MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - THAI COCONUT SOUP

I found this recipe at Crockpot365 hosted by Stephanie O'Dea. It's an old one from my archives as I didn't make anything new this past week. You can find the original here. I checked and the link is still open. It was a good opportunity to use the crockpot, and I like preparing earlier in the day. Stephanie used a 6-quart crockpot. 

Apparently, I didn't take an actual photograph of our finished soup but did take one of the ingredients. There is a photo at the website, link above, so that you can see what it looks like.

Thai Coconut Soup

4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)

1 can coconut milk (if you opt for the light version, you may want to add a drop of coconut extract to boost the flavor - I did not do this as used regular coconut milk)

4 limes (3 juiced and 1 for garnish)

1 sweet red bell pepper, sliced into strips

4 ounces sliced shitake mushrooms, cut into quarters

1 large vine-ripened tomato, or 4 small medium, coarsley chopped 

1/2 pound extra firm tofu, cubed

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons red chili paste, to taste (you can use red chili flakes)

1 teaspoon sugar

1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Although there are several ingredients listed, this soup comes together quickly. 

Pour the broth into the crockpot. Add the juice of three of the limes and zest one lime until you get 1/2 teaspoon to add to the mixture. 

Stir in the sugar and fish sauce. Grate the ginger and add to the mixture.

Stir in the coconut milk. You now have your soup base. 

Add the red chili paste, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until you have reached the desired heat. I ended up using 1-1/2 teaspoons. You can always add more after cooking, so it's best to add a little at a time to get it to your own taste. You don't have to add anything if you don't like things too spicy. 

Add to the pot the cubed tofu, sliced sweet bell pepper and minced garlic. 

Next, stir in the shitake mushrooms and tomatoes.

Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 2 to 4 hours.

This soup is finished when it is fully hot and the flavors have combined nicely. 

Garnish with fresh lime slices.

Thai basil leaves would also be a nice addition, or cilantro. 

That's all. As always if you have any questions or your own suggestions, let me know in the comment section.

The full address is below in case you would prefer to copy and paste instead of using the link at the beginning of the recipe.

https://www.ayearofslowcooking.com/2008/09/thai-coconut-soup-crockpot-recipe.html

Thanks for visiting and 

I hope your week is a great one.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - ORZO SOUP

 A soup declared a 10 out of 10 by both of us. It turned chilly last week and I suggested a soup. It was delicious and I am glad we made it. We usually only use soups in cold weather, but this will be made all-year round, I'm thinking.

I found it at a food blog called The Clever Meal hosted by Katia. The original recipe can be found here. 

Katia's biography reads in part: 

"I'm the founder, recipe developer and photographer behind The Clever Meal. My goal is to create and share easy and inexpensive recipes with people all over the world. 

The Clever Meal stemmed from my love for simple meatless meals made with everyday ingredients. Not only are beans, pasta and veggies delicious, but cutting out the meat is also great for your health, wallet and the planet. I truly believe that delicious family meals are possible even if you're short on time and have a tight budget."

I highly recommend taking a look at Katia's recipes. We knew we were going to love this one, but didn't realize how much. There are other great recipes we are going to try here.

Orzo Soup

Serves 4 and approximately 203 calories per serving.  

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 medium-sized onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1 large celery rib, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried basil or dried thyme

2 teaspoons flour

4 cups (960 ml) low sodium vegetable broth, add a bit more for a thinner consistency if desired 

1-1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste (if your broth is salty) 

1 cup (165 grams) orzo pasta

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Add the olive oil, onion, carrot and celery to a large soup pot or Dutch Oven, and sauté over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until softened.

Stir in the minced garlic, dried herb (basil or thyme), and the flour. Stir for about 1 minute until the garlic smells fragrant and the flour is combined with the veggies.

Pour in the broth, add the salt (if the broth is not salty), stir well, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.  

Stir in the orzo pasta and cook for 10 minutes or following the directions on the package. Keep the lid off and stir frequently (10 minutes was enough for us).

Turn the heat off, stir in the parsley, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. You might want to add a bit more broth or water if you prefer a thinner consistency.

Divide into bowls and top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a few cracks of black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese if you like. 

Serve with a favorite crusty bread or roll. 

I didn't have any vegetable broth in the pantry and used chicken broth instead. 

