Ep. 25: White Christmas

One morning last week, as I walked back and forth between the kitchen and the breakfast bar, Mr. Kindly said hello and asked me a question.
"Emily, do you have a copy of White Christmas?"
"Umm...like a recording?"
"No, the sheet music. Look in my cart over there."

There, in the drawer of his walker, was a faded paper copy of White Christmas. Copyright 1942. Freshly printed in the middle of WWII. Irving Berlin plinked it out himself. Bing Crosby made it famous. Mr. Kindly bought a copy and wrote his name in neat, swirling cursive across the front. He used to play piano himself before arthritis and stiff fingers. Now he was gifting me his own copy.

A "thank you" didn't seem like quite enough. "I'll have to play it for you sometime."
"I would like that," he smiled. Perhaps he was thinking of all the times he's played it himself. Memories of snowfall and kids at home and playing Santa Claus. And how he's giving away a piece of that. He is called Mr. Kindly for good reason.

Just before Bingo that day, I went out in the lobby and played through the song on the baby grand that sits there. Mr. Kindly came wandering in, so I played one more time while he sang quietly nearby.

It was a sweet moment, an oasis in what has been a rough year.

And I think, how I want to be like Mr. Kindly when I grow up.

Ep. 24: Buttered Toast

People are people, no matter their age. Some will be kind, curious, rude, condescending, bitter, or funny, and so on. I’m an “old people chef,” and this is my journal.
--
 
There's a golden moment here and there. I push open the dining room doors at 7 and say a "good morning" to the residents who've been waiting right outside for breakfast. I scoop up plates of scrambled eggs and sausage links and toast and place them in front of the early bird residents.

One of them finishes quickly and speeds away, mouth clenched tightly shut as she urges her Hoverround out of the dining room at the speed of light. It was Crankster, the one who bullied Elf last month about being "a moron." I swing by the table to clear her dishes and prepare for the next person.

"She has no patience, that one," says one man from her table.

"Yeah," says Sir Talksalot, sipping on his third giant glass of orange juice, "she was pretty peeved that you didn't butter her toast."

"Well, I only butter toast for people who can't butter it themselves," I say, beginning to fume inwardly about spoiled people. I figure if you have laundry, food, and cleaning all done for you, there's not much left to exercise, and what you exercise (buttoning clothes, buttering toast, dialing the phone) should be left for you to do. Use it or lose it.

Mr. Gentleman had a comment to add as he passed by the table: "Hey, I don't suppose you could put some sugar in my coffee for me?"

"Sugar?" I replied, confused for a moment until I saw the sarcastic expression on his face. I laughed. I threw my head back and laughed. He was making a joke about Crankster being ticked off at having to butter her own toast.

"Mr. Gentleman," I smiled, "you don't need any sugar in there. You are already sweet enough."

He just smiled back and shuffled away with his coffee, shaking his head in amusement at all the crazies in the world.

And that's one of those moments when work is ok. There are kind, funny people in the world. I can stop searching Indeed for remote work. I can stop planning a wilderness cabin for escaping the people and the endless dishes and food. Someone understands. And that changes everything.

Catnip: not just for cats

We had some cats when I was in college, and one day a roommate "accidentally" spilled dried catnip on one of the living room chairs. She "tried" to get it cleaned up, but still left about an eighth of a cup spread over the seat. As soon as the cats caught wind of it, there were hysterically elated, rolling in it, clawing the chair in euphoria, and fighting each other for rights to The Nip.

This is probably most people's experience with catnip, but what they're missing out on is that humans can enjoy it, too. It can be used as a medicinal herb, in food and drink, and to attract bees to the garden. Catnip leaves and flowers can be infused as an herbal tea. It produces a mildly minty, light green liquor that has great benefits for the human body. It's a member of the Mint family, and so has many of the same benefits as peppermint and peppermint tea. It is great for soothing headaches and calming upset stomach. It induces sleep and perspiration without raising body temperature, so it is an excellent choice in relieving colds and fevers. Its minty, cooling qualities are helpful in soothing scalp irritations and as an application to external bruises.

