Thursday, April 18th "What's Cookin'?"

[annrms]

Good morning! Clouds have trapped some of the warmth from yesterday, but temps are expected to drop into rainy days today and tomorrow.
Yesterday was a good day. The meeting was brief since only a few people had questions. Our lunch with friends was rescheduled because our friends had an informational nutritional class to attend that was not announced with too much notice.
We skipped out and went to Home Depot to pick out window treatments. We settled on Bali blackout & Light Filtering Cellular Shades in Hazy Grey. The measuring and installation costs $50 (cheap!!) and the total price was very reasonable. The woman who helped us was an expert and answered all of our questions.
The fans I ordered from Home Depot were delivered yesterday to The Baldwin and will be installed before we move in.
Lastly, the electrician came and we hired him to install the whole house detectors which is mandated by the fire department before we can sell the house. It will involve getting another service line (meter). Bill has to call the National Grid this morning to get a verification number so the electrician can proceed. Busy times!!
I hope to get to the senior center for walkaerobics today. Been absent too long!
Last night we finished the turkey piccata. Tonight we will finish the stir-fry and will have it with egg rolls and rice.
Enjoy your morning! I sincerely hope I will get back to chat. Waving to all!

[cooktocook]

Hello and good morning to all! Just saw on the morning news that today is Raw Milk Appreciation Day and National Animal Cracker Day.

I've been up awhile already this morning. Lately I've been able to fall back asleep, but not today-wide awake. I'm ready to get my legs squeezed and then get the day going.

Ann, it indeed sounds like you and Bill are keeping busy with many of the last-minute things you are doing before the big move. I'm sure you're counting the days now.

(((Bet))), your post from last night was hard to read this morning. Your pain and frustration with your "helper" and the long day yesterday had me wiping away tears. I am so happy that your DS will be working on your car today and that you will be forced to stay home. Please take care of yourself. 

Waving and wishing everyone a terrific Thursday!

[tasty]

Good morning all.  An interesting change in font  🤔  not aware of hitting any different keys.  Oh well.
Had a good visit with my friend at lunch - lots of memories, a few tears but also lots of laughs.  A couple we both know from the curling club were also at the same restaurant and joined us for a few minutes as they were leaving.
Then late afternoon, hubby and I headed out to the church supper.  We live in an area where you really cannot go anywhere without seeing people you know and last night was no exception.  I don't  think there was a table where we didn't  know someone! A good meal.  The scalloped potatoes and the baked beans were excellent and the dessert table was a dream, all homemade 😋. Tonight it's back to my cooking!
Bet, I hope you have a pleasant day with one of yesterday's  frustrations.  Lots of last minute jobs to be done Ann.  Lori, hope you can maybe get a quick nap in to  compensate for such an early start.
BBL to read and catch up.

[cfniervt]

Good morning friends.

Ann- Time is coming up for the move. Must feel good to have things all falling into place. My niece is coming for the weekend and I am going to make Chicken Piccata. Just sounds so good again.

Lori- I grew up on raw milk. We always had a jug in the fridge. I loved to go down early and scoop some of the cream off the top and drink it! LOL Still love it! I slept good last night, finally, after 3 sleepless nights.

Tasty- So nice to see friends where ever you go. I like that about small town living. There is a benefit bingo game tonight and basket raffle to help our new swim team in town. I am going to it with DS and DDIL and several friends. I am sure I will see a lot more there.

Bet- I am so sorry about your bad day yesterday. I wish you could find a job that pays as well and is less stress and not all the travel to boot! Are you still considering moving this year? We have decided not to move. Dan wants to try a stair lift to see how that goes. His cousin has one and it does go around the landing and works so well. Brian says it wouldn't take much for a ramp on the front porch. So we will get estimates and see how it all goes. Dan just hates the thought of moving and it was stressing him out so bad.

ps, I am still downsizing as it is feeling so good to get rid of "stuff" lol

[emr]

Bet, I hope you got a good night's sleep after that "Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad" day. So frustrating when the person who is supposed to help ends up causing more problems. At least you had something good to eat waiting for you!

