Finally - some new food!

It has been so long and no matter how many times I tell myself (and anyone reading) that I'm going to try harder to keep up, it just doesn't seem to happen. Yet, I don't want to give up. So, here I am again with something to post.

My daughter has been working for a fresh produce distributor out of Holland who also develops vegetable varieties of their own. One of their own creations is Tommies Snack Tomatoes. These are specially developed miniature plum tomatoes that are marketed for kids to snack on. They come in little reusable buckets that hold up to four cups of tomatoes. 

She brought home four of these little buckets this week as well as a large bag of fresh string beans and three packs of orange and yellow peppers. We don't cook every day, so I need to find a way to use these things where we're not losing them. We use a lot of tomatoes, peppers and green beans, so if I can prep them right, we will get use out of them.

Well, I went online looking for recipes that use Tommies as an ingredient. They just weren't out there. But, I saw someone describe the Tommies as "grape tomatoes", so I used that as a search term and that's when I came upon this recipe for Roasted Tomato Pizza Sauce. 

Roasted Tomato Pizza Sauce

 I didn't blend this for sauce after I roasted them, but boy did they smell good and look wonderful!! I ended up adding some ready-made pasta sauce to the roasted tomatoes and then cooked some elbow macaronis to put them all together. I do think I should have added a little sugar to them because they were very acidic, but all in all, it turned out well. I used a potato masher to mash the roasted tomatoes after I added the other pasta sauce. Seriously, it wasn't at all bad - just tangy. I might add a bit of sugar to it before I reheat it tomorrow to cut the acidity.

So, tomorrow I need to cut and blanch the string beans and cut and freeze the peppers. They'll all get used, I can guarantee it. We eat a lot of all of these things.

Plastic Cheese and Eggs

I asked someone to pick me up some cheese at Dollar Tree a while back because I only had a few dollars and I wanted to stretch it. I know that sometimes they have little blocks of cheese and that was all I needed because I was planning to shred it for a recipe.

Well, when they brought the items back, I didn't get two blocks of cheese; I got two packs of cheese food slices, the kind wrapped in cellophane. Not always top quality, but generally edible. Still, they weren't what I wanted because they don't melt all that well, these Dollar Tree slices. But, I thanked my friend and put them in the fridge.

Well, we're pretty much out of cheese except I had a very few slices of white American and these two packs of "cheese" food. I split the white American to make two grilled cheese sandwiches with the white cheese surrounding the yellow "cheese" between the two pieces of bread. They turned out decent, but I had a piece of cheese that broke off left over, so I tossed it into the pan by itself to melt it into a crispy something to go with the sandwiches.

Except.......

That damned piece of "cheese" refused to melt. Literally REFUSED to melt! It bounced and skipped and sizzled, looked like it was blistering, but when I put the spatula under it, it didn't stick at all to the pan. When I flipped it over, it was hardly even discolored. A few attempts to scorch in some spots, but no melting, no change in shape whatsoever. It looked and felt like plastic. Both sides were nice and hot, but no discernible change in structure like real cheese should have had (or other cheese "foods" I've had, for that matter). It stayed entirely intact as it had gone into the pan. And, the pan was hot because it had just cooked two sandwiches and the fire was still on.

So.....THAT was the "cheese" I had in my scrambled eggs, broken up into little pieces to simulate melted cheese within the eggs, and topped with salsa. I've had worse.

Food Samples - Always a Good Thing!

As I have explained in a couple of recent posts, I am now working at Campbell Soup placing orders for sales samples of the many different products Campbell's offers. Everyone has samples sitting on their desks except me, so I was looking forward to the day when I would finally have my own samples.

That day arrived on Friday when I was taken to World Headquarters to finally get my security badge key card so I can let myself into the office instead of hoping someone would hear me knock. Suzanne, who drove me down, had to pick up some samples bags that were given out at a meeting our team didn't get to attend. She made sure I got one, too.

Inside the bag were several products I hadn't seen before, except for the Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies. There was a bag of Pepperidge Farm Simply Potatoes Baked Cracker Chips, a box of Sweet Potato and Tomatillo Bisque, a pouch of Marsala Skillet Sauce, and a Microwavable Jammin' Jerk Chicken with Rice & Beans soup. When I got home, we immediately opened the cookies and the Cracker Chips. 

I have to admit I'm not a fan of the Milano cookies. There's nothing wrong with them, but the dark chocolate and chopped almonds were not my favorite combination. My daughter, however, loved them and took them to work with her to snack on while she valeted cars. 

