The Randomness of Grocery Stores

It's become almost a hobby over the past ten years or so to check out different grocery stores. It started when we moved to Stickville. After the first month, I dragged the kids to Roanoke, and we found a nice Kroger with a decent deli. I was so thrilled to see real deli products--I swooned so hard at the Boar's Head meats that the deli guy thought I was joking. While visiting Pennsylvania, we discovered Wegman's. (My) Aunt Barbara had a dozen or so recipe magazines from Wegman's, which I devoured. On one of our trips, we even stopped at Wegman's and bought dinner food before we made it to Barb's house. When Holly went to school in Fairfax, we found a kitschy little local Walmart that was our favorite for awhile. Although Giant was right around the corner from school, that was always our last choice, I know we weren't there more than three times in four years. During her final year, we ditched Walmart and did most of her shopping at Wegman's. Some of the food was fancier, but for the most part, the prices were comparable. We also visited Trader Joe's--two of them, on the same night, but neither one of those impressed. Other unremarkable stores included a couple of Harris-Teeters ($$$) and a few random ethnic grocers right here in Roanoke. And we dicovered the marvels of H-Mart in Fairfax. With it's incredible array of produce, expansive and exotic fish and meat sections, any Korean food you could ever want, and ready to go meals, it became a favorite stop--for Trevor. Whenever he came up, we included a trip to H-Mart, and when he didn't come up, he would provide a shopping list, and Holly and I would shop for him. When he first went to VCU, one of our first stops was an Asian food market, which to his dismay, didn't even come close to meeting his expectations. True story: One of the attractions to working in Northern Virginia for Trevor was that he could shop at H-Mart. It is also true that on the day he and I went apartment hunting in Manassas, our first stop was H-Mart, where we grabbed to go food. We ate that in the car while in the parking lot of the apartment complex he chose, sitting in front of the apartment he signed the lease for. Anytime we go anywhere, it's no surprise when a grocery store visit is part of the deal. One of our recent visits with Trevor included a stop at Lidl (a first for me and Robert) and a visit to a new Oh! Market. And other visits have included stops at, of course, Wegman's. We were in Henrico last week, and I'm not sure why a plain old Kroger was our stop, but it was. There was nothing here we needed to buy, and the bizarreness of it struck me as just one of our usual odd-but-now-normal stops: - 2 bags of Hershey's Chocolate (assorted Reese's candies on clearance, one for my work, one for Holly) - 3 cans of pickled beets - Twizzler Bites (for Holly's car ride) - Panko crumbs (for Holly) - Kroger sauce (for Holly--what even was this, tomato sauce maybe?) - 4 Almond Joy 5 packs (more clearance candy, Robert chose this) - toilet paper (Robert--who never misses a chance to stock up) (Documenting this, because it will no doubt be one of those silly things we laugh and reminisce about for years to come.)

Puzzles

When you stay up way past midnight on a work night to finish a puzzle. Again.

Friday

The new roof was put on today, courtesy of a storm that caused damage back in May. You know how that goes: It looks so great that we're planning to paint the shutters a dark gray and replace the garage doors.

Meanwhile, Robert and I spent the evening on the deck with oddly good chips and the beer that takes me back 40 years. 

Mother's Day Weekend

A sweet, busy weekend:

·   Holly and I looked at a new apartment/townhouse she's hoping to rent, and then she treated me to breakfast at First Watch. It was a bit cool but fantastic to sit in the warm sunshine.

·  Not something I did, but it's worth noting that Trevor tested negative for COVID. Again. !!!

·  I finished a new puzzle.

·  It's worth noting that more people are maskless in stores. Instead of just 1-2 people unmasked, now it's 5-10. So good to see! And the makeup stores that had asked me in the past to mask didn't comment this week.

·  Robert bought me flowers, a new bathrobe, and a Starbucks gift card.

·   Robert and I visited Mrs. Howell.

·  Holly and I and Trevor and I got in tv time, watching 90 Day Fiance,  Amazing Race, and Survivor. Holly and I played UNO and Racko.

·  Mother's Day dinner, followed by raspberries with whipped cream!

A great weekend!

Artichoke Dip

This recipe has been a favorite for literally decades. My old best friend Donna and I would make this for dinner and take it to parties, and this was back in the late 1980s. I can't remember where I first found the recipe or ate it, but I know it came from me, because I'll never forget the first time she made it and used jarred, marinated artichoke hearts instead of canned hearts, and -- well, you would have had to have been there.

