I am not sure why it took me so long to get them.
I have always been an ardent gas cooktop type of gal. I love the instant heat and the ability to do some really quick stovetop meals I would even guess that about 75% of our meals are cooked that way.
I bought an induction cooktop to take to Independence Place when we do some of the cooking classes. I do have a portable butane stove I could use, but thought the induction cooktop with no open flame would be much safer.
Because I had never done induction cooking before, I decided I would set it on the countertop and give it a whirl before I used it with them. It is nicer to know how something works before teaching others how to use it.
What can I say__I am hooked. I had no idea how fast and how cool (temperature-wise) cooking could be. Let's just say it has not been off the counter, and I have used it every single day. All of my cast iron works with it, but I did have to buy a very inexpensive set of stainless steel. My existing pots and pans were stainless, with aluminum clad bottoms which will not work on the induction top. Evidently the rule is if a magnet sticks to the pan bottom it will work with induction cooking. I didn't know that.
Another gadget for kitchen clean up is a dish detergent dispenser. When we were in Palm Springs the house we were staying in had one and until then not only did I not know they existed. I also did not know how badly I needed one.
I am able to keep it by the sink so I have detergent available with just one tap. I also now have a designated place for my dish sponge to sit. (And yes I wash my sponge in the dishwasher every time I run it, but I am not afraid of living a little dangerously using a sponge for things I hand wash)
I liked it so much I bought an additional one and gave it to My Beloved Sister. Until she used it she did not know how badly she had needed it either.
Then there was a third item I bought to help me organize underneath the kitchen sink. It was not something I really needed but it surely has help me access the most often used cleaning supplies.
I bought mine through Amazon for much less than it is listed here and I will say there was no way I would pay this much for it. I bought it for less than half this price. Under sink storage shelves were not a glamorous purchase, but it really did make a difference when I cleaned out beneath the sink last night.
If you have found something new to you that rocks your everyday life, tell me about it. Who knows what else is out there that I never realized I needed.
One of the Youtube videographers I watch fairly regularly is Whippoorwill Holler. Ms. Laurie shares recipes regularly and because she was a school lunch lady she sometimes shares things she made for the school kids. One of her fairly recents posts was a small batch Texas Sheet Cake . Of course I had to try it because I do remember having it when I was a school kid. It was very good and since it was a small cake we did not have a lot leftover.
I also remembered a sheet cake from school days that was very much like the Texas sheet cake, but was a peanut butter cake with peanut butter icing. I used the basic recipe from Ms. Laurie's video and tweaked it to try and recreate the cake I remembered. TheHub went to parochial school and had no memory of said cake, but he was a willing tester even though he had nothing to compare it with. My first try was pretty good, the cake part was spot on but the icing was much too sweet. This is the result of my 2nd attempt.
Cake
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons buttermilk*
pinch of salt
In a small pot add the water, butter and peanut butter. Cook until just melted, then remove from heat. Stir in the sugar and the vanilla. If you want to now you can put the mixture in a bowl but I just kept everything in the same small boiler. Let the mixture cool until it is lukewarm then toss in the egg yolk. Stir to combine well. Add the dry ingredients. mix well then add the buttermilk.
Pour into a greased and floured pan. (Who am I kidding? Spray that sucker with a baking spray) I have a 9 1/2 x 6 1/2 jelly roll pan that I used, but a pie pan or an 8x8 cake pan should work also.
It baked at 325 degrees in a convection oven (350 for a conventional oven? ) for about 16 minutes. Do the touch test and see if it is done. (start checking after about 14 minutes) This makes a very thin cake, just a tad over 1/2 inch thick so it does cook quickly.
Set it aside to cool just a little while making the frosting.
Frosting
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
enough buttermilk* to make this spreading consistency ( about a tablespoon)
In a small pan melt the butter and peanut butter in the water. Add the vanilla then stir in the confectioners
sugar. Add enough buttermilk to make the icing smooth. Spread it over the still warm cake, walk out of the room and don't touch it until everything is cool and the icing is set.
This tastes just as I remembered it tasting and looks like the very thin cakes our school lunchroom offered.
If you try this let me know what you think.
* I used buttermilk because we do not keep milk in the house but I always have powdered buttermilk in the refrigerator. It was easy to reconstitute it. I am sure regular milk would work just as well.
