Chicken Salad Sandwich

Post New Year's Day breakfast:
chicken salad sandwich
mad with coleslaw dressing
and sweet dill picks,
while yesterday's left over turkey
is cooking in the the soup pot.

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My Favorite Black Friday Activity

Istiqlal (Independence), 6 Qawl (Speech), 171 BE - Friday, November 28, 2014 about 9:55 am Pacific Standard Time

My favorite Black Friday activity is to stay home and eat Thanksgiving leftover. I am blessed today to have leftovers because I ate Thanksgiving dinner at a neighbor's home. I brought a plate home with me yesterday, so I could have leftovers today.

On Black Friday
pumpkin pie makes a good breakfast,
with a cup of hot coffee.

I will warm the turkey and dressing over for lunch with the rest of the leftovers. I still have a piece of apple pie, so I may eat it either for supper or breakfast on Saturday morning. I would rather eat leftovers on Black Friday then go shopping. In fact, I am not leaving the house to go to the mall or the grocery store today because I do not like to shop on Black Friday.

On Black Friday
the malls are crowded
with Christmas shoppers
and the city streets are jammed
with drivers going to and from various stores.

Foodie Friday: Whatever You Call It Soup

Istiqlal (Independence), 4 Qudrat (Power), 171 BE - Friday, November 7, 2014 about 12:36 pm Pacific Standard Time

I made
Whatever You Call It soup today
I put in all the leftovers
instead of throwing them away.

I put
all the leftovers
in the electric frying pan,
let them simmer,
and then added
a dash or two of hot pepper sauce.

I will eat the soup this weekend
so that on Monday
I can start from scratch
cooking new leftovers
for another batch.

Foodie Friday: Leftover Beef Stew

Istiqlál (Independence), 19 Jamál (Beauty), 171 BE - Friday, May 16, 2014 about 11:38 am Pacific Daylight Time

“The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.”

Calvin Trillin 

 I am eating leftover beef stew this weekend. After considering all my options, which was the vegetable I purchased at the Farmer's Market on Wednesday and the canned good in the cabinet, I decided that before going to the grocery store I needed to see what was in the freezer. I found the beef stew I made in April (I think that is when I made it). I had to get the beef stew out of the freezer because I needed the container to store cheese. I think I need to get more storage containers.

When I made the stew I used canned carrots and green beans for the vegetables. However, I did not use stew meat for the beef; I think I used either round steak or flat stake. Since I did not write the recipe down I do not know which one I used. I have to go to Smith's Food & Drug store on Saturday to pick up a prescription, so I will purchase  a package of chicken (which I need to go with  the vegetables) and maybe a box of frozen fish sticks. I do not need any canned good because I have everything in the cabinet I need.

I know I will not get any beef because I have a package of some type of steak in the freezer when I want to make another batch of beef stew. I think that may be all the beef I purchase because I am considering eating only chicken for my meals because I have to cut down on the beef and there is no use having it in the freezer when I do not know when I will use it.

I ate the last of the leftovers for breakfast

Jalál (Glory), 17 Masá’il (Questions), 170 BE - Saturday, December 28, 2013 about 10:35 AM Pacific Standard Time

I ate the last of the leftovers for breakfast, so I'm going to have to fix something else this afternoon. I'm thinking perhaps a  grilled cheese sandwich with a salad. I purchased stuff for a salad on Thursday, so all I have to do is make it. I'll do that as soon as the dishes by the sink have drained.

I washed my dishes the old fashion way, but I don't dry  them with a towel. I let them drain by the sink and then put them away. It works just as good and since I don't have any dishtowels it's the best way for me to do it. I'll have to purchase some dishtowels in 2014, that way I can dry the dishes and put them away immediately.

Hot soapy water
warms my arthritic fingers
drives away the pain.

I still have a lot of work to do this morning, both online and in the house. Now that  the dishes are done I can focus on something else. I know I have to check Mom's room to see if everything is out of there. Once I do that then I can unplug the light and carry it into the dining room where I'm putting everything I want to take with me. I also need to check the other two bedroom to make sure I don't have anything in their I want to keep.

A New Year coming
a new residence and life
in 2014.

I'm looking forward to the New Year and living some place where I can keep warm without an outrageous power bill. I will be happy if that bill is less then $200.00; I'd like a place where the power and water are paid, but I'll accept a place that has a lower power bill even if I'm still struggling to pay it. I just have to place my faith in God, pray, and keep on keeping on.

Powdered Milk and Warmed over Coffee in Las Vegas

Istiqlál (Independence), 16 ‘Izzat (Might), 167 BE – Friday, September 23, 2011 about 7:20 AM Pacific Time

Powdered (dry) milk does not taste like the regular milk any more then warming leftover coffee taste like fresh brewed; however, I am getting used to the taste of both. Fortunately, with coffee I can make another carafe fresh coffee when I have drank all the leftover.

It is a little more difficult with the dry milk. I have to mix another pitcher of dry milk today. I can make it taste better by ignoring the directions of the package and mixing it a little stronger. Alternatively, I can follow the directions and pour in a can of condensed milk. Condensed milk tastes more like the milk from the plastic jugs or cardboard containers. Adding chocolate syrup powder also helps the taste, unfortunately I do not have any type of chocolate mix.

Mom does not mind the taste of the powered milk. When it come the milk, the only complaint Mom has is that it is cold. Perhaps I should start warming her milk up in the microwave before I give it to her. I will have to practice warming it in the microwave so that I do not burn the milk.

Eventually I will get used to the taste of the milk. It has taken me longer then I thought, but I just have to be persistent. I will get some chocolate mix next time I go to the store for food and household items. Right now, I am closing this entry so that I can heat up another cup of leftover coffee in the microwave.