We used thyme as our herb.

We didn't drizzle any olive oil over the top but did add lots of cracked black pepper and sprinkled grated Parmesan at the table.

I always try to remember to share the full address of the recipe website, in case you prefer to copy and paste rather than use the link at the beginning. 

https://theclevermeal.com/orzo-soup

If you try it I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

MY USUAL MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST ON TUESDAY - CHEDDAR CORN CHOWDER - 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

Soup weather and we love soups. I found this one at a favorite, Ina Garten at the Barefoot Contessa website, original link for the recipe is here.

Cheddar Corn Chowder - 10 to 12 servings

8 ounces bacon, chopped

1/4 cup good olive oil

6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

12 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)

10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)

2 cups half-and-half

1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar cheese, grated

In a large stockpot on medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about five minutes.

Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. 

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and butter to the fat. Cook for 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper and turmeric. Cook for three minutes. 

Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cobs and blanch the kernels for 3 minutes in boiling, salted water. Drain (if you are using frozen corn you can skip the above step.)

If using frozen corn, add it to the soup, then add the half-and-half and Cheddar cheese.

Cook for 5 more minutes until the cheese is melted.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

Our verdict was that this was an excellent soup. In the photo above, I went overboard on the bacon but it still tasted great. I left bacon off the second night and liked it just as much, maybe even a little more.

 I have never added turmeric to anything but keep 

hearing good things about it and now have a few recipes where it is used, mostly in beverages at the moment. 

People add it to soups for both its flavor and its health benefits. It is said that it provides a warm, earthy and slightly peppery taste, and a vibrant golden color. Additionally, it is prized for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, with its active compound of curcumin being enhanced when combined with black pepper. Anyway, it had a pleasant flavor I've never tasted before, hard for me to describe as it was in the background, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it again.

I thought maybe next time I would reduce the amount of whole corn kernels and add an extra can of cream-style instead. This is just for our personal preference.

We served it with a crusty roll which was very good. 

We have lots and lots of leftovers so I won't be cooking for the next few days. Our main meal is set but we may end up freezing a few portions for another day.

We didn't make any changes as we had everything on the list of the ingredients. 

I wanted to show you what it looked like before the pepper. I added a good sprinkling as there are times I feel like it and other times not. Apparently, freshly ground black pepper activates the good properties in the turmeric. I have to read more on the subject.

The full address for this soup is below, just in case you prefer to copy and paste rather than click on the link at the beginning.

https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/cheddar-corn-chowder

Thanks for dropping by and I hope 

your day is a great one.

Bon appétit!

WEEKLY HAPPENINGS - MONDAY 1/20/25 TO SUNDAY, 1-26-25

 A jigsaw puzzle completed recently. I don't know where this is. It would be really nice to identify the scenes. I wonder why they don't do that? However, the picture was beautiful, and I always enjoy finding the pieces and seeing the picture taking shape.

Hello Family and Friends, the latest weekly goings on for you. You are encouraging me by letting me know you enjoy these. It is always very much appreciated. I will keep going until you all say 'uncle'.

I am starting off with a question. Does anyone have an explanation of why I can’t follow back new followers when I visit their blogs? I have tried many times and always have a pop-up that tells me I have failed to become a follower. Is anyone else experiencing this? I know of one new blogging friend who mentioned that she also had this problem when visiting others. Did I mistakenly change a setting on my blog? I had read a while back that blogger may be getting rid of this feature. I haven't heard anything since. I hope you have an answer for me. It is very perplexing. 

All that being said, thank you to all my followers and to my new blogging friends who followed me this week. I won’t give up until I can return the kindness. I also thank everyone very much for leaving a comment.

The above shows our weather forecast for this week beginning Monday,1/27/25 to Tuesday, 2-4-25. It seems to be warming up a little.

Monday, January 20th, 2025: it snowed yesterday but not much, enough to cover everything, including the mounds of snow that have not melted yet from the previous snowfall. Today it snowed again for 20 minutes, and the sun has been shining ever since.

Son called earlier and the three of us had our usual chat. 

For breakfast I had my Weetabix et al, and Gregg a slice of buttered sourdough toast.

