New Can Opener.

 The can opener I brought here was good, but cheap. Finally, when neither of us could open a can with it, I bought an Oxo at Belk's. It is the kind that cuts the lid off at the side of the can. I never could work it, so Tommy cuts off lids. Well, two days ago it took both can openers to get the lid off a can of tuna. The lid is in shreds.

I ordered a new Oxo that like the one lost in the house. It works great. I hate electric can openers. The Oxo above just was delivered. I could have had any of those colors. I chose red even though pink would have been better for me. The other two can openers sort of work. I am torn as to whether to keep them as a backup or give away. The Oxo that cuts off the lid is still good but a pain to use. 

The blueberries are in the freezer--three pints. I should have put them in half-pint jars but did not. There is another bowl with about a cup for use now. About a half cup a day has been my delicious treat. Tommy says they are not sweet enough for him to eat. Of course, I put little sugar in the five pounds of blueberries. I told him I can sweeten them more for him.

We took out a bag of chicken tenders for me to have for lunches and dinners for the next few days. 

We took five bags of some sort of bread from the freezer to get the blueberries, pork patties, and all the thighs into the freezer. Tomorrow, a friend is coming over to get a turkey out of the very bottom. Another day, when he is off, he will come and take all the items out and help us sort them into bins. So, that is a plan. 

He took out two bags of hotdog buns. He said there are hotdogs and the chili without beans. So, it looks like we will have two meals of hotdogs/chili/cheese. I can mix up slaw for that meal.

We went out for bananas at 8 and the air was so humid it hurt to breath it in. I had not had a banana all days and really wanted/needed one. Why do I need it? I love them and eat one every day. 

Do you have a fruit you "need" to eat every day for the pleasure or your health?

Is it hot and humid at your house?

What kind of can opener do you use? 

Wednesday Ads

 Today, we went for Tommy's milk and Romaine for me, well, for both of us. But, I am the one who misses it. Of course, today is the day to get the ads. I only found one thing--Kraft Medium Cheddar Cheese, four chunks of 8 oz each, for for $10. At $2.50 each, that is the best price in a long time. So, we got four chunks. 

The farmer's market was within 30 minutes of closing, so we bought yellow squash for $5. I purchased a lemonade strawberry drink. It was delicious. Tommy hates lemonade, so I cannot induce him to try it, but that is just more for me. 

I am searching for someone to empty the freezer with Tommy and I helping to get it sorted. There are somethings that need to be tossed, bananas, for one. And, there are things we do not want. The turkey is too much for us to handle! There may be two. Even though they were dirt cheap, we will never buy another turkey. We cannot bend to get this all picked up. We have to get it done quickly and not rest or stop. 

There is one person who might help, but he is interested in me, and not in a nice way. I am not in for having "fun." I am not a carnival ride. So, Tommy does not want him around. He is not jealous, just does not like his attitude. 

Today, I received 10 of my 12 sets of wings but they are half finished. That is another thing I need--a carpenter with right saw. That is a good news/bad news situation. 

The Double Q Salmon is still not in. The raincheck is only good for 10 more days. 

The temperature will be 97 all week, so this is a normal summer for us! Of course, we take precautions so as not to become overheated and overexposed to the heat. The thoughts of going to Death Valley were completely forgotten after my heart complications. I need to cruise to a hospital not to Death Valley. It would probably just cool off before I arrived. 

I am trying strategies to get myself asleep earlier. Last night, I managed to sleep before 8 am. I will keep working on this.

It appears that upon further examination, that the Kraft Cheese deal is the only thing that interests us in the three store ads. Too bad. I need another bscb sale. 

We will cut the tiny watermelon tonight! Or else!

Dinner: We each had 1/4th of the ham slice. It was over 1/2 inch thick. Tomorrow night, we can eat the other for dinner. Tommy had two small pieces of potato. We both had a salad with the Romaine and the tomato from the guy sitting at his curb selling tomatoes I figured came from Finley's market. No matter, the tomato was summery delicious. We kept forgetting to buy salad, so I was desperate for salad greens. 

Any sales at stores in your area this week?

Plans Changed Multiple Times Today

 I had a good plan until it was not a good plan due to my mistake. The plan Friday morning was to buy bscb at Publix today. Then, I decided why not eat the half of the turkey breast reserved for our eventual Thanksgiving meal and buy a new breast cheaply for $1.49/lb. and thaw it. The plan was a good one until I found a turkey breast at Publix for over $32. It seems the ones for $1.49 are gone, sold. Or, the price was only through Wednesday. 

