Friday, May 22, 2020

Free Pot, TV Woes, and Mountain Lions: Fly on the Wall

Welcome to a monthly Fly on the Wall group post. Today 4 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 | developed and run by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


Whenever I have leftovers that are just a single serving, I freeze them in a baggie. I'll pull them out when Hubs works late and I need to leave him a plate of food to microwave. Since I've head problems in the past identifying, for instance, what is rice, mashed potato or cauliflower, I write something on the baggie with a permanent marker.

College Boy (taking something out of the freezer): What do you mix your marijuana in when you freeze it?
Me: What?

College Boy: Your pot? I see the green in here but I don't know what else I see.
Me (looking at the baggie he's holding and rolling my eyes): That's mashed potato.
College Boy: Oh, edibles. Cool.


French Onion Spinach Potato Casserole | Picture taken by and property of www.BakingInATornado.com | #humor #FlyOnTheWall


I had frozen a single serving of my French Onion Spinach Potato Casserole and just written "pot" on the bag so I'd know it was potato.

Edible? Yes. Pot? Not so much.


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


Speaking of pot, I came across an article called "Colorado Pot Companies Donating Free Weed to Those Impacted by Covid-19" I sent a link to the article in a PM to my younger son in Colorado:

Me: I'm sharing this with you because I thought it was interesting. Don't tell your older brother about it. I'm afraid he'll come to visit you and catch the virus on purpose.




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

If I have a quiet evening, I often like to check through the channels to see what I might want to watch on TV. I turned on the TV but the "guide" channel wasn't working. Every channel at every time slot said "to be announced."

Hubs went downstairs to the TV in the man cave and got the guide working down there so I went down to see what was on for the night. But his was working not with the cable remote, but with his TV remote. We couldn't figure out how to check the channels without going through them one by one. 


Me: Forget it.
Hubs: Why? You can just keep scrolling through.
Me: We're on channel 80 and I want to know what's on channel 1244. I'll be here the rest of my life.

I went back upstairs and Hubs came up a while later:

Hubs: Dateline is on channel 1244. Something about a husband being murdered with a knife in his home. And since I went to all the trouble of finding out, you better watch it.
Me: Well I guess I will. After all, it does sound informative . . .



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


Can flowers feel sick?

Among other issues besides being stuck in the house, we were also having incredibly cold weather for May. After a few days of waking up feeling like a popsicle, I finally gave in and put the heat back on.

I had planted flowers in my outdoor pots and I was worried about them. Not only was it getting down as low as 35 degrees at night, but they were newly transplanted, a time when they're not at their strongest. Hubs offered to cover them at night, but felt confident that without a frost, they'd be OK left alone. I hoped not to live to regret my decision, but I told him not to bother covering them.

On about the 3rd day of temps in the 30s overnight, Hubs asked me about the flowers.

Hubs: How are your flowers doing? We haven't had a frost, they should still be alive.
Me: Well, yeah, they're alive.
Hubs: You sound like there's a "but" coming . . .
Me: But they do look like they're not feeling all that well.


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


Whenever someone interacts with me on a thread on my Baking In A Tornado FB page or my private Baking In A Tornado FB group, I always respond to them. I was answering someone in the group when FB sent me this message: "You've been recognized as one of Baking In A Tornado's top fans. Get your badge now."

First time a social media platform commended me for liking myself. But for the record, I'd prefer a crown to a badge. Just sayin'.


Grilled Chickpea Burgers come together in the food processor. They’re full of vegetable flavor enhanced by charring them on the grill. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner
Grilled Chickpea Burgers
Grilled Chickpea Burgers come together in the food processor. They’re full of vegetable flavor enhanced by charring them on the grill. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dinner


When I develop new recipes, I get them down quickly before I forget how it had come together in my head. Then I go back to finesse it, and finally, once I've made it, I go back a third time just to edit and be sure it's correct.

I often, when editing, find errors that are just typos. Like yesterday when I was working on a new cookie recipe. Turns out, I'd recommending baking them for 14 to 116 minutes. I know all of our ovens are a little different so I often give a baking time range, but if your oven takes 116 minutes, chances are you forgot to turn it on.



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


PurDude called as he does every week or so. He calls my cell and I usually talk to him first, give my cell to Hubs, then when he's done I talk to him again.

I handed my cell to Hubs, and I hear him saying "hello" then again "hello", then again. 

Hubs: Something's wrong with your phone, I can't talk to him.
Me (taking the cell from him): Perhaps because you pressed mute?

But then I'm not much better. While he was talking, I took a book into the office to read. I wanted to keep track of the time because I had to start dinner. So I spent some time searching around the recliner I was in for my cell phone to check the time. Which I didn't find. Because, you know, Hubs was talking on it.


