Friday, February 22, 2019

This and That

It is one of those days where there are several minor chores to accomplish before the weekend.  I like my weekends free to crochet or sew or indulge in other hobbies, so I try to get things done before.

We had 8 - 9 inches of snow and more is on the way for Saturday.  Youngest Son just called me.  He said he has been telling the snow removal crews he manages that he already knows how to shovel snow and doesn't need the practice.  But he has shoveled snow this week anyway.  I asked him if I could stop praying for snow now, and he said absolutely not.  His youngest needs braces on his teeth, so David says he needs all the hours he can get!!

Have you ever had something happen that set your antenna to vibrating?  Just a little thing.  My landlord hired a handyman who fixed my kitchen lights.  The next day he came knocking on my door, asking if I needed help with things like taking out the trash or moving heavy furniture.  I declined the offer.  When I mentioned it to David, he thought I should call my landlord about it.  I decided to give the guy the benefit of the doubt.  He might just be a kind hearted soul trying to help an old lady.  Or not.  I don't know.  This is where being protected is important.  So many politicians are working overtime to take away our Second Amendment rights.

Right now it is legal for one person to sell another person a gun without having to obtain a permit to buy firearms.  Either a permit from the sheriff's office or a conceal-carry permit are required to purchase from a store.  Our state legislature is looking to change that so even sales between individuals would be unlawful without permits.  I have also heard rumors that they want to limit the amount of ammunition a person can buy.  Of course, this just makes it harder for honest citizens to protect themselves.  The criminals don't care.  If they followed the laws, they wouldn't be criminals.

I had dehydrated lots of bell peppers and celery, but found the skins on the peppers and the celery both remained tough when re-hydrated.  So I used my little electric coffee grinder and ground them all into powder, along with some dried tomatoes.  I am finding I like being able to add the powder to my cooking for the flavor, without having the tough bits in the dish.  I may make powders from other vegetables for that reason.

This afternoon I am to be pampered.  My home health care nurse is going to give me a pedicure.  I have never had a pedicure.  I have always trimmed my own toenails until recently when arthritis made it difficult to bend enough to reach my toes.  I think it will be nice to gt rid of these gnarly looking nails.  I swear, if God wanted me to touch my toes, he would have put them on my knees.  :)

I am in the middle of making out my grocery order for Monday.  So far I have listed a bunch of vegetables, both fresh and frozen, to use in making vegetable soup to can.  I only have a couple of quarts left on my shelves.  It is good as a soup or, when canned beef cubes are added, makes a great vegetable beef soup.  Last night I heated up some and added beef cubes and a couple of packets of beef gravy mix.  That made a delicious beef stew that was easy, quick and required little attention from me other than a quick stir now and then.  It was wonderful with a slice of fresh, homemade bread.  Duane thought so, too, as he went home with a big bowl of the stew and some bread.

And now I am off to the kitchen.  Chocolate chip cookies have been promised to kids, so I had better get busy.  These snow days seem to bring out the Suzy Homemaker in me.  They aren't much good for anything else.  :)

14 comments:

  1. As you know, gun control has NEVER been about crime. It's always been about controlling the "proletariat."

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    1. What astounds me, Gorges, is that 'our betters' actually believe that should laws be passed requiring citizens to turn in their guns, we would just quietly comply. That's sort of like believing that mountain lion in the woods is really just a sweet little kitty cat.

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  2. If I've learned anything in my 60+ years, it't to listen to that little voice saying something isn't quite right. Glad you're getting some protection.

    I slipped and slid a bit to the store this morning. Very glad for my snow tires and getting that chore done - the sales were just too good to pass up. The pork sirloin is in the Instant Pot as I type. I cook up a family pack with just basic seasonings and diced tomatoes, then freeze in dinner size portions. Yum. Works for me.

    The snow prediction was a little low; they just upped the amount according to the tv. Chocolate chip cookies sound like a great plan for the day. Cheers, SJ

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    1. SJ...I don't know what his intentions were, but it just made me uneasy.
      I may have to try your method of cooking meals ahead. Sure would make cooking dinner a breeze!
      I haven't heard any more about our upcoming storm. Guess I will find out tomorrow. A quiet weekend is planned, no matter how much snow we get. Kindle and green fuzzy blanket are ready. :)

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    2. Good that you were paying attention to your feelings about the guy.
      About my cooking ahead. It's only the main dish/protein and then just enough for 2-3 dinners. This family pack of pork is one thing that breaks my usual routine. It's enough for 5-6 dinners or meals. I also use the cooking broth to make beans from scratch. This time it's pinto beans. They're soaking now and I'll cook them tomorrow.
      SJ

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    3. SJ...There have been a couple of times over the years when that little voice in the back of my head has saved me from disaster. I listen to it, even if on the surface there appears to be no problem. I have no idea if this guy just wanted to be helpful, or if he thought maybe he could earn a few extra dollars helping me with chores or if he had something bad in mind. But it just didn't feel right to me. I haven't seen him since.