The Cracker Chips, however, gained a fan. I really liked them! They are super crispy without being too hard. They also have potatoes as an ingredient without actually tasting like potato chips. I was impressed at how flavorful they were without being fried. I've tried baked potato chips, but the flavor just isn't there. These, however, changed my perspective on the quality of baked snacks.

I also got to check out the company store (open only to employees) and found our favorite condensed soups for only $.49/can. I bought four cans of chicken noodle for my daughter and a HUGE black soup mug for my friend for Christmas. He never likes anything I get him, but I do think he'll like this. In fact, I need to go back to get one for me, I think. I was hoping they'd have travel mugs, but all they had was Goldfish cracker logo mugs and I knew he wouldn't like that. I do have to go back sometime, though, in order to do some more shopping. Most definitely!

REVIEW: Glade Expressions Fragrance Mist and Oil Diffuser

I want to tell you about a product I recently tried. They were provided to me, as a BzzAgent, in exchange for checking them out and sharing the information with others as well as sharing discount coupons for the products.

The fragrance I chose was Pineapple Mangosteen because I tend to have sensitivity to other so-called "natural" fragrances or flowery scents. I like the fruited scents because they are more pleasant and less troublesome to my sinuses and eyes.

I love the Fragrance Mist - it is really unique in that you just squeeze it. It has no trigger or button to push. And, it is refillable. You just remove the insert and replace it with the fragrance of your choice. Best of all, the mist is super fine and expands to fill a large area very quickly. We've used it both downstairs where the cats' box is and upstairs in our bathroom. 

I also love the fragrance. It is PERFECT. Light, fruity, very realistic rather than chemical smelling. It isn't overpowering, yet it quickly fills the area with fragrance. I can't imagine going back to the other canned sprays I used previously. They do have nice fragrances, but it takes more of them to cover the same area and you can feel them in your lungs when you inhale too much of them.

As for the Oil Diffuser - I didn't know quite what to expect. I have used very pricey diffusers in the past, but the fragrances were hardly noticeable. But, I took this one to my new job and have it in my cubicle. Someone walking past said, "Do I smell piña coladas?" It's such a wonderful smell, although a tad heady in such a closed-in area. I have noticed some eye discomfort if I have it too close to where I'm sitting, so I keep it behind me as you step inside my cubicle. It's so nice to have a grand smelling environment to work in.

I especially like how the oil base is replaceable and the holder is so decorative. It can fit in any decor, but I especially like the artistic design. So much more affordable than those you buy through that home candle party program and much more efficient!

As for the coupons, I gave some to my landlady who just LOVES to have fragrances in her kitchen and the rest I shared with people at work. I am very happy with both items and plan to replace the ones I have when they are empty. 

Too Little Too Long Without a Post

For my first two weeks of my new job, I had no computer, no phone and virtually no work. Then, I got a computer and all of a day in training (if you can call it that since the person training me was packing to leave the job for good) and all last week I struggled to understand what the heck I was doing even as I was being trained for even more things to do. I was so deep to the bone tired at the end of each day, I didn't care whether or not I got online. I didn't post on Facebook and I barely answered email. I was just beat!!

Apparently, I'm adapting because this week, so far, I've been able to come home and NOT immediately fall into a deep sleep. Yesterday, I stopped at the neighborhood grocer and got bread, rolls and lunch meat for work. I got home in time to smell the roast beef I'd had in the crock pot all day and enjoyed the most wonderful hot roast beef sandwich for supper!

Tonight, I stopped at the bank, came home and watched television, ate my leftover Chinese food lunch, and have been playing online for just over an hour. And, I'm about to go downstairs to get my clothes from the dryer. Maybe this stuff doesn't sound like much of an accomplishment, but if you had been able to know how I felt last week compared to how I feel this week, you'd know that these things really ARE accomplishments! My back has ached all day, but even that's nothing compared to how bad my entire body felt last week. 

But, back to that crock pot beef.....I got myself a crock pot one day last week. I had seen one on Freecycle and when I responded, the person ahead of me had changed their mind, so the pot was mine if I wanted it. I wanted it. It's a Hamilton Beach 6 Qt Crock Watcher with AutoShift and a removable crock. 

The first thing I did was buy a couple of bottom round roasts that were on sale at ShopRite and put one in the freezer Sunday night while looking forward to Monday morning when I would put the other one in the crock. Although I was thinking at the time that we'd do mashed potatoes and gravy, Deb was too tired from working 15 1/2 hours the day before and only getting about 5 hours sleep before going to work again, so I just opted to slice the meat and make a hot roast beef sandwich with one of the Kaiser rolls I'd bought on the way home. 

