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| Stringhoppers and Pol (Coconut) Mallung |
Thursday was a gloomy, rather cool day (highs in the low 60s).
Daughter was feeling a little better, but, still headachy and fatigued. She took the day off from work and rested.
I walked around the garden in the morning and checked on the plants; the pea vines are all but dead, but I managed to pick about five or six small peapods. I'll add them to the others I've picked this week and make a stirfry over the weekend.
In the early afternoon, I went to pick up the groceries. Again, no waiting or delays at the store and, this time, they had everything I ordered! I bought:
2 boxes frozen chicken potstickers/gyoza @ $6.99
1 can cream of celery soup @ $1.59
1 package flour tortilla @ $2.99
1 box raspberry flavored gelatin mix @ $1.99
1 jar dry roasted peanuts @ $2.19
2+ lb. bananas @ $.65/lb = $1.44
1.7 lb. grapes @ $1.29/lb. = $2.19
1 cucumber @ $.99
2 trays (family packs) of chicken thighs (buy 1 get 1 free) = $10.49
2 lb. pack ground beef = $8.98
1/2 gal. half & half @ $3.99
1 doz. large eggs @ $2.89
10 lb. bag potatoes @3.99
Total = $57.70
Some of the items, like the gelatin mix is for daughter when she has her wisdom teeth extracted (yes, all four of them!), next week! The canned soup is to replace the one I used when I made the ham tettrazini, last week, but, it can be made into a soup, too, if needed (I'm planning to make her some homemade chicken soup, as well or some other soups which I will blend for her and, of course, mashed potatoes). The potstickers (dumplings) are in lieu of meals out, but, they are also soft enough for daughter to have once her gums have healed a bit.
Daughter helped me to sanitize and put away the groceries. I froze the package of ground beef without portioning it. Each tray of chicken held 12 thighs. I froze the contents of one tray and four pieces from the second tray, in portions of four pieces each. I cooked the remaining eight pieces from the second tray and made a chicken curry with them.
Later in the afternoon, daughter and I received a delivery of stringhoppers and coconut mallung (grated coconut cooked with turmeric, onions, curry leaves, and other spices), compliments of friend R! She had ordered some for herself and some for us! How very kind and considerate of her! She is truly a blessing in our lives. The person who delivered them (the husband of the lady who made them) delivered my portion first as I am located on his way to R's apartment; I sent R a container of bread pudding and some curry leaves through him. I also offered him curry leaves any time he needed them; he was very appreciative of the offer.
I had eaten leftover waffles with the last bit of the old chicken curry for breakfast and daughter had the leftover gyoza (potstickers). But, after I made the new batch of chicken curry, daughter and I enjoyed a late lunch of stringhoppers, chicken curry, and coconut mallung.
After lunch, daughter took a long afternoon nap! I debated doing some gardening, but, it was so cold and gloomy, that I didn't feel like doing anything. Instead, I, too, took a nap! A shorter one than daughter, though! But, daughter said she felt much better after her nap, so, obviously, she needed it!
In the evening, I practiced the piano, although, currently, I am having a bit of a struggle with it.
Dinner was more of the stringhoppers with chicken curry, etc., although there were other choices in the fridge.
Speaking of the fridge, I think I need to figure out a way to vacuum the coils. I feel the fridge is not keeping the food cold enough and, probably, the coils are full of dust and cat fur! I've never vacuumed the coils before and the instructions say to unplug the fridge before you do anything else. But, in order to unplug it, I need to pull the fridge out of its spot between the wall and the kitchen cabinet. It is a side-by-side fridge/freezer and I am not strong enough to pull it out by myself (or, even with daughter's help). I might ask M if he can pull it out for me. Or, do you think it will be safe enough for me to vacuum the coils (which I believe are located under the fridge) while it is still plugged in? Has anyone vacuumed their fridge coils? Do you unplug the fridge before you do so?
On Thursday, I was grateful for:
- Friend R treating us to having a meal delivered to us
- Curbside grocery pickup
- Receiving everything I ordered
- Daughter feeling better, especially after her long nap
- A safe drive to the grocery store and back
Thursday's joyful activity was taking an afternoon nap of my own! LOL.
Today, Friday, is another cool and cloudy day (high of 64F). Daughter is feeling well enough to work, today. I practiced the piano and watered the back yard. Did a tiny bit of weeding in the front and chatted on the phone with neighbor T who called with a question. I am expecting M, later in the afternoon/early evening, to tend to the garden.
How was your Thursday? How is your Friday coming along?
I hope that your daughter will be well recovered from the vaccine long before she goes to get the wisdom teeth extracted. You are ensuring that she will have some good soft food for her then. I am curious as to the size of the box of gelatin mix. I think it must be larger than what I bought last week, I paid 97c Canadian for a 85g box.
