Numbered!

Here's one of the last three pairs of
lettered socks I own.  WrightSock doesn't
make these socks anymore - RATS.

Well, actually, I numbered the first few batches I ordered, but the later ones I lettered. 

What am I talking about?  Socks!

Specifically, running socks.

When I was running, I didn't do a lot of the stranger things other runners do, like refuse to throw out any of my old running shoes, but I did number my socks.  That Man probably thought I'd completely lost it, but it was a harmless enough foible, and he wisely left me to my special brand of eccentricity.

The idea is to label your socks to keep them matched up as a permanent pair.  So, when you put on a pair of socks, you know that both socks have exactly the same amount of wear on them.  Then, when they wear out, the pair can be thrown out instead of only pitching a single sock.

Yes, just a tiny bit obsessive, but when you've registered for a half marathon, you do what you can to avoid blisters and keep your feet happy. 

I'm not supposed to run anymore because of my knee replacement - at least, that's what the surgeon and the hospital's post-operative instructions said, and that sort of stinks because I liked how running made me feel. 

So now I need to find something to replace that craziness.  I really enjoy long-distance, endurance sports, so I'll probably return to walking, hiking, and biking.  I had started training last year for walking events, but then got sidetracked by That Uncooperative Knee and the home health care I ended up providing for the past fifteen months. 

However, That Uncooperative Knee has apparently decided to become That Cooperative Knee, and I'm looking forward to getting out on the roads and trails. 

Maybe I'll order myself some socks....

The Late Spring Flower (and Garden!) Tour - Part 2

It's the time of year when the green growing things are REALLY growing, so the yard and garden change REALLY fast!

So I wandered around the yard today to see what's happening, and here's what I found, plus the dumb porch birds from a few days ago...

Species daylilies along the
back of the house weren't blooming
at all last week..

Species daylily closeup.

Not a lot to see here, but after
the original tomato and pepper
plants got nibbled down to the
ground, I put in NEW plants.

I was sitting on the porch and
this house finch came along to keep
me company!

Again, I was sitting on the porch when I took this picture.
This bird is building a nest in my hanging pot of impatiens.
We may have baby birds soon!  

Stella d' Oro daylilies by
the mailbox.  They started
blooming last week. 

Chicken Alfredo Casserole - Easy Comfort Food from the Pantry

I was moping around the house, wondering what to fix for dinner.  No motivation.  Just down in the dumps, sort of.  I needed some Comfort Food.  I stared blankly into the turntable cabinet, and finally, inspiration!  Chicken alfredo casserole to the rescue!

Nothing to thaw, nothing exotic.  Just pantry and refrigerator staples.  I did liven it up a bit by steaming some fresh asparagus from the garden for a side dish.


Chicken Alfredo Casserole

8 to 16 oz farfalle (or pasta of your choice)
1 jar (14 1/2 oz) alfredo sauce (I like Prego)
12 oz canned white meat chicken, undrained
9 oz jarred whole button mushrooms, drained
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Italian blend cheese, divided
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook pasta according to directions on the box.  While the pasta cooks, mix the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl, reserving 1 cup of the shredded cheese for the topping. 

When the pasta is al dente, drain and then add it to the mixture in the bowl.  Mix everything together well.  Place the mixture in a sprayed 9" x 13" baking dish, and spread the remaining shredded cheese over the top.  Cover with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and return to the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to melt and brown the cheese.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit about 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE:  You can use anywhere from 8 to 16 oz of pasta, depending on what you like.  Me, I LOVE pasta, so I use the whole 16 oz.  If you use less, you may want to use a smaller baking dish.  You may want to adjust how much alfredo sauce, too, if you use the full 16 oz of pasta and like your pasta saucy.  Have FUN with it!

Breaking the Silence

I've kept quiet about the things that have happened in our country in the past couple of weeks, which is by design. It's been an upsetting time.

I decided when I started this blog that its purpose wasn't to comment on social or political issues.  This space is meant to be a place where you can come and get some ideas for dinner, travel vicariously with me (and my sister sometimes!), share in the simple joys and frustrations and ridiculousness of everyday life, and maybe escape from your own troubles for a little while.  That's why I write it.

If you know me at all, you know I don't do the hashtag thing associated with social movements and events.  I support some of these in my heart, but their focus and meaning and associations so often rapidly change and then have to be re-explained or understanding corrected, it's no longer effective.  Social media posting trends are generally too simplistic to express my thoughts on such complex subjects, so I'm not participating, but others do, that's okay by me.

For the record, I'm all for peaceful protests and free speech for ALL sides.  Everybody should be able to speak his mind without fear of being ridiculed, shamed, or silenced.  But shouting and rioting are the quickest ways to lose my respect.  In these times, I'm probably considered an oddball for saying so.

