It's That Time Again

 

Bad Planning, Worse Attitude

I was definitely not on my cooking game last week. Between a couple of nights of the house being hot, and my general apathy we had some seriously lame meals. And to be honest I would be hard pressed to care less about what we ate than I did. This week I just need to adjust my attitude, dust my big girls pants, off and begin again.

What was supposed to happen in a perfect world with working a/c:

Whatever is in the fridge (not cooking for just me).

Sandwiches TBD 

Big salad meal (also TBD)

Grilled tuna steaks, coleslaw, rolls

White Bbq chicken, caulitato salad

Out to eat (I know there will be at least one night we go out) 

Something tossed on the grill (haven't looked through the freezer yet) salad, some side vegetable maybe

What did and did not happen:

Monday: TheHub came back from his event much earlier than I thought he would. He never saw the heavy hors- d'oeuvres there and had not eaten. I had eaten nothing either, plus the a/c was on the fritz and I was not about to heat up the kitchen. Instead we did some take out.

Zaxby's : Split a 6 piece plate with 2 coleslaws instead of fries

Tuesday: The a/c worked then quit working but it was still cool enough to eat a quick meal. I only had to use one burner on the stove ,we used very little meat on our salads, so the cooking time was minimal.

Taco salad

Wednesday: The House was hot and I was not cooking.

Bluff Park Diner: Turkey and dressing*, brussels sprouts

Thursday: I the house was cool enough to cook, but I did not really want to cook much.

Lady peas, squash casserole, sliced cucumbers

Friday: Son3 and DIL3 came to spend the night. This is when having a stocked freezer serves us best, especially since Son3 agreed to man the grill.

Steaks, mashed potatoes, tossed salad, chocolate cake (Store bought because it is still too hot to bake even with a/c.

Saturday: DIL3 and Son3 left, so we decided to have leftovers for dinner. Luckily the 2 steaks from Costco that we grilled were large enough to feed 4 people one night and 2 the next night.

Steak, salad

Sunday: After a long time watching the FedEx golf tournament TheHub declared what he wanted for dinner. I was more than happy to oblige.

Hot dogs with fixings, baked beans

What's up? Hmmmm this is only a suggestion at best

1. Pork chops, sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, toast

2. Baked potatoes with toppings

3. Peas, okra, sliced tomatoes, cornbread

4. Grilled tuna steaks, potatoes, tossed salad, rolls

5. Big salad meal TBD

6. Sandwich, coleslaw TBD

7. Out to eat

*The dressing at Bluff Park Diner seriously sucks! Who in their right mind would even think of making a savory dish with sweet cornbread. Sweet cornbread violates every thing that is holy. Surely the new owners are not originally from the south!

“Let’s just say that one day your grandchildren will be eating cornbread that’s sweet and drinking iced tea that ain’t, and they’ll think that’s a southern tradition.” - The Accountant, short film from 2001

Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.

Joys for the week

My oh my, this past week was a scorcher! It was too hot to do almost anything outdoors. Even the pool is too warm to be enjoyable.

Even so there were good things that happened, along with some not so good. I do try my best to see the upside, but with my black heart it does not always happen. Still I try!

I honestly and truly listen to this version of this song every morning

Sunday: We woke and went to church, then met friends at a sandwich shop for lunch. After that is was home to watch the last day of the 2nd round of the FedEx tournament, followed by some reading.

Monday: Uneventful day that was gorgeous until the a/c stopped working. Then it became less than stellar and my mood changed considerably. Sleeping with the fan going and no top sheet was bearable, so that was a pleasant surprise

Tuesday: The a/c guy came at 7 a.m. and it was blowing cool air for a bit, then stopped. The house was getting really hot after we ate, so we decided to go to a place I have never been before, Yogurt Mountain. It was an interesting concept and the end results of building my yogurt concoction was very good, but I don't have to go back again. Sometimes just the experience is enough. 

On the drive home we were rewarded with the most gorgeous evening. The sky had a remnant of blue color with what looked like pink cotton candy clouds covering the western sky.

And for the final joy, when we got home we turned the a/c back on just to check and in about ten minutes it was blowing cold air. 

Wednesday: I woke to blissfully cool air, did a few things around the house, then got ready to go to my happy place. I love volunteering at Independence Place. Just being there and interacting with the participants is such a joy for me. This was the 4th time to do my part with the living skills section they have implemented. Since I am a pretty good cook that is what they asked me to do and because we are doing it as a group I had asked them what they wanted to learn to make. I was very surprised to hear "cucumber salad" but thought that would be a great summertime learning experience.