Tasty, I do love that about small towns. Of course, it means you have to behave, too! LOL!

Ann, you are really knocking out the to-do list. I bought custom cellular shades for our bathroom when we moved in here, and I love them.

Lori, I probably won't be celebrating the food holidays, but milk and animal crackers sounds like a good combination.

Chris, you are right about how good it feels to get rid of stuff. After clearing out for the yard sale, I am motivated to clean out my closet and already have a stack of clothes pulled out.

I'm enjoying a quiet morning but need to get busy since I have an hour before I need to leave for work. I think I'll get started on the dusting!

[nybirder]

Good morning! For some reason the substitute Aid came to my room at 6:00 this morning to get me up. I usually have to wait until at least 7:30. It was a slow start but I do like having a longer day.

(((Bet))) sorry about your bad day yesterday. I, too, wish you could find something less stressful.

Chris, the idea of a stair climber sounds reasonable. I would want to stay in my home as long as possible too.

The valium immediately relaxed my jaw a bit last night but by this evening I'll be needing it again. It's going to be a long haul but I can stay with it if it means avoiding surgery.

Time to get moving. have a good day.

Birdy

[wilderness]

Good morning.  It is 39°here this morning with showers.  I survived yesterday with little affect except up with leg cramps a couple of times during the night but still slept well.  Body is moving a little slow this morning but that will pass.  I will be spending most of the day on the computer and phone.  Need to pay all my monthly bills as yesterday was SS day.  I have a lot of both personal things to take care of plus Lions' work.  First however, I am going to decide on dinner.  I am looking for something different but know know what it will be so will be spending some time searching my recipe program until I find something interesting.

Ann, you are certainly making a lot of progress getting the condo finished off the way you like it.  That is strange you have to have a separate meter put in to be able to put in full house smoke alarms.  Sorry lunch with your friends didn't work out but sounds like you made good use of your extra time.

Tasty, you talk of small town living, that is what it used to be here.  You knew everyone.  That is all changed and I miss it.  We are still a small town but I walk down the street or go shopping at our one supermarket and know almost no one.  We are now a second homeowners community, a retiree community and also have quite a large group that moved here to work when a World Wide Religious group moved in here.  That is now gone but the ones that moved here sort of stick to themselves.  Just a completely different world.  It is strange as I am one of the very few original families that still are alive and live here.  Glad you had a relaxing day yesterday.  Enjoy having 2 cars again.

Chris, enjoy your niece's visit this weekend.  I am sure Dan is relieved that you have decided not to move.  I am having mixed feeling at this point what I want to do.  I want to move but I know I won't get a house like this one.  I will be talking with the gal that is selling the property in May and then see what happens.  I know in my own mind that I will be here at least another winter.  Depending on the price of the property and the taxes I may consider buying it but not rushing to build.

Elza, nice that you had sometime to relax before work this morning.  Hope you don't have to work all day tomorrow.

Birdy, I am like you I like to get up early.  It seems to make the day go so much smoother and I have time to do what I want to get done.  Glad to hear the drug kicked in.  Maybe it will give you relief sooner that the Dr. is expecting.  I like my job most of the time.  It is twice a year that we go through about a month and a half of these resets and yes they are stressful especially if you can't get the help you are suppose to have.  I enjoy most of the people that I work with in the stores, I set my own work schedule and it gets me out of the house.  In the long run these out weigh the stress and tireness that goes with these couple of times.

Time to get to the to do list that is very long.

Have a great day.

Bet

Have a great day.

[mamma482]

Good morning.

This morning it's already 70º so Mandy and I walked to the pet area. I asked her if she wanted to walk or take the cart, and she headed towards the street. So off we went. We were the only ones there and Mandy was quick. As we were leaving Mary and just Emily were coming down the path. Yesterday when she took Yoda in to check his diabetes it was off the charts. She had to put him to sleep. Yoda was around 12 years old. Mandy was looking for him and she looked at Emily like what??? It was strange without him there too. But life goes on even when you are heartbroken.

