SEPTEMBER 2023
Wednesday 2023.9.27
Flautas, Serranito's
Yesterday I videoed and uploaded my recipe for Serranito's Flautas. Every time I create a new video I think, "Maybe this one will go viral. Perhaps it will become as popular as my video for Fish & Chips." That never happens, but one can always hope. The video is currently unlisted on YouTube.
The process was easier than I expected. My back feels so good now, I was able to do all the setup, cooking, videoing and tear down in the same day. If all goes well, it will be Sunday's feature recipe.
Uh-oh
We are currently under a "Red Flag Fire Weather Warning," meaning the atmospheric conditions are such that fires are a danger. The warning is supposed to advise us to be careful when doing anything outdoors that might start a fire. I see it as a temptation for arsonists.
Of course, the dry Santa Ana winds could knock down power lines and the sparks could start a fire. I'm hoping nothing will happen because a fire beneath the high-voltage transmission lines could disrupt our electricity. It's happened before and the power can be off for several hours.
On the bright side, it's a good time to do laundry. The humidity is forecast to be between 15 and 25%. I have two clotheslines inside my home — one over the bathtub and another one to one side here in the office. With low humidity and a fan running, laundry dries quickly.
Sunday 2023.9.24
Happy Autumn
Yesterday was the Autumn Equinox, the first day of fall. I can really see the difference now. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler. I like the change, but not too much change. It's the reason I moved from Connecticut to Southern California. I can live very happily without the cold and the snow, thank you very much.
Costco Pizza
I live within walking distance of a Costco warehouse store. I buy most of my groceries there. If I need something Costco doesn't sell, there are two grocery stores even closer.
This past week I experimented with Costco brand frozen Kirkland Signature Pepperoni Pizza. I don't usually like frozen pizzas. They're convenient, but they're usually not worth the price. I'd rather make my own Pizza from scratch, which I also did about two weeks ago. However, the Costco frozen pizza was good. And at only $13.49 for four 12-inch (30cm) pizzas, it was a real bargain too. That's only $3.37 per pizza.
And one more thing: They put a lot of pepperoni on top. I was surprised. Overall, the flavor is good for the price. Are they as delicious as one of my homemade deluxe pizzas with all my favorite toppings? Certainly not. But when I feel like I want pepperoni pizza, I think the Kirkland product is the easiest and the tastiest among frozen pizzas.
And if you feel like getting really technical about it — calculate the surface area (π•r2) of the pizza and compare it to Costco's ready-in-20-minutes 18-in food court pepperoni pizza at $10 per pie. The frozen pies cost about 25% less. I might never make pizza from scratch again.
And, there is another advantage. You can easily customize it. Do you like more cheese? Add it before you bake it. Some cooked Italian sausage? Add it before you bake it. Sautéed mushrooms? You get the idea. Ham and pineapple? Well, let's not get carried away.
Maybe I'll Get the Message
My freezer situation is becoming pathetic. Again. Okay, I didn't need to buy a box of four frozen pizzas, but the price was too good to resist and I wanted to try them anyway.
There wasn't enough space to store all the chicken thighs I deboned on Friday. The trim, which I usually store in the bottom of the freezer to make stock later, wouldn't fit — it went into a pocket on the door.
I make promises. I make New Year's resolutions. But I end up storing more food than I eat. I'll use it eventually, but I really need to make a determined effort to eat the foods I have stored before I buy more. So, with that in mind, I put a big sign on my freezer door. Maybe this time.
I'll still buy things like half-and-half dairy creamer for my coffee. That fits in the refrigerator. So do eggs and butter. And dry goods, like rice and pasta, of course. But NO MORE FROZEN FOOD until I eat most, if not all, of what I have. Maybe I'll have a new subheading in future blogs — The Frozen Foods Chronicles.
Meanwhile, I'm using up fresh chicken that I can't fit into the freezer.
Another Spare
Those who know me are familiar with my penchant for keeping a few spares lying around. I have a spare laser printer in the shed (because the purchase price on sale was only a few dollars more than the cost of a toner cartridge). Also a vacuum cleaner, because it was on sale at Costco and I vowed I wouldn't repair my current vacuum again. This week I added a water diverter.
