Dee

The title is misleading.  It really doesn't have much to do with the song.  Irene is the name of the main character telling the story.  

Has anyone read this or heard of Clubmobiles?  There's a book called, Good Night, Irene, about WW2 and young women that worked for the Red Cross.  They drove huge trucks and were in the war-torn areas of Europe serving donuts and coffee to American Soldiers.  They were nicknamed Donut Dollies.  I'd never heard of such a thing but researched it and found it to be true.  It was so interesting and if you do read it be sure to read the acknowledgements at the end.  

Another thing I didn't know was during WW1 they had dogs called comfort dogs that roamed around the warn torn areas looking for soldiers that were dying.  They laid with them giving comfort until they died.  I think they did other things too, but it fascinated me that they laid with soldiers.

I thought of you Becca, with your reading group.  You might like to look at Good Night, Irene as an idea.

Keep reading 

Jeepers, I love Lillian Jackson Braun.  Do you think she describes her own husband when she describes Qwilleran? 

Have you read Rita Mae Brown?  She has 2 cats and a dog that help her.  She has a number of different series but it's the Mrs. Murphy Mystery series that I like.  Like you said, light clean mysteries. 

You also might like Diane Mott Davidson.  She's a caterer and does light mysteries.

Linda Costello is an author we all fight over when they get a new book at the library. LOL The same with Paul Doiron and C. J. Box.  Those 2 are game wardens and I don't think there a lot of sex or swearing in them.  Obviously, we don't literally fight over them but we're always smug when we get them first.

My favorite series?  Why don't you ask a difficult question Becca???    You and I have been involved with books here at Mrs. S. for how many years?  I can't remember.  How long ago did we do our book club?  Yikes, I'm not sure I want to remember. LOL 

Anyway, for light reading I loved the Red River of the North series by Laurine Snelling.  Religious fiction.

Clan of the Cave Bear series and Outlander are right up there too.  Anyone know of more books similar to those???  The first time I read Clan of the Cave Bear was in 1980.  Then I was young and really paid more attention to the love story part than the other.   Reading them twenty-five years later I was more interested in all the other things. Book 2 was so interesting the 2nd time around.  Fire, herbs, Whinney, Baby, etc.  The love story part was rather boring then.  Both series I've read or listened more than twice.  I may just listen to them again.  It seems like there's something "new" each time.

Then there's Harry Potter.  I loved the first 2 or 3 when they were younger, and the stories were fun.  As they aged, they got darker, and I didn't like them as much.

I also like apocalyptic novels such as "One Second After" by William R. Forstchen. 

I think I could go on forever!

I'm no help but hopefully someone will be along shortly that knows something.  I'll be interested in their response too as I've never had any luck with it either.

Oh gosh, Jeepers.  You mentioned things I haven't even thought of yet. They're winter meals and with this heat who can really plan heavy winter food?  Yes, beans and cornbread.  I freeze both.  DH isn't real crazy about cornbread, but I love it and he will eat it if I put butter and jelly on it and put it on his plate.

Tuna casserole, hamburger soup, beef stew, chicken pot pies, chicken noodle soup and chili.  So many things but it will have to wait until cooler weather.  I'll also have to hit Aldi before I begin.

Gosh, I love this ladies.  Keep the ideas coming!

I know just what you mean LIttlesister.  I have Tator Tot casserole, scalloped potatoes and ham, lasagna and chicken casserole all in individual servings in my freezer. For breakfasts I have waffles and breakfast burritos. I love to go places and DH doesn't.  He's content with me running all the time as long as I don't make him go along.  I have all these meals ready for him, so I don't feel so guilty being gone.

AND yes, it sounds like you're getting your life back together.  Welcome back!  

This morning I grated another zucchini and made a batch of zucchini, date, walnut muffins.  Then I had enough zucchini to make a batch of zucchini, craisin, walnut muffins.  DH asked why I keep making zucchini breads of one sort or another.

I didn't tell him but it's one of my prep items.  Does that make sense?  Well, with the world the way it is we have no idea what's coming.  It's a way of storing nutritious food that could keep us going.  Another thing, if someone comes to our door hungry and I feel like I should help them, I could hand them a couple muffins.  

I wrap 2 muffins in Cling wrap and freeze.  Then I mark a gallon bag with what's in it and put them in the freezer.

Not only are they a good prep item they're wonderful in the winter with a meal.  Or for breakfast in the morning with a cup of coffee.  DH and I are empty nesters so making up a batch of muffins each time I want to serve them seems silly.  I would end up having to freeze the leftovers anyway.  Instead, I'll take 2-4 Cling wrapped muffins out an hour before supper and voila.  Cold or re-heated they're delicious.

