Quarantine and chill and kindness chatty clubhouse: Jump in and join the conversation! All is welcome!

[AuntieMe3]

Congratulations to you and Matt! I am so sorry to hear about your Mom. Prayers she feels better soon. Have a wonderful time with your MIL. I forgot where you are from but enjoy a change of scene. Stay safe!

My absolute thanks always to all for keeping this thread kindly going. It really does mean more every day to me to be able to check in with all of you and know we have this welcoming space to be.

Today has been rather frustrating. Most unkind encounter with a neighbor. Keeping her in prayer, of course. Still, so hot in here We finally did get the okay from the property manager to order the two new wall a/c's. The maintenance people will pick them up and install. We are keeping in much prayer the owner will ultimately decide to offset some of this cost.

I am extra grateful today for:

Three more birthday cards in the mail that I am saving to open until my birthday next week.
A sweet PM from a fellow friend in this kind thread.
A very kind call from a church Elder and friend.

From another thread on here (one of the positive ones)! Memory of a lost item that God returned, of course, just on time. To I pray bring each of you an added smile this evening, here is "Monkey's" story. My Dad had a very close friend who he considered an extra father to him especially after my Grandpa died. George passed away semi-unexpectedly around Thanksgiving in 2010. At that time, George had been living with a room-mate to help him offset the cost of his rent. We still keep in touch with Tony now.

From as long as I can remember, I had a small rubber monkey holding a banana toy. Monkey vanished after the 1994 earthquake. My Dad and I (George, too) all assumed it got lost in either the move (building was condemned) or somehow left behind in the rush to move. I had every now and then asked God to find the monkey more because I also know Dad was still wondering what did happen to it and it had been with me for so many years. Dad helped Tony to go through some stuff in George's apartment. George had an old style bed that had cubbies as part of the bed back. I will always remember my Dad telling me Tony had found monkey in one of the cubbies (with a door on it) by George's bed. We THINK George had looked everywhere before. Point is God as Christmas got closer that year especially, "found" Monkey.

Sorry about the encounter with your neighbor. I had one not to long ago as well and was going to rant about it but decided she was probably just having a bad day and decided to just let it go.

Hopefully you get the ACs installed quickly and the landlord pays for some of it. We were without an AC in the summer and it was MISERABLE(and then again without a heater in winter.... ) Thankfully we had our whole unit replaced in March but I can just imagine being without it right now. Its been miserably hot here already for May.

I hope you all do not mind another newcomer, I have been looking in and really appreciate the kindness and civility demonstrated on this thread.
I had a cooking mishap just a few nights ago, I made tuna casserole and both my DH and I both commented that something seemed a bit off. We had the leftovers the next night, when it finally dawned on me that I didn't add the tuna.
When I laughed about this with my adult DD, she said, "Mom, you did that once before"

This cracked me up. Welcome to the post.

Oh boy - did I have a DOOZIE and an unusual one at that. I do a ton of cooking for people in need and cater small events; it's kind of a ministry. This weekend my BFF and I had a list of widows and single ladies in isolation we wanted to try and raise their spirits. We schemed up an elegant little menu and presented them each with a fancy, beautifully-plated dinner on Sunday evening that was a much needed gesture of TLC for all involved.

One of the courses was a shrimp cocktail, which I plated just immediately before walking out the door to deliver so it would stay safely cold. I then rushed out and returned several hours later; dreading the disaster my kitchen was. DH & DS had sweetly tried to get started on cleaning up for me and since it was late evening and I had to work the next morning, I decided to call it a day and "deal" the next evening when I got home. Fast-forward to Monday evening; I walked in the house and immediately smelled something wrong, very wrong. The garbage had been taken out and my preliminary investigation couldn't pin-point the source of the smell so I finished up the dishes and scrubbed everything down and hoped I was just imagining things.

Tuesday morning at about 3:00 am I was awoken (in my bedroom behind a closed door on a different floor than the kitchen) by an overwhelmingly noxious smell. I couldn't ignore it and got up and headed for the kitchen. After taking many sickeningly close sniffs around the room I opened a little used junk drawer to find the packaging from the shrimp with two putrifying shrimp still inside. How it got there is truly a mystery. Lordy...I have seriously never smelled anything like it!! I raced to the curb with offending member and spent the next 2 hours Pine-Sol'ing the bejebbers out of every surface in the place with the doors and windows wide open. DH got up around 7:00, headed for a cup of coffee and said sweetly "It smells nice in here this morning".