The chicken breasts were an exorbitant price, nothing I wanted to pay. We went to another Publix. No turkey breasts at $1.49. I bought milk for Tommy, and we headed home. I was exhausted and the sun was low in the sky. 

We sat in the park for about 15 minutes and talked. I made a new plan. We would go home, and I could search the freezer. That plan was working until lots of frozen rocks fell from the freezer quite an avalanche. Since I could not read what was on the packages because of no light near the freezer, I called Tommy. He took the large package over to the sink where there is a measly light, and read it--a whole chicken. So, it went into the refrigerator to thaw. I did not hurt as much as I thought I would.

The things that fell out were meatloaf and field peas, among other things. I was rushing to see The Great Christmas Light Fight. We hurried and heated meatloaf, leftover sweet potatoes, and field peas for dinner. We had three minutes to spare. Then, he realized he read the wrong thing and The Great Christmas Light Fight was not coming on. Bummer. 

We watched Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. I love that song and movie. Now, we are watching It's a Wonderful Life. I have to see this once every year. 

While I was picking frozen food off the floor, I found two chicken legs, so that is thawing as a meal or two for Tommy. A package with two hoagie buns will be eaten, probably by Tommy with peanut butter on them. I need to go check and see if something is hiding in the dark that escaped from the freezer.

There are two great gaps in the freezer that are for turkey breasts when I find ones that are cheap again.

I did not get the sweet potato bread baked. Maybe I will bake it tomorrow evening. Don't hold me to it. I told Lynda I might bring her some on Wednesday. I told her it would be Thursday, and then Friday. This evening, I told her it would be baked someday. I will be glad when my sense of taste recovers. 

I piddled at decluttering and picking up bits of trash from the table beside me. Yes, we can tell a bit of difference. 

The fall--my knee collapsed quite a few times on Thanksgiving. So, I used my cane. Today, the collapsing and almost falling stopped. My hand and shoulders hurt. I appear to be recovering nicely and I can still bend my left knee, something I could barely do before I fell. I am achy in places, but not really hurt except for the left knee pain. 

What movies or specials do you love to watch each holiday season?

Sunday Trauma

 Saturday took a lot of out of me. Sunday compounded the emotional injury. I felt beat up. If I feel better on Monday, I will post about it. 

Sunday night, we had salmon croquettes. There was only one because I used a short can and then it was full of skin and fat which I discarded. But, the salmon with egg in it made two good-sized croquettes. He had peas and I had green beans, the rest of the can from Saturday. Then, afterwards a salad and a peach dump cake with half the sugar and 2% milk. 

My freezer door won't stay shut at the top. It is getting all frosty and runs all the time. I had to use packing tape to keep the top part closed. It is really weird. Since it is past the warranty, I am not sure what will happen. The freezer door appears to be bent open. Weird. Have you ever had this happen to a new freezer? Or, an old one? 

We are forecast another week without rain, so I am happy for that. 

Tired and Rambling

I have been so tired and not sleeping well at all. Okay, I can sleep for hours during the day. But, at night I am wide awake even if I do not take a nap. I suppose I should give in and become a vampire. 

Everyday, I tell Tommy he needs to come and help me get frozen meat from the freezer. He is sort of a spotter in case of an avalanche. I usually throw my body at the freezer and stop the chunks from falling and hitting my feet or skittering across the floor. 

Finally, tonight, he helped me. I did sit on a five gallon bucket and get stuff from my upright freezer. So, no chest stopping the meat. I found a package of frozen thighs, a turkey breast, and a package of Italian Sausages. Then, I looked more closely and found I had a chicken and not a turkey breast. Oh well. 

I will cook the chicken in a cooking bag along with the thighs. After we have our first meal, he will remove all the meat from the bones. He will like this for lunch sandwiches or to put on a salad. Then, I can check more carefully and find a turkey breast. I know I must have one in one of the freezers. 

Tuesday afternoon, I bought an expensive package of boneless, skinless breast instead of buying KFC. That package worked for lunch and for dinner tonight as well as dinner last night. So, now that more meat is thawing, there will be no temptation at all for eating out. 

