The heat is still with us. The humidity, too. But the weather guy tells us that cooler temps will visit us by the end of the week. They will be welcome! But I suppose if we were having weather like Rev. Paul is seeing in Alaska, we would be complaining about that, too. :)
I did manage last week to get some ham and bean soup canned. I did a cannerful of quarts, being seven of them. One jar didn't seal so I had lunches of bean soup for a couple of days. Two jars broke in the canner. I'm not sure why. Sometimes jars just break. Sometimes a scratch in the glass can turn into a break under pressure. And sometimes jars will break if the canner is heated too quickly. I'm thinking the latter operator error might have been the cause. At any rate, I put four more quarts of ready-to-eat food on the shelf, so it wasn't a total loss.
Today is not a high energy day. Even when I am indoors the humidity seems to bother my breathing some. The nebulizer helps more than I ever thought it would. My youngest son gave it to me so I didn't have to go buy one. He had it for one of his kids when they were younger. It is shaped like a penguin. It makes me smile. Takes about 20 minutes to use up the medicine that helps open my airway. I keep my Kindle alongside my penguin and indulge in a bit of reading while I wait for the process to complete. Right now I am in the middle of a mystery that has not one, but two murders to solve. I just love a good who-done-it. :)
So today I am just puttering around, doing little chores that require little energy output. Fall is nearly upon us, so it is time to make a batch of hot chocolate mix. I dearly love a cup of cocoa in the cool of an evening. Usually I use that universal recipe calling for Nestle's Quick, but this time I am using the following recipe that tastes like the cocoa Mother used to make with milk, cocoa powder and sugar, heated on the stove.
HOT COCOA MIX
5 cups nonfat dry powdered milk
3 cups powdered sugar (more or less according to your taste)
1 1/2 cups dry cocoa
1 cup nondairy coffee creamer
pinch of salt
Mix powdered milk, creamer, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Sift in cocoa and powdered sugar. Mix well. Store in a airtight container.
When ready to use, add approximately 1/3 cup to a mug of boiling water. Stir until cool enough to drink.
You might want to try some of these variations. The recipe is very flexible.
* crushed peppermint sticks
* cinnamon
* malted milk powder
I found this recipe at 'katz kradle' YouTube channel. It has been several months since she posted anything, but she has a wealth of information on preparedness, recipes, etc.
Looks like there may be a thunderstorm or two headed my way. The weather reporters always make it sound like the storm of the century is headed directly for us. I will be happy if we get a little rain. We need it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
We have heat and humidity here again, too. The worst is only supposed to last about 3 days. I hope they're right. Don't overdo it.
ReplyDeleteGorges...I'm hoping the cool weather lasts more than a day or two - for both of us. I am behaving, tough though it is to do so. :)
DeleteHi Vicki, I will send some of our cool weather your way! I like that cocoa mix idea...especially with crushed peppermint sticks!!
ReplyDeleteJenn...I was hoping somebody would take pity and share their cool air with us. :)
DeleteI haven't tried the crushed peppermint although I have been known to stir hot chocolate with a candy cane. I usually dump in a jar of malted milk powder.
Felt like Fall this morning when I walked MrDog. I had to wear a sweatshirt, first time all summer.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe, can't wait to make some. Good for you to get some canning done. All my projects these days seem to be 'small' ones --do something for 15 minutes then rest.
What's the mystery? I'm always looking for new authors. I made my way through all of Sue Grafton's mysteries this summer. I'm reading John Grisham right now.
Cheers, SJ
SJ...I haven't even thought about digging out the sweatshirts yet. I'll bet Mr. Dog is liking the cooler air.
DeleteI still have peas and applesauce to can, but am waiting for cool and less humid. Maybe this weekend...
I don't remember off-hand the name of the book. I downloaded a whole slew of books from the Gutenberg Project website. They are all books where the copyrights have expired so they are from the 1920's - 1930's and older. The best part is they are free and I just load them on my Kindle. I probably have several hundred books - enough to last my lifetime and beyond. :)
IMO, I don't think you could ever have too many books on hand.
DeleteIt's raining again today. Yea!
I had a dentist appointment yesterday to prep a new crown. Maintenance, right? Will be curled up most of the day reading.
Cheers, SJ
SJ...You are right. One can never have too many books. That's one reason I love my Kindle. I can load up on books without needing to worry about finding shelf space for them.
DeleteSeems the older we get (speaking for myself, of course) the more it takes to keep us up and running! I wonder how folks who don't like to read manage down time. I can't remember a time when I didn't have a book close by.
