• 1 cans (6 ounces) light water-packed chicken, drained and flaked
• 1 large red apple, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup dates
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/8 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/8 cup Dukes mayonnaise
• 1/8 cup sour cream
• 2 lettuce leaves

Originally I was going to make a Waldorf Tuna Salad. I like a good tuna salad, but at some point, I said to myself, “Maybe I won’t like tuna with a Waldorf Salad, chicken would probably be a good substitute.” I do like a Waldorf Salad. I use dried cranberries and coconut.

READ makes a 3 Bean Salad also.

I was planning to make a multi-bean salad including green, kidney, and cannellini beans but I know from past experience that 3-15 oz. cans of beans makes far too much bean salad for me to eat, even refrigerating or freezing it, so I was going to use half a can of green beans, and use the rest of the green beans with some white potatoes & seasoning meat for another side dish. I took out a can of green beans and a can of pinto beans, and then I saw the can of READ 4 Bean Salad.

In the past, I’ve also used wax & pinto beans, and even added assorted other sweet pickled items, like peppers and curried cauliflower. Fresh Market has a delicious curried cauliflower on their olive bar. I see on the can that this salad also includes turmeric. I just opened the can and the liquid is a sweet vinegar. I like it! So no need to make my own bean salad.

NOTE [ 11/12/23 ]: I ate some of the 4 Bean Salad. It was okay, but I found that I had no desire for a second helping in the near future. The problem is that I can make a multi-bean salad that is delicious, but opening a can each of the different beans I might use, means that I end up with way too much homemade bean salad. I would use green, yellow wax, pinto, and kidney beans. I’ve also put in sweet pickles, sweet onion & some of the roquito (little red pearl shaped) peppers. I think it was an episode of Guy Fieri, at home in which he made suggestions of other items to add to his bean salad. I had already tried some of these extra items. I think it was Ryan’s Buffet that had a multi-bean salad that I liked.

Ryans was over about where the current Cracker Barrell Restaurant is located, off of Skibo Road and next to the Walmart. There had been another Ryan’s Restaurant across town, next to where All American & Raeford Roads cross.

Ryans had a good buffet, although I recall chipping a tooth filling one lunch. I think I was trying to eat a pork cracklin (the hard fried skin). But, my dentist, Dr. Lewis was good about getting me in, maybe the next day, and re-filling the missing filling.

At some point, I had not been visiting Ryans every week. Seems I might have been out of town one week on a business conference, and had missed a couple of other weeks going elsewhere for lunch. So, I decide to go to Ryans for lunch that day. I turn in to the Ryan’s parking lot and then I notice there is only one car in the whole lot, and it is parked oddly, up close to the building, not in a parking space and running along the side of the building. I get out of my car and walk up to the front door. There was a sheet of paper pasted on the glass door and it said something about a group that was scheduled to meet at Ryans. They would need to go elsewhere because Ryans was now closed. Closed for good!

I talked to one of the waitresses I knew sometime later. She said that management had said nothing to the waitresses or staff, and just closed the doors one day. I later found an article online that said many Ryans had closed, but that not all had gone out of business. I’m thinking it was one of those towns over near Charlotte that still had a Ryans in business.

*I just found the Facebook site for the Fayetteville, NC Ryans from 2012. A post on the site says, “Located 1470 skibo rd Between Logan’s and Sam’s club.” Looks like the chain closed several locations in January 2012, and a later note says the remaining locations closed due to COVID.

25 grams of cashews are about 13 cashews. This is about 160 calories.

NOTE [ 11/21/23 ]: I am hijacking this posting just because I can, and I didn’t want to start a new posting.

It may have been while I was still living over in Queen Ann Apartments that I last made a Broccoli, Raisin & Bacon Salad. At least that is the mental image I have, and I haven’t thought of the dining table in that apartment, perhaps ever since I left over 11 years ago. It was about this time that I also made a Bill’s 50 Salad that included kiwi fruit and black olives. Seems like the black seeds in the green kiwi fruit, were mimicked by the black olives, but I don’t recall the other items in this concoction.

However, the Broccoli, Raisin & Bacon Salad I fixed today was delicious and I added a bunch of stuff some suggested elsewhere, but probably not all of it together.

