Good Food, Good Reads

 Every day this week I'd say to myself, 'gotta make a new blog post' and nightime would come and I'd say 

'tomorrow, I'll do it tomorrow'. It took a week but here I am!

I had a great day yesterday, best I've have in a very long time. I was steady, strong, felt fantastic, had energy and I was happy. I just could not have asked for a better day. 

But, the nighttime wasn't so much fun! What the dickens! I just couldn't sleep. Nap coming up this afternoon. I can just feel it coming on.

I've had a problem that I finally found a solution to. I'd order things from the grocery store and then the cans or boxes would sit on the shelf for ages and I wouldn't figure out how to make a meal out of them. So.... drum roll, please.

I made a list of all my canned goods and posted it on the pantry door. Same with my box stuff. I can see at a glance what I have. I sat down with my recipe box and chose recipes to make this next week using up things I already had on the shelf. As I use each item, I mark it off the list. Sort of like taking inventory. When each item is all marked off I know it's time to order more. 

I found a can of tomatoes I had had for awhile. I like tomato pudding but I don't want to eat it very often. And, it had been awhile since I'd had any so I made some. 

Yeah, I know... if you aren't southern you are asking what in the heck is tomato pudding. It sounds gross! 

Back in the early 19th century when women had an abundance of tomatoes they devised a way to put them to use. All it takes is tomatoes (canned ones are used mostly), a little sugar, a tad of butter and you put that over broken pieces of bread and bake. It's sweet, tangy, a little tart and perfect with blackeyed peas, which I also made yesterday. I baked me a russet potato and I had lunch! 

I just finished reading 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' by Van Pelt. Oh my gosh, I loved it! A completely different story line. It was Van Pelt's first novel and I just don't know how in the world she'll ever top that! I thought immediately that it ought to be a movie so I googled it.... there's one already made for Netflix but it hasn't been released yet. I can't wait. Sally Field plays Tova, the lead character. If you get a chance give it a try. I know not everyone has the same reading taste but that's ok. 

I hope you all have a good week. We haven't had a maintence super for a little while and today we have a 'meet and greet' for a new one. His name is Alfonso. They even supplied snacks for the meet and greet. Can't pass that up. 

This is a prayer that I wrote during my cancer treatment back in 2002. 

                    Now I lay me down to sleep                                                                        I pray, dear Lord, My hand to take                                                        And guide me to the break of day                                                           So I can love and live and pray.                                                             And when the sun shall set once more,                                                 the darkness over comes the light,                                                         I pray, dear Lord, you'll take my hand                                                    And guide me with your wonderous  might.

                                        Willie Latane Barton