Song of the day - Every Day A Little Death

 This song has been running through my head all day today.  This morning on FB, someone in one of the groups I belong to asked which character in a Sondheim musical are you?  I answered Countess Charlotte Malcolm.  If you've ever seen the show, you understand.  We definitely have the same dry wit and, to a degree, the same self torment.  If I could ever play a woman's role in the theatre, this one would be at the top of my list!

Recipe of the week - Picante Chicken

 I found this recipe in the First Baptist Church of Monroe's 1991 cookbook.  It's a recipe from the fabulous Pauline Funderburk, a wonderful cook and amazing human being.  I'm always looking for new chicken recipes and this one was easy and delicious.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!  Definitely a keeper!

Picante Chicken

4 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned

1 15oz jar picante sauce

2 Tbsp corn oil

1 Tbsp lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray pyrex dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Place chicken breasts in baking dish.  Mix together all other ingredients and pour over chicken.  Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.  You may choose to marinate the chicken in the sauce mixture for a few hours before baking.

*I didn't have lime juice, so I used lemon and it was just fine!

Quote of the day

 

Song of the day - Saving All My Love

 I heard this song on the radio today at work.  I had not heard it in a long time but I have this album on vinyl now :)  When I first got it, back in 84/85, it was on cassette tape.  I believe that I still have that tape somewhere actually.  Still, hearing it again brought back a lot of memories, as music usually does for me.  That album has a lot of great songs on it and this was my favorite.  Even though at the time, I didn't understand what the song was actually about, I would still sing it at the top of my lungs...when no one was around to witness.  A great song by a great singer, another one gone too soon.  Enjoy!

Recipe of the week - Ham Salad

 Ham salad is not something that I grew up with.  Now, we did have deviled ham, but to me that is something entirely different.  Now that I am cooking more, ham is something that I always seem to have leftovers of.  This is fine but sometimes I want to do something different with the leftovers.  I've put them in my hashbrown casserole before and cooked them with eggs, both are great.  So, I decided to search for a ham salad recipe and came across this one online.  We both really enjoyed it and I hope you will too.  It has definitely been added to my recipe cycle!

Ham Salad

1 1/2 pounds boneless cooked ham

1 hard boiled egg

1 stalk celery, roughly chopped

2 tsps finely chopped onion

2 tsps sweet pickle relish

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp prepared mustard

salt and pepper

Put the ham, egg, celery and onion into a blender or food processor.  Pulse 20-25 times to mince.  Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl then stir in the minced ham mixture.  Cover and chill for several hours.

This makes a great sandwich but I also enjoy it with crackers!

Song of the day - Moon River

 

Just felt like starting my week off with a little Mancini!  Enjoy!

Antique of the day - Curio Cabinet

 

I have loved this piece for at least 30 years, even though it has been in the family much longer than that.  It is one of the true antiques that I own, in that it is over 100 years old.  I have many pieces that will become antiques soon but this one has already achieved that prestige.

This china cabinet has lived in more places than I have.  In 1909, Aunt Mary Lee and Uncle Bunyan began housekeeping in Wingate, NC.  This curio was part of that household.  During their marriage they lived in New York City, Fredericksburg, VA, Nashville, TN, and Raleigh, NC.  When Mary Lee left Raleigh in the 70's to live with Aunt Sara in Wingate, this piece made it's way to Aunt Billie's home in Wilmington, NC.  That is where I first remember it, in her dining room filled to the brim with treasures I would spend hours looking at.

Bunyan and Mary Lee Tyner, Fredericksburg, VA

When Billie died, it came to Mom and stayed in our house for about 10 years before it passed on to me here in Greensboro.  And it's been in several places here in town as well.  I'm amazed that it still has its original glass.

It is oak veneer.  There are 3 removable shelves in addition to the bottom shelf of the piece.  The glass door and two glass side panels are curved and the doorlock still works.  It's a beautiful piece that I treasure.  I don't keep it as full as I could because I like to switch things out from time to time.  I have gotten great use out of it and hopefully will pass it on in the family one day!

Quote of the day

I say this a lot these days.  No explanation needed 😉

 

Song of the day - By Strauss

 

I recently relistened this wonderful album by Maureen McGovern.  Her vocal range is amazing.  I remember first hearing this album when someone made a tape of it for Mom.  Every song is so much fun.  The album was recorded in front of a live audience.  It was in a recording studio that was set up to replicate a cabaret setting.  It's well worth a listen!  Enjoy!

Recipe of the week - Prize Winning Meatloaf

 I'm not sure what prizes this dish won, but I did enjoy it.  And, it's easy...always a plus.  I had not made a meatloaf in years, not since we got our new oven, so I figured it was time.  However, I could not find my standby meatloaf recipe so I searched for another one.  It just so happened as I was reading another "new to me" cookbook I'd gotten at the used bookstore, I came upon this recipe and decided to give it a try.  We both enjoyed it and I hope you do too!

