Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Two accomplishmenst this week or so
Last week, I used a recipe from I think it’s from this site) the lovely website, Dove’s Eye View Link, that I copied down several years ago. Put link here: http://bedouina.typepad.com/doves_eye/
If I have the wrong website for this recipe, look around at the place anyway. She has lots of interesting stuff here.
This lady has passed on since about 2-3 years ago but her site is a great place for info and recipes from the Middle East and Mediterranean. At least, that ‘s where my WASPy--Midwestern and farm cooking-- heritage mind puts her cooking. I believe she was of Lebanese descent.
I like this red lentil soup recipe a lot. I tried the Indian spices variation this time around as I like Indian food quite a bit. I think red lentil soup looks more appealing than green/brown lentil soup with it’s color. I also added some turmeric to the soup and that made the color more “golden” colored.
This week I tried a lemon and rosemary chicken recipe with chicken breasts. It smelled so good while cooking!
My basil plant has gone to seed, my thyme and oregano are still producing. I didn’t plant any other herbs this winter, I’ll see what I want to do about that next fall when it’s cool enough to plant again. My herbs never make it through the summer although there might be a first time.
My planning a tight budget the past two years and sticking to it has really paid off. I do have more money than I thought I did. As for taxes, I get two refunds--which was a surprise to me, I almost always owe and usually plan it that way.
And,it has dawned on me in the past month or so, that I can take Social Security this fall, if I want to. My tax guy called attention to that and ran some numbers for me. It's a chunk more money coming in so I have to consider to take it or wait some more. It doesn't increase my taxes that much, i'll have to see how I feel about it in a few months.
peace, shamba
This lady has passed on since about 2-3 years ago but her site is a great place for info and recipes from the Middle East and Mediterranean. At least, that ‘s where my WASPy--Midwestern and farm cooking-- heritage mind puts her cooking. I believe she was of Lebanese descent.
I like this red lentil soup recipe a lot. I tried the Indian spices variation this time around as I like Indian food quite a bit. I think red lentil soup looks more appealing than green/brown lentil soup with it’s color. I also added some turmeric to the soup and that made the color more “golden” colored.
This week I tried a lemon and rosemary chicken recipe with chicken breasts. It smelled so good while cooking!
My basil plant has gone to seed, my thyme and oregano are still producing. I didn’t plant any other herbs this winter, I’ll see what I want to do about that next fall when it’s cool enough to plant again. My herbs never make it through the summer although there might be a first time.
My planning a tight budget the past two years and sticking to it has really paid off. I do have more money than I thought I did. As for taxes, I get two refunds--which was a surprise to me, I almost always owe and usually plan it that way.
And,it has dawned on me in the past month or so, that I can take Social Security this fall, if I want to. My tax guy called attention to that and ran some numbers for me. It's a chunk more money coming in so I have to consider to take it or wait some more. It doesn't increase my taxes that much, i'll have to see how I feel about it in a few months.
peace, shamba
Monday, February 20, 2012
Gasoline Report
This is short; price I paid for reg for $15 worth of gas: $3.57
Price at expensive place two blocks for me: $3.65.
The Arizona all time high of gasoline (regular? average? not sure.) as of the NBC local afficliate and local news tonight was in July 2008 at $4.09. That was when a barrel of crude was about $150 a barrel.
that's all,
Shamba
Price at expensive place two blocks for me: $3.65.
The Arizona all time high of gasoline (regular? average? not sure.) as of the NBC local afficliate and local news tonight was in July 2008 at $4.09. That was when a barrel of crude was about $150 a barrel.
that's all,
Shamba
Greens/Potatoes/Cheese/Onions dish
Actually this dish also has onions and cheese as well in layers with potato and greens. It goes Potatoes, onions, cheese, greens, and repeat until everything is all used up. Seasonings or salt (whatever seasoning you want) go on top of the greens layers.
I used up the kale and the bok choy and I think I had to cook these a little more than usual because they are almost 6 days in the fridge and seemed a lot stiff. They weren't frozen just really cold.
After I drained the kale and made the layers and popped it in the oven, I was left with a lot of greens liquid. So, this will make a nice soup base in the next day or two.
This ability of learning how to use what you have and reuse leftovers is a learned skill.
Sabers and sword and all kind of metal things are being rattled about a war in the Middle East, US going to fight Iran. Iran has stopped selling oil to Uk and France because of latest sanctions.
Do we really have a good way and enough "boots on the ground" to be able to invade Iran? It's about 3-4 times bigger than Iraq. The Iranians would put up a big fight and I better much more than the Iraqis did in their insurgency.
peace, Shamba
I used up the kale and the bok choy and I think I had to cook these a little more than usual because they are almost 6 days in the fridge and seemed a lot stiff. They weren't frozen just really cold.
After I drained the kale and made the layers and popped it in the oven, I was left with a lot of greens liquid. So, this will make a nice soup base in the next day or two.
This ability of learning how to use what you have and reuse leftovers is a learned skill.
Sabers and sword and all kind of metal things are being rattled about a war in the Middle East, US going to fight Iran. Iran has stopped selling oil to Uk and France because of latest sanctions.
Do we really have a good way and enough "boots on the ground" to be able to invade Iran? It's about 3-4 times bigger than Iraq. The Iranians would put up a big fight and I better much more than the Iraqis did in their insurgency.
peace, Shamba
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Beautiful February day
it's so terribly dry so far this year, no winter rains hardly but the days are beautiful. Lots of clouds this past week but no rain. Today it's just a beautiful blue sky day of 70.
Gas has begun a climb upwards to well north of 3.50 a reg gallon. $3.59 at the place I usually fill up and $3.65 at the more expensive stations. it climbs upwards every spring until mid-June (?). We haven't had $5.00 gas yet in Phoenix but we had $4.00 and a little more in the spring of 2008.
