The Bargain Gourmet

It's been a while since I've posted anything about actually feeding Mama so I thought I'd let you in on our dinner plans. I have discovered that you can find some really excellent bargains in the meat department at Super Target. I kind of hate to mention it because I don't really want you to get there first but I am basically good at heart, so sharing that wins out. Anyhoo... I scored some pork loin roasts for unbelieveably cheap this week which is a good thing because Sister Jane and her hubby Don are driving down today from Atlanta for a short visit. So I'm going to marinate those puppies (the pork loins, not real puppies... I'm not Instapundit by any stretch of the imagination!) I'm going to cook up a ginger-peach marinade for them to soak in all day and then cook them on the grill with some fresh peaches if it isn't raining. If it is raining, which looks likely, I'll cook them in the oven and make some peach chutney to put on top. Throw in some baked sweet potatoes and whatever fresh veg looks good when I go to the store and call it dinner! No salt will be added and I'm thinking it should turn out really well. If it does I'll give you the recipe. If it doesn't... well then forget I mentioned it. Happy Saturday!

Sweet harmony or a recipe for disaster?

Here's an excellent article on seeking mediation when issues arise among siblings when one or more are providing care for their elder parents. When it works it can be great but sometimes even long buried issues or resentments can come back to haunt you. It's good to know that there are folks trained to mediate that sort of thing.

Where Angels Fear to Tread

As I previously mentioned, my son and his family will be moving in with Mama and me soon so there's a lot to be done around Casa de Feedin' Mama to make room. Yesterday they came by in the evening and we ventured into the Garage of Shame. It must be cleared out because we need the space for storage and I must confess now before God and everybody that I have a definite tendency toward pack-ratiness... so my garage is, indeed, the Garage of Shame. Inside the house I have Closets of Doom to continue the theme and they will have to be dealt with as well. This is going to be hard but I think cathartic as well for me. I've just accumulated and accumulated over the 10 years since I moved in here with Mama and it's beyond time to sort through, clear out and simplify. Scary stuff but it Must. Be. Done!!!

Anyhoo... we got a huge pile of drek dragged out to the trash pile last night, the trash pickers were busily going through it this morning and the garbage truck guys got the rest so we've gotten off to a good start. I just have to be strong and keep tossing and donating until I have it all down to a manageable level. I've got friends (and you too Janey!) that will push and coax and encourage me and who will help me get the remainder organized so God bless them. Your prayers and good wishes for courage, strength and my sanity will be much appreciated.

G'night John Boy

Well it looks as though Casa de Feedin' Mama is about to expand into a four-generation household. James the Elder will be moving his family in with Mama and me in the near future... just like the Waltons! (Although Mama has a much better temperament than their Grandma had thank goodness.) I think with the economy the way it is we're going to be seeing more and more intergenerational households forming. Overall, I think it's a good thing for young ones to grow up in extended family situations whether in the same household or not as long as everyone is on pretty much the same page. And I think it can be good for older folks as well, especially if their health is reasonably good. Having little ones around can help keep us all younger.

In our particular situation Mommy Nicole will be able to stay at home with baby Molly and be around to help Mama with her meals and rides and such while James and I concentrate on bringing home the bacon (or low-sodium meat product?). We're hoping it's a good plan for all concerned. The down side being a wish that we had more bedrooms and more than one bathroom. But like Mama said, we'll just make it work. And when baby Molly moves in, maybe Nana can influence her to get back to blogging!

Auntie Em, Auntie Em!

Wow, this was just out in the river a couple of blocks from here. It went right by us but never came on land, thank God.

Mama and I hung out in the middle room of the house for a bit but all we got was some rain for my tomatoes and summer squash. On another note, I've been a sick child for a while. Started with an infection and then had a nasty reaction to an antibiotic. Posting here should resume soon as I'm finally starting to feel a whole lot better.

This one is particularly cool but you have to go to the TU site to see it.

Here's another picture taken from our north - we're just inland from that spout at this point

Let Them Eat Pie!

I got this link today courtesy of my friend Joan. It's a thought-provoking article by a woman who finds herself wishing she had been a little less stringent about the things she had cooked for her father in his later years. She makes a good point, for a lot of folks a life of low-fat, sodium-free eating is not a life they enjoy living. For others, it's a good trade-off that they are more than willing to make. I think the trick is to find the reasonable middle ground. On the one hand, you couldn't reasonably serve up Cinnabons and a frappucino to a brittle diabetic just because you wanted them to be happy on their birthday and I wouldn't feed Mama bacon and fritos just because she was bored with her low-sodium diet. You might as well put a gun to their heads. But on the other hand you can often find ways to relax dietary restrictions that won't be lethal when it would make life a little more enjoyable. Like most of life, it's a matter of balance. And choice.

She's a Precocious One

So Mama joined facebook today all by herself. The first I heard of it was when I got a friend request from her. I suggested some friends for her and sent her a picture to use for her profile but if she joins Mafia Wars she's on her own...