BooksRule

I love potatoes cooked just about anyway. If I want potatoes but don't want to be 'healthy' about it (such as having a baked potato with some veggies or light sour cream on it), I go all out and either make roasted potatoes (potato chunks with a mixture of veg oil, melted butter, and an envelope of onion soup mix on top) or a skillet dish of onions, potato chunks or slices, a little oil or butter, all cooked tender with a couple of bacon slices cooked then chopped and added near the end. Like I said, definitely not health food, but tasty. Well, for the first time in a few years, I plan to take a whole week off from work. I usually take just a Monday or a Friday here and there, just to give me the occasional three-day weekend (or four-day if I plan a Friday off around one of our few Monday holidays). It's actually more than a week, because I'm taking off this Friday as well. I would love to take a trip, but other than my bad knees not allowing me to do much walking, I have two very elderly cats that I don't like to leave alone more than one night. So I've been sticking close to home. So it will be a staycation, but other than a few chores (I'm in the middle of doing a deep cleaning of my house and I need to do some yardwork/gardening) I plan to just watch TV, read some of my favorite childhood books (anyone here a Trixie Belden fan?), and try out some new recipes. I'm looking forward to it (although I'm spending this week at work doing extra work so I won't have some projects waiting for me when I get back.

The election results weren't really suspenseful, because I knew that if Dixon won, there would be some kind of plot to have him die or something bad happen and someone else would end up being mayor (are there deputy mayors in Seattle?). Sorry, but I had to laugh when Maya went spinning around on that roller. Just hanging there. I thought they had already done that bit on this show, but I think it was '9-1-1' that had the car wash guy get caught and they watched the video of him going round and round.

I feel that way about the word 'irk'. It makes me laugh. 'He irks me.' 'I should be irked, shouldn't I?'

I love most seafood (except for oysters) and seafood-related foods, but I never found the thought of squid ink on any food I plan to eat to be remotely appetizing. Can anyone who has tried it give me an idea of what it might taste like? (I could go for some shrimp or crawfish pasta right about now, though, even at this late hour of the evening.) It's hard to pick a side, because I know that Judd was IC, and Tommy should have followed his orders, but if he had been in her place would he have just ran off and left someone in the factory if he had been alone with that person? At least there were a couple of rescues this episode (and I guess we'll find out about Wyatt's condition next week).

Was anyone surprised when Vernon changed his vote? I knew that would happen as soon as they used that new-fangled fancy technology to help.

We've had days recently here in the deep south (U.S.) where I've had the heat on in the morning and was forced to turn on the central air conditioning by late afternoon. I'm just happy for any days where the A/C doesn't have to run almost continuously because my electric bill gets so high. But, once summer kicks in -- probably in a couple of weeks-- I'll have the high bills at least through September. It's such a nice day right now, that even though I'm tired from mowing the lawn, I'm tempted to go out and pull a few weeds. It wouldn't be too tiring, since I'll be sitting on the ground, but it does take a little effort to get myself back on my feet these days!

That's one of the reasons why I love to go to estate sales. One is to hopefully find some interesting (and cheap) things to buy, but also to wander through other people's homes. In my area, I haven't seen too many far-out or really unusual homes (although I did go to one sale one time where I wished I could fold up the master bathroom and take it home--it was perfect), but the best ones I've been to were in the Atlanta area when I would visit family and we would go to some sales. A few really fancy homes and lots of mid-century modern ones (that sometimes looked like someone moved into it in the 1960s and never changed a thing). I didn't try to go to any sales this weekend, though. I volunteer at a local history museum and worked there yesterday. Today I felt obligated to mow my yard. I could have put it off for a few more days, but the weather is cool (high of 79), breezy, with low humidity and there won't be too many more days like that. And, I really want to get my flower beds cleaned out and I don't want to start on those until the yard is 'clean'.

I have that movie on DVD. I might have to give it another watch. It's been a while. It had some pretty funny moments.

I had a doughnut for breakfast (yes, I'm bad, but I blame it on the staff person who showed up at my office door with the box. I probably would have been able to resist if he hadn't said that the doughnuts had been warm when they were brought in a few minutes earlier). Tomato soup for lunch. I'm making my 'mock jambalaya' for dinner. I call it that because it's definitely not the traditional dish (which I love). I just soften some chopped onion in a little oil, add some sliced beef sausage (I use Bryan Smoky Hollow), and while that's cooking I put a large can of whole tomatoes and a can of Rotel into a strainer (smooshing up the tomatoes with my hands) and let them drain into a large measuring cup. I then measure out however much uncooked white rice that I want to add (it depends on how big a potful I want to make and sometimes how much rice I have on hand) and put that in the pot. Finally, I add enough water to the tomato liquid to make twice as much liquid as the rice and add that. Then, I just bring it to a boil, stir, reduce to low and cook until the rice is done. Tasty, but definitely not Cajun!

Spam is pretty tasty if you fry up the slices. I enjoy a nice fried Spam sandwich (on white bread with mayo) on a rare occasion. It's kind of gross if you just plunk it down on a plate right out of the can and slice it up. That poor little boy with leukemia. Like others, I knew what he had as soon as his symptoms were revealed. The actor did a good job--he looked like he was really sick and so tired.

Well, I definitely have proof (I think) that my phone gathers information about me wherever I go. I was in Walmart earlier this evening and happened to stop at the frozen pizza section (which I haven't done in probably months and I don't think I've ever bought a brand name frozen pizza from Walmart). I took a California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Pizza out of the case to read the label, but put it back because I saw that is was sprinkled with cilantro and that tastes like soap to me. Oh, well. Anyway, just now a sponsored ad popped up on my Facebook wall advertising CPK BBQ Chicken Pizza. Coincidence? I think not. (I'm aware that my phone gathers information about where I am when shopping and sends it to companies so that they can send me advertising tailored to what they think I might be interested in buying. But, I think this is the first time I ever really noticed such a focused ad.)

