Saturday's list

I cleaned yesterday. The carpet gets so dirty in the main pathway of the motorhome and I can only stand it so long. So cleaning and laundry were on my todo list. Is it finished? Never...when one lives in a small space there is always something needing to be cleaned but it looks better and I feel better knowing it is as clean as I can get it.
When Butch and I decide to pare down our belongings we always choose our southern location to get it done because when there is a garage sale here it is a big deal and if you have your merchandise priced low enough it will fly out the door. There is a garage sale the first Saturday of each month but we always choose the December garage sale to get it out of the way and because there is always a good crowd for that one. So as I cleaned yesterday I kept an eye out for things I could do without and things too good to throw away. I have a few more cupboards to go through with that goal in mind.

I finished reading The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin. It was about the blizzard that hit the mid section of the country on January 12th, 1888. The weather was very mild in the beginning of that January day so the school children wore lighter than normal clothing to go to school. The blizzard hit suddenly and unexpectedly that so many people were caught unprepared and unaware and especially the children trying to make their way home from school. It is a heartbreakingly true story.

Last night we had a feast for supper. I didn't particularly plan a feast but it turned out that way. We had grilled carrot burgers, cauliflower salad and acorn squash. It is not so much what we had as it was the preparation. And those of you who know Mr. Pickypants, otherwise known as Butch would have been amazed at how much and how enthusiastiacily he ate.

Carrot burgers:
1 lb. Hamburger
1 carrot,grated
Mix and season as usual. Form into patties and grill as usual.

Cauliflower salad:
I make my usual potato salad recipe but I use cauliflower instead of potatoes. I cut the cauliflower in small pieces and microwave it on high for about 5 minutes. Do not add water. Cool and add the remaining ingredients from your potato salad recipe.

Acorn squash:
I pierce it and cook it for about 3 minutes in the microwave and then cut it in half and take out the seeds. Cook it for an additional 3 minutes face down and then remove the squash from the outer skin. Place it in a microwavable bowl and I sprinkle it very lightly with Splenda brown sugar and a couple of slices of crisp cooked bacon that have been crumbled. If it seems dry I spray it with 'I can't believe it's not butter' spray or olive oil  but yesterdays squash seemed plenty moist. I then cook it for a couple of minutes to get it hot and make sure that it is cooked through.

If you are familiar with the South Beach diet it is somewhere between Phase 1 and Phase two...and quite delicious.