I added kiwi fruit, dried coconut flakes, dried cranberries, crumbled walnuts, with mayo, red wine vinegar, Splenda, and Agave Nectar. Don’t recall if I also added some diced celery, maybe not. I had bought a 6 pack of little boxes of raisins from Walmart earlier this week.

I fixed a regular salad and added some of my homemade Ranch dressing, but didn’t really like it. Earlier in the week I’ve enjoyed a homemade Greek salad made with my homemade Italian dressing. I guess it’s Italian. If not here are the simple ingredients: olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, Italian dried spices, and S&P. The actual salad ingredients include: salad greens, Kalamata olives (pitted), sweet onion, tomatoes diced and Feta cheese crumbles. I guess the term would be some of these flavors provide an “acrid” tone to this salad. *I order a Greek salad at Pharaoh’s Legacy when I order their Lamb Gyro. Those same acrid flavors, of the unsweetened vinegar, make the heavy lamb chunks pop.

• Round Bone Lamb Chop
  • Steamed Cabbage
  • Corn on the Cob
  • Salad w/ Homemade Ranch Dressing
  • Slice of Tuscan Boule Loaf or White Mountain Bread
• Round Bone Lamb Chop
  • Steamed Cabbage (flavor w/ margarine | bacon fat | toasted sesame oil)
  • Stewed Tomatoes
  • Polenta (waffle cakes)
• Zucchini/Shrimp/Beef Polska Kielbasa/Onion/Pasta Shells/Tomato
  • This dish includes red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, S&P and mildly hot peppers (if I have them).
• Greek Salad
  • Romaine lettuce, Pepperocini peppers, tomatoes, sweet onion, Kalamata olives, Feta cheese
  • Dressing: olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, sweetener, S&P
  • Savory Sesame Rice Thin Crackers (6)

Entrees

• Seafood Chowder
• Vegetable Beef Soup
• Pork Chop
• Roasted Chicken (Publix)

Salads

Greek Salad

• Romaine lettuce, Pepperocini peppers, tomatoes, sweet onion, Kalamata olives, Feta cheese
• Dressing: olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, sweetener, S&P
• Savory Sesame Rice Thin Crackers (6)

Soups

• Chicken, avocado, Chipotle pepper, chicken broth, cilantro, S&P

Sides That Work

Chicken Salad w/ Dried Cranberries

• Shredded chicken
• Diced celery
• Dukes mayo
• Sour cream
• S&P
• Sweet pickle relish
• Sweet onion diced
• Dried cranberries
• Lettuce mix
• Cherry tomatoes cut-up

I’ve already found that I like to wear my gaudy suspenders underneath my shirts. But, a problem with that is what to do when I go to the mall for a massage. I wouldn’t want the suspenders in the way for the masseuse, and I wouldn’t want to take off my shirt to get to my suspenders before the massage. Just thought of the solution (till now, I think ahead and wear a belt instead of my preferred suspenders) this morning. With the colder weather arriving today, I’m now thinking of wearing two shirts (previously I wear a long sleeved shirt & a short sleeved shirt on top of that. Well, I could wear the long sleeved shirt next to my skin, and then my suspenders, and then on top of that put the short sleeved shirt. That way when I get to the masseuse, I take off my upper shirt, and drop my suspenders, but leave the bottom shirt on. *My glasses and keys normally go into a little plastic bin that the masseuse puts beside the chair. I keep my money in my pants, and almost always don’t take my phone/wallet.

Oh, just noted this in the last few days after talking with the Humana representatives regarding a different Medicare plan (which it was decided would be best for me to stick with my current group plan)… there is a deductible for chiropractor visits. I think it said $20 but not sure if this is for a one hour visit or not. *Also there is a $500 a year allowance for hearing aids (which I need). I’m definitely going to explore the chiropractor & hearing aids. I spend $25 for a 20 minutes massage, or $35 for a 30 minutes massage (not including a small tip, which I may not always give any tip). If I could get a 30 minutes or hour massage and only have to pay $20 each time, hey once every week buddy!

I really do like these suspenders instead of trying to deal with a slipping belt. Once you understand them, they are easy to use, and they do their job. Just leave them on your pants if you plan to wear those pants again. Slip them off each shoulder and unfasten your pants. And easy to put the pants back on, and then place the straps back on each shoulder. No need to unfasten the suspenders from the pants.