Catnip contains several different vitamins (A, C, and B-complex) as well as many different minerals including magnesium, manganese, iron, selenium, potassium, chromium and others. The vitamin C in addition to its soothing qualities may be why it's so recommended for treating colds and coughs. The iron present in it, as well as the vitamin C necessary to absorbing iron, are probably why it is recommended in treating anemia.

  
Catnip contains nepetalactone, which is a sedative and analgesic. It has a relaxing effect on people, but will not cause the heightened euphoria that cats experience. At one time the dried leaves were smoked as an alternative to catnip tea.
 

Catnip was once revered not only as a medicinal herb, but as a culinary seasoning. Try rubbing some catnip leaves on meat to add flavor. Catnip is closely related to basil, so substituting dry or fresh catnip leaves for basil could work (though I've not tried it...yet).Of course, if you don't want to try it yourself, you can dry the leaves and stuff them into cloth mouse toys for your cats.
 

You may notice all these uses involve the leaves and/or flowers of catnip. There is no clear or current use for the catnip root, but at one time there was a superstition that the root could make a person go mad and do terrible things. The hangman or executioner in those days would supposedly brew a catnip root tea to give him the madness required to successfully take another person's life. Catnip root was then known as "Hangman's Root," which I just learned from a mystery novel of the same name.

Other miscellaneous uses for catnip: the scent repels rats, planting it near veggies protects those plants from flea beetles. My favorite is that catnip repels mosquitos (as do lavender, lemongrass, basil...and many more).

 

Catnip verses Catmint

 
Catnip - this is the one with medicinal properties
latin name: Nepeta cataria
family: Mint (Lamiaceae/formerly Labitae)
 
prefers  moist, well-drained soil in a sunny spot. after flowering, cut it back to encourage further blooms. hardy in zones 4-9 (though I'm in zone 3, and it is rampant in the groves and woods here in Minnesota).

Catmint - this one is a more decorative variety with less effect on cats and no medicinal properties
latin name: Nepeta mussinii
family: Mint (Lamiaceae/formerly Labitae)

enjoys same soil and sun conditions as Catnip. also hardy zones 4-9.

 

Recipes

 

Catnip Tea

use as a pleasing beverage that includes essential vitamins OR as treatment for: upset stomach, gas, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation; colds, coughs, sore throat, fever, chills, pneumonia; restlessness, colic, insomnia, anemia, worms, headache, toothache, pain, hives, measles, swelling

1 teaspoon dry (or 3 teaspoons fresh) catnip leaves per 1 cup of boiling water. Let steep 10 minutes before straining out the leaves.

For iced catnip tea, prepare double strength, let cool after straining, and serve over ice.
 



Catnip Bath
use to soothe coughs and colds and to reduce fever, or as a soothing bath for tiredness

Add a sachet of dried or fresh catnip to the tub while it is filling.

Catnip Steam Bowl
this is soothing for cold and cough symptoms

Prepare hot catnip tea and pour into a big glass or metal dish. Sit with your face over the steaming liquid, and place a towel over your head and around the dish to shut in the steam. Breathe deeply.
 
Catnip Poultice
Mash leaves and flowering tops and apply to an external bruise.

Catnip Cheesy Bread
Slice a loaf of French or Italian bread lengthwise. Mix 4 tablespoons melted butter, 4 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 2 teaspoons dry, chopped catnip. Brush this on the bread. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top. Bake 10 minutes at 400 F. Yummmm...note the catnip is used in place of basil, its close cousin.


Sources: 
Bremness. The Complete Book of Herbs: A Practical Guide to Growing and Using Herbs. Viking Studio Books, 1988.
Carter. Herbs: A Garden Project Workbook. Stewart Tabori & Chang, 1997.

"Catnip." Healthy Warehouse, 7 Dec 2016, http://www.healthywarehouse.com/herbs/single-herbs/catnip.asp

Foster and Hobbs. Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.

