Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Cooking In Spanish!!

Since all the activities at the fairgrounds have come to a close, and museums don't seem to be open on Mondays, I found myself wandering around Walmart looking for something to do.  OH NO!!!  I'm a Walmart Old Fogey!!!  How in the word did THAT happen???

With my REALLY old crockpot ... you know, the tall thin one ... I wasn't having much luck with cooking.  To make it even worse, it's so old it doesn't have an insert that you can take out and wash easily.  I'll get a NEW one!!

With only 5 quart options available, WAY too big for me, I drove a few more miles North to the biggest Ace Hardware store I've ever seen.  Sure enough, here's a perfect little 3 quart for $19.99.  You can't beat that with a stick.  In fact, I also bought TWO sticks (dowels) to cut up for Jonathan's chew toys.

I only hesitated a minute or so .... all the writing on the box was in Spanish.  My first thought was "I hope you don't have to be Spanish to cook in this thing, cuz I'd be in trouble"!!  Not that it mattered, but the instruction book was in Spanish too.  No worries, I'll figure it out!!
On the way out of the lot, I was accosted by six kids who were washing cars.  Actually, they were just sitting on the curb with not a car in sight.   Mine hadn't been washed since Yuma, so I let them have at it.  They were trying to make money for their Tech School.  Hey ... here's six kids (8 counting the two out on the street), working their butts off to make a few dollars.  They SHOULD have had a line clear out to the street, but that wasn't happening, so I gave them $20 for the wash.  Come on folks ... if you see kids working hard, give them a break and get your car washed!!
In the afternoon, Patty and Dan's long time Alaska work-camping associates Jim and Meghan, stopped in for a visit.  Come to find out, Jim's a stunt kite flyer and has several Rev's in his collection.  Maybe we can hook up sometime and I can get some lessons.  After a wonderful lunch of chili chicken chowder made by Miss Patty, we sat on the porch while they caught up on all the news.  It's really nice to meet new RV friends, especially when you've heard all about them.  

Back at my rig, still not feeling quite up to par, I decided to make some soup, just in case ... split pea with a smoked ham bone.  The little crockpot worked like a charm and was easy peasy to clean.  Three quarts is just the right size .... I don't have soup for thirty people and I don't have to eat the gloppy stuff I've frozen because I made too much!!  Like Goldilocks, it's JUST RIGHT!!!
While eating the soup, I was thinking about cornbread muffins, when it dawned on me I was OUT of bird biscuits!!  Jonathan will never forgive me, so I whipped up a quick batch for the freezer.  These are full of all good bird things, kind of like a muffin vitamin for my feathered friend.
I don't remember much after that!!  I think I fell asleep on the couch.  When I woke up, Cooper was sitting on my chest, nose to nose .... meaning he wanted to go out.  

Today is housekeeping and bill paying day.  I had hoped that would disappear when I started RV'ing, but alas, it never seems to go away.  My time in Tucson has come to an end as I get ready to head further South.  Not far mind you, I'm only going 29 miles to the Escapees Park in Benson, where I'll stay while visiting Tombstone and Bisbee.  There's nothing like old cowboy towns in my book!!








13 comments:

  1. Nancy, its Lynn Cross here. We are on Site 63 in the park...a corner lot. Wednesdays are movie nights...with concessions at 6 pm (hot dogs) and movie at 6:30 pm. Everyday except Sundays from 4 pm to 5 pm is Happy Hour. Just bring a beverage of choice & mingle. Sundays from 3 to 5 is a Jam Session. Hope to see you soon and your companions.....Lynn

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    1. Sounds good Lynn. I'll check in with you when I get there.

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  2. I'll bet you didn't ask those Tech School kids if they were in SkillsUSA. Love having our car washed by kids earning money the hard way. LOL

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    1. You're right, I did not ask. They were more interested in getting their little radio set on the right station. They did a pretty good wash job though!!

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  3. Ah, a not-a-cook with a new crockpot; you might like: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/2016/02/dump-meats/.
    I use a liner in my crockpot to make cleanup even easier.

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    1. Well for heavens sake!! I keep forgetting those liners ... and I have a box in the rig!!! Great info on that site ... I'm going to try some.

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  5. If you turn the crock pot box around more than likely the language will be in English
    OK I have a very serious question to ask you, seeing as you're the go to professional person when it comes to quilts and has to do is sewing
    I've looked at my kites and it looks like a simple stitch that as far as my expertise stopped( thank God for The button near)
    (However I can't stitch a kite with one of those things )
    so on that note when you look at the stitching on your kite would you tell me what kind it is, it must have some kind of a name
    And when someone stitches like this
    does it lock In place another words not( Seam ) break one stitch and the whole thing comes apart
    seeing as how I can get someone too beg borrow bribe or persuade (you) to buy some BATIK an make a fancy quilted kite
    It looks like I'm going to have to spring for a sewing machine sewing table sewing scissors and all the fancy BATIK remet pieces Oh yeah and sewing lessons Yeah sewing lessonsI almost forgot thats kind of the important part from a professional
    Although that's the first thing I'm going to need to do,, before I get bored and chuck it all,, and Pay $$$ somebody to do it for me
    The way I look at it 400 hundred dollars for the 6x8 quilt in a quilt shop
    $800 for the 7x8 online Calico patchwork kite I think the quilt comes out ahead
    Your thoughts ??
    PS got a I sewing machine I can borrow

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    1. The stitching on the kites is zig zag, with three little stitches making up each zig. My machine will only do one stitch for each zig, so I'm not sure it would be as strong. At the end, you can run the machine backwards, overlapping your previous stitches, which is supposed to keep it from unraveling. The problem would be the fabric. Regular Batik is very heavy and I doubt it would fly. I'm thinking you need to find the lighter weight stuff just for kites. $800? Yup that's a little pricey!!

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  6. This easy way to solve the whole problem we really know that you are a good cook
    You didn't need to go out and buy a 3 quart crockpot ( boy say that three times fast )by the food cooked wait six hours to eat a meal, clean up the mess then try to find a place to store
    The simple solution is pull out your phone go to yelp pick the kind of food you want to eat go to the restaurant And be pampered
    See no heavy outlay$$$ in a crockpot no preparation no cleanup simple and easy just leave review
    Thanks I will Vietnamese Pho food tonight 4.1 review

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    1. You might be surprised ... I can cook, but most of the time it's not something I would let company eat!! LOL
      YELP is great ... I've used it a time or two. At the moment however I'm 12 miles or more from the nearest restaurant, which I think is Taco Bell .... or was it Walmart?

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  7. Hi! I thought of Johnathan when I saw this video. You better watch it first before posting it, it might offend some people! But it is funny!! https://youtu.be/XM8aBESf8EI

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    1. That was pretty funny. At least my Jonathan doesn't know ANY bad words!!! LOL

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