I Swear with My Hand on a Cookbook

 In order to get everything done and as cheaply as possible, I am doing Thanksgiving in stages. Today, I made a list of everything I will need for the meal. Next, I will check to see if I need to buy those items. Then, from this week onward, I will watch for sales for those items.

One thing I did was prepare Tommy and the refrigerator for the day. I told Tommy we had to keep the top shelf of the refrigerator clear enough to hold a turkey in a pan to thaw. For him, that means not opening a bottle of juice. Telling him this was also to help me remember not to buy too much milk, no matter cheap the price. 

Today, I tried to bend in front of the big freezer to find a turkey at the bottom. Since there is no light in the room, I am doing this blind, so to speak. I felt and felt until I thought I felt the rounded mass of poultry. 

When I pulled, I finally dislodged a turkey breast. YAY! When I put this one in the oven, I will dislodge another turkey or turkey breast. I swear with my hand on a cookbook that I will never, ever buy another whole turkey no matter how cheap it is.  They are too much bother for me to hold and put in a pan and then into the oven. I barely got myself standing after getting the breast loose from the freezer. 

Tonight, I decided to cook the two chicken breasts in a chicken, soup, rice, green bean casserole. I might put cheese on the top if I have what I want to use. Otherwise, it will still be delicious. Tommy said to put broccoli in the casserole. So, I put in frozen broccoli florets, bought on sale, bogo from Publix. I did add a tiny jar of pimiento. Tommy does not like pimiento, but if I drain the juice, he says it is fine. So, I drained it. It looks like a pretty Christmas dish. There will be several nights of leftovers from this. 

I mashed 2.5 large bananas, one too ripe even for me. These will be used in a banana bread. Maybe this will be made before Thanksgiving, maybe not. Don't hold me to anything cooking-related...lol. 

PAM is going to kill me! I staggered out of the kitchen to find an inhaler. I know I can put a smear of oil in a casserole. Why do I do this? Yes, I might get the device that will mist oil in pans. 

Today, about 4:30 pm, Tommy looked to see if we had any mushroom soup. He said we did not, so we headed out to Publix before it became too dark. When we got home, I found lots of cream of mushroom soup. He did not look in the place where I put it. Oh, well. We were going out for bread, anyway.

I told him to get low sodium soup if he found it. Well, he called and said there was a no salt variety and a low sodium variety. The low sodium variety had 750 mg sodium and the no salt had something like 5 mg sodium. I still need to examine all the other ingredients in the no-salt can. That will be done soon, maybe tonight, maybe not.

This morning, we spent time in the kitchen. I washed about two dozen snap-lock lids for the glass baking/storage dishes. Tommy dried them and organized them so much better than I would have. He had found a bin I bought from DT and keeps the sizes together. While he was drying, I finished cleaning out a drawer.  He has held onto fuses since before his fuse box was changed for a breaker box. So, more in the trash and less stored useless items. 

Just now, I asked him how long it had been since he had a fuse box. Never. So, he has had a breaker box since he moved in here in 1980. The fuses were from the last owner! He has kept their stuff for over 42 years. He had no idea where the little light bulbs were from or if they worked as they were from the previous owner! 

It is getting chilly out. Tonight, tiny children were still in shorts and shirts. 

At 11:15 am, I was ready for a nap since I slept less than 5 hours. Of course, I always hope for sleep, so maybe tonight will be better.

The ads start today, but I found nothing of great interest to me. How about you? Any good sales? 

Free Food, Decluttering, "Cream Of"

 Some turn up their nose at the idea of free food. Growing a garden is one idea. Getting surplus from friends or neighbors is good, too. 

Growing one plant in a container works for beginning gardeners or those without space or time or motivation. 

The years I picked up free produce for my chickens were good years. I also ate from that box as did Tommy, taking apples to his house. The owner knew I ate some of the stuff, acknowledged it to me, saying to eat all I wanted from the box he was dumping. 

