Puddle Duck Friday

Ahoy, sistas!

We will all be afloat the next few days here in Texas. Actually I'm quite glad for the rain. I hope we don't have serious flooding, but they are predicting up to 12 inches on Saturday. There's some big hurricane making landfall on the west coast of Mexico today and the remnants will hit Texas tomorrow.

BUT, we are in a severe drought and I'm glad for the rain. Also it gives me an excuse/reason to rest here at the house a few days. Thank goodness.

So this morning I need to make a quick run to the store for provisions before the heavy rains start. And a run by the bank! LOL! For those of you not on FB, here's my taping/repair job on the $100 bill:

The bank manager said if the serial numbers were intact, she would exchange it. Cross your fingers and swing chickens for me! I sure can't afford to lose $100!

Damn dog.

So I'm actually looking forward to the next 3 days. I'm going to hunker down in my cozy little house and I plan to sew! I'm going to try quilting Pita's baby quilt. And maybe make another bear or memory pillow. Make a big pot of soup and a pan of cornbread and I'm set for the weekend. Jeannie, I think I'm going to make my Shrimp Stew. Or maybe potato and shrimp soup. Both are wonderful. Y'all interested in the recipes?

Hope everyone wakes up feeling whole and well today. I woke up with my usual headache, but it's starting to ease up now. Connie, I sure hope your arm is better today! Gracious. What a terrible reaction to a flu shot some of you are having. Mom got hers with no problems at all. I haven't had one yet. I'm on the fence about flu shots. Not sure I think they're all that effective.

I'd better scoot and get my shopping done before it floods. Love you all!

Vic,

Hook me up with that shrimp stew recipe...we are going to have a rainy weekend too and I need something good to make.

I hope you get your taped hundred replaced...damn dog indeed.

Here's the recipe, Jeannie. You can take lots of shortcuts by using canned or frozen veggies and pre-cooked shrimp. Or you can use the fresh veggies and shrimp. Just adjust cooking times if using all fresh ingredients.

(I think I missed my window of opportunity to go to the store. The rains have started. I'll be making the shrimp and potato soup today since I have the ingredients for that on hand.)

Vickie's Shrimp Stew

½ stick butter

½ lg onion, chopped

2 lg stalks celery, chopped

½ lg green bell pepper, chopped

½ tsp chopped garlic from a jar (or 1 clove garlic, chopped)

3 TB flour

1 14-oz can of stewed tomatoes, plus 1 can water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

Okra, canned, frozen or fresh*

Corn niblets, canned, frozen or fresh*

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Salt & pepper to taste

2 TB Worcestershire

Several shots of Louisiana Hot Sauce

1 lb. package of cooked frozen shrimp, peeled & deveined, thawed (or buy a couple of those small shrimp rings when they're on sale)

Hot cooked rice

In large pot, saute chopped onion, celery and peppers in butter over medium heat, just until they soften. Then add chopped garlic and cook another minute or so. Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook and stir for about 3 minutes until the mixture gets light brown. Add tomatoes and cook and stir for another 5 minutes. Mixture will be golden brown. Now blend in water, bouillon cubes, and veggies. (If you are using fresh veggies, add another 15 minutes to cooking time.) Add in Worcestershire sauce and LA hot sauce. Taste to adjust seasonings. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse shrimp and remove tails. If shrimp are very large, rough chop into bite sized pieces. Just before serving, add shrimp to stew and cook only 2 to 3 minutes, just until shrimp are heated through. Do not overcook the shrimp.

Serve stew over hot buttered rice.

*For canned okra, I use 2 cans of okra & tomatoes, do not rinse. For frozen okra, use about ½ the package. For fresh okra, wash, slice, and use about 2 cups. Exact measurements are not required.

*For canned corn, use one can of niblets. For frozen corn, use about ½ cup. Or if you have fresh corn, slice the niblets off the cob and use about ½ cup. Note: fresh vegetables require longer cooking time.

Good morning Vickie and everyone....

Vickie...I sure hope they take that bill at the bank. From what I can see it has all the serial numbers.

It is wonderful that you are getting rain. Two reasons, one you need it and two it will keep you home doing sewing that you love! ENJOY your day!! I love you much!

As for me....I do feel better today. I am allergic to so many medications I always get sick after any kind of shot. This was the pneumonia shot. I had the flu shot last month and I was sick from that for three days. I have to have the shots. I get so sick with bronchitis and pneumonia every winter. A bad flu is all through the North building here. We are in the South, only a walk way away. I pray it doesn't hit here!! I am not even going on walks through that building.

My driver, Fran will be here at 1:00 to take me on a couple errands. She couldn't come as usual on Wednesday. I really wish I didn't need to go. I had a busier week and am already tired out. Although, I do have fun with Fran. She always makes me laugh!!

All the beautiful leaves have fallen off most of the pretty trees outside my window. It is starting to look way too much like winter around here. I need to get some new snow boots this year. I better look for some today before they are gone! I swear they put them out right after the 4th of July...how crazy is that?

I better get dressed. I am still sitting here in my cozy robe after my shower earlier. I also need to go over my shopping list and see if I have everything written down that I need.

Wishing you all a good day!!!!

Remember to at least smile at someone today. It may be the only smile they get.

Prayers for all our beautiful OFF Family and their families. Special prayers as needed. I love you all!!!

Fran just called to say she was picking me up at noon instead of one....better get ready!!!

Loads of love and lots of hugs to all...connie d

Fabulous job of putting the bill together...surely the bank won't refuse now!

You are going to find out if your new house is watertight!

Can you post potato shrimp soup? I have a container of ready made gourmet roasted potato leek soup. I always add things to pre-made foods like soups and pizzas, so since I have a bag of frozen pre-cooked shrimp, surely there is more to it than tossing the thawed tail off shrimp in and heating through?

Enjoy the sewing break and watch the rain come down. Sunny and cold here, down to freezing at night. Rain due next week, will strip all our pretty fall leaves for spooky Halloween, and then comes November, the ugliest darkest month until snow arrives. Christmas is soon here!

Hugs,

Jen

Sure, Jen. It's a very simple soup. Not exactly low calorie, but so delicious! I'm sure you can modify it to suit your ingredients you have on hand.

POTATO SOUP WITH SHRIMP

6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb medium shrimp
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 4 cups milk, whole, reduced fat (2%), or low fat (1%)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1/2 cup hot milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 medium carrots, diced about the same size as the onion
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 stick butter
• sharp cheddar cheese, grated, for garnish
• 1 sprig dill, for garnish (optional)
• bacon, cooked crisp and cut into pieces for garnish

Preparation

In a 4-quart saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the onion and carrots until both are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, milk and dissolved bouillon cubes. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft and some of them have begun to dissolve into mush. Add the half-and-half, salt and pepper.

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups lightly salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp all at once and stir well. Watch the shrimp closely; as soon as they all turn pink, about 2-3 minutes, turn off the heat and drain. The shrimp should be slightly undercooked. When they are cool, peel them, and chop roughly into big chunks. Add the shrimp to the soup and stir well. Serve soup sprinkled with bacon bits and grated cheddar cheese and garnished with fresh dill.

Cook's Note: If you don't have access to shrimp, use corn.

Hi Vickie....this is the recipe I was going to ask you for. It sounds really good!! I will probably 1/2 the recipe the first time I make it. Too much for one person. Does it freeze well or don't you know??

Thank you so much!!

Love you bunches....oodles of hugs...connie d

Thanks for posting soup recipe, have full cream and milk on hand, also little potatoes and onions ans some asparagus, and shredded cheddar and asiago , so think can doctor my ready made into something more like yours with my additions and the bag of shrimp. Sounds delish and will divide into portions and freeze

Thanks again for posting

jen

Connie and Jen,

I don't know if this soup freezes well because frankly there's never been any left to freeze! LOL! My family devours this soup when I make it. I've never had much luck freezing cooked potatoes though. Seems to change them to mush. However, this soup is MADE of mushy potatoes, so it just might work!

Now that there's just me, I will probably cut the recipe in half, too. And I might try freezing it. LOL!

Hey Everybody!

I am finally beginning to feel like a fraction of my old self! Still sitting alot, but also getting out.

Went to knee Dr yesterday... severe arthritis causing my pain. Off to physical therapy 1st time in my life. Then got long overdue haircut & wax job. My wonderful sister gave me some money with strict instructions to spoil myself. She had stopped down Wednesday...

We did make the mistake of going to see Jazz cheer yesterday. Had to walk a mile to the damn bleachers. Jim used his cane and it about killed him and I was so weak afterwards had to take a 5pm nap.

Lots going on here...

Connie, really wish I could do something/anything for you. I hate to hear you're in such pain or depressed. Hope you can struggle thru to some better days. Anything happening on moving?

Eileen, glad you are happy living with your brother. You deserve peace. It sounds like your panic attacks have subsided. And your brother sounds like a real old fashioned gentleman!

Vickie, I love my dog too much to lay a finger on her, but if she did that I think I'd have to beat her ass! You did do a good job restoring the bill...hope they honor it. And watch for flooding...this hurricane sounds alot like Katrina...for western Mexico, but you'll be getting the remnants...

Arlene, I'm sorry, but it cracks me up the way you describe your ex. I am not laughing at his condition, but the situations we land in throughout life. I can almost see you shaking your head as you think about or deal with his various behaviors. It's bad enough to have to tolerate stuff when we are married, but divorced? OMG!

And just FYI...if all us girls ever posted ass shots I would definitely win for fattest. Mine was 60 inches last year, like a shelf you could put big items on, and black men used to constantly eye 'the junk in my trunk!'

Judy, sounds like your work week has been more tolerable plus it was nice your boss paying for dinner!

Don't know where Mary, Cindi B & Trish have been...hope just busy.

Well, gotta sign off. Jazz has friends over as we are taking them for pizza before they go on the Halloween trail. Lucky me will be sitting the fun out supervising from the car. They are dressing up as I post...love Halloween.

Everyone have a good evening.