It's A Convection Oven

Good Morning California!!  I know you are all still awake, having been serenaded by fireworks until 1:00 am.  I expected it ... but I did NOT expect them to sound like grenades hitting my back lawn.  There's no such thing as "normal" fireworks around here ... they are all the BIG ONES that rattle the windows!  

It was nice that at 10:00 a helicopter flew over and around, causing everyone to stop setting off the flash bombs.  No kidding ... it's gotten completely out of control.  Thankfully they ended just after midnight, or at least they ran out of the noisy ones and I was able to fall asleep.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a cookie in a convection oven?  Me either ... but I definitely got a good idea of what it feels like yesterday.  I think we are beating all our heat records.  It was 106 in the nice cool shade of my patio, all afternoon long.  OH MAMMA it was HOT!!!

As you can see, my lawn doesn't fair any better than I do.  Two days without water and it's dying on the vine ... like me.  I like COLD ... and this just isn't it!!

I made one trip out to the van to put up the way-too-heavy windshield sunscreen.  I must have eaten my Cheerios because it wasn't near as heavy as the last time I tried it.  That was easy to figure out.  Add to it the weight of both side screens and it's not manageable.  Keep them all separate and it's not bad at all.  They will live behind the drivers seat.  That was it ... that's the only time I ventured out except to carry Cooper to the grass.

I'm a "cold" gal.  I just cannot take the heat any more.  Thoughts and dreams of fog and rain came and went all day.  So maybe I'll pretend I'm a Chef and just cook.

Here we are with that lovely chicken pot pie I picked up on the cheap at Walmart.  I think these used to be $2.00 each.  They now run $5.00 ... for the exact same thing.  It makes you wonder if their costs went up or they are just making a huge profit.  

I started out with the last of the awful Healthy Choice meals, but it quickly went flying into the trash can.  The sad part was it took an HOUR to cook this baby.  Isn't she pretty?

I have to admit, there's not much better than Marie Callender pot pies.  I've loved them since I was a kid.  I was a little surprised to see this one had broccoli.  I don't remember that .........

A recheck of the box confirmed this is PARMESAN chicken pot pie.  It was gone in a flash.  It's not so much the contents ... it's that yummy crust!!!!  The Chef got an A+ this day.

Throughout the day, I cringed every time the AC came on.  Even with my solar, using any electricity after 4:00 pm is charged at twice the normal rate.  No kidding ... PGE isn't going to let you get away with not forking out your share to pay for their mistakes.  It was so hot out that I carried Mr. Cooper to and from the grass so as not to burn his little feeties on the 30 feet of concrete.  This is NOT fun!!

I tried a little sewing after putting a table fan in the room and turning on the overhead fan.  Sadly, it's the hottest room in the house.  The receiver of this quilt decided she wanted the surfer material backing, which I thought would be awful.  I was wrong.  It actually matches quite nicely.  If she's happy, I'm happy.  If I'm not in full blown heat stroke today, I will get it quilted.

Dinner was fabulous.  This is not it.  This is from two days ago.  Mexican meatloaf with cumin rice.  

(Ahhhhh my AC just came on ... at 5:14 am.  It's set at 82 degrees.  That pretty much tells you how hot it is!)  

Back to the meatloaf ... instead of making TWO, I made FOUR.  Portion control, yes?  It's interesting to me that I have come to learn how to make rice taste good.  All I did for this recipe was put 1/2 teaspoon of cumin in the pot before boiling.  What a difference in the flavor!!  Ginger does the same thing.  I think I'm on to something here.

So here we are ... without the lights and color enhancements.  It was okay ... I loved the rice ... but not something I would probably have again.  That's because the recipe went in the trash can.

 And so here we are at the end of the day, still roasting in my home oven while trying to finish up this small quilt.  At long last, the final stitch was made and it is done.  This one will ride in the van I think.

I've been contemplating all day about the heat and this trip I have planned.  I may have to postpone it for a few weeks.  We are now looking at 107-108 every day for the next week, with my destination over 100.  If it was just me, no problemo.  With an older puppy and a geriatric parrot, it may not be a good idea to travel.  I have three more days to decide.

In the meantime, still taking care of landscape business ... a guy is coming today to spray the sycamore trees, to clean up the powdery mildew that covers every single leaf.  CPR is required.  Hopefully they survive, though if they don't, I won't have to rake up a million leaves every fall!!  And maybe, just MAYBE, I won't be quite so allergic.  We will see how it goes!!