Saturday, December 31, 2022
Pizza for New Year's
I decided to make pizza for New Year's. I like the pizza that I make myself better than the local pizza places makes. Way better.
I don't often make pizza because it has too many carbs. The last time was Thanksgiving 2020. Ichabod showed up all woebegone, having not been invited to a Thanksgiving dinner. Well, neither had we, so it occurred to me to make something I'm good at and actually like, which is pizza. I didn't make enough crust, since I was using a new pizza pan, and miscalculated. Ichabod din't complain, but I knew he thought my pizza crusts was not up to professional speed.
So, on this night of nights, I made pizza. It's really good.
Friday, December 30, 2022
Fluffy Attack
When I went into the kitchen this morning, there was a strong scent of peppermint oil. ?? Why?
I had bought peppermint oil about a year ago because I had read that Fluffy wouldn't like it. I even considered putting some more out sometime. Anyway, I decided to mix a glass of collagen. I drank it in a gulp, suddenly realizing it was full of peppermint oil. Yikes.
Is peppermint oil dangerous to drink? I suppose I'll find out. Just then I saw the bottle of peppermint oil turned on its side on the counter. The top of the dropper had been chewed off. So Fluffy had managed to open the bottle... But how had he poured it into my glass?
It's been an hour. I feel minty.
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Sunday, December 25, 2022
Saturday, December 24, 2022
Friday, December 23, 2022
The Witch of December is Asked to Leave
The storm arrived here yesterday. Within an hour the temperature dropped 37º, which broke the old record of a drop in less than an hour of 30º. It snowed a little. It looked like someone had sprinkled the world with powdered sugar. However, the road closing didn't happen. The biggest problem was that it rained all day before the drop in temperature to 14º, which caused a flash freeze of any wetness on the ground, and the roads were icy. They told scary stories of having flares with you to summon help if you should run off the road and be stranded in the extreme cold. Translation: Stay home.
So far my fears were stirred up by the National Weather Service to a greater than necessary degree, at least around here. Did the pipes freeze? Yes and no. The temperature went down to 0º by 3:00 am. I left the water dripping, but even though there was a drip, when I turned the faucet on in the morning the water wasn't running. But it started running after a moment and I let it run around three minutes. So I would say it was a close call. Did the power go out? Well, momentarily about five times. A power failure was my biggest fear. Oh, right up there with being snowed in, anyway. What's so scary about the power going out? Isn't the living room heated with gas? You'll be OK. I'd be OK but very sad. I don't want to sit in the living room all night. My domain is my room, and its heated with an electric space heater. Usually warm clothing and covers will stand in for the heater, but not at 0º. Why is being snowbound so terrifying? I suppose I would live through that too. But don't forget, Mrs. Billingsley isn't well. If the roads were closed and we needed to call 911, they wouldn't be able to get here. It's not impossible, but it's not probable these days.
So today I'm breathing a sigh of relief. I'm annoyed with the alarms the weather service was putting out about this event. They are looking at the fact that no one is set up for very cold weather in this area. Therefore advisories and warnings have to ring alarm bells. It feels like they were crying wolf.
Was I warm enough? Up until about three in the morning, when I woke up cold. I put on more clothing and covers, but I never could get warm enough to go back to sleep. But OK, not frostbite. Can I just say that three am is the witching hour?
I mentioned to someone whose name I won't mention but whose initials are Ursula, that the next weather event here will be a warm front with a lot of rain. The temperature is about to turn on a dime. I pointed out that the collision of a warm front with a cold front is what brings about tornados. "You're not going to get a tornado." ?? I'm not sure what the rationale was in that idea, but it is true that 99 times out of 100, even if there are tornados all over the place, they are so random you're likely to be missed. So from that perspective I would say that is correct. But have I ever been in a tornado? Yes. How so? There is no such thing as tornados. I can only imagine that that remark was made by someone that just doesn't understand Tornado Alley. In all the world, this paradise is the place tornados most like to go. "U" countered my point that a very warm warm front was about to collide with a very cold cold front. "That only matters if the cold front goes on top of the warm front." ?? Well, where is the cold front going to go if the warm front is on the ground? I would say it would just head for New York. "Nay!" she cried. "That storm isn't coming here!! It's going to Ontario!!" Well, that's where it belongs certainly. Canada is where this whole situation originated, as usual.
Thursday, December 22, 2022
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Monday, December 19, 2022
The Witch of December
Last week I heard on the weather radio that there was a possibility of sleet or freezing rain on Thursday. Ice storms are the worst things around here because they shut down the roads, sometimes cause several days of power outages, and freeze the water. So I've been worried about the weather. I kept telling myself it wouldn't be that bad. But I bought four cases of bottled water and provisions in case of a storm.
Today the weather radio had changed its mind and said that it would probably snow on Thursday. At first this seemed like good news, compared to ice, except the reason is that the weather will be much colder. It's been in the 40s during the day, and the 20s at night. The forecast was that it would begin to rain on Wednesday night, then suddenly the temperature would drop 30 degrees in a few hours and on Thursday afternoon it would be 14º and snowing. Then Thursday night -5º. It's also supposed to be windy. This is unnerving. I told Mrs. Billingsley about it, but she refused to believe it. She thinks I should get the generator ready though. Also fill the bathtub with water.
Sunday, December 18, 2022
Saturday, December 17, 2022
Faux Fur Cardigan
Here is my Christmas present from Mrs. Billingsley. I'm all a twitter. It is a rare faux fur cardigan and faux suede leggings to match. And silver metallic booties. Faux fur is French for fox fur. The pink fox is found in Canada, the rarest of the rare.