Around 2:00 p.m. we made our favorite soup, cheesy vegetable and corn chowder. We make it often in the winter. Snow on the ground and soup it is. Two hours later we served it with a crusty roll. I have shared it many times but just in case you haven't seen the original link, it can be found here. I have always liked the taste of parsley and added it for garnish. I kept a few sprigs for later to chew on. It is also a great palate cleanser.

Off to get a cup of green tea. I usually have a cup of coffee in the early morning, Green Tea in the afternoon and Honey, Vanilla and Camomile tea in the evening.

Tuesday, January 21st, 2025: Gregg felt like a bagel for breakfast today and off he went. I asked him to bring one back for me.

I found a new recipe to make and added the ingredients to our shopping list. We try to make at least one new recipe each week. We share an online shopping list. I add any additions, always thinking they are there for the next shopping trip. But they immediately pop up on his feed and soon after, he's off to Wegman’s after texting me that he is going there. My additions popped up on his phone while he was eating his bagel. He usually reads the news on his phone at the same time. The shop stopped the hands-on newspaper a long time ago.

While he was gone I did my exercises like a good little girl. Teacher will be so proud. Tongue in cheek? Maybe a tad! It will be the first thing my physiotherapist will ask in the morning. I have a 10:30 appointment.

Gregg arrived home with a bagel and cream cheese, also my coffee which he picked up on his way home. He hadn’t been into the coffee shop for a few days, and it had been noticed. One of the Baristas said “You haven’t been in lately?" He told them his wife was trying to cut back. (True but he did not think to tell them we go to another coffee shop after my physiotherapy sessions, the drive-thru.) They are very friendly and he enjoys the chat. There were no other customers and as soon as he walked through the door, the three of them said, "Hi Gregg!" When he reaches the counter, even before ordering, they know what he always gets, and it is given seconds later before a word is out of his mouth. They also know he doesn't drink coffee but he pops in for me. This has left him in good standing with the young-uns behind the counter. Those young-uns come and go, this is a part-time job for most of them as they are college-age and putting themselves through school. When they graduate they move on, but he always has time to develop a rapport with the ones who are there.

At Wegmans he picked up things for the recipe, which were an onion, 1 sweet red pepper, Old Bay Seasoning, and sour cream. The recipe is a shrimp dish and I already have it set up for next Monday's Recipe Post. We have most of what we need in our supplies. Other additions the man liked the look of on his way around the store; a can of Hormel chili (he wants to try it over his roasted cabbage), crinkle cut frozen fries, 2 more crusty rolls to go with the soup and lastly, a bunch of carrots.

Our late lunch/early dinner was another bowl of the homemade soup from yesterday. 

Son called but he said he didn’t mind us slurping while we were eating (family joke). We offered to call him back but he said if it was okay with us, it was okay with him. We never turn down a phone call. 

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025 at 2:38 p.m: I have been home for a few hours after my physiotherapy appointment. The place was hopping and more men in there than women this time. Many of the exercise beds were occupied. Another young lady started me off today. First the bike, then holding a ball behind my knee and pressing it against the wall, extremely painful. Standing on tippy toes before that, again extremely painful. A couple of other stand-up exercises, can't remember them exactly. Then time for my regular therapist to come in. These young-uns are the warm-up exercise team. 

I was tucked away in a corner today and I had a good view of what was going on until my physiotherapist turned up. There was also a repairman sitting on the floor who had taken one of the exercise machines apart. All the pieces were on the floor around him. I tried to be a bit nosy to see what he was doing, but it was difficult as I was at that time still doing the tippy toes, ouch, tippy toes, ouch, do that ten times I was told. I would have much rather seen what the repairman was doing. My physiotherapist stepped it up a notch and gave me a good work out! The most painful part was her trying to flatten my knee out as I was lying down on the table. It was excruciating. At the end of it all I was hunched over on my way out the door, and limping was more pronounced, as well as feeling very washed out. Gregg said “Remember to stand tall!” Actually, this is what the therapist told me to do in the beginning, try to stand tall, don't hunch over, so I get the occasional reminder through the week from the man. Good advice and actually appreciated.