Cooked egg and grits dish today and burned some fingers! they're not burned badly but this dish will keep for a few days so I can avoid cooking so much for a couple of days.
peace,
Shamba
Gas has begun a climb upwards to well north of 3.50 a reg gallon. $3.59 at the place I usually fill up and $3.65 at the more expensive stations. it climbs upwards every spring until mid-June (?). We haven't had $5.00 gas yet in Phoenix but we had $4.00 and a little more in the spring of 2008.
Cooked egg and grits dish today and burned some fingers! they're not burned badly but this dish will keep for a few days so I can avoid cooking so much for a couple of days.
peace,
Shamba
Monday, February 13, 2012
Continuing My Blog
I've decided it's time to write down stuff in the blog again. Mostly this is just for putting my own thought down at a certain moment in time and then I can go back and check it in the future when I want to know what happened in that time period.
I found checking this at different times in the past 4 years very informative.
Actually, looking back at some things are also quite distressing. It tells me how far we've sunk economically and financially in the past 4 years--starting from the beginning of 2008--and we're still sinking. Us in the USA and the whole rest of the world. There is more fear from the prophets of the 2008 crash that we're just setting ourselves up for another bigger one. when? The guesses are that it could be 6months or any number of years in the future.
when I read this kind of stuff--and I'm sure they're basically right--I just want to pound on my keyboard and shriek " WHen WHen WHen is this damn thing going to really happen?!" I don't expect an answer. I know there isn't one although I wish we could tget to the "bottom" of wherever we're going so I don't have to deal with that expectation anymore.
****************
I found extra curtains the right color for the second bedroom. At the JCpenny site; these will be the second pair of curtains to use in this bedroom. The first pair are just fine and usable but need to be washed often since my black cat like to sit in that window and rubs up against them all the time. I've been looking for a second pair to use in place when the first ones are pretty well "layered" with fur.
Waste Not: Cooked up the butternut squash and put the meat of the squash in the freezer for use when I want.
Gas Prices are up to $3.40-3.55 a regular gallon here.
Greece: More and more of Athens is being burned as the vicious bailout conditions continue. The Greeks would be so much better off without this bailout stuff; it'll be years and years of increasing grinding poverty and starvation and like no civilized human behavior if the bailout stuff goes on and one. the europeans enttities give the Greek government money and austerity orders; the Greek government hands the money right back in payment and the Greek economy tries more austerity and then there is less and less productivity and growth in the economy and more decimation of the Greek society. there must be a better way on their own!?
Shamba
I found checking this at different times in the past 4 years very informative.
Actually, looking back at some things are also quite distressing. It tells me how far we've sunk economically and financially in the past 4 years--starting from the beginning of 2008--and we're still sinking. Us in the USA and the whole rest of the world. There is more fear from the prophets of the 2008 crash that we're just setting ourselves up for another bigger one. when? The guesses are that it could be 6months or any number of years in the future.
when I read this kind of stuff--and I'm sure they're basically right--I just want to pound on my keyboard and shriek " WHen WHen WHen is this damn thing going to really happen?!" I don't expect an answer. I know there isn't one although I wish we could tget to the "bottom" of wherever we're going so I don't have to deal with that expectation anymore.
****************
I found extra curtains the right color for the second bedroom. At the JCpenny site; these will be the second pair of curtains to use in this bedroom. The first pair are just fine and usable but need to be washed often since my black cat like to sit in that window and rubs up against them all the time. I've been looking for a second pair to use in place when the first ones are pretty well "layered" with fur.
Waste Not: Cooked up the butternut squash and put the meat of the squash in the freezer for use when I want.
Gas Prices are up to $3.40-3.55 a regular gallon here.
Greece: More and more of Athens is being burned as the vicious bailout conditions continue. The Greeks would be so much better off without this bailout stuff; it'll be years and years of increasing grinding poverty and starvation and like no civilized human behavior if the bailout stuff goes on and one. the europeans enttities give the Greek government money and austerity orders; the Greek government hands the money right back in payment and the Greek economy tries more austerity and then there is less and less productivity and growth in the economy and more decimation of the Greek society. there must be a better way on their own!?
Shamba
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Abandoned neglected blog of Mine
Another neglected blog! Not neglected by all the others I used to read and have been ended for one reason or another, but another blog of MINE that just sort of ended. This is the third one! But it did have a specific purpose; to write down information about what I could do to "prepare" for major changes in the society I've lived in all my life.
I have still been cooking a lot still. I’ve added a couple of sauces to my regular repertoire of meal fixing; an easy pasta sauce and a curry sauce. I still have to look at the recipes but I’m getting better at them I also make a dozen whole wheat muffins on days, usually once a week or so, when I ‘m out of bread and don’t want to go to the store again too soon.
One reason I wanted to post is that prices of several things have been going up in the past year or so. Gasoline is going up again. We’re up to $3.48 this week for regular. We stayed between $3.00 and $3.30 for most of the past few months, since last summer.
When I started this blog, a one pound bag of lentils at my local Safeway was .70-.85 cents. Now, it is $1.89! A bag of lentils! Even beans and pnutt butter have increased in the past year or so. The peanut crop last summer was bad due to a drought in the southeast US and price for pnut butter went up around 50% around last October and November.
A loaf of bread, depending on the bread and the store, stays about $3.50 to $4.00 a loaf.
The store that was in easy walking distance of my house has closed. They didn’t go out of business; the owner didn’t want to renew the lease. A food store called Sunflowers is supposed to go in there but it won’t be up and running for a year. This is just a little inconvenient for me, but some of my neighbors really depended on the accessibility of that store.
I’m in my third year—2010, 2011 and now 2012—of having a CSA share. Our CSA can run all year round in Phoenix.
I’ve found that 3 neighbors and I are giving each other food. It’s just food that’s extra to the individual family and so they or I pass them on to someone in our small complex. It wasn’t intentional, it just developed! It started with me giving mustard greens to one neighbor and she gave me citrus and potatoes. She seems to be doing okay but I do have the feeling that one of these households could use some extra food. The person I give greens to is a pretty good cook and very often gives me part of a dish she has cooked CSA veggies with. It’s pretty good stuff. )
peace, Shamba
I have still been cooking a lot still. I’ve added a couple of sauces to my regular repertoire of meal fixing; an easy pasta sauce and a curry sauce. I still have to look at the recipes but I’m getting better at them I also make a dozen whole wheat muffins on days, usually once a week or so, when I ‘m out of bread and don’t want to go to the store again too soon.
One reason I wanted to post is that prices of several things have been going up in the past year or so. Gasoline is going up again. We’re up to $3.48 this week for regular. We stayed between $3.00 and $3.30 for most of the past few months, since last summer.
When I started this blog, a one pound bag of lentils at my local Safeway was .70-.85 cents. Now, it is $1.89! A bag of lentils! Even beans and pnutt butter have increased in the past year or so. The peanut crop last summer was bad due to a drought in the southeast US and price for pnut butter went up around 50% around last October and November.
A loaf of bread, depending on the bread and the store, stays about $3.50 to $4.00 a loaf.
The store that was in easy walking distance of my house has closed. They didn’t go out of business; the owner didn’t want to renew the lease. A food store called Sunflowers is supposed to go in there but it won’t be up and running for a year. This is just a little inconvenient for me, but some of my neighbors really depended on the accessibility of that store.
I’m in my third year—2010, 2011 and now 2012—of having a CSA share. Our CSA can run all year round in Phoenix.
I’ve found that 3 neighbors and I are giving each other food. It’s just food that’s extra to the individual family and so they or I pass them on to someone in our small complex. It wasn’t intentional, it just developed! It started with me giving mustard greens to one neighbor and she gave me citrus and potatoes. She seems to be doing okay but I do have the feeling that one of these households could use some extra food. The person I give greens to is a pretty good cook and very often gives me part of a dish she has cooked CSA veggies with. It’s pretty good stuff. )
peace, Shamba
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Happy Fall Equinox!
Actually, this isn't until next week but at least our weather feels like September after being deep fried, boiled and steamed and burnt alive all of August. Our hottest August on record and because of that we have the record of days over 110 degrees this summer--31 or 32 was the final number.
I've been going along the past two months like usual. Solar cooking, cooking and feeding and herding cats, reading and hauling the last boxes out of storage that I put away last winter.
some other bigger world developments the past few months:
--Texas has been burned alived far worse than Phoenix all this past summer.
shana, Friend in Austin said that they've had almost all summer with temps over 100. They have tier 2 water rationing and the PTB asked people to set their thermostat no lower than 80 for AC.
--There is a frightening situation in Europe with the EU and Greece's huge debt problems. This has been going on for over 2 years now and they are no closer to solving this problem than they were then. As a matter of fact, the GErmans and French don't want to give Greece anymore of anything! But the French banks have a really large exosure to Greek debts so they can continue bailing out Greece, or Greece can default. All the Greek money will suddenly disappear and maybe some French and other banks may disappear because of it.
It is reminiscent of our financial mess 3 years ago when Lehman went under and everything went wonky.
Who knows if it will create a crisis as bad as the one 3 years ago or worse ... maybe they can continue the status quo a little longer.
I'm posting this info so I can look at it later after the solution to the Euro problem.
peace, Shamba
I've been going along the past two months like usual. Solar cooking, cooking and feeding and herding cats, reading and hauling the last boxes out of storage that I put away last winter.
some other bigger world developments the past few months:
--Texas has been burned alived far worse than Phoenix all this past summer.
shana, Friend in Austin said that they've had almost all summer with temps over 100. They have tier 2 water rationing and the PTB asked people to set their thermostat no lower than 80 for AC.
--There is a frightening situation in Europe with the EU and Greece's huge debt problems. This has been going on for over 2 years now and they are no closer to solving this problem than they were then. As a matter of fact, the GErmans and French don't want to give Greece anymore of anything! But the French banks have a really large exosure to Greek debts so they can continue bailing out Greece, or Greece can default. All the Greek money will suddenly disappear and maybe some French and other banks may disappear because of it.
It is reminiscent of our financial mess 3 years ago when Lehman went under and everything went wonky.
Who knows if it will create a crisis as bad as the one 3 years ago or worse ... maybe they can continue the status quo a little longer.
I'm posting this info so I can look at it later after the solution to the Euro problem.
peace, Shamba
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Here's a good photo of dusty doom!
Phoenix Dust Storm Photo
Yup, that was us swallowed up in a tremendous dust cloud ahead of a apotty rain storm. Some places got dumped on and we got enough to wash some of the dust off.
It started about 7:45 in the evening when I saw the bulltin on tv about a storm warning, that just usually means a storm or possible dust and thunder storms are on the way to us. This one was coming from the south and southeast which is the usual direction for dust thunderstorms in the summer monsoon.
but this was a biggie, that I couldn't tell from the ground. It looked just like the dusty rain clouds we get this time of year. We didn't even have too much wind in my neighborhood. After the local news showed some pics of the airport being swallowed up, I went outside and it was very eerie. It was completely dark by then but our yard lights showeed everything in an orange light. It was still really, and for every molecule of air out there there was a m olecule of dust! All over hands, face, etc. It all sort of hung in the air.
