patti

24 brown bag meals delivered to the community fridge about 2 hours ago! Yay! I’m always relieved when the task is completed. The positives about this week’s meal are that the soup (thankfully) turned out pretty damn delicious, if I do say so myself, and that by only cooking one of the brown bag items, it was also not exhausting. The negative is that there is nothing exciting or sexy about the pictured elements of the meal. Yes, I am shallow. The label (my husband refused to list all fifteen beans). One of the things that bothers me about cooking something in two separate pots is that the soups will not be the same end product. I did not have two ham bones, so that means the pots will be flavored a little differently, with smoked ham hocks in the other pot. The pots aren’t equal in size, so other things were done differently, too. It’s probably unnecessary, but I feel compelled to mix the pots at some point near the end, ladling soup from one to the other to mix them so I can get a somewhat consistent flavor. When I was ladling into the to go containers, I would also mix in a ladle from the second pot until I had room in the larger pot to completely mix them. Does this sound like a waste of time to anyone? The manager of the fridge contacted me yesterday to see if I’d be donating today because she had a young mother of three who had to stop working because one of her children is ill (not sure if long term or what) and needed some food. Luckily, I had enough extra to pack a big container of the soup, a box of crackers, a jar of peanut butter, a banana bunch, and a few other odds and ends from the pantry to be reserved for her. My overbuying ingredients was not in vain. (It’s one of the things I’m working on, though.) Thank for reading!

I somehow missed seeing your comment. Thank you, and I like the way you think!

Of course (not)! But wait, let me grab the packaging out of the trash. Or look on the interwebs. 😉 Northern Beans Pinto Beans Large Lima Beans Yelloweye Beans Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) Baby Lima Beans Green Split Peas Kidney Beans (Light Red & Dark Red varieties often included) Cranberry Beans (Roman Beans) Small White Beans Pink Beans Small Red Beans Yellow Split Peas Lentils Navy Beans White Kidney Beans Black Beans

Thank you! I needed to hear that!

I had no idea that meals on wheels accepted donations. Wise of you to check with them. That is good to know. I didn’t know they charged for the meals, though. Obviously, I don’t know enough about Meals on Wheels!

I started working on my CFM earlier today, and food delivery should happen tomorrow. Fifteen bean soup is on the menu. I rinsed and sorted the beans, brought them to a boil, and let them sit for an hour. I had a ham bone in the freezer from Thanksgiving, so that went in my largest pot. In the second pot, I used smoked ham hocks. Other ingredients include my favorite smoked sausage, diced onion, bell pepper, celery, Rotel tomatoes, shredded carrots, garlic, chicken stock, ham base, a glug of balsamic and a squirt or two of fish sauce. Tony’s seasoning, a few bay leaves. I decided NOT to make cornbread to go with this soup, and I’m already feeling guilty. I decided on saltines, specifically saltines packaged in half sleeve packs. Each brown bag will have a 24 oz container of soup, saltines, a banana, and some peanut butter. The peanut butter can be eaten with the banana or the crackers, which gives them an option. It seemed like a great idea yesterday. Haha. We’ll see. The soup is cooling. Seasonings will be adjusted. To be continued…

All of your cheese & snack boards look so good, and you post them casually, as if it doesn’t take a bit of talent and time to put them together well. But they do. Oh my! Your apple galette looks even better than expected. Your apple pie filling looks so rich and delicious. What a treat. Thanks for the time and effort to post. Fingers crossed for successful upcoming hunts!

A few recent dinners: Pot roast and gravy with mashed cauliflower and a few cornichons. Seafood gumbo Tortilla pizza with ham, olives, mushrooms, red bell pepper. Asian inspired shrimp and almonds, roasted Brussels sprouts. Another tortilla pizza, this time with sausage crumbles, mushrooms, red bell pepper, olives.

An apple galette sounds so good! It’s chilly and dreary here and wouldn’t that just warm things up. I didn’t know what a lemon posset was, but now that I do, yum! I would be happy with some butter and whatever homemade bread you have. Oh, and could you pass the cashews? I appreciate all the pictures. You are one excellent hostess!

Oh, do try the coleslaw! And thank you.

I tried not to even think about community fridge meals once Thanksgiving prep started, and succeeded up until Monday. I needed the break, both physically and mentally. But once Monday rolled around, I decided on the menu. Today’s CFM meal consisted of ham fried rice, coleslaw, and store bought cookies. The cookies were a last minute addition because I felt bad that there wasn’t an item for the third spot on the to go plate, and my husband chose them on a grocery store run for more soy sauce. I made ham fried rice for a previous fridge meal back in July, and remembered it as fairly easy with a really tasty final product. So of course this time it wasn’t. I mean, it was fairly easy, but mediocrity often is. Haha! I never felt like the seasoning was just right. The only ingredient difference between the two was red bell pepper. I only had half of one and didn’t feel like it was worth it to use, so I didn’t, but I don’t think that’s the difference. Also, it looks good in the skillet, but not so photogenic on the plate or in the hotel pan. Hopefully, it tasted good to those who received the food. What turned out even better than expected was the coleslaw. I got the recipe from The Kitchn, which calls it Thanksgiving Slaw, but since Thanksgiving is past, I called it Holiday Coleslaw. 🤷‍♀️ https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-thanksgiving-slaw-237475 The dressing includes apple cider vinegar, olive oil, diced red onion, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. I used less red onion than the dressing recipe called for, and less fresh parsley in the slaw when I quadrupled the recipe. And I didn’t measure the cranberries or almonds. Just mixed until it looked (and tasted) good. Even my particular husband thought it was great. I dressed and refrigerated the slaw before I started the batches of fried rice, so it would have time for the flavors to develop. Starting to dress the slaw. The cookies: The plated meal: Delivered:

Yay! I was hoping this would be happening soon. Your Christmas decor is beautiful … the piano, the fireplace and mantel … I love it! And you have a Rushton Coca Cola Santa! I have one, too. 😍 Ooh, and tell me more about your life sized Santa! I know I didn’t see everything, so now I’ll go back and examine all the pics and read all the words. 😉

I really try to eat low carb and bread is off the list, but I just made one on a low carb tortilla, and while it was good, it wasn’t the same. The picture was ugly, too. 😂 I searched to find out if it was maybe a southern thing, but it’s not. I remember riding my bike holding a fried egg sandwich in one hand, and steering with the other. Perfectly portable and no runny egg to make a mess. Liking runny eggs (which I do) doesn’t stop me from enjoying them this way, especially with lacy crispy edges. I love runny or jammy yolks. This is just it’s own thing, I guess. I’m not sure which website you’re referring to? Where I am, the group sponsoring two of the community fridges has a Facebook page called Foodies of Lafayette. The people who run that page, which is generally about local restaurants, decided to take them over, as the previous volunteers seemed to lose momentum promoting them, and interest waned. There are other local community fridges, (like the one I donate to) not sponsored by the page, but are allowed to be promoted on their page. There are at least 7 fridges in this area. Some get more notice than others. I agree that it wouldn’t be easy to start one without lots of energy and time and effort.

I think sandwiches can be pretty easy if you stick to a decision and gather supplies efficiently. I dithered and didn’t stick to a plan. I struggle with trying to do too much and/or trying to make a giant batch of something I’ve never made a single batch of. My son relayed to me that his daughter told him that things don’t have to be perfect. When I told him she was wise beyond her years, he replied that Murphy told him that Mimi taught her that things don’t have to be perfect. My granddaughter took my advice, but I can’t seem to!

Thank you! I’m kind of disappointed that the number of sandwich donations has not lived up to the enthusiastic reception the idea seemed to get last week, but the donations picked up yesterday, so here is hoping.

I will address the hard fried egg posts 😜 a little later, but wanted to update on Sandwich Week. I’m not sure why I complicate things unnecessarily, but yesterday I finally decided to keep it simple. I made 22 peanut butter & jelly sandwiches on honey wheat bread, but only bagged 20 lunches because the “end piece” sandwiches were smaller, and I put two of those in a bag lunch, instead of just one. I’m always concerned about using the end pieces since so many people turn their noses up at them, but the ends are my favorite slices and I refuse to throw them away. One loaf of sandwiches was peanut butter and grape jelly, and the other loaf was with strawberry. Each bag contained a sandwich, cookies, a mandarin orange, and a bag of some kind of chip. My pic of the chips variety, oranges, and cookie varieties will only show up upside down, so I didn’t include. Next, 22 ham & cheese brown bag lunches. The cheese was a Tillamook medium cheddar from Costco, and the ham was Wright smoked honey ham. Bread was whole wheat and there was mayo on each side. Although the fridge was bare when we arrived at about 2:15 pm, I know it had been filled and emptied several times that day. An hour later, someone posted this donation, and you can see there were still a few of our bagged lunches left, but most gone in an hour. For the week, 22 grilled cheese sandwiches (not packed as a brown bag lunch, just bagged sandwiches placed in the community fridge), 25 breakfast sandwiches (eggs with cheese, sausage patty on biscuit) and 42 brown bag lunches. C’est fini! My plan is to focus on my own Thanksgiving dinner today and tomorrow and maybe not cook, prepare, or think of feeding anyone until mid to late next week!

Re: hard fried egg sandwich: I was just nostalgic for a hard fried egg on white bread with a slice of American cheese sandwich from my childhood. ☺️ Mayo on one side, mustard on the other, and salt and lots of black pepper on the egg. Since my granddaughter was joining me, I needed to get things prepped before she arrived. First, I fried up a bunch of sausage patties, allowed them to cool, and put them in the fridge. (Dark color, not burned.) Next, I baked sheet pan scrambled eggs topped with cheese And baked some frozen biscuits (2 batches) At this point the camera was forgotten because … three year old. Her job was to use a mason jar lid to cut the eggs into rounds, and pop them out, in her words. Her interest lasted long enough to cut eighteen egg rounds and go through two pairs of hot pink disposable gloves. While she played outside with the dogs and Gramps, I put the sandwiches together and wrapped them in foil and refrigerated, because before delivery I needed to paint some fingernails, apply some pretend makeup (and a little real, don’t tell), and be impressed that she could spell her name in blocks. We ended up with 25 sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits to deliver. They weren’t gorgeous, as you can tell by the elements pictured. And if you can cut eggs into rounds, they’re probably overcooked. That’s two days in a row that I wasn’t satisfied with the final product. I have two loaves of honey wheat and a bunch of peanut butter & jelly, so maybe I’ll try that tomorrow.