Pursell. The Herbal Apothecary. Timber Press, 2015.

DIY Hard Cider

Cider Batch #4 and #5

 

 These are my fourth and fifth attempts at homemade hard cider, after which I think I have the process pretty firmly planted in my noggin. The idea that these batches may produce sweet, tart, clear apple-flavored elixir excites me. That and the fact that they are made from my parents own organic apple trees, fresh pressed mere days before I started these batches fermenting in single-gallon jugs.

 

Here's the process:

1. Pasteurize the Cider 

Pour the cider into a stockpot and heat to 180 F. Keep at this temperature for about 15 minutes. Do not let it come to a boil, as boiling may prevent sediment from sinking, resulting in permanently cloudy cider. Remove cider from the heat and allow to cool to 105 F. Cooling time took about 30 minutes for me.

 

2. Sterilize the equipment.

You'll need a 1-gallon jug (I used an old wine jug), a rubber stopper, airlock, and a funnel. Sterilize the smaller items in boiling water.

 

It may be easiest to sterilize the gallon jug in the oven: place in cold oven, turn oven to 220 F, when preheated allow to cook for 10 minutes, then shut off the heat and leave jug in the oven until needed.  

 



 

3. Start the yeast

Pictured is the wine yeast I'm using for these batches. I bought a bunch of packets from an online brewing supply store for about 75c each. For a gallon batch, you only need 1/2 a packet.

 

In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine your 1/2 packet of yeast with some warm water (I did about 1/4 cup) and some sugar (I did about 1 T.)

Note on yeast: yeast will not thrive if the water is too cold and it will be killed if the water is too hot. If you have a tendency to kill yeast, start by putting water in your bowl and using a thermometer to gauge the temperature before proceeding. Aim for about 105 F.

4. Combine All the Things

Place a sterilized funnel on the mouth of the sterilized jug. Pour the yeast starter in first. Then pour the sterilized and cooled cider (about 105 F ideally) in next. The pouring action mixes the yeast in pretty well. Pour cider to within an inch or two of the jug's mouth. If you don't have enough cider to get that close, add some water.

Then put on the rubber stopper, place the airlock in the stopper, and pour vodka into the airlock to keep anything from contaminating the cider.

 

 

5. Wait
Place the whole thing in a dark, warm place (average room temperature - 75 F - is ideal). Let those yeasts nom on that sugar for about 2 weeks. If you check on it during this time, you may notice tiny champagne-size-bubbles rising in the cider. You'll see the gas build up (yeast farts) escaping the airlock in occasional bubbles, too. =)

6. Rack the CiderAfter two weeks, you're ready to "rack" the cider, which means removing the layer of sediment that forms at the bottom of the jug (the dregs). This makes for a clearer cider. You can choose to rack just once, or several times. The more you rack the cider, the clearer product you will have.

The siphon: the best way to remove the cider from the sediment without disturbing the sediment is a siphon with a tube. I got a small hand-pump siphon from an online brewer supply site for about $10 and a tube of the same diameter for about $2. It's cheap and works great.
 

photo of siphon from grapestoglass.com

To rack: Place your siphon in the cider, leaving a few inches between it and the bottom of the jug so you don't disturb the sediment. Siphon the cider into another container - a sterilized mixing bowl or stock pot works well.

 

Stop siphoning when there is about 1-2 inches of cider left in the jug. This remaining cider and dregs get dumped. Rinse the jug well to remove any sediment that is stuck.

Then siphon the cider from your bowl or pot back into the jug. Add room temperature water until the cider level is about 1-2 inches from the jug's mouth. Then put the stopper and airlock back in place.

 

This is a good time to clean the airlock - dump out the old vodka (and any fruit flies that drowned trying to access the cider), rinse it out, and replace the vodka.

7. Wait (again)Now that you've racked your cider, it's time to wait some more. This lets any remaining active yeast continue working, dying, and becoming sediment. Wait about one week before racking again, and repeat as much as you want - depending on your level of patience and how clear you want that cider to be.