I weighed 258.2 lbs. this morning, which in looking at my stats for the last quarter or so, is the least I have weighed during that period of time. My BGL was 137, which also was a low number.

[04/27/25]: Funny. This morning when I weighed, I was at 250 lbs. again. I’ve been as low as 243 just a little over a week ago. And, my resting BGL was 139, but I had just drank some hot tea with milk, so that may have been up because of that. I have been recording very low (for me) resting numbers for a couple of weeks (under 120 mostly). [end]

Not sure, but I drank a lot of Pomegranate juice yesterday. I don’t recall exactly where in Sprouts it was located, but it is a Sprouts bottle. One thing I find unusual is that the juice is a dark color. It says that it is made from Pomegranate Concentrate, but I recall what the seeds looked like and each little seed was surrounded by a clear gelatinous flesh. *Unusual, but when I was growing up diagonally across from the old Swansboro High School (1960s & 70s) on the corner of Highway 24 and Queens Creek Roads, we had a Pomegranate tree in the backyard next to a deep drainage ditch. Mom nor I ever figured out how to make this edible. If you could strain the juice and put a little sweetener with it that might be good. But the little seeds were little pulpy things. Not quite as irritating as trying to chew watermelon seeds, but not pleasant for me either.

I checked online regarding Pomegranates and diabetics. Surprisingly, pomegranates & their juice are a positive for diabetics, in moderation.

I started to write this posting because I have been struggling with organizing what I eat, especially over the course of a week. That would be 21 meals, not counting any snacking I would do, of which seven of these would be breakfasts. Lately, I have three favorite breakfasts… fried apples, bacon and either tea or coffee; egg salad, bacon, slice of bread, a few small grape tomatoes, tea or coffee; or a waffle with sugar free syrup & Agave Nectar, some margarine, tea or coffee.

[04/27/25]: I’m planning on fixing a waffle this morning. Haven’t had them in a couple of weeks. I haven’t been paying as close attention to what I am eating, and that is why I have been going up. I basically have 14 meals (lunch & dinner) to coordinate. My breakfasts are locked in as to the basic ingredients. I either have fried apples & bacon, or an egg salad with bacon, or avocado, and some toast, or a waffle and bacon. I do substitute polenta for the bread, and the bread is usually either a sourdough from Publix, or “Knock Your Sprouts Off” from Aldi. If I have half an avocado for breakfast, it will turn brown if I don’t use it for lunch or dinner, latter that same day.

The problem with lunch & dinner is that for instance, I broiled two large thick cut pork chops yesterday. That will be at least 4 meals, if not 5. But, I also have some chicken thighs, which need to be cut up for stir fry and most of it frozen. And then what if I slip in a steak (usually cook enough for two meals) or have a ground sirloin burger meal? [end]

When I have fried apples, I put some Splenda sweetener on the apples and then sift the following spices: cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mace, nutmeg & Pumpkin Spice (which includes several of the previous). I guess I could have mashed sweet potato for breakfast, because most of these spices would go well with this also.

Finally, what I wanted to get to. So, there are 14 meals in a week, 7 lunches and 7 dinners. I’m probably going to eat one dinner from Taco Bell; a Beef Burrito Supreme, a Bean Burrito and a Crunchy Taco. I might leave off either the bean burrito or the taco, and a few times I might not order the burrito supreme. I will sometimes make salsa at home. *I stopped eating a meal at Taco Bell quite a few months ago. I may get one bean burrito, but that’s about it because of the high calorie count.

Last night, I roasted several peppers in the oven and then added them to some diced roasted tomatoes, chipotles, and some sweet onion with sweetener, Agave Nectar and some lime juice. I also chop up some sweet onion separately, and also put some sour cream in one of my “three footed” bowls. My favorite bowls are yellow and lime green, made of plastic. *Having a few of these bowls is a necessity, if for no other reason than using them as salsa bowls (maybe guacamole too).

So, day before yesterday, I made both spaghetti sauce and some vegetable soup. The soup was about 4 helpings and the spaghetti sauce was about 2.5 helpings. I had a bowl of the soup yesterday.

