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Tag Archives: Favorite Things

Salmon and Other Sirens of the Deep

04 Thursday May 2017

Posted by greyhousejournal in Around the House, Family, Fish, Food, In the Kitchen, Life, Links, Memory Lane, Recipes, Shopping, Smoked Fish

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Tags

Favorite Things, Food, Holidays, Links, Memories, Salmon Patties

Seems I always have a can or three of my favorite oil-packed tuna in my pantry. Love tuna salad in almost any form as well as most casseroles. Think it’s my Midwestern upbringing. Yes, over thirty years in Southern California and I’m still a Wisconsin girl at heart.

The number of containers of canned tuna grows slightly in numbers every spring (often it’s on sale) but starting a number of years ago, it got some company in the form of canned, red sockeye salmon. Oh and let’s not forget the 6 oz. tin or two of crabmeat and Trader Joe’s smoked trout. Gosh, love that stuff !!!! (No affiliation at all BTW).

So, back to the canned salmon in the pantry. Never had canned salmon in the pantry till, as I said, a few years ago, when I saw it on sale and it jogged a childhood memory. My Mom ALWAYS had it on hand and it often resulted in salmon patties for dinner. OMG…isn’t it bad enough to flat out l.o.v.e. sockeye, but to go as far as canned salmon? Yum. Oh, I mean, yes.

In my search for slow cooker recipes over the last months (no, I’m no longer Catholic but some of its trappings have just hung around…like Lent and fish). Anyhow, I came across a number of recipes (though not slow cooker) that looked interesting enough to bookmark and share.

Salmon Cream Cheese Dip

Photo Source.

First, I’d like to point out 2 things about this first recipe. The cost of this particular dip noted by the author at the bottom of the recipe/post is from 2010. Currently I bought an 8 ounce tub of pre-made Philadelphia Cream Cheese Soft Salmon spread on sale for $3.99. Not very “salmon-y” tasting if you ask me, but still, I’ll eat it.

In reviewing the ingredients for the delicious Salmon Spread/Dip, I thought it’d be much more flavorful than the store-bought version. For this, I’d use the 8 ounce blocks that Philly comes in, not 12 ounces and just cut back on the salmon a bit, maybe to 1.5 cups of it. I’m torn on using Liquid Smoke. In the past, I’d read about negative health issues so I googled it. You can look into it further here.

To get the smoked flavor, I might throw in part of a pouch of smoked salmon from the grocery, like this:

LASCCO smkd salmon

Photo Source.

Well that pic is certainly large enough…lol…will have to check WordPress for info on altering images. Sorry.

Anyway, I could probably easily eat a bowl of this spread/dip and by the spoonful, it just looks so good! Even thinking about it has me salivating. Lol.

And, yes that would leave nothing else to nibble on and put me way over my daily caloric limit! But, hey, it’s the holidays…I mean, it was “just” Easter wasn’t it?! Don’t judge. At least it’s fish. You can also make a similar dip with Trader Joe’s smoked trout in a tin or their crabmeat.

TJ's Smkd Trout

Photo Source.

OMG to both. Seriously, what can be made with cream cheese that isn’t to die for?

I also found several chowders that also looked quite good:  first, is Smoked Salmon Chowder which uses smoked salmon. Now if you think the cash outlay to buy enough canned or fresh salmon might be too much, check this website (quite informative) out for smoking your own salmon and this for canning your own salmon.

Frankly, once I took into account all the equipment and labor involved, the store-bought salmon seemed pretty “cheap”! Yes, I’ve seen those videos where someone puts a DIY foil tray in the oven, grill or even in a fry pan. Trust me, they do not work for smoking a fish like salmon, nowhere near the same.

Another recipe that looked good is this one . But are we ever satisfied with what we have? No. And further “research” yielded this one which looks unbelievably yummy!

Photo Source.

Photo Source.

Delicious, no?

Well, I’ll end this missive on fish for now, but it will be continued later :). In the meantime, enjoy tinkering in the kitchen!