8. Bottle (or drink)I've bottled cider in glass beer bottles before, which involves purchasing caps and a capper tool. You can save all those bottles from store-bought beer and cider to use for this.

The last time I made cider, I just sterilized some big old wine bottles, siphoned the cider into them (leaving the dregs behind), and crammed some old wine corks into the mouth. Store in a cool, dark place.

 

Or...instead of bottling, have some friends over to sample your home batch of cider. 

 

Ep. 23: Elf's Advisory Committee

People are people, no matter their age. Some will be kind, curious, rude, condescending, bitter, or funny, and so on. I’m an “old people chef,” and this is my journal.
--

Plates are stacked. The steamtable holds buttered vegetables and rice and slabs of fish. The constant whir of the oven and the overhead fans mingles with banter on the radio. That's when the phone rings.

"Kitchen, Emily speaking."
"Emily!" excitement radiates from the voice on the other end. It's one of the residents, who I'll call Elf (like the movie). She's 50-something, but because of some developmental issue has remained about seven years old in her heart and mind.
"Hi, Elf," I reply, a grin growing on my face as I wait for a flood of questions, a whimsical change of mind, or an attack of joyous gusto. I am met with all three.
"It's mahi mahi today, Emily."
"Yes it is."
"I love mahi mahi. Do you love mahi mahi?"
"Yeah, it's pretty good."
"Well, I'm excited, Emily. You guys make the best mahi mahi. My sister makes it, too...last time I was at her house..."

And five minutes later, still smiling, I hang up the phone. What a refreshing change from bitter and cranky and demanding.

Unfortunately, even Elf is not immune to the bitter judgment of the people we serve.

Here's how it was told to me.

It was about a week ago at supper. She was seated with a stellar team:
Crankster, a bitter impatient resident who becomes incensed at the drop of a pin.
All-Star, the self-appointed chairperson of all things that are and are not her business.
Crafty, a manipulative and spoiled person who loves to stir the pot.

So there's Elf, eating an enchilada, raving about its gloriousness, asking questions and sharing stories like any happy seven-year old might do. She doesn't read the condescension on All-Star's face or the sheer hatred and rage of Crankster at being seated with her. Crafty no doubt is beginning to circle, like a vulture patiently waiting for a carcass.

Then she asks for seconds of the glorious enchilada, and that's when the hyenas pounce. She's raving again about this cheese enchilada when Crankster loses what little patience she had with her.
"Shut up. Just shut up. You are an idiot. You are a slow moron and you should not be living here with us," she declares to the seven-year-old heart of the woman next to her.

I wish I'd been there to tell Crankster to go to her room and think about what she's done and to look Elf in the eyes and tell her that none of that is true and don't believe it. It's like a kindergarten class in there.

But the hatefulness didn't end with Crankster's declaration of spite. No. It was just getting started. All-Star decided it was her place to advise Elf on her dieting choice (eating two enchiladas! oh no!!) and Crafty assisted. They followed her back to her room and lectured her at her apartment door for a while before trying to wedge their way in the door after her to continue their advisory committee on her life choices.

It's like we need lunchroom monitors and hall monitors to make sure residents are respecting each other's choices, privacy, and safety. The way they do in elementary schools and high schools.

Elf was completely destroyed. She hid in her room for the next week. Our administrator approved her for room trays at all meals, no charge, so she could avoid the bullies at her table. And then I believe Administrator had each bully into her office (the Principal's Office) to discuss their completely inappropriate behavior.

I wish they could get detention or get charged for verbal assault or be required to do community service. Something.

Elf's back in the dining room this month, now that we're on a new seating chart. She's placed at a table with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. They are so gracious and twinkly-eyed, so good natured and patient. They'll be sweet to her.

I saw her a couple days ago in the hallway before lunch.
"Emily!!" she called. "I'm so happy I can come down to dinner now." As in, so happy she can go without worrying about getting attacked.

"And look at this treeee!!" she exclaimed, gesturing to one of the ten or twenty glittery pines in the building. Her voice held so much reverence, like she'd never seen a Christmas tree before. "Wooow," she murmured, eyes wide, studying the lights and poinsettias, seeming to forget last week's hurts.