OMGosh yuck!!! I've had an encounter like this with a bag of potatoes at my parents house. Somehow they couldn't smell it and it was HORRIFIC. Ugh...gross.

 

[ronandannette]

Never. I'm practically perfect.

Would you rather I recount the story of my first turkey day dinner, where I undercooked the inside of a 26lb turkey by about 5 hours and overcooked the outside by about 2 hours? Or the time I was making an amazing pork roast, in a glass baking dish (because someone didn't think about using her metal baking dishes for this); had a roast well browned in the oven, and THEN poured a cold beer into the hot glass pan. BOOOM glass shards all over the oven. The first time I made Greek lemon chicken soup, I had an issue with proper tempering...ended up with scrambled egg in the soup (where there wasn't meant to be any).

But that's ok, because each one of those (and the many more that I just don't have the energy to type out right now, haha) taught me how to be a better cook/baker. DH still likes to rib me over the turkey.....and that was, oh jeez, 19 years ago this November!

DH has had his mishaps too. Those Bear Creek soup mixes? He decided to make a chili one...using shrimp for the meat. Shrimp and green chile, yes. Shrimp and a chili soup mix meant for beef? No.

Picked up 2 pairs of sandals at Kohls today (did curbside pickup, online order)...I really like the Sanuk yoga sling sandals, and with Kohl's cash, coupons and discount codes, I got them for $22 each! Got Firehouse subs for lunch, since it's right by Kohls and Fresh Market.

Dinner tonight was a pretty yummy one! Crab cakes, a zoodle pasta parmigana, and some fresh sourdough bread. Going to take the leftover crab cakes and sourdough, and whip up a hollandaise and a poached egg for breakfast....my first hollandaise and my first poached egg. How hard can they be, right?

This strikes me as hilarious and reminds me of a groaner of a joke DH always makes when he attempts to cook something (very seldom, luckily): "Did you say 6 hours at 300 or 3 hours at 600?".

 

[ronandannette]

Thank you everyone

I don’t have many or any cooking mishaps, I hate to cook. I’m actually horrible at it. My husband says it’s because I don’t cook with love lol. I do the job because it’s a necessity. I’m not really an eater, a foodie at all. I wish there was a pill to take for each meal, and it gave all the vitamins needed. My husband enjoys it, glad for that. These days it’s a lot of easy things for my son and myself, I’m still healing from my ribs, and too stressed.

Today was a gorgeous day, so I sat and rocked outside for a bit. I stared at my pool, aNd long for summer. We may get bloody snow, not much but still, this weekend, next week is more springlike temps.

I will have to venture out tomorrow for a few things, and I’m scared. My city is one of the worst in the Country in numbers and deaths, and the army is everywhere I’m told, I’ll be quick, aNd safe, get home and wash up right away.

Eta: congrats to you and Matt ! that is wonderful

We've got snow forecast and nighttime temps below zero all week here. I share in your misery and find it awesome that some on this thread are needing to have A/C installed. You've been on my mind - how is your DH doing?

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Sorry about the encounter with your neighbor. I had one not to long ago as well and was going to rant about it but decided she was probably just having a bad day and decided to just let it go.

Hopefully you get the ACs installed quickly and the landlord pays for some of it. We were without an AC in the summer and it was MISERABLE(and then again without a heater in winter.... ) Thankfully we had our whole unit replaced in March but I can just imagine being without it right now. Its been miserably hot here already for May.



This cracked me up. Welcome to the post.


OMGosh yuck!!! I've had an encounter like this with a bag of potatoes at my parents house. Somehow they couldn't smell it and it was HORRIFIC. Ugh...gross.

We lost an Easter egg once. We could not find that thing. I swore the EB put it on the back of the couch (which was up against the window, right beside the fireplace that we never used, in 5 years). Moved the couch, swept inside it, checked the window, nothing. The smell was there, but we couldn't find where it was.