Oh, and big B-day hello to my childhood friend whom my Dad often called Susie-Q. Happy birthday dear one!

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Blog Shift and Artichokes

28 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by greyhousejournal in Around the House, In the Kitchen, Life, Something New, Thinking Out Loud

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Tags

Favorite Things, Food, Good Things, Links, Recipe

 

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

Veggie Dip

It became apparent to me earlier last summer that I was losing interest in the general subject matter on my blog. I no longer had a dog and my life had become smaller and smaller as walking became harder and harder, so I felt I had nothing to write about. Sorry for my prior extended absences.

What has been consuming my life is aging and everything involved in it. In case you missed the post with my age (I finally admitted it), I’m 66 and will be 67 in May. What I’ve been finding is that there’s very little written for those of us who are aging and the “challenges” we will face. No one seems to have any kind of major info….

So I decided to write about the things I run into as I hit them. “Hit them” is the operative phrase here, because pretty often it’s a shock. The other thing I’m going to write about are the interesting recipes I’ve come across that don’t require a lot of physical work or effort to make. You can stop laughing now…I was referring to carrying big pots of water, food etc. across the kitchen to the stove and back.

As you may or may not know/realize, since the emergency surgery and three or four weeks time I spent in the I.C.U. almost 2.5 years ago, my balance has really deteriorated. I’m now “chained” to my walker as it were.  The whole idea of filling my 5 quart Dutch oven up with water to cook one or three artichokes (looovve them to pieces) or anything else, only to have to move the big (5 qt.) pot of water (cold or hot) between the sink and stove is just really unsafe at this point.

A while back, I had a very nice homecare person, named Antonia in to help me for a few hours. Got a lot done but sadly the artichoke (on sale over Thanksgiving) I’d been lusting after all summer only got halfway cooked before she had to leave. I tried leaving the it in the hot water hoping it’d finish cooking but no such luck. They’re tough little buggers.

So, using my 2 cup measure, I drained it (again, no moving big pots of water around the kitchen) and wrapped it in plastic resolving to figure it out in the days that followed. They last quite well when bagged and refrigerated.

(Oh, and did you know the way to check if your artichoke is ready? You take a tongs and grab hold of one of the leaves in the middle. If the leaf releases from the veg easily, voila, done. If not, cook some more. Usually takes about 40 or more minutes and you really can’t overcook them. Well, maybe 2+ hours would….)

So, I googled “can artichokes be microwaved?” and got all kinds of info that will now make my life and hopefully yours easier (and safer). What follows are just a few sites addressing this! Here are just a few:
Ten Minute Microwave Steamed Artichokes
https://thismodernwife.com/2013/04/25/10-minute-microwave-steamed
-artichokes/
(This article is really interesting because it talks about how to eat the stems! Some of the stores in my area actually advertise in very early summer having chokes with long stems because they are very similar to the heart of the artichoke. Who knew?)
How to Microwave Artichokes
http://www.oceanmist.com/artichokes/microwave-artichokes/
Ways to Cook Artichokes
http://artichokes.org/cooking-artichokes

So getting older may be an evil none of us can avoid, but hopefully you, like me, will realize there are a number of ways around some of the problems. Oh, and for sitting through this long post, here’s my recipe (yes, I finally measured the ingredients vs. eyeballing them!) for a dip that’s fantastic with almost any form of raw veg as well as a great dip for the artichoke leaves and other cooked veggies. I’ve used this recipe for the last 35 years with virtually no alterations. It keeps (in my experience) for over a week in the fridge or until the whey in the sour cream has separated into a watery layer on top (just stir back in or pour off if you’re so inclined).

Dip for Artichokes

1 c. or more of Knudson’s sour cream (16 ounces or 2 cups shown below)
1-1.5 t. Lemon Pepper (not an expensive one)
1+/- t. Beau Monde by Spice Islands
1+/-t. Bon Appetit

Alternate measurements or to taste:

2 c. of Knudson’s sour cream (16 ounces or 2 cups shown below)
2+ t. Lemon Pepper
2+ t. Beau Monde by Spice Islands
2+ t. Bon Appetit also by Spice Islands

Sprinkle on the surface of the sour cream in a fairly solid track. First one direction vertically (or horizontally, doesn’t matter) and same with the other in the opposite direction. See photos.SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

Begin by topping with Lemon Pepper (as above). I used McCormick’s. You use the most of this “spice”. In other words a bit more than what’s seen here. And yes, this is a 16 ounce container of Knudson sour cream.

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

Lemon Pepper with Bon Appetite over it

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

Now with Beau Monde over that.

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

Mix well and chill to blend for about 1 hour. If you don’t let the spice “crystals” bloom, the dip will be crunchy if used immediately.

Notes:

-Buy a cheap brand of lemon pepper vs. one by Spice Islands or any of the high end pricy ones. Easier to find and they taste better. My opinion. (This note applies to the spice mix Celery Salt also. I’ve tried the higher priced ones and the flavor doesn’t blend into itself well. Each element in the mix fights the other rather than becoming a homogenous flavoring. Again, my opinion.)

-You can always add more spice to the dip if it doesn’t suit you. Just let the spices meld again.

Dip and enjoy!

 

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Smoked Salmon Accompaniment

21 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by greyhousejournal in In the Kitchen

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Dip for Smoked Salmon, Favorite Things, Food, Herbs, Recipe, Smoked Salmon, Smoked Salmon Accompaniment

This is what I serve with smoked salmon looks like. Usually I also have a dish of capers on the side.

Photo Source.

Photo Source.

Use whatever measurements you like.
1/2 mayo (the real stuff like Hellmans’s/Best Foods)
(Hellman’s is East coast and BF is West, who knows why?)
1/2 sour cream (I like Knudson’s)
About 3- 5 T. (+ or -) chopped fresh dill
About 1/4 – 1/3 c. (+ or -) finely minced red onion
1-5 T. capers (rinsed and drained of course) Amount depends on how many people you’re serving.

Mix everything except the capers together. You can alter proportions to taste as you like. Haven’t tried it with yogurt since I just love it this way.

Let sit in a covered container in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to meld. Serve with the salmon and capers on the side, so people can help themselves.

This is a versatile all around dip but is really good with smoked salmon. You could probably sub shallots for the red onion. It’s just I really like the taste of red onion and how it balances out the richness of the smoked salmon. It’s a very flexible recipe that the person who first introduced me to home smoking ages ago gave to me. Gosh, it must be over 20 years ago!

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Entering Trout Season

19 Tuesday Apr 2016

Posted by greyhousejournal in In the Kitchen, Life, Memory Lane, Something New

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Tags

Dip for Smoked Salmon, Favorite Things, Food, Links, Memories, Recipe, Smoked Fish, TJ's Smoked Trout

Lake Superior Trout

Lake Superior Trout

Why is it that thinking and talking about food can often make you feel better mentally? It’s the strangest thing. Believe it or not, this post stems from putting my grocery delivery order together on Sunday.

As you may or may not know, I use Von’s Delivery vs. going grocery shopping myself. My knees are just so bad that it’s a much better option for me. The food is delivered to my back door, brought in and placed on the counter for me. So very much better! The nice thing is that if you order $150 the delivery fee is only $3.95. Since I order two to three weeks worthat a time that’s easy to reach. Not bad heh? Someone does the shopping and lugging for me, plus every week they offer a free item. One week it was Magnum ice cream bars. Yum! Another week it was a big container of one of their deli soups. Other times boxes of cereal and so on!

Anyhow, I was on the Von’s website and decided to look at what was available in fish. Well, the first thing listed under fish was Chilean Sea Bass fillet at…are you ready?$32.99/pound! A pound! I called Customer Service and asked if it was a mistake. They couldn’t tell and so called the store that serves my area.

