February 2021! Marking Time and Waiting for Our “Jabs”

Not too much excitement going on around our home… The current rate of vaccinations in our county is an average of 93 per day.  At that rate, despite my age and given my place in line, it would be over 4 weeks from now before I receive my first ‘jab’!  Oh, one other factor.  The County doesn't expect any more vaccine until February 8th.  We can only hope that the current efforts to speed up the process really come to pass…

I have noted that Tennessee is 29^th in the number of vaccinations given as compared to the number distributed.  As per a New York Times article dated 1/29/2021, 5.9% of Tennessee’s population has received their first shot/jab and 2.1% have had the second shot.  We have a long way to go!

 So what’s going on around our home?  Not much, but here it is…

This little thrush has been a frequent visitor.  It’s a bird that Laurie hadn’t seen at our feeder before.  This is a hermit thrush.  This thrush is more compact than other North American thrushes and they have relatively longer wings.  They breed in coniferous or mixed woods across Canada, southern Alaska, and the northeastern and western USA.  They make a cup nest on the ground or relatively low in a tree. 

Most hermit thrushes migrate to wintering grounds in the southern USA and even as far south as Central America.  With a ready food source, our visitor appears to be staying around.  The hermit thrush is Vermont’s state bird.

 

Now onto a couple of food items… In this case I had a leftover quarter pound hamburger patty.  I split it length-wise, creating 2 slim patties.  I heated them in the frying pan and then placed them on a slice of toasted and buttered bakery bread.  Finally, I topped the whole thing with a slice of melted cheddar cheese and a couple of easy-over eggs.  It was a satisfying if not a very creative breakfast…

Multiple gifts of shipments from Omaha Steakhouse resulted in our having as many as 16 4 oz. boneless pork chops at one point.  We’d already consumed 8 of them when I decided to try frying the next 4 instead of baking them.  Laurie dredged them in seasoned bread crumbs and egg wash before I fried them. 

The results was quite satisfactory!  The pork chops were cooked just right…still juicy.  I’d been a bit worried that they’d be dry…a definite ‘no-no’ for pork!  We paired them with creamed spinach.  Laurie added apple slices to her plate and I added a slice of buttered bread.   

We like to have some popcorn when we’re watching football.  However I’m willing to bet that you don’t know anyone other than yours truly that sprinkles Tabasco on his serving and then mixes it in.  It’s a real treat for me!

This new home is located very close to our home…about the equivalent of a short block away on the other side of the street.  It looks like they’re starting to finish it up.  They did encounter a big problem though. 

We are on a waste system that involves a big in ground tank that breaks down waste before flushing it out.  The builder spent well over a week just trying to break up enough rock to make a hole that would hold the tank.  It had to be very expensive.  The lots directly across from our home are rife with solid rock and big boulders, which we think has kept builders away up until now…

This lot in on a nearby lane that dead ends at the top of a hill.  We walk up the hill on a frequent basis.  Just recently they began clearing the lot in preparation for a new home.  The views are spectacular…amazing even!  We were stunned to learn that the lot cost the builder/new home owner $199,000!  Wow!  We are looking forward to seeing what the home looks like… Will it match this lot’s scenic view?

Bertolli’s Chicken Florentine and Farfalli is one of Laurie’s favorite semi-prepared ready-to-cook meals.  I say semi-prepared because she does kick it up a notch or two! 

I like to have it when we have some leftover chicken so it’s a bit more ‘protein heavy’.  In this case we added a bit of leftover roasted chicken from Fresh Market.  Usually we add extra spinach but Laurie had a great idea…and we added cut up fresh asparagus spears.  Then Laurie added a bit more Alfredo sauce, some garlic powder, and fresh ground black pepper plus cracked red pepper flakes.

Laurie’s plate always looks more photogenic than mine.  Laurie’s is quite pristine.  In my case I loaded my serving with lots of Parmesan-Romano cheese and, of course, Tabasco.  Adding the asparagus was a great idea as it added texture and flavor to our entrées. 

That’s it for now… Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit! 

Stay Safe and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave