Your neck of the woods part 4 9/22/2013

Sally--

I think I already own that title...I feed a lot of people--IF they fall in the
category of-----"I like you a lot--and I know you like me..."--in other words--
we have a "connection"...kind of in our souls. Easy to get along with people.
People that really appreciate the goodies I bring them.
I have to say==most of them are males...even some past ASM's.

I have given up trying to figure this out--just WHAT creates this and WHY
I form these connections with certain people--but I think food plays a big role in it.

There are not too many.....just the "lucky ones".......:o)
It just happens...... G.

Sounds like you put so much of yourself into preparing yummy dishes for your coworkers!

Those of us who have attended a swap along with Gita have also been the beneficiary of her largesse. Those pickles -- yummmm.

That's what makes Gita's cooking taste so good, all the LOVE she puts into it!!
She Rrrrrrrreally knows how to love people!!! < =D

Don't miss the happy greetings from Bec in Bama, in the forum, new thread!

Space heaters and dripping faucets until Tues when Furnace Man can finish furnace repairs begun on Friday. Wonder if he will charge me for the hour and 1/2 it took him to locate 4 bolts to replace badly rusted ones? Seems neither HVAC or plumbing suppliers carried them any longer. He found them at an auto supply store. His comment "Nobody repairs things anymore"

On the other hand there was a "Knife, Saw and Sissors" sharpener man at our local Farmers Market. I got a half bushel of apples and sweet potatoes, and my favorite 'white' sweet potatoes.

Bought six heads of baby cabbage which I will stuff with sage pork sausage. Also got a pork shoulder roast and some lamb stew meat. Missed the turkey! There are now four farms locally raising GMO, /hormone and antibiotic free meats and poultry. To me there is definitely a taste and digestive difference to these sustainably raised products

Sending warm thoughts your way, Coleup, and sure hope the repairman doesn't charge for time taken to locate the parts!!

Sounds like a yummy Thanksgiving dinner. We are looking forward to a nice long, cozy weekend--maybe I'll even get around to organizing that stack of papers in the basement and cleaning out the pantry!! :-)

Sending you WARM hugs, dear!!!!

Making lists of things to do and things to get before happy chaos starts Wednesday night til Sunday afternoon.

Furnace guy will be here around noon!

Amazing how much colder I feel when I don't know when I can get warmer! Just like it feels so much hotter when I don't know or can't control when I can get cooler.

Living in 'layers' here.

Will use the car with the best heater to do the routes this week. My gardening will be of the virtual kind.

Stay warm doing all those pre Holiday doings everyone.

How did the furnace guy work out, Coleup? Do you have heat yet?

Hoping you are getting warmed up, dear

Yea, I have heat
and a brand new combustion chamber.
Furnace looks better and even sounds better.
Cost was $300 over initial 'estimate' so now I have to save up for some more fuel oil for the winter and within a month I need to replace fuel pump and one circulator (another $500-700.) gulp.
Thanks for your concern and good thoughts

PS One of my coping with the cold mechanisms is to make and consume lots of comfort foods!
mmmmm mashed potatoes,

Glad to hear you have heat, though not glad to hear about the anticipated additional costs! :-(

I've always liked split pea and ham soup for cold winter days...

Glad for the warmth, but sad on the expected additional costs.

Yay for comfort foods!!!!

Cat--

I like it too---I make a big pot (21qt.) of very thick pea soup--
every couple of years.

Gita's Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:
--4 smoked ham hocks,
--One meaty ham bone--
--Lots of diced ham, plus all the usable meat from all the bones
--2c. diced onions--
--2c. thin-sliced Celery,
--2c rough-grated, or shaved carrots-you want them to "disappear'...
--4-5 firm potatoes--NOT the baking ones...they go to mush!

Seasonings:
Bay leaves--Garlic Powder--Onion powder--dried marjoram--Dill--
lots of fresh-ground black pepper--and some Seasoned salt.
Anything else you like to add.

--Water and Broths--to bring pot to full after bones have been removed.
You can add any saved cooking broths, Potato water, Chicken Stock, etc...
It is ALL good!!!

To Do:
--Put ham-hocks and bones in pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a slow boil.
Simmer for about 1/2 hour, skimming off any foam that develops
--Add all the peas and cook for about an hour--then start adding the veggies
and seasonings.
--Cook/simmer soup for about 2 more hours total.

--Remove all meats and bones to a platter. Keep soup simmering.
--Sit down, turn on the TV and start removing all usable meat from the bones.
Return this meat to the pot. Save the bones for your favorite Dog.
--Now add the diced potatoes...and simmer for about 20 minutes more.
--Let soup "rest" a bit before serving. The potatoes will continue softening
as the soup sits.

You're Done!!!! Enjoy!