Friday, June 13, 2008

June_08

Not much happing this month.
We do have some storms but at the moment it is just a sprinkle.

Too-Fat-POO enjoys pouncing on his treats. He is not very smart about finding them when they bounce. I have resorted to tossing a half dozen and some of them land on a chair, some of them bounce off the door and some of them land in POO's hair. Now that is funny. He dances around until it falls out and grabs it.

Can't crank my car. Need a jump start so I can get a new battery and replace one of the battery cables. It also needs new wiper blades, windshield cleaner and a full charge of air condition stuff. Actually it needs to be jacked up and run a better car under it. Sometimes I think I would be better served if could jack up POO and run a Doberman under him.

Changed my Meds and have gained about 6 lbs. I'm back up to 123 lbs. now.

I'm not much interested in hot cooked meals during the summer. I will roast something and make up the rest of my meal with fresh summer vegetables. Don't care much for bread.

Now about summer vegetables.
Be choosy. Don't buy something with split skin.
Find out how to sanitize produce and fruit. I do that first and then remove skin or peel every thing I do not intend to cook.
I also use a lot of pasteurized apple cider vinegar.
Most importentantely...when in doubt...use heat.
I go for a temperature of 170 degrees minimum for vegetables.
180 degrees ++ for moist cooked meats.
Use a thermometer.
tow-

Monday, May 5, 2008

Another POO Birthday

He is 8 and running around like he is just 8 months instead of 8 years old.
I found a sale on his favorite treats and stocked up by buying 10 containers. He likes for me to toss them so that he can run and pounce on them. He also got a big bag of rawhide chips and I think they will last a year or so as he doesn't chew on the one I gave him...he put it in his living room bed and when I look at it he runs to his bed and lays over it and protects it as if it as if he were a mother dog with a just born puppy.

As sometimes happens with my Food Budget, both stores had a Seasonal Sale and instead of $135/mo for Food and Household supplies so I ended up spending a Total of $232.00. That is enough Food, except for Milk and Veggies, to keep me for 3 Months. POO's part was $25.00 and the on-going Household items were $26.00 so for actual Food I spent $181.00 and that dived by 3 is about $60.60 per month for 3 months. Not too bad. I will have to buy more Milk and Veggies along the way.

Still watching the Weather. It is beautiful at the moment but this is tornado season.

I had the bright idea to stop by a local store and buy 6 bags of growing soil for my planned Patio Garden. I didn't plan on them being so heavy. I drove around for a couple of weeks with them on the back seat of my car and when I finally got up the courage to try to put them on the Patio I stashed POO with a neighbor and used my wheelchair to help me move them. Will not be doing anything like that again!

Got to order my Seeds this week.

Computer crapped out on me again. Both of the men who messed up the Motherboard replacement no longer work at the store and that is a relief. The Manager had me bring it in and my CD Burner was shot and the Floppy Drive was gone too. Dust. Same thing that destroyed my Motherboard. They swapped out those and tested the PC and it works again. I like the new Tech so I'm going to get him to take out the MB and Processor that is in my case now and put in a Combo unit I have. I'm still running my PC with the side off the case to help keep it cool. As money is tight I will have to wait for a new Hard Drive and CD-ROM Drive and another Case. One thing I know for sure is that I never want another case without a Clear Side. I want to be able to See my Components!
Off to do something...
best,
tow-

Thursday, April 17, 2008

APRIL

I'm looking outside and it is a beautiful spring day and I'm wondering when the next tornado will hit. At the moment we don't have the April snow forecast.

Too-Fat-POO still has a problem with his gums so I'm shoving the eyedropper down his throat twice a day and it looks like this is going to be a long process. I'm worried for him and he dreads the antibiotic doses and the daily mouth clean but if I bribe him with a treat he will come out of his hidy-hole and climb up on my lap, sit up and shake his head and stick his tongue out in a, "No, no, I don't like this!" manner. But with experience I'm getting faster at slipping the eyedropper between his back teeth and holding his head until the job is done. I'm rewarded with more head shaking, spitting, gaging, and choking until I give another treat. Then all is well between us again. I've added some Yogurt a couple of times a day and he appreciates that.

I'm collecting containers and have some bags of soil and hope to grow some vegetables this year.

Found a stove that has the features I want---it also has a price tag I can't meet.

Last year my rent was raised $40.00 a month and I never got an explanation of why. This year it was lowered $10.00 a month and when I told one of my neighbors she said I could take that and pay off all my bills and I think I'll use the rest for a world tour, if I can find some countries that aren't fighting about something.