As usual I have nothing exciting planned for today. Last night I talked to a dear friend in MN and my Sister (in law) so my evening was nice. The two hour time difference makes staying connected difficult this time of year. I'm really thankful for emails, but it's just not the same as a voice or face to face contact.

Oh my I just remembered I want to make Belgium waffles today. I better get the waffle maker out of the cabinet and wipe the dust off. Tomorrow morning I'll fry up some bacon for the freezer too. I'll only fry bacon if I can have the house open wide. The smell gets to be too much in a closed in small space.

Lunch will be a lettuce salad and supper may be weiners, baked beans and fresh grapefruit. Sounds like a heartburn meal to me. LOL

Please forgive me for not always responding to each of you. Some days are easier for me than others. But I do enjoy reading all.

[weebill]

Good morning! I have taken Cookie to the dog park. Then we went overto her house and fed Sissy and Fluffy. I brought Cookie back Herr and while she was eating I walked CoCo.

I have my kidney Dr. and a puminary function test this morning. Not looking for ward to either.

I will be going thru clothes soon as things are beginning to hang on me.

Bet- glad you like your job most days. Hope you find something different to fix for supper tonight.

Ann- things are moving ahead. We are all excited for you.

Mamma- we had a beef hot dog and baked beans last night. We had a bowl of apricot sauce to top it off. We buy the 1/4 lb. Beef Hotdogs

Chris- glad you came to a decision about moving that you are both happy with.

I am the opposite of you guys. I grew up in a small town where everyone knew everyone. I was so glad to leave it. I am now in a small park and it's starting to feel like small town gossip.
We are having so much trouble with management. Now they took the 2 garbage cans away and said we must take our garbage from clubhouse out to the trash bins.

Time to head out. Elaine

[mamma482]

Elaine, living in an RV park is indeed like living in a small town. Lots of gossip and tales. Which is why I stay to myself all the time. If I could afford to move I would get out of here in a heartbeat. I miss natural casing hotdogs. I have never found any down here, which makes me sad. I don't like the pre-chewed hot dogs, as I call them.  But sometimes I just want a hot dog and will suffer through.   I hope all goes well at the doctor today.

[annrms]

Afternoon! It rained as I was driving to the senior center, but it's cloudy and dry now.
After walkaerobics, I joined sat with some friends...we celebrated one friend's big win at the Encore gambling facility...$800!
Gathered up our Tervis tumblers that have worn out. I can mail recycle them and get free replacements. I've done it several times over the years. Will be tackling more nitty gritty stuff this afternoon.
Bet - Sad to read of your difficult day yesterday. We are also the last ones standing in the neighborhood. Good old days of folks living in homes they owned are gone. Now there are just renters who have little regard for the proprieties of neighborliness.
Tasty - Being at The Baldwin is similar to living in a small community. Everyone is so cheerful and friendly. It's comforting!
Birdy - Glad you got the meds you were prescribed. Praying for healing for your jaw.
Mamma - I get really good natural casing hot dogs and wursts from Usingers.com. I wait to order when there is a deal on shipping. Do you have a butcher shop that sells Boar's Head cold cuts? If they do, they probably have the natural casing hot dogs. I'm with you about eating hot dogs without casings. Another brand you can look for is Pearl Country Klub.
Chris - Good idea to try the stair lift. Explore businesses that rent instead of having to buy. I used a place in Newburyport, MA that rented and offered free returns. I had to rent two straits because there is a landing halfway up the back stairs, but it was still cheaper than buying. We used Mobility and More, BTW but they don't service VT. Enjoy your piccata!
Elza - We are going to offer our excess books to the Epilepsy foundation.
Lori - Sorry you have to squeeze your legs more often. Hope you sleep better tonight. Same here...some nights I sleep; other nights I toss and turn.
Elaine - Good luck with your appointments today.
Time to get something done!!! Enjoy your afternoon! Waving!