I believe in the Pledge of Allegiance - ONE nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice FOR ALL.  That's the ideal we all as Americans should strive for.  Compassion and justice for everybody, from everybody.  And the rule of law is part of that justice.  Justice is supposed to be blind, so nobody is favored.  I think everyone needs to be reminded of that.

It's easy to become overwhelmed by all that's happened and is still happening.  All the emotions that come are legitimate:  sadness, fear, anger, disappointment, shock, depression, uncertainty, shame.  The important thing is to listen.  Don't make assumptions about people on any side of the issues.  Remember we all have one mouth and two ears.  It may be a good time to keep our ears open and our mouths shut.  Silence may at times be golden, but I don't believe it's ever violence, contrary to some signs I've seen paraded at a couple of local protests.

What else is golden?  How about the Golden Rule?  Treat others the way you'd want to be treated.  If we all followed THAT rule, there probably wouldn't be any problem.

There.  I've said my piece.

Comments on this post have been disabled.  If you choose to comment on Facebook or Twitter, that's up to you, but I probably won't look at them.

That's all, folks.

We will return to our regular program in the following post, comments and all.

The Late Spring Flower Tour

The late spring flowers are blooming, so a couple of days ago I wandered around and admired them!  I have peonies along one side of the house, some columbine by the front porch, and Siberian irises in the back yard.  And this week, our tulip tree bloomed. 

Red (or Black) Beans and Rice Tortilla Casserole - A Recipe from the Pantry

I found this recipe on the back of a box of Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice, except that when I got around to actually making it (this week!) I only had boxes of Zatarain's Black Beans and Rice!  Because of the pandemic, rice of all kinds, including boxed mixes, has been scarce.  I've seen packages of Jasmine rice, Basmati rice, and, now and then, brown rice, but if you're able to score plain old white rice or any of the boxed mixes like Uncle Ben's, Zatarain's, or Rice-A-Roni, it's time to celebrate!

Anyway, I was in a little bit of a hurry and didn't have time to thaw any meat.  This recipe was sitting on the counter, and I took that as a sign.  It's easy, fairly quick, tastes good, and not exotic.  Sometimes you want comfort food, but something a little different, and this fit the bill.

Before the toppings!

Red (or Black) Beans and Rice Tortilla Casserole

1 7-oz box Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice OR Black Beans and Rice
1 T butter or oil
2 1/2 c water
1 15-oz can corn, drained
1 4-oz can green chilies, undrained
1 t cumin
6 8-inch flour tortillas
2 12-oz cans white meat chicken, drained OR 2 c shredded cooked chicken
2 c (8 oz) shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Using the first three ingredients, prepare the rice and beans mix as directed on the package, adding the corn, green chilies, and cumin at the same time.  You will simmer this mixture for 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a sprayed 11" x 7" baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of the rice mixture.  Top with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed.  Layer with 1/2 each of the remaining rice mixture, the chicken, and the cheese.  Repeat the layers with the rest of the tortillas, rice mixture, chicken, and cheese.  Cover with non-stick foil.

Bake 20 minutes, uncover, bake an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.  Top with sour cream, salsa, and chopped green onions, if desired.

Suddenly, Garden! But Then Again...

I didn't have much of a garden last year, or the year before.  My knee had gotten really bad two years ago, and last year I was taking care of somebody else's knee, so...

Anyway, this was going to be the year of the garden restoration.  I weeded around the asparagus patch and dug up the rest of the plot.  In an earlier post, I told about how I'd received the plants I'd ordered from Burpee - delivered upside-down.  I had to wait a week until it was warm enough and hadn't rained the day before.  The weather finally cooperated and the plants went into the ground.

Rosemary

Basil

Bell Pepper

Super Steak Tomato

Super Sauce Tomato

Big Boy Tomato

Here they are - all recovered from their rough treatment by UPS!  Don't they look like happy plants?

Well, we've since had several days with rain, so, again, I couldn't do much in the garden.  When I got out there after a particularly hard rain to check the baby plants, one of the tomatoes was broken off.  Well, the fortunes of war and all that.

Another couple of days of rain, and when I got out there again this past weekend, I found...the rosemary and basil plants.  What the heck?  When I looked more closely at where I had planted the tomato and pepper plants, I found...this:

Nothing but an inch or two of their stems.  Somebunny has been in my garden!  Somebunny is on my naughty list!


We've had a LOT of rabbits and their offspring cavorting in our yard this spring and thought how adorable!  How innocent!  How cute!

Well, no more.  The little stinkers have attacked my poor baby plants.  They are officially not welcome in my garden, darn them.

I've reordered plants, and now we go to war!  I'm putting up a fence.