It took an hour for the storm to cover the whole valley. It wasn't just the east valley or the south valley or the center of town (about where I live) that got it, it was the whole of Maricopa County, Apache Junction, Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Avondale, ....etc. it went from southeeast to west and northwest. It passed through and we got some rain after all. Some parts of the valley got more rain than we did.
Slightly overcast today and a small chance for storms this afternoon/evening ... but that one last night was something different. No damage done here ....
Yup, that was us swallowed up in a tremendous dust cloud ahead of a apotty rain storm. Some places got dumped on and we got enough to wash some of the dust off.
It started about 7:45 in the evening when I saw the bulltin on tv about a storm warning, that just usually means a storm or possible dust and thunder storms are on the way to us. This one was coming from the south and southeast which is the usual direction for dust thunderstorms in the summer monsoon.
but this was a biggie, that I couldn't tell from the ground. It looked just like the dusty rain clouds we get this time of year. We didn't even have too much wind in my neighborhood. After the local news showed some pics of the airport being swallowed up, I went outside and it was very eerie. It was completely dark by then but our yard lights showeed everything in an orange light. It was still really, and for every molecule of air out there there was a m olecule of dust! All over hands, face, etc. It all sort of hung in the air.
It took an hour for the storm to cover the whole valley. It wasn't just the east valley or the south valley or the center of town (about where I live) that got it, it was the whole of Maricopa County, Apache Junction, Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Avondale, ....etc. it went from southeeast to west and northwest. It passed through and we got some rain after all. Some parts of the valley got more rain than we did.
Slightly overcast today and a small chance for storms this afternoon/evening ... but that one last night was something different. No damage done here ....
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Burst of energy today
I have these bursts of energy to cook, two or three times a week and today was one of them. Mostly whatever I make lasts me for a day or two as decent leftovers. In the late morning, I cooked 2 ears of corn in one small covered container and a container of rice above it cooking in the Global oven. The tasty Roma tomatoes—10—from last week’s/ CSA are dehydrating in the Tulsi. Stacked on top on that tray—upside down small glass dish in the middle to support the top tray--are some more tomatoes and a green pepper also dehydrating.
Then, on the stove inside, browned last of ground turkey with some garlic and small purple onion, plus some leftover small pieces of tomato. I like the elephant garlic we get from the CSA better than regular garlic, easier to handle and not so much odor. I like the small onions for the same reasons.
The high heat comes in today and the next few days so no more cooking in the late afternoons.
Since I pick up my CSA share on Wednesday, I like to go through the fridge and clean it out before I bring home the fresh food. So, after cleaning out the refrigerator today, I had some decent leftover veggies so I chopped them up and put them in the fridge. Tomorrow I will put them out in the solar oven to see how well they make vegetable stock. I haven’t tried this before and I really like having some kind of stock on hand. I’ll use the recipe that recommends a bay leaf, two stalks of thyme, some parsley and I think one other herb or spice ??? I see how it's turns out.
Peace, shamba
Then, on the stove inside, browned last of ground turkey with some garlic and small purple onion, plus some leftover small pieces of tomato. I like the elephant garlic we get from the CSA better than regular garlic, easier to handle and not so much odor. I like the small onions for the same reasons.
The high heat comes in today and the next few days so no more cooking in the late afternoons.
Since I pick up my CSA share on Wednesday, I like to go through the fridge and clean it out before I bring home the fresh food. So, after cleaning out the refrigerator today, I had some decent leftover veggies so I chopped them up and put them in the fridge. Tomorrow I will put them out in the solar oven to see how well they make vegetable stock. I haven’t tried this before and I really like having some kind of stock on hand. I’ll use the recipe that recommends a bay leaf, two stalks of thyme, some parsley and I think one other herb or spice ??? I see how it's turns out.
Peace, shamba
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
New House!
Not totally, I didn’t move or gut the old house for a total remodel but it sure looks a lot different than the house used to look.
Once the floors were in, I had a painter I knew, who has a real gift for seeing color and palettes, suggested some colors and things to do. I called him knowing I wanted to hear what he would have to say about the color so we discussed his ideas and I went with them in the end. It‘s really lovely! I like it very much. I’d have pics but I ‘m, not sure where all of my camera stuff is at the moment. I have the digital camera but not the little things that will upload the pics to the computer! They’re around here somewhere.
I‘ve got a couple of earthy looking tones on the walls with an accent wall in each bedroom. Door and trim are all white and the overall effect really brings out the colors in the floor and feels very adobe-ish inside. Instead of looking darker and smaller, like I always think darker colors will do, it feels like being inside an earth house but not small.
And my whitewash finished cabinets in the kitchen, which are 15 or more year old, have been given a new life with a whitewash stain he brought. They look really good against the earthy colored kitchen walls. It is a real face lift for the kitchen with this painting!
I’ll give him a little free publicity. Anyone in the Phoenix metro area, Google Polaris Painting, or Mike Wells and you’ll get his number! Yes, reasonable prices.
So, that’s what I’ve been doing most of the past month, moving stuff out, waiting out a week of repairing and painting , soothing cats who got their furs all ruffled by too much action and now moving all that stuff back into the house.
I have bread and a rice dish in the solar ovens today. My patio is cleaned up now from a stream of workmen using the patio as a staging area so I can cook back there again.
Sign of the times: On a local TV station cooking segment, a chef was showing how to make cheesecake and he demonstrated how to mix ingredients by hand rather than by food processor. He said chefs/cooks are always demonstrating mixing on fancy food processors and it can be done by hand just as easily for most cooks. He showed how to layer the ingredients into the batter. The host of the show was interested because she said that those chefs’ food processessers always cost something like $12,000! She did exaggerate a bit …
Cheers for now,
Shamba
Once the floors were in, I had a painter I knew, who has a real gift for seeing color and palettes, suggested some colors and things to do. I called him knowing I wanted to hear what he would have to say about the color so we discussed his ideas and I went with them in the end. It‘s really lovely! I like it very much. I’d have pics but I ‘m, not sure where all of my camera stuff is at the moment. I have the digital camera but not the little things that will upload the pics to the computer! They’re around here somewhere.