I so enjoyed that sandwich!! I had added a packet of onion soup mix to the meat and a couple cups of water, so there was a nice broth to have with the meat. The sandwich was sloppy and flavorful and it was wonderful! When Deb came downstairs, she also had one. There are two rolls left and half the meat and broth. I shredded what was left of the meat.

I think I'll make a turkey ham and cheese sandwich for work tomorrow. I bought yogurt that was on sale, too, so I can take yogurt to have with it. I just love La Yogurt - so smooth and fruity. They were on sale for 10 for $3.30. I'm going to get some more this week when I get paid again before the sale is over. That's a good price and they're really good.

Anyway, I've said this before, but I really do mean it - I'm going to try to post more often because I do like having this blog and I do like talking about food (even more than I like eating it, believe it or not!) But, right now I need to get to bed. Way early day tomorrow because we're taking my daughter's car to the shop for a new front axle. Fun times.

Belated update, but I GOT A JOB!!!!!

It's true! I finally got a job!! And, it's as though providence has shined upon us - you see, my daughter ALSO got a job two weeks before I did! AND, here's the weird thing - BOTH jobs are in the food industry!!! And, we're both doing the same kind of work for two entirely different employers. It's pretty amazing to me how this all came to be. 

First, my daughter got tired of sending out resumes without getting even one response, so she posted her resume on Craigslist. She got one call, interviewed, was hired (without being given a start date) and then called again by the same person and asked to come in for an interview because he hadn't hired anyone yet. o_O?? She knew then she was done with that one. But, she had also scheduled an interview with a fresh produce distributor who had contacted her in the meantime about a part-time job that she thought would be good because she'd learn some new skills that would make her even more marketable in the future. 

She got along really well with the woman and felt really comfortable with her, even though she was told that the job would be pretty much minimum wage. She felt the benefits (full paid!) made it all worth it. So, she did the interview and got along fantastically with everyone she met. She was told that they had one more interview a week later, so she would be called after that if they wanted her. They called her before that interview was out the door! Her coworker said that the woman, her new boss, was so impressed by her that she wanted to hire her on the spot, but couldn't because she'd already scheduled the final interview. 

She's doing accounts receivable, credit approvals and adjustments, logistics (scheduling deliveries and pickups) and a variety of other jobs. She was recently told that they planned to open some more locations across the country and she may be flown to those locations to assist in setting them up. She said to me, "Mom, I actually have a 'big girl' job! I'm being treated like an adult and I love it!"

She also learned that her hourly wage went from minimum wage to $11/hr when she got her first pay check. Not bad getting a raise before you get your first pay!!

Although I joined her in posting my resume on Craigslist, all I got out of it was scams. Meanwhile, I continued to send out my resume anywhere I could whose job description fit what I knew. One of them described the job being a data entry clerk in the next town over. The pay was acceptable and I had all the skills (although I am not quite an "expert" in Excel, I did take a course earlier in the year, so I'm better than I used to be), so I submitted my resume. I was surprised to get a call asking me to call back for a phone interview from a company I'd never heard of. They are an agency, like a temp firm, and they had a contract position nearby who needed someone who could start as soon as possible. I affirmed that I could if they chose me and they then set up my phone interview with the client - a well-known producer of canned soups and other foods under a variety of names!!!

The following week, I received the call from the client and was interviewed by two women who more explained the job to me than asked questions; but, as they described it to me, I was able to relate the duties to jobs I had done previously, which they seemed to like. When the interview was done, I just waited to see what would happen. Within two hours, I was called by the agency and told I had the job!!! I loved it!! I didn't have to do a face to face interview, I didn't have to worry about whether or not my looks or weight would turn them off, I was hired solely on the skills I had and how I had handled the interview. Fantastic!!

So, I  now have a week and a half under my belt and I love the office and the people. I wish I could say I love the job, but I really haven't been able to do it yet. You see, their IT department hasn't furnished my desk with a computer or a phone. Actually, two computers. One SAP and one laptop, both operated by the same mouse and keyboard. Very NCIS!! Can't wait until I actually can be trained on the system and begin to do what I've been hired to do. I'll be working with samples (receiving and placing orders for samples of new products for customers, sales people and trade shows) as well as working with deductions (something I haven't been shown yet, but I suspect it's related to when the customer short pays their invoice and the adjustments have to be approved and entered in the accounting). 

Everyone in the office has sample products sitting on their desks and I've heard people talking about trying this or that product, so I'm thinking we get to add our two cents to the product line. But, I don't know for sure, so there's just that much more to learn about. My contract is initially for a year, but could go longer or could become permanent depending on the needs of the client. AND, it offers medical, dental, sick and vacation. WOW!!!