Later, this became a staple for me and Robert, sharing it with friends and family. And even later, it was a favorite for my kids. I admit, it sometimes sufficed for dinner; no doubt I added a side dish of fruit in an effort to give some nutrition.

Robert and Holly have been talking about it and finally chose to have it for dinner last night. Apparently, it's a recipe that never has made it to my blog. Holly's comment just now was, "At least if the house goes up in flames, the recipe will survive." Yep, into internet eternity now. :)

ARTICHOKE DIP

1 can of artichokes, drained and chopped (rinsed, drained, use food processor)

1 c. mayonnaise

1 clove of garlic

1/8 t. yellow mustard (seems I've always used a tad more)

5 oz. shredded Parmesan (about a cup)

1 T. lemon juice (or 1 t. or so of Worcestershire)

 

Place all in baking dish; mix well. Bake at 350 for 20 mins. until bubbly.

Serve with cubed french bread or corn chips (okay, or carrots, celery, zucchini, etc. but I can say I've NEVER done that!)

SPRING!!!!

Robert and I went down to Rocky Mount to pick up our taxes. Since leaving the library in 2013, I've only been down there maybe three times. Leaving the tax place, we started to head out to Callaway to drive by the old house. But I pulled off the road, started searching on my phone, and told Robert we were going to the BEST hot dog place. 

Okay, maybe not the "best," but I remembered it from our annual employee picnic lunches. Now I don't just pull over and say where we are going for lunch--EVER. I'd never been to the actual restaurant (and I use that term oh-so loosely), as they would cater our lunch. Turns out it was just a mile down from where we'd pulled off.

 It's not a fancy place; it's not a big place. We walked in, the place was full, and we waited for a minute in the doorway until a waitress told us a table was just leaving. Meanwhile, she set us up with beers while we stood at the end of the bar and waited for the table to be cleaned.

No masks in sight. Not on anyone. No empty tables. Bar full. I literally sat at the table and started weeping because people were living a NORMAL LIFE without fear.

 

 

Hot dogs served on waxed paper. Topped with chili (not that beany-tomato stuff), mayo, mustard, ketchup, onion--and cole slaw. With a piece of cheese on the side, because that's how you do it.

 

We weren't sure if we had enough cash (like who carries that anymore?!), but we were told if we didn't have it, they wouldn't worry about it. In the end, we scrounged up way more than enough, haha. 

Food for my belly. People for my soul. My God, thank you for bringing me here when I least expected it, when I most needed it. I never want to forget the feelings of today.

Headed back home instead of Callaway, and we sat in the sun on the deck (okay, I actually fell asleep).

It is well with my soul.

The Original Perfect Potato Soup Recipe

 Pioneer Woman's Perfect Potato Soup has long been a favorite of ours. I haven't made it in quite a while, and when I looked at the recipe earlier this week, I see that she has drastically changed the proportions not only on the Food Network site but also on her blog. That makes me sad; I want the real, the authentic, the original! I was able to find track it down but wanted to record it here for posterity so we can continue to make the same one that we have enjoyed. (Although this recipe is not "the original" because I've doubled it!)

PERFECT POTATO SOUP

2 slices of bacon

1 large onion, diced (about 130g)

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 stalk of celery, diced (about 90g)

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 800g)

5 c. chicken broth

1 t. Cajun seasoning

1 T. flour (I subbed 1 T. cornstarch, I found this amount to work)

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream (could sub milk and cream with half and half)

salt and pepper

1 c. + cheddar cheese for garnish

1. Add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crisp and fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. Pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the pot. 

2.  Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrot, and celery. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, add salt and pepper to taste, then add the diced potatoes.

 

3. Pour in chicken broth and add Cajun seasoning and bring it to gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together the flour (or cornstarch) and the milk, then pour into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 10 minutes to thicken.

 

4. Remove half to ⅔ the soup and blend in a blender until completely smooth. BE CAREFUL HERE, because the hot liquid will expand in the blender and literally can blow the top off and spray hot soup everywhere. DO NOT fill the blender more than half full.  Pour it back into the soup pot and stir to combine. Let it heat back and add salt and pepper to taste.

 

5. Stir in whipping cream till combined.

 

6. Serve in bowls garnished with bacon crumbles, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

The Gang's All Here

Trevor came home Monday night, working from (our) home on Tuesday/Wednesday.

Holly came in Wednesday afternoon.