Now, I grow free food in the window from scraps. Tonight, I saved lots of money by using window-grown onions. Just save the bottom of the onion after using the green tops. Put it in water until roots grow or grow longer. Mine had roots when I put them in water. Now, they can be planted in a pot or in the ground. I just reached up with scissors and snipped off all the tops.  Then, I used scissors to snip them into half-inch pieces. Green onions went into the chicken casserole even though they were not in the recipe. 

By looking for green onions still viable, I grow all the green onions I can use. I just keep cutting off the tops to use. Carrot ends are a good source of carrot tops, greens for flavor and nutrition. At some point I was going to plant them all in one a flowerpot on the porch. But, when I went out one night, roaches were all over the end of the celery I was regrowing for the tops. Now, water in a short glass container in the window works. I will put it in soil before winter because I think it might grow better. I don't know. 

CLICK HERE for a guide to growing 19 different vegetables from scraps.

Last night, I did not get my 7.5 hours of sleep, but that was my fault. I went to bed later than I would have, read longer and then wanted to get up at 10 am to watch Meet the Press. I love that show. So, I took a nap. I am okay with that because I did get my allotment of sleep I need.

The next-door neighbors have decorated their porch for Halloween, the first yard decoration I have seen for the season. The woman on the other side have four extra vehicles where the whole gang came to work in their mother's yard, clearing and hauling to the street. They also put up a huge trampoline in the backyard, right next to the chain link fence for her grandchildren. It looks dangerous to me if someone accidentally bounced off. Maybe they are not through and will move it out a bit or put up a mesh fence. My friend a block away has been lopping and moving the lopped limbs to the road. Everyone has been busy outside, it seems. The mild temps and lack of precipitation and low humidity have inspired people to spend hours working outdoors, it seems.

Tommy is watering the mums and last of the summer flowers. I need to store them somewhere over the winter so that maybe they will bloom next year. 

I have decluttered a bit more. Tommy has plenty of hangers, but he wants to keep every last one, all the hangers from dry cleaning. A few wire ones are good to keep, but too many is ridiculous. There was a pair of rubber rain pants in that box. He says they are too long, coming all the way above his chest. Well, they are about half the waist size he needs, too. So, those will go. That makes one more box empty. 

A basket of soups was retrieved from the back bedroom to replenish the kitchen supply. I think I will start making my own "cream of" soups. Even the healthy request type has enough sodium to kill a person. Now, there is a space in that room that was filled before. 

The chicken thighs were actually legs stuffed in closely, so I only saw round shapes and thought they were thighs. When I remove food from the freezer, sometimes I mistake what cut of chicken I have. There is sage and a bay leaf cooking with those in the crockpot. The breasts, rice, soup, and broccoli are in the oven. 

I put the chicken in first instead of last. Then, when I put in the soup and broccoli, I forgot the rice. It will be okay and the whole dish will cook, but I will have to add water and cook it all a bit differently since the rice went on the top. To top it all off, I forgot to put foil over the pan. THEN, I could not squeeze the foil tight because the glass casserole was too hot. There will be dinner and legs for the refrigerator for Tommy. 

Dinner turned out fine, delicious! 

There are recipes for the "cream of" mixes online. Do you have a different one? 

Have you taken advantage of less than torrid conditions to do outdoor work this week or do you have plans as the temps rise again?

What vegetables do you regrow from scraps? 

"FedEx Drop Off Here" and Yard Sale Finds

"FedEx Drop Off Here" was on a sign on I-65 about 40 miles north of Birmingham. This is where a FedEx driver threw packages into a ravine in Blount County, just north of where I live.

In the meantime, another dump by FedEx in Alabama happened just south of the first in another county.

I tried something new on Wednesday night. I had bought broccoli and we were having some for dinner, the florets. So I could get the broccoli in a gallon bag, I cut off the woody-looking stems. Then, I decided to peel it. I cut it into sticks prior to dicing it. When I tried it, it was so tender I did not dice it. Now, I am going to put it in my salad tomorrow with tomatoes and Romaine. Tommy took a stick, chewed it and said it was okay, hardly any taste. For picky kids this might work for a stick along with carrot and celery sticks. 

