FromTheMountainToTheSeas – Enjoying today’s Dash 10-2-19

It’s was a wonderful Wednesday and I’m hoping it continues for Thursday. I started this blog yesterday but things evolve so it got postponed until this morning. I’m finishing it up with what I can remember happened yesterday and what’s planned for today. I’ve some family members having surgery today so I’m lifting their medical staff up in prayers and their healing and strength to get through it. Yesterday’s adventures were close to home but I still very much enjoyed them. I got a few errands completed. The drive in to town was nice. We certainly do need the rain. The grass looks parched and I’m afraid it’s not going to be a pretty fall season if the trees don’t get some water soon. I went to the post office and mailed some goodies and surprises to some loved ones. I can’t wait to hear if they like them. The clerk at the post office was so kind and helpful. I’m telling you sometimes I love living in this small town because people are usually so friendly and kind. She saw my package and suggested a better and less expensive way to send it. You wouldn’t get that kind of help in a big ol’ city not so far away. I really appreciated her kindness and of course told her so.

Wednesday night’s supper was Chicken Fried Rice. My Mom taught us how to create something out of left overs and whatever you had in the freezer. She could make it spectacular. I have four chicken breast marinating in the frig with some stuff I threw over them. I will grill them on my indoor grill. My mom gave me that grill and I really enjoy using it…but cleaning it, is a whole other feeling. I took a couple cups of uncooked rice to make about four to five cooked. When I cook rice I add Pollo (chicken) flavor seasoning (it’s in a bright yellow and green can) and some butter. Adding these two to the water really makes the rice tastes better. Then in a sauce pan I sauteed onions, red peppers and chopped celery. I had these veggies in the freezer already chopped. It looked just like Christmas all red, white and green sauteing in the pan. I saute it with EVOO and butter. I added about half of a bag of frozen mixed veggies. I seasoned all that with Cavenders Greek Seasoning and, of course, more butter. I let that saute until the veggies were cooked through. Be sure to splash on a little liquid smoke and a good splash or two of soy sauce to the veggies too. That’s what makes it very good! At this point, I throw the veggies in a serving bowl and then dump the cooked rice in the frying/saute pan and fry the rice with some butter and a little splash of liquid smoke and a bunch of splashes of soy sauce. As it’s frying I broke two eggs and beat them to scramble with the rice. I push the rice out from the center of the pan and put the eggs in the center. I scramble them until firm and when they are done I fold them in with the rice by folding it over and over carefully as to make sure you not smash the rice to mush. Then I cut up two of the small grilled chicken breast into bite size chunks and dump them in the rice mixture and then dumped the cooked veggies back in and mixed it all very well. Then put all of it into a serving dish and fix your dinner plate of grilled chicken and homemade fried rice. This made plenty for us for supper. I had enough left over to make a “TV Dinner” for the freezer for Danny when I leave to the beach and still enough rice for lunch for me tomorrow. It was delicious. I’m so glad my Mom showed me how to look in the freezer and come up with something out of what’s left in there. Yes, indeed. Of course I took photos throughout the process of making Chicken Fried Rice so I’ll add them on here too. When Mother made this she would set the table for Japanese Style Dinner. We each had our own Japanese rice bowl set on a plate, chop sticks if we wanted (I never mastered those) a warm wet napkin in a basket to wipe our fingers, a little thing that looked like an anchor to set your chop sticks on and of course pretty glasses (you got water, milk or kool-aid…no sodas). Her Japanese serving dishes had lids on them that when you flipped them over became little bowls. I have those serving dishes but they’re not here. Supper’s Ready!

I’m going to work on my quilt a little today. When I get finished quilting I’ll share how far I’ve completed. Sister picked out a color for the backing to go on another quilt to finish for her so I’m going to go in search for a sheet in that color to use. I certainly miss having our local fabric store in town. It had the best material which was extra wide to use for backing on quilts. People came from miles to visit and shop or just browse the textiles. Sadly it all burned and they never replaced the store. It is so sad when I go down that road and it’s just a big empty lot still. Time to get busy with today’s adventures. You never know where life will take you. Life is short so live, love, laugh, forgive, remember and keeping moving! Hugs from the mountains today!