Friday, May 19, 2017

Knock, Knock : Fly on the Wall

Welcome to a monthly Fly on the Wall group post. Today 9 bloggers are inviting you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes. Come on in and buzz around my house. At the end of my post you’ll find links to this month’s other participants’ posts.

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

We had lost internet. It had been spotty for days and then one morning I came down and the modem had gone dark. Hubs called the cable company and they were sending out a technician that morning between 8am and 10am. Normally that would be way too early for me but NO INTERNET!

Of course since I jumped in the shower so early, he didn't come until 9:30am. It took an hour and a half but when he left we had internet. And a new modem, a new box on the house and multiple new cables in the basement. 

When he left I checked my email and saw that, when setting up the appointment that morning, the cable company sent me an email about the appointment. Which I couldn't read or respond to at the time because I DIDN'T HAVE INTERNET. Duh!

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


I was trying a new recipe for dinner. I hate when I get no feedback, which happens more than I'd like to admit.

Good news: They ate it all.
Bad news: Don't know if they liked it or were just that hungry. 

I was glad I'd made a big batch because it was Monday and I had a busy day on Friday, I could just serve these leftovers. And then my oldest walked into the kitchen, snatched the leftovers, said a quick "thanks" and walked out of the house.

Good news: He liked it.
Bad news: Seems I'll be cooking on Friday after all.

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


Hubs was at work last week when I called him on the phone. 

Me: The kitchen is screeching.
Hubs: What? I can't hear you.
Me (yelling): The kitchen is screeching.
Hubs: What? What is that noise?
Me (yelling and enunciating) The. Kitchen. Is Screeching.
Hubs: The kitchen? That awful noise is in the kitchen?
Me: Yes. Do something.
Hubs: Where in the kitchen is the noise coming from? Fire alarm? Smoke alarm? CO detector? House alarm? 
Me: It's not coming from any of the alarms or from the appliances. FIX IT!

Just then I move the trash bag, which I had taken out of the compacter, to look closer at the microwave and the screeching stops.

Me: Well, I guess it was the trash that was screeching. Looks like it's done now. I think I'll put the bag under the neighbor's deck in case it decides to protest again. 

It's then that Hubs realizes what the screeching was. The alarm for the sump pump had died this week. He disconnected the wires and threw it in the kitchen trash. Guess it had one last gasp of life in it.

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

Me: I have so much to do around the house, can you do me a favor and just go put gas in my car?
College Boy: Sure. It's a gorgeous day, I think I'll put the top down.
Me: I don't have a convertible.
College Boy: Won't stop me . . .


Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


I was going to the grocery store and was aware that although I usually plan ahead, I had nothing for dinner that night. No problem, I'd find something.

While shopping I found a whole chicken on sale that I picked up and figured I'd roast a chicken for dinner. Then, as I was leaving I saw they had rotisserie cooked chickens. I don't usually buy them since they're now more the size of a Cornish Hen, hardly enough to serve 3 people, and I knew College Boy would be home for dinner. They had a larger sized one, though, and I grabbed it figuring I'd put the uncooked chicken in the freezer and serve the rotisserie chicken.

Later that day College Boy walked into the kitchen.

College Boy: What's for dinner?
Me: I bought a rotisserie chicken.
College Boy: Oh good, I like those. I like your roasted chicken better, though.

Now most people would smile, feeling complimented. Me? Spent the whole rest of the day thinking "crap, wonder what it is that he wants."



Chicken with Rice Dinner Casserole. Boneless chicken breasts, vegetables and rice cook in the oven in a flavorful broth | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner #chicken

Chicken With Rice Dinner Casserole
Chicken with Rice Dinner Casserole. Boneless chicken breasts, vegetables and rice cook in the oven in a flavorful broth | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner #chicken


College Boy: Hey Mom, there's a pretty cool show on just after midnight tonight. Want to watch it with me?
Hubs (laughing): She's not up at midnight.
Me: Yes I am, I'm always up at midnight.
Hubs: Not that I see.
Me: Well I'm not surprised since you're asleep by 10:30 pm.

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks but I learned something new this past month. 

If you think that you broke your thumb, it's smart to fill a bag with ice to keep on the thumb to try to keep the swelling down.

BUT, as the ice starts to melt, you may not want to open the bag and squeeze it to let the air out. 

'Cause, you know, chances are you're going to end up soaked.



Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

College Boy and I have similar political views and agree with each other about 90% of the time. Hubs, on the other hand, is the complete opposite.

College Boy: Did you hear Alex Jones lost his custody battle?
Me: No, but he's offensive, I'm glad he did.
College Boy (to Hubs): Dad, do you know who Alex Jones is? 
Hubs: No, never heard of him.
College Boy: He runs a sight called infowars. He's a far right conspiracy theorist.
Me (to Hubs): Yeah, he's an idiot. You'd like him . . . 

Lucky for me Hubs can take a joke.

 Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

We have a portico type thing outside our front door. One day I looked up and it looked like hornets were starting a nest there. Hubs was outside so I went to talk to him.

