Saturday, a Better Day

Jan 8

steps 12,356

 It has been a beautiful day and very warm. It is 8 pm and still 71F. For the last few days, I have not slept well or eaten well. I did not use the pedals for several days. My left leg has swollen more and has spasms. 

Today, we got my repaired necklace from Jared's. There is still something wrong with it. Then, I got a refund from Barnes and Nobles, overdue and denied me for three years. I got my Victoza prescription straightened out. The pharmacist had recorded wrongly what I got when we drove 65 miles to pick it up. I did not ruin the necklace while they had it in their possession. I did not record my prescription wrongly. And, I was not responsible for receiving and paying for a book, Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, that had no title on spine or front of the book. But, I did get all three straightened out today and money returned after everyone tried to blame all these problems on me.

I left home without breakfast because I was miserable feeling. We stopped and got Arby's cheese and beef and senior coke. There were no sandwich specials, but they gave us special prices, making both sandwiches and drinks $7. 

We sat in pharmacy drive-through for 45 minutes straightening out my Victoza. The nicest tech and pharmacist were on duty.

We went to Publix to pick up supplements that I finally found. 

It was a short day for us. I sat in the car the whole time. 

At home I made slaw and prepared a cabbage and put it in pot. We can eat that tomorrow and for a few more days. The slaw will work for about three days, too. 

For dinner we both had baked chicken and slaw. Tommy had little rolls, so he made little chicken sandwiches. I ate about 1.5 cups of slaw! Delicious. 

It is 8:30 pm and 71F. It has been a fantastic day weather-wise. Lots was accomplished, mostly old business. It feels good. Tomorrow, Sunday, it will rain, cool off. Rats! But, the weather is moving toward blazing hot summer weather. Great!

Do you have long-term things that need to be resolved or ones you finally resolved? 

How was the weather today where you are? 

Tomorrow Tommy will plant my bulbs!!!

Forgot to say--eggs Grade A Large are $4.59 at Publix.

A Haircut

 Wednesday night, I went to sleep at 8 pm and woke at 2 am. Of course, I could not go back to sleep until about 7 am and slept until 9 am. I wish I could develop a better schedule, but at least I am getting seven or eight hours sleep. And, I am not awake all night, necessitating sleeping in the day.

Tommy is funny. I told him the other day that I would cook the small cabbage and to get the larger cabbage out of the plastic bag and don't put it in the refrigerator. He incredulously asked, "And, let it sit out for days out of the refrigerator." I suppose he thought it would rot in three or four days. I always store cabbage in the crisper, but the refrigerator was full. Two days on the table where it is cool was not going to make it rot. I forgot to cook it today! 

He said he liked the way I cooked cabbage. Some people, he said, cooked cabbage to mush and he likes cabbage with a bite. 

I have an appointment to get a haircut on Tuesday, but the weather will be bad. I have not had a professional haircut since 2018! It is too long, scraggly, and cut wrong. I just hope the roads are not frozen. I am so excited!

Tonight, I had chili, hotdogs, shredded cheese, and half a hotdog bun. Tommy had two hotdogs, catsup, mustard, and relish. 

The ot who was scheduled for 3:30 to 4--arrival came at 5 pm. The nurse called, expecting to come here tomorrow morning. She told me most people never went anywhere, so I told her most of the time I went out and sat in the car while Tommy went into stores. So, she misses seeing me this week. 

I tried once again to contact the cleaner the doctor recommended. No contact. 

The table to my left desperately needed cleaning of bits. This has been done. It has been an uneventful/boring day.

We are expecting rain for two days, then freezing weather. If snow is forecast, I will make the milk concoction for snow ice cream. YUM

Do you have snow forecast for next week?

Chicken or Not Chicken

 Tommy and I have had a discussion off and on for about four days. I asked him if he put the whole chicken in the refrigerator to thaw. He said no, that he put it in freezer. I told him I wanted it to thaw. He said I told him to put it in the freezer. I looked in refrigerator for milk and saw a bulging chicken-like thing. I felt it--smooth like a chicken and not too hard, maybe thawing?

