So...whats for dinner?

Lacey, I really think shoe sizes are very inconsistent. I buy the same shoes from the same maker, I have 5 pairs in different colors, and they are 3 different sizes.

In NH....the drive was delightfully fast earlier today, (I drive) minimal traffic for a holiday weekend. But now we see why so few people were racing to the lakes region. We are sitting in front of the woodstove fire that is keeping us from freezing. It is rainy and cool (euphemism) as the house was holding the cold from this winter, it seemed. Were last here over Columbus Day. Fortunately, either DH or I thought to set up the wood stove before we last left in October. So I had the pleasure of just striking a match to start the house heating process. Hate to put the electric heat on if we can use the stove.

Happy to see that the local market down the road had opened for the season, so DH picked up a sirloin steak there and after I doused it with teriyaki sauce, he grilled that. Had a spinach, arugula, mushroom, red onion and walnut salad with a mustard vinaigrette dressing, and yet more ratatouille leftovers (yes, I made a lot earlier in the week!), a microwaved potato for DH. It was a very satisfying meal...and nice and easy after our packing, traveling, unpacking, and opening up the house. Now we just need some sun and warmth!

The local farm where I shop at home has a "knife sharpener guy" who comes there every few months. I definitely need to use that service. I use a hand sharpener at home so my knives are never dull, but what a treat it would be to have them truly sharpened. I can recall going nuts with the totally dull knives in my mother's house several years ago. I foolishly offered to either get them sharpened or buy some better ones....and my sister went nuts since she felt having sharp knives around was too dangerous for mom. Hope no one ever makes that decision for me! I want to go out with my knives in working order! 

Eric - the Shakespeare comment was just an "in joke" for English majors.  A Shakespeare class is where I first heard about 'cod pieces'.  Quote below.  Hope it's not TMI.

From Wiki>>  A codpiece (from Middle English: cod, meaning "scrotum") is a covering flap or pouch that attaches to the front of the crotch of men's trousers and usually accentuates the genital area. It was held closed by string ties, buttons, or other methods. It was an important item of European clothing in the 15th and 16th centuries

On the way home from the knife shop, we went by the drive in movie place, so we went home, got DD and went back to the movies.  DD had never been to a drive-in before.

I came home with some **very** nice knives.

I don't even remember where I first heard the term codpiece....

Had quite the productive day today. DH and I trimmed the lots and lots of dead stuff out of the knockout roses. The winter was very hard on them. I weeded, trimmed, planted caladiums and watered everything, even though it looks like we might get a shower this afternoon. I was very excited to see a little tomato and green pepper on my plants. I'll certainy be happy not to pay 88 cents for a green pepper! I harvested 3 fat pea pods this morning. Lol, going to need a few more for a meal!  My window boxes are looking very beautiful. So very beautiful, a black snake decided to stretch himself the length of the box yesterday to sun himself. Since he was violating the "No Snakes on the Porch" rule, DH transported him down to the woods. It's better for them if DH is the enforcer, he's very gentle with the non poisonous ones and picks them up (with heavy leather gloves) and carries them elsewhere. I use the broom. Tomorrow is house cleaning day since we're having friends over Monday for bbq and my DBIL is coming Tuesday for a few days to help finish the baking station among other things. Yay!

Tonight is steakhouse night -- grilled beef tenderloin filets, a twice baked potato and Greek salad with a feta dressing.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend and Monica's DD's wedding weekend is going  wonderfully. As for me, I'm off to the shower then to pop some popcorn! 

New ones to replace the K-Mart ones.  It was a mixture of knives---I got the ones I liked.

An old, possibly home made from a saw blade, heavy cleaver that was in nice shape and when the guy sharpened it...is amazing.  I love how it feels and the blade is rounded.

Mcusta Zanmai; one 150mm and one 210mm long.

Tojiro for the bread knife.

A Victorinox 3 inch paring knife.  Off all the paring knives, this is the one that felt the best...and unlike the other knives was only $5.

I've never had knives like this before.  I won't have any problem getting used to them. :-)

Minus, was it good? I've planted that variety for the first time this year.

Four years ago today I got my diagnosis. How life has changed and how grateful I am for BCO and all my sisters, and Eric, here. Thank you all.

Chabba - congrats.  It's always such a pleasure to see your posts.

Hey chabba! Here's to many more!

I could never never never catch up with all your crazy activity.

I wrote a PM to my girl Debbie

then decided to share it. I hope you don't mind Debbie! Left out parts meant for her.

Here's what I'm doing.

 I am, as promised, working in the community organic garden and Trying to practice my fiddle. I often hate to practice.  Our class

will play at the Summer Solstice Festival June 21.  We stink!  We will "open" for real musicians much to the amusement or horror of the audience and not be paid! But we get Free Soda and Cheesits in the Green Room! And Get in Free! And so do our friends!  Ha Ha we are a bunch of hackers and I think we are there to make everyone else look good.

Here are me and my Grand-Dog at the first Pot Luck at our community organic garden which has 120 gardeners. Middle gardener

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152310850239130&set=a.10152236154954130.1073741826.109257684129&type=1&theate

I have a job in RI Covering a maternity leave for 3 months, then who knows. I still would like to learn Spanish in Ecuador, but they are not liking us so much these days, so I might have to find another country to learn.

