Friday was a hard day. I had nothing hard to do, but I was in the car for six hours doing it. My feet were then so swollen I could barely walk for the pain.
We went to Cullman where I got my mail. There was nothing exciting there. Three items I needed and only one was junk mail. Usually, it is the other way around.
We went by my place. I could have sworn the heap of the dog pen I used for my chickens was still there. But, the friend who wanted it said he got it. I was going to get a guy who picks up appliances and stuff to get it. He sells the metal. Anyway, I see a heap of something back there in my yard.
Since we needed to get back here for another appointment, we just got a small BK meal. He ate his while I went to a grocery. I ate mine as we came south again.
Grocery:
One huge sandwich sized tomato
7.5 oz can salmon (short one)
powdered cheddar cheese sauce
store brand iodized salt
Knorr Recipe Secret
Poultry Seasoning $0.33
Hormel Roast Beef
2 7-oz Ronco Spaghetti
I was out of salmon. I need to find a good sale. The tomato was huge and beautiful weighing .86 lb. I have not had this powdered cheese sauce in years. Knorr will be used to duplicate a boxed mix that I will tell you about when I make it, successful or not. I never buy poultry seasoning, but the price was right. The can of Hormel is for an emergency when I cannot cook. Or, when we are avoiding going out when I don't feel like cooking. I bought two 7 oz. packages of Ronco spaghetti and used a $0.55 coupon. Balance on groceries was $13.87. I suppose I could have done without everything I bought.
I reconnected with four people I have not talked to lately. I called my attorney friend and got her attorney husband. We talked a bit and then I called her at home. She and I talked more. Then, I called a friend who owns WHAT'S ON SECOND, a shop in downtown Birmingham. I was calling about another friend with dementia and could not reach Rachel. He said that she was there and she could tell me about the friend. So, I talked with Rachel.
After talking and reconnection with four friends and finding out about the fifth friend, I felt refreshed. It was a strange feeling having talked to all of them in one afternoon. These are people I regularly hung out with, all of us together plus other folk. And, I have been to all their homes. The woman with dementia, a professor, is no longer recognizing anyone. So, that is a bit sad. Her husband succumbed to vascular dementia. Oh, the attorney couple is moving to Fairhope. So, they will be gone from our lives.
Backing up a bit, we had devastating storms and tornadoes on Thursday here in Alabama. We lost cable and internet. Thankfully, nothing was even near us. But, south of Birmingham, lives were lost. We listened to the weather on radio for six hours. Reports were that one tornado was on the ground for 100 miles. Another report was that the path was 180 miles, not always on the ground. It was very scary.
Now, I need to lie down as my back hurts and my feet are swelling again and I am exhausted. Later, I am going to make a pie using a Diamond pecan pie crust and a sugar-free chocolate pudding. I found these pie crusts on sale for half price at Publix after Christmas. I hope it is good.
Did you have bad weather Thursday? Have you ever used a pecan pie crust?
I have made a pecan crust and it is very good, but I have never bought one.
ReplyDeleteI just hope the forecast for the coming week is wrong. I am tired of storms.
Anne,
DeleteAfter I read the ingredients tonight, I will probably never buy another pecan pie crust. Surely things will not be so bad. I am tired of storms, too. It is quite frightening and people die.
I thought about you and Anne and Lorraine with the storms and tornadoes and hoped none of you have damage and stress. It seems you found items for good prices-the tomato sounds really nice, an dnow I have decided we will have something with tomato for lunch.
ReplyDeletesam,
DeleteAnne was closest. I was next closest with lots of wind and thunder and lightning. Once we saw where the tornadoes were, I knew it was unlikely anything would happen here. But, we still watched the weather. There was nothing I am aware of down on the coast where Lorraine is. I worried about Cindy in the South in Bibb county. But, I don't think she was affected.
That was a good del on the poultry seasoning. I'm glad you were able to connect with your four friends.