This week I mostly followed the plan. Well, at least I kind of followed the plan with minor changes to just about every meal. At least I cooked! (Well I actually cooked as little as possible, but we did eat at home most nights)
What was planned:
1. Leftover pasta, salad of some sort
2. Meatloaf, squash, sliced tomatoes, cornbread?
3. Smoked trout toast, broccoli, stewed apples
4. Out to eat
5. Pesto chicken salad over mixed greens
6. Roast tomato grilled cheese casserole, some sort of salad
7. Big salad meal TBD
I did try a couple of new to me recipes this week, along with playing with food to recreate an old school lunchroom memory. (More on that in another post, but it was from a time when schools could actually have peanut butter in the cafeteria)
What we actually ate;
Monday: I knew I was planning for us to have the remaining pasta, but had forgotten I bought peppers at Trader Joe's. When I was looking for salad fixings I saw them and decided to have that with dinner instead.
Tuesday: The night was hot and I just did not have it in me to really cook.
Pesto chicken salad** over iceberg, black olives, dinner roll
Wednesday: When I made the menu I forgot TheHub had a dinner meeting. I had dinner ready when he called to remind me he would not be there, so I stuck it in the fridge and just ate bit and bobs of cold food. I do not cook just for me.
Whatever was left over in the fridge eaten cold while watching a movie
Thursday: We had plans to eat out with friends, so I knew there would be no cooking this day.
Crab cake, small caesar salad (me) Grouper Oscar (TheHub)
Friday: The return of the previously cooked Wednesday dinner.
Meatloaf****, Spanish rice, tossed salad
Saturday: Two tomatoes were on the verge of being over-ripe. They had to be used
Tomato topped grilled cheese casserole**, okra
Sunday: We went to Costco in the late morning. Oops! I could not resist the smell.
Rotisserie chicken, cole slaw
Possibilities for the week:
Because of the size of the Costco rotisserie chicken, this week is going to have several chicken meals to use the leftover chicken
4. Whatever (TheHub will be out of town and I am not cooking just for me)
5. Eggroll in a bowl
6. Chicken salad on greens
7. Out to eat
* Impulse buy from Trader Joe's. Very tasty but not really worth the price so I will not be buying it again.
** New to me
*** experiment
**** I wrapped the cooked meatloaf in foil when I stuck it in the fridge Wednesday. Friday night I just plunked it (wrapped) in the air fryer to reheat it. It stayed perfectly moist, I did not have to turn the oven on, and the kitchen stayed cool.
We are now in the overly warm, sticky days of summer. It means there is a very good chance each evening for a pop up thunderstorm, and this week I think it happened every night. For some of you immediately after a shower is a pleasant cool the day or the night is the result. Here it is just a way for allowing steam to rise. If you happen to be in the car after one of these showers you literally see what looks like smoke coming off the pavement and rooftops.
When the weather is like this I try to have only two plans: swim or stay inside. Consequently there is not a lot going on with my days right now.
Sunday: We were tired and did very little other than read and take a quick nap. I have to be crazy tired to nap during the day.
Monday: This was just a regular day, but I did get started cleaning out the kitchen cabinets and drawers. Does any house really need 15 Tervis tumblers and/or Tervis type travel cups. Hello Exchange Club. I left 4 of them in the cabinet and am giving the rest away.
I had a nice conversation with my friend M, and of course I talked with My Beloved Sister, but I talk to her nearly every day.
Tuesday: It was another regular day but I was fortunate to have a long conversation with My Beloved Sister while I cleaned up a huge mess I accidentally made.
TheHub and I were feeling old and creaky and decided to get in the hot tub.The night was gorgeous, with the Edison lights glowing on the upper patio.We were ready to really relax while the jets did their magic on our joints. Hot was the operative word, so we stayed in it briefly.
I reset the water temp much lower and hopefully the next time we get in, it will be refreshing instead of feeling like we were inside a boiling lobster pot.
Once we got out we both went to the screened porch, supposedly to drip dry. But the crickets and katydids were singing, the overhead fan was blowing and we both fell asleep in our wet suits. It was nice while it lasted, but we couldn't just wake and head straight to bed. We still needed to rinse the chlorine off in the shower. We probably should have just stayed asleep on the porch.