FOOD:
Seems like I'm not alone in the food money crunch. I used a spreadsheet to make a Budget-Shopping template which I use to keep the cost of household supplies and food in check. I shop 2 grocery stores because I can't get some items at just one of them. I also take advantage of weekly sales for each store. I have also learned that the best prices are during the last of the month. Most stores have a "Seniors Day" during the week and that will shave a few more points off the weekly sales.
The image is my hit or miss "Food thing".
Because I've been doing this for a long time I have learned to stock up and not need every item each week. I got by this week by taking advantage of a sale and brought home a Roast, 10 lbs. of potatoes, Yellow and Zucchini Squash, Cucumbers, 3 hefty stalks of Celery, and a box of Muffin Mix for $14.95 + 9% tax of $1.35 for a total of $16.30.
I'm trying to set myself a goal of $20.00 per week.
The Cucumbers are a treat for me.
I get double duty with the Celery and Squash because I use them for "Eat fresh" and "Cook".
Fortunately I'm skinny so I shall indulge in a lot of Potatoes with Yogurt and Butter.
Tonight will probably be fresh warm Potato-Egg Salad with Onion, Sweet and Dill Pickles, Celery and just enough Mayo and a touch of Apple Cider Vinegar with Salt and Black Pepper to flavor it.
I'll have one of the Cucumbers and an Apple for Dessert.
Yes, I will over eat and not worry about this being a "Balanced Meal".
tow-

FOOD thingie


Tuesday, March 11, 2008

MARCH

Well, the lion and the lamb have come in together this year. One minute it is delightful and the next it is dangerous. It's been a busy month for us in that I had to do some major cleaning and move some heavy furniture from room to room. While I was down on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor POO was ever faithful and stayed close by and watched me as I suffered. He stayed close but not so close as to get anything on his pretty white hair.

I got him back when I took him in on the 3rd to have his teeth cleaned and this time he was neutered too. His Doctor gave him some Happy Juice and he was flying high that evening when they let me bring him home around 4:pm. He had to wait a few hours for some food and more than 2T water but he just wanted to lay in my lap. He had 3 stitches to show for his operation and a nice clean smile. He still has one loose tooth.We are trying to save it. I did better with the eyedropper this year.He walked off the last of his "Happy Juice" around 11:pm and tore into his green beans and a big helping of dog food and zonked out for the night. Every now and then he would decide the stitches needed attention but he was back up and running the next day.

Neither of us got much rest that week as I needed to be everywhere and do everything and POO went right along. But as I headed out out Friday to collect some more information the manager of my apartment called and suggested that we postpone our meeting from Friday at 3:pm to Monday at 3:pm. I said, "I'll kiss your feet!".
When the manager got here yesterday I tied POO to a table leg and got my business done...well, almost done...couple of outstanding things to get.

Carried POO back to get his stitches out this morning and when we got him on the table we discovered that he had removed two of them himself last night. He didn't like being held down while the last was taken out but forgave us all.
We got back home and I fed him and myself and crawled into bed and he got right up and snuggled in beside me. KNOCK, KNOCK, BANG, BANG!!!! POO is alerting at the back door and I, in my almost knee long ragged tee shirt and diaper, open the door and lean against the frame for support while someone tells me that they are here for the monthly Bug thingie. I unlatch the screen, tell them to lock up after themselves and order POO back to bed with me.
He seems to realize I'm not well. I doze, the phone rings, POO alerts. Damed. I make it to the phone and tell the nice woman that I did refuse this years copy of my Yellow Pages that go with my phone book because I don't use it. Besides I have 6 or 7 copies stacked by the kitchen door waiting for me to get enough strength to haul them out to the curb. I also tell her that I wish they could do something about that company who came around this year with their Yellow-Something and threw them at our back doors. I just happened to be standing by mine when they were doing it this year so I went outside and picked it and threw it back at their van.

Don't know why, unless it is the extra hard work, but I'm losing weight again. I have a 5 to 8 pound buffer between now and, "We have to do something.".
Somehow my left foot got in the way of a package of frozen pancakes as they leaped out of the freezer on the way to the floor. Much hurt!!! Big bruise. Long time sore foot. POO managed to step on it with each of his four feet every few minutes and if I sat down he would back up and sit on it. He is trained to sit beside my left foot when I'm sitting but if he wants to flirt with someone he will sit on my left foot and make puppy faces at them while he bumps his butt up and down on my left foot. Hey, he is a Toy Poodle...