Ep. 22: Escape

People are people, no matter their age. Some will be kind, curious, rude, condescending, bitter, or funny, and so on. I’m an “old people chef,” and this is my journal.
--

Recycling
About midmorning,
amid smells of coffee and egg bake
and fried ham and steaming orange muffins,

I gather up the recycling
and head for the door,
a momentary escape:

In summer
I swim through suffocating humidity,
carboard in one hand,
imaginary snorkel in the other,
cottonwood leaves in the grove glimmering.

In fall
the crisp breeze carries
the tang of burning leaves
and thoughts of hay bales and hot cider.

Now, today,
the first snow swirls around me
as I walk
and watch
the scenery coated in white.

Pine and cinnamon and red ribbon
eclipse thoughts of dreary frozen smudged January ahead.

For now it is November and holidays are near.
Winter is here.

(copyright EA Schueller)

Word Smithing

Axe the shapeless thoughts from the mind-corners,
hold them in your hand,
at first only shards of metal scattered and clouded with dirt.
Heat the thought-ore in the forge,
Fold the molten words over again and again,
Hammer them into shape on the anvil,
Sparks flying in the dark of night
Like stars above
Or fireflies below.

The molten phrases plunge into cold water
and a rush a steam hisses upward.
Then there is the scrape of metal on stone as the edge is sharpened,
and gleaming steel words, thick and sure and razor-teethed, rest in your hands.

Or maybe not a cutting sword-phrase today.
Perhaps instead make hinges and a cast iron handle,
for opening a door and stepping out.

(copyright E.A.Schueller)

Ep. 21: Gourmet

People are people, no matter their age. Some will be kind, curious, rude, condescending, bitter, or funny, and so on. I’m an “old people chef,” and this is my journal.
--

"Gourmet" is the name I've given one of our residents. She's a very particular person, commenting on the thickness of noodles we use in a dish or how there wasn't quite enough crisp on her apple crisp. This gourmet attitude doesn't stop with her. It's also a habit of mind for most of the people we serve.

Manager and I were discussing this one day. I recalled working at a bar and grill and all the labor and staff involved in one dish or one order leaving the kitchen steaming hot and made to order and just to the customer's specifications. That is the sort of experience our residents seem to expect. What they don't think about is the fact that a bar and grill gets about $20-$30 per person per meal they serve. So I asked Manager, "what is our budget per plate?"

Here's what she told me: It's $5 per person.

Per meal?

No.

Per day.

We feed each resident a breakfast buffet, a noon meal, an afternoon snack, and a supper meal on five dollars.

If this was my personal food budget, we'd be eating mostly ramen noodles at home.

In the meantime, our residents get turkey and mashed potatoes, prime rib, spaghetti and meatsauce, tator tot hotdish, salmon patty on a bun with remoulade sauce, lamb with mint jelly...and an uncountable horde of cookies, bars, and bowls of fruit.

Yes, we buy in bulk. Yes, we have a contract with a food supplier. Both of these things cut the cost of what we do. However, five dollars a day per person just plain blows my mind.

In light of how we manage to feed these people well on such a tight budget, I'm thinking we must be magicians of some kind.

But then I return to work:
...Someone whistles me over to her table. The way you would whistle a reckless puppy away from traffic...
...A coworker swings by to chortle with me about a complaint he overheard: that the kitchen's plating technique leaves much to be desired...
...And I see a resident, Gourmet herself, pulling her rice krispy bar apart with a face of disgust. "There's too much goo in this."

These moments seem even more ridiculous when seen in the light of our budget. There's hardly room for meat and potatoes in there, much less the expectation of something Gourmet.

The Daily Sweat

Salsa music erupts from the TV and I get lost in following the movements to a Zumba dance routine, sweat already gathering on my flailing limbs. I'm caught in the rhythms and melodies, stepping [mostly] in time. My only concerns are keeping up and not wearing away the lacquer coating on the wood floor.