I briefly met a very nice lady with her daughter today when we first arrived. The mother was using a walker, younger than me and the poor lady’s face was full of pain, she looked close to tears. I was so sad for her. She was having difficulty walking. I didn’t like to engage them in conversation while in the waiting room. They were speaking in a low tone to each other. We exchanged a few more smiles and that was it. It just didn’t feel the right thing to do somehow. There are times you know not to impose. She was called in for her physiotherapy session, but I saw them as they were leaving. By this time I was in the main foyer of the building, waiting for Gregg to get the car. The mother was stooped over her walker and the daughter was helping her. They both looked and saw me sitting across the foyer. Mother smiled, daughter waved. Daughter said something about how cold it was outside, which I didn’t quite catch all but I smiled and waved, wished them well and to stay warm. They got into a car and were gone.

The car also found itself in MickeyD’s drive-thru and, sorry to say, my resolve on no coffee and a brownie didn’t quite work out today. Next time and who am I kidding?  So, lunch taken care of, with dessert.

I had a lovely cup of tea this afternoon thanks to one of my sister-in-laws. 

It was one of the two gifts she gave me the last time I saw her. I took a photo of the box from all angles below. As you can see, it spoke to my heritage, with a little message added from me. 

Very true!

It will be very nice to think of her and the rest of the family when I sip my tea. Hopefully it won't be too long before we see them again.

Dad and son (above as you will probably recognize by now) got together this afternoon and had a fun time in DC. Son had to be in the city and met up with a good friend, and Dad enjoyed his conversation with him too. We have all known him for years but don’t see him as much as son and daughter-in-law do. He is most definitely one of the good guys and in fact is a real sweet guy. Their dinner was at Planet Hollywood. Gregg had a Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken, son ordered a Surf and Turf Burger, which was a Cheeseburger topped Grilled Shrimp. It all looked a bit too much to me, but son said it was great. His dad had a bite, and said he wished he had ordered it instead of his salad, though even the salad was excellent.

At home my dinner was the cheesy vegetable chowder we made yesterday. Love it, will always be a favorite soup, and very comforting on a chilly day.

Gregg arrived home at about ten o’clock and it’s always fun to hear what they did. It was time to call it a day soon after.  

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025 at 5:11 p.m: a quiet day. It was very cold outside, warmer than yesterday at 28 degrees F. It went down to 9 degrees last night. I am off early for my physiotherapy appointment in the morning. We will be waking up to 18 degrees F. There are two appointments a week and I have to do my own exercises daily. 

Gregg didn’t go out today, shocker I told him and he laughed, agreeing.

Tomorrow’s therapy session was going to start at 7:30 a.m., but they called to ask if I could come in at 8 instead. No problem, an extra half-hour was welcomed. The receptionist said at my last appointment that they open at 6:30 a.m. after Gregg asked her. I already have my clothes laid out for the next morning. I don't mind early appointments as it's nice to have the rest of the day free and clear.

No breakfast but around 1:30 p.m. Gregg fixed two fried eggs with corned beef hash and a slice of toast.  It was a nice change of pace from Weetabix.

Dinner was at 5:00 p.m. we finished off our veggie cheese and corn chowder, each having a bowl with a crusty roll.

I had an evening snack of a 1/4 cup of plain yogurt with a few raw almonds. 

I had a text from a friend earlier today. We are going to have a proper chat on the phone for a catchup soon. 

Not many birds appeared. A Mourning Dove, Mr. Cardinal and a few Dark-eyed Juncos, and that was it. Mustn’t forget the two squirrels of course.  They arrived towards the end of the day. 

Friday, January 24th, 2025 at 12:47 p.m: last night I went to bed early, falling asleep right away, probably around ten, but woke up at midnight and tossed and turned all night. I felt a bit light-headed on the way to my appointment. This was the one they changed to 8.00 a.m. from 7.30 a.m. 

We were in the car at 7:15 a.m. when the phone rang. It was the office saying they had to cancel because my therapist called in sick. I think the receptionist was surprised that I wasn’t more upset as she apologized at least three times. I told her not to worry, these things happen and asked her to let my therapist know I wished her a speedy recovery. 

She would have understood if she saw me do a silent 'Yes!" to Gregg, with pointy finger waving circles in the air above my head. I was grinning from ear to ear as I turned to him, did a tiny jiggle in the seat from side to side, my knee paid for it but what the heck. It made him laugh, not my knee obviously but because I was so happy and it was cartwheels in the head time. I find it very easy to say hello to my inner child at such times, 74 going on 16! I felt I had been given a week off from school. I was sad my therapist was under the weather, but after the last session, I was surprised how ecstatically happy and relieved I was. All that being said, I hope she feels better very soon.