Sure enough it was correct! Can you believe it? Two funny things…I had called about a week ago and was told that often when a product isn’t ordered it’s because it doesn’t “move” (aka:  sell fast enough) and then has to be tossed. [But I order it…. :(]

Obviously the store’s fish monger must have wanted a special meal. He could be pretty sure no one would be buying the bass anytime soon. Second funny thing was that the customer service rep had no reference as far as the cost because she doesn’t like fish and doesn’t eat it. Can you imagine not eating fish? I’d die without salmon, trout, tuna, anchovies and so on! I don’t get it that often but not to ever eat it? Can’t even envision that at all.

In fact, on my next Trader Joe’s order, I’m going to get about 10 to 12 little tins of their delicious Smoked Trout.TJ's Smkd Trout

It’s so good and it reminds me of summer days as a kid vacationing up in Door County, Wisconsin where there are all kinds of varieties of smoked fish available and they all taste so good!

Just like in Door County

Just like in Door County…yum!

I often will use a tin of smoked trout from Trader Joe’s (they’re small by the way – see image below) to make a dinner of lettuces, tomatoes, potatoes and whatever other fresh veggies are around. Maybe even a hard-boiled egg. If I have any special olives on hand, those are included. Actually even something as pedestrian as pimento stuffed greenies. Of course I do toss those in a small pot of water and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or so, to remove some of the salt. Then drain, rinse, drain and cool.

I’ve even been known to use the oil I drain from the trout tin to make an nice, easy vinaigrette. Sometimes I’ll throw everything together like a big ole’ tossed salad.And other times separate it kind of like a Salad Nicoise as in the image below (though not a real salad Nicoise).

Photo Source.

Photo Source.

This is often the perfect dinner in the dregs of summer when I refuse to turn the oven on and even the idea of throwing something on the stovetop is completely undesirable. Plus I get some Omega-3’s this way.

From Stacey's blog

From Stacey’s blog

In researching smoked fish for this post, I came upon a number of interesting sites. First is Stacey’s post on her take of April Bloomfield’s recipe in “A Girl and Her Pig”. She has a good recipe modeled after April’s but using TJ’s Smoked Trout.

I called several well known delis in LA. “Fish? No, we don’t carry any fish.” In the Midwest no self-respecting deli would ever say that! You could always get some form of un-canned smoked fish, especially in spring, trout season. Heck, one of the first things I bought (after a gas grill) when I moved out at the start of the divorce was a smoker. Love smoked salmon. Used to get a slab of salmon (skinned both sides – important) from Costco and smoke it. Ooohhh, to die for. And I had the best “dip” to accompany it. Sadly my insane knees now limit me and I haven’t smoked anything in several years.  😦

Smkd trout3Another site yielded a number of ways to get your hands on some smoked fish if you don’t live on the East Coast or near a Great Lake. (Apparently being 30 minutes from the Pacific ocean doesn’t count for anything so I was happy to get this list.) Even if I only ordered once every two years from one of them it’d be worth it:

Smoked Fish: How to Get It

If properly packaged and handled, smoked fish will last 5 to 7 days, depending on the fish.

Abe’s & Son, Philadelphia, PA, 215-742-3800 ($50 minimum)

Barney Greengrass, New York, NY, 212-724-4707

Browne Trading Company, Portland, ME, 800-944-7848; www.brownetrading.com 

Murray’s Sturgeon, New York, NY, 212-724-2650

Russ & Daughters, New York, NY, 800-787-7229

Zabar’s, New York, NY 212-496-1234 (inside New York), 800-697-6301(outside New York), www.zabars.com

Why is everything on the East coast? We have fish here! Heck, we’ve got a whole ocean sitting next to us!

P.S. Just FYI: not affiliated with anyone in any way.

P.P.S. Recipe for “dip” for salmon coming next.

 

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Not Flying Monkeys….

08 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by greyhousejournal in Pets, Photography

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Craziness, Favorite Things, Good Things, Happiness, Laughter, Pets, Welsh Pembroke Corgis

Pinterest.

Pinterest.

