The Schweineschnitzel turned out well. SWMBO gets blisters in her mouth when she eats anchovies, so we had the cutlets with country gravy (and mashed potatoes).
Why is it that folded laundry feels lighter than a pile in a laundry basket?
All y’all weighing yourselves, do it at the same time under the same circumstances every time. Personally, I step on the scale after the morning constitutional. I’ve been up 3 or down 3 for the past 10 years, aside from a huge job where I was working 70 hour weeks, when I lost about 10 lbs. Drinking a glass of water will add a pound.
flyboy Gravy is always the answer. I’m assuming a white one? Regardless, gravy fixes most things.
Nothing to be fixed! (I’m a decent cook. 
) Country gravy is white.
The only gravy I do well is turkey gravy, at Thanksgiving. I am a pretty good cook too, but I just keep messing it up. I was a professional baker for thirty years, and the one thing I never managed to do well was meringue.
Vacation draws to a close. I changed the sheets, did 2 loads of laundry, napped, took a walk, in case somebody would like to come running back. Got Bojangles seasoned poke loin in the oven with baked N.O.T. s. I’m cravin’ gravy now.
And you’re considered still living in sin till you get a Deviled Aig tray.
Hope the Doc can help, sari.
That’s a dance, innit? 
Is Texas considered Southern? Because I went to two weddings in TX and neither one served cheese straws, one was at the NAS in Corpus Christi and the other was in Austin. Neither served a meal. The first had little finger tea sandwiches and cake. The second had some crudite and cheese trays and 2 cakes. Had never heard of a ‘grooms’ cake before. Being from the midwest and being Polish, all weddings I had previously attended had sit down dinners, generally family style with at least 2 and usually 3 types of meat were passed so we were expecting a dinner meal. Another guy from the office was from Ohio and that’s what he was expecting. We were starving so had to go to dinner after the reception that lasted for about an hour, perhaps an hour and a half where people just stood around and talked; no dancing, no bouquet or garter toss, no bar, perhaps there was a champagne toast. Extremely weird from our point of view. Perhaps Texans would think our weddings were weird.
The eyes of a hundred generations of grandmothers weigh heavily on unfolded clothes.
That’s sad, but understandable. Humans have a primal fear of danger noodles and tend to react strongly.
We have wildlife in abundance out this way, deer and Javalina sightings are common and almost daily experiences.
Currently I’m watching a flock of Lesser Goldfinches bathe. For some silly reason, it tickles me to see them sitting on the pomegranate. Earlier today, I saw a hummer sitting on our new mulberry and got silly tickled about that as well.
No advice, just lots of sympathy.
Have you looked at electric recliners? They make some very comfy “sleep chairs” nowadays that also look nice and come in microfiber upholstery. We can wipe the cat hair off ours with a damp sponge.
Meringue is not baking, it is confectionary. There is nothing involved in making a meringue that would be instinctive to a baker.
So, the Diablo IV server slam is over and hubs is back. Tonight he made our version of surf and turf…salmon for me and steak for him. As usual, GG hid under the bed when hubs started prepping the salmon, but Crabby Old Cat didn’t react. COC didn’t react when it came out of the oven and we were both getting a little worried. I put COC’s tribute on a saucer and hubs took it in for him. COC didn’t even twitch when hubs put the saucer under his nose, so hubs carried him to his eating spot and COC thought he would eat to indulge him.
I’m really wondering how long it will take for GG to stop freaking out when we are able to take the baby gate down. (GG KNOWS that if he sees the gate open, the monster has been released.)
Cheese Straws
contributed by swampbear
A southern delicacy. As I understand it, no southern marriage is legal unless cheese straws are served at the reception.
2 cups of all purpose flour One-half teaspoon of salt
2 cups of grated extra sharp cheddar cheese Cayenne pepper to taste
(that’s one 8 ounce package of cheese)
1 stick and two tablespoons of butter or (if you must) margarine, softened
Cream cheese and margarine together. I prefer my hands but a mixer will do. Combine the flour, pepper and salt and add to the cheese mixture a little at a time, mixing with your hands until you get a smooth consistency. Place mixture in a cookie press and use the star or bar press to push out into one to one and a half inch strips. Bake at 300 degrees until firm and the straws begin to brown, usually 12 to 15 minutes depending on the oven. Watch closely.
swampie had a lot of other good recipes, particularly the chicken pie.
One day at lunch my wife had a hot beef sandwich. It started me thinking.
Smoked pulled pork
Good French baguettes sliced on the bias
Yukon gold mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and Parmesan cheese
Smothered in country gravy made with bacon, sausage and onion
Garnished with green onions
It came out great
Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off to heave!
I just got home an hour ago!
Ouch!
We finally bought the tickets for our trip to America the summer. It’s going to cost an arm and a leg, but my mom is 88, and the last I checked wasn’t getting any younger. She is in reasonable heath, but needs a walker to get around and has a long list of health issues, including her heart.
We did buy tickets that are changeable for whatever reason. Nonrefundable, because making it refundable would add a head to the arm and leg, and while I’m not particularly good looking, I am attached to this one.
Three weeks in the States!! This is the first time in over three years. We are looking forward to it. My kids are the right age, I think. Because of the expense any my wife’s work schedule, it will be me, SenGirl and SenBoy.
The whole process of finding the best deal, making the online reservations and paying it wound up being a multiday process for my wife and I, taking well over 15 hours between the two of us.
We start in Sapporo and end up in Atlanta, but finding how to get one Point A to Point B while balancing the price against the number of stops and waiting time was a nightmare.
It winds up we will fly down to Taipei first, then off to SFO. From there to Atlanta. Then back a few weeks later. I’m tired already, but my kids are excited about what to buy.