In last Sunday's blog entry I mentioned my Haier portable washing machine. I keep it in a closet and roll it into the bathroom when I need to do laundry. When I bought it I also purchased a water diverter to attach to my shower. I can direct water either to the machine or to my shower. The little handle for diverting the water has been floppy lately and I was worried it would soon fail. So, I ordered a new one, a different style, from Amazon.
Yesterday I decided to install the new one. After removing the old one I noticed a tiny set screw in the knob. It was loose. The diverter wasn't on the brink of failure. The knob was about to fall off.
It required an allen wrench (those little L-shaped bent pieces of wire with a six sided shaft) that was smaller than anything I had. However, I also had some spline wrenches (similar in shape, but a little different) and one was almost good enough to tighten the screw. I managed. And so the new diverter goes into my hardware box in the shed as another spare.
Meanwhile I put a set of allen wrenches on my Amazon wishlist. The set appears to have one small enough for my needs.
And Another One
I have a one-cup coffee maker on my kitchen counter. I've had it for many years. Lately it hasn't been using all the water I pour into the tank. I cleaned it by running some distilled vinegar through it, which helps remove lime buildup in the heating element. However, I ordered another one from Amazon to bring an order up to $35 for free shipping. Speaking of which…
To Prime or Not to Prime
I'm not a member of Amazon Prime. I think it's a waste of money, unless order a lot and often. The annual fee is $139 or $14.99 per month. I order only once a month, sometimes less often. So that's like paying $14.99 in shipping for free shipping. Is it worth it? I placed my last order on Wednesday. It arrived on Saturday. And shipping was free. Had I had to pay for shipping, it was only $8.20.
If I really need something quickly and I don't have enough items on my wishlist to get free shipping, I have a friend in Kentucky who pays for Prime. He'll gladly order anything I want, have it shipped directly to me, and I can reimburse him through Paypal. So, no to Prime.
Wednesday 2023.9.20
The Tomato Plants Chronicles
With the growing season coming to an end, there are still some tomatoes ripening on the vines. There is also a lot of white powdery mildew, but I haven't decided whether or not to spray the plants with neem oil again. Should I try to keep the plants alive over the winter or let them go? Some of those vines are brown and evidently dead, but the tomatoes hanging there are still good. I guess it's like putting semi-ripe tomatoes on the windowsill to fully ripen.
On Sunday afternoon I processed the many tomatoes I had, 46 of them, removing the skin and seeds, but saving the juice from around the seeds. How best to recover that juice?
An Experiment
You don't know unless you try, right? After processing all those tomatoes, I had 2½ cups of seeds and juice. The juice, kind of like a jelly, around the seeds is very flavorful and many recipes say to capture it to add to whatever you're cooking.
I have a Breville Big Squeeze juicer. I bought it back when I hoped to make juices to use in smoothies for my SmoothieTube channel on YouTube. Almost no one seemed interested in those videos; so I abandoned the channel.
I rarely use the juicer now, but sometimes it is really handy. I decided to try processing those seeds through the juicer. I had to pass the seeds through it three times, but I recovered nearly 1¾ cups of juice, which I added to my processed tomatoes. I filled, literally filled, a one-gallon ziplock bag with tomato pulp and juice. That bag is now in the freezer. I'll use the tomatoes to make soup this winter.
Did You Miss Me? Revisited
As I mentioned in Sunday's blog entry, I had a very difficult time connecting to my web site's hosting service, Tango Hosting, on Wednesday. After a day of troubleshooting on both my end and theirs, they finished with this:
After further review, we contacted a network engineer and found and removed a firewall rule that prevented some IP addresses from connecting to the FTP port 21. We apologize for the inconvenience and have added measures to prevent this type of issue from happening again. As a courtesy, we added a $50 credit to your account.
On Sunday afternoon they contacted me again, to check if everything was working well. I told them I could upload with FileZilla, but not with Dreamweaver. They responded with a screen capture of their recommended settings.
Everything I did was right, but there were two checkboxes in the More Options area that I didn't have checked. It ticked those and Dreamweaver connected perfectly again. I printed and laminated that screen capture. It has a prominent place above my computer.