We were getting ready to move about a month after Easter. Moved the couch, cleaned the wall and window/blinds/sill. Moved the fireplace screen, to do a quick dust/sweep in the unused fireplace....and found that rotton moldy egg on the bottom in the back of the fireplace, just barely visible once the screen was moved. Looks like it fell off the couch, at just the right angle, to go over the screen, and rolled to the back.
Ugh

 

[mommasita]

We've got snow forecast and nighttime temps below zero all week here. I share in your misery and find it awesome that some on this thread are needing to have A/C installed. You've been on my mind - how is your DH doing?

Ty for asking, he is still on oxygen, in the ICU, but they are lowering his oxygen daily, and treating his pneumonia, which seems to have developed there. He is stable, but the Dr has told me concerning things that I just can’t let my mind entertain, so I plan on him being home in a week or so after 2 negative tests.

 

[ronandannette]

Ty for asking, he is still on oxygen, in the ICU, but they are lowering his oxygen daily, and treating his pneumonia, which seems to have developed there. He is stable, but the Dr has told me concerning things that I just can’t let my mind entertain, so I plan on him being home in a week or so after 2 negative tests.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Ty for asking, he is still on oxygen, in the ICU, but they are lowering his oxygen daily, and treating his pneumonia, which seems to have developed there. He is stable, but the Dr has told me concerning things that I just can’t let my mind entertain, so I plan on him being home in a week or so after 2 negative tests.

Keeping him in my prayers. I had not heard.

 

[hereyago]

My biggest one was this gem: A few months after my dad passed away. I hadn’t cleaned under the stove top apparently in some time(the stove part was actually in the counter top) which my dad before his death told me to watch for,

I was making my dd mac n cheese and a small fire started . So I told my mom and dd to get out of the house..911 was called via security system and I almost threw a pot of water(yea that would have been really bad) on it. But this is where it gets kooky:

I suddenly had a memory of when my dad and I worked together and we had a fire safety class. I put the water down and opened the pantry and whipped out a kitchen fire extinguisher that was old but it still worked and I got the fire out.

Fire truck came and everything was out the pan was toast.

I really think my dad was “around “ to put that memory to the forefront.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Cooking mishaps are how we learn, and they give us funny stories to tell!

My best two are probably meatloaf and jello (not together! )

I tend to mix meatloaf in a large ziplock bag, and I once slid the ground beef in without realizing there was one of those paper inserts between the meat and the tray. Yep, baked it right in.

You know how they tell you stir the jello for 3 minutes or whatever? Well, I was young, and that was boring, so I thought I'd mix it in the Tupperware shaker. Yeah, hot things don’t belong in the Tupperware shaker, and liquid jello is extremely sticky and really a pain to clean off walls.

 

[queenofthehive]

I hope you all do not mind another newcomer, I have been looking in and really appreciate the kindness and civility demonstrated on this thread.
I had a cooking mishap just a few nights ago, I made tuna casserole and both my DH and I both commented that something seemed a bit off. We had the leftovers the next night, when it finally dawned on me that I didn't add the tuna.
When I laughed about this with my adult DD, she said, "Mom, you did that once before"

Glad you can join us!!!

 

[queenofthehive]

OMGosh yuck!!! I've had an encounter like this with a bag of potatoes at my parents house. Somehow they couldn't smell it and it was HORRIFIC. Ugh...gross.

Me too!! It was awful!!! Now I am super paranoid about it and keep potatoes in the fridge. That smell was stuck in my nose!!

 

[easyas123]

Now, I might question your...thought process...if you posted that you dislike everything Disney/Pixar/SW (because then WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE ON A DISNEY BASED MESSAGE BOARD????????????????).

I have found myself wondering that exact same thing several times on this board!!!

I'm considering buying myself a kayak this weekend.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Question of the day: 5/7: Have you had a cooking mishap?

