4th of July..who is cooking?

[KYHeirloomer]

Number one irony of the 21st century: Walmart keeps telling how green it is. But they do it with plastic signs. And you can't find a paper bag in the place.

Jafo, the only way I've found to beat the bagboy syndrome is to pack the groceries myself. Not only do I do a better job, it gives me an opportunity to get back at them. Typical scenerio:

After I have opened and double bagged paper sacks (as an aside, have you ever seen the grocery guy try that? First he opens both bags. Then he tries to fit the second one into the first. Kind of amusing. But I digress), the grocery guy comes over and make a move towards my goods.

"I'll take care of that," sez himself.

"Are you sure. Don't you want me to do that?"

"No, I want you to go away."

He/she leaves. And within a minute or two a different one comes steps up to the plate.

"You want me to do that?"
"No, I want you to go find a real job, as you can't handle this one."

Etc.

So, comes the time this idiot says, "If I don't do that I'll lose my job."

He got very upset when I responded, "then you better get your resume together, cuz you ain't touching my groceries." The store manager actually got involved on that one. I told him point blank that the day he gave the packers even a modicum of training I might consider letting them pack my groceries. He didn't like that very much. But the significant part is he didn't argue the lack of training comment.

At Walmart---returning to the topic---they are actually taught to put as much heavy stuff as possible into those flimsey plastic sacks. Left to their own devices, every canned good you buy will be tossed into one of them.

Yeah, that's what I want, my groceries scattered all over the parking lot.

 

[jglass]

Don't you just hate that, Janie?

We had a motorhome, once, that was designed by an idiot on a Monday morning.

The AC unit was mounted right above the cooktop, and if you ran the AC it would blow out the flames. No kidding. So the only way to cook, inside, on a blistering day, was without the AC running.

Sounds like the same person designed these apartments and that motorhome.

 

[jglass]

Well guys I did my thing today.
Everyone liked the food.
I took potato salad, cole slaw, deviled eggs, hotdog sauce, baked beans, chocolate chip brownies, dark chocolate cupcakes, pasta salad & smoked chicken. Jons Dad made some green beans from the garden and fried some new potatoes. His other daughter in law is pregnant and wanted salmon cakes so he made her some. He made hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill and I asked him to grill some slices of young zuchinni for me. I went out to the garden and got cucumbers and put them in some apple cider vinegar with salt/pepper. Reminds me..I have got to get that man a pepper grinder and some peppercorns or start taking mine with me.

On a rotten note after dinner I went to the garden to get some fresh thyme and a few peppers and found one of our bell pepper plants cut off about 2 inches from the dirt and a %$#@**%!!!! cut worm hanging out of it! It was covered with about 12 little baby peppers. Pardon my french but those damn things
Im very worried about the peppers now. If those worms are in one of them they are probably in more

 

[Mama Mangia]

Other than the pepper plant - it sounds like it went well for you.

I'm done for the day - still have salads leftover for tomorrow - so it's easy cooking tomorrow - semi-break for me.

It's quiet out there tonight - not as noisyas other years! Thank heaven! Maybe I can catch some very much needed sleep!

 

[jglass]

Im glad your getting some sleep.
It started raining here about midnight and I havent heard anymore pops since then.

 

[KYHeirloomer]

Janie, rain or not, here is a must-do project for you today.

Take a box of wooden matches (or a bunch of small sticks). Flank each pepper (and tomato) plant with two matches. Push them in so they are about an inch into the soil, but actually touching the plant stem.

In order to do it's nasty work, a cutworm must totally encircle the plant stem. Anything that prevents full contact is a deterrent. One match (or stick) will do it, but I'm a big believer in redundency.

The longer you delay doing this the more plants you will lose.

 

[jglass]

I called Jon's Dad and he actually knew about that one and had gotten out there first thing this morning and done it. I had never heard of it before.

I was afraid he wouldnt do anything about it. He doesnt even like the peppers. He puts them out for me. I try and wait til stuff gets some size on it before picking but with all of the bugs and wildlife eating the garden and the weather it may be better to get them while I can. I would love to leave the bell peppers on til they turn red and same with atleast some of the jalapenos but if I do I may loose them all together. Everyone here has had a really bad time with bugs.

 

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Hi Janie,
Sounds like everyone had a nice 4th I know we did, and of-course still eating leftovers today!
I am wondering why our bugs are only minimal, I've found a couple of tomato horn worms (they make wonderful snacks for our chickens ha-ha that causes such a ruckus in the hen yard!!), and stink bugs, most of the bad kritters have gone over to the 3 big sunflowers we planted! I have no problem with that! The only thing I have had to use seven dust on is the eggplants. They seem to be very tasty to something almost invisible to the naked eye! And there is a minute size bug that loves my okra also. Other than that we are fairing well. Picked a few Brandywine tomatoes today, and some yellow variety and many rutgers are ripe. Love fresh tomatoes!
Well we leave for KOA on Mon & will return home Fri. I can't wait!