Wednesday: Prime day to the rescue! Our refrigerator is very old but everything works except for the ice maker. The last time I priced having a new one installed it was going to be over 200 bucks. It might be worth it to some of you but there is no way I am going to put that kind of money into a fridge that is this old. We have just been using ice cube trays and honestly it works perfectly fine for us until we have guests, then we run out of ice pretty quickly.
TheHub mentioned having an ice maker installed in the butler's pantry, but it would require tearing out the existing cabinets and shelves. Instead I suggested a much simpler and less expensive solution. I saw a portable ice maker on one of the lightning deals, ordered it and it was delivered today. I have to let it sit for a bit before I can plug it in to clean it before using it, but by sometime over the weekend it should be making ice. Whoo hoo!
Did I mention I also talked with Sluggy, who always makes me laugh. It is nice to have met fellow bloggers IRL and formed friendships
It is on me to meet some of you who live little closer than Louisiana and Idaho, face to face at some time too.
Thursday: I was able to go to my happy place. Son2 and DIL2 are both working at Independence Place and are adding Life Skills to their program. I volunteered to help with the cooking lessons for them. Some of the participants do have some rudimentary cooking ability, but most of them do not. As both they age and their parents/guardians age, they need some skills for the future.
I decided we would start slow and begin with something very simple where they could learn to use some of the tools I bought specifically for them, to use over time as we progress to more difficult recipes.
The first thing we made was pimento cheese.
I bought a manual rotary shredder (Ourokhome Rotary Grater ) and they could easily grate the cheese (No busted knuckles!). I also bought a manual beater (OXO Good Grip Beater). It was ergonomically very easy for all of them to use.
They not only enjoyed the process of making it, but they love eating it after it was finished. I asked them for suggestions about what they would like to make next time, and got many (too many in fact) . Now I have a list for at least the next two months.
I also had a conversation with Sluggy which is always wonderful.
Then later that evening TheHub and I met up with some of our friends for dinner at Mikey's. It is always a good place to eat and the company just could not be beat.
Friday: The day was hot, humid, hotter, more humid, just one of those days when you stay inside as much as humanly possible. My truest joy for the day was working air conditioning. And would someone please tell Kim and her Sissy that I am not responsible for the Hershey nuggets in Kim's house right now!
Saturday: We woke and did our usual Saturday morning running around ending with a stop at Sneaky Pete's for a takeout slaw dog. I am not a big hot dog fan, but their slaw dogs are something special.
Other than that the day was just a hot, hot, humid, hot, humid, hot day.
Look for your joys, however small. They are always out there!
May all your weeds be wildflowers.
Anne
p.s. If I am not responding to your blogs it is mainly because they are restricted to Google users. Though I am one, last weekend TheHub spent about 6 hours working on an internet issue, then mucked with my computer reconnecting it. I am not sure what he did but it messed all of my connections causing me to totally reset my computer. The update is now blocking me from what used to be a simple comment. I am still reading everyone and keep trying to tweak my settings, but am having no luck so far.
During the hottest part of the summer we tend to eat much lighter meals. If I don't have to cook it is even better. This is all about using some pre-cooked chicken. Other than warming the rolls in the air fryer for a couple of minutes this was a completely "cook free" dinner.
All of these measurements are "about". I don't generally measure when I cook, but I am a pretty decent "eyeballer"
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 red pepper, roasted and diced
1/2 small red onion, minced
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup pesto (next time I will use a little more 2/3 cup maybe)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/3 cup mayonnaise (I used about a half when I made mine and it was too much)
Mix the chicken, red pepper, onion and tomato in a medium size bowl. Add salt and pepper to your liking.
Put the mayo, pesto, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl, stir well then pour over the chicken mixture. Toss until thoroughly mixed together. Serve on a bed of greens. I would have preferred to serve it over spring greens, but TheHub prefers iceberg. There are some battles that are worth it. Chicken salad is not one of them. Chicken salad, a few black olives and a dinner roll was the complete meal. It was a perfect light summertime dinner.
I garnished with a few bits of diced tomatoes because when I went to pick basil from the yard, it was gone. I am guessing my resident groundhog found it. Basil would be a better garnish I think. Such is life!
Library of Congress photo
For size reference the groundhog is holding a peach
I was mucking through the kitchen pantry this morning and found a partial jar of steel cut oats* which needed to be used. Since we do not eat oatmeal on any sort of regular basis, I thought I would do a little experiment with them. I remembered reading a long time ago about a vegan option for taco "meat" using the oats as a starting point. I figured I might as well give it a try.
Trust me when I tell you this is not a recipe, but is just my trial and error attempt at making something palatable using the oats
To begin with I cooked the oats until they were almost done. (Next time I will cook them with a little beef bouillon or in beef broth for added flavor). I put them in a strainer and rinsed until the water ran clear. (Don't fuss at me about wasting water. I saved it to water plants) I did have to stop and stir the oats a few times to clear all of the starchy goo.
Next came the experimental part. I used all the herbs and spices I normally use when making tacos; oegano, ground cumin, ground coriander, chili powder, garlic powder, a little onion powder just because, and a little paprika for color. I can't tell you the amounts I used though. I did a lot of single grain taste tests to get it geared to my particular palette. When I had the spices correct, it still felt a little off so I stirred in about a half tablespoon of olive oil. That made a surprising difference in the "feel".
This is what the finished product looked like. I think next time I might add a little tomato paste to the cooking liquid for a more intense color.
I decided the real test would be to have it for lunch as a taco filling. Luckily I had a ziplock bag with some leftover taco shells, and some tomato slices, onions and lettuce left over from our burger night. I was too lazy decided I could live without shredding any cheese and had no sour cream, so I guess this was a partial version of what a traditional taco at my house would be.
Normally I would have the "meat" at the bottom of the taco and some is, but I added a bit more to the top so you could see it.
And now it has been eaten and it's time for the final judgement. I ate about half with no salsa on it, and it was not very good. It was not bad, but it did not have that ummph that a taco should have. The salsa changed it completely. The mouth feel is much different than using ground chuck as the base, but it was still very tasty. I think with shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream it would be really good
Final thoughts? I took the remaining taco oats and put them in freezer bags labeled taco extender. I plan on using half traditional taco meat and half taco oats the next time we have tacos for dinner. I am not going to tell TheHub to see if he even notices. Luckily he does not read this blog , so . . .
SHHHHH!!!! Mums the word!
* First step this week using one hard to use pantry item
I did not think I would actually stay true to the meal plan, but I was surprised I did not veer off too badly. I think I only went totally rogue for one meal and that is really unusual for me.
What was planned:
1.Butter peas, okra, corn pudding, some sort of salad or coleslaw (or possibly just sliced tomatoes.)
2. July 4th dinner, ribs, coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans
3. Sandwiches TBD
4. Out to eat
5. Barbacola chicken, corn on the cob, tomato cucumber onion salad
6. Pesto chicken salad on mixed greens
7. Pasta with formaggio sauce, tossed salad
And this is what we actually ate:
Monday: Slight change of plans but it was still a veggie night.
Friday: I wanted a fast and easy meal. This did the trick thanks to the jarred formaggio sauce.
Pasta with formaggio sauce, mixed green salad with tomatoes, garlic bread
Saturday: To grill or not to grill was the question. The rain provided the answer.
Burgers with all the fixings, baked beans, leftover broccoli salad
Sunday: I forgot to thaw anything. No one to blame but myself.
Corned beef* and cabbage, mashed potatoes
And this is what we might eat this week:
1. Leftover pasta, salad of some sort
2. Meatloaf, squash, sliced tomatoes, cornbread?
3. Smoked trout toast, broccoli, stewed apples
4. Out to eat
5. Pesto chicken salad over mixed greens
6. Roast tomato grilled cheese casserole, some sort of salad
7. Big salad meal TBD
Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all!
*I had canned corn beef on hand, which was just one small step above using dog food. There may be a palatable way to use it and I am open to any and all suggestions.
This week the joys were fairly small, but still joys
It was a week of meetings, dinner company, and general running around.
Saturday: Did some running around with TheHub. The day was super hot so we tried to stay mostly inside. It didn’t work but we did try!