Tomorrow I need to do some baking, which makes remind me of the times I've worked on baking cookies from scratch after we married and I was taking something over to my husband's unit during first Christmas. I'd never really baked much from scratch so you can imagine the mess I made. I didn't know how things like pecans or chocolate chips would sink to the bottom of breads and cookies or how to shape in small portions instead of giant cookies. I also really had to work on tempering eggs to make pecan pies and puddings or curds. There was ALOT picking out scrambled eggs as you can imagine. Anyone else have some cooking/baking mishaps?

I am NOT a very good cook, IMO, but I guess I've made a few good things. Believe it or not, I'm horrible with recipes but when I just throw things together, it comes out good I can think of 2 things, however...the first time I made Jello, I discovered the hard way that you really do need to measure the water, not just eyeball a bottle of leftover water and say, "Eh, that looks like half a cup" and toss it in. That batch of Jello never set completely.

And then there was the time I had some buttermilk left in the fridge, and I used that instead of milk when I was making one of those Knorr Pasta Sides alfredo. Instead of making it alfredo-y, it just sort of dissolved the cheese and left a gooey layer on the noodles.

Just thought of the time that I mixed up the directions on a box of cake mix, too - for some reason, I swapped the amounts of water and oil. Too much of one and not enough of the other. It still came out like a cake, but it wasn't very good.

 

[NYCgrrl]

It was a perfect shopping day.The weather was great for walking, the subway wasn't crowded and it smelt of disinfectant. I commented on the scent and the man claimed it was his cologne which made a fellow passenger laugh and that was a beautiful sound. Somehow and at times despite ourselves we're all living through Covid 19 shutdown and we can still find joy in silliness.

The streets of Chinatown are still quieter and less crowded than in the recent past but livelier...less somber than just before the Lunar New Year when the pandemic's presence was already known in Wuhan and many people started avoiding the area. Many shops are closed, no sidewalk vendors but those that remain have people waiting patiently outside to enter the stores and for the most part good produce. Bought daikon (a giant radish) just because it was fresh and I'll figure out what to do with it later. No ginger root because it was prepackaged and more than I needed. Everything else on my list was readily acquired.
The restaurant I bought the Peking duck at had a queue almost to the middle of the block so we added ourselves to the end. All they were selling was roasted meats for take out and I sort of lost my mind: bought some of all of them and thank goodness it was a limited menu, LOL. Everything was freshly made, and juicy but the ginger scallion chicken was phenomenal. We'll be back again.

Too tired to cook last night so put the last of the stir fried cukes out, sliced an avocado open, and we noshed on an assortment of the roasted meat. Hardest part was putting the food away, LOL.

Question of the day: 5/7: Have you had a cooking mishap?

Tomorrow I need to do some baking, which makes remind me of the times I've worked on baking cookies from scratch after we married and I was taking something over to my husband's unit during first Christmas. I'd never really baked much from scratch so you can imagine the mess I made. I didn't know how things like pecans or chocolate chips would sink to the bottom of breads and cookies or how to shape in small portions instead of giant cookies. I also really had to work on tempering eggs to make pecan pies and puddings or curds. There was ALOT picking out scrambled eggs as you can imagine. Anyone else have some cooking/baking mishaps?

More cooking oops moments than I've space to write. There was the turkey I forgot to defrost until 4 o'clock Thanksgiving Day; the chocolate cake and ham the dog ate one Easter, with the bone never found until 2 months later in the back of a closet; of course curdled eggs while tempering; the caramel syrup I burned and then poured into a Mason jar to dispose but it exploded with hot sugar and glass everywhere : good times all .

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Dazedx3 and again to you, Mommasita. So glad you both have joined us

Dazedx3, thank you for making me smile with the tuna-less casserole story! I would probably love that as I do not like tuna. Noodles, cheese, bread crumbs only sounds tasty I agree wholeheartedly with Gwynne, that often a fun memory or moment is the best part of the meal. A church Elder put into words something I have always felt that for many years when her kids were young she always worked so hard to be sure a perfect table was set for dinner, food was just so and that everyone was having the same meal. That is what her focus was. She later realized what mattered was not what each person was eating but that God had gathered each person around her table I have never been a foodie and have sometimes felt uncomfortable when there is so much focus on what each person is eating or has ordered rather than the gift of company. So I extra loved how she put that. This is also I realize an extra reason why our eventual 's breakfast at DL will be such fun (something for everyone to enjoy and to enjoy all who are present).