This is what feeding five looks like!

The humans feasted on corned beef, red potatoes, carrots, and brussels sprouts. 

We decided to check out Christmas lights down in Roanoke. A wonderful treat on this street, all the homes lit up, some with families gathered around firepits in the front yard, people walking on the sidewalks admiring all the decorations. So much cheerfulness in the middle of a crazy world.

We swung by Chick Fil A to check out their impressive set up . . . 

and left with milkshakes!

Great Weekend

A wonderful December weekend, partially because ALL Christmas shopping has been completed! 

It was warm enough Friday night for Robert to bbq steak in a t-shirt--and with his handy clip on bbq light, perfect in the dark.

We went to Macy's and braved WalMart on Saturday. The stores are busier but definitely not packed with holiday shoppers.

We went back to church on Sunday for the first time since March.  It.was.wonderful. (They've been opened since May or so, or whenever churches were able to.)  75-80 people in the sanctuary, with just a handful masked. Chairs are separated out into groups of two and three; so, so, so good to be there, and we stayed an extra hour and a half I think visiting afterwards.

 A stop at Krispy Kreme. Ahhh! Hard for Sundays to get any better.

 

We did a bit of grocery shopping at Aldi and headed home to enjoy sitting on the deck in the sunshine--notice my SHORTS!

A perfect weekend, did much to distract me from anxiety about the latest round of mask mandates. I needed all of this!

Trevor's Big Move Out--Part Two

Alternate Title - The Craziest Day

Robert, Trevor, and I drove up on Saturday to move a few things in before Trevor moves in. We rented a U-Haul Truck to pick up a new mattress, along with the *perfect* couch that Trevor found on Craig's List. As their U-Haul was following me back to Trevor's, a bunch of my brake warning lights lit up my dashboard, and I was able to make it the last few blocks to Trev's.

Meanwhile, Robert and Trevor managed to manuever the oversized sofa up Trevor's stairs and over to his landing. Unfortunately (understatement), the sofa was too long, too wide, and too tall to fit through the door even with the most expert pivoting. 

While the couch was stuck at Trevor's door, I arranged for a tow truck to take my car to the Honda dealer, which was the only place where I could get a loaner car at 4:45 p.m. on a Saturday. The only other option was Ubering to Dulles Airport 12 miles away. So I went with the tow truck driver, who got me to Honda with minutes to spare. And I asked him if he believes in Jesus. "Yes, ma'am!" I told him Jesus sent him to take care of us.

At the dealer, I met the wonderful Jasmine who'd helped me on the phone. She was wearing a "GREAT LOVE--Ephesians 2:4" t-shirt. This prompted another conversation. 

While I make arrangements at Honda, Robert and Trevor got the couch back in the U-Haul and headed to Salvation Army to donate his perfect couch.   The donation location had closed, but the manager told Robert he wouldn't see anything, so they unloaded the couch and left it.

Thank You, Jesus, for showing Yourself when we needed You. Not the best of days, but really, all is WELL.

I picked up my guys at the U-Haul store in my loaner car--a brand new Accord with less than 200 miles and all the bells and whistles. We found comfort in a yummy pho restaurant before heading home.

Trevor's Big Move Out--Part One

 Trevor's focused his job search on the Fairfax, Richmond, Virginia Beach, and Roanoke areas. He has had a surprising number of good prospects, been a top candidate several times, and been disappointed a time or two when an offer didn't pan out. 

But in October, he was hired for a Technical Writer/Editor position for Leidos up in Manassas. With all of the strangeness of the pandemic, he was interviewed over the phone twice, yet never even on video, and was offered the job! So a super exciting time for us, with a short turnaround of just over two weeks to get set to begin the new job.

He'd already been studying apartments online, and he and I went up on a Monday. Before his leasing office appointments, we stopped to get a good look at the Manassas H-Mart and grabbed lunch to eat on the go later in the afternoon. The first apartment he looked at was PERFECT! We toured a similar apartment, since "his" wasn't available to view, and once he signed all of the papers, we parked in front of his new building to eat our lunch. When we saw the maintenance guy leaving the apartment, Trevor asked if we could get a look inside. The guy was SOOO nice and welcomed us in! It was gorgeous, second floor, lots of windows, light, and trees!

Balcony looks over a wooded area.

His balcony is the third from the left.

 

A super sucessful day, an encouraging start to his new life, with a stop at Kung Fu Tea for a perfect ending.