Son2 and DIL 2 were on our side of town and came over for dinner, conversation plus DIL2 and I found a wonderful new to us show about gardening in the south. We watched 2 episodes and learned that they need to hire a goatscaping service to clear their lake house property. I had no idea such a service was available locally, but it is.
Sunday: We had a mostly restful day with reading and an accidental nap ( Mine happened while reading, TheHub's happened while watching a golf tournament)
Monday: The day was uneventful, but I did score both the weekly free item and the Monday only freebie at the Pig. I will only get their giveaways if the weekly ad has prices that make the 10 buck additional purchase worth it. Most weeks it does not happen since The Pig has generally higher prices but this past week had ground chuck and chicken leg quarters priced in my wheel house. In addition to stocking my freezer I scored free aluminum foil and hefty freezer bags. (Bonus joy: I came straight home and processed the ground chuck for the freezer, then cooked the chicken quarters either by stewing or bbqing. The bbq was ready for later in the week, the other cooked chicken was removed from the bones and frozen, plus I have 2 and a half quarts of chicken broth frozen)
Tuesday: TheHub and I had a lazy 4th until mid afternoon. Son2 and DIL2 came over to eat with us. I cannot tell you how much joy and laughter they bring into our lives. Actually all of my sons and their families do too, Son2 and DIL2 just live closer so we get to see them more.
I am hopeful with the move to Nashville we will have more time with Son3 and DIL3, and TheHub and I have resolved to visit Portland more often (as time and the travel budget allows).
Wednesday: The day would have been uneventful if not for phone calls with my cousin S, followed by a call with Sluggy. There is nothing better than laughing!
That night I watched a couple of episodes of The Bear. I really do like that show!
Thursday: We had a 4:30 meeting that lasted about an hour. It was not too far from TheHub's office so I drove to meet him there. (He actually left work early__a minor miracle). We had planned to go out to eat somewhere close and decided on a place in Cahaba Heights. Rather than take up two spaces in their limited parking lot, he parked at The Summit (shopping center) and rode with me. We have been there enough times to remember we really only need to order one meal and one appetizer then split both. Even after sharing we still brought a small go box home.
Friday: TheHub came home at three for a telephone conference with a guy we have been talking to about doing some landscaping, and 30 minutes after that we met with a contractor. We are planning on gutting our master bath and making a few more improvements to the house for us to enjoy a few years, but will also make the house more appealing to buyers when we finally decide to downsize. We have wanted to do this for quite a while but one thing or another always got in the way. This summer we have a block of unscheduled time so it feels like the perfect opportunity.
Saturday: This was an interesting day. We had applied for the Global Entry program and had been accepted, pending the in person interview. They have no facility in Birmingham and the closest to us is Huntsville. Unfortunately we would not be able to schedule an interview there until mid September. Instead we drove to Atlanta for about 5 minutes of actual time with the Customs official, turned around and drove home. It feels like we have been having a lot of quick trips to the Atlanta airport lately.
Have a great week and look for joys, large and small. They are always out there!
Life has settled down to a dull roar here now with just the two of us here. June was busy and I cooked very little and planned even less. It is time to hop back on the Monday morning meal train and make some sort of movement toward a plan.
Hopefully the 4th will see a bunch of pool time with an easy evening meal*, with the remaining week's fodder filled with night swims and lighter fare.
TheHub and I have a meeting early Thursday evening, and have already planned on eating out afterward. Since we are going to be in the area, we will pick somewhere close to that office then run by Trader Joe's. I really like to incorporate trips to things in the same geographic area, and there are a lot of restaurants out that way that I do not normally go to. (TheHub works on that side of town and goes out to lunch every day. He can always offer tried and true recomendations
I based this weeks menus mostly on foods that are on hand. I am also going to follow something The Hawaii Plan lists as part of her frugal plan. She uses 5 "hard to use" freezer or pantry items each month. Instead of using 5 each month, I am going to try and use 2 each week. It may or may not work, but at least I am attempting it.
Planned: (In no particular order)
1.Butter peas, okra, corn pudding, some sort of salad or coleslaw (or possibly just sliced tomatoes.)
2. July 4th dinner, ribs, coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans
3. Sandwiches TBD
4. Out to eat
5. Barbacola chicken, corn on the cob, tomato cucumber onion salad
6. Pesto chicken salad on mixed greens
7. Pasta with formaggio sauce, tossed salad
Laziness or lack of interest could change any part of, or the entire meal plan.
Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan or with no plan at all.
* The ribs were purchased already barbecued, and most likely the potato salad will be store bought. A bag of potatoes is too many for us, and buying 2 single potatoes costs almost as much as a container of potato salad from Publix.
Just because I have been on a blog sabbatical did not mean I should neglect the joys I find everyday. I decided I would keep a running list of them to post all at once when I decided to return to blogging. And, if for some reason, I decided to never return I would still have my list available to me for my annual rereading on New Year's Eve.
It's astounding, now June has flown by___time is fleeting!
Thursday June 1:* We had a late afternoon flight to Portland with a brief layover in Dallas. I was in a little panic because our flight from Birmingham was delayed about 30 minutes and we had a small window to make our connecting flight. Turned out to be no problem since it was delayed also. We made it to the hotel by about 1, hit the sack and slept well
Friday June 2:* Son1 met us at the hotel for breakfast then we went to Pips school to watch their Friday dance party ( outdoor recess with music, dancing optional) before checking her out for the rest of the afternoon. We talked a bit before she decided we would go to an udon restaurant. DIL1 and her mom joined us which was even better.
We went to their house to visit before going back to our hotel for some needed sleep.
Saturday June 3:* This was a day that made the entire trip worth it. We went to Pips dance recital and the grin on her face while her group was dancing was more than we could have hoped for.
Sunday, June 4: We were still in Portland and got to see Pip's first role in a play. She was the tin man in The Wizard of Oz. It was a lot of fun watching all the kids perform but of course we liked watching Pip best of all. After the play we went back to their house since we had already checked out of the hotel to enjoy a little more time with them before heading back on the red eye flight home.
Monday, June 5: We got back into town at 8:45 a.m, we unpacked, started a load of clothes, took showers to wash the airplane gradoo off of us then started our day. We were both tired but had things planned so naps had to wait. I met the participants of Independence Place at Scoops, an ice cream shop run by the participants of Unless U (another facility for special need adults). I was able to be with some of my favorite folks which did my soul so much good.
TheHub and I were both tired and had an early night. I can't remember the last time I was in bed by 10. TheHub was asleep by 8 though, because he had to be up for a 5:45 flight to Boston Tuesday morning.
Tuesday, June 6: I slept until about 7:30, got up and had a leisurely 3 cups of coffee before beginning my day. I had a few errands to run, a long phone conversation with Sluggy, then got ready for a dinner date with one of my friends.
We have known each other since our kids were in kindergarten, but lost touch when she moved to Nashville. She has since moved back to Birmingham and we vowed to do more things together. It felt so good to laugh with her.
Wednesday, June 7: I am starting this day's joy at technically 1:00 am. I had been listening to "The Girl With The Louding Voice" while I was painting the patio set and did not listen to it at all while I was in Portland. Because it was due to be returned in 3 days I decided I needed to finish it, so I got comfortable and was "read to" until about 4 am. Though I did really enjoy the story I had actually rather read than listen to an audio book. Lesson learned!
I finally slept a couple of hours before getting up to get some things in the house and outside done to be ready for Son1's visit in a few days.
On a sadder note my last living uncle passed away, but I was lucky to see him recently and he was so lively at that time.
Thursday, June 8: Finally the water in the pool was ready for swimming. We were late getting it opened this year so having it swimmable was delayed. We need to keep it covered from the fall leaf dump until after the springtime great pollenation.
It really takes 3 of us to take the cover off easily, and I had much rather do it the easy way than continually trying to pull it out of the water. Son2 is our go-to helper but with all that is going on at his house, it took a while for him to be able to be here. It really did not matter because the water was still a little cooler than I like for swimming.
I was also very glad TheHub was home from his Boston trip. I miss him when he is not here at night.
Friday, June 9: The day was uneventful but TheHub and I went out to eat at our favorite little local joint, The Electric. It is always somewhere we enjoy going.
Saturday, June 10: We woke and did a lot of early morning running around. We made it home in time to watch the last few innings of the Alabama baseball game. They lost but it was a good game.