Then I notice the mirror nearby. Every little bit of jiggle shows as I move. A list of all the recent junk food I've consumed seems to scroll by as I step and sway:
that strawberry rhubarb pie on Saturday
that Boston cream filled pie on Sunday...with the creamy pudding inside and the chocolate frosting outside (yummm)
the three choco-cherry brownie cookies and half a chocolate chip cookie today.

Some lifeless inner voice lectures me: if you ate more salad you could be all inspiring like the gleaming figures sweating on your TV screen, smiles plastered on as they effortlessly dance.


Then I'm aware of these thoughts and decide to take a swing at them:
Maybe if I was a gleaming perfection I'd be less inspiring.
Maybe what I am now and how I look now is no less inspiring than what might be or could be.

So I take another look - and I see a dancer, a woman sweating in a bra and shorts and not giving a darn if she's not tan and not perfectly toned.

And then I forget about looking. I place myself out on a gravel driveway on a starlit prairie night. The Latin music is floating out to me from the tall grass where crickets pluck their fiddle strings and fireflies dart in bright streaks of light. The breeze loosens whispering music from the treetops, and I'm moving because I can and because there's music and because it moves me.

And there's no body to me. There's no shape and there's no pinning me into one place. I simply am.

When I get to this state of mind in The Daily Sweat, it's like there's no limit anymore. I'm just lungs and sweat and doing and being.


It's a liberated state of mind.
It's a state of victory. =)

Ep. 20: Hotdog Trumps Ham

People are people, no matter their age. Some will be kind, curious, rude, condescending, bitter, or funny, and so on. I’m an “old people chef,” and this is my journal.
--

 

"I cannot have cake, I am a diabetic," says Sugarfree, lecturing me yet again about her diabetes that only shows its face when it is convenient for her. She'll eat pie, she'll eat brownies, she'll eat seven layer bars - but for some reason if you put cake in front of her, she suddenly remembers that she is a diabetic. This is why her somewhat sarcastic name given here is "Sugarfree."

Today Sugarfree informed us that she also wants to be "Ham Free."
This is because of tonight's supper:
Cranberry Glazed Ham

Yellow Rice

Steamed Baby Carrots

Cinnamon Baked Apples

Her response to this menu was, "I don't want rice. And I can't have ham. It's too salty. It makes me swell up like a balloon. I'd like to have a hotdog instead, with a side of carrots."

First, I've been working there over a year and the aide tonight has been working there for about six years, and neither of us has ever heard a complaint from Sugarfree about ham.

Second, a hotdog is not exactly a low-salt substitute for ham. It's like replacing salty pork with salty mystery meat.

Third, she was trying to order an alternative a whole hour after the cut-off. She knows better than that. I smell manipulation afoot!

For all these reasons, we told her no. She then asked to have a plateful of carrots since neither ham nor rice sounded good to her.

A half hour after that, she informed us that she would not be coming to supper after all.

She was going out to eat.
Out to the local Asian restaurant.
Because that couldn't possibly be salty.

The lack of logic here is amazing.

"I can't have salt, so I'd like to have a hot dog.
On second thought, I think I'll go have a pile of MSG."

Tell me about your special diet again, please?

Episode 19: Two Cents Times a Million

People are people, no matter their age. Some will be kind, curious, rude, condescending, bitter, or funny, and so on. I’m an “old people chef,” and this is my journal.
--

 

Every resident has an opinion to share, whether you ask for it or not.
Here’s a collection of real complaints we have received. Many of them contradict each other, as each person has a different definition of “good food.”

Most of them make us laugh. We can’t please everyone.

“
I wish the oatmeal bowls were smaller.

I only wanted half a grilled cheese!

This soup is way too hot.
This soup is lukewarm.

I’ve had so much scrambled eggs I’m afraid I’ll grow feathers!
I prefer hard boiled eggs.
(On sausage gravy and biscuit day) I prefer scrambled eggs.

These desserts are too big.