An after thought as we were on our way home, I realized that I would miss it as I find it interesting. No logic there! Not just the process but I enjoy people watching. Anyhow, dear man looked at his wife and matched her grin as he turned the car around. This call came through as we were stopped at a traffic light. I told him I would do my own exercises at home. That had to wait as I immediately fell asleep on the sofa - maybe I will rest my eyes for a few minutes first - and two hours later...

From my nap I woke up cold but a cup of green tea took care of that. The temperature outside was 35 degrees F. The house always seems to feel a bit chilly to me. Gregg was out of the house for a couple of hours, and I barely remember him leaving. A little while later the phone pinged and he sent me a picture of a fox. It isn’t very clear, just a back view but look at that tail? Gregg was quietly sitting in his car in a parking lot when the fox suddenly appeared, seemingly oblivious to his presence. This is another built-up area he was in.

Just because it doesn’t show how beautiful he/she is, here is an old photo I took in 2016. I had walked in our back yard and saw this little kit hiding in the long grass peeking out at me. 

Also, this is a link to a post where I got the above photo. 

I am sharing one who surprised me after I looked through the curtains to do my nightly check before going to bed - I may have heard a noise. It ran down the steps right after I took my photo as he spotted me immediately. No flash and only the cell phone. You may remember him as I shared before. It didn’t seem that long ago, long enough though as I noticed our old wooden rails. We had the new deck built in October of last year.

Also, another link here from 2020.

For dinner we had a simple meal of sautéed cubed pork, boiled and cubed potatoes and roasted cabbage with a light dressing. There was enough left over cabbage for one more meal the next day. I will be adding it to the Monday morning recipe post, with thanks to the chef who put it all together. He did a great job having found the recipe on Instagram (hopefully this is the one I shared yesterday, the 27th).

 

Saturday, January 25th, 2025 at 7:33 p.m: not much going on today. Gregg went to our local supermarket for our weekly doughnut and my coffee from a couple of doors up.

We pottered, read a bit and had our daily chat about current events. Son called for his daily chat. He will be over in the morning for a couple of hours after he drops our daughter-in-law off.  

I remembered my sketch pad and pencils and drew this from a picture. Well, I guess it looks like a cat! He also looks like he’s been sipping on the sherry, leaning to the side a bit. My first try in a very, very long time. I am going to look for some tutorials how to draw a cat. I used a black pencil from my new set and didn't take a long time doing it. I rushed it a bit too much. I just wanted to make a start.

I also enjoyed a game of Scrabble and put a few more pieces together on my jigsaw puzzle. This is one I finished a while ago. Hopefully I haven't shared it before.

Lunch/dinner was at 4:00 p.m. and we had one of the man’s delicious cheeseburgers with sliced tomatoes, lettuce, grilled onions and sliced dill pickles. I said he should go sell these on a street corner. I have often told him I like them much better than the ones sold at our fast food drive-thru, at which he looked fake-shocked and said “Yeah, but tradition!”

Snack in the evening was a small bowl of cottage cheese with a few pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top. 

I am once again tired, and it will be an early night for me.

Sunday, January 26th, 2025 at 1.08 p.m: son left half an hour ago to pick up our daughter-in-law. Had a lovely time as always. Breakfast was courtesy of Chef Gregg (mine was 1 each of egg, sausage patty, bacon and toast) and the three of us had another good discussion about a lot of things. He helped his dad carry a few things down to the basement. The Christmas tree has finally been stored away. It has taken me a lot longer to get things moving so far this year.

It looks very bare at the window.  I lost my temporary ‘blind’. The birds can see me coming. I am going to have to put my thinking cap on.

That's about all I have for you this week as I shall be going to bed soon.

Have a great rest of the week everyone, and thanks for sticking through to the end.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE - BEEF BARLEY SOUP

I wanted a recipe that would make good use of the leftovers from our Christmas Day roast and thought of a beef and barley soup. This would take care of what was left of the rib roast.  The recipe called for homemade beef stock, so instead of putting our usual carton of beef broth on the shopping list, we found another recipe which I have added below this one.

My thanks also to “Or whatever You Do”, hosted by Nicole Johnson, where I found the original recipe here.

