Supertunia Another Nursery

 Once again, two days in a row, we got up early and left early to go to Cullman. We got the one chore done. 

Then, we tried Walgreen's there to see if I could get the pictures from my flip phone. The phone company told us to try ourselves. So, now, I am fit to be tied. There is an error message on my laptop. 

While I was in Publix, I finally found nine-volt batteries. I know they are more expensive than elsewhere, but it's done. We both put two batteries in each chair's battery compartment. Now, I won't be upset when there is storming. These batteries will only work for one lowering of the chair. Then we need a new set at $12 for two batteries. I will find these at a cheaper price. Oh, I also won't need to be hauled out of my chair by fireman each time we lose electricity. 

There is a huge nursery we visited, complete with lots of wagons to pull plants and a golf cart to take people around the immense grounds. The guy walked and got one plant I wanted, a supertunia. When I asked him to get the other I wanted, he said it all the way to the end. "Do you want me to walk all the way over there?" He was just a worker. I asked for someone to drive me to the other end, "over there." A guy came out, older, probably the owner and said it was too busy, to come back next weekend. I was furious, but just bought the one hanging basket. No, neither man knew I was unhappy. But, I wanted to give them both "what for."

So, I will call with my complaint. There are other nurseries in Birmingham. 

We saw a sign that said--FREE LUNCH

                                         PRAYER

Why not? So, we got lunch. Tommy had a hotdog. I had a hamburger. We had water. And, could think of nothing that needed prayer. I figured the guy would grab us and start a rant of a prayer. But, he said, "Just know Jesus loves you." Oh, he said there were cookies, but he did not bring us any. We did not need cookies, anyway. 

A soon as we arrived home, I went straight to my bedroom with a detour to the bathroom, put on my nightgown and got into bed. I slept three hours and feel better. 

The birds under the gutter are robins. Tommy could never see the bird that went to the nest, only a bit of the head. Now, we can see little baby beaks stretching upward for food. They are hungry little fledglings. I hope we can see them learning to fly. 

I am not cooking tonight. We are having a salad with meat in it. Good enough! Tommy made his salad, and now it is my turn. I do have chicken thighs I need to cook tomorrow. I know it may be silly, but I want some vegetable soup with beef in it. I would put chicken in the soup, but Tommy thinks that sounds gross, so beef it is. 

Saturday was hard but productive. The sun was so bright that it hurt my eyes on the interstate as it was shining on my side of the car driving north, then south.

Was your Saturday productive or pleasant with sun and flowers? What plants did you tend? Did you bake something delicious?

Salad Soup

 We bought two Fresh Express American Salads this past week because it was on sale for $3 each. Of course, we went to the food giveaway and received another four bags. And, a friend gave me her salad. So, I have more salad than we can eat without it going bad. I told Tommy that we were going to have salad soup! He said, "Well, I hope you can put some beans or meat or something in it to make it a little more." I laughed. 

The American Salad Blend has iceberg, Romaine, carrots, red cabbage, and radishes. We also got two carrots that I think will go into the pot along with a couple of potatoes we received. We also were given 4 carrots and 4 potatoes last week. Of course, that was the week I bought 4 pounds of carrots! And, I have potatoes left from two weeks ago.

I received another box of huge stuffing mushrooms. I am going to cook the mushrooms and maybe freeze them or just stop the deterioration and store them in the refrigerator. I certainly don't want them to go to waste. We received two Roma tomatoes and four bananas.

I received a package of huge turkey tenders, two packages of ground beef, and a pork loin, and chicken/onion/pepper on skewers. This is more than enough meat for two people for a week. 

Tommy went into Publix to get the last day of sales. Everything but apples were reduced. Wednesday starts a new sale week. He took a list. Even though my apples were not on the list, he remembered, called me and got apples. He bought--toilet paper, Kleenex, cherries, 2 Chunk Medium Cheddar Kraft cheese, a bell pepper, two apples, 3 Dasani water. 

I never buy Kleenex, but my nose is running like a faucet. Cherries finally came down where I felt like they were affordable, but still expensive. I needed the bell pepper for the meat loaf I want to make.