In the meantime, my daughter gets to bring fresh produce home for us to use and, if I get to try out samples, that will help our grocery budget tremendously. How much better can it be for a family of foodies???

A New Day

The title of today's post has multiple implications. It could refer to the literal fact that today is a new day, different from yesterday. It could also refer to the concept of today being a new opportunity or even the beginning of a new era following major change. I'm thinking of it as a blend of all three of those ideas.

It is Sunday and that makes it another day on the calendar, new to you, new to me. But, it is also the beginning of a new era since my daughter started her new job this past week. She is learning new things that she's excited to learn that will benefit her in any future jobs she might hold. In addition to accounts payable and receivable she's also being trained in shipping logistics. She works for a fresh fruits and vegetables distributor and really likes the people and the job, even though for now, it's part-time.

She's supposed to go full-time in three months at which time she'll be eligible for full-paid medical and dental benefits. Since we've both been without any medical for years, she's looking forward to that. She's also going to see if I can be on her insurance since I have been her dependent these past couple of years. I don't believe that can happen, but who knows.

The peppers Deb brought home.

Anyway, another benefit of her job is that any excess or undistributed produce is shared with their employees. The other day she came home with a bag full of bell peppers. She gets to bring home fresh produce when they have excess or need to make room for new shipments. I'm looking forward to eggplant (aubergines) and tomatoes at some point.

She's learning accounts payable and receivable as well as logistics. They told her she'd go full-time in three months and then her full-paid benefits would begin.

Meanwhile, I have a phone interview tomorrow morning with Campbell's soup. If they like me, I may be working within a week. It's a contract position that's supposed to last a year. 

It's interesting that both my daughter's job and this potential job for me are food related. Can't be any more perfect for a life-long foodie like me!

Hamburger Helper Cheesy Enchilada

I was supposed to go out to dinner the other night, but the person who was going to take me, after making a big production of where we were going to go, suddenly decided we were going to go somewhere else. Because he's done this numerous times in the past to the point of extreme annoyance, I decided not to go out at all and make something at home. I'm glad I did.

From Google images - this is how I ate mine!

I went to our trusty pantry and pulled out the box of Hamburger Helper Cheesy Enchilada. I didn't really look at it, other than the name and that it would be Mexican inspired. I assumed it would be pasta as all of them usually are. (Obviously, I failed to look closely at even the photo on the front of the box - and, yes - I am the kind of person who tries to assemble things without reading the instructions.) 

I had already decided that I would incorporate some vegetables because we had a half can of corn my daughter had opened and left in the fridge plus two small portions of limas and green beans in the freezer. That way we have more of a one pot meal than anything. When I realized this particular HH was a rice dish, I wasn't sure the veggies would work out well. I did it anyway.

The instructions said to put the rice in with the hot water and milk, so that's also when I added the three small portions of vegetables. I lowered the flame and put the lid on and let it simmer the 20 minutes required. 

Of course, being the lazy butt that I tend to be, I didn't stir during that time, so I had quite a mess on the stove and counter from the hot liquid escaping past the lid. But, the end result was wonderful!!! 

The flavoring was mild and only hinted at being Mexican-esque. The vegetables incorporated themselves quite well without altering the overall flavor. Even my daughter ate it and she's not a fan of either lima beans or rice. 

I have one more box of this flavor in the pantry. I will not hesitate to make it when I'm craving a rice dish.

Keeping Current - or at least trying to

I thought I'd take advantage of things and try to stay a bit more current with my blog. I still haven't done any real cooking other than throwing some hot dogs in with some Bush's Baked Beans and heating them up. Yet, I did enjoy them. I happen to like beans with wieners quite a bit. I'll even put the beans in the roll with the dog instead of mustard. So, that's one foodie item I can post about. That was yesterday's lunch.

Later in the day, Tom and I went to Starbucks for some coffee (hot for him, iced for me) and then to the store so he could get cat food and orange juice. Then we went to a local thrift store because they were having an end-of-summer 50% off sale I wanted to check out. I was able to get three new tops for myself plus a couple shot glasses to send to my son who collects them.

Buffet Interior - food tables

Then, last night, my friend Tom and I went to the largest Chinese buffet in the area up in Cinnaminson. It's called Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet. They're reasonably priced and have more food than any place I've ever been. And, if someone in your family hates Chinese food but everyone else wants to go, they'll be OK because there is an entire section of "American" food like mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted sirloin, roasted prime rib, baked ham, green beans, corn, pizza, rolls, and other tasty items. They also have the largest fresh fruit table I've seen with HUGE strawberries! I don't even like strawberries and I was impressed.

After eating, we drove to Bottom Dollar Foods where I picked up some hamburger for just over $1/lb. It's 73% lean, but heck - for that price, I'll pour off the grease! It's a great deal! I also picked up some cereal, milk, dry cat food and cat litter, both of which I needed badly. We humans can find alternative sources of necessities, but house-bound cats can't.

Today's breakfast was a couple more hot dogs and beans and a small cup of chili my daughter made at a friend's last night. She does make some mighty good chili - I was disappointed that there wasn't more. But, tonight we had Chinese takeout. Both of us had sweet and sour chicken with fried rice. She doesn't use the sauce and I do. Sometimes, having something that's breaded and fried just satisfies a craving like nothing else can.

And, just now, I was able to acquire a handmade box to keep the litter box in that helps keep litter from getting all over the floor and being in view of anyone walking nearby. I have to go pick it up tomorrow. It's on the big side, but we have three cats, so anything that can help control things works for me - plus, it should cut down on some of the dust they scatter as well as the gravel.

Now, off to watch my Storage Wars marathon. I do like that show, even though I'll never be someone who can afford to buy a storage locker. It gives me some ideas on smaller items that might turn a buck down the road.

A Foodie Update

Wow - it's been a month since I was last here. Lots of things happening, some good, some not quite so good, but we still plug along.

I haven't done a lot of cooking at home for a while, so I haven't really had anything to post about foods from my kitchen. But, I have been treated to dinner a few times and I've enjoyed it.

Tom made me dinner twice this week. Both times he made meatloaf. I really enjoyed the first one. The second one not quite as much, but that's because he put way too much mustard into the meat mixture and I'm just not a mustard fan - especially Dijon! Yet, he used 90% lean beef and the loaf was so tender because he made sure there were good fats added to the meat (he used cream when he moistened the bread). There were onions as well as eggs and Worcestershire sauce. Other than the mustard, which only added a touch of flavor the first time, both meatloaves were excellent in construction and texture.

The first dinner also had broccoli and egg noodles. I made a sauce from the meatloaf drippings for the noodles. It was all really good. The second dinner had frozen string beans and couscous. I'm NOT a fan of frozen vegetables. I know they're good for you, but I just don't like their flavor or texture. I ate about half of them just because I know they were good for me. But, I couldn't make myself finish them. The couscous were kind of bland and dry, so I ate them mixed with the meatloaf.

Tom's brother made dinner on Sunday. It was actually pretty darned good, too. He made Shepherd's Pie. If you want to be precise, it would be Cottage Pie, because it was made with ground beef, not lamb. He gave me way too much, but it was good. His only problem was that he didn't add ANY salt to the dish, so we had to add it on our dishes because it was very bland.

In all three cases, I was able to bring a plate to my daughter, so she got to have a home made dinner, too. Well, the one time she actually came to Tom's house to eat. The other two times, I brought it to her.

I have to say I like being spoiled, having someone else do the cooking. I'm not going to complain, even if Tom's brother isn't my favorite person.

A CoverGirl&Olay Review

Now, I want to tell you all that I have become a BzzAgent. I receive products for free in exchange for a review of those products. The first products I received were CoverGirl +Olay 2in1 Foundation and Pressed Powder. Now, I've never been one to wear a lot of makeup. I've never liked having anything make me look "fake". I had my makeup done professionally one time and when I saw myself in the mirror, I went in and washed my face. I didn't look like myself at all! But, when I tried this foundation, I have to say that I felt that it did a wonderful job! It went on smoothly and didn't at all appear to be caked on like some foundations can look. I looked in the mirror and it was still ME! I could tell that my coloring was more even, but it didn't look like I had makeup on. The only thing I added was some blush on my cheeks. I don't wear eye makeup, but did like that my skin tone was even and smooth-looking without looking artificial. The anti-aging formula in this foundation and pressed powder are perfect for our not-so-young skin. This isn't my daughter's makeup.

I have oily skin and I didn't feel "greasy". I liked that about it and would recommend it to others for that reason.

I admit it - I don't keep promises well!!

At least, not promises I make to myself about my blogs. 


I seems I haven't posted anything on either one since May. I need to slap myself!


I can't talk much about cooking because I haven't done much in the past few months. However, I will tell you that I finally made the No Boil Baked Ziti recipe I have posted from last year just a couple days ago. And, this time, I actually used ziti instead of rotini. It turned out wonderfully! I also used cottage cheese instead of ricotta - other than having curds instead of a smoother consistency, there was no difference!