Not much going on today. Love the image above!

Can you believe it’s December 8?! I can’t!

But I’m here to talk flying Corgis. Good grief they’re cute! Look at that little bun!

Corgis can fly!

Photo Source. Unknown.

That’s just so sweet!

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OMG!

15 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by greyhousejournal in Around the House, Out and About, Something New, The World

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Around Town, Favorite Things, Good Things, Happiness, Weather

Holy Cow!!! It’s RAINING!!!!! Yay!

It was predicted but I really doubted it based on the weather so far! It’s a miracle. Doesn’t matter how little, just the fact we got some water on the ground…YAY!!!

So, it’s not pouring, but hey! Rain! Free water from the sky is falling in an even flow!!!

And, yes, it’s something to get excited about. In the middle of a horrid drought. Yes!

I know, it won’t fix the drought, not by a very long shot, but any bit of water is such a blessing!

Okay, well that was quick and passing. Like 25 minutes…:(  But hey, RAIN!

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Techie and Tasty Tips and Tricks

13 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by greyhousejournal in Around the House, In the Kitchen, Inspiration, Links, Recipes, Something New

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Favorite Things, Food, Good Things, Links, Recipes

I’ve run across a number of fun little things in the last few days while surfing the web. Well, maybe they’re not all so fun but in the this case, if you have a blog you’ll want to know about the first item just in case you missed it.

Photo Source.

Photo Source.

Google has changed it’s algorithm to take into account mobile searching. Who cares what the algorithm is, what matters is that your site must be mobile friendly. Now, the article I read, said to just check your blog stats. Well, I must be blind or they’re hiding really well, ’cause I couldn’t find that info anywhere for this blog.

Fortunately, the article had a link to Google where you can enter your URL and it will check for you. This blog is mobile-friendly I discovered. To see if your blog is too, just go here. Apparently WordPress themes are mobile-responsive.

On a completely different topic, now that the medical/scientific people have lifted the ban on egg-eating I’ve been enjoying them several times a week. I love eggs in any form, my favorite being sunny side up with bacon. Bacon is still on the “eat-very-little” list so I’ve been consuming hard and soft boiled eggs instead.

Lately I’ve even been enjoying these little nutrition packs as quick, easy and inexpensive dinner alternatives. While doing so, I’ve become fascinated with cooking techniques. I already blogged about boiling eggs here and now I’m looking into poaching which looks like a real challenge. As you’ll see from the series of videos below, it’s not.

So I have a few links to share with you about poaching eggs. First up is a video from thekitchn.com.

It’s nice to see what is meant by boiling vs. “my” version of boiling (as in a rolling boil, not what’s needed)  🙂

This next link is from the New York Times. It’s a really short video and has a great tip picked up from Julia Child that really appears to put an end to all the flying white wisps. Note: it’s not the pin in the eggshell which may or may not work per various people. Plus it’s so ridiculously easy!

The following connection is from Jamie Oliver. It’s 3 ways to poach eggs. It’s the last one or #3 that I found the most interesting.

The next article is also from thekitchn.com. Poaching an egg in the microwave. Crazy easy and perfect for when you suddenly feel the need to finish off a dish with a special touch on top. Initially this will take a bit of trial and error due to the assorted voltages that microwaves come in.

Here’s another short video of using the microwave for poaching your breakfast, lunch or dinner egg.

I’ve included the next video because it explains what keeps the egg from exploding in the micro.

And one more:

So now there’s no reason, when the urge strikes, not to top off whatever you make, be it dinner or a salad or you name it, yum! Enjoy 🙂

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In a Pinch

04 Monday May 2015

Posted by greyhousejournal in Around the House, In the Kitchen, Links, Recipes, Reviews, Something New

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Asparagus, Beau Monde, Berbere, Fajitas Mix, Favorite Things, Food, Garam Masala, Herbs, Links, Old Bay, Ras-el hanout, Recipes, Taco Mix

Photo Source.

Photo Source. This link has a load of ideas for storing spices!