About the list, after the cleaner picked up clothing, I cannot find the black and navy-blue dress I wear to color my hair. I actually thought it was hanging in the closet! So, I suppose I will find a tank top or the rattiest of my nightgown and wear that for color and trimming of bangs.

So, those are the plans today--salad soup, meatloaf, hair color, bangs trim. Leftovers are for dinner. It is 6:30 pm, so I need to get busy. I have not been lazy today, just did other things. 

Tommy took out 3 packages of chicken--two chicken breast packages and one package of thighs--from the freezer. I will cook these and the packages of poultry from today so that I can freeze it. A little pepper and garlic powder leave these capable of being seasoned with other spices when we use it later. 

Have you ever had salad soup? Of course, I am being silly by calling it "salad soup." What would you put in with five bags of salad? 

So, five bags of salad go into a pot for salad soup.  

"What All is in That Chicken Salad?"

 Sunday, I made Martha Stewart's Hot Chicken Salad. Tommy was heavily involved. He washed a bowl. I carried the cheese and knife in to my chair. He brought the grater, washed the bowl and brought it to me. I chopped the celery and but he brought it to me, brought me Mayo, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and the chicken. When I had chopped, grated, measured, he carried it all back and put it in the refrigerator. He turned on the oven and put on the topping. Then, when I asked him to make himself a salad to go with the chicken salad, he said, 

"What all is in that chicken salad?" 

I was speechless. I told him I would surprise him. He accepted that. He does not mind at all helping me so I do not have to stand. I am grateful and thank him profusely. He like this, celery and all.

copied below from practicalparsimony@blogspot.com

I don't remember if I got this from a magazine or someone gave it to me after I tasted it at a church dinner.

Family Circle
Martha Stewart's Hot Chicken Salad

2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped chicken or turkey
1 cup mayonnaise (I use 1/2 cup or less)
1/2 slivered almonds (I never use this)
1/2 shredded sharp or mild cheese (I use medium cheddar)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 crushed potato chips

Combine everything but chips. Mix well.
Turn into a buttered casserole.
Sprinkle with crushed chips

Bake at 450 for 20 minutes.

On a busy night this is easy to assemble if chicken is already cooked. I havepre-chopped the celery to hurry the assembly. Sometimes, I chop the chicken or turkey as I put away leftovers of either. The whole casserole can be assembled ahead of time, leaving off the chips. I crush the whole tiny bag of chips.

Less mayo does not affect the taste or texture of anything. almonds are too expensive.

In order not to have chips to tempt me, I buy the little lunchbox size of chips. In the past I have bought the bag that is about 8 inches high. I do not need a regular bag of chips.

Have you ever Martha Stewart's Hot Chicken Salad? 

Tonight, Tommy wanted to watch "The Weakest Link." We did. I just cannot stand that mean woman, Jane Lynch. She is not funny at all to me. Do your like her?

Sunday Night and Tomato Seeds

 Sunday night did not go as planned. The turkey had been in the freezer for several days and on the top shelf. It was still frozen almost solid. So, I put it in a pan in the sink with cold water on it, not over. I was disgusted. Now, it is almost 10 pm and I have to roast it, wait for it to cool, remove the breast and have Tommy remove the meat from the carcass. Neither of us are looking forward to this chore. But, we are willing. I checked with Tommy to see if he cared. Since it is still partially frozen, it will have to cook longer. GAH! I am glad I had a nap. 

We had a delicious and healthy salad, lots of Romaine, turkey on it, and tomato. I had shredded cheese. 

When I bought Tommy's cereal today, I bought two more bags as they were 3 bags for $10. We love Romaine, all sorts of greens for salads. My favorite way to use turkey after Thanksgiving is whole wheat bread, turkey, Miracle Whip, slices of real cheese and spinach, lots of spinach. Tomato slides off so I just dice a tomato and eat it with a fork. His cereal was bogo. 

He told me today he needed cereal and yesterday that he needed milk. He was completely out of both. I suppose I need to ask him every time I go to the grocery if he needs either! He will not tell me beforehand. Oh well. 

