What are you up to today? This week?

[heidiiiii]

How do you do onion crusted sweet potato fries? They sound good!

I found this recipe at allrecipes.com.

I used half the amount of onion soup mix and double the amount of sweet potato (yam). I also did not dice them. I cut them into smaller oven fries. I kept an eye on them too so that the onions would not burn.

Onion Roasted Sweet Potatoes

[heidiiiii]

Oh! When I say I use half the amount of soup mix..I mean I only use half a envelope of it. Not a full envelope.

[havanaholly]

Swiss chard; YUM! Our grocery stores don't carry it and the last year I tried a garden we got barely enough for a salad; deer & bunnies ate everything else!

[Muriel]

Looks good! I love sweet potatoes. Might have to search for some onion soup mix! With the time off I can do some proper cooking too, so will look forward to cooking between miniing!

Watching the Grand prix tonight, so haven't done any mini stuff, but tomorrow morning will be working away

[Sherry]

Finally went to the clinic, major sinus infection and I feel like crud. I told him strong antibiotics so I'll be over this before we go to see the grands in Kansas next week. so I haven't felt like doing much of anything today. Have beans and cornbread just about ready for lunch and then back on the sofa.

[Anna]

Hope you feel better real soon SHerry, so noooo fun with a sinus infection!

Off to see the pillows for a while now LOL and only one work day before Easter break, yay!!!

Hugs

[Muriel]

Hope the antibiotics work quickly for you Sherry!

I enjoyed the grand prix, plenty of overtaking and some crashes too

I updated the Wedding Preparations thread incl some dress pictures Had a dress fitting today, she's done a lovely job so far. Just 9 weeks to go!

[havanaholly]

They had to postpone the NASCAR race due to rain.

DH went off to a stamp & cover (envelope) show in Tallahassee and I've been shingling & stitching.

Muriel, one of my Moosewood cookbooks has a recipe for sweet potato pancakes; basically they're made the same as regular potato pancakes with some garam marsala added.

[Muriel]

I'll have to try them out one day. Do you make them with grated potatoes? or mashed?

[grazhina]

I was washing some clothes and my washer made a loud screeching, clank and stopped. After doing some googling, I found the problem area, and it's something that even the DIY sites say calls for a repairman. Seeing as it would run us @ $200 or maybe more to fix it, DH suggested we go look at washing machines.

We are very miffed, the darn thing was only 2 & 1/2 years old. What happened to those old machines that ran for years and years and years?

I've been googling for washing machine ratings and top vs front loaders and the only thing I'm pretty sure of is that I don't want a front loader. I did want one before I read all the reviews and problems, though. All I know now is that there is no washing machine model anywhere that isn't beset by major problems. For every good review a machine gets, it gets even more bad ones.

I still need to buy a new toaster to replace the one I bought a couple of weeks ago. Gee, why did I think that just because the bread came out fine on day one that it would be ok a few days later? From now on I stash the box, packing material and receipt somewhere for at least a month or 2 before pitching them out.

My dishwasher isn't working the way it should either, but the warranty on that is expired too. I can deal with the dishwasher. It's annoying, but the cycle that works works ok.

[kfkelly]

Finally went to the clinic, major sinus infection and I feel like crud. I told him strong antibiotics so I'll be over this before we go to see the grands in Kansas next week. so I haven't felt like doing much of anything today. Have beans and cornbread just about ready for lunch and then back on the sofa.

Hope you feel better soon, Sherry! Being sick is no fun at all.

Kirsten

[Sherry]

Thanks, I am pumped full of meds, and dopey right now. Hopefully by morning some of the congestion will be gone! Just laying on the sofa rooting for Baylor. They've had a rough few years and the Final Four would have been wonderful for them. Oh well, they still had a great year.

[havanaholly]

I'll have to try them out one day. Do you make them with grated potatoes? or mashed?

The recipe calls for grating them, but if I ever have any leftover cooked sweet potatoes I'll make them with those (joke; there's never leftover sweet potatoes at our house!)

...What happened to those old machines that ran for years and years and years?...the only thing I'm pretty sure of is that I don't want a front loader. I did want one before I read all the reviews and problems, though....I still need to buy a new toaster...My dishwasher isn't working the way it should either,..