Why the setting changed, I don't know. The software had been working flawlessly for nearly a year. However, Adobe updates their software often and a major upgrade might have reset those settings.
My Back
I slightly re-injured my back again this week. It isn't serious. I don't need to use the walker again. However, I'm hobbling around a little bent over. This should heal in a few days.
Finally, More Embroidery
Having finished another shirt, I returned to embroidering patches for my aprons. I completed three more.
Sunday 2023.9.17
Did You Miss Me?
On Wednesday at least one person did. He emailed me to make sure I was okay. He didn't see my blog entry. I didn't miss my upload, but it was very late. Here's the story, briefly:
I was ready with my upload that morning, but my computer wouldn't connect to my hosting service's FTP site. I contacted them because they're usually very good at helping me solve the problem. They said they couldn't reproduce the error with their software. So I started to troubleshoot.
At first I though it might be my latest Windows10 update, which happened late the evening before. Two things happening in succession — it's easy connecting them as causing the problem. I removed the update, but that didn't help.
It took all day and I won't bore you with all the details, but I did try to connect using my Windows11 laptop. No good, but that proved the problem wasn't in my Windows10 desktop computer. I tried different file transfer software. No good, but that proved the problem wasn't in the software. At dinnertime I brought my laptop computer to a restaurant (where I ordered fish & chips) and tried logging in with their WiFi service. No good, but that proved the problem wasn't in my cable modem.
The tech support guy said they couldn't replicate the problem, therefore the issue must be with my computer or modem. I should find a qualified computer repairman to solve the problem.
But then it worked, sort of. I received another email that said they consulted with a software engineer who determined a firewall setting on their end was restricting some access. They posted a $50 credit to my account because of all the troubleshooting I did.
I still can't get my Dreamweaver software to connect. It worked perfectly for many months. But I was able to upload my blog update using FileZilla, which I like; so I'll use it for future uploads.
Revisiting Flautas
When I was a student at the University of California Santa Barbara I ate at Serranito's Mexican Restaurant, locally known as "Miguel's." I found this online: "Miguel’s was a legend back in the 1980s. It was famous for pumping out literally the most divine flautas known to IV (Isla Vista)." I lived in IV and the flautas at Miguel's truly were divine!
There was something about the guacamole that I couldn't figure out back then. I'm 72 now and I have much more experience with cooking. I remember the guac being creamy and smooth. I now believe the guacamole was mixed with heavy whipping cream, or maybe a mixture of cream and sour cream.
I've been working on the recipe lately. I haven't shot the video yet. I need a little more information, and another trip to Costco will provide that. I also need more chicken thighs. Again, a trip to Costco. And I need a photograph (which I can't get at Costco).
So look for it in future weeks, maybe next Sunday.
Life is Good
One way I measure the goodness of life is by my ability to take care of myself. My back is almost fully healed now. I don't need my walker, even to get up out of a chair; so I stored it in the closet where I keep it. The occasional little pinch of pain reminds me not to push myself too hard; otherwise, I'm okay again.
Another way of taking care of myself is to do my own laundry. I don't need to wonder if there will be any machines available in the park's laundry room. I can roll my little Haier portable washing machine into the bathroom and hook it up to the utilities. I don't have a dryer, but I have a clothesline in my home and a little fan to blow air onto my damp clothes. They dry quickly enough for my needs. And so I did laundry this week, which backed up a little when my back was too sore to do my chores.
A few years ago I did a YouTube video about my little washing machine. The last time I looked, the machine is no longer available. But there are others on Amazon.
At my age, if a heart attack doesn't take me first, I supposed I'll eventually end up in an assisted living facility someday. But, for the time being, I am table to take care of myself and that makes me feel good.
Finally, the Shirt
The one I was working on when I hurt my back is finally finished. I did the buttons and buttonholes yesterday. It looks great with my blue and white camper logo on the front of it. I'll probably wear it in a vlog one day.
Wednesday 2023.9.13
Out Damned Spot!
Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's Macbeth: "Out damned spot; out I say!"
Another dark spot appeared on a shirt as I was assembling it. Where does the grease come from? I looked around and saw it must come from the needle thing that goes up and down. There was the same dark grease on it. Note to self: Clean the shaft often when working on a tailoring project. I also saw some gray grease on the thing that goes up and down when the pressure foot is raised and lowered. Clean that too.
Getting the spot out was easy. Thankfully, I know a thing or two about oils. I'm sure I blogged about it in the past. Vegetable fats (olive oil, butter, etc.) oxidize and transform into a wax. They're much more difficult to get out. Machine oils don't oxidize. Place the fabric over several layers of paper towels and put one drop of dishwashing liquid on the spot. Work it in a little to dissolve the oil. Then, using a drop or two at a time, rinse the spot area with clean water, moving to a dry area of paper towel as necessary and blotting with paper towel until the area appears to be clean and almost dry. Repeat if needed.
Yesterday evening I assembled the collar and stitched it into place. Today or tomorrow I'll do the sleeves. One point worth mentioning: I embroidered my little camper logo directly onto the front of the shirt. The fabric is ivory white; so that color will be the white of the campter.
The Tomato Plants Chronicles
The tomato plants survived surprisingly well, despite the little water I gave them while my back was aching. I harvested a bowl full of tomatoes on Sunday. I also pruned some dead branches and gave the plants another full watering can of water.
There isn't much that needs water now. The lush days of green foliage are gone. Now I see mostly vines and tomatoes. There are some leaves, but nothing like I observed during the spring and early summer. The plants were so thick with leaves back then, I couldn't see where the tomatoes were. Now it's easy.
There is one yellow flower near the top. I'll be curious to see if that develops into a ripe tomato.
The season is clearly coming to an end. I've been seeing pop-up recipes for end-of-season tomato dishes on the internet. This is Southern California. Unlike the northern parts of the country, the season will never fully come to an end, unless there is a winter frost. In fact, left alone and only watered occasionally, I expect the vines to start producing again in the spring. I might just leave one in the soil to see if that happens. If anything, it might indicate the optimum date to start new tomato plants.
I've been considering my plans for next year. One friend gave me a suggestion. Plant one ripe tomato beneath the soil on one side of the pot. Place a few healthy branches in water to root over the winter and plant the healthiest one on the other side of the pot. See which plant does better. He said the seeds germinate in his compost heap; so maybe a tomato would do the same in the soil. There is also the possibility of washing some seeds, letting them dry, and starting them in cups of soil during the winter months. Again, plant the heartiest of that lot.
There is still a long way to go. I probably won't do anything until December. Again, it's SoCal. I have plenty of time. I'd also like to dig all the soil out of that planter and straighten the cage a little — it leans a little to one side — and start with fresh potting mix in spring after the last threat of any frost.
The Catheter Chronicles
I haven't written anything lately about my need to self-cath because there hasn't been much new to report. I continue to use the former style — SpeediCath Flex Coudé Pro — because I have them and I found a way to increase my success with them. They have a coudé tip, which means it is slightly curved.
The urologist said to insert the catheter with the tip curved upward. That didn't work well for me. I started trying different angles and I found it would work best if the tip was curved to my right. Each use of the former style means one of the newer style is saved.
I'll continue to conserve the straight catheters — SpeediCath Soft — as long as I still have the older style to use up. I order a 90-day supply (450) when I have fewer than 50 remaining. That's enough for five per day. They're single use, disposable. However, I only cath four times per day. I let a supply build up so that I'll have plenty in the event something goes wrong. An earthquake, for example, of a labor union strike could disrupt supply lines.
As For My Back
I'm almost ready to put the walker away. I don't need it now, not even to get up out of a chair.
Sunday 2023.9.10
I Learned Something New This Week
Someone left a helpful comment on my YouTube video for Real Texas Chili. He (I don't know the gender) said he uses corn flour (AKA cornflour) rather than AP flour in his chili. He says it tastes better.
I did some research and learned corn flour is gluten free — recommended for those who have a gluten intolerance — and it has twice the thickening power as wheat flour. I added a note to my recipe for this chili. I have Maseca in a kitchen cupboard. The next time I make chili, I'll try corn flour. It might be a while because recently I made a large batch and portioned it for freezing.