One day, I noticed a piece of something on Tommy's empty plate. We had a salad and the piece was huge and looked like tomato. I asked. It was tomato, so I asked why he left it. SEEDS. He hates tomato seeds and the membranes around them He said he liked the last tomatoes I brought home because they had few seeds. I think that part seed part of the tomato is really tasty, unlike him. Is there anyone who does not care for the soft part of the tomato with seeds? 

It is now Monday, and I have prepared 6 huge Granny Smith apples. I am making a pie in two rectangular glass pans. It will have a topping, plus all the spices inside the pie. This is one of my projects for the day. I need to wash my hair, make the gravy, and freeze the turkey I cooked last night. Tommy is going to take the rest of the meat off the carcass. The wings and legs will be frozen for him and he will take that meat off as he is ready to eat it for a meal, his idea, not mine. 

One of the pies is for now, the other for later, like Christmas. Maybe I will get two pumpkins baked tomorrow. I just looked at the recipe, and I intend to only use half the sugar. 

Now that I have finished the antibiotic, I feel soooo much better. However, I still did not sleep because of J trying to cheat me out of something. Well, he is cheating me! Maybe I will take a nap. 

Seriously, do the tomato seeds and the membrane surrounding them bother you? I like them when I put home-tomatoes in soup. Is anyone else baking apple pie for Thanksgiving?

Gardens, Rain, Chipmunk, Delta, Endocrinologist

The neighbor had someone mow and use the weedeater on the lawn today as it was threatening to storm. It did rain quite a bit when he quit. He ran with the push mower after he finished with the riding mower. Tommy said he was running with the weedeater as it rained on him, getting back to his truck. So, it will look nice and neat for a week. 

That is the only bad thing about living in such a rainy place--grass needs mowing all the time. Of course, the tomatoes and other vegetables thrive, too.  In about a month or less, people will be begging for rain and gardens will be too dry. 

Because all vegetables were eaten except for two grape tomatoes and two tiny squashes, I did not plant one thing this year! I may have figured out what was eating my vegetables. Yesterday, I saw a little striped chipmunk scurrying along the ground under the ramp. I suppose they eat vegetables. They did eat all the roots and tops of my Hosta! 

I have only seen one cat in this neighborhood, one sighting, I mean. Cats will get the chipmunks and kill them. So, there are no natural predators for the pests. I wonder why so few people have outdoor cats. I have never felt this way before, but I am not going to fight to keep things alive and watch ripe vegetables disappear. 

Remember I bought Jimmy Dean sausage because Tommy cannot stand the Johnsonville sausage? Well, today I cooked the package of Jimmy Dean sausage and he loved it. So, I will have that ready for him to eat on mornings we leave town early and he would ordinarily stop at Hardee's. I hated to insist he eat something he did not like. He sort of enjoys stopping for his sausage biscuit. So, now he can eat this sausage he enjoys with bread at home unless I buy or make biscuits. 

When I make him a salad, he complains I give him too much. So, now, I tell him to go fix a salad and he comes back with a huge plate full of salad, three times what I serve him. He found carrots shreds and uses it all the time, along with salad greens of all sorts. He keeps all things salad very organized in the refrigerator. Plus, I keep other vegetables sliced or diced for him. Tonight, we are having spaghetti and meatballs and salad. He will have sliced zucchini, bell peppers, and carrot shreds on top. 

He hates mushrooms, so I have a little jar of mushrooms that will go into my sauce once I dish it up. His will not have a mushroom at all. I would hate it if someone insisted I should eat something I hate. But, I tell him to pick out mushrooms and I will eat them. 

Although I have had some positives from my endocrinologist, I am replacing him! He is not giving me refills on items I need. He has started to become lippy with me, too. I do not need a smart mouth when I am in need of help and advice. At my last visit, he did not refill anything even though we discussed what I needed! My friend told me who he goes to, and I will try him. 

More cases of covid19 are seen here in Alabama. I was going to go and have the stents put in arteries. Now, I am once again hesitant to go anywhere near the hospital. Of course, Alabama is the least vaccinated state in the Union at 32%.  

Have you found that striped chipmunks get into your garden? How do you eliminate them? Are you hesitant once again after the Delta variant has become more prevalent? What percent of your state is fully vaccinated?