Can't get any of my software to write a Data CD. Something wrong. My CD/RW may have gone wonky. Don't know how, but I have to get the rest of my parts together and build the new PC.

Lets see...Food!!
I'm cutting down on Salt. Wish me luck.

With the rising cost of food and the sales tax on it I am looking at some alternative ways of buying cooking staples.

I had a chance to try powered eggs back in the eighties and they made good baked custards.
I have switched to powered milk and can only afford 10 quarts per month.
I have been trying different "Variety" meats and the Beef Kidney turned out good.

While I was rearranging my kitchen I counted and had 4 food processors.
Managed to give one of them away.

Manager said that I could buy my own refrigerator and stove as long as they fit in the space provided. Looking into that. Need freezer space. Would like to have one so frozen food doesn't rain down on short me when I open the door.

Tomorrow is my 63rd birthday and I usually buy myself a fancy cake. Not this year. With less salt I find myself craving something sweet. Normally I do not like cooked sweet things. Just fruit. Will probably make Banana bread.

Jewel Cakes
Note: Back when I made these I used 6" cake pans.
You can use any shape pan.
This will make a pretty presentation if you use a jelly roll pan.

I used 1 box Ms. Crocker's cake mix per cake and 1 can Lemon, Cherry, or Blueberry pie filling per cake. Made a great amount of powered sugar/Vegetable Shorting frosting so that I could flavor it to suit my taste.

Ok, decide how many you are going to make.
Group the cake mix, Pie Filling, and container of frosting for each cake.
No, I don't mind if you use bought frosting. It's your cake.
So, cook your cake.
Place it on the serving plate and anchor with a smear of frosting on the bottom.
Look through your things and find something like a grapefruit spoon. The idea is to start 1 1/2 " from the edge and gently remove some of the inner portion of the layer. Be careful not to go too deep. Less is best. Especially if you have used the jellyroll pan.
Frost the sides and build up a thick wall of frosting along the top edge back to where you removed the inner portion.
Start in the center and gently spoon some of the Pie Filling in the center of the well you made.
Well, if you made a jellyroll one layer you will use it all.
The thing to remember is Frost from the Outside in, Fill from the Inside out.

For a 2 layer cake you would be smart to mark your layer to make the well before you set it in place---The top Well doesn't have to be Round or Squared.
You can use a paper pattern and Pipe your Frosting Edge to make the shape you want. You want to remove enough cake so the Pie Filling has a place to contain it.

Bring your Frosting up the side and exposed edge of the top layer.
And set your Pie Filling Jewel in place by spooning Inside Out.

Don't feel like fruit, make a run on the Instant Pudding and Pie Filling shelves and load up on Chocolate Fudge, Banana, I like Butterscotch.
Oh yeah, if you get crumbs in the Frosting just throw some Coconut at them. The idea is to keep cake small so you can have several different colors to display. Keep the Frosting the same color for all of the cakes.
You could get more use per can of Pie Filling if you use Vanilla Pudding and Pie Filling on the bottom layer but I didn't like that.
Final Note: Please do not stick tooth picks in your cakes!!!!
best,
tow-

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

February 2008

You know, it is not easy being a handicapped person who must cope with ignorant professionals. Ignorance is not bliss, it is the stuff of illegal denial of services and abuse of professional authority. Anyone, with the where-with-all to afford it, can obtain some kind of certificate of higher education or job training. Neither of these necessitate being Informed.

It is a personal decision whether or not to become informed. I have been in a classroom and listened to classmates make a presentation and when asked a question they had no information. In other words they were ignorant. These students were about to get an advanced degree and use it to establish themselves as professionals working in the humanities and education.

I will give something I need to help someone who wants more education.
I will go toe to toe with any ignorant person who tries to set policy not in accordance with public law.

At the moment I'm in a fiery snit about some of the people who answer the telephone for professionals and cheerfully proceed to tell me that I may not do something as it is against "Policy". And I have been known to "Assert" my "Informal Education" by explaining in clear terms that I will see their "Policy" and raise them several Federal Laws and a Civil Rights action. You see, I've been there and had to do it in the past.

So I have come up with a plan. I propose that all Fourth Grade students start a Reading Program which is composed of basic Civil and Criminal Law. And this should continue with every grade through high school. Students who are exposed to basic information about Civil and Criminal Laws form grade Four through grade Twelve will have the opportunity to develop Coping Skills. I believe that as they head into the Work Place and the Voting Booth that they will have learned how to "Glean" useful nuggets of Information from the whirlwind of Verbage pelting them.

