Cucumber Sandwiches Recipe

 Remember the pants that dumped my phone on the road as I got out of the car? The ones I have still do it. It is so frustrating. The other day, I was digging around looking for something. I came upon a small, squishy bag among hard items and wondered what it was. Well, apparently it is two more pair of the same pants bought over a year ago. The tags were still on, but the receipt is long gone. 

Aren't I lucky? Not so much. These two are the same as the pair that stays filled with pills and dumped my phone. The pants fit well, are soft, stretchy but do not look like knit pants. So, I decided to keep wearing the pill-y pair. They are good enough for this Pig. I will not wear the others one moment other than out to someplace where I want to look nice, like to the doctor. No wearing them while I sit here. 

This afternoon, well, about 6 pm, we went out. With the light lasting so long, it is hard to think of it as evening. So, I guess we went out this evening and bought water, bananas, PAM bogo, and Cheerios bogo. I decided I wanted Special K Original. By the time we got home around 7 pm, I would rather have died than cooked or dealt with dinner. But, I gave myself a talking-to and got up and headed to the kitchen. 

In the freezer was a package of two chicken legs and another package of two chicken tenders. I thawed the legs for Tommy. He had chicken, corn on the cob, and sweet potato. He was happy. I had Special K with bananas sliced on it and milk. I finished dinner with the two chicken tenders. Right now, I will have apple. 

If I double up on vegetables tomorrow, does that count? 

For nights like these when I have no ambition or when I am sick or we have been gone all day and I am tired, having frozen protein is a lifesaver. He could have had salad or opened a can of peas. Now, the leftover, refrigerated vegetables are gone. Tomorrow, I will probably bake carrots, potatoes, onions and zucchini for dinner. That will be enough vegetables to last at least three days, maybe more. 

Cucumber sandwiches, at least the ones I make, are one of my favorite party foods. I took them for about twenty years to my friends Christmas Open House. One year, people stopped me between the front door and the table to get one "before they disappear." I had them in a gold wire sleigh and covered with Glad Wrap. People who knew me knew what I had brought, so wanted them immediately. 

I suppose with the festivities in England, cucumber sandwiches are my celebration over here. These won't have the bread cut in circles like I usually cut the bread, but they will be delicious. The European cucumbers were given to me, and the cream cheese was here already, bought when it was on sale a few months ago. 

These sandwiches were a hit at a ninth-grade tea party for my class. The boys took the sandwiches in the palm of their hand like their hands were claws. They had no manners or finesse, but it was sort of cute. Thankfully, I had made dozens since I knew they were young, hungry kids. Maybe it was our old-fashioned picnic where we had these. This was a class outdoors on the grass with blankets. We did study poetry, not just skip class. The meanest, rudest, and most recalcitrant boys cooperated. Feed them home-made cookies everyday and they shut up long enough to learn. Yes, they did learn while eating.

Now, Tommy tells me he hates cucumber sandwiches, and Lynda hate cucumbers, rather, cucumbers hate her. So, I have lots of sandwiches if I use even one of the four cucumbers. Of course, I really hate cucumbers, but these European ones grown in Mexico are different somehow, and I don't know how. But, the European cucumbers don't make me violently ill. 

We recycle and take the items to Publix. The newspapers are the problem. I want to read the newspaper every day. When I was ill several times, I missed days of reading. They were stacked for me to finish. It took me three days to get them all ready to add to our recycling bag. Somehow, Tommy put in papers in the stack for me to read, papers I had read. But, they are ready and a place on the shelf is empty. Things get done slowly some days. 

Recipe: 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix (powdered). I used another brand at one time and cannot remember what it was, just Italian. Put the cream cheese out to get soft. I put it in a low, flat bottom dish and use a fork to blend in the powdered dressing mix. Use whatever bread you like and use a biscuit cutter, juice glass or what ever to cut circles the diameter of the cucumber. Soften butter. Spread a very thin smear of butter on the bread on one side. Put the cream cheese mix on one buttered circle. Put a thin, very thin slice of European/English cucumber and place another circle of buttered bread with butter next to cucumber. I never make the cucumber thick, but that is your choice. Only put a thin smear on the bread. 

My friend who catered weddings made me promise to never give anyone this recipe. That was about 40 years ago and she is not in wedding or catering business, so I think it is okay to give this out. People have begged me for this recipe and this is the first time I have relented. People have begged me for this recipe, promising me they would keep the secret. 

I am hesitating to post this. I asked Tommy and he said it would not be dishonest. My friend and I had a falling out a few years back, but I still kept the secret. I hope you do not think I am dishonest.

How do you use European cucumbers? Do you like cucumber sandwiches? 

Shopping

 I feel well, really well, but I think the reflux and lack of sleep and less food drained me. My mood is great. Just zapped a bit today. 

At a big box store, the electric cart quit without warning. I sat in the middle of a large aisle wait for over 30 minutes! The stress was exhausting. 

