I am normally an outdoors person. I am usually in the house to shower and sleep.
We eat at restaurants for lunch and dinner almost every day. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the only days when there are TV shows on that I always try to watch (except for pro and college football.)
So, in recent weeks, the restrictions placed on our daily lives have really caused me to reorganize my activities.
I have had to relearn how to thaw and cook. We have two large freezers that for some reason keep acquiring more packages.
I don’t hunt anymore, so all of our meat has to come from the grocery. We freeze it to keep until we are ready to use it. Then, I have to thaw. So, I have to think a day or two ahead to figure what I am going to fix for meals.
It was much easier when I just had to look at a menu and tell our server what I wanted. (And, I didn’t have to clean up the mess.)
The TV is on most of the day and much of the night now. The shows are still the same, and I don’t watch it much. I was told other people watch it for hours at a time. I just turn mine on for the noise.
I reverted to my younger days, set up a card table and rummaged through my room for some jigsaw puzzles.
I now work a 1,000-piece puzzle in three days, then start another one. I could do it faster, but Susie yells at me to come to bed at about 2 o’clock in the morning.
I have a lot of outdoor work to do, but the weather has either been cold or raining or both.
A few days ago, it was actually warm and sunny, so we both went outside. She picked up sticks all over the yard, while I tried out the new Minelab Vanquish metal detector I recently acquired.
I started in our yard, which I had detected numerous times in the past. My first signal was about six inches deep. A dirty coin came out of the ground, and it was a wheat penny. My next two digs were a dime and a quarter.
Not bad considering how many times I had missed these coins with my other machines.
I have numerous permissions from locations that should contain lots of great treasures.
As soon as the weather improves, I shall take my detector out and find what the ground holds.
The grass is turning green. In a week or two, Susie will have to start mowing. If that sounds mean to you, the riding mower is hers, and I’m only allowed to approach it to put gas in it. I will actually get to charge the battery, check the oil and tires, and get it out of the shed for her soon.
The only good thing about spending more time indoors is I get to try more recipes.
One of the new ones I tried is definitely a “keeper.” Check it out.
Peanut Butter Crispy Brownies
Ingredients
1 package brownie mix or your favorite from scratch recipe (13×9-inch pan size)
1½ cups chunky peanut butter
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups Rice Krispies
Directions
Line the 13-by-9-inch pan with parchment, letting paper extend over the sides. Prepare and bake brownie mix according to package directions. Cool in pan for an hour. Place in refrigerator until cold.
Spread chunky peanut butter over brownies. Put chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until melted in 30 second intervals, stirring after each. When smooth, stir in Rice Krispies. Spread over peanut butter brownies. Return to refrigerator covered until set, about 30 minutes. Lift parchment to remove brownies from pan. Cut into bars and keep cool.
Tips: I only had smooth peanut butter, so I crushed ¼ cup peanuts and spread on top of peanut butter layer. If someone in your family doesn’t like peanut butter, bake the brownies, then cut the other ingredients in half and just spread over half the brownies.
I just found a great-sounding recipe for tropical muffins. It calls for sour cream, which I am out of, and Susie only lets me go to the grocery once a week now, so I will try it later.