We are slowly getting a zillion cans of food that are five years old from his dining room, all stashed in a huge box! I go around and behind the table and pick up one can at a time and he stands on the other side of a barrier of food and stuff and takes each can and puts it in a bag for discarding in the garbage. Some of the cans are ready to explode, others have leaked, all in pretty bad shape. Before I got the floor lamp to use, there was no way to see what was there! 

Items back there that he forbade me to discard, he is now amenable to losing as he says he does not care. How many ice cream buckets that are 20 years old does one need?

So, I have done things, just not much in the way of fun activities, which is not to say life is boring or mundane. The glue in my eye dissipated, so that is one worry off my mind and out of my eye. I resumed reading The Bird Way now. 

Everyday, I call two places trying to get rid of this covid haircut! They must have plenty of customers since they never answer the phone. 

Everyday, I look for a package.  Finally, I cancelled the order. I had ordered a hummingbird feeder for Tommy and an ant guard. I will find one somewhere else. The neighbors must wonder what I am up to when I look outside every few minutes for days. I will make the feed to go into the feeder instead of buying the poisonous red liquid. Tommy does not know what I have been waiting to receive. 

Does anyone have a hummingbird feeder? Got any good stories or advice? 

I HAD a Problem

 HAD and I solved it with a hack.

When I started putting the boxes of plastic bags and rolls of plastic and foil wrap on top of the freezer as a storage spot, I caused myself a big problem. Yes, it was all in one place, so that was really good. Everything was all in one place, so I did not have to search the counters in the dark like before the freezer came. 

But, soon boxes were sliding off onto the floor on both sides of the freezer. Hopefully, nothing fell behind since that would be irretrievable. So, I set out to find a solution to keep things together. Finally, I knew what to do. Unfortunately, it cost a bit of money, but it was just a little bit.

When I reach up to get something down from the top of the freezer, it hurts my shoulders with torn rotator cuffs. My hand injuries sometimes make me to fumble a bit, knocking things around, causing them to fall. Of course, since the boxes had to be stacked, they were prone to falling, anyway.  So, I needed a solution. 

I decided I would get the cheapest trash cans with sides with the least slope. I found them for $4 each. They are sort of clear. But, two of these lying down fit on my freezer with room in between for the really long packages of foil and parchment paper. 

Actually, any kind of square plastic box would do. But, these trash cans were the first thing I found after a long search. 

Since the problem is solved, it hurts less to reach up because I can get a grip on the boxes that are steadied in the boxes. Plus, nothing falls off, not one avalanche! You see, the boxes cascaded down to the floor. 

This arrangement is not very good as far as decorating goes, but it saves my shoulders a bit and no avalanches are occurring daily. Wicker or canvas or wood would have been my choice!

No, I am not going to try to put it in his cabinets. No need to  suggest, mention it...lol. I no longer worry about that. I am happy with it like it is...for now.

Dinner on Saturday night was some of the chicken I baked with Bertolli Spaghetti with Mushrooms on top of the chicken and slices of Mozzarella on top, my version of Chicken Parm.  I have mozzarella but no parmesan. We had the bit of potatoes leftover from last night, green beans and leftover cole slaw. It was delicious and Tommy liked it. 

What is your best or latest storage hack? Or any hack or solution?

Into the Freezer! Grocery Shopping, THE MOST AMAZING SIGHT

 Once again, I erased a whole post! I finally figured out that when I managed to turn anything blue and then try to type, the whole shebang disappears. I am a fast typist if not entirely accurate. So, the inaccuracy causes me to hit a key (and I don't know which) that causes me to erase it all! 

Saturday, I froze meat for 25 meals in pint bags. Each bag held a meal for two, so 46 portions. 

2 packages one chicken breast.

23 packages of 16 meatballs in each pint.

I had 3 4-lb. bags of Armour Meat Balls that were thawed. So, I heated/cooked them and re-bagged them in meal-size portions. So, 12 lbs of meatballs are resting for me to thaw at mealtime. I am so happy. 

Earlier in the day, I went to Publix for bananas and carrots. Just before I got out of the car, I asked Tommy if he wanted to buy flowers for me. He said, "How about candy?"  

I purchased both. I found a bag of Lindt truffles, dark chocolate. As I looked over the flowers, I found a 11" vase with tulip bulbs not yet blooming. Green leaves are about 6" above the top of the vase. The idea is to watch them blossom. That appealed to me. So, I spent $16 on his card and came home deliriously happy. 

