Tuesday, February 25, 2014

I Smell Smoke

I smell smoke. It’s not fire. In fact, it seems as though it’s not anything at all.

This past summer, when I finally realized that my son was never going to give me my car back, I sent my husband and son out to buy me another one. So off they went to the dealership and they did, in fact, buy me a car. We would be moving our other son into college soon so they found me a pre-owned SUV that they both liked and that met my needs. I brought it home that day.

The very first time I got into that car I smelled smoke. It’s very subtle but I’m convinced that the previous owner was a smoker. Neither my husband nor High School Senior smelled it then nor have they smelled it since.

The next time I smelled smoke I was, ummmm, well, indisposed. I was so distressed picturing the firemen coming and finding me with my pants down. . . literally. I’ve got to tell you, I’ve never been so happy to find my house wasn’t on fire than I was that day.

When it happened again I was sitting on the couch in my living room. As before, it was subtle but it was there. I jumped off of the couch and went to find both of my resident trouble makers teenagers. Neither one had anything combustible going on. OK, this is just strange.

Liar, liar, pants on fire? No, that’s not a real thing.

And then I panicked. OMG, dinner is burning. Ran down to the kitchen but the Post Roast was in the Crockpot minding its own business and cooking away.

Crockot Pot Roast an easy and flavorful dinner cooked in the slow cooker | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner
Crockpot Pot Roast

At some point I realized that it seems to happen randomly and in different places. Apparently the whole world suddenly smells like smoke.

So I googled it. Big mistake. It seems that it’s possible that this can happen at my . . .  gulp . . . age. Seriously? I mean I found a way to get some of those other  . . . changes. . . to work in my favor but I just don’t know where to go with this one.

I’m realizing that I can no longer mention it to my family. Like the boy who cried wolf, by the 10th time I went running through the house yelling “where’s the fire", they’ve all stopped listening to me. In fact, I’ve started to notice them stopping all conversation when I enter the room and I’m afraid they’re making other living arrangements for their in-house wackadoodle.
 

I Smell Smoke | graphic designed by and property of www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics



I smell smoke. It bothers me. A lot. But I’m trying really hard to ignore it. I keep telling myself that where there’s smoke there’s not always fire.

But if you ever happen to see me sitting on my couch pretending I’m neither having hot flashes nor smelling smoke and there happen to really be flames dancing around behind me, could you give me a “heads up?”


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Crockpot Pot Roast
                                        ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients:
4 # brisket or bottom round roast
2 packages frozen chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 cup water
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 tsp beef bouillon
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Paprika
8 oz sliced mushrooms
3 potatoes, peeled and sliced
 
Directions:
*Season the beef by sprinkling with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. In a hot pan, seer the meat on all sides. Remove from pan.
*Lower the heat and add the water, onion soup mix and bouillon. Scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan as the soup mix and bouillon dissolve.
*Put the onions and pepper into the crockpot. Add the liquid from the pan and mix together. Add the meat and turn crockpot on to high.
*Cook 2 hours. Turn meat and cook 1 more hour. Turn the crockpot down to low.
*Cook 3 more hours. Remove the meat and slice, against the grain. Put the meat back into the crockpot. Add the mushrooms and potatoes. Submerge as much of the beef, mushrooms and potatoes in the sauce as possible. Cook another 1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are fork tender.

25 comments:

  1. Ok, now this is scary. Then again, no scarier than the two times I've set fire to my kitchen in the last 5 years. Which were REALLY SCARY. Then again, I hope this doesn't happen to me--I've never heard of it before! One more thing to worry about with aging....

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    1. Oh, yeah, this is infinitely annoying but no where near as scary as actually setting your kitchen on fire.

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  2. OMG I smell smoke a lot too! I'm not sure if I feel better or worse about it after reading your post! Will have to Google this now - wish I had some of your yummy-looking pot roast to enjoy while I do some research!

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    1. Do not google it. . . and if you did, don't say I didn't warn you.

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  3. So funny? I don't smell smoke, but I sure feel like I should with these hot flashes. I periodically stick my head into the refrigerator to cool down, 'cause I'm just that hot all day long. And, that pot roast sounds delicious!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, the hot flashes are debilitating. The ones that wake you up are the worst. Maybe I need to have a fridge put into my bedroom.

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  4. There's so many lovely things to look forward to with aging. I'm not enjoying some of them at all.
    We've set fire to hot pads before, and once my mom lit the microwave on fire by putting metal in it!
    Looking forward to trying your pot roast recipe!

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  5. This cracked me up but then I thought...hmmm I 've done this several times recently. LOL
    I said to my husband, do you smell smoke? We've checked our outlets, plugs, power strips, everything. No smoke, no fire.
    GREAT guess it's...cough...age?
    NO WAY
    It is us just being so fabulous, we're SMOKIN'
    Spatulas On Parade

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    Replies
    1. LOVE that. I don't smell smoke 'cause I'm getting old, I smell smoke 'cause I'm smokin!

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  6. OH Wow, I'd never heard of that, but I guess anything's possible! I bet that is alarming! CAHrazy how the body works! I promise if I'm ever with you and actually see smoke, I'll save you.

    BTW - your amazing recipes make me miss non-vegan living!!! Someday, you need to do a vegan dish juuuuuust for me. :)

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  7. That is the strangest thing I've ever heard!? The pleasures of aging just never end - ugh!!
    And I'm giving you HUGE props for letting your son and husband pick out a car for you!! Really??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yup, really. They know what I will or won't like and what I need. But the truth is, nobody ever leaves me a car around here half the time anyway.

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  8. Well, gee, one more thing to look forward too. I've never heard of such a thing!

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I hadn't either. Don't even want to know what's next.

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  9. I have never heard of smelling smoke at a certain age. That is a strange one. Personally, I would rather smell the crockpot pot roast! That looks yummy!

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I'd rather smell pot roast too. Wonder if I can arrange that.

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  10. Oh wow, that cant't be fun. I hope you never find a fire when you are smelling the smoke.

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  11. Oh noooo! This is why I don't google anything happening to me. Always reminds me that I am getting old. :) I think Women's sense of smell goes up a few notches as they Mature, whereas men loose their sense of smell. Aging is not the issue. Aging gracefully is the center focus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not so sure I'm even in the vicinity of graceful. Nice thought, though.

      Delete

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