      I like buying those family packs of meat when they are on sale. Usually I just divide the pieces and freeze them, but cooking them and then freezing sounds like a better way to go. I will do that next time. Your mentioning the beans reminded me that I haven't made a pot of pork and beans for the longest time. I have to put that on my to-do list. :)

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    4. For me, freezing the meat uncooked just didn't work. I'd almost always chose something else and then end up with meat that was freezer burned and lost in the depths or corners of the freezer.
      Last night, I portioned out the pork, topped it with BBQ sauce and warmed it in the microwave. Quick, easy and yummy.
      Right now the pinto beans I soaked overnight are cooking in the instant pot. I'm using the leftover broth and bits from cooking the pork and some seasonings.
      I was supposed to take MrDog in to get his nails done but it was snowing, again, and I called to cancel the appointment. It will be a slow day at home. I'm on my last Susan Wittig Albert mystery about Beatrice Potter. If I get tired of reading, I'll watch the PBS show Sherlock on dvd. Sounds like a cozy day, right?
      Cheers, SJ

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    5. SJ...Just the other day I took a pork chop out of the freezer only to find it freezer burned. Same with package of chicken drumsticks. I am definitely going to try your method of doing the cooking ahead and then freezing. I tried freezing complete meals, but wasn't completely satisfied with that, either. Your method is the best solution I have heard of so far. Maybe if I don't get carried away with too much in the freezer but just make enough for the two weeks between grocery orders, I think that will work.

      I like your cozy day. This evening I am waiting for the next snowstorm to hit. Radar says it is on our doorstep. I'm having a lazy day. A bit of reading, a bit of napping, a bit of computer research, mostly looking for ideas on how to use all the scrap fabric I have left over from quilts. It was nice to just do mostly nothing. :)

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  3. Oh boy (can I say that?-LOL), what did we do to deserve another whipping from Mother Nature? Yup, we are right in the bull's eye for an ice storm, a foot of snow, and blizzard conditions. Brownies are baked and gallon jugs of water filled for "flushing" in the event we lose power. We are good to go...sorry for the silly pun.

    You may remember that we had two dope heads try to break into our home last summer. Husband confronted them and fortunately they backed off. We are prepared to protect ourselves and our property with force if necessary. I am glad you are listening to your "little voice" and capable of doing the same.

    Take care and have a great weekend...CW

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    1. "Oh boy," I just don't know. Some deranged feminist somewhere would likely have your head on a plate for using a term that is gender specific. :) Good Lord, are we ever going to be done with all of this kind of foolishness? Oops! Now I have ticked off the atheists.

      Mother Nature has a mean streak. In this household, chocolate chip cookies are baked, extra water is stored, the Kindle is fully charged and extra blankets are stacked on the couch. And don't ever apologize for silly puns. Humor is all that keeps us from screaming some days. (That was a good one, by the way.)

      Yes, I remember you talking about those two idiots who tried to break in. I am of the opinion that these days things seem to be moving from crazy right on to insane, more quickly than I ever would have thought. Just today my home health care nurse and I were talking about this 'protection' thing. She is a sweet girl who looks about 14 years old, and she thinks it is both the young (or those like her who appear to be very young) and the old who are the most vulnerable. She is right. I may look like a feeble old woman, but looks can be deceiving. I can and will do what I need to do to protect myself. Truth is, I am way too old to take a whooping any more!

      Stay warm and safe. Spring will be here soon, or so I am told!!

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  4. I much prefer to freeze my celery than dehydrate too. I didn't like the texture when re-hydrated.

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    1. Kristina...Dehydrating is good for storage, but useless if the vegetables don't re-hydrate well. I like the powder from dried celery, but will freeze it from now on for when I want pieces of celery in dishes. I hadn't thought to do that, so thanks for the suggestion. I learn so much from my readers. :)

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  5. I posted some photos that will post tomorrow showing around our house. Doing one post a day, almost all month long. I'm ready for summer, but is summer really going to come this year??

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    1. Rob...I saw some of thee pictures of all the snow at your house. Wow! You have much more than we have here. Should be interesting to see what the storm headed our way will do. Summer? I have nearly given up on summer. :)

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