...lasagna, in process

I'm making lasagna today for the church potluck tomorrow...
it's quite an undertaking, especially for a crowd...



first I made the marinara...

I sautéd minced onions, carrots, celery & garlic in ev olive oil...
then added 4 cans of Cento San Marzano tomatoes...
plus 2 cans of Cento crushed S.M. tomatoes...
1 good "cup" of pinot noir...s & p....
and chopped fresh basil, thyme & oregano...

as well as a good palm full of fennel seeds...
rolled between my hands to release flavor...
a TBSP dry oregano, sugar, garlic & onion powder...

so while this was simmering...



I sautéd 6 lbs of mild Italian sausage...
drained the fat, then added it back to the pan...
and began spooning in the marinara...
mixing it with the meat making a ragu...
I also added another cup of pinot noir...
and left it to simmer...



in a large container, I mixed 3 large tubs of part skim ricotta...
2 small containers of full fat ricotta, 3 large eggs, 1/2 C of half & half...
some nutmeg,a "splash" of sherry, a container of shredded 3 cheese blend...
3 boxes frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed in a tea towel...
a container of shredded Reggiano Parmesan cheese...



leaving me with a LOT of empty cans, containers & wrappers...



I have shredded mozzarella & 3 cheese blend for the toppings...
as well as fresh mozzarella logs to slice for in between the layers...



and of course, the pasta...this stuff cooks in the oven...
no boiling ! what a concept...

I'm currently waiting for the sauce/ragu to cook down a bit...
then, it's assembly time...

...fungi, in digi-mac

I took a picture, of a mushroom in my yard a while back...



and recently noticed several more popping up...



I spotted a really neat one, returning from a walk...



but when I went out the next day, someone or thing had shattered it...
leaving only the pieces behind, so I had to satisfy my fungal urges with these...

...a proper turkey sandwich

one of my favorite things about having a turkey...
are the left-overs...
from quick heated mini versions of the "main event"...
to the sandwiches you can have for every meal...
[my family ate them for breakfast...]

this year I was fortunate enough...
to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Greenthumbs...
and they sent me home with a bounty...
of delectable leftovers...
which I have been enjoying, re-heated, for days...

today I realized that there was really only enough turkey left...
for one good sandwich, so I'm going for it...

I've always enjoyed a good turkey sandwich...
and will eat them done many ways...
even those made from "deli turkey"...
if the real thing isn't available...

when I'm not fortunate enough to have T.D leftovers...
[freshly roasted, hand carved turkey breast...
and stuffing... etc...]
I often make a sandwich similar to this...



I often don't use mustard...though sometimes I will...
I also prefer Swiss cheese to Provolone...
and besides lettuce & ripe tomato...
I like thinly sliced sweet red onion...
this is obviously a summertime favorite...

this version is low salt...not an issue for me...

I also enjoy a deli turkey sandwich with bacon...



lettuce & tomato too...
basically a BLT with turkey...
[and yes...I like the bread toasted...]


I've had sandwiches like this...



and enjoyed them...

but for my taste... it doesn't get much better than this...

the Thanksgiving left-overs sandwich...



roasted turkey, dressing, cranberry...yum...

of course, in my mind there is a step beyond that...



MY version....

lightly toasted & buttered whole grain bread...
a layer of cole slaw...
[yes MM, with the MW dressing...unless I have yours...]
a layer of stuffing...
several slices of turkey breast...
a thin layer of cranberry-orange relish...
[again, MM's is better...]
squeeze together...cut in half...
consume leaning over the sink or a dish...

YUM



definitely...a fitting end to a marvelous feast...

...odds & ends

on what appeared to be a 4th straight gray day...
I dragged myself out to go to Costco...
it had been a L-O-N-G time since I'd been there...
when I went last month, remembering the great price they had...
on the smaller cans of cat food...
that I used to put out for the outside kitties...

once the outside group "thinned" down...
a couple of years ago...
and the "critters" took over...
I stopped putting "out" food...
& fed the "bedroom kitties"...
in the bed room...

the couple of cases I got last month...
were a cost success [37¢ ea vs 61¢ ea at most stores...]
and...an anti-dog success also...
since the kitties love the 4 flavors so much...
and the cans are small enough, that they "inhale"it quickly...
thus not leaving any scraps behind for the doggie-disposal...
[aka, Molly...]

I know, you're saying, "Catsinger...just go to DP...
and buy cases of their fav flavors in larger, more economical cans..."
been there...done that... they leave big chunks...
[just Molly scarfing size...]
if I pick it up and hide it [microwave...]
then the kitties want "fresh"...and Molly gets it anyway...

so I braved this...



it was actually, worse...

I helped a lady put a 40 lb bag of dog food in her cart...
snagged 8 48can cases of the Friskies I went for...
4 "bags o' beef bones"... 1 case of Duraflame fire starters...
and a 2-pac of queen sized pillows[for $9.99 ! ]
that I've needed since last spring...