Thank you, AuntieMe3 for your kind words. It truly was most sad what happened with my neighbor. I am so sorry to hear you were without A/C for that long--wow It sure has been HOT for not even May. A couple weeks ago it was 94. I am praying it will indeed be cooler this week ahead.

Mommasita, continued prayers for you and your husband.

One last addition to my money tail that I forgot to share yesterday was when Tony found monkey (well God found monkey of course and led Tony to discovering it) Tony immediately gave thanks to God so he knew the miracle that had happened was God giving us the extra gift of truly knowing George was with Him at peace.

Happy Friday to all!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Thank you everyone

I don’t have many or any cooking mishaps, I hate to cook. I’m actually horrible at it. My husband says it’s because I don’t cook with love lol. I do the job because it’s a necessity. I’m not really an eater, a foodie at all. I wish there was a pill to take for each meal, and it gave all the vitamins needed. My husband enjoys it, glad for that. These days it’s a lot of easy things for my son and myself, I’m still healing from my ribs, and too stressed.

Today was a gorgeous day, so I sat and rocked outside for a bit. I stared at my pool, aNd long for summer. We may get bloody snow, not much but still, this weekend, next week is more springlike temps.

I will have to venture out tomorrow for a few things, and I’m scared. My city is one of the worst in the Country in numbers and deaths, and the army is everywhere I’m told, I’ll be quick, aNd safe, get home and wash up right away.

Eta: congrats to you and Matt ! that is wonderful

 

[Breezy_Carol]

To add to jello mishaps, you do really have to stir as long as they say and until dissolved. I was impatient and ended up with a hard "sandy" layer on the bottom.

Welcome @dazedx3! Tuna-less casserole, a new twist on an old favorite. LOL

I tend to mix meatloaf in a large ziplock bag,

What a great idea. I HATE to touch the ground meat to mix everything in. I will try to remember to do this the next time.

She later realized what mattered was not what each person was eating but that God had gathered each person around her table I have never been a foodie and have sometimes felt uncomfortable when there is so much focus on what each person is eating or has ordered rather than the gift of company. So I extra loved how she put that.

I love this. I realized something similar 6 years ago. DS and DD and their SOs plus some extended family were coming for dinner December 27 for a late Christmas dinner. I got a call that morning that my mother had had a stroke. I ended up going to see her for a while at her nursing home. She was 92, had an advanced directive, was in a safe place with care and really didn't know I was there. Her doctor told me to go home and have my dinner with family. DS cooked the roast. The potatoes may have been lumpy. I didn't care. What was important was that everyone was together. Food was the least of my worries that night.

Sorry for the downer. Now back to the upbeat, TGIF thread.

 

[leebee]

The only cooking/baking mishap around here is what's happened to my waistline and hips.

 

[bobbiwoz]

The only cooking/baking mishap around here is what's happened to my waistline and hips.

Me too!

 

[lynxstch]

To add to jello mishaps, you do really have to stir as long as they say and until dissolved. I was impatient and ended up with a hard "sandy" layer on the bottom.

Welcome @dazedx3! Tuna-less casserole, a new twist on an old favorite. LOL

What a great idea. I HATE to touch the ground meat to mix everything in. I will try to remember to do this the next time.

I love this. I realized something similar 6 years ago. DS and DD and their SOs plus some extended family were coming for dinner December 27 for a late Christmas dinner. I got a call that morning that my mother had had a stroke. I ended up going to see her for a while at her nursing home. She was 92, had an advanced directive, was in a safe place with care and really didn't know I was there. Her doctor told me to go home and have my dinner with family. DS cooked the roast. The potatoes may have been lumpy. I didn't care. What was important was that everyone was together. Food was the least of my worries that night.

Sorry for the downer. Now back to the upbeat, TGIF thread.

To the bolded about jello. What I do is I boil the water, then add maybe 1/3 of it to the jello mixture, and stir that well. Let it stand for a minute, then add the rest of the boiling water. It seems to dissolve it a lot better and doesn't leave any of that sandy residue. I then add ice cold water, stir well again, and put in the fridge to set