Doing the research made me crave chili; so that is what I made for my dinner on Thursday. I like it over cooked rice.
My Back
The healing continues, but I haven't fully recovered yet. I'm doing most of my walking without the walker, but I keep it in front of me or close at hand. The occasional muscle spasm reminds me I still need to be careful. The biggest difficulty is getting out of a chair. Having the walker helps.
Shirt
I've had another shirt cut into pattern pieces arranged on my sofa in the order in which I will need them, for almost two weeks. I didn't feel like starting another shirt, and then I put my back out of order.
For me, the first step before assembling a shirt is the selection of the buttons. That's important because the first pieces to be stitched together are the back and the yoke. Should I put a center box pleat in the back, with or without a locker loop? Or do I use side pleats, sometimes known as "knife pleats"?
A center box pleat is common on a shirt with a button-down collar. The side pleats, which are a little more dressy, would seem more appropriate for a shirt with collar stays.
And so, if I have a full set of front and sleeve buttons, along with the small buttons for the collar, the box pleat with locker loop is my choice. No collar buttons? Side pleats and collar stays in the collar, which can be a little tricky to sew, but I've done it before.
Here's another thought: The fabric is ivory white. I have white buttons, but how would an ivory shirt look with black buttons?
To Mask or Not to Mask?
There was quite a bit of controversy this week over opposing viewpoints of whether or not masks can help protect a person from Covid. I think Dr. Fauci summed it up well.
Masks are not effective for stopping the spread of Covid through a population. But if an individual wears a mask when shopping or doing other errands, that individual has a lower risk of becoming infected with the virus. Masks don't protect a population; masks protect the person wearing the mask.
I live in Santa Barbara. Up north, in Santa Maria, when Covid was first spreading through the population, a lot of people were getting sick and dying in Santa Maria. The adoption of masking was very low in that area. Here in Santa Barbara I rarely saw people not wearing a mask at places like the bank or the store. Most places required them. The incidence of sickness and death in this area was much lower than up north. Covid was still here, but fewer people were infected.
According to the latest statistics Covid is here in Santa Barbara Country, but the risk of infection is currently very low.
I keep a few masks in the glove compartment of my car. I don't wear one when I go into Costco. I might be one of only two people in the store wearing a mask. When I go to the doctor, I always wear a mask, regardless of whether others are doing so. I also keep myself vaccinated. I received my latest booster shot at the end of June. I'll be due again in late October/early November, when I usually get my annual flu shot.
Watching Lee
Meanwhile, I've been watching Hurricane Lee. My brother and his wife live in Florida. All the current models predict the hurricane will curve to the north on Wednesday and not make landfall on the eastern coast of the USA.
Wednesday 2023.9.6
A New Word
I'm inventing a new word — de-patiented. That's when you've been a patient of a doctor and s/he for some reason decides to remove you from his/her services. I think that happened to me.
One of my prescriptions, for a blood pressure medication, was supposed to be refilled on August 18th. The Costco pharmacy requested a refill from the doctor on my behalf. Nothing happened. I suspect the doctor declined. Maybe he told them I am no longer one of his patients.
Here's the story: I think he might have a bit of a messiah complex. Some doctors do. They think the PhD and licence to practice medicine enables them to play god. Mine is (was) bossy. He didn't recommend procedures, as a former doctor (now retired) would. He ordered them and I was supposed to show up at the appointed date and time to have the procedure done. Period!
I think it's about money, something I call "the billable procedures treadmill." As long as they can keep you on that treadmill, they can bill your insurance for procedures. If you decline a procedure, there is no money from the insurance. They want that money!
The latest incident, maybe the final straw, was when he insisted I have a colonoscopy. The only cancer I ever tested positive for was a type that is non-invasive, non-aggressive. The doctor at the time said, "You could have lived with this cancer for another 20 years." No one in all my known family history has ever died from cancer.
I have spots on my face. I went to a dermatologist to have then examined. The same thing. Yes, it's cancer, but it's one of the safe forms of cancer. They'll eventually flake off on their own. And they do.