Last night, I went to eat at the local diner and enjoyed some Flounder Francaise. If you haven't tried this, you ought to. It's really quite good. The flounder is covered in an egg batter and fried and set on a bed of cooked rice. It is all then covered with a creamy lemon sauce (not super lemony, which I like). I had two huge pieces of flounder and so much rice! The only thing I didn't like was the pimentos they added. I also had cream of broccoli soup, which was pretty good. 


If you're not much of a fish eater, try the Chicken Francaise instead. The chicken breast is flattened before being battered, so the piece of chicken looks huge when it arrives. It's also much more tender since it was flattened.


I had wanted to get breakfast for dinner, but they don't have grits after 3pm and I didn't want home fries. I just don't digest potatoes as well as I used to, so when I can substitute something, I do. Grits remind me of cream of wheat and I eat them the same way.

Zucchini and Eggplant

Zucchini, Wikimedia Commons

I may have written about zucchini before, but considering how abundantly it grows, it is probably a topic that can be revisited more than once. I'm including eggplant because I've found that what you can do with one you can usually do with the other.

Fried Eggplant, courtesy Wikimedia Commons

I grew up eating fried zucchini slices and fried eggplant spears. I love both of them. I wouldn't eat either one of them stewed, but I ate them hungrily when Mom made them. I still love both of them fried. Mom would dip them in an egg wash and then into seasoned bread crumbs before pan frying them and draining them on paper towels. Salted with a side of ketchup and we were set to go. I honestly can't remember what else we had because my focus was on those veggies. 

Eggplant being sweated, Wikimedia Commons

Eggplant tends to be more bitter than zucchini which might be a turnoff for some, but I think if you buy them young (or use white eggplant) or be sure to sweat them prior to breading them (salting them to leach the excess liquid), a good portion of that bitterness is eliminated.

Homestyle Eggplant Parm

Mom also made eggplant Parmesan, which isn't exactly Parmesan since it has no Parmesan cheese, but what she made differs significantly from what is served in most restaurants. Hers was mostly like eggplant lasagna, but using fried slices of eggplant instead of lasagna noodles. What restaurants serve is individually fried slices topped with cheese and sauce with a side of pasta. I love both. But, if you have an abundance of zucchini, you can do the same thing - just slice it thicker than you normally do and layer it accordingly (or serve ala restaurant). They're both just so delicious!!


I have since discovered that I love grilled zucchini that is seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil before being grilled. Oh my gosh - I never thought I could enjoy it like that, but it seems that your tastes do change as you mature. Or maybe it's the tastes that mature because I can be pretty childish at times. 


I also like zucchini sauteed in marinara sauce. I still don't like it steamed, but in the marinara I can enjoy it. And, not too long ago, I tried Baba Ghanoush, which is a Middle Eastern appetizer dip that is made from roasted eggplant and garlic. Now, I had my doubts because I do NOT like garlic, but I was pleasantly surprised. I did add salt to mine, and it was served cold, but I did like it and would order it again. I'm wondering how it would taste if served warm because I think I'd like it that way even more.


So, that's the end of my April A-Z Challenge posts. I wish I could post as often without a challenge, but I'm still glad it was there. Maybe I'll do some Googling to see if there are other blog challenges out there. It keeps me motivated. I hope you've enjoyed reading my posts, though. I've enjoyed writing them.

Y is for Chick-Fil-A!

Well, actually it's for YUM. I just wanted to get your attention. 


We stopped at Chick-Fil-A today after running other errands and got something to eat since neither of us had eaten yet. I discovered that they have a spicy chicken sandwich. I'll eat their chicken, but because it is sweeter than most fast food chicken I can buy, it's not generally my favorite. However, I do love the spicy chicken sandwiches sold at Wendy's and Checker's, so I decided to get this one, too. I got the plain jane version without pickles and added my own ketchup and mayonnaise, but I was really quite pleased with what I got. Maybe next time I'll get the one with lettuce and tomato, but I wanted to test drive it first.


I loved the crunch factor which remained even though I didn't start eating it until we got home. The bun had steamed itself inside the wrapper, but there was still crunch to the coating on the chicken. I also like their chicken salad sandwich, but I have to add salt and pepper because whatever it is they do to make their chicken sweet comes through really strong in the salad.


I'm not a fan of their waffle fries, but I didn't feel like swapping them out today. I also ordered their Chicken Tortilla Soup. It wasn't bad, but it was thicker than any tortilla soup I've ever had before. The spice was actually just right. You knew it was there, but it didn't overwhelm the flavor of the food. I'd just rather that particular soup was more brothy than stew-like. 


Do you like Chick-Fil-A? Why or why not?