Subs. No, not submarines or sandwiches, substitutes. I’ve found a bunch of links for subs in the kitchen when you’re cooking and discover you’re missing an important element in a recipe and don’t have any desire to go out to the store for one more single thing. You know that feeling.

It actually all started when I happened upon a link for an Old Bay seasoning sub. Well, two hours later…whew! I wasn’t actually cooking myself, but was interested because I have a few cans of crab meat calling to me from the pantry and a few crab cake recipes vying for attention. And who doesn’t love crab and crab cakes?

Most recipes call for Old Bay but not being in love with heat and a burning tongue I wanted to see what I could switch to get an OB “taste-kind-of-alike” and lower the heat. Yes, I am a whimp.

Still remember when I was married, going to a trendy restaurant that had just opened in LA, called Orleans. We ordered dinner and even though I selected the item least likely to be spicy, I couldn’t eat it without something to break up the heat. Yes, it was that hot/spicy. So I picked up a roll from the bread basket thinking it would be a perfect break from the burn.

It.Was.Not. OMG. It burned even more. Swear the the mirror on the wall was two-way and the waitstaff was just standing behind it laughing at people fanning their open mouths. Even my ex who could eat fire, encountered more than a few sweat-inducing mouthfuls as he ate. But I digress, so first we have Just a Pinch.com where I found one Old Bay recipe

Photo Source.

Photo Source.

as well as a bunch of other spice mix and rub recipes to substitute in a pinch. If you scroll to the bottom of each the recipe in the link, you’ll find links to other mixes. I also found this version.

So you can see how easy it was to go down the spice “rabbit hole” for two hours. But so worth it. Even found one for Spice Islands Beau Monde which is one ingredient in my sour cream dip. Love this dip, it’s so versatile, but more on that later. Note: This link bills itself as closer to the original Beau Monde, so I’m including it here.

Photo Source.

Photo Source. Aren’t these the cutest jars?

Here are even more substitute links: Taco Mix and more here and here. Then there’s Fajita Mix. Plus here and here and here. There are also meatloaf mixes. Or here. One billed itself as gourmet meatloaf (not impressed) so I offer this which looks much better. The glaze sounds really good.

There’s a recipe for Berbere, an Ethiopian Spice mix which the author acquired from Whole Foods. Here’s another. One that I really needed is Garam Masala, the one in my cabinet (a 12 oz. jar!) has to be ten years old! And I love curry.

Need to sneak a batch in before it heats up for summer. But why settle on just one version when I can also choose from this? This one has a boat load of ingredients! Here’s one that’s not quite so over the top.

Thinking of curry, I should make Curried Cream of Asparagus soup since asparagus are in season. It’s the perfect recipe for thick stalks since you need to peel them with a veg peeler or the soup is stringy. Oh my, that is such delicious soup, warm, cold or room temperature. I could consume the entire pot! Will include the recipe soon. P.S. Peeling is the secret to delectable white asparagus btw and do not put the peelings down a disposal unless you relish turning a bunch of cash over to a plumber. Asparagus peelings and Insinkerators do not mix.

I know some of you have mentioned harissa in recipes so I found this and this and this for you. Then there’s ras-el-hanout. And that was just from one website! If you want to keep going, check out this link for another ton, okay maybe not a ton but quite a large number.

Well, hope you enjoyed the links, the last one is another rabbit hole btw. I actually had to force myself to close out of it so I could make dinner…lol. Oh and about my sour cream dip. I’ve been making this for years and years and find it goes with veggies, chips, you name just about anything and it’s scrumptious.

You just put equal amounts of the spice mixes listed below in a 16 ounce tub of sour cream. I, myself, like Knudson’s but it’s up to you. Use about 2-3 teaspoons each. Mix and wait. After about two hours in the fridge, stir and taste adjusting up if needed.

Oh dear. Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy. I just looked up the sodium content of the ingredients…something I probably shouldn’t have done. Yikes. Now I just may be finding subs for myself.

