Good Saturday morning.

I did read the messages from today.

Jenny, I hope your dad's procedure will give him some lasting relief. I am sure it was hard to leave him, and especially glad that you mnade it home ahead of the bad weather.  I am sure you are really wiped out today.

Lloyd,  glad that Nancy is feeling better.  If that Irish temper is showing up, then she must be better.  Hope you can start re-planning your Florida trip.

Gloria, hope you will feel better after a good rest today.  I had a kind of lazy, sleepy day yesterday.  Feel a little more awake today.

Phyllis, when you finish your dusting, you can just come help me.  I need to do the same thing.  I had started trying to do some de-cluttering over a month ago, and then the holidays started approaching, so  I  really need to get myself back to starting that again.

Larry, I am still trying to understand all the directions and the do's and don'ts concerning the Instant Pot.  It sure sounds complicated to me.  I need to get a cookbook with recipes for the small size pot, as most of what I have read is for much larger quantities than I want to make.  I kind of wish now,  I had asked my DIL to return it.  I have to try to rearrange things on my counter to find room for it.  I have a cabinet in my dining room that has a lot of things in it that I don't use anymore, so I am thinking about moving things into it that I have stored on my counter top so that I can have a place for the Instant Pot.  I will eventually figure it all out, but will just take a while.

Amy and Jane, I see where you both are having your usually busy morning. Glad we have pretty sunshine, and not the snow flurries where you are.  Jane, I should be gathering some laundry together, also, but don't think I will get around to it today.  Luckily, there isn't anything that I desperately need. I will get to it later in the week.

June, hope you enjoyed your fish dinner last night. 

I guess I need to try to decide what I need to do first this morning.  Emptying the dishwasher will be one of the first things.

Have a good Saturday.

Joy

I am back! My computer was on strike for two weeks but has been revived thankfully and I am now back in business.
I had 573 mails waiting for me... It will take time to go through all that, so if there was any request, please send again.

I can now post pictures for anyone who needs  it, just mail, with the mention in the subject line: to post in S&F so it will not land in spam.

And I missed wishing you all Merry Christmas

HUGS Bubble....we sure have missed you!! Happy to read that your computer was fixable!! You are just in time to see  the New Year in with us.

We have been to the dump, where I got a little excited over seeing the bald eagle fly..I love seeing him but it breaks my heart to see him at the dump.


Laundry is blowing on the line although cold out +9° F it is sunny with a bit of wind.  I manage to tackle one closet and wow tis nice when everything is back in order. I do have two pairs of pants to mend for the other neighbour so will get those done and returned.


Joy, I love my instant pot....gosh it will even make a shoe leather  soft!! Here is one of the sites I go to and pintrest has a lot of great IP recipes too.

https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/


Better get back at the laundry..

Happy to see you back, Bubble!!!             

Jenny, sounds like you got home just in time!  We are seeing high Arkansas River thanks to the rains "out west" of us. On going prayers for your father, so hard to watch them in pain. 

Listening for the door, Andy is coming to fix the "whatchamacallit" that keeps the front heavy storm door from slamming. Hydraulic something, the door is floor to ceiling heavy glass, double doors, would be very sad to have the glass shatter.  I expect they were put on when the house was new back in about mid 1960s. Will chat later. Hugs to all, it is COLD in Kansas.

Good Morning all. I pray you will have a God Blessed day, with good health and happiness.
 
Jenny, I wonder if there is a soft brace your Dad could wear to keep him from bending over and causing more damage. For me it would be so easy to forget not to bend.

I hope to go down for the monthly Hymn Sing-along this evening I have missed several month now. There is nothing else I need do. A quiet day..64 for a high, 42 low tonight. Sun is shining.

I did have a delicious fish dinner last night, good table mates, and on to a quiet evening with book and bed.

Two more days of this year left, after today.It seems to have passed too soon. But Thanks be to God, most of us are still here to welcome in 2019. Thank you God. You are SO kind to us.

Good morning......the sun is shinning and we are feeling much more WITH IT this morning after a good night of rest.