I wanted to get a wreath...
but they were H-U-G-E...28"...
they had 2 kinds of branches & real pine cones...
but tacky plastic[or some such crap...]holly sprigs...
AND... they were $15.99...each... WAY too much...
I remember when you could get a 2-pac of plain...
fresh smelling wreaths...for $9.99...sigh...

so as I came out, pushing my full cart...
the sun was out... !

I drove home with the window open...
enjoying the lack of cold & damp...
and when I got home, started to unload my car...
when I finally went inside...
I was pleased at the mild reception I got...
there hadn't been any jumping around in the window either...



of course, that's what I had intended...
when I created this...

Herself was wanting to play with her fleece ball...



so she was hopping around...
finally settling herself on the sofa...
[aka "batcave annex"...

but I wanted to feed kitties...
so I bribed her with a bone...
which I knew would be chewed near, or in, the "batcave"...



I gladly gave her the last one...
since I now had 4 more bags...

I opened 3 cans of salmon[a real fav...]



and the feeding frenzy began...
I made sure everybody got some...



'cause while they were eating...I carried in the cases...
stacked them on the cart and piled the bone bags on top...
[it'll be Mt Gracie real soon...]

meanwhile outside...the sunshine was glorious...



my Meyer Lemon tree is heavy with now ripe fruit...
I've given away some already...
and will take some to church, NEXT week...
[my plate is full for this Sunday, thank you very much....]



looking down the street to the north...



and looking south, towards the park...



also to the south, Unkle Phil's liquid amber tree is now "fully engulfed"...



and my weeping cherry tree's leaves are now golden...
and glow with the light beaming through them...

there are several large plants I need to bring inside SOON...
I waited too long last year due to the painting/floor re-finishing...
and almost lost a couple...



this large ficus, with large dagger-shaped leaves...
has flourished outside during the warm months...
and now, should come in before the frost...



this fiddle leaf fig[also a ficus]...
was almost a frost casualty last year...
it miraculously revived over the summer from "dead" looking sticks...
and must be brought back in ASAP...to avoid a similar fate...
which could prove fatal this time...



this rubber tree was languishing on the media cabinet...
outside it has flourished...but must come in now...



these 4 African violets are replacements...
for the 4 a certain dog trashed in a fit of "mail carrier mania"...
[Molly's version of "going postal"...]



this is the now mostly empty table where the 4 violets...
that I rescued from the $1.99 bin at OHS, were flourishing...
before Molly trashed them one time too many..



this ficus tree is happy...



this old ficus tree is dying...
and I don't know why...
so it needs to go out...
but the pot's so heavy...
that will be a problem...
I probably can't lift it empty anymore...
and it's full of dirt...

the other large ficus has spider mites...
which I'm spraying with Safer's I. S....
it's a younger plant & seems to be responding...



this rubber tree has lost all it's leaves...
and appears to be dead/dying...
so you can see that I have quite a lot of "heavy" lifting in my future...

I also need to hang my framed art...



currently, it's in the closet in the office...
[that would be the closet behind the pile o' cat food...]

seems like some things always get pushed back...
like the dishes & laundry I still haven't done...
and now, I need to go to the store...

sigh...

...a purple iris for Ms Blue Eyes

on this 3rd day in a row of no sun...
with the damp chill of the rapidly advancing winter...
entrenching itself amid the gray, dankness...
and glowering darkness of the coming evening...

we gathered, yet again, to say good-bye...
to a member of our church, Ms Blue Eyes...
there have been too many this last few months alone...

the family had requested that choristers...
Mr & Mrs. GreenThumb, good friends of Ms Blue Eyes...
lead the congregation in some hymns...

I became involved as Mrs GT wasn't sure...
that she could get off work in time...
but she did, so we had a trio...

then SuperSop, who had ties to Ms Blue Eyes from years ago...
came up to where the 3 of us were sitting...
and we conscripted her, making us a quartet...

it was a lovely service, a full Eucharist...
so it was really nice to have a "mini"choir...
all vested... & leading the hymns...

afterwards, in the Guild Hall...
some ladies who were club members with Ms Blue Eyes...
passed out tubers of purple iris...
a tangible remembrance of Ms Blue Eyes...

I put mine in with the iris that Mom saved from the ranch...
they're also purple...
during the eulogy, Ms Blue Eyes' daughter called her generation...
"something special"...& said that we will not see their like, again...

I agree... Mom was one of them too...

these people who grew to maturity...
during the Great Depression & World War II...
were a unique kind of person...
who did their duty, without complaint...
made do with what they had...
and always helped their neighbor...

they were unselfish...caring...and honorable...
they believed in family, civic duty & duty to one's country...
they knew that freedom isn't free...
and that there is NO free lunch...

as I look around in today's society...
we could use a lot more of those attributes...
at a time when we are losing more & more of "that" generation...