I‘ve got a couple of earthy looking tones on the walls with an accent wall in each bedroom. Door and trim are all white and the overall effect really brings out the colors in the floor and feels very adobe-ish inside. Instead of looking darker and smaller, like I always think darker colors will do, it feels like being inside an earth house but not small.
And my whitewash finished cabinets in the kitchen, which are 15 or more year old, have been given a new life with a whitewash stain he brought. They look really good against the earthy colored kitchen walls. It is a real face lift for the kitchen with this painting!
I’ll give him a little free publicity. Anyone in the Phoenix metro area, Google Polaris Painting, or Mike Wells and you’ll get his number! Yes, reasonable prices.
So, that’s what I’ve been doing most of the past month, moving stuff out, waiting out a week of repairing and painting , soothing cats who got their furs all ruffled by too much action and now moving all that stuff back into the house.
I have bread and a rice dish in the solar ovens today. My patio is cleaned up now from a stream of workmen using the patio as a staging area so I can cook back there again.
Sign of the times: On a local TV station cooking segment, a chef was showing how to make cheesecake and he demonstrated how to mix ingredients by hand rather than by food processor. He said chefs/cooks are always demonstrating mixing on fancy food processors and it can be done by hand just as easily for most cooks. He showed how to layer the ingredients into the batter. The host of the show was interested because she said that those chefs’ food processessers always cost something like $12,000! She did exaggerate a bit …
Cheers for now,
Shamba
Friday, May 13, 2011
Just the same old thing ...
So, for the past 8 weeks what have i been doing? :)
Not completely the same old thing but almost.
The floor installers found a package of damanged tiles and couldn't quite finish the floors the week they were installing. so, they ordered a new supply and it took about 3 weeks for the material to come in but it came in the dates they said it would. Meanwhile, the rest of the floor looked great and they set up my bedroom so I could use it even without the one side of the room finished. It was a 2-3 feet wide strip against the outside bedroom wall.
I called them the week the materials was due in and they called right back and set up a time for finishing the installation the next week. It took about 3 hours and they were done. so, the floors were finally done on April 20.
Meanwhile, I had talked to a painter and got an estimate, talked about colors, etc.
I was going to call him when the floors were done. Well, I called about a week later and have not received any replies at all. So, after almost a month of leaving message twice a week, I'm going to have to decide what to do about this: Look for another painter, leave things in storage until the inside is finished or bring it all back in the house and don't bother with painting until the heat is gone next fall. I really hate that idea so I'll just keep on with looking starting next week.
The cats are all pretty good except for Nubs. He's gotten thinner and a little less active. After a visit to the vet, and a bill to match!, he's got the very beginnings of renal failure which you can't do much about. Old kitties' kidney's wear out and that's what gets many cats in old age. :( I'll do what I can for him as long as I can. He's still playful with his mouse and has a good appetite and drinks a lot. We can try the recommended special foods although most cats never seem to like the stuff at all.
A few days around 100 but not much real heat yet.
peace, shamba
peace, Shamba
Not completely the same old thing but almost.
The floor installers found a package of damanged tiles and couldn't quite finish the floors the week they were installing. so, they ordered a new supply and it took about 3 weeks for the material to come in but it came in the dates they said it would. Meanwhile, the rest of the floor looked great and they set up my bedroom so I could use it even without the one side of the room finished. It was a 2-3 feet wide strip against the outside bedroom wall.
I called them the week the materials was due in and they called right back and set up a time for finishing the installation the next week. It took about 3 hours and they were done. so, the floors were finally done on April 20.
Meanwhile, I had talked to a painter and got an estimate, talked about colors, etc.
I was going to call him when the floors were done. Well, I called about a week later and have not received any replies at all. So, after almost a month of leaving message twice a week, I'm going to have to decide what to do about this: Look for another painter, leave things in storage until the inside is finished or bring it all back in the house and don't bother with painting until the heat is gone next fall. I really hate that idea so I'll just keep on with looking starting next week.
The cats are all pretty good except for Nubs. He's gotten thinner and a little less active. After a visit to the vet, and a bill to match!, he's got the very beginnings of renal failure which you can't do much about. Old kitties' kidney's wear out and that's what gets many cats in old age. :( I'll do what I can for him as long as I can. He's still playful with his mouse and has a good appetite and drinks a lot. We can try the recommended special foods although most cats never seem to like the stuff at all.
A few days around 100 but not much real heat yet.
peace, shamba
peace, Shamba
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Adventures for the past 10 days ...
Mostly I was without my own house since it was 4 days worth of work to rip out old carpeting, clean it up for new flooring and putting in the new tile laminate. The results look really great and I’m very pleased with the way it all looks! Hooray!
I wasn’t able to stay in my own house for 4 nights but I was at a small hotel about 1.5 miles away.
I met the workmen every morning at the house because I had to check on and feed the cats anyway—cats were outside these 4 days. Also came back at night to do the same routine with the cats. They survived that few days of noise and uproar and are doing okay.
Everything was moved out of the house into a storage unit or put in the small storage shed I have. I put my pantry foods that wouldn’t fit in cabinets, into the storage shed shelves. It would make a great pantry for half the year if I didn’t have enough other things in there already. It just wouldn’t work very well in the hot weather though.