We had white fleshed and clings when I was growing up.  Mom always canned the clings but never the white fleshed ones. I can't tell you if there was a reason or not.  I never thought of it until you asked.  We ate tons of the white flesh fresh.  Back then, they weren't a very big peach like they are today, but, oh so good!

Happy Birthday!

I have made it for years Littlesister and DH really likes it.  I Google the recipe, mainly just to get quantities, because it's just your regular vinegar-based coleslaw.

Ten more bags, 1 cup each, of freezer slaw to the freezer.  

Gosh, this is cool everyone.  So many ideas for me to try.  Thanks!

Keep reading 

Yes Jeepers, water bath 10 minutes.

Here's a picture of what I ended up with.  If these are good, I found I need to add more veggies and use small cucumbers so I can leave the peeling on.  They look a little too white and sickish but hopefully will taste good.

Four sealed, one didn't.  Not very good with only 5 jars.

I am wondering though, how anyone ever put up enough food to feed a family for the winter.  Of course, there were young ones to help but even so what a tremendous amount of food it would have taken.

Happy belated birthday Littlesister.  It sounds like you had a nice day.  

I found I had a number of veggies ready, cucumbers, carrots, green peppers, onions and snow pea pods.  I thought about making relish, but I don't really need any so started looking around for a new recipe.  

On YouTube I found a video called Pickled Cucumber Salad and it looks so very good.  So, I spent the afternoon peeling, slicing and dicing and have this big bowl, now in the fridge for the next 24 hours.  I'll then make a brine, jar it up and process it for 10 minutes.

Oh, I so hope it's delicious as this fall when veggies are going crazy, I'd like to make more.  I'll give this a taste test in a few weeks and see if it's worth going through all the peeling, slicing and dicing again. 

Tonight though, I'm going to sit here in my recliner and do nothing.  I'm tired!  In case that bowl doesn't look very big, there's 6 lbs. of cucumbers in there along with all the other stuff.

How are your gardens coming?

Wow, that's amazing that it can sit on the counter for a year.  Yes, a great long term item.

I baked 4 loaves of zucchini bread and one pan of zucchini brownies this afternoon.  These will be sliced in serving sizes and wrapped with cling wrap and put in bags.   I already have 2 loaves of bread and one pan of brownies in the freezer.  I'll make 2 zucchini cakes and 2 batches of muffins, all for the freezer, and then be done with zucchini.  This winter on a cold winter night we'll have soup and zucchini bread or muffins.  Need a little dessert?  Pull out a slice of cake or brownie and voila and little dessert to finish off dinner.  Oh, it's so easy and convenient.  Especially on days when I'm way too lazy to cook.

I've never heard of canning hot dogs.  You might check with your extension office to make sure it's ok.  I looked in 2 or 3 of my canning bible books  and couldn't find hot dogs anywhere.

If you do it, let us know what you think of them.

Oh Miki, date muffins sound delicious.  I love dates!

I would be sure to have a look at it before buying it.  We bought a modular home that had been a display model for 2 or 3 years and it has worked out fine.  It was especially nice as it was complete with curtains, appliances, etc.  I'd give it a try if I were you.

I dry mine in the oven simply because of the humidity around here.  Like you Littlesister I've tried hanging small bunches, but it never seemed to work.  The drying in a low oven works perfect.

I just read up on it, Becca.  It will be my next pick on Audible in August.  Sounds a little different and different is so often what I like best.  Thanks!

I'm just finishing book 4 of The Cure chronicles by K.A. Riley.  It's a dystopian, similar to The Hunger Games.  I don't know why I like dystopian novels, but I seem to read a lot of them. 

Keep reading ladies!  

A friend stopped a couple days ago with zucchini.  He'd grown more than he needed.  Isn't that a surprise?  I don't even plant zucchini anymore and just let people swamp me with it. 

Anyway, Jason said, "Here's some zucchini.  I'd like to share if you'll make me a loaf of bread.  I could have easily told him I can get plenty from others, without having to make him bread, but, of course, I didn't.  LOL

Anyway, my zucchini life has begun for this season.  I made 2 loaves of bread and gave him both.  Good grief, he brought me more zucchini. LOL

I also made zucchini brownies.

Today, I will really get busy and get tons of zucchini things made, bread, muffins, zucchini cake and last night a friend sent me a recipe for zucchini cookies.  

Yes, most of all my baking today will go to the freezer for eating this winter.  A perfect way to have a couple slices of bread, etc. on a cold winter eveing.

AND, what are you up to today?

Ambergris, yes it comes through for me.  Very mild but good.  I've never had orange mints.  Sounds very good.  Does the taste of that come through?