Before I started, I bought several pieces of equipment for them to use that are a safer alternative to what I use in my personal kitchen. One of them was a small mandolin, but then I decided they needed additional protection so I bought a chain mail glove. This was one of my best decisions ever. A couple of the participants have some dexterity issues and wearing the glove prevented potential injuries. I don't necessarily do the smartest things all the time, but this was a really wise choice, and now it lives in my IP cooking tote.

I came home all happy from being with them and walked into a house that was HOT___AGAIN.

Nothing like having the a/c die again on the hottest day of the year.

Thursday: Dave, the a/c guy was here at 7:00 and worked off and on in the extreme heat until about 2. He at least had times going to get parts or waiting for things to be delivered, so he was not in the sun the entire time. By 2 pm I had a new compre$$or, and the house started cooling. Though I am not looking forward to the bill, price is only an issue in the absence of value, and we do value sleeping in comfort and having cooler air for the house. So the joys are that it is fixed and that we do keep a nest egg for unexpected expenses. (The nest egg lesson was learned decades ago after seeing how disruptive to everyday living not having one is.) 

Friday: I woke to a blissfully cool, non humid house and could drink coffee in comfort rather than drinking it while extremely hot! (And yes, I will drink coffee in a house with no a/c, but I won't be happy about it)

Son3 and DIL3 drove down to have a pool day then to spend the night. In addition to having them here we kept Reesey for Son2 and DIL2 who went to a concert in Huntsville but did not want to have her crated all night. In addition to being a former pack dog, she is still a puppy and has not yet learned to leave things (like glasses/remotes, shoes, towels. etc.) alone. 

If I am being completely honest, I would steal her from them in an eye blink. She is the sweetest dog I have ever seen, but you do have to keep eyes on her all the time. She does not yet recognize her name and is selectively learning commands, but she has learned "sit" and "leave it". Sit she associates with food and she hears leave it all the time since she is continually on the lookout for any object to play with (destroy) enhance her day.

Saturday: DIL3 mentioned she had never been to a breakfast restaurant in town and we have one fairly near to our home. We all went to The Ranch House for breakfast (my least favorite meal).  They are all breakfast eaters and loved it. I ate some of mine than gladly shared the remainder with the table.

Because of their visit, I missed the family reunion, but honestly I was not planning on going because it was so blooming hot.

After they left to head back to Nashville, I did a little (very little) household chores then read.

TheHub and I ended the night watching the documentary "Muscle Shoals". It is about extremely successful recording studios in the most unlikely place in the U.S. If you are interested it is streaming on Peacock.

Have a great week looking for your small joys. They are alway out there!

May all your weeds be wildflowers,

Anne

Ho Hum Dinners

This past week I was just not feeling it at all. I did not care what, or even if, we ate. Some weeks especially in the later parts of summer I get like that. I've got nothing.

What I thought might happen:

1. Grilled steak, tossed salad

2. White bbq chicken, cauliflower chopped salad

3. Veggie dinner TBD

4. Out to eat

5. Grilled tuna steaks, coleslaw, dinner rolls

6. Big salad meal TBD

7. Monte Christo sandwich, coleslaw

What we really ate:

Monday: I had a squash in the refrigerator and peas in the freezer. 'Nuff said.

Squash casserole, lady peas, coleslaw

Tuesday: I had originally planned on Monte Christo sandwiches but in the end I took an easier way out.

Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches

Wednesday: We went to a local meat and three restaurant for a veggie dinner

Out to eat at Fried Green Tomatoes

Thursday: A quick look in the freezer and some ripe peaches on the counter set the tone for dinner.

Grilled steak, tossed salad, peach cobbler

Friday:  What can I say. It was the beginning of the weekend

Half Shell Oyster House: Pecan crusted redfish (me) Seafood pot pie (TheHub)

Saturday: Who keeps cooked bacon in the freezer at all times and who got lazy?

BLT's

Sunday: We bought triple tail at our local seafood market to have Saturday and moved it to Sunday instead. The fish was a new one to us and tastes like a cross between snapper and grouper. 

Broiled triple tail, cucumber tomato onion salad.

What might be up this week for dinner

The Hub has a meeting one night this week, and I am not sure if we will be doing the Wednesday night out to eat or not this week. I am planning for "not" but who knows? Maybe we will just ride up to the crest to watch the sun go down either before or after we eat. Since I did not make them last week I am moving a couple of the previous week's plans to this week. It might happen or they may live in the freezer for another week

1. Whatever is in the fridge (not cooking for just me).

2. Sandwiches TBD 

3. Big salad meal (also TBD)

4. Grilled tuna steaks, coleslaw, rolls

5. White Bbq chicken, caulitato salad

6. Out to eat (I know there will be at least one night we go out)

7. Something tossed on the grill (haven't looked through the freezer yet) salad, some side vegetable maybe

Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan or with no plan at all.

Joys and a Gripe

This week was a good week. Not a lot was going on but it was still an enjoyable week. My only beef is the issues I am having with blogger. One again I do not seem to be able to respond to most blogs. Sorry and bummer!

Amazingly, at one time there was this remarkable invention that let us communicate with each other almost immediately

Simpler Times!

Sunday: We started the morning with church, went out to eat, then came home to watch the Fed Ex golf tournament or read.

Monday: I got to volunteer at my happy Place. This week the participants of Independence Place learned to make, and enjoyed eating Sloppy Joe's

Tuesday: Reading, reading, reading and a surprise delivery. Someone we do business with had a box of peaches sent to our house. Thanks Scott and all. 

Wednesday: Talked with and laughed with Sluggy . I had to apologize for transferring my fear of tight spaces to her right before her MRI. TheHub has decided he wants to do something Wednesday evenings to break up the week. This week he wanted to go out to eat, so we did.

Thursday The day was drop dead gorgeous day 

Friday: TheHub got home very early so we took off, ran a couple of errands then went out to eat insanely early. 

Saturday: We did our usual running around in the morning and were home to watch golf. Instead we had a wonderful visit from DIL2, Son2 and their new dog Ressie. She is a mixed breed who was a member of a wandering pack. She is still quite young and had not developed aggressive tendencies. Instead she is a loving dog and we were thrilled to meet her.

;

Can't Really Go Wrong If It's Not Much Of A Plan

This was a week that had little to be planned. TheHub had a couple of procedures that drastically limited what or when he could eat, so much of it was a minimal and rather bland plan. The upside was there was very little to cook which was not all bad. 

                           These two things actually did make it on our plates this week

What I thought might happen:

Lady peas, okra, squash casserole, cornbread

Meatloaf, sautéed mushrooms, mashed potatoes

Mac and cheese, cooked carrots, vanilla pudding 

Jello, tea or apple juice

Take out 

Something grilled,  tossed salad 

P F Chang_ish lettuce wraps

What actually did happen:

Monday: We had been to the produce stand over the weekend and had all the ingredients for a veggie night on hand.

Peas, okra, sliced tomatoes, cornbread, sugar free chocolate pudding

Tuesday: This was the beginning of a two day ultra low fiber diet.

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, gravy

Wednesday: Day 2 of the low fiber diet

Mac and cheese, cooked carrots

Thursday: TheHub had to be on a liquid diet for the day. There was no way I was going to let him do it and watch me eat, so we both had the same thing.

Lemon s.f. jello, iced tea. 

Friday: By nighttime TheHub was feeling like eating more than just a bowl of soup, so we indulged in a bit of takeout (his choice) 

Jacks Chicken dinner, coleslaw and green beans

Saturday: When we were out running around we decided to stop at Snapper Grabber. TheHub wanted to get some steamed shrimp for his lunch. We got the shrimp but also noticed the grouper was gorgeous.

Broiled grouper, tossed salad, potato salad, rolls (yes I know it was weird to have the potato salad but I had already made it for dinner before we bought the fish)

Sunday: I love a day when dinner plans itself

Leftover grouper, leftover steamed shrimp, baked potato, coleslaw, dinner rolls

What might happen this week: (As usual this is subject to the attitude and mood of the cook)

1. Grilled steak, tossed salad

2. White bbq chicken, cauliflower chopped salad

3. Veggie dinner TBD

4. Out to eat

5. Grilled tuna steaks, coleslaw, dinner rolls

6. Big salad meal TBD

7. Monte Christo sandwich, coleslaw

Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.

It's August and It's Hot

There is just nothing else to say. High temps with pop up thunderstorms do nothing to cool the situation down. Hot just becomes hot and steamy. The solution? Limit where you have to go, drink lots of water, wear tanks tops, shorts and flip flops,  and rely on the a/c.  I do have my back up plan in case of a power failure___battery operated fans!