The upside of the hotel was a full breakfast was available every day with the room (it was a comfortable quiet room), I had access to 24 hours cable and there were high-speed computers available in the lobby for any guest to use. For the news junkie in me the cable and computers were a treat although the news the last couple of weeks seems to worsen exponentially every few hours.
The downside was I had no kitchen. I had a microwave and lots of decent restaurants around and fridge in the room (which I didn’t use) but after being used to doing my own cooking I felt really lost without my stove or pots or other sources for cooking. Solar ovens wouldn’t have worked at the hotel setup.
Goodness, you could go broke just buying meals or prepared food to microwave ! And I could buy fruit and keep it in my room but I didn’t get enough greens in the past week I know.
When I could get into the kitchen, I could get things out of the fridge and take them with me to eat later but it was really inconvenient not just having my kitchen and food things ready for use when I wanted.And another week of eating without my kitchen and I’d begin to feel like an overstuffed blimp.
I got the tv and the computer up and running Friday afternoon. I didn't expect it to go that smoothly but it did. Also, I packed my 2010 tax info in a box and couldn’t find it for 3 days—but I found it last night when I unpacked3 boxes at home. Eek!
Glad to be back at home and have my nice new floors!
Peace, shamba
I wasn’t able to stay in my own house for 4 nights but I was at a small hotel about 1.5 miles away.
I met the workmen every morning at the house because I had to check on and feed the cats anyway—cats were outside these 4 days. Also came back at night to do the same routine with the cats. They survived that few days of noise and uproar and are doing okay.
Everything was moved out of the house into a storage unit or put in the small storage shed I have. I put my pantry foods that wouldn’t fit in cabinets, into the storage shed shelves. It would make a great pantry for half the year if I didn’t have enough other things in there already. It just wouldn’t work very well in the hot weather though.
The upside of the hotel was a full breakfast was available every day with the room (it was a comfortable quiet room), I had access to 24 hours cable and there were high-speed computers available in the lobby for any guest to use. For the news junkie in me the cable and computers were a treat although the news the last couple of weeks seems to worsen exponentially every few hours.
The downside was I had no kitchen. I had a microwave and lots of decent restaurants around and fridge in the room (which I didn’t use) but after being used to doing my own cooking I felt really lost without my stove or pots or other sources for cooking. Solar ovens wouldn’t have worked at the hotel setup.
Goodness, you could go broke just buying meals or prepared food to microwave ! And I could buy fruit and keep it in my room but I didn’t get enough greens in the past week I know.
When I could get into the kitchen, I could get things out of the fridge and take them with me to eat later but it was really inconvenient not just having my kitchen and food things ready for use when I wanted.And another week of eating without my kitchen and I’d begin to feel like an overstuffed blimp.
I got the tv and the computer up and running Friday afternoon. I didn't expect it to go that smoothly but it did. Also, I packed my 2010 tax info in a box and couldn’t find it for 3 days—but I found it last night when I unpacked3 boxes at home. Eek!
Glad to be back at home and have my nice new floors!
Peace, shamba
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Been out of touch
for a few due to staying elsewhere while my new floors are being put in. Everyday or many times a day, some new horrible thing is happening out in the world. Japan, radiation issues, Libya war front, Israel moved into Gaza, radiation levels in Tokyo drinking water, a unknown source of a large oil spill just south of Grand Isle, Lousiana!!!! Sweet heavens above .... then what?
My floors do look really nice, they've been installed in the living room but the rest needs to be finished in the next day or two. I'm hoping these floors will cut the dust and loose dirt in the house and I have to be more diligent about keeping the cleaning up better! A couple of new dust mops should do it and new floors should provide the inspiration.
peace for now, shamba
My floors do look really nice, they've been installed in the living room but the rest needs to be finished in the next day or two. I'm hoping these floors will cut the dust and loose dirt in the house and I have to be more diligent about keeping the cleaning up better! A couple of new dust mops should do it and new floors should provide the inspiration.
peace for now, shamba
Monday, March 14, 2011
Melting, melting, melting ... a glowing puddle of radiative goo ?
Now, many think the fuel rods are melting in the 3 problem reactors in Fukushima 1 power plant in northern Japan.
And the Nikkei index has melted some because of the earthquake, tsunami and now probably radiation leaks even before the rods have melted through their containers. The Bank of Japan has been injecting money this trading Tuesday in Japan. Jpan is about 14 hours ahead of Phoenix time.
Of course, there is a great gap in my last entry and this one. Mostly, I'm referring to the giant 9.0 earthquake on the eastern side of Honshu island in Japan.
About every 12 hours, since last Friday, march 11, there's been some new announcement about nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors at one particular power plant. There have been explosions in the buildings the containers are in but so far no containers have been breached.
My net sites are beginning to talk about people and businesses packing up and leaving Tokyo as the radiation levels there are going up
My usual financial/geopolitical blogs are sure that the Japnaese authorities have been downplaying everything from the start. Zerohedge.com has been calling the event there right so far the past few days. Then about 10-12 hours after they post their conclusion, NBC evening news has it on, too!
Of all the things to be prepared for, anything nuclear or radiation is the one that frightens me the most. Of course, we don't know that it will reach here but the effects of this worldwide on food, business, tourism and just about anything else is totally wrecked if it doesn't stabilize completely pretty soon.
no peace tonight ya'll, shamba
And the Nikkei index has melted some because of the earthquake, tsunami and now probably radiation leaks even before the rods have melted through their containers. The Bank of Japan has been injecting money this trading Tuesday in Japan. Jpan is about 14 hours ahead of Phoenix time.
Of course, there is a great gap in my last entry and this one. Mostly, I'm referring to the giant 9.0 earthquake on the eastern side of Honshu island in Japan.