The huge vases of roses were $25. But, those did not suit me. 

It was like Christmas crowds up front. The candy, and flowers were on extra shelves and the bakery section near the candy and flowers was loaded with all sorts of hearts, red, and pink confections. It was all so tempting. 

THE MOST AMAZING SIGHT--In a cold case were clamshells in the shape of a heart with a thick steak cut almost in half and opened to fit in the heart clamshell. It was very impressive. Refrigerated sides were present with this meat presentation. I forgot what kind of steak it was. But, there was something for everyone.

So, I bought the bananas, carrots, Lindt truffles, tulips, and a reduced can of apricot filling. The apricot filling goes into stockup. 

So far, I have spent $105 this month. 

Have you put meat into the freezer? 

This and That on Friday

 It is cold and rainy, much better than many parts of the country. But, I don't have to like it. However, last night, Thursday night, we needed the ac for the overpowering heat and stifling condition. The cold and rain will last a bit longer, and it appears our trip to Cullman will be toward the end of the week. 

I returned the elliptical and found I was losing about $26 on the return. And, the guy showed up today to pick it up! Of course, we were not here. 

When I called Amazon to figure out why I did not get all my money, it was because I chose "I did not need it" when I should have chosen that it was "Not what I expected" which is true. So, now I get the whole price returned to me. And, now I have another pickup date for early Monday morning. 

Whew! 

We are very slowly throwing things out of the house that have been here for decades. At first, he refused to get rid of anything. 

When I was putting something in the freezer, a tiny bag slid into sight. It was a portion of cooked pork loin from December that I had saved for another day. I just love having cooked meat and can add vegetables for a meal. 

About 3 pm as we came home, the chic-fil-A truck was parked near the taco truck in a church parking lot. We had a sandwich and that is the last one I will get there. The chicken was no longer crispy and mine had two pickles. gag. And, it was too expensive.

Tonight, we had a spinach salad in a bag. We divided it--baby spinach, raisins, bacon, almonds, and sweet onion dressing. The spinach/carrot/cabbage salad had five shreds of carrot and maybe six of cabbage. LOL Tommy had a small potato from the oven last night and a bit of chicken. I had just a bit of spinach and a bit of chicken. 

I love raw spinach, but I had to take off the stems, so it was slow going. 

I love the miracle of a dishwasher! We are actually using real dishes. However, we are still using plastic utensils and plastic to drink. We will get there.

Six Free Things and a Scholarship

 Okay, it is not as good as it sounds, although still good. At Burger King there is a coupon booklet that costs $1 for six free items--soft serve cup or cone, Value size French fries or hash browns, small frozen drink. There are two of each coupon. This is to benefit the BK Scholars Program where a scholarship from $1000 to $50,000 will be awarded. I thought it was just for BK employees, but it is for any high school student. 

Maybe you know someone who would like to apply for this scholarship. Maybe you want to spend $1 to get 6 items free to you. I bought two coupon booklets. The coupons expire 1-31-21. Between us, we can have 6 treats for a total of 12 treats over the next three months. 

When I went into another Publix, I was given another free bag, so that makes two.

On Tuesday, I had a doctor's appointment in Cullman. It was a good visit because I was not ill, just a checkup. But, I had AIC last week, so nothing was done this week. 

I did take names and telephone numbers to call and question/complain. She has sent for a meter for diabetes, a light box, and physical therapy, referrals to doctors and I have heard nothing. I volunteered to do the calling this time! She was all for that. Maybe something will happen now.

All the Halloween decorations have been dried and put away. So, that is behind us. 

Now, I am considering what to do for Thanksgiving decorations. This has always been minimal, anyway.  I am thinking about hanging turkeys from the tree out front. I always like viewing what people have outdoors. What kind of decorating are you doing for Thanksgiving? 

When I ask Tommy to look for cans in the dark, he has started putting food willy nilly on the shelves. I don't really care what or where he puts stuff. I do plan to be able to eat Thanksgiving dinner at the table! I am facing the holidays where there is usually more conviviality with increasingly low expectations. 

I figure if I can get someone to clean the house, we will be ecstatic and less likely to focus outward. I have someone scheduled for Nov. 16, but I have a feeling this will be a no-show. So, I am scheduling someone else before that and see how this goes. 

Tuesday night, I went to bed sad. Wednesday morning, I awoke hopeful. So, as the vote-counting continues, we will see how it goes. 

