Testing ... 1. 2. 3

 In spite of all the political garbage in California, and it is plentiful, it was another sun filled beautiful day to hang outside.  While I drank my coffee on the patio way later in the morning than I should have, Cooper patrolled his property.  

Someone, or something, wanders the yard every night leaving signs for Cooper to sniff out in the morning.  So far I've been lucky ... there haven't been any skunks.  Until today!  I didn't see any, but I could sure smell them.  I'm hoping all the grubs they've been after are now dead since having the corrals sprayed.  I'm trying very hard to be retired from the Skunk Hunter business.  I guess it's time for the critter cam.

The roses when crazy in the last two days, blooming like never before.  They actually put on their very best dresses twice a year, making for a colorful surprise when they bloom.

Enough sitting around, it was time to hit the grocery store yet again.  I received one of THOSE emails.  "Can you bring a breakfast casserole to the rally?"  Gosh, do you realize who you are asking to cook??  I definitely need a test run before subjecting anyone to my food.  

As I was walking around, I spotted this.  Chopped chicken, already marinated, just like the taco meat I bought last week for $4.00 a pound.  This is $9.00 a pound!!!  And it's CHICKEN!!  Not only are the fuel stations making a killing, the grocery stores are doing the same since they have to pay to have stuff delivered ... by trucks that use fuel!!

This is also a good sign of things to come since the big whigs raised income taxes to be paid by corporations.  They certainly won't be taking it out of their profits, they will raise YOUR cost to purchase their products.  Here's a really good example of that.

Anyhow ..... I'm going with sausage, eggs and tater tots on this casserole ... a recipe you put together the night before and bake in the morning.  Now you see why I need to test it out first.  But THEN I had the bright idea of a French toast casserole, which sounded MUCH better to my sweet tooth.  Too bad I forgot the French bread.

Back home I barbecued the chicken I bought at the carniceria on my pretty clean barbecue!!  I had a little trouble getting it to light until I discovered one of the little wires had come loose.  TA-DA ... it lit right up. I was a little disappointed when I discovered the marinated chicken breast I bought turned out to be boneless thighs.  There was a bit of a language problem there.

I chopped it up and made street tacos without any real street taco ingredients except the tortillas.  They were delicious, but next time I'll pass on the chicken and just get beef!!!

Knowing I really needed to start up the test kitchen for those casseroles, I went BACK to the store for French bread.  Can you believe it?  They didn't have one single loaf.  I thought about substituting something like Kings Hawaiian rolls.  Just imagine them smothered with syrup!!  Instead, I drove clear across town to pick up two loaves, just in case the first recipe bombs!!

Back home, I ran a quick test on my little 3 qt Instant Pot purchased some time back.  It's the perfect RV size for Cooper and I.  I quickly learned a lesson.  Although it says add one cup of water, that was too much.  It didn't want to come to pressure.  It probably had something to do with the amount of water that came out of the frozen meat I stuck inside.  I removed quit a bit and VOILA!!!  It worked!

It's funny how these have come into vogue.  I used a pressure cooker (and pressure canner) all my life on the ranch for cooking everything from pot roast to potatoes to cowboy beans.  Never gave it a second thought.  Then they invented one you just plug in and it became all the rage.  

Today is going to be a lesson in how to be bored.  I'm dropping my truck off for three oil changes this morning.  With no one to give me a ride, I'm walking down to the Elks Lodge where I'll try to live through seven hours of boredom.  Really, I'm hoping it won't take that long, but I'm not holding my breath.  

Then there's Board meetings for three hours ... UGH!  Hopefully I get home in time to make one of those casseroles and stick it in the fridge before I fall asleep.  I'll let you know how it turns out.  Testing 1 2 3 means I'll be doing this for three days!!!