Me (pointing): Look up there, looks like the beginnings of a hornets' nest. And there's actually a hornet on it. 
Hubs: Oh, you're right.
Me: You better knock that down before we can't use the front door.
Hubs: Ummm, anyone near here is gonna get stung. 
Me (turning and running away): Oh, you're right, give me a minute to get in the house.
Hubs: Well, looks like we know which one of us is expendable. 
{{At least I think that's what he was saying. I was in the house with the doors locked, just in case, before he finished his sentence.}}

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

Hubs was going out to run a quick errand one night after dinner and I asked him to pick a few things up for me at the grocery store. When he got back, he realized that he had locked the door between the house and the garage and didn't have his key with him, so he knocked at the door.


Me (calling out to him without opening the door): Who's there?
Hubs: Who do you think?
Me (singing): I hear you knocking . . . but you can't come in.
Hubs: OK, I'll just sit out here and eat these groceries.
Me (opening the door): Damn! You got me.

Now click on the links below for a peek into some other homes:

Menopausal Mother 
Searching for Sanity 
Eileen's Perpetually Busy 
Spatulas on Parade 
A Little Piece of Peace 
Never Ever Give Up Hope 
Bookworm in the Kitchen 
Not That Sarah Michelle

Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics





Chicken with Rice Dinner Casserole
                                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
 
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided
1 can (14.5 oz) vegetable broth
1 package dry onion soup mix
1/2 red pepper, cleaned and chopped
1 green onion, cleaned and chopped
4 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each cut in thirds
salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika to taste
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 of a 2.8 oz can french fried onion rings
Directions:
*Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
*Mix together the rice and 1/4 cup of the almonds and sprinkle evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
*Mix together the vegetable broth, onion soup mix, red pepper, green onion and mushrooms. Pour over the rice and almonds.
*Season the chicken pieces on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place onto the top of the other ingredients. Sprinkle with paprika. 
*Cover with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the sharp cheddar, the other 1/4 cup of almonds and the french fried onion rings.
*After 45 minutes, remove from oven but leave the oven on. Carefully remove the foil. Sprinkle the cheddar mixture over the top of the casserole and return to the oven, uncovered for another 30 minutes.
 

20 comments:

  1. For as long as I can remember I try one to two new recipes each week. Then the pressure is on when the family votes on it. BUT, the worst part is the silence. It could go either way.

    ReplyDelete
  2. chicken recipe sounds great--especially for a second dinner later ihn the week. enjoyed your running commentary with your college boy and hubs. makes me wish one of my grown kids lived nearby. sigh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I know it won't be forever but I do love having at least one of the two nearby for now.

      Delete
  3. Ah, Meg. I have one important rule regarding meals. No feedback (even a simple thank-you), no home cooked dinner the next night. I used to buy a couple of crappy tv dinners for the freezer; only had to serve them twice. Contrary to popular opinion, men can be trained as long as food is involved.
    Sounds like Hubs and The Man would get along great. I hear a lot of right-winged conspiracy theories too. Makes me go crosseyed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No feedback? I don't know how you do it, I'd die of curiosity!

      Delete
  4. The chicken thing sounds like something that would happen here. Or in my case, I make an awesome dinner and then everyone cancels at the last minute and I'm stuck with an entire casserole. Yep, and I usually eat half of it too, which explains my weight issues..... Your hub's comment about the hornet & being "expendable"---hilarious!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, after all these years I'd say Hubs pretty much knows where he stands . . .

      Delete
  5. Ah, crud. I called you Meg! I got posts mixed up. Sorry, Karen!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think if I lived at your house, I'd spend my days just listening to y'all and cracking up......We're not funny. And the recipe looks yummy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know you have a lot of incredibly serious stuff going on over there, but I hope you get in a laugh or two every day. We all need it.

      Delete
  7. That story about the kitchen screeching and the sump pump alarm in the garbage....I guess I should apologize, but that made my entire week! Alana ramblinwihtam.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No apology necessary. It was a funny story. Well, now that it's stopped, that is.

      Delete
  8. How did we ever survive without internet damn how did we get by with old dial up internet, it is just the norm for us now to have good fast internet

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know. How quickly those of us who grew up without it have become so dependent on having it.

      Delete
  9. Recipe looks good.
    Now, with no internet and my day off, I'm getting up. LOL Now that thing in the trash screaming, yeah, it would have to go in the neighbors trash.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, that screaming was driving me nuts when I couldn't figure out where the heck it was coming from. Once I figured it out, the neighbors' seemed like the best spot for it.

      Delete
  10. I'm glad you're telling me about screeching trash - I'll be prepared for life! 😂
    Maybe you should have made eggs that night you couldn't decide what kind of chicken to cook. Sorry, couldn't resist. 🐔🍳

    ReplyDelete

Warning: Comment at your own risk. I have Comment Moderation, meaning I approve all comments before they show up here. So go ahead, I'm not scared!