1/2 stick salted butter

1 cup diced celery

2 cups diced carrots

1 cup diced onion

1 clove of garlic, diced

2 quarts homemade beef broth

4 cups chopped prime rib

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup barley

Place the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup on medium heat, melt the butter.

Next add celery, carrots and onion. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until softened and start to brown.

Add garlic and stir 30 seconds.

Add the beef broth, prime rib, red wine, ground thyme and barley.

Simmer over medium heat until the barley is tender. No actual time was given on the original recipe but we looked on the barley box and it said an hour.  

Crusty bread and a green salad was suggested to serve with the soup.

If you don’t have prime rib, there were substitutions such as ground beef, leftover steak, leftover pot roast or leftover brisket. Other tips and recipes can be found at the above link.

Rib Roast Beef Stock recipe. 

I forgot to copy the link but there are many out there with ones like this one.

2lbs. leftover roasted rib bone

1 cup red wine

3 carrots, cut in half

3 ribs celery, cut in half

1 onion, cut in half

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh thyme

5 whole peppercorns

1 tablespoon kosher salt 

8 cups water

Add rib bone to a preheated stockpot over medium heat. Sear the bone on all sides for a few minutes. Add wine, scraping up any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Next add the remaining ingredients into pot and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Strain the ingredients, discarding the vegetables and rib bone. Allow the stock to completely cool, and chill overnight in the refrigerator. Skim the fat on the surface and discard. Use the stock immediately, or freeze for later use.

Next time I will double the stock recipe as it only came out to about 2 quarts and 4 quarts is needed to give you enough broth for later servings. It was perfect on the first serving, but I found the pearl barley had absorbed a lot of the liquid and we ended up adding commercially bought broth from the pantry. That was fine but it diluted the original taste that we thought was absolutely perfect. The extra added broth will do and would be quite nice if you hadn’t tasted the homemade one first.  That original broth was by far the best.

The full website address is below if you want to copy and paste instead of using the link. 

https://www.orwhateveryoudo.com/2019/01/beef-barley-soup-with-prime-rib.html

Thanks for visiting and have a great day.

WEEKLY HAPPENINGS STARTING MONDAY, 10-1-24

First of all, I want to say that I am thinking about all those who have been dealing with these hurricanes. I've been watching the news, and it is horrific. We have friends in the affected areas, and I take very much to heart Sandra's comment today. We know her as the MadSnapper of course. My dear friend, I am hoping to hear from you very soon. It's a scary thing what you and so many are going through. I wish I could do more to help. If anyone else reads this and are in those areas, please let us know you are doing okay. I say this realizing that phones will be down.

I have been writing today's post and am trying to keep it upbeat. At the end of my profile I say this: I hope you can come here as a place of peace, find something that will take your mind off things for a little while and give you smile. I truly do mean this. 

So here are this week's past happenings. I can't say I will be doing them every week as I don't want to bore you with the mundane, especially with everything else going on.

Monday, 9-30-24. Our son came over for a while. We feel very fortunate he and our daughter-in-law only live 12 miles away, which means we see them often. We chatted for a couple of hours and then back off to work he went. 

I opened the door in the early a.m. to let some fresh air in. This is what greeted me. I cropped the close-up picture from the one below. It is a Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys). Sorry if you are not too fond of them but everything seems to interest me in the insect world, and I automatically reach for my cell phone. 

I thought I recognized it and went outside to take a closer look. I didn't realize they were still around. Just like the grasshopper the other day, it didn't stay for long. I read that with the onset of the cooler temperatures they will try to come inside. There is a link here with more information.

Tuesday, 10-1-24 (1st day of October): We usually go out once a week to eat lunch, normally from a fastfood place taking turns between McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A, unless it fits into our once a month at the Bahn Mi Sandwich shop. This week's food treat however, was a little different and came early, as we were at our last get together only a few days ago at the pub/restaurant for lunch, which was a treat from our son for loaning him our car for a couple of days when he had a problem with his. Today Gregg and I had a car picnic in the parking lot outside The Pure Pasty Company in Vienna. We have been coming here for years as they opened in 2010. It was raining when we first arrived.