Sunday, June 11: As much as I hate doing yard work our back yard looked so much better after a day of it. We finished by late afternoon, came in to get cleaned up when we got a text that DIL2's mom had passed. She fell asleep, and transitioned with the people she loved most around her.
I think Son2 and DIL2 needed to get out of their house after things settled at theirs, so they came over to ours for a few hours.
Monday, June 12: Other than talking to my beloved sister , Sluggy, and Sissie nothing outstanding happened, but all three of them always make me laugh. And we all know laughter makes every day wonderful.
Tuesday, June 13: It was just another day in paradise here, if paradise means storms and high winds. At least I did not have to cook (for no particular reason other than I just didn't) and we picked up a quick meal to eat at home.
Wednesday, June 14: TheHub, My Beloved Sister and I went to Huntsville for my uncle's funeral. It was a lovely and very personal service. He was an aeronautical engineer by profession, but his passion was "making sawdust". Everyone in the family was blessed with many items he crafted in his well loved workshop. Instead of a funeral spray on the casket, his family had a selections of things he had made along with screwdrivers, awls, clamps (hand made from walnut) and other woodworking accoutrements. One look at it and you could not help but think that it was U.B. personified.
Thursday, June 15: I was in a pissy mood for no good reason at all and continued until I got a much needed phone call from Sluggy. Nothing like a call with laughter to lighten a mood! Thank you Sluggy for the much needed lift.
Son3 and DIL3 drove from Nashville (how wonderful that they are just a 3 hour drive away now) and Son2 and DIL2 came over to see them and have dinner here. Thank you Costa's forhaving ziti for four on your take-out menu. (Which really feeds 6 with leftovers.)
Friday, June 16: After a morning filled with unexpected twists and turns Son3's family finally arrived in Birmingham following a hellacious flight from Portland to Atlanta and a cancelled flight to the coast.
We all know the airlines have no control over the weather, but communication (or lack thereof) is critical and where the airlines fail their customers. If they had been told it looked like their flight to Pensacola had been cancelled earlier than they were, I would have hopped in the car and driven to Atlanta to get them. At the least they could have slept in the car on the way here, then driven to the beach with the others early in the morning.
Instead they waited around ATL until the wee hours (when the airline finally told them their flight was officially cancelled), booked hotel room and caught a few hours of sleep until their midday flight here. (They were not going to be able to be rebooked to Pensacola until Saturday evening)
Fortunately Son3 and DIL3 waited for them to land, have lunch then deal with a luggage fiasco before they all left Whew! The miracles of modern day travel. 😑
Saturday, June 17: This was a bittersweet day. We went to DIL2's mom's funeral. It was a beautiful service on a very hot day, but we were so thankful it was not raining.
We got back to our house as about 5, left for the beach at about 5:30 pm and were on the interstate when we talked with Son2. When they got back to their house after the funeral they found their dog immobile. She was an old lady and they loved her enough to take her to the vet and let her go, but their hearts were doubly broken that day.
We finally made it to the beach by about 10 pm, tired, sad, but glad to be there.
Sunday, June 18: We were at the beach with part of our family. Nuff said!
Monday, June 19: The day started with heavy rains which turned into some pretty serious weather, with thunderstorms and tornado warning. Even so, a bad day at the beach is better than a good day at home.
Our beautiful niece drove form Daphne to our condo and we visited with her and her adorable son, then went out to eat a fantastic dinner at Louisiana Lagniappe. It was the perfect way to end the night, food, family and lots of laughs.
Tuesday, June 20: This was the day we were leaving for home. Of course after the bad weather we woke to a perfect day. The upside was the condo was on the 11th floor and you could see all the riptides while standing on the balcony. We would not have gotten in the gulf anyway.
Our trip home was uneventful other than TheHub being on a zoom meeting for about an hour and a half while I drove. At least he was muted so we could talk among us, and all of his communication with the meeting was via text.
We got home to a beautiful afternoon and Pip hit the pool almost immediately. She was almost as glad to see Son2 and DIL 2 as she was to swim.
One of our neighbors has a daughter close to Pip's age. They met last summer and stayed in contact through Facebook, so she had her over for an afternoon of swimming.
After some water play it was time for some serious steak grilling and a delayed Father's Day celebration.
And what would a celebration be without playing Son2's new game. It created some serious laughs.