People have written about peeling the stalk and eating it. For years I have said I was going to try it. Now, I will never throw one out again. 

For dinner on Wednesday Tommy had turkey, sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli. I had the rest of the roast beef I opened last night, Romaine, grape tomatoes, steamed broccoli. I hate everything except the breast of turkey or chicken. 

Wednesday, we watched PBS--My Garden of a Thousand Bees. The program was fascinating and the bees so large on the screen. 

At a yard sale on Wednesday, I bought a vase (about 14') that comes apart. Then, I have a candlestick. Plus, there were about two cups of tiny "crystals" that hang on lamps and chandeliers--$5. Then, I found four rolls of new wrapping paper--$2 for all four. I do not need wrapping paper, but this is shiny. There were 3 Drive grab bars, two 16" ones and a 24" one--$10. Total--$17. I can resell all the hanging crystals. 

Cost of his car repair--$1100.00. He took that news very calmly. I did not. We have yet to get it back.  Okay, they called and it is ready. 

We are going to see if the chair by the dumpster is still there. If so, it is mine!

Have you ever eaten broccoli stalks raw or cooked? Do you ever watch PBS? We watched it on APT--Alabama Public Television. 

Monday Night, Dinner and Reading

 I was miserable Sunday night with acid reflux and did not sleep until after 7 am. Then, I awoke at 11 am. I did not nap, but did lie down twice because of my back. 

For dinner tonight, we are having our third dinner from the chicken breasts and also had three lunches. That is pretty good for $6 worth of chicken at $.99/lb. 

On Tuesday I will cook the bscb that was $1.99/lb. I should have bought five packages for the freezer. I like that this store has a freezer with frozen packages and thawed ones in the refrigerator section. 

Tonight, I chopped the rest of the chicken and put it in a casserole. On top of that I had a thick layer of broccoli, then chopped tomatoes. I put a layer of cheese on the casserole and baked it--delicious. 

For him, I cooked the remains of a bell pepper, shriveled zucchini, and a whole Vidalia onion in water to soften and olive oil and one shake of garlic powder.  It smelled delicious and he liked it. This was an easy dinner. I know all the vegetables will soften in olive oil, but I add a touch of water.  

Tonight or tomorrow, I will scramble another 9 eggs to last three or four days, probably four days. Do you eat eggs? Lots? My father refused to believe that eggs were harmful and raised cholesterol levels. He never cut back on his egg consumption.  He was right! 

As we came in the house from a ride, I picked basil, the whole top of the plant. I put it down and eventually Tommy came in. He said, "I smell something strange in here." I sniffed the air and could not detect anything strange. LOL Finally, when I told him it was basil, he just grunted. He hates basil and I love it. 

Today, I made an appointment to get with a friend who is going to help me with my passwords and the new Android. I will put apps on and figure out what I don't know. Actually, I am smart enough to do this, but exhaustion sets in and I bumble around. Maybe I can figure out how to mail pictures. I could mail pictures on the one that was stolen from me. If you have an app for saving money you can recommend, feel free to leave it for me. If I can get something from your blog, leave a link. Maybe some of this can help your bottom dollar if I sign up through your link! 

When I read at night, I seem to sleep better. The book light is working. I figured out that putting many pages in the clip helps. And, placing it nearer to the spine of the book. I am still reading The Bird Way. Reading four pages a night will not get it read soon! Even when I am sleepy, I can work through it to read, like I have all my life. However, I have decided I cannot read for hours late at night. 

Saturday Yard Sale and Other Stuff

We left by 7:30 am this Saturday morning when the temperature was below freezing. Brrr! But, my bare toes were not a problem.