Gregg went inside. There is a small seating area but they have very steep steps that go down into the shop, and steps and I have a thing going on right now. There is an open elevator but I have never used it. I know it is safe but I took one look at it long ago and said no, I don’t think so. That’s just me. I do think it’s great that they have one for those who might need it. It looks big enough for a wheelchair, and definitely big enough for a child’s stroller. The shop is brightly lit, nicely painted and kept very clean. There are maybe three tables very close together, with a much larger open area where you can see the pasties being made. Then there is a longish narrow area with the counter on one side to take purchases, and it also has a large, covered display case with several different varieties of pasties made that morning. There is a small freezer on the far end where you can help yourself, and a back wall with shelves of goods for more purchases. Behind the counter is a large oven where they bake the pasties and the smell alone would be enough to draw people in. They should bottle the smell and sell it! Hands down the best I have tasted since Mum used to get them from a local pasty shop in town when I was a kid.

We recently learned the owner also owns The Hawk and Griffin where we were a few days ago, and is only a little ways up the road from here. I am happy to give these two establishments our business. He opened up the pasty shop first, and then the pub/restaurant several years later. Both are outstanding!

We are not frequent visitors to either (not very close to our home) but a couple of times a year we make our way and pick up a few tasty treats. We eat one pasty each for our car picnic in the parking lot - deliberately missing breakfast in anticipation. I nibbled on one before remembering to take a photo.

We buy two more for our freezer. Once we arrived near closing time and they were all sold out of the traditional, which are the ones we always buy. That's why we always turn up at opening time now. Gregg was their first customer today. It was pouring with rain when he went inside but had stopped in time for him to walk back to the car. The shop is on the right where the Union Jack is flying. This is more of an alleyway between two busy roads. There is a bicycle shop one one side, out of sight on the right. The parking lot is on the left, also out of sight. There are a couple of more shops further along, one is a larger restaurant, but I can't remember what it sells.

As for our purchases, dear other half was looking forward to buying a jar of Branston Chutney, which he was introduced to on the British ship he was attached to when on an exchange tour with the Royal Navy in the mid ‘70s. That’s how I ended up here as we met during that time. He bought our drinks for the car picnic (a fizzy lemonade for me and a coca-cola for him), added cans of ready-made English Custard to go with a future dessert when we feel like it, a couple of Cadbury's chocolate bars (and you can probably guess who those were for. They always go lovely with a cup of coffee on the way back. We stop at the drive-thru and the next day I have the other one with my own fresh brew). Next, three packets of bangers (British sausages), which were in the freezer and were transferred to ours until ready to use. We won't have to go again for a while. As I said, it isn't exactly round the corner. The pasties when we bake one at home are big enough that we share, and along with a veggie salad makes for a lovely meal. Well that’s a ramble, are you still with me?  Saying that with a smile and hoping so.

I took a few photos on the way back home. This is a picture of the old 29 Diner in Fairfax. The mural is one I have been meaning to stop and take a photo of. This is from the road as we drove by. I never noticed before but the diner is featured in the third frame of the mural from the left. Hard to see, that's why I am going to park next time we go by. 

It had started to rain again and I don't like getting wet, truth be told. It never bothered me at one time but if I have a choice now, I will stay in the car. Also, it will be nice to get shots of the mural on a sunnier day.

We have only ever been to the diner once, many years ago, when it was still a popular place for the locals, and people driving by. Unfortunately, it had a serious fire two or three years back. We subsequently heard it had been sold but that was some time ago and the for-sale sign was still showing. We keep expecting it to be demolished, like a lot of the old buildings that fall into disrepair. However, we learned it had been renovated better than new after the fire. We are waiting to learn the next chapter.  It's an iconic building and has been in that spot for years, having been built in 1947. You can read all about it here.

This was a very interesting paint job. All expressions of art interest me and I would have liked to ask the owner about this one, but we were both making our way down the road and I quickly snapped a picture when I saw it (from the passenger seat. Gregg does most of the driving nowadays, and my cell phone is always at the ready).

Wednesday, 10-2-24: The first thing I did today was cut my finger. I had started to clear out one of the bottom kitchen cupboards. There was an attachment - a spare blade for our blender. As I was tidying up and I reached in, my finger brushed up against the blade. It normally has a glass container attached, which had fallen off. No stitches but a horrible feeling as I haven't done anything like this in a long time. I stopped to quickly wrap a tissue around my bleeding finger, get the antiseptic and a band aid, and sat down to gain my equilibrium. I will leave the tidy-up of that cupboard for another few days. Blade safely stored away so lightning won't strike in the same place twice. It was in one of those areas with appliances not needed every day. 