Indeed, I would like to see a Free K-12 Public Civil and Criminal Center.
If someone already has a Web Site like this drop me a line.

No food this time, I have a bellyache.
towwad
ps
If you missed it, here is my "Attitude" again.

The towwad's Attitude:
This is an imperfect world.
I am an imperfect person.
I live each day trying to be the best I can be.
I may not live up to your personal standard of excellence.
Because my aim goal and ambition is to try to be the best I can be I am always a success.
If you can't appreciate me, that's your loss.
If you don't like being a loser, you can try to change your perspective.
best,
tow-

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Snow?

Jan 2008
And we have another new year.
POO has completely recovered from having to be boarded. One big problem is that he knows I haven't and he demands a lot of attention. Running my life is his job and he is supposed to direct my attention to what I should do and sometimes what I should not do.
For the past month or so he has been trying to get me to take a nap. He does not sleep with me but it is his job to "put me at ease enough to relax and feel drowsy". He goes to the bedroom door and does any and everything he can to get me to follow him. I suppose that he believes he is leading the way because most often I do follow him because I have to go through my bedroom to get to my bathroom. Yes, he can out run me to the bathroom too. He insist on staying with me while I'm in my bathroom no matter my reason for being there unless I turn on the shower. Then he runs and hides. But he is getting fooled some of the times lately as I have a discarded fern setting in my bath tub while I try to keep it alive until spring. You see, I have to keep the fern in the tub and not place it on the floor because POO is a boy dog and he will "hike" on it. The fern and I are not doing so well but POO has become as playful as a kitten.When I come out of the bathroom he gets on my bed and invites me to join him.
This is any time sleep procedure:
When I finally get in the bed he is waiting for me to get under my comforter
-- I try to keep the material between POO's toe nails and my skin as I'm a "bleeder" --
at which time we get up a game of me pushing and generally rough-housing him while he wiggles, rolls, yelps, and has a merry old good time until I get tired and roll over or he needs to go to his papers. I can not say how he determines the difference between me being asleep, deep in thought, or faking. But he knows the difference. If I lay still with my back to him he will body slam me and sometimes we go back and forth body slamming for a while. When I don't respond to that he will walk up along my back and, if necessary, step on my pillow to stretch his neck out across mine. If I say, "I know you're there." He will lay down by my neck if I am really sick or upset, if I'm not, he will move down to the back of my knees and lay there until I start to drift off. Then he gives himself a good shake and hops off to go to his quarters. If I rouse he will hurry back up to my neck and we go through my sleep check out again. He will not leave me if I'm awake. Since my heart attack he has roused me a number of times just as I felt the need for a heart pill.
I finally got a yogurt maker and a Soy Milk maker and we have greatly enjoyed them. Only problem with this brand of soy milk maker is that the beans must be hulled. I soak them and smash the day lights out of them with a potato masher to loosen the hulls. When I have to hand hull some of them I hold the soaked bean between my thumb and forefinger and squeeze and the bean scoots out. Most of the time I can aim it it in the bowl but every now and then the beans will end up across the room, bounced off the POO, or anywhere but in the bowl.
I haven't got the milk part tweaked to where I enjoy drinking it but I made a lot of things with it. POO decided he likes the soy milk and the ground beans and yogurt . Homemade tofu is the best!!!
I had some extra soy milk last night and and decided to use it in place of water to make some plain long grain white rice.
I use 1 part Rice to 2-3/4+ liquid to make stove top rice because I have chewing issues and need my rice to be soft.
Soy Milk Rice
2-3/4 C Soy Milk
1 C Enriched long grain white Rice
Salt
Cow Butter
Use a 2 quart or 3 quart boiler for this as soy milk foams.
Place Soy milk and Salt in boiler and bring to boil on high heat, it will foam.
Remove from heat and sprinkle Rice in Soy milk.
Return boiler to high heat and bring Rice to a Boil.
Reduce heat to Medium, place a Wooden Spoon across the boiler and prop the lid on it.
Set your timer for 18 minutes.
Check at the end of simmering time and if liquid is not apparent remove from heat and put the lid on the boiler without the spoon.
Let sit for 10 minutes and check.
I add 1/2 stick butter+ and stir and check to see if it is salty enough for me.
The Soy milk will make "Rags" when you stir the rice.
I enjoyed the rice prepared this way.
POO really enjoyed it too!