Now, I like to have my Polska Kielbasa, Shrimp & Zucchini dish, but when making it, I end up with two helpings. One to eat immediately, and one to put in the refrigerator. I came up with this meal a few years ago, and I have continued to love the flavors. Not a lot of ingredients (I’ve added some raw peppers, mild & hot, lately.), but consistently satisfying in flavor. *Odd, but I haven’t fixed this meal in quite a while, and I have at least one zucchini and the Kielbasa. I am out of frozen shrimp, but have it on the grocery list, and plan to try the HT frozen shrimp instead of the Publix. HT sells a 12 oz. package compared to the 16 oz. Publix bag, but HT is cheaper per ounce than Publix.

How about a salad with the spaghetti? I could make some Catalina dressing, or use some “store bought” Ranch. In this salad: cauliflower, tomatoes, sweet onion, baby spinach leaves. The homemade Thousand Island dressing is for my Pastrami Rachel sandwiches. These also come with some extra sauerkraut, a spicy dill pickle and maybe even some wavy potato chips. Satisfying, and I now have a process that generates a delicious sandwich, with toasted margarine on the outside and toasted Swiss cheese on the inside, sauerkraut & Thousand Island dressing, but the sandwich doesn’t become messy. *Way different from my first attempt.

Now, I like a Round Bone Lamb Chop (London Broil in the oven.) with maybe some mashed potatoes (add some chopped asparagus to the potatoes), maybe some cabbage slaw, and a few sliced small tomatoes, and a slice of White Mountain Bread. Oh yeah, how soon I forget: corn on the cob, fried okra & onions, or a tomato chutney.

I like a Greek Salad with the lamb chop too. What makes it Greek for me is using a few Kalamata olives, some Romaine lettuce, tomato and sweet onion, and the dressing is basically some mustard (with seeds), red wine vinegar & olive oil. This dressing isn’t sweet.

I haven’t made any carrots with maple syrup & butter (margarine) on the stove top in a while. I just bought a new bottle of Cary’s Sugar Free Syrup. I don’t think I would buy an old bottle. But interestingly to me, you can pour some of the sugar free syrup into the pan, with the carrots, and also add some margarine. Unlike sugar or Karo Syrup, when you heat these they thicken in the pan and sometimes burn black. The sugar free syrup does not thicken. It remains thin and cooks the carrots well. The margarine makes a good sauce with a sheen on the carrots.

Some polenta might be good. I haven’t made that in a while, and it sops up gravy really well.

NOTE [I’ll probably come back to add more to this…]:

A traditional Greek salad consists of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell pepper, red onion, olives, and feta cheese.  Greek salad dressing is a simple mix of olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, and dried oregano.  *I don’t usually add cucumbers, and normally don’t have any green bell peppers, but do have red/orange/yellow bell peppers, but don’t add these either. I do like cucumbers and bell peppers, but just don’t put them in a Greek Salad. I like the cucumbers diced up, with some sweet onion, and maybe diced bell peppers, with a little Red Wine vinegar & sweetener. The colorful bell peppers, which are normally milder & sweeter than the green ones, I like to use in my spaghetti sauce, or my Mexican chicken dish, with tomatoes, onions & the peppers. **One other, more exotic thing, is that I might chop some bell peppers, sweet onion and tomatoes and add Red Wine vinegar to a small Tupperware bowl, and then add a bunch of Turmeric. Let this sit for a while and hopefully the Turmeric will leech into these veggies. The result is a pleasing, acrid taste. You might even add some Kalamata olives to this. And, this would go well with some homemade hummus. ***Hummus is easy to make, and you could have a “veggie” meal including: sliced small tomatoes, sweet bell peppers (various colors), some chopped sweet (Vidalia) onion, sliced carrots (for some reason I don’t like celery stalks with hummus, but I do like celery). Not vegetarian, but I’ve found I really like to open a can of Smoked Oysters and include this with my hummus & veggies. Also, Fresh Market has an olive bar which includes red pearl peppers in vinegar, some curried cauliflower, roasted garlic, those smallish hollowed out peppers in sweet vinegar, etc. I normally don’t do cheese with hummus. Castlevetrano olives or some of the green California olives (which taste like black olives) would also be good. And, although I don’t think I’ve ever done it, maybe some guacamole (mashed avocado) would also add interestingly to this mix.

Why was I thinking of a Greek Salad today? Well I have a couple of helpings left, of spaghetti sauce that I made a couple of days ago, in the refrigerator. A salad would go well with the spaghetti.