When I sat down, we discussed this. I asked him why he put chicken in a plastic bag on the top shelf. He said the chicken was sitting on a small cookie pan. I calmed down then. 

Wednesday, I wanted to roast that chicken. He once again told me there was no chicken. I reminded him about him saying it was sitting on a pan. I described exactly where it was located. Then, he knew what I was talking about. He declared:

"That is a cabbage!" 

We had a good laugh. So, I won't be roasting chicken or cabbage. 

He did not want the freshly shucked corn on the cob, so it did not get cooked. I think we finished the squash and cabbage we cooked earlier this week. I hope the tomatoes are still good. 

Tommy now has two walkers. The one I ordered in a hurry because his broke and he had to use mine is huge and very heavy to lift in and out of the car. Besides, he was beating up furniture and doors. Then, he was given a replacement walker for the one that broke. I suggested he use the heavier. larger one in the car and use the lighter. smaller one in the house. So, now he drives the lighter one to car, unloads things like our water bottles to car, then turns around and leaves it on the lawn next to the ramp. 

Usually, when we get home, I push his walker to him so he does not have to walk to it and then back to the car to get groceries and stuff from the car. This will all work as long as it does not get ruined in the rain or this winter. When I have to hold onto the car, like when I get in, I think I will get burns on my hands. I don't know how he holds onto the hot car all the way across the back of the car and then to driver door. 

Today, we finally made the return at a store and dropped off the UPS. I said for the fortieth time, "Why don't we stop and look at a car," as I gestured toward a Ford dealership. I finally found an SUV I could get into and one that did not hurt my back. We found many that won't work for us. More tomorrow.

Do you hate shopping for a car? I do.

We are still laughing and joking about the cabbage chicken.

We watched the debate. Did you?  

Vegetable Broth and a Vow

easy, delicious, cheap

Parsimony when cooking involves not just the cost of the food, but also the cost of the cooking. I am cheap! The potatoes were free at the grocery due to savvy shopping. Carrots were frozen ones that I had for dehydrating--half a bag. Vidalia onion was bought cheaply this summer and stored. The cabbage was expensive. However, figuring it was huge and has made 14 servings over one week, the cost is okay--$3.. 

All this went into one pot. First, the water was put on to boil as I washed and trimmed the eyes from the unpeeled, red potatoes. About five minutes later frozen carrots went in. Fifteen minutes later I had the cabbage ready and then sliced the onions and added them. About five minutes later, I turned off the eye and put on a lid just before I took the smoked turkey leftover from the oven.

 

Yes, I boiled cabbage. Wait until you hear the rest. 

 

With this I served the last of the smoked turkey from last week. I baked it for an hour before serving.

 

From this huge pot I got two servings (one each) for exbf and I on the day he was here. He took home two servings (maybe more) and I ate another two and have three servings left. So, that is at least 9 servings from the one $3 pot of vegetables. The smoked turkey was only $10 last winter. We got many more meals than 9 from the turkey, maybe 20+ servings. 

 

serving of turkey=$0.50 or less

serving of vegetables=$0.33

one meal=$.83 or less
water he drank=free
my glass of tea=negligible

 

My servings are generous!

 

Yes, I boiled it all and forgot to put the one pat of butter in. One pat is enough. The only other addition was about 1/4 tsp. of salt.

 

The result of boiling is a "broth" that is delicious. Some may be horrified as it is rather bland and has bits of vegetables, lots of mushed up potatoes . But, the nutrition will not be wasted. I have nothing else to use it for, and I just don't have room in my tiny refrigerator-freezer right now. Besides, I am looking forward to drinking it! I have not taken a picture, but the broth is murky with bits of vegetables small enough to swallow and too small to scoop out.

 

Vow?
I will never pour out even one bit of liquid from cooking any vegetable. From here out, I will freeze it...just as soon as I drink the pint of liquid saved from my one-dish vegetables.

Bonus
One pot is all I washed!

 

Your turn

Do you save vegetable broth? What do you do with it? Do you ever drink it?