I was given a huge bunch of "onions" today. Really big. Between leeks and green onions. I'm thinking vichyssoise

I have beets, sugar snap peas, one hot pepper, a weird squash that I've never grown before, cukes, zucchini, yellow squash, cat nip, kale, spinach, basil, big boy tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, heirloom purple and yellow lemon tomatoes, hanging strawberries, and now I'm putting in hanging spearmint.

I'm obsessed!

I've gone insane! 

I hope that everyone is well and getting out in the warmth and wind.

Hello Ladies and one gent~

It is 430 in the morning and I can't sleep, seems to be the norm for me any more, since the lorazapam that is suppose to take the edge off of the steroids, makes me droosy in the day time so I sleep then up all night. Arghh never ending...

Awe, Bedo, loved being called "My Girl" now I have that song in my head, my girl, talking about my girl haha!

I have been reading the last 12 or 13 pages to keep up, sounds like you all have been very busy. And miss so many people that have not checked in,   Deb, seaside, Joyce, Tazzy, Susan, last Carrie checked in she was having a terrible storm and her mom was having a colon oscopy so hope she and her family are doing OK> Both Kays are on my FB and Kay from Philadelphia asked how I had been on there and the other kay seems to be having the time of her life (yay) Good to see Laurie and Chabba check in.

Chabba- Congrats on the 4 years!!

Moon- your daughter and her dress are very pretty, what a great job you did on the flowers and everything.

SK- Hope you are doing better and eating like Moon said,

Carole, you mentioned your oysters back a few pages, I use to make that as well and just love it. Might be what I make in the next few days it had my mouth drooling. Also am going to look for the forbidden rice sounds good.

Minus, I think it was you, sorry if I got it wrong,  that had the issues with anemia, from what I read, it is very high in iron and a blood toner and one of the highest in antioxidents, might be something to check out. Any news on that yet?

Luvmygoats- Your chicken and dumplings sounds good, It's DH's favorite meal. I make my own noodles basically because they don't have the fresh in the stores here.

Eric, glad your feeling better, you body was probably telling you to slow down!

Lacey, love hearing all about your food adventures, Glad your friend is getting better.

Nance- I had to chuckle although not funny about you having so many problems with your posting her, it unsubscribing you, then post disappearing, and yes, it has been very slow moving I came here about a week ago and couldn't get on, it just kept turning on top but wouldn't down load all the way, then when I did I lost the whole dang post ARghh!

Laurie, you are probably camping this week, but wanted to tell you Happy Birthday today in case you don't check in or I don't  before then. Hope you have a fun day. Also last month marked 4 years and almost 5,000 post ye haw!!

I have been on a smoothie kick lately, my favorite is, oatmeal, dates, walnuts and almond milk. One I tired today not sure how I feel about it, but it had water, watermelon, cucumbers, ginger and juice of two lemons, it was refreshing but might put in more watermelon and less cucumber nest time. Also made a dump cake which was good, chocolate cherry yummy~~

Sorry if I missed anyone, getting tired, it is getting light outside guess it is time to go to sleep, starting to feel like a vampire. haha!

Oh one thing I am getting excited about is we have some good friends who own a RV lot and came to visit us for a few days last week, one thing led to another and our Friend Don said he had just taken in an older RV motorhome ( A Seabreeze- 2000 and 30 ft long) said he would sell it to us, no down payment and only 100 dollars a month. He said it runs great and sold it to the guy years ago and he took very good care of it, we haven't even seen it, and we already own it. He sold it to us for 9 grand and said he could get 25, ooo for it. They really want us to get out more and travel, so in the next few months we will go to Georgia to see my daughter (So excited and happy about that)  then up to Michigan to see DH brother, then to Texas to see my grand-daughter.. We will got next Wednesday to drive the 5 hours to pick it up. I will probably need tips and pointers from Carole and Laurie on what I will need to put in there.

Have a safe memorial day to everyone.

Love and hugs!

Hello all - great pix and beautiful wedding!  Doing well, got my stitches out last Thurs. and it will be 90 days before I can have a new expander, but that is ok.  Hope everyone is doing well.  DH has been out of town a lot so I have not been cooking much, but did make some Andes mint cookies for him to take to my FIL.

Hello all I finally had some time to do some reading.

Chabba Happy Birthday 2 U !

Luv, hope you're having good weather down there

Carol I love oysters.  I wish that I could dig them up like clams

SK I think Andes mint cookies sound great. I'm glad you're OK. and are on the 90 countdown

Debbie I want your RV, oh, and I have a humming bird feeder in the garden and giant zinnias, though most things are only 3 inches high now.

Vivian. M&Ms sound good I think I saw some mint ones. Sounds like you have great kids. Heal well

Nance,Fun!

Minus, you are funny and I def did not get the joke until you explained it. Give me a D-. I see you are still perfecting your exquisite cooking skills

Moonflower Gorgeous!  I love the stage coach!

Sorry for anyone I missed. It's getting embarrassingly late to have not done anything but drink coffee

Oh, and hello eric and

Carole, gimme that RV!

Laurie Have fun camping!