Thank you for all the kind words about my dad.   I spoke to him this morning and he had a good night, so right now it is one day at a time with him. 

JUNE, the brace they gave him probably does qualify as a "soft" brace, in that it is a wrap around the body with a hard disc thing in the back for support.  Problem is, it is very hard for him to get it on and off......it certainly seems as though they would make one more friendly to use than this.....he says it is so uncomfortable on his body and makes him hurt worse.......he is going to have to make the choice of using this and being safe or there could be terrible repucussions if he does not.  My daddy is a very strong opinionated German, and he does not adjust to any change very well.....that being said, bless his heart, he is old and hurting very badly!  Our bodies were not meant to last this long, and they wear out!  This brace, by the way, cost well over $1,000 !  And we wonder why Medicare is in trouble financially? 

SHIRLEY, I hope you can keep warm with the cold that has surrounded you!  It is cold here too, but at least we have sunshine.....makes all the difference in the world. 

Welcome back, BUBBLE.  YOU sure have been missed!

Tomorrow all of our children and grands will gather together, minus our California Family.  We are always so thankful for any amount of time any of us can be together. 

The pictures of Baby Jonah have been few and far between......think I am going to have to do some requests for MORE PICTURES please!  Mama Megan's Family all left there yesterday, so maybe now things will settle down and the6 will take more pictures.  Jonah is doing great.... and is a good baby. 

Have a good Saturday EVERYFRIEND ❣️

Jenny

YAY!!!  It's a RED LETTER DAY!!!  BUBBLE'S BACK!!!  We sure did miss you!

[/I have my 4th load of laundry in the dryer and the third one waiting in the basket.  The fourth is in the washer and Number one is all folded and put away!  In between, I had a short visit from daughter, Cathy.  AMY, she loves the Moose Farts and she doesn't like coconut! 

I've done absolutely nothing toward getting my finances in order and they are still yelling at me.  I think I'll put that on the calendar for tomorrow and try to get an early start.  I HAVE to have them in order before the new year begins.  Doesn't leave me much time, does it?

Enjoy the rest of your day.b]

I seem to have got my fourths and thirds and seconds all mixed up but I'll leave it to you to figure it out.  I'm giving up on counting today!

Good evening, just stopping into say "Hello" I do not know what I am doing that has me come in here so late. Bubble, glad to see you make it back here.  Larry, you are so kind to take your friend out once a week. I did get to the store Friday, and it felt so good to chane the scenery.
I think I get confused with this new set up. I like when I came in here I knew I had read page 1 so i would go to page 2 or 3 where I just left off. Not have to go threw all of to day, and then come back to yesterday.

June hope you enjoyed your fish dinner. I am going to turn into a shrimp.Friend down the street on Monday brought me a big rime of shrimp,said take what I wanted and they would have the rest. I took 6. Thursday another person brought me a much smaller ring, that I had for two day.  Would you believe to night the neighbor across the street sent me a meat loaf to just put in the oven and cook, with a plate of jumbo  shrimp and sauce. If the gout kicks up I will know why. Right now it is my toe that is still hurting and keeping me up at night. I think is is because of my poor circulation, that it gets worse when I go to bed.

Jenny glad to see you got home safe and sound, still send prys for your dad.

Jane and Amy, try to take it easy, Nowadays I never could keep  with  you.  I did make make the peanut clusters and peppermints

well I still have a very pretty picture of our Christmas cati. but cant rember how to post and read something about galorey but do not know how to before the
foremat was re done there was a thing under it that said about click here and it would take you right where and how to post and even resize if it was too large. thanks for the help

Lloyd

Gloria de, I have bad leg arteries, so very poor circulation. I find rubbing my toes and legs, and bending the toes to a count of twenty helps keep the pain down.

I really wanted to go down for the Hymn sing tonight, but by the time the sun went down, so did I, so I am in my night gown, will have a light supper and so to bed.I pray you all have a God Blessed night and a joyful tomorrow. Love and Hugs, June

I'm off to an early bed!  Nighty-night Everyfriend~  May God bless us, every one!