Getting the Look
As the weather gets colder, Tuna keeps asking me about my choice of clothing. Aren't I cold? Try to find clothing. Well, what about shopping from women's clothing catalogs?
I have to wonder what they are thinking when they design these clothes. Unbelievable prices.
Suppose you go to Walmart? I remember trying that a few times. I saw a fuchsia tee shirt with Winnie the Pooh graphics. What to wear with this top? Shorts with large diameter legs, "slimming" red and yellow vertical stripes, and an elastic waist.
I suppose the designers have a list of things the clothing needs to accomplish, apparently all mutually exclusive. The top of the list is to cover the bodies of frumpy ladies. This will require lots of material. Secondly, price, especially for clothing makers. The material has to be economical. And so, that means rayon, similar to wearing a plastic bag. Then, somehow make it feminine. OK, put some sequins on the plastic bag. And for winter? Well, the color has to be brown, grey, or black.
The "cold shoulder."
For the woman child
Maybe a dress...
This is a best seller...
The "handkerchief" hem...
Fuchsia with hearts....
Well, this seems nice:
For Christmas:
The search continues.
Friday, December 16, 2022
New Microwave Gadget
I decided I wanted this microwave egg cooker because it will make sunny side up eggs without having to fry them on the stove. Both the top and the bottom are metal covered with silicone so the microwave doesn't explode. This design seems to cook the eggs so that they don't dry out, and it takes about 2 to 3 minutes. The wells that hold the eggs will also do a good job on sausage or ground beef. The little round shape makes sausage patties about the size of an English muffin cut in half. I've been taking the sausage patty and putting the egg on top and making an egg McMuffin without the muffin. Much is made in the advertising about the protection of the food from microwaves, preserving all the nutrients without damage. Does the microwave damage nutrients otherwise? I don't know. I like my new gadget, and after breakfast is made I wipe it off with a paper towel, rinse it, and it's all cleaned up. A lot of people were happy with the way that they can make a perfect egg McMuffin and have time to fix breakfast in the morning before work. It looks like the tray on the top part could be used too, maybe for bacon, but I haven't tried that yet. I'm really happy with the way breakfast has gotten easier around here, both with this gadget, and just using a mug to make sausage and scrambled eggs. The biggest advantage is that I can just turn on the microwave and come back in a few minutes, whereas with a frying pan on the stove, everything has to be constantly supervised during the entire cooking time.
I was alerted to easier ways of making breakfast by my brother. He has completely taken over cooking in his home, and I'm impressed with the way he's taken to it. He has thrown himself into his chef role and seems to enjoy it, and come up with innovations that surprise me. I don't know what brought about the passing of the cooking baton to him, since he won't elaborate, but I have the feeling there may have been a kitchen drama behind it.
Thursday, December 15, 2022
I Made the Jalapeño Poppers
Tonight I made jalapeño poppers for dinner. That's because I'm a good person.
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Sunday, December 11, 2022
Friday, December 9, 2022
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Pickled Egg Phobia
It all started about a month ago. I decided I would like to have pickled eggs. I've never pickled eggs or anything else before, so I educated myself on Youtube. Soon I was a little confused.
Step Two. I hardboiled about three dozen eggs.
Step Three. I realized I needed to buy ingredients at the grocery, so I bought dill seed, beet juice, white vinegar, etc.
More confusion. After watching the videos, I had all sorts of advice on a variety of brines, and all sorts of ingredients.
Step Four. Buy mason jars. Maybe some extra lids. This is when I found out that there is some problem in supply of mason jars and lids. But, after about a week I had plenty of jars and lids.
Step Five. Get out my canner. Mom gave me a great canner. I happened to see one on Amazon. Those things are expensive. Around $450. Well, anyway, I have one, and I gave it a nice scrubbing.
So now days have passed, and nothing has been accomplished. I'm scared and confused. The eggs have been in the refrigerator waiting for me to pickle them for about two weeks. Uh oh. Why don't people ever clean the refrigerator? They're afraid of what they might find.
Finally, since it's trash collection day, and it's now been at least a month since I hardboiled the eggs, I made up my mind to find out if I should pickle these eggs or toss them out. I peeled the eggs. Every one of them seemed perfectly fine. It's a miracle.
It's all systems go.
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
Saturday, December 3, 2022
Matthew 3
Matthew 3
12. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
14. But John forbade him saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
written from memory
1. In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2. And saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make straight his paths.
4. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6. And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers. Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.
9. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father, for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11. I indeed baptize you with water, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
13. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Judaea, unto John, to be baptized of him.
14. But John forbade him saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water, and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him,
17. And lo, a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Thursday, December 1, 2022
Matthew Chapter 3 Art 2
St. John the Baptist 1604. Caravaggio
St. John the Baptist. 1609. Caravaggio
St. John the Baptist. 1542. Titian
The Preaching of St. John. 1566. Pieter Bruegel the Elder
The Appearance of Christ Before the People. 1837. Alexander Ivanov
The Preaching of John the Baptist. 1486. Domenico Ghirlandaio
St. John in the Wilderness. 1510. Leonardo Da Vinci
The Baptism of Christ. 1380. Anonymous
The Baptism of Christ. 1527. Jan van Scores
Seven Sacraments: Baptism. 1641. Nicolas Poussin
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