kayb

Re: wipes. I did find single containers at WalMart Neighborhood Market the other day. Sign on the shelf said limit 1. I put together a Kroger order yesterday and wipes were available; I was waiting to see if my daughter wanted to add anything to it, and by the time I placed it, it was too late. Re: stocking up. I haven't had a big problem finding what I needed since the early days of the pandemic, when shelves were empty of lots of stuff. The freezer, of course, is mostly empty, thanks to my recent electrical disaster, but I did restock with some basic cuts of beef, chicken and pork, so we can eat for a while. Same farmer from whom I get all my meat has had plenty of eggs, so there's that. Re: cooking. I have turned the stove on once in three weeks, because my a/c is out. I threw an old-fashioned hissy fit and threatened the home warranty people with lawsuits and BBB complaints and a letter writing campaign to every board of realtors in three states, and it's being fixed today. I have a raft of yellow squash and zucchini from the garden, so will be cooking from that tonight. I may feel led to bake some this weekend; got the stuff to make GF white sandwich bread per the ATK gluten-free book, so we'll see. Farmers' markets are in full swing, so I'll go by there Saturday morning to see what's on offer. Re: dentistry. I was scheduled to start a series of oral surgeries when all this hit, and dentists closed down for six weeks, per governor's orders, except emergency work. I rescheduled as soon as they opened up, around the middle of May. As others have noted, wait in the car until they come fetch you or text you, go in, get ushered directly to treatment room, temp scanned, dentists and techs are clad in all sorts of PPE. I felt completely comfortable. I'm getting out more. I'm still cautious, and wear my mask religiously, but as it appears this is going to be with us for a long time, I'm damned if I'm going to live my life in seclusion for the forseeable future. I wouldn't go to a basketball game or a political rally, but I have gone out to eat a couple of times, and am taking off on a solo trip for a week or so late next month, up in the Appalachians with a friend in a camper trailer. We will likely do little but fish, hike and swim, and it won't bother me if I don't see anyone else while I'm there, but I'm ready for some different scenery. And this is my Saturday to volunteer at the soup kitchen, where I will be reminded, as I need to be on a regular basis, that there are people a lot worse off than me.

One of my favorites is sweet potato and barbecue hash; I used pulled pork, but there's no reason you couldn't use barbecued chicken. Cube and fry the sweet potatoes until just about done, toss in the barbecue, dust the whole thing with barbecue rub, plate it. Finish with a squiggle of barbecue sauce, or top it with an over easy egg, THEN a squiggle of barbecue sauce.

When I let the dog out earlier, I paused on the back porch to pinch flowers off my basil plant, and pluck a few leaves for tonight (either pizza or salad, haven't decided). Shortly afterward, I got an ice cream sandwich out of the freezer. When I finished it, I licked the chocolate off my fingers. I can reliably report ice cream sandwiches with basil are not going to be a thing anytime soon.

Wow. We've seen some price increases, but nothing like what you describe. Between pandemic, dental surgery, and trying to learn to eat with a mouthful of new appliances, my diet of late has leaned heavily on smoothies and protein shakes. And peanut butter jelly sandwiches. I'll be glad to get this stage of my life over with and learn to eat again. Not to mention go out and let someone cook it for me and bring it to me.

That's why I said peach -- my best guess is it would be pretty similar.

Excellent! I hope the young lady was favorably impressed.

I'm pleased to see your fridge; mine is not the only one in this condition.Wholesale clean-out coming.

I'd suspect you could take your favorite peach ice cream and sub mango.

I'll testify to it. Garden & Gun is worth a subscription, just for the recipes in it, btw. Link here.

Putting it out in the sun for a few hours after washing it will also help. I have two seals, red and blue. One is for highly seasoned stuff, one is for what is not.

How'd you like the deviled ham?

Guess I'll put my trip off until the fall, in high hopes we'll be back to some degree of normalcy by then.

Won't hurt the filling to be room temp, or the shells either, though shells are better if warmed. Lettuce, tomato, guacamole, grated cheese all cold; if you don't have to drive far, just prep and refrigerate and pull out before you leave. If you have a long drive, prep and refrigerate and put in an insulated carrier or even wrap in a towel. You can do the same with the filling (heat, container, insulated bag) and shells (heat, paper bag, nothing airtight or steam will condense and they'll get soggy), and an insulated carrier or towel wrap) if the drive is fairly long.

Browned crumbled breakfast sausage, cooked rice, scrambled together with a beaten egg and 1/4 cup water to sort of bind it together a bit. Or browned Italian sausage and cooked rice, with a little tomato sauce stirred in. Traditional Asian seasonings (ginger, lemongrass, garlic, mint) with browned ground pork and soy sauce (and sriracha). Bet that would be good with rice noodles, wrapped in lettuce.

Yes.

Do NOT put your fridge/freezer on a GFCI circuit. Speaks the voice of experience.

I would think I had died and gone to heaven. Please send lots of pix when the new kitchen is done.

FYI. I ordered a pound of yeast on Amazon this morning, with delivery scheduled June 22. SAF-Instant, $10.49 a pound.

Being the proud owner of a journalism degree, albeit a 42-year-old one, the only one I'd recommend in that arena now would be in the marketing/advertising/pr sector. Obviously, the delivery mechanism for read/heard/seen content in the future is going to be broadband; the issue would be how to carve yourself a niche in the corner of it devoted to food and beverage. Obviously, the solid background for that in food and food industry knowledge, you have. The issue now would be to distinguish yourself through the quality of your presentation: how well you put words together in a row, how well you compose and execute a photograph, how well you compose and edit a video. The best I can suggest to you is to read. A lot. And watch. A lot. And write, or shoot photos, or make videos. A lot. Good luck!

Forgot this one. Upper cabinet by stove, holds vinegars, oils, hot sauces, Asian condiments.

No...it struck me that there were a number of things I wanted that I could build, if I had a saw to cut the lumber. So I bought a Skil saw. I'm familiar with using one, having been blessed with a father who, when he figured out he wasn't going to have a boy, decided he'd teach me all the "boy things." So I can change the oil in a tractor, lay out and cultivate a garden, and build things as long as they aren't tremendously complex. He also taught me to weld, a skill I have never attempted to pick back up.

I'll jump out, since mine are just a year from move-in and thus not TOO bad. I have two pantries with pull out shelves in the kitchen. This one is near the stove and holds spices, dried beans, fruits and mushrooms, my cookware I use the most often, and chips and snacky stuff up top. The second, across the kitchen and opposite the side of the fridge, holds cans, condiments, crackers, cereal and other snacky things. An upper cabinet above the mixer holds baking stuff. Finally, wire shelves in the garage hold home-canned stuff. With junk stacked in front that needs to be pitched.

Sigh. My pantry was that neat for, oh, about five minutes, once.

In fact, it WAS Welch's Grape, which I bought for the specific purpose of PBJs (the other highest and best use being on a biscuit with a breakfast sausage patty). PB was Kroger brand crunchy, which tastes close to Skippy.

I've found a new use for the CSO. I got to craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. As you all know, such a sandwich must be enjoyed on a soft, Wonder bread-ish bread. But I have fallen off the gluten free wagon a bit too often of late, and my digestive tract is telling me about it. So I turned to my loaf of Rudi's Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread, which I pick up t the grocery in the freezer case and keep in the freezer at home, prying off slices when I want a sandwich. Generally I want my sandwiches on toast. I did not want my PBJ on toast. I put the bread in the CSO for five minutes at 300 on steam bake. Perfecto.