We're quite a pair, aren't we?


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

My family knows I hate when things that aren't being used are left on.

Recently our cable company upgraded their equipment. Hubs traded in our old boxes and got the new ones. Simple to set up, they said.

First one took quite a while and resulted in us having to call the company to get them to activate our new equipment.

The second one took even longer and Hubs was on the phone with a tech for about 20 minutes. 

The third one, in our bedroom, was even worse. Partly because it was a brand new TV that was being set up at the same time. Hubs went up after dinner to try again to get the cable box to sync with the TV and then spent even longer on the phone with the company. He finally came down to let me know he'd got the TV working.

I went up later and the TV was on. No one had been in the room in hours.

Me: You left the TV on?
Hubs: Hell yeah.
Me: Why? You know I hate wasting electricity.
Hubs: Hey, it took me forever to get that thing on. We're NEVER shutting it off.

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

Hubs had to call PurDude to discuss something having to do with PurDude's taxes. When he was done, he put his cell phone to my ear, mostly because he wants to live and if he'd hung up without me talking that wouldn't be guaranteed.

I finished talking, ended the call and OMG, my eyes felt like they'd been assaulted.

Me: How bright is your phone?
Hubs: I don't know, about like looking into the sun.


At least he's honest.

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

A coronavirus PM with Purdude:

Me: How are you today?
PurDude: I'm doing fine, how are you?
Me: We're fine. Yesterday afternoon there was a big red fox in our yard, that was kinda interesting. I wish I had gotten a picture but I could either go get my camera or go get dad and I knew he'd want to see it. The shocking thing is that I was just out the front door standing by the columns when I caught sight of it walking from the street and went right between our house and the one next door. It went into the woods but didn't look like it had come from the woods.

PurDude: That's really cool, we've been getting mountain lions around here.
Me: That's really dangerous. I had been encouraging you to go for walks but I changed my mind, don't go for any walks with them around.
PurDude: They seem pretty nice.
Me: Right up until they eat you for dinner.

Aaaaand, just like that I have something new to worry about.


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

Never Ever Give Up Hope  
Menopausal Mother 
Spatulas on Parade 




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Grilled Chickpea Burgers
                                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Ingredients (makes 4):
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 carrot, grated
1 radish, grated
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 slices whole wheat bread, broken into quarters
1/4 cup red pepper, chopped
1 egg
2 tsp stone ground mustard

3 TBSP olive oil

Rolls, lettuce, tomato, onion and/or condiments of your choice for serving

Directions:
*Place the chickpeas, carrot, radish, garlic, green onions, cumin, salt, pepper and bread in a food processor and pulse until it's all incorporated and well chopped but not smooth. Remove to a bowl and mix in the red pepper. Finally, mix in the egg and mustard.
*Divide the mixture into quarters and form 4 patties. Wrap each patty individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
*Heat your grill on high to about 400 degrees. Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of the burgers with the olive oil
*Place the patties on the grill and lower the heat to medium. Grill for 10 minutes. Gently, supporting top and bottom, turn the burger over and grill for another 10 minutes.

16 comments:

  1. Perfect timing on this recipe. Memorial Day weekend AND my daughter is a vegetarian. I know what I will be making for her dinner!

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  2. I love it here! Pot disguised as potatoes, eternal TV, sickly flowers and 116 minute cookies? That definitely sounds like a house where foxes and mountain lions would be welcome. Pass the burgers!

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  3. I was looking for a recipe like this yesterday! I guess I'll just have to hang on to it until the next time I want to make a veggie burger.

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  4. After the frozen pot, I almost couldn't read the rest of the post. When I saw your photo I totally lost it. Oh, that felt good, almost as good as the 116 minute cookies. Reminds me of the Thanksgiving cookbook my son's kindergarten class put together. You know, the "cook the turkey at 450 degrees for 5 minutes" type instructions. Now, please take care, stay away from those sick flowers and don't mess around with the foxes. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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  5. I knew it, pot in the freezer. Genius! No one will look there.
    Looking for your phone while hubs was using it? Did you read my "you know you're tired when" post? Seems to be in the air.

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  6. Your house sounds funner than our house, at least on the days these conversations happened.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, it's pretty much like that around here most of the time.

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  7. This post made me laugh not a pretty sight, I might add

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  8. That pot joke had me cracking up. I had a lot of conversations about pot this week, some people for and against it, but it seems to be on a lot of people's mind. One guy even admitted his opinion on legalizing all drugs and that's when I wanted to shake my head.

    ReplyDelete

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