But, I also have several helpings of vegetable soup that I made at the same time as the spaghetti sauce, and they need to be eaten also. Okay, unusual, but I might just have soup for breakfast this morning.

The mySugr app stopped being updated with my daily blood testing data a couple of weeks ago. Later I noticed that when I was in my car, the phone wasn’t connecting to the Toyota app. I finally came to the conclusion that some kind of update, to the phone, had broken the Bluetooth connectivity. *That is why I bought the new phone. Got the new phone yesterday afternoon, late. Couldn’t get the Blood Glucose Meter to pair effectively with the app on my new phone. Finally today late, I went into the mySugr app on the phone and found a place for adding a new device. This got connectivity working and the data from the meter got added to my new phone (not sure if the previous data was copied over from the phone or was trasferred from the web). But, all previous data, and the data for the last two weeks in now in the mySugr app on my new phone.

I had bought some ground beef and brought it in with some other groceries. But, instead of putting it in the refrigerator, I left it in a bag at room temperature for several hours. At some point, and this isn’t the first time for various things that need refrigeration, I make a mental note that “I don’t recall putting that item in the fridge.” At which point, I go to the refrigerator, look in, and often see that I’ve not put the item in the cold environment. Now, I haven’t read on how people can “air cure” a steak by leaving it out of refrigeration without it getting moldy, or spoiled.

So, I had some lately refrigerated ground beef that I felt the need to cook. I put some of the ground beef in my large pot, with some chopped onion and bacon fat to start vegetable soup, and the rest I put in a smaller 3 Qt. pot with chopped onion to make spaghetti sauce.

Most of the ingredients that I put in vegetable soup require about “half a can.” I don’t need a whole can of diced, fire roasted tomatoes, or a whole can of green beans, or a whole can of corn. So, I tried the following: The previous batch of soup that I made, I put half a can of several veggies in that soup, and the other half I put in a Tupperware container (all mixed together) and then placed in the freezer. It didn’t make any sense, but I used a black marker and wrote on a sandwich bag the date and that this was Vegetable Soup Starter, and listed the veggies: carrots, corn, green beans, tomatoes, & okra. I put this reminder on top of the veggies, and placed the Tupperware lid on top. Not sure how I could have put the note on the outside of the container, but it did look neat, when I took the lid off. *I did also cut some fresh okra for this soup, and after the soup was almost done, I peeled and diced a potato. I like to add the potato at the end so that they do not get too “mushy.” I probably should also do this with the carrots, but they don’t seem to become as mushy with a longer cooking time. What else: Bay leaf, S&P, sweetener, Agave Nectar, thyme…

I’ve mentioned previously that after years of using the $1 a can spaghetti sauce starter from Del Monte or Hunts, that I tried the Rao’s starter and really liked the difference in flavor. And, I only use half a jar of the Rao’s and add half a can of diced, fire roasted tomatoes. Combining these two ingredients gives the sauce a nice texture. But, I also like to add sweet bell peppers (preferably not green which aren’t as sweet), some fennel seeds, dry basil & oregano, Bay leaves, S&P, red pepper flakes, sweetener and Agave Nectar.

The finished products are about 3 bowls of vegetable soup and 2 or 3 helpings of spaghetti sauce.

I found a set of 4 Stove Drip Pans at WalMart, online, for about $18. The site seemed to say that these were available at my local store location on Ramsey Street. But, when I got there, and went in, this set of drip pans were not on the shelves or on display. There was a 2 set drip pan item, but it cost more than the 4 set I had seen advertised online. *I used the WalMart app to order & pay for a pickup order at the Ramsey Street location for later this afternoon. But, in a short while I checked my email, and saw that my order had already been filled, but a “substitution” made. They had switched my order from 4 pans to 2 pans, and at about a dollar more total. Ordering online appears to usually be cheaper. I had forgotten to specify that I did not want any substitutions, so I cancelled my original order.

I may have been out in my car when I found that the Spring Lake location of WalMart was also supposed to have this 4 pan set of stove drip pans. I ordered online, because it was supposed to be cheaper and I saw that my order should be ready sometime after 2:30 today. I went on to Pate’s and bought a few okra, a couple of smallish zucchini, some raw peanuts and found a package of pork stew meat that had been reduced. I think this was only a couple of bucks, it was cut up like I might want for the jalapeno & pork dish that I’ve been trying to make at home. Haven’t quite found the flavors, but it was very good at the restaurant… until the restaurant went out of business.