Wednesday June 21: Son3 and Dil3 left early to go back to Nashville. They had some work related things they needed to do.
Swimming and reading were the main happenings for the day. M came over after Pip texted her, and they swam and played until dinnertime.
They had a short night time swim before Pip and M left to spend the night at her house. After all what could be better than a night with a friend and her guinean pig, Talullah.
Thursday June 22: More swimming, reading and general summertime laziness happened. Son1's family went out to eat with one of his long time friends who still lives in town, which gave TheHub and me a little break from family.
M came up after they returned and spent the night here. They had me up playing games until after midnight!
Friday June 23: Swimming, reading and general summertime laziness continued again. Son3 and DIL 3 drove back to Birmingham to visit a little more. Son2 and DIL2 also came to our house.
Friday night the temps were perfect for a weenie roast on the upper patio. Pip had never been to one before, so it was very nice to make a "first ever"memory with her. We cooked our hotdogs over an open fire, had a variation on traditional s'mores then had lots of conversations and music under the stars (or Edison lights) after the meal was over. It was a really nice night.
Saturday June 24: Son3 and DIL3 left to head back home to Nashville. This was the last day Son1's family would be here and they went to Lake Far-Away to see Son2's new house, then met us at The Dip for lunch. It is a deli that has been around forever and Son1 wanted Pip to experience a place he grew up going to.
When we got home they spent a good deal of time washing their dirty clothes and generally getting ready for their butt early flight Sunday morning.
Son2 and DIL2 came over and we had a pizza dinner along with a night swim for Pip and M.
Sunday June 25: TheHub and I woke at about 5:30. He planned on driving Son1's family to the airport and I planned on hugs and kisses and goodbyes before going back to sleep a little longer. As with most of the plans I make, it didn't happen.
Son1 came downstairs to tell us that their flight from BHM to ATL was cancelled and the next available flight would be at 11. Of course that would keep them from making their connecting flight in Atlanta. We all took 2 minute showers, dressed and we were on the road to the Atlanta airport. After dropping them off ( about 75 minutes before their flight), we turned around and starting the drive back to Birmingham. By the time we were about to Breman Georgia, we decided it was way past time for breakfast. Thank goodness for Cracker Barrel and their endless cup of coffee!
We made it home, watched some of the College World Series, then caught up on Justified before hitting the hay.
Monday June 26: I woke to a completely quiet house, started the first of many loads of laundry (towels, sheets, beach towels, etc.) had coffee, tried to be lazy but the damn laundry kept me hopping. Fortunately I mixed it up with a phone call to Sluggy, who always makes me laugh, even when she feels like crap.
Monday night TheHub answered the phone and it was Son3. They were planning to be back in town Friday night for a concert. Two of his classmates from school are in the band and they wanted to see them.
Fleet Foxes
They had the wrong date and told us they would be here Tuesday instead. What!?!
Tuesday June 27: We were supposed to have a meeting, but the guy we planned to meet was stuck in NYC. His early morning flight was canceled. Instead I did more laundry, made muffins from much too ripe bananas, and had a visit from My Beloved Sister and laughed. I think we laughed much beyond the legal limit for laughter, but it felt so good!
She had been gone about 10 minuted when Son3 and DIL3 pulled up. I am glad I knew they planned to come back so I had not washed the sheets on their bed. I just did not realize once everyone left there would only be one day between houseguests.
Wednesday June 28: This was one of those days when not a lot happened. Son3 and DIL3 left fairly early, I started another load of laundry then started reading.
Thursday June 29: Woo hoo, I went to the grocery store because toilet paper was on sale. After all the company I was running short of my usual hoard of it that fills my master bath room tub. I felt much better once I had enough to at least begin to restock my supply.
Friday June 30: This was an insanely hot day and I was thrilled the only errand I had to do was running to the bank. Using the drive through allowed me to go still wearing my shorts and flip-flops without scaring dogs or small children. Some days the tiny things bring the greatest joy.
Now I will be back to my weekly blog activities and will do this joy thing weekly instead of monthly. Look for your joys, they are alway out there!
May all your weeds be wildflowers.
Anne
* The first three days are from a prior joy list that had already been published. I just added them so the entire month would be complete.
