Bill_G, retired, affluence of effluent, and errata

#677

It will be a very satisfying day. Enjoy!

#678

It was a good gathering on the evening of the fifth month since Mrs passed away. I didn't make a point of it. It just happened that way. Sunday the 28th was the day everyone had available. It just amazes me how coincidences happen.

The dinner was good. Another successful feeding without harming anyone. Even the picky eaters had seconds! I put it all together unassisted. Pretty straight forward. But, unlike Mrs, I let people help with the other dinner tasks. She'd work herself hard so that when it was time to eat, she was exhausted.

Not me. We need an chair from the bedroom. Go ahead and set the table. You can be the designated bartender. Someone else can pick the music. I'll just stir the gravy and sip some wine while this finishes up. Everybody dug in. I didn't even have to do dishes. BIL loaded the dishwasher, and hit start. Kitchen was immaculate before they all left.

Family tension meter needle never moved off zero. Plenty of chatting. Three conversations going on at once. Even the cat participated. OMG - we were a bunch of geezers comparing our individual medical issues, our latest procedure, what we pay for meds, etc. No politics. None. It was all family memories, the stacks of photos I unearthed, and all the creations each of us contributed to the walls in my house. I have a little of everyone past and present hanging on display.

It was nice.

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From left to right BIL, sister, bro #2, boy child #2 and wife, and bro #3. Over BIL's shoulder is a felted basket Mrs. made, a bear she made in the curio I made with my reading student (who did most of the fine work), all kinds of things on the shelf against the wall, a picture Mom made in 1950 hanging behind boy child #2, and some of Mrs' embroidery behind bro #3.

Gramma's Chicken Casserole - feeds seven easily and you'll have leftovers. Think Shepherd's Pie made with chicken stew and stuffing instead of burger (mince) and smashed taters.

2 boxes of Stove Top Chicken stuffing
2 lbs chicken cut into cubes
3 red potatoes cubed about the same size as the chicken
A whole shredded carrot
A half onion, 2 celery stalks, and 1 garlic piece minced in a food processor
Some dried basil, oregano, salt and pepper
Olive oil for sauteing
Flour and butter for the roux, and chicken stock to make the gravy (milk optional)
Enough swiss cheese slices to cover one layer in whatever casserole you select. I used 8 in mine (with some overlap).

I cube the taters, get them boiled firm, drained, and held off to the side.

I cube the chicken, add some olive oil, herbs, mixed, covered, and refrigerated for a couple hours. Then I use a large skillet to saute the chicken. That will throw off a lot of water. Stir often. When the chicken has had some heat on all sides, toss in the celery, onion, garlic, and carrots to cook in that water from the chicken. Turn down the heat and let simmer to cook off some of the water, and finish the chicken.

Make your gravy. You will need almost a quart. It depends on how wet you want the chicken stew.

Make the stuffing.

When the chicken is ready, mix in the taters, pour on some gravy, get it as wet as you as you want, give it a minute for the taters to heat up, and then pour it into the casserole. Lay down one layer of swiss cheese. Then spoon the stuffing over the cheese. Neatness does not count. Place it in a cold oven, and set the temp for 350F. After it comes to temp, give it about 10 minutes to give the stuffing some color. Pull the casserole out, and set it on the table with a big ass spoon and a spatula. The cheese is going to fight you as you spoon servings out. That's what the spatula is for - to wrestle the cheese to your plate and not the table.

I served mine with a simple ceasar salad. Your house, your menu. A side veggie like green beans or peas also works.

Enjoy!

#679

Great-looking bunch of people. Thanks for the recipe.

p0rtia · #680

#681

Yeah. You're welcome. There's no wrong way to make that dinner. Gramma would switch it up sometimes by grilling the chicken, cutting those into smaller single serving size, add some steamed broccolli, and smothering it in a store bought fontina sauce with a thick layer of bread crumbs on the top. Let your stomach and imagination take over.

PS: You don't need much imagination to tell which of the men folk spent some time on the back porch partaking in the once forbidden Devil's weed. It's not hard to tell at all (especially since two of the growers are pictured).

#682

I just realized the picture I drew of my former employer looks a lot like my bro #2. Another coinkydink I'm certain.

#683

In Mr. V's Northfork thread I tell about my work on LIRR equipment, and about the trips Mrs and I took together. My sister found a photo album from the period. Most of it is of buildings and boats. But I have a couple pictures of us in Boston.

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: Bill and Barbara in Boston 1994.jpg (317.69 KiB) Viewed 242 times

p0rtia · #684

#685

#686

Yeah. All these memories bring a tear to my eyes. Those were good days. Really good days. And so far behind me now.

Pooper scoopers.

#687

You’re the guy in the flannel shirt, right??

#688

Tiredretiredlawyer wrote: ↑Sat May 04, 2024 10:19 am You’re the guy in the flannel shirt, right??

Well, I've never been one to build a shed over my tool. All gristle and bone.

#689

We've had several weeks of gloomy days, and as soon as it got nice outside so I could get stuff done in the garden, the service calls cranked up. In some respects I'm out of fucks to give. All these people (customers and company alike) have had two years to figure out how to maintain the stuff I took care of. OTOH, Life needs a pigeon hole to place me in when I stray from The Path. And I'm grateful for the billable hours. I turned in 25 this week, and 15 the week prior. I don't need the money, but if it's presenting itself, I may as well take it. It was a part of the job I knew I would miss - four wheeling through the mountains. So, it's not like it was awful. It was nice actually. I felt normal again.

The cat didn't like it. I was leaving at 7am knowing I'd be gone all day. I didn't want to leave him outside without food or water. So, I didn't let him out first thing in the morning. He's got clean litter in the box, but he hasn't used it. That begs the question where did he evacuate? I haven't found it by nose or foot. Thankfully it's not my bed or chair. He's not that mean. He'd skedaddle out each day when I got home. He'd be gone until after dark when his chances of becoming coyote food got vertical. One of these days I need to put a gps on him to find out where he goes.

Busy shopping day ahead. When I was taking care of Barbara I could shop anytime I wanted. But, with work I'm back to weekend shopping because I have never been smart enough to do it on the way home. It's fine. By the time I get home I have a serious case of trucker butt, and no desire to wander a store. Saturday Shopping Day was part of my old normal. This will help me get grounded again. One of these days when I am fully Retired with a capital R, I'll find a different normal.

Maybe.

Slim Cognito · #690

As we trudge along...

#691

Slim Cognito wrote: ↑Sat May 11, 2024 11:44 am As we trudge along...

Exactly. I'm putting one foot in front of the other but not focusing on the horizon.

I talked with my retired golf pro neighbors. They are both over 80. They still like sitting in their backyard sipping adult drinks chatting about anything. One of them is like me. She feels like she's just existing. The other one says we're nuts. But, she's also the one that squares the corners of the lawn, prunes the bushes with scissors, and power washes the drive. So, I would say she is trying to find her purpose too.