I've had a Kobo eReader and I could, in theory, load books on my iPad. My iPad is going on 5 yrs old and doesn't have a lot of available memory. I did put some classics on it and the Bible so even there I have reading material.
DeleteBut I really enjoy reading a book.I'm fortunate in that I have quite a few bookshelves here in this apartment.
On a sadder note, MrDog's gut issues resurfaced last night. Will try to get a refill on the prescription today but will probably have to take him into the vet. Keep me in your prayers please.
SJ
SJ...Given a choice, I prefer a paper book. But as long as I have no place to store as many books as I would like, the Kindle is a good choice for me. I just can not imagine a world without books, no matter the form.
DeleteI am so very sorry to hear that Mr Dog is having health issues again. The poor boy....and poor you. It is so hard when they are sick. We just want them to be healthy and happy. Of course I am praying for him and for you, my friend. Please let me know how things are going.
The littlest change in my routine just wipes me out. We got into the vet clinic yesterday. More meds and I chose to run some labs. We're closing in on the problem. And my/his regular vet returns next week from vacation. He slept through the night and ate his breakfast with gusto this morning. Improvement from the day before.
DeleteThanks so much for your support.
SJ
SJ...I completely understand the changes in routine wiping a person out. Especially when there is stress along with the changes.
DeleteGlad you were able to get Mr. Dog to the vet and that he was improved this morning. I miss my own dogs so much that I tend to enjoy hearing about others. And worrying about others. :) I know you are giving him the best care possible, but don't forget to take good care of yourself. Prayers continue.
I thought you went and played mini golf at first. I have no energy too. It rained here a bit ago, and its ugly outside dew point 75ish. Leaves are turning yellow and falling off. Bloomed too early?? not sure. stay comfortable. oh youngest has her DL now. I really feel you know what..;)
ReplyDeleteRob...Ha! Haven't played mini golf since I was a kid. Was fun, though. Here in Shakopee it doesn't look like leaves are turning yet. But some of the little trees the city planted several years ago, like the one in front of my building, are looking mostly dead from lack of water. I hope they survive.
DeleteI think Youngest Son might have been feeling the same way when his oldest got her DL. But now he finds that because she can drive, he doesn't have to do so much running around with kids. It all works out. :)
We are having the same weather right now - hot and humid. Ugh. I was canning today even though it's very hot out.
ReplyDeleteKristina...I think most folks are suffering with the heat just now. You are a brave soul to do some canning when it is so hot. I guess I am spoiled. I will wait. Although, come to think of it, I used to can all summer with no air conditioning. Must have been tougher then. Or younger. :)
Deletehusband loves the old mysteries.
ReplyDeletewhat amazes me is how fr we have come. was reading a fr. brown and they found a body.
was a long time to find a telephone and then took the bobby an hour to get there on his bicycle!
owner of phone said they were just about to turn off the phone for winter. was a tourist hotel and no business in winter, so why pay for phone.
i'm glad the police can get here in less than 5 minutes. if we waited an hour there might be tragedy.
thanks for recipe. i buy mix, too expensive anddoesn't agree with me and was going to give it p. will try yours and maybe, voila, an inexpensive cocoa mix that is not so chemically.
deborah...I love those old mysteries, too. I love your description of the lifestyle in the Father Brown mysteries. The bobbies on bicycles and the thing with telephones is so true. I enjoy Agatha Christie as well, along with many others. When I found that many of the old mysteries had been adapted for mostly British television, I began sometimes watching them on my computer of an evening. They are such a nice place to be compared to our frantic lifestyle today.
DeleteIf you like the old fashioned cocoa like Mother used to make, you will like this mix. It isn't like the Swiss Miss types we have become accustomed to. Maybe that's why I like it.
i always thought georgette heyer wrote soppy romances, judging her books by their covers, but my husband got
ReplyDelete'behold, here's poison'
from the library.
the character of randall matthews is drawn so well, it will amuse you.
copyright 1936
deborah...I checked online for downloadable Heyer books. Most were romances (I have an aversion to prince charming/torn bodice novels) but found an audio book of Heyer's - "The Black Moth." I will listen to it later when I settle in for an evening of crochet. I have several projects going at the moment, but will search more for her mysteries later. Thanks for the recommendation.
Deletei hate bodice rippers. some of them are written for illiterates; no background, no research, no character development.
ReplyDeletethe cover art for 'behold, here's poison' bears no relation to the content.
i do judge books by the cover, who has time to wade through a lot of dross to find a decent book?