I went to Sprouts and bought some Turkish Dried Apricots and a small bag of Pretzel Crackers.

The first time I tried to use the WalMart “pick-up” app, I didn’t see any option to notify them that I was “on my way” or to let them know, “I’m here.” But, this time, and since that previous time, I have re-installed the WalMart app on my phone, so I may have been using an old app that didn’t include those options. This time while checking to see if my order was “ready” I did see the button to let them know, “I’m on my way.” And, once I was there, I saw another button to let them know, “I’m here.” And, with the “I’m here” option there was a place to enter which parking slot I had stopped in (#2 in this case) and what the color of my car was (white).

A young may, polite, came out carrying my order in his hands. He didn’t come around to my window, but I rolled down my front passenger’s side window and he asked my name. I said, “Gibson” and he handed me the drip pans, saying,”Have a blessed day,” and he quickly disappeared back inside the store.

I think you can see from one of the photos above, that they had printed out a sticker to go on my order, “B. Gibson.” Yes, when you have the right version of the app, it does work fine.

Months ago, the large front burner on my stovetop broke. I don’t know if it got too hot, but I know I didn’t smash anything down on it to break it, and it broke in one of the middle turns (this burner had 4 coils, but I see some have 5). Instead of calling maintenance to replace it, I just moved the large back burner coil to the front and then used the back burner slot to rest my unused pots & pans. I’ve noted since moving the back coil up that the large front burner seems to run hot. A 5 or 6 setting boils items, where on other burners it seems to be about an 8 or higher for boiling water.

Well yesterday, I finally broke down and ordered a replacement coil from Amazon.com. The replacement coil is supposed to arrive today by 10 pm. The coil was about $15. I think when I checked a long time ago, I didn’t see that I could order just the one coil, but there was a whole set of 4 (2 large & 2 small) at about $35 for the set. *Apparently these coils come in standard sizes, also differing by number of turns to the coil (mine only had 4 turns, but I see others have 5… and maybe 6 turns), and fitting Kenmore (mine) and other manufacturer’s stoves.

A few days ago, I ordered a new Samsung Galaxy 23+ phone from Consumer Cellular. I also ordered a new OCASE phone case for the new phone from Amazon.com. The new case arrived yesterday. When I opened the package and took out the new case, I immediately noted that it felt much lighter (and this I equated to more “cheaply made”). The OCASE case that I’ve used for my Samsung Galaxy 10+ feels much more like “real” leather, and it has lasted very well. I’m beginning to see wear in the corners & folds finally, but for several years it looked brand new. The 23+ case does not fit the 23 phone, you have to specifically buy the 23+ case for the 23+ phone. *Just checked on Amazon.com and both cases were faux leather.

I actually don’t remember the order of things as they occurred this morning. I went out grocery shopping. But, it seems like I heard a package being dropped at my front door, at some point, and when I looked there was an Amazon package (my replacement stove top burner coil) and on the door a notice from the US Postal Service at a failed attempt to deliver a package (my new Samsung Galaxy S23+ phone). As I read the USPS notice I noted that it said I could pick up my package tomorrow (10/28/23 Saturday).

I opened the Amazon package and took the replacement coil to the kitchen and took the front coil (which I had previously moved from the back) off, and moved it to the back. I then put the new coil in the front and turned the burner knob to “ON”. Sure enough, the new coil started to heat up and I turned it off quickly. This isn’t “rocket science” and only goes to make me question why I hadn’t done this sooner. But, from my original search, I might have overspent and bought a set of 4 replacement coils for $35 from Lowes. *So, now I have 4 working burner coils, and 4 brand new, shiny black drip pans.

The day slipped away and it became a little after 4 pm. I called to Alexa from my perch on my commode and asked how late the Post Office at Tokay was open today. I heard an answer that sounded like 5pm. I got dressed and headed to the Post Office. I know the notice said I could check tomorrow, but I seem to recall having checked a day early for some other item, a couple of years ago and they found the item, and I got it a half day early. That may have been a phone also, now that I think about it.