Good morning everyone..

I did have a long post ready and when I went to post it,it said server problem..

I see we have a bit of snow to deal with this morning. Lots of ice underneath it so it may be a fun time out there.

June, it is wise to listen to our body ,even though our heads want to do something else..

Better get ready to dance ,I think it will be shovel this time.

Enjoy your day everyone.

AMY I do not envy you with the snow and ice underneath. but that is part of living in the snow country. you can fiend a good deep snow drift with no yellow streaks in it,add some good cream and Vanilla. stir well with a electric Mixer. good snow cream. enjoy and have a great day.

Lloyd

Oh I forgot to tell you all we are at 20º light wend an calling for a high of 42º and mostly cloudy today.

Lloyd

Hi Everyone. We are going to have a cloudy day with some brief showers this morning and then just clouds this afternoon with a low chance of further rain.  It is suppose to get to 60 degrees early this afternoon.  I am going to Sunday School and then come home and pick up Pat for Church.  Following Church we will go somewhere to eat.  This afternoon we are expecting Scott to come out for a little while as he still hasn't gotten his Christmas presents.  He won't be able to stay too long as he has to work again tonight.  I did watch a lot of football and some basketball yesterday afternoon and evening.  The final two teams to play for the National Championship have now been decided and one of them is Clemson, a South Carolina team, and the other is the University of Alabama.

In a few minutes I have to leave to go to Sunday School so will just post the above this morning and try to get back and post later this afternoon.

Good morning. Looks like Amy, Lloyd and Larry are the early ones here today.

I am only checking in.  I will get back later, hopefully.

Got a lot of little odds and ends to take care of today.  It is a pretty sunny morning out and not too, too cold.

Hope everyone will have a good Sunday.

Joy

Good Morning,

Larry,  thank you for not commenting on Alabama "creaming" my Sooners in the Orange Bowl.    Even the local sportswriters predicted the game this way.

No snow in central Oklahoma but rain and maybe a little ice is predicted during the next few days.  I don't think I'll need to get out unless granddaughters take me to see the movie "Mary Poppins Returns".

Wishing Everyfriend Everywhere an Enjoyable Day.

I've been to church and visited WM to use my all-inclusive discount for the last time this year.  It ends on January 1.  I think I have everything I need from there for the next couple of months.  I've collected all the stuff to make spaghetti sauce and can it.  I've been out since the end of summer and I really miss having it handy.

I also bought a small pork roast to do in the crock pot and then will add sauerkraut to eat on January 1.  It's a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition (and a long time family tradition due to my German grandfather), that if you eat sauerkraut on New Year's Day, you will have a lucky year.  I need all the luck I can get!

I'm sitting here, having lunch with all of you.  I hope you don't mind if it isn't time yet for your lunch or if you've already eaten lunch or for whatever other reason. 

I still have to gather the trash together and delver it to the dumpster.  I don't mind that job but I prefer to do midway between meals.  Otherwise, my day is going to be pretty slow.

AMY, I hope you don't have a LOT of snow to shovel.  That's not fun on a "day of rest".  We were supposed to have some flurries this morning but if we did, I didn't see them. 

I bought a calendar today and if any of you are familiar with Auntie Acid, you know it's going to be a fun year.  January's quote is, "I can't afford a vacation this year so I'm just going to drink until I don't know where I am!"

I hope you all have a good day today, doing as you wish or as you must.  Whatever it is...ENJOY!

Jane, I was eating my lunch with you.

I had gone to Norm's page and read where you had written a message here, so that is why I am here now.

Glad that you were able to use your discount at Walmart.  That is nice that they do that for their employees.  Every little bit helps.

I remember my mother fixing pork and sauerkraut for Jan. 1.   Also, I remember that it was always supposed to be good luck for the first person in the house on Jan. 1 should be a man.  My uncle used to go around visiting all the family and to be the first man in the house.

