Just need to talk to my friends (200)

Anyone have a recipe for jalapeno cornbread? I used to eat that whenever the cafeteria across the street from my office had ham and beans, and I loved it.

Good morning

My dad Charolais cattle sometimes.

i might have some pinto beans and some macaroni and tomatoes today.

HB glad your mom is doing better

RED BEANS AND RICE…ALWAYS WITH SOME ANDOUILLE. THIS WAS A STAPLE FOR MONDAYS BECAUSE MONDAY WAS LAUNDRY DAY. TRUE? I DO NOT KNOW BUT WAS TOLD BY SOMEONE IN ST FRANCISVILLE. I ALWAYS USE DRIED KIDNEY BEANS AND I DO SOAK OVERNIGHT.

MY MEAT MARKET MAKES ANDOUILLE!

Ron's Red Bean & Rice recipe is awesome. Just sayin'.

Judith. My buddy from NOLA claims the same about it.

I feel fine but I still have coughing spells.

Many home insurance companies have already reduced or dropped coverage in California due to previous fires. Even homes that are not in fire-prone areas are at risk for losing coverage.

I saw the belted cattle, so interesting looking.

Iris

I used to get rice & beans with andouille at a place called The Big Easy. A couple of cooks from Louisiana moved here to Missouri and opened a restaurant. They had other things like crawfish poor boys, and I always meant to try them, but my mouth opened and I said "rice and beans" every time. Add sweet tea and a rainstorm outside, and it felt just like I was in Louisiana. I took my mother there a few times. Nice memory.

Found a recipe for jalapeno cornbread online, and it's really simple. Just dice a small jalapeno after removing the seeds and white membrane, saute' it in butter for a couple of minutes, and mix it in the batter.

I used to make cornbread on backpacking trips in my little mess kit. I carried a dry mix, added water to the mix, and poured it in my greased skillet. I topped it with the matching steel bowl and set it on a shovel of coals, then topped it with another shovel of coals, like a Dutch oven. Made a crispy little round cornbread. Went well with fresh caught fish on a gravel bar or on the edge of a lake in the wilderness.

Good morning.

Carl— when I make jalapeno cornbread, I add diced jalapenos from the jar— not the tamed variety— as my people like the heat. I also add jalapenos to some batches of my cheese bread, rolling them in like a swirl.

David— Having a move-in date must make things feel very real. It sounds like this move will afford you social and entertainment options to keep you very busy. I look forward to your photos.

Iris— I hope you're feeling better everyday. I hear you on the home insurance situation. I have a friend who has a cabin in Idlewild— a modest A-frame that is her happy place. She's stripped the coverage to barebones but is paying a ridiculous premium for little more than accident liability. We sold mom's place in FL (central- about an hour north of Orlando) because the homeowners premiums had tripled in the 12 years they owned the place. New FEMA flood maps put about 3 sqft of the guestroom in a 100-year-flood plain so it was getting to a point where neither a seasonal nor year-round rental would be worth the effort.

Mint— All things considered, it does sound like your mom is well cared for and settling in. But, yeah, the tales one hears when they visit.

Lorita— Maybe you should order yourself a modest home shredder to safely dispose of your sensitive papers. Shredding can be cathartic. The wildfires are somewhat unusual near me in PA; NJ has them fairly often in the Pine Barrens area much of which is designated state forest and proactively managed to limit fire spread. A friend was driving from Philadelphia to Cape May for her class reunion and had to detour around a good sized one.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

A quiet day here today. I maybe putter in the garden or maybe I'll just relax. I was even thinking of making a trip to Ikea; I need a new wastebasket for my powder room as DS swiped it for next to his chair. Target wanted $20 for a plastic one. And my niece has asked for a hanging clothes dryer like the one I have. Seriously? I always like to look around Ikea and they likely have their Christmas stuff out. The week ahead looks pretty good. I have another crazy driving day Monday— DS to school, mom to Philadelphia for eye injections and then back to DS, mom's house and finally home. That's it for appointments for mom until she sees cardiology after Thanksgiving. If she wants a haircut, I told her to Uber. She wants a pedi, I'm sure, but she refuses to get that done at the same salon which irks me.

I took mom to Wegman's to grocery shop yesterday. That's always an adventure. I'm trying to help her maintain the low-salt diet she's supposed to be on. Her ankles never swell, so she believes she's not holding fluid but I suspect she does. Three weeks of a "heart healthy" diet and she's lost about 6lbs and is finding her shoes and rings are loose. She's very happy with the weight loss which I hope will keep her on the straight and narrow.

I helped her find a couple of convenience items and substitutions to make life a bit easier for her. Her vision is so poor that she can't read most nutrition labeling— especially if it isn't black on a white background. It's funny, I can find so many vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free things, but very little stuff that's truly low sodium. And the reduced sodium is still too high to be practical.

I made her some low salt bean soup and chili last week and will do a mushroom soup today. We even ordered her a standing freezer for her garage to give her a space to store prepped meals for those days she doesn't feel like cooking 3 meals a day. My people will eat sheet pan nachos for dinner. I'm not wild about them personally, but they're quick, easy and popular.

HB

Hb yes it does I just worry about my wife will do. Like I told her we both got over loosing our spouses (I know it's not exactly the same)but we will be o.k.

Although I am extremely nervous.

Judith, what type of training did you do today? One of the old Ranchos was asking for volunteers to be docents to talk about sheep raising in the old days, early 1800's. They mostly teach to schoolchildren. I used to do adult literacy tutoring and I liked that a lot.

I also use Jiffy mix, but lately I have been avoiding grains because I want to lose weight. I'm down 30 lbs, 30 more to go.

David, It's a great idea to pass on beloved heirlooms early, so you can observe the young people enjoying them.

I have a nice shredder, I just need to use it more.

Today, my locality has a Veterans' day Celebration at a park, also they close down the street to Cars, but open to bikes, scooters, roller skates, and of course to pedestrians. I feel too tired to go.

Iris