I see among my friends, those who exemplify the ideals...
that "that" generation was willing to die for...
but for every good human being I know...
there seem to be droves that are selfish and self-centered...
beyond even the mantle of "immature"...

I hope it doesn't take the mass suffering...
of another "Great Depression" or global war...
to wake up the "sleepwalkers"...

during this time of Advent, let us all take a lesson...
from the rapidly thinning ranks of "that" generation...
and prepare ourselves to do our duty...
in whatever form it may come...

to reconcile with those with whom we may be estranged...
to open our hearts and lives to self-evaluation...
to set right those things we find, that aren't right...
and to welcome in the Christ of Christmas...

to trim our lamps...to be watching...

and to plant a purple iris... or some other remembrance...
of all those who fought the good fight...
kept the faith...and finished the race...

e'en so Lord Jesus, quickly come...
and night will be no more...

...Mackie is back to his old self

not only does Mackie seem to be completely "back"...
to his old fluffy-tailed self these days...
he's gaining back the weight he lost...
he climbed into my lap to be petted today...
and he is definitely not as thin as he had become...

the bounce & swagger are back...
as is the gleam in his eye...

I, on the other hand ...
have not been, "worth shooting" today...
exhausted from getting about 3 hours sleep...
I've been in a mental fog and perpetual yawn, all day...

I had to take care of several details at the church...
and when I got home, chilled from the fog & damp...
I fell asleep in front of the TV...
I often have a "hibernation" urge...
when the fog and dank close in...
so I'm NOT going to try to fight it...

I'm going to hug my fluffy-tailed Mackie...
pet all the others too...
feed Molly...& call it a night...
tomorrow will be another busy day...
with yet, another funeral...

sigh...

...over the river & through the fog

so this morning...
I took the dog for a short walk in the fog...
and then decided to go down to the church...
and get details for the Wednesday funeral taken care of...
after spending a couple of hours there...

I went on my way to have the oil changed...
as it was overdue...
I had spent so much $ last spring...
that I was hoping to get through the process "lightly"...

but, no such luck...

because I got my car 6 years ago tomorrow...
it has issues the mileage [46,500] doesn't warrant...

things that are scheduled at 90k are also time sensitive...
and just because I've only put half that mileage on my car...
it still needs the attention because of the age of the parts involved...
and since I will never buy another car...
I'd rather do things a bit sooner, than have problems...



so having said that... the nice service manager at LHonda...
recommended several options...which if I didn't do them now...
would have to been done sooner than later...
so I just bit the bullet...& told him,"do it"....



he thought that he could get it all done today...
so I went to lunch...



after a brisk stroll, I arrived at my destination...
the "Senior Menu" has just the right size portions for me....
and at a price about $3 less than the same item on the regular menu...
so I had a small, but well made, bacon cheddar burger...

a broiled patty[think MickyD's regular]with one piece of bacon...
a small piece of real cheddar & veggies...
the small batch of fries, which I ate with ketchup, were also good...
several cups of coffee rounded out my lunch...

and when I returned to LHonda...

I was told that,"yes...they could finish my car today"...
so I settled in the waiting room to wait...

first...I used my Treo to access my email...



after answering a couple & clearing my inbox...
I moved on to my blog where I read comments for a bit...
then on to other blogs...& of course...
ran afoul of Blogger... who didn't recognize me...
and wouldn't let me leave a comment...

so then I lurked on Facebook...
checked my email again...
played Klondike for a while...
drank more coffee...

then went to the book I'd brought...



I can't remember if this is the 3rd or 4th time I've read this book...
but this time of year is so perfect for the subject...
and it always "blesses" me to relive it...
inevitably leading to re-reading the entire series...
[also a blessing...]

all the while...they were doing expensive things to my car...



namely...
replacing the water pump, timing belt and ALL external belts...
replacing the air filter & interior dust/pollen filter...
perform fuel induction system cleaning...
performed automatic transmission service...
and replaced transmission fluid...
regular oil/filter change...
rotated tires/balanced/aligned wheels...
inspected brakes...

for a grand total of $1291.66...



the good news... that's it for the "time sensitive" maintenance...
for the next 7 years...

also...by doing what I did now...
my car will run more efficiently until then...
the service manager sent me on my way at 5:03 PM...
with a promise of a free oil change next time...
and the information that my car was in excellent shape...

having lived for years with various cars that had "issues"...
couldn't be counted on to start when it was damp...
no heater, holes in the floor, bad starter, etc...
I'm now at a point in my life...
where I just don't want to deal with that stuff anymore...
so taking care of this car is a priority for me...

so off I went...

into the dark, damp & foggy night...



headed back to Mudville on a day that turned into night...
without the fog ever lifting or burning off...
and as I neared home, the fog got thicker...
murky, swirling wisps...like a damp smoke...
wafting across my path... obscuring the houses...

ah...winter has come to Mudville...