I think I did mention the other day that I got one of those Instant Pots for Christmas.  I have spent several hours each day since Christmas trying to read all the instructions and do's and don'ts to be able to use it.  There is a Facebook page for newbie to the IP, and it is just amazing how many people are afraid to start using it. Some have had one still in the box for a year or more and just can't make themselves use it.  And, I will agree, it is very intimidating.  I still have to do a lot more reading and try to find some recipes for the smaller pot, which is a 3 qt. one.  That will make just enough for a meal and a leftover meal. It is really a Pressure Cooker, and years ago, they were very dangerous to use. But, I am sure today's kind has lots of safety features. But, it is funny to read some of the excuses that people have not to start using it.  One lady said, she did try one dinner and she sent her children to a neighbors until it was done.  That is so funny>  I am not afraid to use it..... it is just a lot to ingest all at once. But, I will eventually make something in it.

Hope everyone will have a good afternoon.

Joy

The weather man was right as it is a cloudy afternoon.  When we came out of Church this morning it was raining.  We only had one service today so when I got back from picking Pat up home I had to park  quite a ways from the Church.  We decided we both just wanted to come home and eat lunch as we both were tired.  We thought Scott was coming out this afternoon but it is only about a hour before he needs to go to work so he may not make it out.

Joy, my wife was concerned about how to use the Instant Pot but she is glad she stayed with it.  I expect if you try it a few times you will like it.  Just be careful if you have to do instant release of the steam as some items indicate to do.  She uses  a wooden spoon or something long to push the steam release.  Other things don't require the easy release of the steam and it will do that automatically.   

Amy, I don't think we will be using our Instant Pot to soften shoe leather. 

I have read all of the postings.  I may be late getting here to post tomorrow morning as I have someone coming to the house around 9 am for an hour or more.

Larry, thank you for the encouragement to use the Instant Pot.  LOL

I have spent the better part of the week end reading all kinds of information about it.  Facebook has a page just for new users. It is almost unbelievable how many people have had one for a year or more and are afraid to use it.  One lady said she tried the water test and sent her children to a neighbor in case the thing blew up.  I am not really afraid to use it, but it really has intimidated me.  I got the 3 qt. one and I do plan on getting a cook book just for that size pot. Most of the recipes I have looked at are for a much larger quantity than I want.  I did find one for Chicken and dumplings that makes enough for 2 or 3 servings. That will suit me fine.  I just need to do a grocery order to get what I need. It is funny, as I have never had any kind of apprehension of making anything. I do like to cook and I am sure, once I get on to it, I will like it. Different people rave over the hard-boiled eggs they fix, I sure don't think there is anything special to do to make hard boiled eggs. I don't think I will be making them anytime.  But, there really are some interesting and funny comments on the FB page. There is a lot of help, tho, on the Internet.  Especially the videos.

Hope that you are feeling less tired this week. Missed your long message today, but understand how your feeling tired. I, too, am so tired a lot of time.  A lot of mine, I think, is I just don't make myself do things. It is just too easy to do nothing, which I do know is not good.  And, I have not kept up very good with all the exercises that the PT had me doing. I want to try to get back to those in the New Year.

Hope you have a good night.

Joy

Good evening, another damp dismel day. I think we see the sun every 3 days. Had company on and off all day, my neighbor took the tree down and put it back in the shed for maybe another year,  Now I will put the Cape Cod Scene down and the church and people also for another year  Those scenes I always put up in memories of my sons. Mark had settled on the Cape cause it was like LOng Island, but he worked outside of Boston.

Joy, I think the word pressure cooker scares people,  I also bought the 3lb. Then I paid $10 for a cook book which did not have any recipes I wanted to use, some of the recipes I had never heard of. I just wanted a few American foods, I should have taken it back, but it is hard for me to get back to Bath & Beyond.  I would like that recipe for chicken & dumplings, I generally use the Bisquit instructions.

Callie, How does Miss Ellen, like the NYC I  was 16 before I even went in to the city. I went on with the Sea Scouts and we ate at H & H cafeteria and went to Radio City. What and adventure that was and we rode the subway from Jamaica. I was Country come to Town that day

Larry I am sorry Scott did not get to visit.

