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?

Keto Shortcake Recipe or Not

No, I did not make keto shortcake

As I was looking online for the Bisquick shortcake recipe, I saw that Bisquick comes in a keto version and I can make shortcake from that. The following recipe is not keto. I need to look for the keto version in the store.

Ingredients

If you have Bisquick, then you have the recipe on the back of the box! Happy indulging!

4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/3 cup Original Bisquick mix
1/2 Cup milk
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp butter or margerine, melted
1 container (8 oz) frozen, whipped topping, thawed.

Directions

Mix strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar; set aside. Heat oven to 425 F.
Stir Bisquick mix, milk, 3 Tbsp sugar and the butter until a soft dough forms. Drop by 6 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 min or until golden brown. split warm shortcakes; fill and top with strawberries and whipped topping.

Servings: 6 shortcakes
High Alt. (3500-6500 ft); Heat oven to 450 F. for shortcakes, decrease sugar to 1 Tbsp.
450 degrees. 10-12 min.

Number of Servi

copied from https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/

The dough will be VERY soft.

Now, this is how I made it--Use 6 Tbsp sugar and 6 Tbsp of butter. Okay, maybe I did not double it because I don't measure anything but the Bisquick. And, I never use whipped topping at all. Basically, these shortcakes are buttery, sugary biscuits. Maybe you can add butter and sugar to your biscuit recipe.

Several times, I have gotten it absolutely too buttery. Then, I need a spoon to get it onto the baking pan. It is delicious, though.

I would make the original version for breakfast for my children and no topping. They had a glass of milk. They got this maybe 3 times a year and were very happy.

There is no need to remind me I do not need to use Bisquick. I like it.

Last Monday, the temperature was 73F degrees. I was joyous. This weekend the temperature will be 70F, so with DST and high temp, it will seem like summer already.

When I go into a store to shop, Tommy just sits in the car. I keep a shopping bag in the car when we go out. Various items are put in this bag--water, oj, coupons, pb crackers, Kleenex. Then, there are ads and my mail, pens, lists. I tell him to make himself at home with the bag. I often pick up a glossy magazine type ad. He reads these.

He is very busy in the car until he finally naps or just watches people. He keeps his console very neat and goes through and organizes and discards his fast food coupons. He reads my glossy ads/mags. He eats, drinks, reads my mail that I volunteer he can read. Some of the mail is from insurance or ss information, so nothing personal.

Very seldom does he ever call me to encourage me to come out of the store. Lucky him!

Yesterday, with all the groceries in the car, I brought in the ice cream, bananas, and my purse. He had to bring in all the water, cokes, and groceries. When he brought in all the produce, I did go in and put that in the refrigerator.

Last night, I felt much better. This Saturday morning all the horrid pain is gone. But, know I some have pain every minute of the day. So, there is that constant, just not the overwhelming assault of pain.

Okay, Tommy has relented this afternoon and called someone to unclog the kitchen drain on Monday. He says it is my fault because I put things down the sink. NOPE, not my fault. I wipe grease from pans and scrape food from plates and into trash.  The bathroom faucet needs replacing because it s 50 years old and has a leak that cannot be fixed. I suppose he would rather call back with $140 service charge.

He keeps pointing out it is his house and he will do it (attend to drains) his way. Remember--he just had someone out to clear the bathroom drain. He refused to have the kitchen drain fixed because it was not bad enough yet. His money-saving methods do not work most times.

Tonight is taco casserole and salad and later strawberry shortcake. YUM!

What happened that thee is so much space between the body of this post and the comments?