ReplyDeleteBelinda,
DeleteFor thirty-four cents, I knew I would get my money's worth of use. It was fun talking with them.
Our daughter’s college roommate lives in Pelham, and the tornado there hit about a mile from her house but there were some branches down at the end of her street. Our daughter lives down Highway 280 beyond Sylacauga. Her husband had to go up to Muscle Shoals on business that day and was returning home through the Birmingham area when the weather turned bad. He figures he was about five minutes ahead of the tornado when it crossed 280 near Double Oak Mountain. So that qualifies as a “close call” and a “near miss”. Also I believe that a merciful God had something to do with it.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that "merciful god" decided that five people could die? Really, it had nothing to do with god.
DeleteI heard about the pecan pie crusts around Christmas last year. You will have to tell us if they are good. What do you make from the salmon. I got 3 large cans of wild alaskan salmon in a food box two weeks ago. I remember my ex mother in law made salmon cakes but she has been gone a long time so I can't ask her.
ReplyDeleteHad some devastating news yesterday. My son was found dead. How on earth is a mother supposed to recover from that. I haven't told many people because I am a private person. I know we don't know each other in person but I read your blog everyday you write one. Some things are so hard but you have to put one foot in front of another. I am trying my hardest to focus on the good things and one is that he moved back to this town and I got to spend so much time with him for the last 11 months. My other son lives her too and I have never tried to take either one of them for granted. We are all close and at least both my boys know how much I love them. Sorry but I just had to talk about it. Your blog is one of the things I look forward to every day and right now I am clinging to good things in my life. Thank you for allowing us a glimpse of your life. Take care.
Crystal,
DeleteI am sooo soo sorry about your son. Of course you have to talk about it! I would be devasted, beyond consolation. I am glad you come here and never criticize.
Okay, we called them salmon croquettes growing up, so I do now, too. Open the can of salmon into a large bowl including liquid in the can. You may see black stuff. It is skin. I pull it off with a fork. Tiny bits might remain, but you can just ignore those bits. Break up the salmon into bits/mush.
Use two eggs, salt, pepper, lots of diced onions or to your taste and about ten crushed saltines, crushed, maybe more. Or, you can use about a half cup of oats maybe more. I use the old fashioned oats. More saltines/oats can be used for stretching the number of croquettes you will have.
At first, it will seem very wet. You can let it sit a few minutes and the dry ingredient will soak up some of the liguid. The next part is messy or you can figure how not to put your hands in this. I dip up a large serving type spoonful and put it into my hand, shaping it with both hands. I will be messy so do this all at one time for a skilletful. Mama pretty much had these floating in oil. I use less oil and almost get them like hers. I suppose you can put them in the oven and turn once like you do in the pan on the stove. You will know they are done when they are brown.
Some of this is personal preference as to the amount of the ingredients. Don't add too many dry ingredient at first. Wait and see how much liquid is absorbed.
Once, when my daughter was two, I was helping her into her high chair. She saw the salmon and said, "oooh, cookies for dinner." Yes, they look like big, fat cookies about 3 or 4 inches across. Let me know how these turn out.
The other thing you can do is to beat up about a half dozen eggs or how many you prefer, adding the chunked up salmon minus the liquid to the eggs as they start to set. These are delicious at dinner with gravy and potatoes and whatever. Now, I am drooling for salmon and eggs. As children, we loved this. Mama kept us full of protein!
Crystal,
DeleteI forgot about the pecan pie crusts you mentioned. They are so expensive--$3.75, I think. I got two for $3.75 after Christmas at Publix. Other stores, like Piggly Wiggly, still have them on the shelf. The ingredient list is very long. I think I could make them cheaper and more healthy. They are not sweet like a graham cracker crust. So far with chocolate pudding, they are just a little crunch with the bite. I had to try them at this price. I am going to make something savory in the other one I bought, a quiche of some sort. Email me, please.