Sugar Today

 Yesterday, when I said the word 'sugar,' Tommy became louder and emphatic, "No, we don't need sugar because we have several bags." Well, this was news to me. Since he is the one always rummaging around in the food, I took him at his word. I told him to put it all by the sink.

There were five partial bags of sugar, not to mention the sugar cannister and quart jar of sugar I had in the cabinet. He put the five bags on the counter for me. 

One bag had about a cup. Two had maybe 2 cups or more. The other bag, although open, still looked like nothing had been removed. In my defense, all these were in a store bag and twisted closed. And, they were over near the table on a chair. 

I emptied them into two Tupperware cannisters until I can get three glass jars ready with the metal lids. I was tired from the trip to Cullman.

When I stepped over to reach for something further along the counter, I stepped in sugar, lots of sugar. The counter had sugar all over it! I managed to clean off the counter, leaving the sink full of sugar, too. When I lifted the last bag that held the full bag of sugar, there was a huge hole in it and it was full of sugar. What a mess! Tommy feels nothing on his feet, never checks for holes in bags, totally oblivious. Someday, he will learn. 

So, the point of all this is that we have plenty of sugar considering I rarely use it and never bake anymore. Plus, I am not on top of things. Tommy does sort things, putting like things together. We have enough sugar to last years. He never uses it for coffee or in any cereal.

We went back to Publix to get the cartons of Pepsi that are b2g2 for Tommy and I shopped some more.

Tonight, we are having chicken cordonbleu and a casserole of zucchini, tomato, onion. It is the casserole that my children loved so much that we had three casseroles of it one night and they ate all three. They were such happy children that night. 

The three pieces of bread had melted unsalted butter on them. I don't use much butter, but on the last bread chunks, I used salted butter and it was much too salty for my taste. 

The blueberries have been in the crockpot all night, way too long. So, I will put them in half-pint jars and freeze some of them.

We went to the usual three stores today to get ads. I was so upset at one store, I just left. A witch works at the CS desk. At the other I bought a grab bag for $2. I will put that up tomorrow.

Dinner: chicken, bacon, ham, spinach; casserole with zucchini, tomato, onion, bread. This was hearty and filling and delicious. I gave Tommy my bacon and ham.

Tommy was filling his plate within five or six minutes of my removing the chicken dish and the casserole from the oven. Yet, he microwaved it. The casserole was burning my mouth, and I dipped mine first. He is obsessed with the fact he thinks all food must be boiling hot before he eats it. He ruins the food I cook. I am insulted.

The air is so dry that my hair is blowawy frizzy. It was still in the upper 80s and pleasant. However, the ac runs continually. 

Do you use much sugar, bake much?

Do you ever find you are overrun with one pantry staple like sugar? 

Do you know anyone who must have food microwaved until it is excessively hot?

Potatoes and Onions

For the last several months, I have had the worst potatoes and onions consistently than ever. I buy different places, on sale, full exorbitant price and given to me. All are so horrible. The potatoes either have rotten places, black spots or both. The onions are over-ripe and sprouting or just black, mushy rotten places. It is so discouraging. 

One was called Idaho White Potatoes. While I have heard of white potatoes, I never knew or forgot that they were called that as a variety or brand. Tommy says he does not like red potatoes. But, he never complains when he eats them. I think it is because I really like red potatoes with the skin on for mashing or just eating. I have to peel them for him although I have seen him eat red potatoes with the skin still on at church dinners! 

I suppose I have not bought Yukon Gold. As a matter of fact, I rarely buy potatoes or have ones given to me. When we do eat potatoes, I let mine get cold and barely heat them to just barely room temp to eat. 

The only onions that have been decent have been the three lbs. red onions given to me. Three pounds of yellow onions from Publix were all rotting to some degree. Finally, I needed onion for my potato salad and just bought one loose, good yellow onion at a premium price. It was very good.

When I went to Publix one day this last week, I took the three-pound bag of onions with three onions and no receipt. I told the cs person that I had no receipt and did not expect a refund. But, every onion was rotten, that they needed to buy better onions. The guy gave me $3.99+tax back on a store card that I used immediately. I now feel vindicated. 

If the potatoes are not filled with rotten spots, they have multiple black spots, tiny places that I don't like to eat. It has been a trial. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind the trimming that is sometimes inevitable. But, the continual rot is just annoying when  I have paid by the pound for produce. 

Last Friday, I saw the first Vidalia onions of the season, my favorite onion. They looked as though they had been chopped, harvested by a drunk person. And, the price was exorbitant--$1.19/lb., about twice what they should be. 

AND, I store onions and potatoes in different rooms. I am not spoiling them here by hastening their ripening. 

Has anyone else found that onions and potatoes are lacking, not high quality this year? 

Tommy's wounds are okay today. When we went for a drive on Sunday, he wanted the place on his Achille's tendon covered. I could not find a bandaid even though I have plenty in all sizes and gauze and tape.   He said to take tissue and put it on tape and use that. I took a square of my tp that does not shred, folded it and put mupirocin on it and applied the makeshift bandaid to his leg with packing tape. Then, I took another long piece of tape and put in along his tendon and under his heel so the shoe would not peel/scrap it off. This wound is worse than the finger but still does not look like it will fester. I will keep an eye on it. 

The person, neighbor who mowed Tommy's yard for free, a neighbor, just whizzed around and did not mow in corners. There are some weeds over 2 feet high. I hate Roundup, but had him use the handsprayer for about a half-dozen terrible weeds. The whole yard looks so ratty and backyard was not mowed, so something must be done! I was going to use vinegar, but I could not locate the empty sprayer I purchased two years ago. I was going to put vinegar and dish soap and water in it to kill the weeds. 

