A Bit of This and a Bit of That

Day 24 of self-isolation… Authorities claim that this will be the worst week yet and they’re really insistent that everyone stays in side and if someone must go out, it should be with a mask on.

So, as with day to day life, I’m just getting by with the materials, photos and topics that are readily available. (FYI, I had some trouble getting on the Internet on Sunday.  Is the problem me…or is the Internet overloaded?)

Thankfully it is spring so every day, even in our yard, there is something ‘new’ to take a photo of!  I don’t recall what these bushes at the back of our garage are called but they are really enjoying spring.  They look better than they ever have!

Sometimes it’s the little things that make me happy!  I love the look of this beautiful moss on one of the big boulders that occupy large portions of our back yard.

Of course food is a key focus for me as it gives me something to look forward to a couple of times a day.  Fortunately, we’ve laid in a variety of choices for most meals. 

For breakfast the other day I made my semi-famous scrambled cheese eggs.  In this case, the mix was 4 free range eggs, a bunch of sharp cheddar cheese, some Manchego cheese, cream cheese, pepper plus a little half and half milk.  Use lots of butter…and don’t overcook the mix!  Laurie baked the bacon in the oven…less mess and very tasty indeed.

She likes her scrambled eggs on toast or on an English muffin and I ‘just had’ to make a bacon sandwich!  Yes, those orange spots on my eggs are Tabasco…

Eat healthy!  That could become quite a challenge, especially for produce.  The problem is the lack of farm workers as well as supply chain issues.  But for the moment we do have this basket of Halos on hand.

Laurie’s meatloaf is one of my favorite meals!  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo until after we ate.  These were the leftover hunks of goodness.  We have already had a second related meal…featuring meatloaf sandwiches!

She starts with a pound and a half of ground beef with a pound of spicy sausage.  Then she adds some worchestire sauce, ketchup, a couple squirts of yellow mustard and an egg.  Then its seasoned with pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and sometimes, crushed red peppers.  Add enough Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs...just enough to bind.  She blends it in the bowl with both hands until it forms a loaf.   Then she puts in a loaf pan, smashes it down to fit and  to ensure that its flat on top.  Then she puts about an inch of Parmesan cheese on the top and presses it down so it adheres to the top of the meat loaf.  She bakes it at 350 degrees for about an hour and 20 minutes.  Then she checks to ensure its cooked all the way through.   The Parmesan cheese creates an amazing crust!

On another occasion we decided to get take-out for dinner.  Our choice for the evening’s meal was Little Italy of Tellico.  Both this photo and the next one were taken right after we began eating…sorry about that!

In any case, my choice was the Sausage Alfredo Skillet.  It consists of penne pasta, grape tomatoes, Italian sausage and Cajun seasoning cooked in Alfredo sauce. ($14.95) I really enjoyed it!

Laurie’s dinner that evening was the Chicken Alfredo. ($14.95) She thought that it was OK but that it lacked pizzazz! 

There was plenty of food for both of us plus leftovers.  The entrees were accompanied with side salads and garlic bread knots.

 

Support your local restaurants and help them survive this slow moving disaster by using take out or delivery!  Little Italy of Tellico’s phone number is 865-657-6224.

We did get out again last week, stopping at Ingles for a few supplementary food items while checking for TP, anti-viral spray and hand sanitizer.  We managed to find and purchase almost everything we needed…except for the 3 items listed above!  Just like a week earlier, those critical shelves were bare.  Do you like our 'look'?!  We look like colorful bank robbers.  I discovered that I couldn't wear my glasses with the mask on...steams them up and I can't see.

We assuaged our disappointment by stopping at Master Donut in Lenoir City and picking up a few treats… The lady on duty told Laurie that she didn’t know if they’d be able to stay open or not.  Sad!  They have the best donuts in town!

Oh well…back to the fact that it is a glorious spring!  I have no idea what those puffy flowers in the first photo are but I like them.  The dogwoods have begun displaying all of their soft white glory…a nice contrast to the redbuds that have about run their course.

I took this photo of the black vultures hanging about in our neighbor’s tree.  Do these birds know something that we don’t?!  Actually it’s just one of their overnight roosts…

One last photo… I took this picture between our home and our neighbor’s, looking out toward Tellico Lake and the hills in the distance.  I thought that it was a restful view…full of hope for the future.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave