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Ldychef2k: Notes from a Wannabe - Ldychef2k fesses up.
- Thread starter Ldychef2k
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- #72
Just about to go to bed, but I wanted to brag about tonight's dinner.
I had to thin my basil today, and had maybe five stems. Had some cream cheese in the freezer. What could I do with those? Well, I chopped the basil, added it to the thawed cream cheese, and then thought it needed to be sorta bruschetta. I am out of fresh tomatoes. BUT --- I had made tomato jam. So, mixed in a bit of that with the basil cheese, and POW ! Ran over to mom's house to borrow some crackers, and share the wealth as well. She asked for a small sample, so I gave her half ! She loves basil. She had never thought tomato could make a jam, but now she is considering it.
Whenever I make something "wierd" I take it to my niece to try. She likes to try and guess the ingredients. She thought "Sour cream, sugar and lawn clippings." She's quite the comedian.
Can't wait for tomorrow. It's payday and I can get some jars. I have started spreading out the wanted flyers. Mom doesn't think she will ask her bridge friends, as they are so "hoity toity". Oh, well.
But you know what she did? And this blew me away, because she hasn't really understood my way of life thus far (she was a socialite in her youth). I sent her the pictures of my jars on the counter, and she printed them all out and made a collage and put it on the table with all the family pictures, and a note about how proud she was of me.
That was just THE most awesome thing....
I had to thin my basil today, and had maybe five stems. Had some cream cheese in the freezer. What could I do with those? Well, I chopped the basil, added it to the thawed cream cheese, and then thought it needed to be sorta bruschetta. I am out of fresh tomatoes. BUT --- I had made tomato jam. So, mixed in a bit of that with the basil cheese, and POW ! Ran over to mom's house to borrow some crackers, and share the wealth as well. She asked for a small sample, so I gave her half ! She loves basil. She had never thought tomato could make a jam, but now she is considering it.
Whenever I make something "wierd" I take it to my niece to try. She likes to try and guess the ingredients. She thought "Sour cream, sugar and lawn clippings." She's quite the comedian.
Can't wait for tomorrow. It's payday and I can get some jars. I have started spreading out the wanted flyers. Mom doesn't think she will ask her bridge friends, as they are so "hoity toity". Oh, well.
But you know what she did? And this blew me away, because she hasn't really understood my way of life thus far (she was a socialite in her youth). I sent her the pictures of my jars on the counter, and she printed them all out and made a collage and put it on the table with all the family pictures, and a note about how proud she was of me.
That was just THE most awesome thing....
reinbeau
Moderator Extraordinaire
She is proud of you, of course she is. She may not understand your choices, but she's warming right up to them! Isn't that neat, that she's enjoying your jams and recipes. She's coming around!!Ldychef2k said:
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- #75
Winco, my own personal grocery store (I only let the other 150,000 people in by invitation), made a huge mistake today. Actually, the guy who prints the meat labels made the mistake. He marked ten packages of $4 a pound ground turkey breast as 89 cents EACH.
Tonight: ground turkey and rice stuffed bell peppers.
Tonight: ground turkey and rice stuffed bell peppers.
Farmfresh
City Biddy
Whoo Hoo! I love getting deals like that!
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- #77
Been quite a day. Got up early to try and get some typing done before the other 50-60 people took it all. Made it about 30 minutes and BAM, there was nothing. So, I decided to run all over the county picking up promised newspapers from FreeCyclers. I guess people don't save stacks of newspapers like my parents do. I drove about 40 miles in 90 minutes to three locations and got about a six inch stack of paper. And I am grateful to have it.
On the drive, which was a new route for me, I found three farm stands. I guess we are having a lousy growing season, because out behind both stands were empty fruit and veggie crates from South America. I didn't buy a thing.
Then i went to my old friend Farmer Laro, whose stand has been there 50 years or so, and got 18 pounds of peaches for $8. I have 25 pounds or pears ripening in a box, and ten pounds of Granny Smith's, so I think some combinations like peachy applesauce or ginger pear sauce will be great. I am thinking peach apple butter as well. And a second try on pear harlequin, maybe. The first batch was lightly scorched. Ya gotta stir it constantly.
Came home and heated up a stuffed bell pepper, tried to figure out my new internet/TV/phone system. It was just after noon, so I sprayed a whole lot of Roundup on the back 40. Hung out a couple of loads of laundry, and then went to pick up my granddaughter from school. Stopped by Winco and picked up some bulk mixes, some ingredients for polenta using my sun dried tomatoes, dried herbs, and very dry parmesan cheese. Vacuum sealed four packs, each serving 8.
Started feeling strange and remembered I hadn't taken my medications, so had to sit for a while so they could do their stuff. Decided to try and work again, and the internet connection was lost. So, I am just going to go to bed and hope tomorrow I can work some more.
Can't remember if I mentioned that yesterday I used halved toilet paper tubes to start some brussels sprouts seeds.
I have learned so much from this site. I appreciate you all more than I can say.
Oh, I was inspired by someone's earlier today mention of cordials. I had some jelly that didn't set up, so I froze the sweet stuff until I could figure it out. There were three odd flavors: Lime and spearmint, lemon rosemary and blackberry merlot. So, I went to the grocery outlet and got some citrus vodka and a bottle of merlot and decided to start a few cordials to give as gifts later in the year.
I am seriously considering giving jars of food for Christmas, and if I remember by then, I think I will start garage saling for fairly decent sized baskets, and give each family a dinner: Main course, veggie, fruit, pickles, jam, quick bread mix, and now a bottle of cordial. By doing it by family, I cut WAY down on the number of gifts, from 35 or 40 to about 7. Of course, my grandkids will get spoiled as best I can.
