Text 18717, 199 rader
Skriven 2014-10-30 15:03:12 av Janis Kracht (1:261/38)
  Kommentar till text 18556 av Ruth Haffly (1:396/45.28)
Ärende: Peppers                                                  [1]
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Hi Ruth,

>> We > were managers for the apartment unit that year.
>> Nice tradeoff, no doubt.

> We thought so. The owner sold the building the next year, new owner
> raised the rents so we moved.

I can understand that one.. higher rent along with high utilities.. not a nice
situation.

>>> still expensive since the utility company wouldn't sell "partial"
>>> fills for the propane tanks.  You had to have the tank filled.

>> The company that sold us the propane would only come to refill if the
>> two very large tanks were down to 1/4%.  And, they would only refill
>> them completely so we'd have them come every few months in winter
>> IIRC.  It's not something that stuck in my mind for some reason (vbg).

> We'd have to get fills a lot more often.

Propane was only used to heat a few rooms in that house in Windsor as I
mentioned, and the hot water heater ... so it wasn't so frequent for us.
Filling the oil tank could be painful though depending on the cost of oil at
the time... The cost of oil seems to be down currently and so that's good news
for the people looking at our house right now.. though the tank is full at the
moment.

>The place we moved to had a
> wood stove as its only heat initially but we added a gas line and a
> couple of gas heaters a few months later. Work was done on a cold winter
> day (after several warm days) and I was in the morning sickness stage of
> expecting our first. Needless to say, I wasn't a happy camper until the
> conversion was finished and we had heat.

Ok, I can imagine that combination must have been rough :(

I remember some of the silliest things with my first... like Ron giving me a
ride to college, and me throwing up on the morning newspaper right next to me
on the carseat... eek.  (G).  I only got morning sickness with my first though.

>> Yes, the electric frying pan came in handy here a few times - I've had
>> one since I was first married. I'm amazed it still works :)  Well,
>> last time I checked it did, anyway.  It has a high domed cover.. I
>> remember reading in the instruction booklet that you could bake a cake
>> in it, though I'd never tried that (g). Wonder if anyone ever has? :)

> I never tried it, did try it in the crock pot once or twice.

That's something I would never have thought of trying :)  Makes sense it would
work though for some cakes since the heat is slow and even.  hehe..now I want
to try it (grin).

> We found we
> used the cast iron fry pans more often than the electric one so found a
> new home for the latter. Funny, it worked that way because I grew up
> using an electric fry pan.

Mom never had one... she was also big on using cast iron and actually more
often stainless steel.

>> So far this fall has been decent. Very mild.. today the temperatures
>> hit 70 in Windsor.. we were there signing papers to get the house on
>> the market.  Yay, that's done.  :)

> Hopefully it'll sell fast.

We hope so... The agent let me know she's got someone interested already and
she is going to show it Monday.  It will be amazing if we get an offer on the
first showing, as it will help incredibly with our finances if it does.  We
figure to be flexible with the price, so that should help as well.

>We've had a few days in the lower 70s. It's
> supposed to be up near 80 by mid week, then plummet to the upper 50s by
> the week end. Possibility of frost even on Sunday morning.

<sigh>.... here we had 70's day before yesterday, and today it's in the high
40's.. Fall is definitely here... just in time for Halloween.  At least we're
not expecting snow like we've seen on some Halloween's over the years :)

>> We've had some funny ones over the years... one was a trailer I
>> swear.. though it wasn't advertised as such... It was inexpensive and
>> fit what we needed for a few months while something opened up.. forget
>> now what it was... could have been the purchase of one of the houses
>> we bought over the years.  But it was cold, and not very inviting...

> We've been in some interesting places too. Had a small double wide in
> Swansboro for a few years and another trailer (single wide) for a few
> months in San Angelo, TX. We think a tornado went over us while we were
> in that one.

That must have been scary.. even just the sounds I'd imagine.

>> There must have been plenty of room to run around, that's good.

> Very good for kids--hills for sledding, berry patches for picking all we
> could, lots of space just to ramble and explore.

Yes, same where I grew up... I'll never forget making my very first batch of
blackberry jam -  because I spilled it all over my arm!  I still have the scar
from that one.  Live and learn (grin)  I think I may have been 11 or so when
that happened.  Just a clutz I guess, knocking one of the jars over (g)

>>> > My folks have oil in their house; they've had some rough winters.

>> Understand.   The good thing is it's yours to modify as you need.

> Yes, and I'm debating decorating ideas already.

That's so neat ;)  It's one of the things I have always liked about older homes
or I guess ones where rooms can be moved (like making the dining room a living
room, etc.).

>> Lowe's). It > soulnd tho, like you should have made more pickles go
>> get you thru the > winter. (G)

>> I should have started gardening on time is what it comes down to :) :)
>> Then I would have had cucumbers all season. :)  Next year I hope it
>> will be different.

> You're thinking about next year already--good start. Let's hope all
> works out to get an early start and things keep going all summer.

Generally if my energy holds up, I'll do ok so that's what I'm hoping for :)
Unfortunately every time there's a season change my darn body has to acclimate
to the changes before I can really get going.  If we have a rough winter it's
that much harder to switch to "spring mode" hehe.. I'm hoping the forecasters
are right about this winter being mild here though :)

>>> redid all wood floors downstairs, and installed ceramic tile floors in
>>> the kitchens upstairs and in all the bathrooms.  They all look so
>>> beautiful.  The main kitchen looks incredible.  I want to move back
>>> there (grin).

>> > Sounds nice. You would want to live there only until you got the
>> winter > heating bills tho, then move back to your smaller house. (G)

>> Or.. til I have to clean that huge house (G)

> Understandable.

Yes, for one person, it's a bit of work.  The agent selling the house in
Windsor is advertising it as single family or multiple family or
inlaw/mother-daughter since it has 4 kitchens and 4 bathrooms... It worked well
for us when we all lived there.

>> But yes, the heating bills would defintely clip any joy (G)

> Sigh! But, one nice thing about the smaller place--you're closer to the
> grand kids. (G)

Yes, it's definitely easier to help out with the kids, and see everyone often
:)

Here's my recipe for cheap-o Chicken Soup... works when you're on a tight
budget :)

===Lesser Chicken Soup===
1 chicken back
2 chicken wings
Chicken breast-bone with ribs, or other chicken bones you've saved 2 large
onions, cut in quarters
2 carrots, chopped in large pieces
2 sticks celery with leaves, stalks chopped in large pieces, leaves minced 2
cloves garlic, chopped
4 Chicken bouillion cubes or homemade chicken bouillion mix, below. 6 black
pepper balls

Break the chicken back in half, and put the pieces and the chicken wings and
other bones in a 5 quart pot.  Add water to cover (about an inch or two over
the top of the chicken pieces) and bring to a boil.  Skim the scum off the
water as it boils.  Reduce the heat to simmer and add the other ingredients.
Simmer for about 2-3 hours or until the soup is flavorful. Remove the bones,
dice the meat.  Serve with small macaroni and parmesan cheese.
===

==pseudo chicken bouillion==
1 1/4  cups nutritional yeast flakes or powder 4 Tablespoons onion powder
2 1/2 Tablespoons sea salt
4 teaspoons garlic  powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon finely dried sage
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon tumeric

Put in a blender until well ground, or grind with mortar and pestle. Store in
an airtight container.  Use 1  tablespoon per cup of water.
==

I've made this with just onion powder and garlic powder and seasonings, but if
you have nutritional yeast, it really really does taste like chicken bouillion
:)

Take care,
Janis

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