About every 12 hours, since last Friday, march 11, there's been some new announcement about nuclear power plants and nuclear reactors at one particular power plant. There have been explosions in the buildings the containers are in but so far no containers have been breached.
My net sites are beginning to talk about people and businesses packing up and leaving Tokyo as the radiation levels there are going up
My usual financial/geopolitical blogs are sure that the Japnaese authorities have been downplaying everything from the start. Zerohedge.com has been calling the event there right so far the past few days. Then about 10-12 hours after they post their conclusion, NBC evening news has it on, too!
Of all the things to be prepared for, anything nuclear or radiation is the one that frightens me the most. Of course, we don't know that it will reach here but the effects of this worldwide on food, business, tourism and just about anything else is totally wrecked if it doesn't stabilize completely pretty soon.
no peace tonight ya'll, shamba
Friday, February 18, 2011
My very own chiles ...
I haven’t written for a while but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been doing anything. I’m not sure how interesting it’s all been but just the daily stuff is keeping me busy.
When I went to make a chile, cheese and grits dish that I really like, I remembered that it needed green chiles. I’ve made the recipe without green chiles, but it’s pretty blah without them. I don’t usually think of cans of green chile to have on hand.
However, this morning I remembered I have my own chiles in the freezer. All those green chiles we got the end of last summer from the CSA were all prepared myself and put in the freezer for when I would need them. Of course, it was a good way to keep them from going bad as well.
So, this morning I pulled out my very own bag of frozen green chiles to use in this dish. I smiled with pleasure at the bag when I saw it. It’s a very tangible reward, if small, of learning all the things related to food storage, preservation and cooking I’ve been trying out the past couple of years. My very own chiles …
Peace, Shamba
When I went to make a chile, cheese and grits dish that I really like, I remembered that it needed green chiles. I’ve made the recipe without green chiles, but it’s pretty blah without them. I don’t usually think of cans of green chile to have on hand.
However, this morning I remembered I have my own chiles in the freezer. All those green chiles we got the end of last summer from the CSA were all prepared myself and put in the freezer for when I would need them. Of course, it was a good way to keep them from going bad as well.
So, this morning I pulled out my very own bag of frozen green chiles to use in this dish. I smiled with pleasure at the bag when I saw it. It’s a very tangible reward, if small, of learning all the things related to food storage, preservation and cooking I’ve been trying out the past couple of years. My very own chiles …
Peace, Shamba
I haven’t written for a while but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been doing anything. I’m not sure how interesting it’s all been but just the daily stuff is keeping me busy.
When I went to make a chile, cheese and grits dish that I really like, I remembered that it needed green chiles. I’ve made the recipe without green chiles, but it’s pretty blah without them. I don’t usually think of cans of green chile to have on hand.
However, this morning I remembered I have my own chiles in the freezer. All those green chiles we got the end of last summer from the CSA were all prepared myself and put in the freezer for when I would need them. Of course, it was a good way to keep them from going bad as well.
So, this morning I pulled out my very own bag of frozen green chiles to use in this dish. I smiled with pleasure at the bag when I saw it. It’s a very tangible reward, if small, of learning all the things related to food storage, preservation and cooking I’ve been trying out the past couple of years. My very own chiles …
Peace, Shamba
When I went to make a chile, cheese and grits dish that I really like, I remembered that it needed green chiles. I’ve made the recipe without green chiles, but it’s pretty blah without them. I don’t usually think of cans of green chile to have on hand.
However, this morning I remembered I have my own chiles in the freezer. All those green chiles we got the end of last summer from the CSA were all prepared myself and put in the freezer for when I would need them. Of course, it was a good way to keep them from going bad as well.
So, this morning I pulled out my very own bag of frozen green chiles to use in this dish. I smiled with pleasure at the bag when I saw it. It’s a very tangible reward, if small, of learning all the things related to food storage, preservation and cooking I’ve been trying out the past couple of years. My very own chiles …
Peace, Shamba
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Arizona Winter ....
Weather update from Shamba's front yard:
Flurries, yep, snow flurries ... at 2:45-2:55 p.m. today.
I wondered what that white stuff was on my black pants hanging on the patio furniture ... then it was all around me for a few moments .... and I recognized it, snow, very small flakes and nothing lasted very long once it hit the ground or bushes.
One of my neighbor's kids cried: "Look, snow!"
Haven't seen it in almost 20 years here. It sometimes hits the ground but it doesn't last beyond a couple of minutes.
Just my few flakes worth,
Shamba
Southern Arizona is very cold today and northern Arizona is inundated with the snow from a large winter storm the past 24 hours. Roads to Flagstaff have been closed just past Sedona, the snow and wind creating great snow drifts make driving too dangerous.
It's 1:00 p.m. here MST, in Phoenix in my front yard and our temps are dropping from mid 40s the past hour I'll bet.
We had good rain from the storm but now the sky is mostly clear and it is cold out there. It's only 48-50 in Phoenix today! And there's a wind of about 15-20 miles and hour. It' supposed to be that cold for the next two days.
I haven't been this cold in years here at home! Of course, it was easily this cold when I lived in the Maryland-DC area.
We're not going to be much over 50 degrees for the next two days and very clear cold nights are starting tonight; temps tonight are supposed to be 19-29 degrees. I’m definitely covering plants for the next 3 nights.
One station this morning was saying it could be cold enough tomorrow morning to maybe worry about rained streets turning to ice. I haven't seen snow flurries here in 20 years and we can get fog in the winter but I've never seen ice on our roads.
I haven't wrapped my head up in years but my ears hurt so after being in the wind today I had to put on something. I just had too much to do today to let it go another day.