Wednesday, I used another two coupons for Ronco pasta. So, that was $0.75 off each package. I bought spaghetti, elbows, and something else. Since I shopped at the Pig on Wednesday, I got 5% off my whole order. I would give you the particulars but I don't have the receipt right here. 

I just bagged the 3 lbs of chicken in 2 cup packages and had a pleasant surprise. Remember how I said the chopped chicken was too salty. Well, these were half chopped and half sort of shredded and had no seasoning whatsoever. that is good. 

Tommy is going to wash the air fryer and I will put two packages of ground meat in it, yes, just plop them in. I want the ground beef the cook and store in the freezer for pizza, spaghetti and whatever. 

Okay, that's it. Are you following the election as closely as I am? Do you feel a sense of relief as the situation stands right now? 

(Once again, go waaay down below to find comments.)

 

Thursday and Friday--Food Work

Thursday afternoon, we spent 30 minutes dating, sorting, putting food on shelves, and moving the rest toward the bedroom storage. Now, I know exactly how many of which soup variety I have. The cans with 2022 are not in the kitchen unless it is the only can of that variety that I have. 

Then, I had Tommy cut two 1-lb. bags of baby carrots into coins for potato soup. He peeled and diced potatoes after I washed the potatoes. Two cans of Campbell's chicken broth were added.  

I have a bag of kale to add to the soup when it is almost done. Five minutes will work to cook it. Oh, and cheese. We will have chopped chicken in it or on the plate.  I have homemade applesauce to eat after dinner. 

I need to water my mum, tomato plant and kale plants. There are still dishes to wash!  UGH! He will cut the stems off the baby kale. Normally, this would not be necessary, but I am supposed to cut back on fiber. 

Friday, we got a food box, but they gave us two. No asking. I am including both lists in one.

• 6 lbs. chopped chicken breast
• 6 lbs. sliced cheese
• 10 lbs. potatoes
• 2 quarts of whole eggs
• 2 quart of Yoplait strawberry yogurt
• 2 gal. milk
• 20 loose apples
• 4 lbs. onions
• 10 lbs. potatoes
• 4  bakery--hot dog buns, hoagie buns, sourdough English muffins
• 2 pkgs. hot dogs

The cheese and chicken are in the freezer, divided into packages. Hot dogs are in freezer. Potatoes and onions are in the dark. The milk is in freezer. I prefer plain yogurt, but strawberry is okay. 

We gave a box to give to young, single neighbor--2 quart container of whole eggs, some apples, bag of potatoes and onions from another week. Like I said, they will eat this faster than we will, plus, there is another adult in the house. This is the house where the father died. 

Amazon box came this morning. I love the glasses for fit. I am so happy with large bottle of Natrol Melatonin, and the boom box gets the station for Christmas songs after Thanksgiving until New Year's Day. 

Now, we are going to clean off the skinny shelf in the freezer and put chicken chops out flat on a huge cookie sheet, and I will chop onions for freezer or dehydrator.  Then, I need to wash dishes, finish potato soup, and color my hair. 

We are getting behind on Halloween decorations! It's still nice and warm, at least in the 70s today. Is it freezing yet at your house? Tonight, a frost is possible. Still, we are not using heat.

This and That and That's a Good Boy

* I found the beautiful pink purse #1, perfect in every way and told you about it. But, when I go shopping, I need something to hold cards, phone, and coupons just when I go into the store. Usually, I have pockets for my phone, and the tiny purse, I wear-- a really tiny. cheap crossbody purse #2 won't hold the flip phone and keys. 

Sooo, I found a cheap purse #3 that is the exact color of my beautiful pink purse. It is small purse that will hold my phone and keys. It was $11.97 but when it was rung up, it was $7. That was a nice surprise. 

I am afraid my large, beautiful pink purse will be stolen with all my worldly goods I carry in it. This tiny one might be yanked off my neck, but I won't lose so much. 

* When appliances have been delivered in the past, I have been aware that they were bolted to boards, sort of a base. Maybe you know what I mean. I went out to the truck to get a look at my freezer and saw it was sitting on something that looked like plastic skids. When I asked the guys what the plastic was, they assured me that they would removed those. I had them leave them on the freezer. Since it sits on carpet, I thought it might help it not to be overheated. I worry about things.