The sides of the roads are entirely of rock in places, cut or blasted out for the road. Along the roadside and on the rocks were dripping frozen icicles. It was very pretty and served to remind us of how the road was cut into the rock and how rocky this area is. The interstate to Cullman up 65 was quite hilly until the tops of the hills were cut off to even up the drive. Well, 65 follows what was 31 most of the way.

I had to take cereal and milk in a huge cup since we left before I could eat, not enough time had passed. We also took cheese and bread, actually a hamburger bun. With the water we took, we did not have to buy food to eat out.

I went to Publix in Cullman and found Kraft Parmesan cheese in the shaker on sale at $6 for 2 canisters. AND, BESIDES THAT there was also a coupon for $0.50. It is good until 6/30/20. I have four more coupons to use between now and July. I actually thought I only got two more coupons until we were on the way home.

I forgot something and stopped at the Publix we pass by here and there were no coupons for the Kraft Parmesan Cheese even though the Parmesan was the same sale price, actually a bogo.  I wonder why? You might find these coupon pads in other stores in your area.

At the same store as last week, I got 3 more pounds of broccoli for $0.99/lb. Tonight is broccoli soup night. Broccoli does not last long, so I need to use it. I may blanch and freeze some of it. Finding it for $0.99/lb is wonderful.

We stopped at the permanent yard sale. I bought an orange watering can, one that was like the green one I got last week, a new Target item. I found a duffle bag that was over three feet long, black, and in great shape. Inside were Halloween items, pumpkins. I took out some of the stuff I did not want and will finish getting the rest of it out. Some Halloween items I do want. One of the things was a Jason costume. that will be sold or given away. At any rate, I paid $5 for the full duffle bag of Halloween items.

My yard is still there...lol. It feels sad to go there, yet I feel at peace when I am back on my "land." . I know those are contradicting.

The reason I felt so rotten this last week was the antibiotic. I was hoping to feel better soon, and I did--when I was through with the prescription. I am going to make a note of that and avoid it or just know I will feel rotten.

Soup Recipe and Thursday

I had planned to make potato, cheese, bacon soup on Wednesday night. When I found the beautiful, cheap broccoli, I decided to add broccoli. I added a lot of broccoli, probably equal volumes to potato! Tonight, I will drop more broccoli into the warm soup.

The potato and broccoli measurements are guesses. The rest of the measurements are correct. I am quite sure you can make this your own. I rarely make white sauce, but I did for this.

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced
2 lbs broccoli washed; cut florets smaller than mine were originally
2 cans Campbell's chicken broth
1/4 cup butter, melted
less than 1/4 cup flour mixed with butter
1/2 c milk mixed into the butter and flour when smooth...too much milk
6 oz. Cheddar cheese, diced and dropped on top of hot soup

The potatoes were still  a bit too crunchy when I dropped the broccoli florets into the crock pot. Of course, both softened perfectly.

Originally I had intended to put bacon into this soup. But, tomorrow night I will heat bowlsful and add the bacon to the bowls.

I imagine I will add another three cups of florets to the soup tonight which will be soft by tomorrow night. And, it will have all the flavor even though it sits in the warm soup tonight. The amount of potato and broccoli are estimates since I weighed neither.

Since I dropped the cheese in cut into little pieces, it was tasty to get a bit of cheesey broccoli or cheesey potato. Soon, the cheese melted completely.

I did not add salt! The taste of the vegetables and cheese and chicken broth were tasty enough. No, I am not going to make my own broth. Mine tastes terrible to me!

This was delicious and so warming. It is probably in the 40s, not frigid, but this warmed me to my toes. Still Wednesday night and the debate just ended.

Thursday now--We went to bed at 1 am and I slept to 12:15 pm today. I suppose the drive made me sleep soundly. Maybe it was the comfort food.  I awoke once to go to the bathroom and once was hot. The rest of the time was not disturb by wake and I slept more soundly than usual, maybe awake only 20 minutes between going to bed and getting out of bed.  The vertigo seems to be worse.

As usual, we are staying in due to rain. There are places to go, but it is dreary out.