CATASTROPHE IN THE KITCHEN

My husband and I are getting older. And with that comes a bit of forgetfulness. We have been eating out a lot, for a number of different reasons.  So we decided to spend the past weekend eating at home, instead. One of our favorite things to have during the summer months, is a recipe I got for Italian Sausages, years ago. It requires a yellow, orange, red and green pepper. One large Vidalia onion. Canned or store bought stewed tomatoes. And a big pan to dump it all in. Usually when the veggies are cooking I add the sausages to the mix so the flavors blend. For some reason my hubby got in on the act as I was making this, this time. He suggested we cook the sausages in their own pan and add them to the pepper mix later. I wasn't crazy about the idea, but said okay, I'd try it. WHY, I don't know? So... I put the pepper concoction on the stove to cook down. About a half an hour later... I turned the heat on the peppers to a simmer and I took out another pan to put the sausages in and turned them on medium. Then... I went to watch the evening news with my hubby. I don't know if the news was boring or if we were just tired.... but sleep overtook us. We both dozed off with the stuff cooking on the stove. I'm not sure how much time had passed... but suddenly a funny smell woke me up... as my hubby continued to snore away. It took me a few moments to realize something was burning. (This panicked me because I had lived through a stove fire, a few years back.) So I jumped up... and rushed into the kitchen... to see those sausages... burnt almost to a crisp. I didn't think I could salvage any part of them. I was so mad at myself. We had looked forward to this meal all day. Disgusted I took them out of the pan, but quickly realized if I split them in half... there might be some meat on them to eat. What little there was... I smothered with the veggies, and we had dinner. The burnt parts I cut up in small pieces to put down the garbage disposer. But my hubby tried one piece. and insisted I try one too. And believe it or not, they weren't half bad. Either that, or we were still hungry from the slim pickin's on our plates. Vegans we are not. Whatever the reason... we snacked on these very burnt pieces of Italian Sausages. I told my hubby NEXT time the sausages will go in the BIG pan with all the peppers. And he agreed. "No more burnt meat." And hopefully, next time we cook here at home.... we'll manage to stay awake... so the stove doesn't catch on fire. Have you ever had a catastrophe in the kitchen? 

PILLOW TALK

The pillows that cradle my head each night when I go to sleep are five years old. You are supposed to change them out once a year because those creepy crawly dust mites can infiltrate the entire pillow and begin causing problems. But... my pillows fit the contour of my head like a good hat... and give me a peaceful night's rest. So I've kept them, refusing to discard them, at all costs. One of the biggest problems I have... is when I spend the night somewhere... other than home. I am not a happy camper. I have trouble adapting to the pillows there and can't sleep... usually because they are too soft. I hate soft pillows. And feather pillows. They make me miserable. Beyond miserable. I feel like I'm being smothered by fabric. I toss and I turn flat against the bed. I like my head to be elevated, at least two pillows high. I want them to be somewhat firm. But not too much. I realize getting new pillows is probably a good idea, after all this time... But the thought of surrendering my headgear, is a bit daunting. What if I can't find something to replace the ones I have?  Especially the comfort they bring me. There are so many choices available. What if I pick the wrong one?

 How do you test drive a new pillow. You can't really try it out, like a mattress and box springs, can you? How do you deal with this dilemma?  When was the last time you replaced your pillows?

AN ANNIVERSARY, CLEANING UP AND PRIME RIB WITH CAKE

We went out to a restaurant by the lake, a day early, to celebrate our anniversary. The lunch crowd had just left and it looked like we had the place to ourselves. Just the way we like it. But... after we ordered our meal and were settling in to eat it.... there was suddenly a whole lot of banging coming from the kitchen. Maybe remodeling or perhaps something else? Whatever it was... it startled us. Then... there was a loud whirring sound, nearly on top of us... made by folks vacuuming the dining area. So much noise, that at times you couldn't hear yourself think. At first it was funny, and just a tad bit annoying. We thought they'd go away. However, they were persistent. They were doing such a thorough job cleaning the tables and floor, practically in our face... that it got ridiculous. I was going to invite them home, to work on our place... But suddenly a fly on the wall appeared. Apparently it wanted to hone in on our conversation as we dined.We weren't in the mood for a Ménage A Trois (though a glass of wine would have helped)... so I asked for a fly swatter to squash the fly, so we could eat in peace. Instead I got a chuckle from our waitress. Probably a faux pas on my part, asking for the swatter, do you think? Dead flies don't make good meal companions, I should have known. But neither do live ones flying around. Then... we quietly asked ourselves, why are we spending so much money for this meal out... when the intimacy of our window seat, is being ruined by the intrusion of a couple of seemingly nice ladies, just trying to do their jobs. Seems to us they could have been a tad bit more respectful of our rented space, until we finished the meal. Or perhaps it was our fault because we should have told them, upfront... it was a special occasion. (What do you think?) I will say the prime rib there was delicious... and the lemon berry cake for dessert, didn't disappoint. It was scrumptious... every single bite, though not made on site. 

So with another meal under our belt, we added another year to our marriage calendar. But... it wasn't the intimate dinner we had hoped for. 

NOT A VACATION

I AM TAKING A LITTLE 

 BREAK FROM BLOGGING

TO BABYSIT THE GRANDKIDS,
GO TO THE DOCTOR, 

ETC. ETC.

WILL SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

Wherever you go. Whatever you do.

ENJOY YOUR 

FOURTH OF JULY

WEEKEND

PS) Be safe

 if you are in the 

path of the hurricane 

headed for the coast

this week.