I refused to submit to a colonoscopy, but not because I dislike the procedure. I've had it done in the past and it goes well enough. The problem is the billable procedures treadmill. If they find anything, even if it's almost nothing, they'll schedule me for a long list of doctor visits, tests and examinations. I joke about the last time that happened. "I saw everyone but the OBGYN." And when the tests came back negative — I did not have cancer — they didn't want to cancel my follow-up appointment with the oncologist. They wanted the money from my insurance. I cancelled the appointment anyway.
And so, I expect one prescription will run out on Saturday. I think the doctor is being petty. "The patient won't get the colonoscopy? Okay, I won't renew his medcations. So there!"
I really don't care. I'm 72 years old. I lived for 70 years without the medications. My blood pressure was only slightly high, not dangerously high. One doctor, the one who retired, even said it wasn't high enough to require medication. I never wanted to go onto these meds, but I let myself be talked into it. Maybe now I can get off them without an argument.
I Hurt My Back
What are some common ways many people hurt their back at home? Turning the mattress is one of them. Another is vacuuming. That latter one caused me to sprain my back on Monday.
Normally I can feel it begin to tear and I quickly relax myself into a chair or onto the floor to minimize the damage. I didn't relax soon enough this time. Oh well. I'm thankful I have a Drive Nitro DLX walker. It was expensive, but worth every penny when my back goes out.
And so this blog entry might be a little shorter than usual. Although this morning I can walk without the need of the walker, I'm not steady on my feet yet. And I'm not fully comfortable sitting at the computer.
Sunday 2023.9.3
Happy Labor Day
Many of us here in the USA are enjoying a three-day weekend, tomorrow being a holiday. When I was working at the University this would be a vacation week for me. I always scheduled my vacations around holidays, thus giving me an entire week off while using only three or four vacation days.
With Labor Day comes the customary end of summer. Barbecues will be covered with a tarp or moved into the garage for storage until spring (Memorial Day). Some people will insist we do not wear white after Labor Day. Others might prepare for winter, maybe by stacking firewood or moving their winter clothing to the front of their closets.
I'll probably prepare some Chicken Stock soon. I have chicken trim in the freezer. Trim with a mirepoix of celery, carrot and onion, plus enough water to cover in a pressure cooker will make several cups of stock, which I'll portion into 1-cup containers and freeze. I'll use it for soups during the winter months.
More Sausages
Inspired by a friend of this web site, I delved into one of my sausage cookbooks to find something a little different from anything I made before, but common enough to maybe interest the average person. I settled on Garlic Sausages.
One point that captured my interest in the cookbook was the explanation that nothing is wasted when butchering a pig — from pickled pigs' feet to the ears to make a silk purse (or, maybe not). This point was brought home when I saw a photograph of a package of breakfast sausage. The first ingredient listed was pig stomachs. Everything is used — everything but the oink.
The Tomato Plants Chronicles
I haven't written about my tomato plants recently. There hasn't been much to report. They reached a height of six feet, a little short of the eight feet expected. There are still a few dozen tomatoes in various stages of ripening, but I'm seeing no new flowers. I harvested another ten tomatoes on Friday.
Purely for the sake of vanity, I taped one branch to the tomato cage. It's at the very topmost rung and looks good standing up there so tall and majestic.
The fall season is quickly approaching. The first of autumn is only three weeks away. The sun is shifting to the Southern Hemisphere and the days are rapidly getting shorter. The end of tomato season is evidently approaching.
Feeling industrious on Friday morning I processed all my ripe tomatoes, more than a dozen, removing the skin and seeds, but capturing the juice from around the seeds, which has excellent flavor. Then I used some of the processed tomatoes to make Pasta Fagioli. It was a delicious lunch.
The plan is to eventually process all my harvest, store it in a ziplock bag in the freezer, and use it for soups during the winter.
Tomato Salad
I was surprised to see in one of my Italian cookbooks a recipe for tomato salad. The author makes it almost the same way I do. Sliced tomatoes in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and then a little extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top. Easy and delicious.
And a Little Weather
It was supposed to rain yesterday. The probability was 70%, later reduced to 50%. There was no precipitation where I live. That's okay. It's only the beginning of the water year, which goes from September 1 through August 31. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a higher-than-normal El Niño pattern this winter. That usually means more rain in this area.