X is eXtremely Hard to Write About

Other than Xanthan gum, there is no food that I'm aware of that starts with an X. I mean, I could write about that, but I wrote about that during last year's A-Z Challenge. 


I could write about Xylophones or Xrays, too, but really, do you want to know any of that? Yeah, I didn't think so.


Nothing X-rated is appropriate for my blog (nor would I be comfortable if it were), so there goes another X topic down the drain. It's time for a bit of creativity, I guess.


I'm sure there are eXcellent topics out there that fit this letter of the alphabet, but eXactly what they are is a mystery to me. I don't eXcel in knowing words that begin with X. I'm sure I could eXamine a dictionary to gain some knowledge of other X words, but it's not likely I'll ever really use the vast majority of the ones that eXist.


Therefore, I will stand on my creativity and eXit with my head held high and my blog challenge remaining without blemish. I hope your eXperience here has been satisfactory and that my eXplanation is to your liking.

Working on Keeping Up

Well, hello. As you can see, I'm almost late with this post. Today is "W", right? Considering I thought it was Friday this morning when it's actually Thursday, I could be totally wrong (another W word).


I fell behind while I was beginning the healing process of the abscessed tooth that sent me to the ER in severe pain. Now I'm catching up. So, please bear with me while I stumble forward seemingly aimlessly.


My daughter and I just got home from going out to eat. I was supposed to go out to eat with Tom's brother, but when he learned I was bringing my daughter, he left us and went home. *sigh* He is such a puss. (I'm being kind.) So, we went took ourselves out to eat.


We first went to La Esperanza Mexican restaurant in Gibbsboro, but they had already closed, so we headed north to Mount Laurel to go to On The Border, a chain restaurant owned by the same people who own Macaroni Grill. 

On The Border Grill & Cantina in Novi, Michigan

Deb hadn't been there before and it had been several years since I was there, but I do like them. She got a beef chimichanga with beans and rice and I got a combo meal with a chile relleno and a carnitas (pulled pork) enchilada, also with beans and rice. She barely ate half of her chimichanga and I only ate the enchilada. We brought the rest home. But, neither of us could eat the salsa they served with the chips. OMG, it was so hot that our tongues were on fire!!! The kind of hot that hits long before any flavor does. Not pleasant. So, I guess I won't be enjoying their salsa in the future unless they have a milder version one can request. Even with sour cream added, that salsa was powerful enough to strip paint off your bureau!! Since I wanted the chance to enjoy my food, I stopped trying to eat it and finished off an entire glass of iced tea in order to get my tongue back to normal. 


Anyway, we both enjoyed our meals and plan to enjoy our leftovers tomorrow. Both meals were under $10, so it's not bad when you have enough food to get two meals.


That's about it for today. I'll try to post tomorrow's "X" earlier than I did this. I also owe several reads of others' posts. I'll get there, I promise.

V is for Vegetables in Hamburger Helper

We like Hamburger Helper in our house. We REALLY like it. My daughter LOVES it. She's made it twice just this week. But, we also add vegetables to it. It's not just meat, sauce and noodles for us. 


First Deb made Beef Noodle Helper to which she added French-style green beans. It was delicious. Today she made Philly Cheesesteak Helper and added whole kernel corn and peas. I might have liked it better without the peas, but it's still good. It's not that I don't like peas, but they added a "sweet" to it that I'd have rather not had in something called Philly Cheesesteak.


Adding vegetables allows Hamburger Helper to be a one pan meal instead of having to dirty another pan to cook a vegetable separately.


Do you make Hamburger Helper (or something similar)? When you do, do you change it up in any way?

U is for Unexpected Health Issues

People who don't think toothaches are a health issue haven't read much about them. I was one of them. I had no idea that a toothache could lead to abscess which could lead to an infection entering the brain and causing multiple problems up to and including death. Quite the wake-up call, I have to say.


My tooth began aching Friday night (on the weekend, of course). By Sunday, it was showing no signs of diminishing and I felt like the right side of my face was swollen. When I looked in the mirror, I could see it, but when I put my hands on my face, I could feel it. And, it was so tender to the touch. Any movement of my mouth and tongue practically made the top of my head explode. No pain I've experienced before matched this. 


Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, so after making my promised appearance at my friend's Tupperware party, I drove myself to the ER where I was examined by one of the ER physicians who diagnosed an abscess. When he told me to open my mouth so he could examine my tooth, I almost cried. I literally had to pull my chin down to make my mouth open wider for him to examine me. Holy cow, I was in pain.


While I was there, they gave me a shot for pain and a double dose of antibiotics to kick start healing. I also left with two prescriptions for the same. I only filled the antibiotic because I have no insurance and couldn't afford to pay full price for two prescriptions. But, the nurse had advised that I could get an OTC pain reliever and take the prescription dose of that as needed and that's what I did. I feel much better now.