I feel your pain. I'm curious as to shat's up with front-loaders now? We replaced a stacking washer/dryer (due to the size & layout of our house, it's what works best) and the washer's a front-loader; not only $aves on water & electric, but washes the clothes MUCH cleaner! We've had to replace one drum belt on the dryer in the nearly-ten years we've had this set. We replaced the gas stove about a dozen years ago; had the devil's own time finding one with burners that could be lit with a match when the power's out, and apparently there's no such animal any more as a gas stove with an oven pilot you can light with a match; We replaced the electronic ignition thingy in the oven when the stove was less than three years old, and it's been cooking fine ever since. We keep warranty papers and service booklets as long as we own whatever appliance it is. Appliance manufacturers apparently have taken a page from the auto manufacturers' book; didn't they call it "planned obsolescence"?

Gotta start packing the camper today, we're leaving Weds for the Panhandle Trace Hike and will be gone two weeks. We will hike from Ft Pickens at the far Western tip of Santa Rosa Island to the edge of the Conecuh State Forest at the AL state line, 100+ miles over nine days. See y'all when we get back.

[Muriel]

Have a wonderful trip Holly!

I'm painting and varnishing doors and door/window trim this morning. Think I'm nearly done. Still got a window to do and french doors, but putting them off Gotta find the window first anyway! Then gotta glue it all in place. After that I guess I better get thinking about the mouldings. not such fun

[heidiiiii]

My Mom had a washing machine that was older then dirt. That thing never broke down. And if it did, it was such an easy fix that I did not notice that it was broken.

I have been through three sets of washers and dryers in the 12 years we have lived here. The first set was used so you cannot count those..they were just for now.

I am on set number three and knock on wood..so far so good. My mom had a ancient blue Hoover upright vacuum cleaner. I was an expert and replacing the belt on that thing. Now I can ALMOST fix any vacuum I have in my possession. If it is something complicated with the motor..then I am out of my league. But these things my Mom had were no where even close to being energy efficient. LOL

It is going to rain all day today but it is much much warmer then yesterday..I will take the rain over the cold any day. Really cold. Like socks and sweater in the house cold.. brrrr

Easter is coming and Fred has to work. I will get a bit of Easter candy in a big ole basket for all of us to share. The girls think they should still get baskets at 21 and 16. I think not.

A big one for the family to share sounds much better to me.

It is going to be close to 80 deg F around Easter..so we are definitely cooking on the grill outside! Grilled veggies first for nice sandwiches, then dogs and burgers. Yummm!

[Muriel]

Oh, I at 28 still think I should get a basket! Mummy at 50+ still gets a basket Yes, I think baskets are great so long as they'd do one for you too! But I wouldn't assume someone would do one for me if I didn't do one for them. We hide them around the house and it usually takes me longest to find mine. I find everyone elses but not mine This year it will be at my sisters house, so that'll be an extra challenge, but will still be fun I think.

[Muriel]

Oh silly me! The shoes didn't arrive today either, so was just going to email the lady when I got back from my training this evening. Then I remembered! I put work as my shipping address because they were supposed to come last week while I was at work So now i've gotta drive into work tomorrow to get them All because I didn't want to wait the extra day and pick them up from the post office a day later than they would have arrived, and now it is two days later :lol:

[havanaholly]

In the meantime, the important question is DO THEY FIT???

[Sherry]

I hope they do, nothing is worse than uncomfortable shoes. I found some that fit my poor tired feet, and bought two pairs to take to DC with me this summer. I understand that will be a lot of walking and I want to be comfy!

[grazhina]

The continuing saga of a woman with a broken washing machine.

I called a repairman, and got to talk to his wife. She used to sell appliances when they were still in the selling side of the business. She said it might cost about $150 to fix my washer, but since it broke after only 2 & 1/2 years, I might want to buy a new one after all. Since I didn't want a washer with lots of bells & whistles, I had purchased a fairly inexpensive machine. She did say that right now Whirlpool is one of the best makers of washers, so she was surprised mine broke so soon.

She told me to be very, very careful in my selection, because there are so many problems with washers now. Her husband spends far more time fixing new ones than old ones. For fancy high end washers like Bosch, she says theirs a problem finding repairmen who know how to fix them. Parts can be very hard to get for expensive brands and LG. She told me not to buy an LG no matter what. It's easy to get parts for Whirlpool, Maytag & GE and they don't cost as much. Maytag used to be a really good washer but it now has a bad reputation and Whirlpool is trying to build it back up with the Bravos machine. She advised checking Sears and a couple of other local places in neighboring towns.

The guy at Sears also told me about the Maytag problems and how their tryinjg to make a turn around with the Bravos. He also said he wanted a washer without an electrical panel, but learned that even the ones with knobs still use a computer anyway. He also said some salespeople have advised people with 10 year old broken machines to try and get them fixed rather than buy a new one.

I liked the Bravos machine, especially since the one he showed me was a 3rd generation machine and he says they've got the kinks out. It no longer ties clothes in knots during the spin cycle. YES, that's right, those top loaders without agitators can tie clothes in knots, but this model Maytag Bravos won't.

I'm telling you all this in case someone reading this is also looking for a washer. I've read and heard more wild things about washers, tsk tsk. Why can't we build a proper, dependable washing machine anymore?

Anyway, we were all set to order the washer at Sears, till the guy found out it can't be delivered till April 10. We went over to Home Depot, where we found we could get an ever better deal on it, but it seems they can't deliver one till April 20th. That's 3 weeks away!

Best Buy has them on their website, but says they're not deliverable to us in Maine. Lowes says they're not available here in Maine either. A big store in New Hampshire doesn't have them anymore, they only have the newer, bigger, more expensive model.

Today I hand washed some of my kitchen towels in the sink. They were in the washer when it broke. I draped the dirtier things that were in that load around the laundry room so they'd get dry. Then I can throw them in with the other dirty clothes. At least I had most of the laundry done before the machine broke.

I'd been feeling stressed out lately even before the washer debacle, and it's causing my hormones to go whacky.

BTW, Holly, when I got my gas range a couple of years ago I made sure I had one that lit with a match in case of power failure, which we get here aplenty.

Oh yes, I had @ 35 big fat turkeys wander through the yard a little while ago with an ugly male turkey in the rear.

I saw the fox again a few days ago too, and my son says there were a whole bunch of robins eating the shriveled crab apples in the mulch yesterday. My crocus are still firmly closed.

[havanaholly]

Comfy shoes are all I wear! My favorites are my Birkenstocks; I also have a pair of Birkie footbeds/ orthotics I put into every other pair of shoes I own, even my Teva and Keene hiking sandals!

{{{hugs}}}, Grazhe. Does your oven also light with a match? What's the make? My Frigidare was the only model I could find that let me light the burners, but not the oven; every other stove we looked at had electronic ignition overall.

All of our azaleas are now budding/ beginning to open, and the phlox have migrated out of the stupa garden into that side of the yard; if they're still blooming when we get home I think I'll dig some up and spread them to the other side of the yard.

This is probably my last visit to the Forum until we get back in two weeks.

[Anna]

Have a great trip Holly, we'll miss you around here!!!

Over here the sun is showing and the sky is clear blur, the birdies are soooooo busy LOL and I am fully enjoying first day of Easter Holidays, won't be back to school until next Tuesday WIll do some more serious cleaning/preparing to put this house on the market (hopefully that will be happening real soon!) which also means I "need" to focus on tidying up in the craft room... Tidying up must also mean putting Mz Chantilly together, right?!? As when she is all built there will be less bits and pieces around hehehe... So in between doing the chores/cleaning I wil try and glue/paint/stitch etc what I can.

Hugs

[Sherry]

Have a great trip Holly, and try to avoid the feral pigs!

[heidiiiii]

Still raining over here. Going to rain all day into the night. Woke up to hearing the sump pump go on, go offm and then go right back on again. WT? The ENTIRE basement is flooded! It is all flowing into the sump pump but the ENTIRE basement. Never in our 12 years of living here have we seen this. NEVER. I am not alone.

My friend has no sump pump or shop vac in her house. The water is rising and all the stores in our area are sold out of both! All of my in town FB friends are taking breaks from baling the water.

I am getting my coffee in and then I will take over for Fred.

[Anna]

Eeek Heidi, sending dry, positive thoughts your way!!!! Over here the day started out with a blue sky and sun but the wind is picking up strenght and we have a veil of clouds coming in now so who knows what will come out of that?!? I went to the garden centre just a little while ago and got a few trays of spring flowers, :idea: finally! Eventhough the temp was just below freezing this morning I am sure the lil' dalrings will survive in the pots around the house :lol: , they are said to be frost hardy to we'll see.

Hugs