Amount of sodium in a quarter teaspoon: Lawry’s lemon pepper = 80 mg/ 1/4 t. (1 g) Spice Islands Beau Monde =150 mg/.25 t. ALT = EQUAL PARTS ONION POWDER AND CELERY SALT McCormick’s Bon Appetit = 200 mg sodium / 1/4 t. (.9 g) and has MSG Still makes a really great and tasty dip.

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It’s Really Spring!

16 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by greyhousejournal in Around the House, Insurance, Something New

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Favorite Things, Happiness, It's Always Something, Weather

Had a rather rough Easter weekend (more about that later). But over the last week, I got to thinking, I’ve been remiss in not telling you about our weather of late. My sincere apologies if you’re still swamped with snow. But since I complain here, on a regular basis, about the rotten hot weather, I wanted you to know how nice it’s been for a change. It reminds me of why I moved to California from Chicago ages ago.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

For the last three weeks we’ve had absolutely stunningly, beautiful spring weather! It’s been in the 70’s and low 80’s and is such an absolute gift when you’re facing a colossal drought and a potentially hideous seven months of summer to come. Plus it’s actually been cold (like 50 to 55F) (10 to 12.7C) at night which is what makes this weather turn out so lovely.

This morning was so beautiful with a lovely cloudy sky. Supposedly we’re going to get rain tomorrow…hopefully.

Later in the day:  well, it did rain, though very softly, but I’ll take all we can get. Oh, about the weekend. I’d been insanely dizzy for about one and a half weeks but Saturday was just scary. Kept “listing” to the right for some reason. No idea why. Thus I lost my balance at one point in the evening and fell. While trying to get to the bed to haul myself up (remember, no cartilage in my knees so I can’t kneel) I became entangled in the oriental rug. Surprisingly easy to do, oddly enough. The room is also small so there’s only about a foot of space between the bed and the wall to maneuver and my feet were under the bed.

Anyhow, after 45 minutes, I gave up and called the fire department for help getting untangled. Of course by then my blood pressure was through the roof and the dizziness was no better. The paramedics insisted I go to the ER which involved an ambulance ride (goodbye $2000) because they felt I might be having a stroke.

Well, a fortune in tests and twelve hours later, nothing. They didn’t find a thing. 😦 I mean, I’m glad it wasn’t anything serious but what a waste of money…my health insurance deductible started over on January 1 of this year so the first $11,000 in bills is “on me”. Thus the weekend was not so great.

 

 

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Little Legs Under H2O

30 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by greyhousejournal in Out and About, Pets, Something New

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Corgis Swimming, Cuteness, Favorite Things, Laughter, Pets, Video, Welsh Pembroke Corgis

Over the weekend, I chanced upon some rather humorous videos of Corgis swimming and thought I’d share them with you. The underwater shots are pretty cute. (Sorry for the ads at the beginning of some of the videos.) First we have “Swimming Corgis”:

Due to their long bodies note how hard they have to work to keep their rears from sinking down as they paddle. Next we have “Swimming in a River”:

I get such a kick out of watching their little legs keep paddling even when they’re lifted out of the water. The next one is so cute because his/her little legs are flapping so hard. It was aptly titled “Good Luck with Short Legs”.

Such a little fluff ball! The following one illustrates why the little low riders need life vests. Note how when the Corgi finally dives in he/she flips over completely.

Then we have the swimming championship…

Note how pooped out the two babies in the pink polka dot life vests are at the end of the contest. Bet they’ll sleep well. Now, lest you think it’s just Corgis who swim when lifted in the air, here’s a compilation of a number of little characters doing the same thing.

And last, on a totally different note, we have “Trying to Take a Nap on Train Tracks”:

Some of the looks and glares the stubborn little Corgi gives the cameraperson when a train runs into him crack me up. I’m surprised the little creature doesn’t just pick one up and give it a good thrashing. Well, I don’t want to Corgify you to death so I’ll stop, but hopefully this added a little smile to your Monday.

 

 

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