There was just a few people in line at the Post Office and I quickly made it up to the one postal clerk. He said he would check in the back to see if my package had come back from the delivery postman. It had, and I showed him my license that had both my name and current address on it. I took the package out to my car and opened it. I quickly placed the phone in the new OCASE case and noted that the phone was only about 50 percent charged. The charging cable for the new phone only had USB C Type connectors on both ends. My car has a Toyota charging cable that has a Type C connector on one end and Type A below the dash. So, I plugged my new phone into the Toyota USB cable and it started charging slowly. *But, once I got home, I plugged the new phone into my Chromebook charging cable, and it charged like lightening 100%. Well, maybe 20 minutes or so.

Got to check on putting the old SIM card into the new phone. Not sure if the old phone is working as a phone any longer. The old phone stopped working with Bluetooth to connect to my Blood Glucose Meter, and my car says no phone is connected although it is physically connected. Not sure if there was an upgrade that broke this. But, these things stopping was the impetus for purchasing the new phone.

TOTALLY UNRELATED [ 10/ 28/23 ]: Last year WalMart had bunches of corn on the cob for sale until I think November. This year they cut way back and only have a small cubicle of corn on the cob for sale. But I finally looked at it and decided to buy a couple of ears. Microwaved one tonight and boy, I do love corn on the cob. Also had some okra, and diced that up with a little sliced onion and fried that in a small skillet on the stove top. I had taken a sandwich bag of frozen chicken out to thaw a couple of days ago. Wasn’t sure if it was chicken or pork, because I had bought some thin pork chops a little while ago.

It was chicken and I diced it up, and started frying it with some onion in a pan, with a little bacon grease and some grapeseed oil. I also sliced up several of the colorful peppers that I had bought from the State Farmer’s Market last week. I checked in the fridge and there was a jar of pineapple chunks. I added most of these to the chicken & peppers. S&P and a little Agave Nectar and this chicken concoction was satisfying. The peppers were mildly spicy but not hot. The pineapple was sweet.

Publix didn’t have any White Mountain Bread for sale this afternoon, which is unusual. But, they did have a loaf that had the word “Tuscan” in the title. I bought a loaf. It is darker, but delicious. The chicken, peppers, pineapple, fried okra & onions, the corn on the cob and the bread all worked really well together. You might not think so, but I would have this again… and am not certain that I haven’t fixed something like it before.

I sliced some raw cabbage thinly, and then cut those strips into smaller sections. I diced some sweet onion, and cut up some of the sweet bell pepper (purple) and a yellow/orange pepper (not hot, or not very hot), added some Duke’s Mayo, Splenda sweetener, garlic powder, celery seeds, Indian Long Pepper (ground) S&P, and a few drops of Lime juice and Avocado oil. I would have added some Half-n-Half, but what I had was spoiled. *This made a beautiful slaw and a tasty one.

I had a couple of thin boneless pork chops that I had cooked a couple of days ago. I used some sweet BBQ sauce on the pork chops & diced up some of the little red peppers (look like mall Patty Pan squash, but red) and onion. I ate two of the pork chops and had two left over.

Heated a slice of White Mountain Bread (about 10 seconds to warm & soften it). The pork chops, slaw and bread all worked really well together. The slaw was perfect with the pork chops. Also, I want to remember to try this again next year, if I can get the purple bell peppers (at Farmers Market – Lee’s Produce) and the yellow/orange peppers from the vendor that sells all those colorful peppers, both mild, hot and in between.

[04/27/25]: Funny how things develop. I am now eating either Sourdough bread (from Publix) or “Knock Your Sprouts Off” from Aldi’s. Tonight it was the Sourdough. I had broiled a couple of thick cut pork chops from Lee’s Fresh Market in Benson, North Carolina with some onion, orange bell pepper and jalapeno. And I had the Red Cabbage Slaw below, with the Mung bean sprouts. I also had some steamed cauliflower, savory, with Spicy Chili Crisp and Toasted Sesame Oil. That all works together! [end]

Red Cabbage Slaw

• Red Cabbage (thinly sliced)
• Sweet Onion (finely diced)
• Mung bean sprouts
• Dukes Mayo
• Half-n-Half
• Garlic powder
• Fenugreek powder
• Equal Sweetener
• S&P

*I noted that one item I’ve left out of this recipe is the yellow corn. But I’ll make a link to the other Red Cabbage Slaw, because it looked better, but I recall that it didn’t have the right flavors to satisfy with the seared scallops and green pea mush. The above does satisfy.