[cooktocook]

Going to get ready and go over to pick up prescriptions at Walgreens for DH and myself. Since I have not met my deductible yet for the year, using my insurance card would have still cost me $100 for one of my heart meds. DD told me to check with something called Single Care. Didn't think I could go this route due to having insurance, but DD said yes, everyone at the hospital uses it. Much to my surprise, I am able to get a 90-day supply for just $43.16, over a 50% savings. Big help! Have any of you used Single Care or what's the other, Good RX?

Made a pan of brownies today for DH. I sure hope these firm up in the refrigerator this afternoon as these were very gooey even after resting on the counter a few hours. 
Looks like dinner will be a Tamale Pie, salad, and maybe the brownies for DH. 

Bye for now,
Lori

[wilderness]

Time for a break.  Making some progress on the list.  8 out of 15 things crossed off.  I am waiting to hear back from a few emails for information that I need to complete some things so have worked on a couple of the 7 remaining.  It has been raining off and on all day.  It is only 41° and doesn't look like it will get much higher.  It will be cloudy tomorrow but I have about 9 hours of work so I will be inside all day and no time to think about what I would like to get done here.  Have decided I am taking a 4 day weekend starting Saturday.  DS called me a bit ago to let me know my car passed state inspection for another year and the oil was changed.  He recommended I leave the winter tires on since they are not studded as they won't be good for winter tires next year.

Lori, glad DH felt good about the news from the HOA meeting regarding the traffic situation.  Hopefully they will act on it.  Sorry your brownies seem a little gooey.  I like them that way.  Good that you were able to use the alternative payment method for your drugs.  I don't have a deductible of any consequence.  My meds are pretty basic so by getting them mail order they are free.  I think they would be $5 if I got them from a local pharmacy.

Mamma, so sad that Mary had to loose one of her babies.  As you say life goes on.  Have you ever tried Nathans or Hebrew National hotdogs.  I love them.  As far as bacon goes, I like mine crisp and do it in the oven as I do a pound at a time and then freeze it.  It does smell up the house a bit but I love the smell of bacon cooking.  Great that you had a nice evening chatting with folks back home.

Elaine, you have had a busy morning.  I wouldn't enjoy your 90° weather at all.  low 80's that we see once in a while in the summer are fine will me.  Dinner is why I haven't finished my to do list.  I spent a lot of time going through recipes searching for ones that had fresh ingredients that I had in the refrigerator that I should use up.  That is one thing I love about my recipe program.

Ann, that is pretty neat that you can get the tumblers replaced for free.  They are expensive to begin with but sounds like well worth the money.  I think I have heard you mention this before.

I am making Jambalaya for dinner.  The ingredient search was peppers.  I haven't made it in ages.  I will adapt the recipe a bit.  It calls for chicken and ham.  I will use more kielbasa and add shrimp.

Well time to get back at the list.

Bet

[cfniervt]

Just had my annual check up and passed with flying colors! Table, Apple, Pencil! Still remember the three words! LOL Now if I could just remember where I put my glasses! Bwhahaha! Oh wait they are on top of my head!

Will be going to the Bingo fundraiser for our local swim team in a few minutes!

[emr]

Well, the bad news today was I will need to work all day tomorrow -- I offered, so it's not like they're twisting my arm. There will just be 2 tellers so no lunch breaks -- there's an office right off the teller line where we can step away and get a quick bite as time allows, though. 
The good news is that because of that, and since we had an extra float teller today (instead of tomorrow when we need one 🤷‍♀️), my supervisor told me to go ahead and go home just 1-1/2 hours after I got there. So I took her up on that! It helps her out because it keeps my hours from going too far over schedule. I've been cleaning and doing laundry since I won't get anything done tomorrow and we have plans for Saturday morning.

DH is napping and said he is going out to cut the grass after he wakes up. It's 87 degrees out there right now, but not as humid as it will be later. I'll fix us something easy for supper like chicken sandwiches.