My jaw still hurts and I still have limited movement (even eating a banana was hard to do!), but can finally chew things without wishing someone would punch my jaw and knock me (and my tooth) out. It was a seriously painful thing that I never EVER want to experience again.


So, I'd like to say to all, please don't ignore your teeth! They don't just make it easier to swallow and digest foods, but they also can transmit infection directly to your brain if they are not treated properly. I'm still enjoying the headache that this brought with it, but it's not as bad as it was the first couple of days. I don't wish this on anyone!

Tupperware - A Place For Food

Well, it's Monday and loads of things took place yesterday while you were gone. The biggest thing was that I ended up going to the ER because of my toothache. I just couldn't take the pain anymore. Turns out I have an abscess on my back molar, so they gave me a very painful shot of pain reliever and a double dose of antibiotic with two prescriptions for the same plus a list of places I can go.


But, the second thing I did yesterday, actually the first thing on the timeline, was attend a Tupperware Open House at my friend's house. She and her daughter have begun selling Tupperware and I haven't seen her in a long time. My daughter wanted to go, too, so we both headed on down.


Boy, have things changed with Tupperware!! So many pretty colors, so much versatility, and the new items they have! Some aren't even Tupperware-ish. Like the ice cream scoop, the knives and the can opener. They reminded me of the ones Pampered Chef sells. Still, it makes sense, since they're food related, to offer them with food containment items. 

Smooth Chopper

Personally, I fell in love with their new Smooth Chopper. Personally, I don't think it's worth the full price they're charging. But, my friend advised that it would be going on sale for $20 less in a week, so I ordered it. The selling point for me, besides helping her out in this business venture, was Tupperware's lifetime guarantee. It's like having a mini-food processor, but without electricity. I doubt it will chop up meats, which I like about a processor, but it sure did a number on the baby carrots she used to show me! And, it has paddles for whipping and blending. 

Crystalwave Soup Mugs

I also ordered a pair of CrystalWave soup mugs for my daughter's up-coming birthday. She just loves them. She uses the one we have all the time. I was able to split the order, paying half now and having the other half pay in two weeks. I normally wouldn't spend much on Tupperware, but it helps a friend and I actually had some available funds that I don't normally have. 

Twistable Peeler

They even still have the hour-glass shaped salt and pepper shakers that I grew up with. I plan on getting those, too, at some point. My daughter fell for their Twistable Peeler. I prefer the old style, but she likes the new kind that you can use lengthwise.


Anyway, other than the pain my tooth was causing me, I was glad to see my friend and to see all the new and colorful items Tupperware is selling these days.

S is for Shopping and Sonic

I just got home from taking my daughter to work, her first day scheduled in weeks. Her car's in the shop (at last) and I still have my friend's car to use. I noticed as we took the turn to the reception center where she valets that a new Bottom Dollar grocery store had opened across the street. I needed to do some shopping anyway, so I went there after letting her off.


I don't know if they're a nationwide chain, but they are growing fast in our area. The prices are fantastic. Three-lb chubs of ground beef were $.99/lb with a limit of two chubs per customer. Yes, it's only 73% lean, but for $.99, I can drain the fat. I NEVER see ground beef that cheap anymore.


Hot dog and hamburger buns were $.99 each. Campbell's canned condensed soups were $.48 each. Their brand of crispy raisin bran was $1.79 as was their version of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Brand name cereals were $2.50. Large eggs - $.99. I've had the raisin bran before and it is as good as Kellogg's.


You bag your own groceries there, either buying your own bags, bringing your own bags or using the empty product boxes they provide. I brought home three boxes full of groceries, a large bag of cat litter and two 2-liter bottles of soda that were $.59 each. I spent less than $60.00.


From the grocery store, I stopped at the new Sonic down the road because I hadn't eaten yet and was hungry. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish my sandwich because I have a raging toothache. Just the movement of my mouth and tongue make it hurt so bad, so I'll have to save the sandwich to eat later, cut up into little pieces, I guess. I did eat the tater tots and got a 44 oz. ice tea. The Sonic near us went out of business a few months ago and the one I stopped at today just opened. Not sure why ours closed, but I do like them. I wish this new one well. It's on a very heavily traveled highway.


So, I'd better put the food away - everything that needs to stay cold before it isn't cold any more. I had to sit down after carrying it all in because my back was aching. Of course, the cats are super curious and cat-scanning each and every thing they can touch their noses to. I bought food for them, too. Gotta keep the furry kids happy.