I tend to bake things to take to work or to potlucks, so I'm always looking for recipes that transport easily. So, dump cakes, poke cakes, pound cakes, and cobblers are usually my 'go to' desserts. I want to make a strawberry cobbler as soon as I can find some that are reasonably inexpensive. I also have a Key Lime Pound Cake that I want to make when I find some key limes (they aren't too easy to find around here).

This is probably a southern thing, but I can't be sure. If you like citrus-flavored cakes, I have a recipe for a Lemon poke cake (with a cream cheese-based filling in it) and another one for a Key Lime flavor that is delicious. I've also made one that is a chocolate cake with a white chocolate mint pudding filling (you put chopped up Andes mints or York peppermint patties on top). I think the 'pudding/cream cheese/etc.' flavored ones evolved from the type of poke cake I grew up with, which was the Jello ribbon ones. You would bake a white cake (sheet pan), poke some holes in it, and pour whatever flavor Jello you wanted (usually a green or a red one) and frosted it with whipped cream. When you cut into it you had ribbons of the color with the flavor of the Jello. (It tasted better than it sounds, and was always pretty).

I never got around to making a cake to take to work around Easter, but we are having a little 'snacks and sweets' get together for two new staff members tomorrow, so I decided to bake a chocolate pudding poke cake. It's in the oven now (milk chocolate cake mix, baked as a sheet cake). All I have to do is wait for it to cool, poke some holes in it here and there and then pour some chocolate pudding (instant from a box) over it. It'll sit in the fridge overnight and right before I leave for work tomorrow morning, I'll spread some Cool Whip over as frosting. I even have a few malted milk 'Robin's Eggs' candy left from Easter that I can sprinkle on top as a garnish.

I'm sorry. I worry that I'll be faced with that as well. My two are 19 years old (sisters) and are getting so frail.

I sympathize. Two years ago, I had to take one of mine to the emergency vet during Easter weekend. She wasn't using the litter box, so they had to check her for blockage. She ended up okay (I think I posted about the 'poo-plosion' she had in one of these forums), but why do these things always happen when the regular vet is closed (less expensive vs. really, really expensive)? Oh, well, we do what we need to for the babies. My other cat has those respiratory issues now and then. She's getting over one now, but it's taking it's time to go away.

Not me! I get my hair cut at one of those chain places that doesn't charge much. Of course, I just get my hair cut very short 'Jamie lee Curtis style', so nothing fancy. I get there with it washed and want to get in and out with as little contact as possible as quickly as possible. (I hate having my hair cut. Can't you tell? I'm way overdue, as a matter of fact.) I'm sure I could google it, but is getting one's hair cut via fire really a thing? I thought that the fake neighbor would turn out to be a distant relative of the people who used to own the house and was trying to get access to find something hidden in the walls or attic or something. I never would have guessed phony coupon crook.

Update: My two kitty girls had some ham for a late lunch and also some bits for supper. They are happy.

I just put a ham in the oven to heat up. Both of my cats are on high alert because they know that there's a ham around here somewhere--they can smell it. They keep wandering around, sniffing. I'm trying to watch TV, and they keep getting on the couch and in my lap--looking all around me and staring at me. I guess they think I have it concealed on my person somewhere. I keep telling them that they're going to have to be patient and that it's going to be a while. I promised them that they will get ham soon, but I'm not sure they believe me. Cats!

I didn't like the whole '1950s-60s sitcom dream' story, but I think that every show has to have one of those types of plotlines during the run of the show--although it's usually another sitcom that does it ('King of Queens' had Doug act out 'The Honeymooners', for example). So, maybe they got it out of their system and we're done with it. (Although, they haven't had a 'musical episode' yet, have they? That's generally another 'must' for a show. Eeek!) Was the arrow lady the only rescue?

I had never heard of Ryuichi Sakamoto until a couple of years ago, when I watched the movie 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence' for the first time. I found the theme to that movie very compelling.

According to google, 100 pounds in 1968 equals 1,670 pounds in 2023. No wonder Phyllis was appalled.

I don't shop Amazon, but I do love these two ads: The one with the new destructive dog: And the one with the 'cool cat' girl:

I find canned beets to be pretty firm. I like the kind of earthy taste, too. ETA: I cooked fresh beets one time, and thought it wasn't worth the trouble. The red juice stained everything and the results tasted just like the canned ones to me. I'll stick to canned beets.

I buy very few canned veggies (I try to stick to fresh or frozen), but I do buy canned tomatoes, beets, and potatoes. The potatoes are really good if you drain them, cut up the bigger ones into halves (you can buy cans of sliced potatoes, but I never liked those for some reason), put them into a baking dish and dab some butter on them. I also sprinkled either some paprika or garlic salt on as well, but you could use whatever seasoning you like. I just bake them in the oven (350 or whatever temp I have it set on for anything else I'm baking at the same time--usually chicken or a pork chop), and take them out when they start to get a slight color from the butter. You might want to give them a stir halfway through baking. I don't know how long I usually bake them for--it depends on what temp I have it on at the time. I've never burned any, though. Occasionally, I do get a can that has potatoes that are slightly watery in texture (I hate that), but most of the time they are firm and don't get mushy at all. I don't know if different brands are better than others, but I usually get Del Monte. I've also tried making skillet potatoes out of them (just heating/browning them in a little butter in a skillet on the stove, but I like the oven method better.