It Was a Food Day

 

I invited my renters over for supper tonight to thank them for keeping an eye on things, bringing in my mail, and mowing the lawn while I was away.  I had three lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts marinating for 24 hours so I fired up the grill for the chicken, roasted about half of my homegrown potatoes, and baked a dozen 10-cup cookies for dessert.  They brought salad.




 


To serve the salad I got to use one of my faves of the things I bought on vacation.  It's a pair of bear paw salad tongs.  Well, not tongs really, they aren't connected so maybe salad servers.  Anyway, when Durwood and I went to Yellowstone 7 years ago I saw these and wanted to buy some (they were $8) but Durwood said not to because he could make me some.  Yes, he could make them but did he?  Nope.  So I bought some.

 


But first I went to Meijer and bought the ingredients for WW Pulled Chicken, Ancho Chili, and Black Bean Soup.  That was a quick and delicious make.  And a one cup serving is a whopping zero points!



The unhappiest part of the day was when I saw THE RAT out of the corner of my eye.  I went out and filled the birdfeeders this morning and, as usual, spilled a bit of seed on the patio.  Well, there was THE RAT in fine fettle hoovering up the seeds and chasing the chipmunks which weren't easy to chase away.  Arrrgh.  I guess I need to get some more cheap peanut butter and put a lot more Warfarin in it.

 
While I waited for my supper guests I added a few rounds to the Choco Rainbow Sock.  Skinny needles and skinny yarn aren't my favorites.  It's taking forever.


The best part of my day was calling two of my aunts for a chat.  I called Aunt G in Indy asking if she has Grandma's kuchen recipe (which she thinks she does) and she's going to copy off all of the family recipes that got included in her church's last cookbook.  I also warned her that I'd be coming down to stay for a couple nights on my way to visit DD and family in November. She said I can come any time.  I also wanted to tell her what fun I had with her son and granddaughter out in Yellowstone.  Mom's like to hear that kind of stuff.  Then I called Aunt B (the famous Aunt B of the comments) to tell her that Aunt G asked after her (they're on different sides of the family) because they worked at the same company when they were young women.  She made a pineapple upside-down cake this week that she posted on FB that has me thinking about making one myself.  I don't need it but I sure want it.



15 September--Barbara Malcolm, Horizon. 

“Hey, lazy, are you still in bed?”  Clara’s voice from the kitchen made me jump.

“I’m right here by the phone, Clara.”  I got up and walked out of the shadowy hall into the winter light of the kitchen.

“How come you were sitting here in the dark?” she said as she flipped on the overhead light.  “Got any tea made?”  Her voice sounded overly loud and the light seemed too bright.

“I’ll make some.  Turn that big light back off, please.  I’ll flip on the light over the stove.”  I refilled the kettle and put it on to heat.

She sat in the chair at the end of the table and saw the basket and the dishes.  “What’s this stuff?  Did you make yourself a fancy breakfast?”

I pulled mugs out of the clean dishwasher and carried the steeping teapot to the table.  “No, I didn’t.  Somehow Abel got in here last night and left it on the table for me to find this morning.”  I poured us each some tea and pushed the sugar bowl toward her.  “Did you help him?  Lend him your key?”

“Thanks.  No, I didn’t help him or lend him my key.”  She stirred two teaspoons of sugar into her tea.  “Really?  Abel did that.  Are you sure?”

“Of course, I’m sure.  He just called to see how I enjoyed my breakfast.  And there was a note.  Two notes, actually.”  I debated whether to share the contents of the notes.  My instinct was not to, but I knew Clara would be hurt if I didn’t.  “If I let you read them,” I said, holding the envelopes to my breast, “you have to promise not to tell a soul.  Not any of your kids, no one in town, not even Hank.”

“Wow, those must be some notes.” She crossed her heart.  “Okay, I promise.”

I slid the two envelopes to her and watched her face as she read them.

She put each note carefully back into its envelope and passed them back to me.  “Holy cow, Gail.  Do you think he’s got some sort of manual or something he got that stuff from?  I’d faint dead away if Hank ever gave me something like that.”

“I know.  Bert would never have written anything like that either.  You don’t think, as our mothers used to say, Abel is out after only one thing, do you?”

           Clara reddened.  “Lord, Gail, I have no idea.  I hardly know the man.  But you’d better wear your best undies to dinner tonight, just in case.  And maybe pack a toothbrush too.”

            I didn’t tell Clara I had worn my best Victoria’s Secret undies every time Abel and I went on a date.  And that I’d been both relieved and disappointed that so far he hadn’t gotten a look at any of it.  “I’ll think about it.”

            We jumped at a knock on the back door.  “I wonder who that could be?” I asked.  “Did you notice anyone drive in?”  I got up to answer the knock, smoothing my hair and tugging my gaping robe shut.

            “Nope.”  She leaned toward the window and squinted through the tiny unfrosted circle in the center of the glass.  “It’s a florist truck.”

            I opened the door to see what looked like a bouquet of red roses with legs standing on the top step.  A head with a knit cap pulled down to the eyebrows and a scarf over the nose and mouth peeked at me around the flowers.  “Gail Logan?”  It was a young woman.

            “Yes, I’m Gail Logan.  Come on in before you and the flowers freeze.”

            The vase of roses moved closer and I grabbed it.  “Got it?” the young woman asked as she came into the warm kitchen.

            “Yes, I’ve got it.”  I set the flowers on the table.  “Let me give you a tip, but you’re welcome to sit a minute and warm up.”

            Before I finished the sentence she was pulling off her mittens.  “Thanks.  I’m turning into an icicle.  I have got to get the heater in that van fixed.”  One of her small hands reached up, tugged down the scarf, and took off her hat, releasing a cascade of auburn waves.  “There’s no need to tip me, ma’am.  The gentleman who ordered the flowers took care of that.”  She remained standing on the doormat.

It was a gray and dreary day today.  It didn't rain but it sure looked like it wanted to for most of the day.  There was a nice flyover before the game.  I didn't manage to get outside for it but saw it through the window while washing dishes.  I washed a lot of dishes today and I'm running the dishwasher.  I love my dishwasher.
--Barbara