People who ccame to warm southern Arizona to see the bowl games here are in for a surprise as far as daily temperature are. Northern Arizona is all snowed in. Most of the roads north from Phoenix were closed the last day or so. The roads may be open this afternoon.
peace, Shamba
Flurries, yep, snow flurries ... at 2:45-2:55 p.m. today.
I wondered what that white stuff was on my black pants hanging on the patio furniture ... then it was all around me for a few moments .... and I recognized it, snow, very small flakes and nothing lasted very long once it hit the ground or bushes.
One of my neighbor's kids cried: "Look, snow!"
Haven't seen it in almost 20 years here. It sometimes hits the ground but it doesn't last beyond a couple of minutes.
Just my few flakes worth,
Shamba
Southern Arizona is very cold today and northern Arizona is inundated with the snow from a large winter storm the past 24 hours. Roads to Flagstaff have been closed just past Sedona, the snow and wind creating great snow drifts make driving too dangerous.
It's 1:00 p.m. here MST, in Phoenix in my front yard and our temps are dropping from mid 40s the past hour I'll bet.
We had good rain from the storm but now the sky is mostly clear and it is cold out there. It's only 48-50 in Phoenix today! And there's a wind of about 15-20 miles and hour. It' supposed to be that cold for the next two days.
I haven't been this cold in years here at home! Of course, it was easily this cold when I lived in the Maryland-DC area.
We're not going to be much over 50 degrees for the next two days and very clear cold nights are starting tonight; temps tonight are supposed to be 19-29 degrees. I’m definitely covering plants for the next 3 nights.
One station this morning was saying it could be cold enough tomorrow morning to maybe worry about rained streets turning to ice. I haven't seen snow flurries here in 20 years and we can get fog in the winter but I've never seen ice on our roads.
I haven't wrapped my head up in years but my ears hurt so after being in the wind today I had to put on something. I just had too much to do today to let it go another day.
People who ccame to warm southern Arizona to see the bowl games here are in for a surprise as far as daily temperature are. Northern Arizona is all snowed in. Most of the roads north from Phoenix were closed the last day or so. The roads may be open this afternoon.
peace, Shamba
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
A Very Late Merry Christmas ...
A Very Merry After Christmas and Happy New year!
Four of us had a very festive day at a heavily decorated house with lovely Christmas background music, homemade lasagna, green bean salad, green salad, lots of little chocolate cakes and “things” for dessert. And there were many friendly cats, so it’s good that all of us were fond of cats. :)
I have decoration of evergreens, pine branches and such in the house and it all smells very good.
A neighbor of mine gave me a “branch “ of Brussel sprouts since she had so many herself. I’ve never seen how these grow before. This is a neighbor I’ve given some extra greens to when my CSA share is a little too much for me.
We;’ve had some lovely winter weather in the 70s but this midweek we’re getting a very wet storm and 4-5 nights of freezing nights in the mid-20s. we’ll see if it gets that cold. I put out some extra bedding for the cats to snuggle into.
And I learned to make butternut squash soup this holiday season.
Peace, Shamba
Four of us had a very festive day at a heavily decorated house with lovely Christmas background music, homemade lasagna, green bean salad, green salad, lots of little chocolate cakes and “things” for dessert. And there were many friendly cats, so it’s good that all of us were fond of cats. :)
I have decoration of evergreens, pine branches and such in the house and it all smells very good.
A neighbor of mine gave me a “branch “ of Brussel sprouts since she had so many herself. I’ve never seen how these grow before. This is a neighbor I’ve given some extra greens to when my CSA share is a little too much for me.
We;’ve had some lovely winter weather in the 70s but this midweek we’re getting a very wet storm and 4-5 nights of freezing nights in the mid-20s. we’ll see if it gets that cold. I put out some extra bedding for the cats to snuggle into.
And I learned to make butternut squash soup this holiday season.
Peace, Shamba
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Small Update in December
I have been doing things but it doesn't interest me to keep track of my small culinary victories like it did.
It seem like all the blogs, (food blogs, I call them) I've been reading for the past two years about food sources, preparing food, cooking, and other food preps are not what they were. There are good reasons for this, employement issues, growing children, just life happening for everyone. Some bloggers have also become more public spokeswomen for the causes they believe in, some are writing books and just involved more in the Real Life than the blogs of Cyber Life. Some post less than they used to.
In any case, I miss reading them the way I used to. Who else was going to tell me that red lentils cooked the fastest of lentils? For this woman who hardly ever knew how to cook much, the past two years have been a great education about food and especially food I'd never tried before. I will keep looking at the blogs that I've become so fond of and I do wish their owners to have the best success at whatever they're doing.
And, I've learned how to make pumpkin soup, it wasn't great but I'll be better next time. I have two large freezer bags of cut up butternut squashes in the freezer and I want to make butternut soup next.
that all for now, don't let the christmas Crazies get to you.
peace, shamba
It seem like all the blogs, (food blogs, I call them) I've been reading for the past two years about food sources, preparing food, cooking, and other food preps are not what they were. There are good reasons for this, employement issues, growing children, just life happening for everyone. Some bloggers have also become more public spokeswomen for the causes they believe in, some are writing books and just involved more in the Real Life than the blogs of Cyber Life. Some post less than they used to.
In any case, I miss reading them the way I used to. Who else was going to tell me that red lentils cooked the fastest of lentils? For this woman who hardly ever knew how to cook much, the past two years have been a great education about food and especially food I'd never tried before. I will keep looking at the blogs that I've become so fond of and I do wish their owners to have the best success at whatever they're doing.
And, I've learned how to make pumpkin soup, it wasn't great but I'll be better next time. I have two large freezer bags of cut up butternut squashes in the freezer and I want to make butternut soup next.
that all for now, don't let the christmas Crazies get to you.
peace, shamba
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