ReplyDeleteI hope your weather warms up. Ours is back to spring again and we even ate on the deck which is a bit of a sun trap.
Thank you, Bushlady. She's feeling better, today, but, still tired and sleepy. The gelatin is Jello brand and the box is 6 oz (170 g) and contains 8 (1/2 cup) servings, it says. The last time I bought gelatin, it was a different brand from the dollar stores. I do miss shopping in the dollar stores!
DeleteI'm glad the temperatures warmed up enough for you to eat on the deck. I think our weather is supposed to remain cool for the next several days. Which is OK, really, because I transplanted some plants, today, and cooler temperatures are probably better for them.
I'm glad your daughter took the day off and isn't feeling too horrible. That second dose can be a doozy, especially for younger people. I don't think it would be dangerous to try to vacuum the coils while it's plugged in, but maybe research a bit more before deciding for sure. I hope you two have a great weekend! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha. Yes, the second dose knocked her down, but, I think she's feeling better, now. As for cleaning the fridge coils, everything I've read so far says to unplug the fridge, first!
DeleteI don't know for sure about the coils. Are they in the front at the bottom? Or is that just an air vent I have on mine? Certainly the coils are in the back. And what about the water line for the ice maker? Is there enough slack in that for when you pull out the frog? I don't use our ice maker but I know it's hooked up. Gosh, you can tell since I don't know where anything is, I need to do this too. lol
ReplyDeleteMy your food sounds delicious. How nice of friend R to send you the string hoppers and the coconut mallung - which sounds very good -
I might make a vegetable frittata today to use up some things I have. Earlier in the week I made a curried red lentil soup that turned out pretty good.
Well, here's what I've found out, so far:
Delete- The newer fridges have the coils at the bottom, the older fridges have them in the back. The current fridge is not quite 4 years old and I am assuming the coils are at the bottom.
- According to the user manual, the fridge's coils don't require cleaning for average household use; HOWEVER, if the kitchen is extra greasy or dusty or there is heavy pet traffic, then, the coils should be cleaned every 3 months or so! :o I don't think 1 cat means heavy pet traffic, but, maybe, after 3 1/2 years, the coils could do with a cleaning?
- I also discovered that the air vent at the top of the fridge was being blocked by a bag of coffee grounds, so, that might be the reason why the fridge is not quite as cold as it should be. I have since removed the bag of coffee grounds and I will see if that helps.
I don't have an ice maker - I specifically requested a fridge/freezer that didn't have that feature.
If unblocking the vent area doesn't work, I might try removing the grill cover at the bottom and just vacuuming around it, without trying to access the coils, themselves, for now.
It was very kind of friend R to have the stringhoppers delivered to me. I will be making some soup, myself, later, next week, to feed daughter after her teeth extractions!
It's good to hear that your daughter is feeling a bit better and is back to full strength before the teeth extractions. I don't envy her that experience at all.
ReplyDeleteI can't help with any advice about the fridge but YouTube videos can be a useful source for that sort of thing. Is there any particular reason you don't want to unplug it for the time it takes to vacuum the coils?
Thank you, Eileen; she's feeling much better, today. But, we are not looking forward to the extractions!
DeleteThank you for the suggestion to look on YouTube! I shall look into it! I need to pull out the fridge from its space between a wall and a floor to ceiling kitchen cupboard in order to reach behind it to unplug it and I am not strong enough to do so by myself. That's my only reluctance to unplug it! I might ask M if he can help me move it, but, I don't want him to strain his back to do so.
Many refrigerators are on wheels these days. Maybe yours is and it will be much easier to pull out than you think. If not, maybe M could help with it on his next visit.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to read online that some fridges are on wheels! Maybe in other places where there aren't that many earthquakes! We don't have too many appliances on wheels in California, I don't think, because they could do quite a bit of damage rolling around during a big earthquake! My bed is on rollers and I know I travelled halfway across the room during the '94 Northridge earthquake. :) Yes, I might have to ask M to help.
DeleteI remember an earthquake in Japan, when I woke up in the middle of the night thinking I was on a boat. The whole room/building had moved, but my bed didn't leave the floor!
ReplyDeleteErr, please can you add stringhoppers to our ongoing dinner menu? I suppose they will require a suitable sauce? ;o)
That's funny that, during the earthquake, your whole building moved, but, your bed remained firmly in place!
DeleteWhy, yes, certainly! Stringhoppers will be added to the menu! They can be eaten with the chicken curry, but, we might also made a "kiri hodhi" (milk gravy) which is made with coconut milk (with turmeric, curry leaves, onions, etc.) I think I might just take you to the buffet at one of the Sri Lankan restaurants at this rate! :D
Um, that should be "make", not "made".
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