3 Days in a Row

 I have not been doing much cooking since mid February when I got sick.  Tonight I hope marks a turn for the better.  Tonight was the third night in a row that I cooked dinner for us.  I know that they have not been first class dinners gourmet meals that take more than 30 minutes to cook. I feel that I have to start with cooking smaller meals. I am still  not eating much. So here is the weekly menu so far.  

Wednesday was an egg salad made with hard boiled duck eggs, white pepper, mayonnaise and celery.  Served over salad. With fresh fruit for dessert. 

Thursday was tuna salad made with white pepper, mayonnaise and celery.  John had his on bread. I had mine on iceberg lettuce.  Served with fresh avocado and vegetables.  With fruit for dessert.  

Tonight I went all out.  Garbanzo bean pasta with turkey meatballs and a sauce made with 1/2 a jar of Yo Mama’s Basil sauce, 2  four ounce cans of mushrooms and one 6 ounce can of sliced olives.  Served with mixed vegetables and fresh fruit for dessert.

As I said nothing fancy, but it was either homemade or semi homemade.  John did have to wake me up from my second nap of the day so that I could cook dinner tonight.

You might have noticed that I specifically called out for white pepper to be used.  White pepper is easier on the body.  It does not cause the tummy upset or reflux that black pepper causes.   It is also somehow easier to swallow.  I have been using it for years and grind it fresh each and every time I use it.  I get my white pepper corns at Penzey’s Spices.  I usually go to the store to get my spices, but have bought them online too at www.penzeys.com.  They also have all kinds of recipes on their website.  

*** Penzey’s Spices did not pay for being listed here.  If you check out my spice rack about 1/2 my spices are from Penzey’s Spices.  This is a brand that I personally love and use all the time.  I purchased all my own spices.  Also I purchased my Yo Mama’s Basil sauce this morning, we also paid for that.  It is my favorite brand of pasta sauce.  

Busy

Today I felt like I did when the kids were little.  I had 2 doctors appointment’s, did 2 errands and was so tired that I skipped the last 2 errands of the day.  I was too tired to cook dinner, so John took us out to Cafe Ole for their wonderful Chicken and rice soup with a salad.  

After dinner we took a walk to LeeLee’s and found some duck eggs. The perfect end to a busy day.  

My Ramblings

 Its Girl Scout Cookie time and I have place my order. Two of my daughters nieces are selling cookies this year and they both got an order.  I kept it equal.  Their mom is an absolute saint for agreeing to keep the cookies that I ordered for her kids.  I think this is a win on so many levels. First I don’t have cookies at my house. Second she has extra snacks for her kids. Third it helps the girls.  Fourth I don’t have cookies in the house.  

I have still not been able to get duck eggs.  I got up early and went to Lee Lee’s. Lee Lee’s is still out.  I wish that I knew who else sells them in Tucson. Its not a COVID19  thing, this was happening long before COVID19.  Specialty foods like duck eggs and goat cheese seem to have a natural cycle. I just have to live with it.  I know they will be back soon.  

Winter has hit in Tucson, not like back east. It is expected to get into the 20’s tonight. No snow or rain in most of Arizona, with the exception of the mountains.  We have left a tap running so we will not need a plumber tomorrow.  I am so glad that I have my new gloves to keep my hands warm tonight.  I am also glad that I have a Bluetooth key board for my iPad.  Now I don’t have to stop typing to warm my fingers up.  The iPad touch screen is not very fond of cold fingers.  I just have to remember to hit the shift key for capital letters. 

Despite a very bad body day I did manage to get a lot of things done around the house.  I did however fall asleep near the end of folding laundry.  I did feel better after my nap. I have one load left to fold.  Not to bad in my humble opinion. Don’t get me wrong I still have more laundry to do but there is no more room on the cloths line. I did sleep through dinner preparation time so we did a freezer dive for dinner.  This leaves the last of the chili for dinner tomorrow.  Yeah, I don’t have to cook dinner tomorrow night.  

Baked Blueberry French Toast

 This is the special NewYears Day breakfast treat that I made for breakfast today.   If you have seen this recipe in a past blog I have changed a few things. There is no added sugar.  My thinking is that there are enough carbs between the bread, blueberries and milk so that no empty sugar calories are needed.  The blueberries provide enough sweetness.  I used duck eggs because of an allergy to chicken eggs, you may use the egg of your own choosing.  I used whole wheat bread, you many use gluten free bread or any other bread of choice. Egg bread is always a good choice.   I used vanilla soy milk, you may use any milk of choice except chocolate milk.  Look I do have to draw the line somewhere.  Plus I am not sure if it will taste good if made with chocolate milk.  I also did not add any additional salt because I feel we get enough sodium in our diets   Also there is sodium in the bread and milk   Trust me you will not miss it   

Pre heat the oven to 350f

Supplies Needed

1 8 x 8 inch baking pan sprayed with a non stick spray

1 2 quart mixing bowl 

1 fork 

8 slices of bread diced

1 cup fresh blueberries rinsed and dried 

1 cup of milk

4 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla 

Preparing 

Place the diced bread and blueberries in the baking pan. Gently toss them together making sure that the blueberries are evenly distributed   

In a 2 quart bowl place the eggs, milk and vanilla.   Mix well making sure that the eggs are well blended. Pour over the bread and blueberries making sure that the bread is evenly coated with the egg mixture. 

Carefully place the baking pan in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes. After 30 use a knife to test for doneness.  If not done just put it back in for a few more minutes. Servers 4 to 8  

For 1/8th of the pan you will count 1 slice of bread, 1/2 egg, 1/8 cup milk and blueberries 

For 1/4th of the pan you will count 2 slices of bread, 1 egg, 1/4 cup milk and blueberries