: Midweek reflections on the last day of Kamal

‘Idál (Justice), 19 Kamál (Perfection), 166 BE – Wednesday, August 19, 2009 about 9:43 AM Pacific Time

Monday I went to United Blood Service and gave blood. Tuesday I did one load of cloths and cleaned out the refrigerator. I've written over 100 poem in Kamal and submitted 27 items.

Tonight I'm planning on going to the Feast of Asma (Names). Tomorrow is Thankful Thursday, I had planned to go pick up some food, but I think I'll hold off on that until Friday. I fixed beans yesterday and I have leftover beans in the fridge, so I want to eat them up before I get any more food. My fridge is too small to keep a lot of items in. If the leftovers get pushed to the back of a shelf they are forgotten until the fridge is cleaned out again about nineteen days from now.

I think I'm going to have to put the leftovers on the top shelf. Mom usually puts away the leftovers and she can't reach the top shelf, but using any other shelf hides the leftovers behind something.

A Cloudy Autumn Morning

Jalál (Glory), 3 Ilm (Knowledge), 165 B.E. – Saturday, October 18, 2008 about 10:05 AM Pacific Time

It's a cloudy Autumn morning in Las Vegas. The sky is a patchwork of ash gray-white clouds and blue. It almost reminds me of Oklahoma. I haven't been outside yet, so I don't know what the temperature is or what the air feels like out there. Inside it's chilly and we're having soup again today.

My grandmother always made soup on chilly and cloudy Autumn days. She made soup from scratch. I make soup by opening cans and using soup mixes. I do mix different types of soup together, so I guess that is sort of making it from scratch. It's creative anyway. I make what I call Hobo Soup, which is mixing different cans or leftovers together.

Today we're having the soup that was leftover from yesterday. After the soup is hot, I'm going to open other cans of soup or veggies. Sometimes I make Hobo Stew, which is similar to Hobo Soup except it has more meat in it then veggies. Today I think I'll check in the freezer and see what type of meat we have frozen. I'll take it down and let it defrost in the fridge tonight, then tomorrow make Hobo Stew.

I don't remember my grandmother making Hobo Soup or Stew, she did put leftovers in her soup sometimes. However, she didn't have a specific name for it and she didn't use leftovers in soup very often.

I'm fixing Leftovers

Jalal (Glory), 17 Mulk (Dominion), 164 B.E. - Saturday, February 23, 2008 about 11:46 AM PST

I'm fixing leftovers today in the slow cooker. I don't have a Microwave any more it died, so the only way to cook anything is in the slow cooker, the toaster oven or the toaster. The leftovers I have aren't the type I can fix a toaster oven or a toaster, so the slow cooker is my only option.

I'm going to have to start pricing Microwaves next week. I think the first place I will look is super pawn. I don't know if the have this type of thing in there or not, but I can go in and see. Besides I want to see what the have in the digital camera line as well.

I may have to go to Walmart or K-mart for a Microwave. Having a new Microwave would be nice. The last two I've had in the house were used when I got them, so a new on would be nice. I think the first place I'll look is online see what type of options I can get and the prices. I don't want to go looking for something like that without knowing what I want and what I can get within my price range.

If I don't get a Microwave soon, I'm going to have to learn how to baking a cake in a slow cooker and I don't think that's going to work out too well. I much prefer baking in a Microwave. I think I'm going to have to wait until close to the end of March to get it though. So far this year I've had to get new tires (January) and have the elm tree removed (February). I looking forward to the next ten months of 2008, I can't wait to see what else comes up.

On the bright side I now have three computer mice. I sent for a three button mouse with some gift points I had and received three mice through the mail. One was the mouse I sent for and the other two were smaller. Last year I sent for a radio alarm clock and received two. I have some other gift points to use, so I am looking forward to see what I get through the mail when I use those.

Ice Water on a Cold Day

16 Qawl 164 B.E. - Friday, December 7, 2007 about 6:56 PM PST

I like my water cold, even on a cold day I like cold water. If it's not cold I put ice cubes in it. It doesn't matter that cold water makes me shiver, I still want my water cold. I like to drink it either cold from the refrigerator or I want ice cubes in it.

Today the electricity went off. The wind kick the power all over the neighborhood. Now you would think that I'd be worried about the meat in the freezer or the left overs in fridge itself. Not me, I worried that the ice cubes would melt. Thinking about it, it sounds silly, but that's what I worried about. I didn't open the fridge doors because I didn't want anything to defrost or spoil.

The power didn't stay off very long. Nothing in the fridge or the freezer spoiled or defrosted. Tomorrow I think I'll make Hobo Stew or Soup with the leftover in the fridge. Then I'll check the leftover in the freezer to see how they are. The should be alright, but I'm going to have to use them up before Christmas or New Year's.

The leftovers in the freezer haven't been there very long, but I don't want them going into the New Year. My grandmother always made sure she fixed all her leftovers before New Year's Day. If we had turkey or ham leftover from Thanksgiving or Christmas, she always fixed it before New Year's Day. Then on New Year's day we'd have black eyed peas with either turkey or ham.

I think I picked up the habit of drinking ice water on a cold day from my grandmother. When we had water with our meals, we had ice water whether it was winter or summer. She always put a few ice cubes in glasses. Of course she always got her drinking water from the kitchen faucet, so perhaps the ice made the water taste better.

Another thing my grandmother always had at meal time was a prayer or blessing. She called it saying grace (that sounds like a good title for a poem). My grandfather always said the blessing when he eat with us, if he was at work when we eat then grandma said grace.