Sunday: We woke and went to Sunday school and walked into a totally empty, dark room.  Our teacher for the day was sick and couldn't make it. (Turned out he had Covid so I am glad he stayed at home) Instead we went to Costco (never again on a weekend) then came home and either read or watched the golf tournament. I will leave it to y'alls imaginations about which of us did what.

Monday: This was a general house tidying day including mountains of laundry. We had a fierce morning storm then it rained all day. There is a unique beauty watching lightning, though I prefer watching it from a distance rather than the crackling and booming right overhead like it did Monday. I was supposed to meet with the architect later in the afternoon but he had to reschedule.

Tuesday: It was a regular day but took a turn for the better when I talked with Sluggy. 

I also had great news that cousin S was released from the hospital and was back at home.

Wednesday: Got some tasks taken care of, then was able to read for a while before meeting with the architect. He is a nice guy who really did listen to what I/we want. Now I have to pick out all the details and materials that will go into the remodel. Finished The All True Adventures of Tanner and Louise. I love a book that leads me in one direction then takes a left turn along the way.

Thursday: Had a long telephone conversation with Son1. We had not talked like that is a long time and it was a fun walk down memory lane. 

A bonus joy was a phone call to TheHub. The medical group he was going to Friday had a morning cancellation and they could take him at 7 rather than his 1:30 scheduled appointment. That would make the night and next morning so much easier so much easier for him.

Friday: Took TheHub for an early morning appointment. (Butt early for me__I am never dressed, made up and physically anywhere at 6 a.m.but I was Friday) The real joy was a pretty good result. Things looked good  the suspected ulcer was not there.

We were back at our house shortly after 8 and he was able to sleep while I did quiet house things. The remainder of the day he sat up and watched a golf tournament. It was kind of nice to have something to occupy him while he rested.

Saturday: I slept late and it felt wonderful. It is not something I do very often but I guess I really needed it.

As soon as I woke TheHub wanted to know if I was going to go with him while he ran is errands. I threw on some clothes, drank a quick cup of coffee and off we ran.  

Ugh, the minute we opened the front door we were greeted with something that felt like we were moving through a Turkish steam bath*. Gills would have been a handy body part since it felt like we were breathing liquid air.

*For the record I have never been in a Turkish steam bath and have no idea how hot they actually are, but I can't imagine humans willingly steaming in a bath that is any hotter or more humid than it has been here lately. Right now as soon as it rains and clears off you can not just see the steam rising off the pavement but it is rising off of every surface outside (rooftops, trees, cars, lawns, etc.)

Dinner Blahs

There has been nothing exciting about last weeks meals, but it was a pretty easy week of cooking/not cooking. In fact other than to get the freebies at The Pig I did not go to the grocery store this past week. If you are using stuff on hand you don't need to go to the store anyway.  

But if I saw something like this____

                                                                       _____ I might be more inclined to go.

Here's last week's original plan:

1.Squash casserole, pink eyed peas, sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, peach cobbler

2. Turkey reuben, coleslaw

3. PF Chang-ish lettuce wraps

4. TheHub has a dinner meeting so leftovers for me

5. Chicken salad on greens

6. Out to eat

7. Salad dinner or something cooked on the grill (TBD based on weather and/or mood)

Here's the updated and amended version of said plan:

Monday:  I had promised TheHub a summer vegetable dinner (his favorite summertime meal)

Squash casserole, lady peas, cucumber slices, tomato slices, peach cobbler

Tuesday: TheHub had a business dinner, so I hit the fridge for leftovers

Squash casserole, sliced cucumber

Wednesday: Time for a mostly cold food meal

Chicken salad on lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes, green beans

Thursday: This was a use things that were lingering in the refrigerator kind of night, like sliced turkey and half a jar of saurkraut.

Turkey reuben sandwiches, coleslaw, chips

Friday: The rains went away by early afternoon, but the skies remained cloudy so the day was never uncomfortably hot. It was fine weather for throwing something on the grill.

Hamburger with all the fixings, green beans

Saturday: We decided rather than go out to eat we would just do takeout. I am glad we went because they posted on Facebook they had a family emergency in Thailand and will be closed for an unknown amount of time.