Right now I am looking for green beans, which none of the farm stands had, nor did they give me hope, as well as concord grapes. My son-in-law loves grape jelly, so I would like to make him some. He is such a wonderful man.
Oh, one more thing...yesterday I mentioned that I got 1.25 pound packs of ground turkey breast for 89 cents. Today, I went back to Winco and found $2.50 packs of sausage for 50 cents, large containers of chicken bouillion for 50 cents, and clearance toilet paper, with wrappings taped together, 24 rolls for $2.50. I got all four.
So, that's my day. Time to go to bed and pray for a lot more typing tomorrow. I am on track to make about $300 this week. Not even close to enough ! My internet was down all day and most of the night yesterday, so i have to really kick it in high gear the rest of the week.
Kris
On the drive, which was a new route for me, I found three farm stands. I guess we are having a lousy growing season, because out behind both stands were empty fruit and veggie crates from South America. I didn't buy a thing.
Then i went to my old friend Farmer Laro, whose stand has been there 50 years or so, and got 18 pounds of peaches for $8. I have 25 pounds or pears ripening in a box, and ten pounds of Granny Smith's, so I think some combinations like peachy applesauce or ginger pear sauce will be great. I am thinking peach apple butter as well. And a second try on pear harlequin, maybe. The first batch was lightly scorched. Ya gotta stir it constantly.
Came home and heated up a stuffed bell pepper, tried to figure out my new internet/TV/phone system. It was just after noon, so I sprayed a whole lot of Roundup on the back 40. Hung out a couple of loads of laundry, and then went to pick up my granddaughter from school. Stopped by Winco and picked up some bulk mixes, some ingredients for polenta using my sun dried tomatoes, dried herbs, and very dry parmesan cheese. Vacuum sealed four packs, each serving 8.
Started feeling strange and remembered I hadn't taken my medications, so had to sit for a while so they could do their stuff. Decided to try and work again, and the internet connection was lost. So, I am just going to go to bed and hope tomorrow I can work some more.
Can't remember if I mentioned that yesterday I used halved toilet paper tubes to start some brussels sprouts seeds.
I have learned so much from this site. I appreciate you all more than I can say.
Oh, I was inspired by someone's earlier today mention of cordials. I had some jelly that didn't set up, so I froze the sweet stuff until I could figure it out. There were three odd flavors: Lime and spearmint, lemon rosemary and blackberry merlot. So, I went to the grocery outlet and got some citrus vodka and a bottle of merlot and decided to start a few cordials to give as gifts later in the year.
I am seriously considering giving jars of food for Christmas, and if I remember by then, I think I will start garage saling for fairly decent sized baskets, and give each family a dinner: Main course, veggie, fruit, pickles, jam, quick bread mix, and now a bottle of cordial. By doing it by family, I cut WAY down on the number of gifts, from 35 or 40 to about 7. Of course, my grandkids will get spoiled as best I can.
Right now I am looking for green beans, which none of the farm stands had, nor did they give me hope, as well as concord grapes. My son-in-law loves grape jelly, so I would like to make him some. He is such a wonderful man.
Oh, one more thing...yesterday I mentioned that I got 1.25 pound packs of ground turkey breast for 89 cents. Today, I went back to Winco and found $2.50 packs of sausage for 50 cents, large containers of chicken bouillion for 50 cents, and clearance toilet paper, with wrappings taped together, 24 rolls for $2.50. I got all four.
So, that's my day. Time to go to bed and pray for a lot more typing tomorrow. I am on track to make about $300 this week. Not even close to enough ! My internet was down all day and most of the night yesterday, so i have to really kick it in high gear the rest of the week.
Kris
Farmfresh
City Biddy
Try thrift stores for those big baskets or other containers. I find a lot at mine.
I cook any scorchy thing in my crockpot. I can never stir often enough. I also use a stove top heat diffuser when making touchy things.
I cook any scorchy thing in my crockpot. I can never stir often enough. I also use a stove top heat diffuser when making touchy things.
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Big day, mostly sitting in front of the computer. Started digging out the tall pile of clippings (now an extremely rich soil) from the top of the black plastic that used to be under the swimming pool umpteen years ago. At it's crest, it is about three shovel blades deep, and I am down about 1 1/2 so far. Lots more to do, but it feels good to get started.
Made chili verde and canned 8 quarts of it today. The pears and peaches are still ripening, so I didn't feel a compulsion to can them just yet!
My son-in-law has been having a very hard time with his Parkinson's this week. He walked in his sleep last night, my daughter said, and his arms and legs were flailing all over the place. It breaks my heart. He is 51, she is 31, they have been married three years. He is seriously the best man I have ever known. I can't stand to think about what is going to be happening to him in the next few years. Wow.
Kinda achy, think I will pop a couple of Aleve and take a hot shower. Have to work all weekend. Hopefully not for much longer. My goal is to cut back by half after the first of the year.
Made chili verde and canned 8 quarts of it today. The pears and peaches are still ripening, so I didn't feel a compulsion to can them just yet!
My son-in-law has been having a very hard time with his Parkinson's this week. He walked in his sleep last night, my daughter said, and his arms and legs were flailing all over the place. It breaks my heart. He is 51, she is 31, they have been married three years. He is seriously the best man I have ever known. I can't stand to think about what is going to be happening to him in the next few years. Wow.
Kinda achy, think I will pop a couple of Aleve and take a hot shower. Have to work all weekend. Hopefully not for much longer. My goal is to cut back by half after the first of the year.