I priced low-dose aspirin on Amazon and the price was about $39 for 332. I bought them in a store, 300 for ~$13. I only wanted Bayer as I am picky. We needed spoons, forks and cups, so I bought those. Also, more roach baits just to be sure and hurry this process along. I already see less roaches. And, I found pants that I bought in two sizes because I don't know which size will fit. I will take the others back for a refund.

Then, on to The Pig for a few things. The bell peppers were $0.57 this week where they were $0.50 last week. This week, they are large and shaped where I can make them into stuffed peppers. I got 4 or five items that were less with the app, and I forgot to use the app! So, that will be another trip. 

Peppers, potatoes, and Grill Mates were three of the items I forgot to use with the app. We have not had potatoes in two months except for the two potatoes I bought a month ago. 

I was going to Publix for a few things, but that wait on a dead electric cart used my Publix energy.  Maybe, I will yet today. 

Oh, I did buy cabbage, too. I heard about a new-to-me recipe that I am going to prepare--Colcannon. I am quite sure I will like it because it contains cabbage and potatoes. Have you ever had it or prepared it? 

I bought some pickled Vidalia Onions a month or more ago. Tommy assured me he would never eat them because he did not like pickled onions. No, he had never had any. I loved them but hesitated to use them because of his vehement talk against ever tasting them. Then, last night, I asked him what he put on his salad. Pickled Vidalia Onions!!! He swears I never told him I bought them or discussed them with him. ???

Have you ever prepared or eaten colcannon?  I forgot which blogger mentioned colcannon.

How Do Your Trousers Break?

 By evening yesterday, Tommy had changed his mood about his khakis. He tried on the newer, larger-in-the-waist pair. He commented that he like the extra room. So, that was a positive. I offered to take back the smaller pair and get another of the larger size, but he said it was okay.  He was in a very good mood.

He said something about--"since you don't like my 'good pair' " and was smiling when he said it, referring to the pair with blue pockets that show. He knows when he is wrong, changes his mind and think just not being mad fixes everything! It doesn't!

If you wonder what the BREAK is, click on this sentence. This is how the break on a man's pant should be. 

I was so confused when I first shopped for his pants a couple of years ago. I knew I had seen him in pants in pleats and pants with cuffs. But, he was adamant about hating both. Finally, I told him he was wearing those when I met him. He had gone to the thrift store and gotten those pants! 

Today, we were listening to the news before noon. According to the weather, the rain was going to come in today and continue through the first of next week. I turned to him and asked him if we should just go right now. Within 10 minutes, I was clean and dressed. We stopped and got the senior lunch and took it to the park by the lake and ate. It was delicious--chicken breast baked, delicious green beans, hamburger bun, pears, lowfat chocolate milk, I had water.  Tommy made a chicken sandwich. I threw most of my bun to the birds. He ate the pears, I did not. 

We had been home for about an hour this evening when the rain started. But, I have my mail. It was really packed. Of course, if I did not get so much junk mail, box space could have lasted another three weeks. I did get a Good Housekeeping magazine. I have not had one of these in my hands for over 30 years. It has changed or I have, not sure.

My chair bottoms are done. I picked them up today and they exceeded my expectation. So, now I need fabric. When it quits raining, I will get fabric. 

 

Hemming Men's Pants

 Okay, watching The Bonfire of the Vanities, so this may be short. I never saw it, so now I can. 

We were going to get my mail and do other things in my town today, but last night, I changed my mind. Yes, still recovering from the heat on the 4th. 

Tommy told me two sizes he might need in pants length and width. The smaller waist was available yesterday. Today, I went to get the larger waist size. The problem is the pants are both same length and an inch longer than what he wears. He always wears his pants way too short. Well, I got HELL for bringing out the longer length, same length that I got yesterday. 

He like high water pants, even on suits. He says he sees the pants are too long in the front. Well, he is looking down and sees they break over his shoes. There is no way he will understand how pants leg bottoms fit and look. He thinks they must hang and not touch the front of his shoe! ???

He disagrees that pants legs can be hemmed on an angle, front shorter than back. He knows more about sewing than I do. He does not even have a full-length mirror. How can he see his pants bottom? A man cannot lean over to judge the length of his pants. 

He has never bought a pair of unhemmed pants and had the store hem them. He has never had a pair of pants shortened by store or lengthened. It is impossible to talk to him about this. 

I am still getting HELL for his pants being too long. But, I can hem. He does not care. All his pants hems must fall above his shoe top in the back, that way they don't wrinkle on his shoe in the front! 

Have you ever hemmed men's dress pants? Have you ever hemmed them longer in back than in front? Have you ever known anyone who wanted pants to start out high-water? Have you ever had any role in getting a man's pants hemmed? Men, do you prefer your pants ankle length to keep the front of the pants from wrinkling on your shoe/