We can only do things in small increments around here, so we can never get it all done. Tonight, I will make strawberry shortcake. The strawberries have been macerating overnight. The shortcake will be just sweet, buttery biscuits. For dinner he had an incredibly old two drumsticks that I fear will make him sick and a salad. I had Romaine with a can of tuna on top. I put Miracle Whip and dill and sweet relish in the tuna. 

So, are you having a problem with potatoes and onions?

Not on the Shelf, Sleep

 While I was thinking of it, and for something to do to get out of the house and into sunshine, we went to Publix on Saturday. They are out of the fried onions! Monday, around 4 pm they will have them on the shelf. I will be there! 

I bought ice cream, 3 huge Granny Smith apples for a pie which will only have a top crust. Thanks Barbara.  Campbell's Cream of Mushroom and one of Cream of Chicken, (Healthy Choice) were $1 each or 2 for $2. I got one of each just to keep up my stockpile. At least these have less sodium for our green bean casserole. 

Saturday, my bird to hang in the tree got two coats of black paint. Then, it rained or sprinkled on the bird and it is sticky now! I suppose tomorrow, I will hang it in a tree in the front yard. 

For dinner on Saturday, we had a chicken tender I baked in the oven and turnip greens. Then, later, we both had a salad. It is best for me to eat dinner or any meal in two sessions. It is what is recommended for my stomach problem. 

We went to the yard sale near us at a church, the one I always visit. They had no more large purses. So, my Pink Purse Project may only be two purses this year. My back hurts too much to get out at most sales. I actually went straight to a chair and sat down, no looking around. I found a Christmas decoration with poinsettias I could use to make a wreath. Then, I saw a pot with a poinsettia in it. So, I got that. I liked that it was sitting in a pretty pot. Well, that "pot" is actually a cup with a handle. For $5 it will work for something at Christmas. At least it won't die. And, the pot can be used for other plants, real ones, I hope.

If the cup has a hole and can be used for a plant, I may use it on the porch for plants and get rid of a plastic pot I found on the road. Maybe I will spray paint the pot. 

This next spring, I am going to plant pink vinca to sit on the front porch. I love vinca and pink. I love how vinca blows in the breeze. 

I finally saw Being There and loved it. We stayed up late to watch it. Tommy had seen if before and wanted to see it again,  I knew it was a wonderful movie since he usually sleeps that time of night, no matter what I want to watch. Have you seen Being There? Did you like it?

Good news! I slept 8 hours on Saturday night. I am in pain as usual, but clear-headed. When I was sleeping two hours or 4 every night, my first thought was to plan a nap. Now, I lie down about twice a day for my back. I usually do not fall asleep. If I do, I rarely sleep more than one hour. I have Tommy call me if I am not back in an hour. 

This makes more than one week with sleep. Now, I have a mind that can tackle mobility and pain issues. 

Today, after hanging my black bird, I will get out the ghosts we had in the tree last year, and get them into the tree. 

What are you doing for outside decorations at your house? 

All the Nothing I Did Today

 Today, Tuesday,I was going to arise early and go to Piggly Wiggly and use the coupon for $5 off when you spend $25. But, I rethought that after I went to bed. Okay, this may be why I cannot go to sleep--thinking. 

I can get the six-pack of Minute Maid jars of oj for $3.40 elsewhere--just found this source. But, they are $3.46+10% at the Pig. So, that was on my list. I went through other things I was going to purchase and thought better of my shopping trip. 

When I awoke at 9:30 or a bit later, I informed Tommy of the change in plans. My med for thyroid needs to be taken an hour before I eat, but by 10:30, not only was I hungry, I was tired. So, I went back to bed and slept soundly. I rarely nap in the morning, so this was strange. However, sleep has been skimpy for the past few days. 

I awoke at 2 pm to loud male voices. I peeped into the living room, partially hiding behind the door facing. "What's happening?" I was sort of whispering and Tommy quickly explained someone had come to fix his home phone line and was checking it. It turned out the problem was at the pole and not in the house. Tommy insists on the home phone line, and I agree with him. Thankfully, this fix was free to him.

He needed to pick up meds from a drive thru at his pharmacy. I needed to pick up one at Walgreen's. So, off we went. I needed to get saline solution. But, the small bottle was $11.99 for WG brand. . NO WAY!

So, I went into Publix and searched and finally found the Publix brand, same size bottle for $2.19. I cannot understand how WG can justify that exorbitant price for sterile water and salt in a plastic bottle. If the price had been $4, I probably would have figured the time and cost to get out of WG parking lot and go right across the street to Publix. 

While I was in Publix, I spied a bottle of pickled Vidalia onions as a woman was purchasing it. We talked. . Wow! The woman said there was no vinegar taste and her husband could eat it with a spoon. I got a jar. If it is too vinegary for me, I can throw some in jarred spaghetti sauce or stick it in a pan with burgers. At least vinegar is not the first ingredient after the onions.

Buying onions reminded me (why?) I needed tartar sauce for frozen bag of fish I uncovered in the big freezer. Now, I know what we are having for dinner. I will make slaw and open a can of corn. Since I eat little fish except home caught and fried, I did not know what besides slaw to make. I am not making hush puppies. Okay, maybe I will. 

I love an easy dinner. 

Tomorrow, I have scheduled an appointment to have a dishwasher installed, delivered from Cullman. Then, we have to get to Cullman for a dentist appointment for me. I need my own dentist. 

Have you ever had pickled Vidalia onions or pickled onions of any sort? Have you found exorbitant prices at some drug stores for things that should be very cheap?