I wish you’d used a bigger noodle.
These noodles are too soft.
The noodles are too chewy – look at how everyone is chewing and chewing!

We want more meat and potatoes.
We’d rather have potatoes than rice or pasta.
We have too many mashed potatoes.

The kraut soup is too salty.
The kraut soup is not sour enough.

I really love these chicken strips.
Chicken strips are not an acceptable entrée.

These eggs are not fit.

”

Episode 18: Crafty's Salad

People are people, no matter their age. Some will be kind, curious, rude, condescending, bitter, or funny, and so on. I’m an “old people chef,” and this is my journal.
--

 

A certain resident was pressing on the boundaries of sanity this last weekend. This person can go by no other name than Crafty. She is continually working out how to manipulate things to her own purposes.

It should not have surprised me when a couple resident assistants approached me at 9:15 and said that Crafty had just called to change her lunch order. I explained about the deadline (9:00), and we all agreed that Crafty had called them because she hoped they wouldn't know about the deadline.

Then about 11 a.m., she showed up with a new list of alternatives for the week, including the change she had attempted at 9:15. It was still too late, and I just shook my head at her further clumsy attempt at gaining exception where no other resident could.

She had requested her meal sent to her room, so at noon the tray with her salad went up. About ten minutes later, I had the delight of receiving a phone call from her.

"When I talked to you earlier, you said I could have a hot dog," her indignant words bit through the receiver.
"You did not talk to me. You spoke with the gals on the floor."
"Well, they told me I could have it." Her indignation was growing, and the grating scrape of her voice rising in volume.
"Then they were mistaken. And you know that the deadline is 9:00. You had ordered a salad and so that's what we sent."
"Well," she screeched, "I WON'T EAT IT!"
As if it was going to really bother me. We all know she has piles of junk food in her apartment.
"I'm very sorry," I stated, and hung up before she could continue.

Later she accused the RAs of not supplying her daily pain pills - as in, she wanted double pain meds.
Then she screamed at someone in her room that she had never received her noon meal - even as it was visible on its tray across the room on her countertop.

Crafty was on a roll.

Now today she left a note asking to please be moved from Table 1 to Table 9. We change seating monthly and we do not change seats unless there is serious conflict between two residents at a particular table (which has happened maybe three times in the last year). I tore up the note as I've torn many others. It was a surprise to see that she didn't swap her place card with one at her desired table. That has happened many times before.

The fact that these things are even issues boggles me. Screaming at someone about a salad. Bold faced lying about a salad. Acting like deadlines apply to the other 69 people in the building and not to you.

Over a salad.

If it wasn't real, it'd be sheer comedy.

Episode 17: The Dragon Smiles

People are people, no matter their age. Some will be kind, curious, rude, condescending, bitter, or funny, and so on. I’m an “old people chef,” and this is my journal.
--

We ran out of water goblets for noon dining set-up again today, so I ventured over to Special Cares (aka The Dragon's Lair) to see about borrowing a few from them.

Dragon Lady was there, strangely calm. She greeted me by name, so I greeted her by name. I thought I'd better mention why I was there, so I explained and then braced for impact.

Instead of a roar and a pounce, she merely told me that I could certainly take several goblets, since they don't need that many in their community anyway. "In other words, help yourself," she concluded. And then she smiled. The smile was not followed with a mocking laugh or a derisive comment. A smile. On the corners of the mouth of the dragon.

Wonders never cease.

DIY Apple Press

 

My pa put together his own apple press. Here's the low-down on all the bits and pieces! Plus some fun prairie moments...

 



Here's the wooden supports for the grinder (left) and press (right).



Mama looking oh-so-joyous.



Dad assembling the hopper for grinding apples.



The hopper assembled. The cast-iron parts are the only part he
purchased instead of making himself.



The hopper wheel.



Adding water to the wheelbarrow of apples.



All set for grinding some apples!! The pieces will go into a
lined stainless steel bin underneath.



A bin full of crushed apples all ready to press. There's a hole
in the underside for the juice to run out into the bucket below.