*  When we went to the park to eat our Reuben, we drove through the park, looking at the houses backed up to the park. I wanted to see the beehives again. 

A man came up behind our car as we were still eating. It scared me and I locked my door. It turns out he was just an old man taking a walk. A few minutes later, a dog walked up to our car and a bit beyond. He had a rope tied to him, just a rope about 12 feet long tied in a knot to his collar. He found what looked like a pork chop bone and attacked it, chewing and wagging his tail.

Then, I noticed the man has crossed the road in the park and stood waiting, looking at the dog and calling him. The dog was busy with the bone and finally got a piece of it caught in his mouth as he broke it. He began clawing at his mouth and finally dislodged the bone. I know clawing at his mouth did not help at all. It was all sort of frightening. 

The dog paid no attention the man calling, so after about five minutes, the man came and got the rope. I told him about the bone having  been stuck in his mouth. So, he said the dog eats all bones and this happens. 

We drove about the park and he was approaching us on the way home. We stopped and talked with the guy. It turns out the dog had chewed up his leash and the guy got the rope from his shed. He said the dog's name was Pancho and he was only seven-months-old. Pleasant man, sweet dog, and nice conversation. 

* The white plastic shelves I bought Sunday were so easy to put together. I could not push the legs into the shelves, but Tommy did it easily. Then, I leaned on the unit to seat the legs. And, I can carry them myself. They are 32" tall, 12 inches deep, and 20" wide. They are not pretty, but will do the job of holding the cases of water. They are an improvement over the kitchen chair that holds them now.

* I taped the edges of one short-sided box and put it on the big shelf unit. It looks better than a cardboard box. Now, I have three more sitting here waiting on me to tape.  The dark blue tape with constellations in gold is pretty. It works for now.

* As I came from the store, Tommy drove up to the curb and I drove the electric cart behind the car to unload stuff. Two very nice men came up as they were going into the store. They offered to help and I let them, thanking them profusely. As they left, I had to tell them that the guy driving could not walk at all, that he was not lazy. I didn't have much, but I was barely able to stand up to load things into the car. Nice people are everywhere, thankfully. 

Frozen Food and Doctor Appointment

And, I lost another post !!!! 

Tuesday night, I mashed the 34 cents worth of bananas, five bananas, and got a heaped up measuring cup of bananas in a bag in the freezer. I cleaned and cut into strips four Bell peppers and froze them on a pan in the freezer and dumped them into a bag. The four peppers were 94 cents. Even though the peppers were reduced, they were not wrinkly, just  few blemishes that happened during growth and picking. 

Wednesday, I had an telephone appointment with a cardiologist. On Monday, I received a call from someone wanting another telephone appointment at the same time. I was trying to explain I had another call scheduled at the same time. The guy was a little confused. Finally, I realized he was from the cardiologist, not the research team for my garden. The guy needed a bit of information and said a nurse practitioner would call me on Wednesday and then the doctor would talk with me, somewhere between 11 am and 12 noon. 

At 8:15 on Wednesday morning, the middle of the night, the phone rang. I had forgotten to turn it off. It was the guy calling to see if I were ready to receive the call. Yes, I am and why are you calling so early for 11 am appointment? To see if you are ready. I pointed out he woke me!

At 10 am I received a call from someone who took a history and meds information. And, to see if I was ready for the 11 am call. 

Finally, exhausted, I lay down about 12:30, figuring they knew how to wake me. I awoke at 2:15 pm, went to the bathroom and tried to rest more. A little before 3 pm, I received a call from someone who wanted to know if I was ready for the call and how much did I weigh and did I take my blood pressure. Well, no, since i don't have a blood pressure cuff. 

The nurse practitioner got on the phone and we talk for a long time. It seemed we went over everything I had told all the other people. Finally, she told me the doctor would come on the line.

He has a very slight accent, but the volume was keeping me from understanding. After the second sentence I said to him, "I cannot understand you. You need to speak up, louder." He started laughing really hard. I asked him what was so funny. He said, "You are very direct. You make me think I am talking to my mother." And, he continued to laugh hard. I said, "I am your mother." He laughed even harder. But, he did speak up for the whole conversation, not needing prompting to keep speaking loud enough. 

I shared my anxieties about being in the hospital for a procedure and this one in particular. He said, "We will make sure it is a happy experience." I said, "Are you giving me prizes or something? Happy experience?" He started laughing again. "Yes, we will give you prizes!" After a bit more conversation, we were through. 