Gregg left early to go to the car dealership. We needed an oil change and as often happens, there were other things done. New rear brake pads, a new filter and they rotated the tires. We had the emission checked also and they replaced the PCV valve - whatever that is. The mechanic came in to see Gregg and asked him to go back as he wanted to show him something he found under the hood. Gregg was puzzled as this was the first time he had been invited into their garage section ever, and the other guys were smiling at him as he walked in. 

This is the text he sent and I got the full story when he arrived home:

“The service guy I deal with came in and said: let me show you something. And so, for the first time in 30 years they took me in the back where they work on the cars - impressive. And what a nice guy the mechanic was. What he wanted to show me was all the sunflower shells a squirrel had left in the engine, hundreds. Among other things they were in two of the filters which I had them replace. Always something - sort of funny though.”  

No photos, Gregg said I should have but was so taken aback at the sight. No problem I said, scroll down, lol!

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Da-da-da-dah!

Squirrel Reenactment!

Look at him?

Butter would not melt in that mouth. Most definitely not invited back! Keep your storage space elsewhere thank you very much!

How on earth did it store so many seeds without us knowing about it? The strange thing is I stopped feeding them just before the beginning of the summer, and I haven't fed them sunflowers in their shells for a couple of years as I buy the no-mess variety. I thought perhaps the squirrel had been making the rounds of the neighborhood bird feeders. Neither of us can understand how it got into the garage, as we keep the door down once the car is parked. Where there's a will, there's a way I guess, but we are still both scratching our heads. The last time we took the car to the dealership was five months ago, so this has happened during that time. Also, the car is driven every day. It's a complete mystery and the man will be checking under the hood a little more regularly he says.

Thursday, 10/3/24: Gregg met up with son and I happily stayed home. We have enjoyed our son’s company a lot this past week, once a week usually. They do the rounds of several places. I know I can go with them, but I would slow them down. I am not a big look-around-shop-places person (give me a garden or a trail through a wood, it’s a different story). Besides, I get focused on what I am doing and always say to the man as he walks through the door, that was fast, when actually it’s been hours. I get very focused on my tasks. Among other things, I finished a puzzle on my iPad. I have been working on it off and on for the last few days. I love doing puzzles.

More food talk: The boys had lunch at McDonalds. I fixed myself a fast lunch, a small bowl of noodles in broth, along with a spinach and veggie salad. Now enough of the food talk, except for what follows. Yes, it's a liar, liar pants on fire kind of a day today. 

Friday, 10/4/24: a very quiet day. Neither of us went anywhere and just pottered. Our main event was making soup for our dinner. We have an all-time favorite and this is the first we have made it since last winter. (I mentioned it yesterday). It wasn't really cold enough for soup, but the man says soup is okay anytime, especially his favorite. The photo is from that blog post. It is Cheesy Corn and Vegetable Chowder, recipe found originally in a Southern Living Annual Cookbook I have from 20 years ago. 

Saturday, 10/5/24 at 1.59 p.m: Another quiet morning and now Gregg is watching baseball and I am adding to my daily-doings. (We were going for a ride later but the day got away from us.) I can't remember what else we did tell you the truth.

Sunday, 10/5/24: Our son usually comes over on a Sunday morning. He stays until it is time to pick up our daughter-in-law. We talk about everything that is going on. Later that day they were out on a walk and sent me these photos.

As I made a quick bread this week, I did this picture on Copilot. My tastes tend to go to the old fashioned, and I often like to add a dog. I asked for a vase of sunflowers. They gave me several. Also, that contraption she is resting her dough on. It puzzled me. Maybe it is a way to size the dough. If it passes under the arc, it's the perfect size? These are the things I think about. Maybe it's just a hiccup with the AI. Ah well, what it is to have imagination with a touch of the inner child thing going on. 

This is my last picture and my daily happenings are done. There may be typos in here and disjointed sentences. I will correct any that I find later. My brain is in a bit of a fog today.

Thank you for sticking through with me to the end my friends, and I hope your week is going well. I am wishing each and every one of you only the very best, with extra special thoughts for anyone who needs them.