Blue Pacific: Shrimp pad Thai or Laap

Sunday: We took a quick trip to Costco (Someone shoot me if I ever go on a weekend again). One of their loss leaders became the star of our dinner

Rotisserie chicken, rice with gravy, brussels sprouts

This weeks menu includes some restricted meals for a procedure prep

1. Lady peas, okra, squash casserole, cornbread

2. Meatloaf, sautéed mushrooms, mashed potatoes

3. Mac and cheese, cooked carrots, vanilla pudding

4. Jello, tea or apple juice

5. Take out

6. Something grilled,  tossed salad

7. P F Chang_ish lettuce wraps

Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.

Wow It's August

I am not sure what I have been doing but all of the sudden I realized we are in the bottom half of the year.  2023 you are moving too fast, please slow down a little.

Sunday: I had a mostly calm and restful day that was made so much better with a call from Sluggy. We had been texting back and forth but my slightly arthritic fingers really did appreciate the call. It is much easier for me to be on the phone than to type. Plus I laugh more during a conversation. 

Monday: The day was hot, sticky and I really did not want to get out in the weather at all, but Monday was the day for double freebies  (or almost freebies) at The Pig. I will only grab the free items if there are sales that make the $10 minimum purchase worth going to get whatever the free items are. This week they had chicken quarters for .59 a lb. in 10 lb. lots.  I had already decided to grab 20 pounds, but they only had 2 packages left, so I just took one to save it for another shopper. They had a good deal on potatoes, and a brand of ice cream that has a flavor TheHub loves that I don't like. Perfect! Dessert for him and no temptation for me and I spent the required amount to get The Pig's brand of vanilla ice cream  and a box of instant grits.

And yes I am aware I got two containers of ice cream, but one was the weekly free item and was/ will be used to top fruit cobblers (which is also a safe dessert for me since I do not like cooked fruits in any way shaper or form)

Tuesday: Humidity was down so the hot day was just hot, not sweltering. I enjoyed twilight,  my favorite time of day on the screened porch. It was a beautiful twilight, perfectly calm with crickets and katydids singing their little hearts out.

Fairly late at night I had a surprise phone call from my dearest cousin S. She has been in ICU for most of the week, and I had only been keeping up with her via test from her husband and her sister, M. I was beyond thrilled to talk with her and even more thrilled at how good she sounded.

Wednesday: The biggest joy was getting 10 pounds of chicken quarters processed. There was enough chicken for 4 dinner meals (for 2)  plus 4 quarts of broth. I felt pretty good about it, and my freezer loved it. (Though I think it might be time to open the electric pressure canner I bought well over a year ago and can the bloomin' broth)

Thursday: Talked with Sluggy! 

Did a huge house clean up (my least favorite thing in the world to do, but wow the house looks better)

I was waiting for an architect who is to draw up plans for the master bath.  We are not adding one, just taking the existing one down to the studs, requiring permitting, thus an architect. He had to be rescheduled. TheHub had something come up at work and could not be here with me to meet him. 

I am perfectly capable of talking to him by myself, but I want to make sure TheHub and I are both on the same page about the new layout. Plus we are undecided about where the new tub (AKA toilet paper storage container) should go and want us both to hear the architects suggestions. I had just as soon have nothing but a huge shower, but we are looking at selling in a few years and want to have one in place for those who take baths.

Friday: I woke to a clean house and thunderstorms. If that was not a message from the universe to read all day (other than necessary daily home management) I don't know what was. I read The Measure by Nikki Erlick. I can't say the book was a fun read, but it was one to definitely make me think, and I am glad I read it. I was also glad when I finished it so I could move on to a much lighter book and dove into The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise. I was less than a quarter of the way through it when I fell asleep, so the jury is still out whether I like it or not. 

Saturday: Woke to a beautiful morning and it was cool enough to have coffee on the screened porch  Win!!!

After coffee we ate breakfast then took off for our Saturday rounds. 

We go to the produce stand each Saturday but this time we had a longer than normal conversation one of the owners. He told us he dropped out of school after the 6th grade to work full time on the family farm. I did not think on my feet fast enough to let him know how much those of us who do not farm appreciate his chosen profession. I definitely will next Saturday, meanwhile one of my joys is knowing a family whose livelihood is dedicated to providing food for others. I am very thankful I can support their hard work and benefit from it in such a delicious way. 

Look for joys. They are always out there.

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

Meat My New Obsession (Vegans Beware)

I have a Costco card, good knives, freezer space, and enough time on my hands to try some of the tips these guys offer