The nurse practitioner came back on the phone. Someone will call me for an appointment for sometime in the future--4-6 weeks! 

So, that is that. I wait for a summons to torture.

I had things planned for today, and nothing was done! My car was going to get its hand washing. We were going to go to Tommy's bank so I could write him a check to pay for the sewing machine. Well, I wrote him a check and we mailed it--my idea. That involved a trip to PO, less than a mile away instead of going all the way downtown to his credit union. Somehow, the credit union branches don't have night deposit slots.

A birthday treat--`Alouette Spinach and Artichoke Dip and crackers. Tommy does not like it, so it is all mine.  It takes the edge off of not getting the car washed. 

I wanted to go to a medical supply place to get a package of two reachers, one short and one long. His broke and he struggles to drag things and shove things with a cane. There are things I need to make this a celebratory day, too. Oh well, it gets dark too early to be out this time of the day. 

Tonight, we will have slaw, beans, chicken, and I think I will cooks squash in olive oil with onions. He loves that and so do I.  

How did your day go? Anything fabulous to eat? Great deals? How was the weather?

Food/Eating Plan

Finally, everything from the refrigerator freezer is in the new upright freezer. There are things I barely remember. Most of it is meat with more pork and ground beef than I remember. If all the small bags of strawberries were in one container, there might be a half gallon of strawberries. There was one purchased 10 oz. package of field peas. A tiny lone 4 oz cup of frozen peaches is now being eaten  by Tommy when he should be eating the fresh peaches I bought yesterday. I didn't say anything because he was so happy to find it...lol. There are little vegetables and fruit.

During five commercial breaks we have gone to the kitchen to finish up what I started. He puts the basket I bought on his walker seat while I hand him packages of food. Then, he rolls it to the new freezer and I put it in where I want it. He hands it to me, especially the larger packages of meat. It is hard for me since my left shoulder and arm do not move like they should.

The door is for bread and butter and frozen fruit. The top shelf has two pie crusts I thought were used up and two pounds of walnuts which I hate and Tommy refused to eat for some reason. ??? The two pounds of pecans will be eaten now that I know where it is.

The middle shelf is for cooked meats that I put into the freezer as they were left over or needed to be frozen since there would be too much being left in the refrigerator for too long.

The lower shelf has packages of store ground beef, ground pork, and cuts of meat. The uncooked chicken goes there, too. The bin below holds several turkey breasts, some bone-in and some boneless. And, one turkey I just put in last week.

The plan is to eat every bit of meat that I have cooked and frozen. It looks like I won't have to cook for more than three weeks, at least. It's mostly chicken. I think there is half a cooked boneless turkey breast. It would have to be the oldest cooked meat in the freezer. Tommy was looking and sounding happy with what we found.

If I can find some strawberry Jello, I am going to make a poke cake. I also found a box of Cool Whip from Christmas. And, the two frozen pie crusts from Christmas were hiding under everything.

Now, I need to freeze the pie apples. Or, maybe I will make an apple pie. LOL...my ambition is greater than my energy. So, all this will be slow going.

I need another shelf for the freezer. The packages of ground beef and pork look flat, but they are not and slide out of the freezer. Plus, I am going to get bins to hold things in place in the freezer.

Now, when frozen vegetables are on sale, I can stock up. Plus, I can find it in the freezer after I store it. It is amazing how much food I had in the ref/freezer. It was so full I could only take out the latest purchases. After having a freezer for about 30 years, I missed it. 

I still did not do an inventory. Later.

For today I have a frozen crock pot dinner I will make for us. 

Now, I can put ice trays in the top of the ref/freezer. I have missed ice. Do you love your freezer as much as I do?

Free Turkey

Added to the freezer:
Free small turkey, free bscb. So, about 15 lbs. of poultry.
Two packages of naan.
Leftover buns. Now, they will not mold!

Taken from freezer:
loaf of bread.

I am still in the process of adding the items from the refrigerator freezer to the new freezer. The turkey and bscb were acquired this last week. I need Tommy to help me control the avalanche when doing the transfer. The view into the new freezer is looking nice to me. The one thing I have not done is to make a list of what I have in the freezer. At this point, I can just see it all without having to move things about.

I ordered another Rada knife. I still think Tommy is throwing out knives with paper plates. I will confess if I find them.