😂 Hard fried egg sandwiches are off the table! PB&J back on the list.

I did a test oven grilled cheese sandwich for Mike (my husband), who doesn’t usually care for grilled cheese (IKR?), and he thought it was really good. I’d weighted down a cookie sheet and put it on top, and boy, it was a smashed grilled cheese. Decided no weight was necessary and “tested” a batch and then ended up making 22 of them and taking them to the fridge. They were kind of greasy (sorry, recipients). I’d either use less butter next time or switch to mayo. Not a great pic, but the first full batch: The cheeses were a medium cheddar and havarti. I may or may not make more this week. Might make them another time and pair with homemade tomato soup (which I’ve never made before). Anyone have an opinion on a hard fried egg and cheese sandwich? Breakfast sandwiches are another option, especially if my granddaughter participates as planned. I’ll cook the sausage patties ahead of time, and bake the sheet pan scrambled eggs ahead of time, too. She can help me with cutting the eggs into rounds to fit on the sandwiches, and assembling. Frozen Grands biscuits will be used (sorry to all the people who are cringing over using frozen ready made biscuits). 🤷‍♀️ I might have unintentionally worried my granddaughter when I told her we would be making the sandwiches for children who don’t have enough food. She looked worried and later asked if her little brother could come, too. Maybe she thinks I meant the hungry children would be at my house? Will have to confer with her mother about it.

What a deliciously fun five years! I have no talent in the candy making department, but I might be able to be convinced to add dark chocolate to my diet. 😃 Even though I might learn better face to face, a good reference book is more valuable. Good to know. And I’m not going to ask or tell until I finish the course! So I’m the only person in the thread not qualified to cook and serve meals? 🤔😂 I just texted my former Continuing Ed boss (and one of my best friends) and confirmed that we used to offer ServSafe. It would’ve been as easy to take the course as walking down the hall, pre-Covid. But I will take it online.

Thanks. We’ve lived in this house in a pretty quiet neighborhood for 33 years, and we don’t really have grumpy neighbors, mostly just people who mind their own business and keep to themselves. I’ve wondered if our neighbors have noticed the car being loaded up for delivery, and if they think we might be selling food, but unless they’re Gladys Kravitz types, peeking through the window, I don’t think anyone has noticed a thing. The ServSafe courses are offered online, although I think I learn better face to face. We’ll see.

It is useful info. Several people have asked me about how to start a community fridge, thinking I had something to do with the management. The article has good info about that, as well as the food safety issues. Also, now I know why they don’t want donated raw meat in the fridges, and why the church gives some of the meat to me to cook, instead of putting it in the fridge. Merci beaucoup! Thank you! Amen!

I hope it’s along the lines of the words of one of my former speech therapy students, “It’s my wucky day!” Thank you.

Says the woman who raises, grows, hunts, processes, cans, etc. the majority of her own food?!! Haha, I pale in comparison! And would share macaroni and cheese with you, anytime. Thank you! Pun appreciated! For the record, I do think about food safety every time I prepare these meals. I’m aging my hands a thousand times more with all of this hand washing! I start with a clean kitchen, I wipe down and sanitize surfaces, I use a Lysol cloth to clean my phone and iPad before starting each time, knowing I will be repeatedly touching them. I haven’t checked my fridge temps, but I know some items that get placed in the very back of the main shelf will freeze. I really should take a food safety course, and might. My previous job at the local university was in the Continuing Ed dept and we offered the food safety certification courses all the time. Not that I picked up any info by osmosis! But I worked with the woman who taught the class when I offered a south Louisiana cooking program when I coordinated a Road Scholar program. The cooking portion of the program took place in a university teaching kitchen, and it was under the supervision of the food safety instructor (side gig for her, as she was also head of the hospitality program). Anyway, she had rules for our kitchen usage, which I had to follow. Again, it doesn’t mean I know all of the rules, just that I have a basic understanding. Unfortunately, the Continuing Education dept. no longer exists, so no more food safety classes through them, although the community college probably offers it. I definitely need to work on purging outdated foods, but 90% of the ingredients (except spices and seasonings) are purchased the week the meal will be made. Except for that damn coleslaw dressing that I threw out. I appreciate your input and will be following that best practices link. Thank you. Haha, that made me smile. I too, am surprised I have this much energy, but it feeds on itself. I seem to be able to recover and do it all again! So far.

Thank you! How I would love to share the mac and cheese with you! Honestly, last night I wanted to serve myself a big plate of it. Sigh. But didn’t. I love Tabasco green sauce. It’s my secret ingredient in a number of things. 😉 Louisiana Gold Green sauce was another favorite, but it’s been discontinued. Wish I’d known soon enough to stock up and hoard. Haha!