From Saturday's Walk

 Poor dead squirrel... Brought out my inner Beatrix Potter!

Just Do It!

I don't know if you have Giant grocery stores in your area. We have them here in the Washington, DC region and they have a partnership with Shell Gas whereby you earn points that drop the per gallon price of your petrol purchases. Generally, for every $100 you spend you earn a .10¢ discount, and these discounts accrue to a possible total of $1.10 off a gallon.

So today after walking with Romeo, I set out to shop at Giant with a purpose. I had a coupon that would get me .40¢ additional off each gallon if I purchased $75 worth of groceries. And it was a task complicated a bit by the fact that I actually have TWO such coupons. My plan for today was to buy more perishable items and just skirt the $75 limit, and then go back later to stock up on paper supplies, laundry detergent, stuff like that. As I shopped I kept a running total in my head, but, of course, some where between $37 and $53 dollars worth of stuff I got confused. When I thought I was pretty close to my goal I went to the check out with the contingency plan that I would just buy some gum or another cloth shopping bag or something if I fell short of the $75 mark.

The line I chose only had one other customer in it, a young African American family. Mom was short and had a very sweet smile, dad was tall with a shy demeanor and dreadlocks, and between them was a little girl, their daughter, who seemed somewhat fascinated with me. I noticed that they were using WIC vouchers to make their purchases. People buying food with food stamps is not an unusual sight around here. (Ironically, I never noticed anyone do this when I lived in Kentucky--so much for stereotypes!) Most of the time you see them used for the purchasing of milk, bread, cereal and maybe juice. I know the program limits the sorts of things you can buy. This couple had the milk and bread, but also eggs and then a lot of vegetables and fruit. I've never seen anyone buy fresh produce with WIC vouchers before.

As the cashier rang up each item, she would wait to make sure it was approved: Swipe and YES for--carrots, cabbage, lettuce, avocado, apples, grapes, and even a mango. But when she swiped the potatoes--EEHH, nope, potatoes not approved. "What?" I thought, "You can get a fucking avocado, but you can't but a little bag of potatoes?!" Without really thinking about it, I said to the young man, "Sir, excuse me."

He looked at me and inquired, "Yes?"

"Can I pay for your potatoes?"

A little startled, he asked, "What?"

I repeated myself, "Please, let me pay for your potatoes."

He and he wife smiled and he said, "Thank you. God bless you."

Now, this is the one time when I would not challenge the existence of God. In a place where he had nothing to offer even my meager act of generosity, he was still able to give me what to him was precious. And to be honest, I felt blessed. Not by god, but by the fact that I could help them, and that I had been helped in so many ways by others in the past that I knew the value of passing it on, even in a little way.

My bill came to $77.83. I realized later that it was those damned potatoes that put me over the $75.00 threshold. I'm certain that the savings I will receive the next time I fill my tank will more than cover the cost of that little bag of potatoes.

Rudolph Stamps!

Winter Transitions

In winter, my gardens go to sleep, and gardening moves inside.  Some examples:

 Brought some of the Spider Plants in out of the outside containers, like the one below.

 Spider plants gone--Violas in!  They will over winter well.

Bought these adorable little terra cotta planters (made in Italy) at my local hardware store.  Planted them with Nasturtium seeds and decorated with a little lime green lichen.  Voila--window nasturtiums.  

What I'm Reading #71

This book took me by surprise.  Not a topic (Tennis) that I really give a rat's ass about.  But don't let that stand between you and a transformative story of unapologetic pride and generational wisdom.  I loved this book, and I'm a better person for having read it.  You will be, too.

Happy Dog!

Nothing delights Romeo more that a good gnaw-able Beef marrow bone!  I love him so much.  He has great technique in cleaning the bone bare, too!

Oh My Darlin'....Manderine?

For those of you, like me, who used to look forward to those crates of Clementine Oranges that appear this time of year, and then became disappointed with them as the season of their presence extended and their quality dropped!  Here's a new find I had today.  Mandarine Oranges!  So sweet.  So easy to peel.

And they came in a bag so you could inspect all of them!  I hated buying a crate of Clementines only to discover that the ones on the bottom were mold-ridden.  YUK!

Beef Tips with Whipped Potatoes

Beef tips cooked in a crockpot with onion, water, butter, and canned diced tomatoes with zesty peppers over night.  Used au jus to make the gravy.  So simple.  So delish.

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This is a variation on my Tuna Mushroom Noodle Casserole and demonstrates how with the basics, you can do whatever you like!

Here is the former recipe with the changes highlighted.

The sauce is made from:
~ 1 can condensed Cream of Mushroom soup <-- i="">replaced with
CREAM OF CHEESY BROCCOLI
~ 1 8 oz. Sour Cream
~ .5 cup Mayonnaise
~ 8 oz. of shredded Vermont Cheddar Cheese <-- span="">replaced with COLBY JACK CHEESE~ Tbsp of Olive Oil <-- span="">Omitted
The solid ingredients are:
~ 2 cans of solid Light Tuna <-- span="">replaced with PRE-COOKED SHREDDED CHICKEN~ 24 oz of Button Mushrooms (sliced) <-- span="">replaced with CHOPPED BROCCOLI~ 1 bunch of scallions (sliced)
~ 2/3 pkg of Egg Noodles (cooked)

Topping:
~ Crushed potato chips (a must) <-- span="">replaced with FRENCHES CRUNCHY ONION TOPPING
Still baked @ 325˚ for about 50 minutes.  Completely different taste, but basically the same recipe in its bones.

Pride Birthdays and Memorials for the Week ~ November 9th to November 15th

Alabama: Remembering the Soldiers in the War on Terrorism Who Never Lived to Become a Veteran

Alaska: Remembering the Soldiers in the War on Terrorism Who Never Lived to Become a Veteran

Arizona: Remembering the Soldiers in the War on Terrorism Who Never Lived to Become a Veteran

Georgia: Remembering the Soldiers in the War on Terrorism Who Never Lived to Become a Veteran

Illinois: Remembering the Soldiers in the War on Terrorism Who Never Lived to Become a Veteran

Kansas: Remembering the Soldiers in the War on Terrorism Who Never Lived to Become a Veteran

Kentucky: Remembering the Soldiers in the War on Terrorism Who Never Lived to Become a Veteran

Maryland: Remembering the Soldiers in the War on Terrorism Who Never Lived to Become a Veteran

Massachusetts: Remembering the Soldiers in the War on Terrorism Who Never Lived to Become a Veteran

Michigan: Remembering the Soldiers in the War on Terrorism Who Never Lived to Become a Veteran