While looking for a glove to avoid cutting myself, I found one for $11 and a really good one for $69. Since I am not a meat cutter, not fast anyway, I think the lesser one might do the trick of keeping me from letting blood again. Has anyone ever used or had experience with one of these safety knives?

We sat and watched the ducks and geese again today at Sportsman's Lake. It certainly was a perfect outing. It was amazing to see the Sahara Desert dust storm all around. We started talking about the Summer With a Winter. I figure grow lights inside are the way to go.

Since it is almost 9 pm., I should cook something. I think it will be a mixture of leftovers in a skillet warmed with olive oil, garlic, and topped with cheese.

Edit: sliced baked potatoes heated in skillet with chopped onion, garlic, and olive oil, diced tomatoes, diced leftover meat heated with hot onions and potatoes, cheese on top and heated until it melted. It was good and used up leftovers and a tomato that was going off, well another fresher tomato was used also.

Okay, what experience have you had or what knowledge do you possess about the knives meant to save fingers from sharp objects? I never used my mandoline because of my fear.

Free Fruits and Vegetables and a Freezer

Okay, no sleep at all on Wednesday night--so what is new? When I say "no sleep," I mean not a wink.

We were up and out the door in less than 30 minutes, headed to my town to get the mail. Since I did not have time to take my pill and wait an hour, I took milk and cereal with me. Tommy stopped and got two sausage biscuits and a senior coffee. In a bit, I ate my cereal and then later the biscuit. It is 9 pm, and it will eat the banana I carried all day before I go to bed.

I was going to make chicken sandwiches, but after no sleep, and getting bathed and dressed, i was out of time. It is just as well since we were in a hurry.

After we arrived and got the mail, we went to the bank to pick up something, and then I checked on milk at Publix. No, they do not have 2 percent in a2 milk. We did nothing else even though I had things to do.

We went to a food giveaway and got all fruits and vegetables and a gallon of milk. We came home, put it inside and left the house around 12 to go to another. The first drive-through took about ten minutes and the other a little longer. The second was fruits and vegetables and two gallons of milk. There were even lemons!

It almost killed both of us to get it in. Tommy got himself an apple and peanut butter sandwich. I ate nothing. When I am exhausted, sometimes I cannot eat.

At 1 pm, I went to bed. I told Tommy to wake me at 6:30. When he called me, I came into the living room. It was only 5:30. It was a dream that he came to get me up. RATS! So, I fell asleep and he called me again. I thought it was a dream and stayed asleep. Finally, he came back and called me again. I said, "Are you there or is this a dream?" He was there.

Dinner was salad with a whole bell pepper and a whole tomato diced over Romaine. All this we got today. I cut chicken to go on the salad, too. I am quite sure it was 50 cents worth of tenders. And, he used the mustmayo that was reduced for dressing.

We gave more than half the food to the people next door and two gallons of the milk. It is a real shame I have to pay $4.49 for a half-gallon of milk!

Today, I ordered a freezer for $599--16 cu. ft. Since I ordered it in my town, I wonder how much it will cost to deliver it to me. SO, YAY! The thing is--I am continuing my search. They have no idea how long, how many months it will be before they get one. Thankfully, I still have this much left from the original $1200.

So, it was a hard and good day.

Does anyone go to the food giveaways?

Comments are two miles below here. Keep scrolling!

Yes!

I have been saying we need a freezer, I need a freezer, what am I going to do with all this food...things like that. Tommy has not said a word. No reply.

Just now, I said, "Can I buy a freezer and keep it in your house until I move it from here?" He said, "Yes, if you pay for it!" I will.

I found one that is about 21" deep and 24" wide. Or, those numbers are reversed. And, it is 5'5". I don't think the shelves are adjustable. I don't even know if one could be removed. Then, there is the tiny chest freezer that will be a problem. So, I don't know.

What I do know is that I will want a freezer, no matter where I live.  I had a cheap one, and this one will be even cheaper. So, it looks like the stimulus check will be spent partially on a freezer. The ones I have seen are just over $200. Now, if I had someone to bring it to me to save on delivery fees.

So, now to shop seriously! Does anyone have knowledge of a freezer I should avoid or a recommendation of a freezer that is great?

This evening, we packed and loaded a box full of food we know that at this point we cannot eat or freeze and Tommy rolled it over to the neighbor's house. We do not want to throw it out.