I'm headed to Lidl shortly. Anyone one wants eggs if they have them?

Apple butter is done!

I used 4 different kind of apples with varying degrees of firmness and sugar content. (Cosmic Crisp. Envy, Gala, Honey Crisp)

I started Tuesday afternoon by chunking up the apples, removing the cores, and threw them in the crockpot on low. I turned the crock down to 'keep warm' for the night'.

Yesterday, I used my immersion blender to puree the apples and put them back on on low to thicken.

Last night, before going to bed, I added some cinnamon, ground cloves and a touch of salt, mixed it all in and turned off the crock.

This morning, it's nice and thick with a definite apple taste.

Did you notice? I didn't use any sugar. The butter has just the right amount of sweet without being super sweet like commercial brands.

RickM said: I'm headed to Lidl shortly. Anyone one wants eggs if they have them?

No thanks.

Cute chickens, JB.

YUM on the homemade apple butter. Added bonus, I bet your house smells amazing.

Alrighty then. I've got fresh blueberries going in the small crockpot and the leek & potato soup is on in the medium crockpot. Both are on low for the night. I'll throw some country ham pieces into the soup in the morning.

Eggs are boiled for egg salad. I may actually have breakfast at home tomorrow. Cook up some bacon with eggs and maybe some hashbrowns. I might even break out the toaster and spread it with the apple butter.

Everything sounds delicious, Rick.

What are you cooking with the blueberries?

Easy dinner tonight with frozen cheese ravioli and sauce from a jar (spicy Arrabiata sauce from Trader Joe's). Joyanna decided she wanted her raviolis fried, so we tossed them with a little butter and olive oil (while still hot enough to melt the butter) and popped them into the air fryer for 8 minutes. They have a great texture when made that way, chewy and a bit crisp where the pasta has browned.

Blueberry jam.

I went to Uncle Julio's for lunch the other day. Everything in the universe seemed to line up in an instant, and I ordered a beer (Dos Equis Amber). I normally don't drink, especially when I'm alone, so that made it an unusual event. And I really don't like beer. But, it got more weird. I had 2 ! Larry would be proud.

This morning, I went to Shopper's to do a bit of grocery shopping. Food wise, I picked up some seeded rye and some pumpernickel, both of which are getting really hard to find. Fear not, the trip was not wasted by only getting 2 half loaves of bread and some sugar free ginger ale.

When all was said and done, I loaded up the car with the bread and ginger ale, along with a dozen donuts, mostly filled, and a couple of cronuts (donuts made with puff pastry).

A n d . . . .

2 12-packs of Dos Equis, 2 6-packs of Killians Red and 6 bottles of Riesling.

Who knows, maybe I'm finally going to reallly get into the retirement thing. Just in time to have to go back to work.

I'm heading downstairs now to make Italian Drunkin Noodles. It has hot italian sausage, pepper strips, onion, white wine, garlic, tomato based sauce with seasonings - served over those wide paparadelle noodles. It is a recipe I've made multiple times and it is always good.

RickM said: …and a couple of cronuts (donuts made with puff pastry)…

A n d . . . .

2 12-packs of Dos Equis, 2 6-packs of Killians Red and 6 bottles of Riesling.

I applaud your diving in to the beer pool, seemingly at the deep end.
Cronuts are not doughnuts (or donuts, even, sorry - I don't know why I cannot abide that accepted spelling) made with puff pastry. I believe the idea came from using the laminated but leavened croissant dough, thus the use of Cr(oissant) +(d)oughnut moniker. Whereas puff pastry, though still a laminated dough, is not leavened.
Just weighing in from the league for purity in pâtissèrie. Which, obviously, would never countenance such a gastronomic aberration.
Having said that, I think cro(ugh)nuts have been a sensation in Paris, so what do I know?

I threw together a soup with a can of white beans, some macaroni, kale, carrots, onion, garlic, couple TB of ledtover red pasta sauce. Better than bouillion. 5 oz can of ham. Surprisingly good.

Tasty green salad with 3 ounces of deli turkey and balsamic dressing

Good for you!

Beef stew here tonight. Yum!

How to spend 45 minutes getting food at the convenience store right on your way home:

Went to the gym (yay me) and WAWA is right on the way home. SO I go in and order a sub. Then realized I don't have my credit card/ID holder that I thought I stuck in my coat pocket to go the gym, very close to home. Ugh. Checked the car briefly. Tried to quick set up Google Wallet but didn't know the security code. Go home. ID is NOT in my purse where I keep it. Must have taken it to the car. So, lost at the gym?? UGH! Back to car. Check again under passenger seat. TADAH!! yay. My ID holder. GO back to Wawa. Go in store. Realize that I have switched and my ID holder now has my id and medical, no credit cards. AGGHH. What a farce. Home again for credit cards or cash. Back to Wawa. FInally! Pay for sub. Then go to deli counter to claim it where they had set it aside. Cannot find it. Quickly make me another. SHEEEEESSHHHH!!! And you can bet I will stash some money in the car too. And get Google wallet set up.
And it's not a bad sub for $5.99.

glad that was so convenient!

I think we all have days like that.

The best part is when you actually have a sit down meal and then find you have no money. Fortunately, the couple of times I've done that it was places where they knew me and just told me to bring it in as soon as I could.

I did stop at Arby's on my way out. I tried to order the potato cakes, and the lady said they don't have them yet. I told that I received 2 E-Mails today saying they were back. I think she knew I was disappointed and she called the manager over. I showed him the E-Mail. He said "Yeah, we have 'em. How many would you like?"

It's like SWEEEEET!

Wile they were cooking, I told that I really missed their original fries from back in the 70s. I said that they were made from mashed potatoes and squeezed right into the hot oil and came out with all of the crunchy, scraggly edges. He vaguely remembered them. He had just started with Arby's and they were phasing them out at that time.

I told him that I make a monthly Arby's run from down in Gaithersburg and was looking forward to those potato cakes! As I was leaving, potato cakes in hand, he said "See you next month!"