 

 

 

Quote for Posterity

Text from Trevor tonight, after I forwarded him a Grandma Linn boating update:

Grandma saying wtf is somehow more innocent sounding that the infamously cutified "fuckles"

Best.family.ever!

A Couple of Birthday Weekends

Robert and I went to Richmond on Saturday and visited Holly.

 

My birthday was on a Monday, so I took the day off work.

 

 Teddy and Moe relaxing

Trevor was so sweet, checking to make sure he kept me as busy as I wanted to be, playing Yahtzee and Mario Cart with me, watching tv, etc. Robert, Trevor, and I went miniature golfing, and it was a travesty that they both beat me (ha!). Sweet Trevor told me that he considered throwing the game so that I would at least place second. I didn't need a pity win (at least I say that now).

 

We went to the fancy ice cream store down in Roanoke, got double scoops, and sat on the covered patio overlooking the river. 

 

 

For dinner, we had the always-amazing Sam's Club steaks and baked potatoes, and I completed a killer puzzle that Trevor had bought me over Fourth of July. It was the longest I've ever worked on a puzzle, but I knew if I broke it down right, I'd be able to do it. Victory!  

 

 

Trevor's birthday was the following Sunday. I celebrated the slightly cooling weather by finally walking the dog when everyone else was asleep. It's been months since we've had her out, it's been really hot, including a record-breaking July with all 31 days 90 degrees or warmer.

 

We went to Mellow Mushroom. It's only the second time we've eaten out since restaurants opened back up a few months ago (because the state still requires masking while walking to/from a table, and they are open only to partial capacity). (And for the record, I did not wear a mask.) It's not a surprise that the first restaurant we went to was also Mellow Mushroom, back on the first weekend restaurants were opened! 

Trevor has been so nice and willing to take pictures whenever I ask. We have dozens where I have an awful face and he looks great. No exceptions today!

 

 

We also celebrated with eclair cake at home and presents.

 

And sweet Teddy, who adores Trevor and happily snoozes on him when Teddy isn't chasing Moe or playing with his toys.

We've been waiting for good weather, not burning hot, not after tons of rain, and a day without thunderstorms threatening. On Tuesday, Trevor and I finally went tubing on the James River. So relaxing, as always, and no crowds.

We came home to change before heading off to Barnes & Noble; a great afternoon.

An Almost Normal Weekend

I left work a bit early Friday; Robert and I grocery shopped on Saturday morning. We went back out later to get alcohol, gas, and make a Goodwill dropoff.

Jim and Peg came for dinner. (Peggy's quote: "It's so nice to be able to give someone a hug!") After the last giant dinner we had, someone mentioned that all we needed were appetizers--so we made a complete dinner out of just appetizers: Very Veggy Guacamole (such an awul name!), tortilla roll up, Jalapeno Popper Dip, and little ham and cheese Hawaiian sandwiches. And margaritas and beer. It was perfect, small group with just the four of us, and after eating, we sat on the deck until well after dark.

Lounging on the couch this morning, I heard a noise and felt a rumble. I looked at Kota, thinking maybe she'd bumped against the wall while laying down, but she was already just laying there. A few minutes later, I began seeing FB posts that we'd had an earthquake, a 5.1 centered 90 miles away in Sparta, NC. Robert had felt it too, while he was still in bed, going back and forth. This is the second one we've felt here.

Robert and I watched church from the couch.

I worked quite a bit on my playing cards puzzle, definitely a challenging one.

Trevor and I found old Survivor seasons that he'd missed through Amazon Prime, so we've been watching through those.

He and I played Yahtzee. Years ago, Holly memorialized the lowest score ever by writing on the box lid. Each game Trevor and I play, we know our score isn't *that* bad when we beat that low score. Until today, when I scored even less. Worth noting here!

A mostly slow weekend, but for once, I didn't mind. It seemed pretty normal, in a halfway decent kind of way.

I probably should have noted that this is the 13th anniversary of our move from Colorado to Virginia. We moved this week. Crazy how time flies; I seem to say that all the time.

COVID Craziness

In the middle of the craziness of COVID, I came across this photo in a news story. I was shocked--how did they get Holly's photo? Did she know it was taken? Where was she?

But this IS NOT HOLLY!

 

In fact, she was offended that I could have thought so. The glasses, the hair pulled up, the eyes, the coloring . . . it was eerie how much this woman is her twin!

