How To Fix Food For Six Days In Advance

Hell if I know but I'm going to try!!

Hubs and I decided we needed to stay home for a bit to save money and get things done around the house. If I'm not in town, I can't spend the money, right??

So, today he comes up with this bright idea of fixing 6 days of meals in advance (I mean, of course it's in advance, where else could it be? Behind in advance?) so we don't have to go to town.

This is a great idea if I knew how to do it. So, I'm getting my trusty recipe book down and see if I can somehow plan this out. Planning isn't my strong point as seat-of-my-pants cooking/living/riding/gardening/etc. is more my modus opperandi.

I know I can do spaghetti and meat sauce easily enough but for 6 days? Don't think so! So, I think maybe a stew for 2 days and then some tacos too. Sounds good. Then I think I might pop a cake in the oven, you remember my oven that still needs to be cleaned?? That will last for a couple of days. I did up a cuke/tomato salad thingy too. I always have grapes and bananas on hand for snacks. If I don't have my fruit, I can get mighty cranky.

As always, I'm doing sun-teas right now with one flavored tea bag of cinnamon-apple or orange or lemon or spearmint. Coffee is always on at our house as hubs can't live without it. There are some chips and salsa going on too.

So, I think I'm good for the 6 days. We'll see how long this actually holds out, how long we actually make it.

What an experiment, eh??

Boo-Boo In My Oven

Welp, my new stove has been properly broken in.

I baked my favorite of chili with beans, cheese and covered with cornbread. (BTW, I make my cornbread from scratch...) Anywho, I used the 'usual' pan but seems like this time, the chili came up a little high on the sides of the pan. Then I sprinkled the cheese and poured on the cornbread batter. Popped that baby right into the oven.

So, a bit later, I pulled it out and thought the cornbread looked a little light colored, not the darker brownish yellow. Poked my finger in the middle of the crust and sure 'nuf, the dough oozed out. Popped that rascal right back in the oven.

Now, remember, this is a new oven and electric to boot so I'm having a bit of a problem getting the heat right. I don't care what the controls say, I can't seem to judge how hot is just right!

A bit later, I looked in and the top looked brown enough. Pulled it out and over one edge, the chili had risen up in revolt and spilled over the edge. Oh, %*#(&$, thought I. HOW do I clean that??

Now, let me tell you...chili that is cemented on is a pain. I have to chisel it out and then clean the bottom of the oven. What a joy, eh?

But now I know I need to watch how much chili goes into the pan. I used the same sized cans of chili that I always do but it was a different brand. It couldn't be that much different, could it?? Never have I had this happen before.

The main thing, though, my oven is not broken in. A boo-boo has occured!!

I Didn't Give Up On Baking Bread

It paid off big time, I'm proud to say!!

Yesterday, I didn't feel so good but not bad enough to stay in bed or my Lane recliner so I thought I'd peruse the cookbooks and see if something struck my fancy.

At first, I thought a coffee cake would be a winner but after reading about the rolling up and all that stuff, didn't think I wanted to go there.

Then I found a recipe for some soups but still, didn't seem right.

I thought of a yellow cake but there was always some ingredient that I was missing. Today I'm hitting the store to resupply my pantry. The move has been really hard on my panty and time to re-stock.

Then I found the recipe for bread. I don't know why I'm so taken with making bread. It's like the Holy Grail to me. I've tried several recipes and basically gotten a bread brick for my troubles. But yesterday?? Oh boy! I hit the jackpot. Something I did sooooo right made the loaf turn out sooooo right!

The crust was a bit hard but the innards was/is nice and soft. It's a stout bread, like something you'd eat with a piece of cheese, not some light and fluffy fluff. My bread, when you eat a piece, you'll KNOW you've eaten something and feel full.

The strange thing, this was the easiest bread I've ever baked (all 3 loaves worth). I found the recipe in an Amish recipe book and easy as pie. I'm going to keep trying and try to perfect my loaf.

Something about baking bread just does my heart and soul good. The yeast and the knocking it down and best of all, the smell of baking bread in the house while it's in the oven.

Oh, yeah....

Now A Word About Brown Sugar

Don't ever put brown sugar in the 'fridge to 'protect' it from the not-yet-seen ants.

Just don't do it or you'll really be sorry and frustrated when you decide to make some oatmeal and you pull out a box with almost-crystalized brown sugar in it.

Really, don't do it...you've been warned!

The Rat In The Stove...Ewwww!!

Yep, the title says it all. We got moved into the new house and somewhere along the line, I turned on the oven. O. M. G. is about the only appropriate response I can think of. The smell!! At first we didn't put two and two together about where the smell came from (we were thinking maybe the heater vents??) but soonest we figgered it out.

So, hubs and I pulled that stove out, unplugged it, then he took the side off. Dear God, it was bad. A rat or uber-big mouse had crawled in there sometime and died ensconced in the insulation. I thought maybe we could replace the insulation but hubby didn't want to try that. So we called the foreman of the ranch we live on and he checked with the owner who said to buy a new stove.

Fine by us!! So the foreman took the smelly stove to town to see if it could be salvaged for something but the repair-guy said it would cost more to replace the insulation and repaint the thing than to buy a new stove.

So, we gots a new stove...that doesn't smell...thank goodness!!!

Don't Let My Hubs Make Popcorn

For once, this isn't a story about me...well, sort of it is 'cause he's my hubby but this is something he did and he can't get out of it.

He likes to make popcorn but we now have an electric stove, not the propane one he was used to. So he got out the makin's and went to work.

After a few minutes, I smelled something 'off' and asked him what he was burning. I got a negative reply. Then I heard him scrubbing the pot like mad, you can't mistake that sound. I asked again and he still denied anything was wrong.

Then I went into the kitchen and he's standing there like a deer in the headlights. He had burned the popcorn and the bottom of the pot is scorched to the max!!

Even now, over a week later, I can still smell that burned smell when I get near that pot!! He owes me a new pot, know what I mean??

Sorta Back But Not Quite Fully...

We got moved in the new house and it's great. However, when we turned the land-line phone on, it's so staticky (not sure of spelling) that we can't hear a thing. Where we live, dial-up is the only internet. The satellite internet service is soooo expensive that I can't justify the cost, yet.

So, I'll have to make do with wi-fi hotspots for the time being but rest assured I'll be back whenever I can. I have PLENTY to report on my cooking adventures.

The really good news is that my allergies have pretty much gone away, not a medication to be seen. I'm clear as a bell!!

You just have to take the good with the bad!! Please keep checking back as I appreciate all my readers!! :-)