June, do they sing the old Hymns? Once in a while the minister use to ask us what hymns we would like to sing, and everyone would call out and old one. I of course would say In The Garden or the Old rugged Cross

Good evening everyone...
Today WAS a restful day Left the little bit of snow right where it fell with hopes that it will stick to the ice underneath. Went through my recipes that were mixed up in binders and got that all straightened out.......for now.


Joy, like you I was very nervous of this new fangled appliance but read up on it and it is really safe to use. If I have to let the steam off I put a oven mitt on to  release the steam. I like the fact that the handles are also a lid rest..instead of finding a spot on the counter to put it on.


Gloriia de......this is a good site to go to and here is your chicken and dumpling recipe.

https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-chicken-and-dumplings/


Lloyd, not enough new snow for the ice cream. I do have an ice cream maker and I should bring it out to make some instead of buying it.

My eyes are wanting to slam shut so I shall say good night.

All the talk about the Instant Pot so I finally checked out some of the reports.... sort of like my pressure cookers I've been using all my married life.  Will say one thing, don't know if they have a "dinger" on top to let you know about pressure but do NOT remove it before the steam is all gone. When I first started using one from my mother (after we got back from England), I was cooking a pot of beans. About all we could afford after military service ended & college for my husband started... anyway, I had turned the gas burner off under the cooker & going about my business... few minutes later without thinking, I plucked that dinger off the dinger and all the liquid from the pot of beans spewed straight through that little hole to the ceiling & dripped down behind the stove. NOT a pretty sight and a big mess to clean up, but I never did it again in all these years since. I bought many rubber gaskets for that cooker & finally bought a new one, smaller, but basically the same. 

Also bought a Presto small one that advertised cooking 3 meals in one. Do not know how that was to happen, was on sale & the book was missing. I still use it every time I cook candied carrots or cauliflower. Doesn't take but a few minutes & it's done. I have fixed meatloaf in the large one & have used the smallest one to steam potatoes to mash. They are fast but for flavor, still can't beat the old cast iron dutch ovens, I don't think. 

I do understand the fear of cooking with any pressure cooker, have heard about them blowing up but never knew anyone it happened to. I never leave the room when starting mine, soon as the pressure builds up, if veggies, I let it go a few minutes & turn it off until steam is out. A whole head of cauliflower or 2 pound bag of carrots will be done that fast. Then I pour off the little water under the rack & add the cheese to cauliflower or brown sugar to carrots.... yummy veggies, nice & tender. Good luck, Joy, I'm sure Instant Pot had come a long way from any of my pressure cookers.

I hoped to take a drive today, to see how Miss CallieCat would react to a moving vehicle. BUT, wind was pretty strong for enjoying a drive in a tall RV. I still have the dollar off for 35 gallons of gas but will expire tomorrow... gave up on planning an overnighter but did not think it would be a problem just to take a ride to surrounding Flint Hills or west to the place called Cheyenne Bottoms, where so many birds stop on their migration. BUT, forgot wind can be as troubling as rain/snow.  If I don't use up my gas by tomorrow I will see if any of the family might want $35. worth of "free" gas.  With that dollar off right now it will be under a dollar per gallon, so best price for gas in a long while, just to "take a ride".

Better see if Callie is ready to come in for the night. Tom & Tiger are waiting for their midnight snack ... half a can of Friskie's "wet" food. Tiger is picky about what she likes, but Callie & Tom will eat anything. Tiger will sniff & sit back to look at me with, "you've got to be kidding, I don't eat THAT!" If I don't offer her anything else she will just saunter off with a shrug.  I've let her go hungry (always dry Indoor Complete Friskies available), she is spoiled, I don't deny it. 

Sweet dreams to all and God Bless. (Good night, Amy, wish you would share some of your snow.)

I'm off to Dreamland.  I did manage to get the chores done that needed to be done but once again I neglected the finances.  If I don't deal with them pretty soon, the accounts payable will be knocking on my door.  And I won't like that!  Maybe tomorrow afternoon!