Just a strange photo that I wanted to memorialize for some reason.

Teddy joins the crew

Moe is two, and Robert and Trevor (and me too!) decided it was time to add another kitty to our mix. Robert searched local shelter websites and found this little guy out in Floyd County. He'd been raised by hand, bottle fed, and his two siblings had already been adopted. Robert and Trevor got him on Monday.

He loves hands, being held, and people. Trevor's been taking care of him 20-22 hours a day (and losing a lot of sleep!). After several days of discussing names, Teddy/Theodore came out the winner.

Teddy loves Moe--and Moe actually enjoys playing with Teddy! They like the tunnel, pawing each other with Teddy under the couch, and wrestling. Kota likes him, but I'm a little more wary with her. She's sweet and curious with him though, just like she was with Moe.

 

He's a sweetie, and we feel so blessed to have this guy! 

Testing!

Testing a Blogger app on my phone . . .

A Very Good Weekend, which included:

Going through some basement things and taking a large carload donation to Goodwill. It finally looks like a basement!

Plenty of deck time.

Chile rellanos for dinner.

Church on the couch. 

Roaring Run with Trevor.

Pizza and beer dinner on the deck.

Cashew Chicken

A blend of recipes! Prepare everything ahead of time, because it will go very quickly once you begin.

3/4 c. cashews
1-1/2 c. water
3 T. cornstarch
1/2 c. to 3/4 c. hoisin sauce
6 T. soy sauce
1 t. ground ginger
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in 1" pieces
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
4 - 6 green onions, sliced
1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 t. sesame oil

Preheat oven to 350. Place cashews on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast in oven until fragrant, about 6 mins. Set aside; they will crisp as they cool.

Meanwhile, prepare sauce. In a small bowl, whisk water, cornstarch, hoisin, soy sauce, and ginger. Set aside.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 T. oil in large skillet over very high heat until hot. Add half of chicken to pan and stir fry until lightly browned, about three minutes. (Don't have to cook all the way through yet.) Transfer to bowl. Add second half of chicken, and as it cooks, add garlic and scallions, again until chicken is lightly browned. Be careful to not burn garlic.

Return first batch of chicken to pan. Turn heat down to medium, and add rice vinegar. Cook until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add sauce mixture to chicken, cook and stir occasionally until chicken cooked through and sauce is thick, about 2 minutes. Add cashews, remove from heat, and add sesame oil.

Serve over rice. Makes 5-6 servings.

Grandma Jean's Carmel Rolls

Our longtime holiday favorite!

18 frozen Rhodes dinner rolls
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1/2 package regular butterscotch pudding ("regular" meaning not instant)
1/4 c. sugar
1-1/2 t. cinnamon
6 T. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar

Spray a Bundt or tube pan with cooking spray. Scatter rolls evenly in pan. Mix nuts, pudding mix, sugar, cinnamon and sprinkle over rolls. Melt butter with brown sugar in microwave and drizzle over rolls.

Cover loosely with foil and let stand overnight. Bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes, let cool for a few minutes, and turn over onto serving plate.

Visit in Richmond

I left Thursday after work and drove to Holly's. We dropped her car off at the dealer and then hit Wegman's to find dinner to take home: Soup and chicken pot pie! It was a little late by then, so we slipped into our pjs, turned on HGTV, and enjoyed loving on her two new kitties, Ghost and Mousie.

I dropped her off at work on Friday, and made my way to Trevor's. His kitchen--which is shared by two other guys--always looks like this.

Quite the opposite of the girls who lived in this apartment last year--it took a team of cleaning people four hours to make it livable for Trev, Eric, and Jackson. It had been completely trashed.

We've long wanted to visit Maymont, and the weather was perfect! It wasn't my plan to tour the whole place, but we did! We started with the herb garden, the Italian garden, the waterfall,

the Japanese garden,

meandering over to the bears and eagles,

 up around the farm, past the nature center, eventually finding our way to the mansion, where we toured the basement, which were the original servant living quarters.

It was 100 acres of fascinating, relaxing to just walk the grounds and visit, before going to Kokonut Grill for lunch (delicious!). Trevor's tracker counted 5 miles of walking for the day. We ended up hanging out at his place for the last hour before I picked up Holly from work. We picked up her car, and I was home just as it was getting dark on Friday.

A wonderful way to begin the weekend, and it was a special treat to have a short work week, spend Thursday night with Holly, Friday with Trevor, and the weekend with Robert!