Paper, Plastic or Permanent??

Depending on how old you are, you may remember when plastic bags first came out. We all heard the words "paper or plastic" so many times that we we grew tired of them. Somewhere between then and now, they quit asking and now you just get plastic bags. You have to ask for paper bags, if your grocery store even still carries them. 


Sometime in the past few years (which to me means any time from '92 to '09) a new bag was introduced by the green police. Cloth bags are the new thing. They're reusable and don't add trash to the landfill - unless of course they tear or break. 


When we lived in Connecticut, back in the early 90's, I can remember using canvas bags to take to the store for my groceries. I think they must have had some sort of promotion going because I can't for the life of me remember why else I would have done it. Maybe that's when it started.


Now you can go into almost any grocery store here in Georgia and find the bags, complete with the store's name right on them - in a variety of colors sometimes. 


I've been reusing the plastic bags as trash bags for various purposes and have been able to keep my supply and demand fairly balanced. However, sometime in the past few months, my supply has far outweighed my demand. I decided it was time to look into the permanent bags again. I thought I would hate them, but use them anyhow because they were "good for the environment" and wouldn't cause an avalanche whenever my hall door was opened.. 


NEWS FLASH - I really, really like them! They're easier to carry, you use less bags and I don't have to worry about where to store them until it's time to use them again. I have one big freezer bag we got from a discount club and I put all my littler bags inside that. Then I put them all by the door until I go out again.


Now if I can just use up the plastic bags that are flowing out of the hall closet sometime before the end of this decade. 

So tell me - paper, plastic or did you bring your own bags?? lol lol

Easy Chicken & Dumplin's

Well I promised some recipes and here's my first one. It's really easy, I think. Hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you try it, how it turned out. I took a few different recipes and adapted them making one really good and easy recipe. I have to start taking pictures of my creations. Since this is making me hungry, maybe the photo won't be too long in appearing. Peace be with you all.

Easy Chicken & Dumplin's

1 roasted chicken - take meat off bones, making bite size pieces and set aside

1/4 cup butter (not margarine)

1 tbsp oil

1 lb baby carrots, sliced

1/2 cup diced celery

1 1/2 - 2 tsp. minced garlic (to suite your taste)

1 cup all-purpose flour

2-32 oz boxes chicken broth

14 oz can vegetable broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

can of Grands biscuits, cut each biscuit into quarters

In a large stock pot, melt butter and heat oil over medium heat. Add carrot, celery and garlic. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the broths 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.

Let sauce simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in heavy cream. Fold the chicken into the sauce and bring up to a simmer. Gently place biscuit quarters into the hot mixture. They should cover the top of the sauce, but not be crowded. Let the dumplin's cook for 10-15 minutes more until they look done. Enjoy. Should feed 4-6 people.

All in the name of school spirit

Can anyone explain to me exactly when our school system stopped being run by adults? I guess I should clarify that - adults with common sense. My 14-year-old daughter went to school yesterday dressed like she was ready to go on the war path - face paint everywhere! "'Tis a war" she cried! Here in Georgia, yesterday, it was cold - between 45 and 60 if I remember correctly. They had planned to have water sports in their war. I thought surely common sense would win out and they would not have the water sports on such a day. I guess common sense isn't common anymore. My child is being taught by other children! Most of her teachers are under 30 and haven't got the sense God gave a mule. Ok, maybe I'm being a little harsh, but since it's my blog and I really need to vent, I'm gonna let that one go. She spent all her energy yesterday at school - even woke up at 5:30 am to get ready for this. We're talking about a child who gives her brother death stares if he dares to be too loud on a Saturday before noon. When she came home, she was still a little pumped. However, when it came time to do the one chore that I ask her to do - she was "exhausted". Well I suggested she find just a little more umph inside her to get it done, which she did, albeit begrudgingly. 
At 8pm, she looked really tired and I suggested she go to bed. She agreed with me and started towards the back. Of course, she had to be the BMOC and tell her brother that I was "making" her go to bed. 
Fast forward to this morning. She's "too tired" to go to school. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to teach her a little bit about life - everything you do comes with a price. We all make choices in life and have to deal with those consequences. Even my writing this blog may have it's consequences, but that's my choice. Good or bad, I must deal with it. 
She kept saying that her teacher told her she "had" to dress up and get all excited about the Grizzly Games. I told her that the only things she "had" to do were breathe and sleep - we all know that paying taxes is optional. Just ask Leona Helmsley. 
Needless to say, she finished getting ready and went to school this morning. And yes, that is one of the choices I made which has consequences. In this country, we still have the choice of either sending our children to public school, private school or home school. 
She will go to the high school next year. Please pray for us both.
Peace be with you all.

Just a newbie

This is my first blog. I still am not sure exactly how this will all go, but I hope you enjoy what you read. If you have an opinion that differs from mine, please be respectful. Any posts with foul or hateful language will be deleted if that is possible. I will share recipes, opinions and possibly book reviews if all works well. Peace be with you all.