Ingredients

1.5 lbs ground beef 

3/4 cup uncooked oats

1/4 onion, chopped

1/5 tsps salt

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup ketchup

1 egg,beaten

1 Tbsp mustard

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Add milk if mixture is dry or flour if mixture is too moist.  Mold in a loaf an dpack firmly into an ungreased 9X5" loaf pan.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

I had never used oats in meatloaf before, but I liked it and it's probably a little healthier than bread crumbs, which are traditionally used.  I will say, though, that I could not slice this particularly well.  It kept falling apart.  Nevertheless, it tasted great!  I served it with the Delicious Potatoes that I blogged awhile back and it was a delicious combo!  Enjoy!

Antique of the day - the bride's basket

Bride's baskets were a popular trend that began in the mid 19th century through the early part of the 20th century.  They were first very expensive gifts made of sterling or coin silver.  Many times the baskets were used for the flower girls to throw petals down the church aisle.  Often after the wedding, the bride's bouquet would be placed in the basket for display during the reception.  Later on they would have many uses such as a place for calling cards, serving dishes or centerpieces.  Mostly you find them these days made of silverplate.  Sometimes there is a glass bowl inserted as well.  They are lovely.

The one in the picture is mine.  It now sits on my buffet rather than in the china closet.  I love antique pieces that are stemmed.  I bought this during a trip to the local antiques mall years ago, along with a crystal compote and a milk glass banana boat.  There's definitely a pattern there LOL  I remember that Aunt Billie had one in her dining room.  It sat on top of the music cabinet and was filled with green glass grapes.  I'm not sure where hers ended up.  I enjoy mine and use it put the daily mail in.  Hey, if you have it you might as well find a use for it!  

Quote of the day

We need more of this in today's world:

Song of the Day - Child in Me Again

During all of this craziness, I have been thinking a great deal about my childhood.  It was such a different time for me, obviously, with few worries and the freedom to just be.  I cherish that and often wish I could find that again.  I've loved Nancy Lamott for 20+ years now and her version of this song just makes me feel good.  And the flute solo is fun as well :)  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltOBpxOXejU

Escapades in Adulting - Insurance

One of the necessities of being an adult is having insurance.  Actually it is not as much a necessity as it is a luxury in this country.  Thousands upon thousands of people do not have insurance for one reason or another.  And there have been times in my life that I was one of those people.  Of course, it is at those times when I worried most about getting sick, but luckily I never did.  Growing up and into young adulthood, I had insurance through my parents.  Also, being in school gave me the opportunity for insurance.  My first full time job generously paid for my insurance.  Then, when I went back to school to finish my degree, I had insurance again through school.  

When I graduated I was able to keep my school insurance for a few months, but that ended before I found full time employment.  That was stressful just knowing that safety net was not in place.  However, I finally did get a job and after three months' employment, I was able to get insurance again.  This was in January of 2018.  I never really needed to use it but I paid roughly $100 per paycheck for it.  Fast forward to March of 2020, just before the pandemic really hit.  I started as a new patient with a wonderful doctor because I discovered, at work, that my BP was very high and I needed to get that under control.  I accidentally took an old insurance card with me.  Oops.  No problem, they told me, I could send the information over as soon as I got it.  I faxed them the current information later on that afternoon.  Easy as can be, right?  Wrong!!

They were told by the insurance company that the account was inactive.  Hmmmmm ok.  The same thing happened to the next 2 doctors I went to.  They all got the same response that the insurance was inactive.  I sat in one my superior's office at work while we called the insurance broker who said that everything was up to date and active and had no idea why this was happening.  So, then I begin to get a series of bills from the doctors.  Of course they want to be paid for their services....who doesn't?  Yet each bill I received all had the same message:  insurance not available at time of service.  Now, mind you, I'm starting to get angry because I've been paying someone a lot of money to be "not available".  

My HR has gotten involved, going above duty to help me with this.  Corporate HR has gotten involved as well.  And yet, everyone is giving us all the runaround.  My dermatologist office's billing got their claim denied 3 times and the last attempt they made, the very nice woman was transferred by BC/BS 4 times during her call and each person she talked to said they'd never heard of me and I was not one of their clients?

So, now I'm sitting on about $2000 worth of medical bills that are coming past due.  Cone Health has begun calling from their billing dept so collections are just around the corner if I cannot get this fixed in time.  It's very frustrating to say the least.  It makes me think I just try my luck with my BP and hope nature will take care of it.

In the meantime, I would like the over five thousand dollars I have paid over the last 32 months.  The money had to go somewhere, right?  It needs to come back to me.  Anyway, that's my insurance tale for right now.  Hopefully I can update soon with a happy ending to this situation.

Cheers!