There's bar drain pieces on the bottom and along the side above the drain hole to allow juices to
flow easily down and out of the bin.



He adds a hydraulic jack between the press board and the board above.



After the apples have been pressed as much as possible
with the original board, he adds blocks between.



Beautiful fresh pressed cider!



Running the hopper.

 

Pasteurizing and canning the cider.

 

 

 

It was a great time with the padres at home! Plus they sent several gallons of cider home with me. Now, to make some hard cider and some apple cider vinegar...

Fall Apples

A day at my parents' place, picking apples and pressing cider.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample Garden: Companion Planting

My source: Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte

Bed #1: The Strawberry patch

Onions are compatible with almost all plants (except peas and beans) and work to repel pests. Strawberries are among the plants they especially like, so I planted a bunch of onions throughout my strawberry patch. I also planted some garlic in this bed, as it repels pests much like onion does. I put in a row of spinach here as well, since strawberries do well with them.

 

Next year: I would put some bush beans down the center of this bed, as they do well with strawberries, too. I would then omit the onions and garlic, since they inhibit the growth of beans. I'd add marigold to ward off pests.

 

 

 



Bed #2: Veggies

 In this bed, I put four tomato plants with radishes, carrots, arugula and marigolds planted between them.
The carrots are there because as the book title says, "Carrots LOVE Tomatoes."
The radishes and marigolds act as pest repellants.

The parsley planted in this bed is friendly to both tomatoes and carrots.
The dill and Brussels sprouts here are good companions. I should probably have put the dill farther from the carrots, however.
There's arugula here as well, and as far as I know, it doesn't have any unfriendliness to other plants.
On the end farthest from the tomatoes are bell peppers and hot peppers.

Next year: Members of the cabbage family should not be rotated with each other, so I'll need to avoid planting cabbage family members where the Brussels sprouts and radishes were grown this year. Also, tomatoes enjoy being in the same spot consecutive years, so I'll plan to put them exactly where they were this year.  

 



Bed #3: More Veggies

In this bed I have marigolds for general pest repellant. There are radishes throughout to protect the zucchini squash and cucumbers and pole beans planted here. There are nasturtiums protecting the squash as well. I put cilantro here as well, since I know of no dislikes between it and any other plants. 

 

Do you do any companion planting? What are you favorite plants to pair? 

 

 

Homemade Tabasco

 

This is a straightforward recipe for making any kind of tabasco. If you want to make Louisiana Style red tabasco, use cayenne peppers. If you want to make green tabasco, use jalapenos. In my case, I had a big tub of both green & red scorpion peppers my mom gave me, so I separated green from red and made separate batches: one Red Scorpion and one Green Scorpion.

In this 2016 list of the hottest peppers, two varieties of Scorpion pepper are listed as hotter than ghost pepper. I'm not even sure what variety we have, but it is HOT and makes for SUPER HOT tabasco. However, as I stated before, the following instructions can be used for making any sort of tabasco: jalapeno, cayenne, etc. You can make it as hot or as mild as you choose! 

 

Here's our sink full of red and green scorpion peppers, along with a few jumbo sized cayennes.

 

Instructions

Step 1. In a covered container, combine:
1 pound of peppers, washed and chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 cup white or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup sugar

Step 2. Cover the container and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.

Step 3. Transfer the ingredients to a saucepot over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes to soften the peppers. Stir occasionally.

(If you plan to can the tabasco, this is when you'll sterilize your jars and bring a filled water bath canner to a boil.)

Step 4. Use a spoon or ladle to transfer ingredients to a blender or food processer and process until smooth. If you do an enormous batch like I did, you will need to do several rounds of this. Don't leave behind any liquids in the saucepan - the vinegar needs to be included, too.

(As I processed mine, I poured the tabasco directly into sterilized jars for canning.)

Step 5. Enjoy!



The original recipe is supposed to make 1 cup of tabasco, but I ended up with ten times that, as you can see here.

Do you make your own tabasco? Please share your tips and thoughts in the comments. =)