Good night Everyfriend and may God bless us, every one!

Quote from: Shirley on December 30, 2018, 08:42:43 PMall the liquid from the pot of beans spewed straight through that little hole to the ceiling & dripped down

Reminds me of a chore some of my buddies were given at the place where I grew up (A children's home). One of the officers of the place cooked red cabbage in a pressure cooker. You know what happened. That's right --- red cabbage all over the ceiling.  She requested a couple of the boys come over and clean the ceiling. I guess it's important to follow the directions 

Good Morning everyone. Joy dig right in but as Shirley said just stay close while using the pusher cooker. my mother was canning with her big cooker and steeped into another room for a minute and some how the lid spun off hit the sealing and knocked a hole in it. also broke some of the jars of beans she was canning, Not good deal.so do be careful not to be one of those accidents that i do. have a great day. 36º and raining here 2 5:28 AM. saying to just get to 37º today.

Lloyd

Good morning everyone..

Well another year is ending...a lot has gone on ,some good, some not so good.

Calling for rain later today..

Nothing is planned but there are "little" jobs that need to be done. just need to pick out which one.


Shirley, the Instant pots don't have that dinger on top like the old type. These are way safer to use than the older ones. I won't use the "old " type of pressure cooker but thoroughly love this one. If it needs a quick release I use and oven mitt and just turn the dial or as Pat does a wooden spoon works too. Mine has these settings on it.

Instant Pot® Duo 7-In-1 Multi-Use Programmable multi-cooker with Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steam, Sauté/Searing, Yogurt Maker and Warmer

14 smart built-in programs – Soup/Broth, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Poultry, Sauté/Searing, Steam, Rice, Porridge, Multigrain, Slow Cook, Keep-Warm, Yogurt, Pasteurize and Pressure Cook

Haven't used all of them yet

Better get a move on..

Enjoy your day everyone..

Gloria, here is the recipe I have for the Chicken and Dumplings for the Instant Pot. It is different from the one Amy put up. Mine makes a much smaller amount.  Only uses 2 chicken thighs. I haven't made it yet, so you might want to wait until I try it to see how it turns out.

Yield: 2 bowls
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings for Two
 
Instant Pot Mini Chicken and Dumplings for Two.

Prep Time40 minutes

Cook Time25 minutes

Total Time1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 tablespoons flour
1 small carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more as needed)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1 quart of homemade chicken stock
For the dumplings:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup fine cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (or dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup milk

 Instructions

Remove the lid from the Instant Pot mini 3 quart, and turn it to the SAUTE setting.

Add the butter to the pot, and let it melt until it starts to sizzle. Add the chicken thighs (skin side down) to the pan, and sear until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes). Flip and sear the other side, too.

Remove the chicken from the pot, and place on a plate.

Add the flour to the pot, and stir to make a paste.

Add the carrot, celery, onion, salt, pepper, and parsley. Cook while stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and chicken back to the pot.

Cancel the SAUTE setting, and press the PRESSURE COOK' button. Set the timer for 8 minutes.

Close the lid on the instant pot, and turn the steam valve to SEAL. It will start timing once the pot reaches pressure (in about 10-15 minutes).

When the time is up, do a natural pressure release. Do not open the pot until the valve drops.

Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool on a plate.

Meanwhile, make the dumplings by whisking together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, parsley, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter and milk.

Whisk the dry and wet ingredients together for the dumplings. Don't over-mix your dough or your dumplings will be tough.

Plop large tablespoon-sized chunks of dumplings into the Instant Pot broth (remember the chicken is not in the pot right now). Place the lid back on the pot, hit PRESSURE and add 2 minutes. (They will cook longer than 2 minutes because of the time it takes for the pot to come up to pressure).

After the 2 minutes is up, do a forced pressure release (again, use an oven mitt and be careful of the steam).

Shred the chicken and divide it between two bowls.

Ladle the dumplings and broth into each bowl and serve.