• Publishing, Crockpots

    From Ruth Haffly@1:396/45.28 to Ben Collver on Tue Jan 27 12:38:47 2026
    Hi Ben,

    Thanks for the reminiscing about your folks' careers. I like the part where when told your mother was told she couldn't, she did it anyway.

    She had to go to summer school (about 250 miles away) for part of it;
    as oldest daughter I got the brunt of cooking, cleaning, etc. Did me
    well when I left home to get married, neither of my sisters could hardly
    boil water when they left home. I tell Steve that I got most (not quite
    all) of my cooking mistakes out before we got married.

    I befriended the guy in charge of in-house printing where i worked.
    He had old-fashioned equipment in the basement. He used to run the
    local paper, and told stories about battling with aging equipment
    there too. He was quite a character.

    Sounds like fun. I remember going to the News (Catskill Mountain News)
    office when I was younger, seeing them print the paper. They had to feed
    the sheets of paper in one at a time, then pull out and change the
    plates to do the other side. Then it was put thru a cutter and folder
    machine.

    I forget which branch of the military he was in, but he went to BC>
    Germany in WWII. He told me they had set up schools in Austria where
    they were BC> training people to step into German government
    positions after taking BC> possession of the USA. He said they had it
    all planned out as though BC> it were a done deal.

    Probably Army but working for OSS (precurser to CIA) or a similar
    agency. Sounds interesting; I wonder how much of it he could have made
    public in a book. It would be interesting reading.

    One story he told me was organizing a fund raiser. He advertised it
    as a topless car wash, but left out that it would be done by the Boy Scouts. There was a big turnout, including many of the local preachers
    who showed up to protest.

    Sounds worse than it ended up being. Quite the "hook" to get a turn out
    tho.


    Basically, yes. I pulled out the baby crock pot, put the meat, a cut up onion, a can of tomatoes, and a couple of small cans worth (subdivided large can) of diced chili peppers in it, let it cook on low all day. For supper, I cooked some spiral pasta and we served the "chili" over that. Steve spiced him up a bit with chipotle powder but it was good as is for a cold day.

    That sounds delicious to me. It has been cold here too. Yesterday i
    made a crockpot of split pea soup. It was edible but not as awesome
    as usual. I blame the expired carton of broth. It'll likely be better next time.

    I did a chicken casserole and caesar salad last night. Tonight will
    probably left overs, clean out the fridge a bit. We're slowly thawing
    out but the weather folks are saying we could get hit with another storm
    on Saturday.

    ---
    Catch you later,
    Ruth
    rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28


    ... History repeats itself because nobody listens ...

    --- PPoint 3.01
    * Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)
  • From Ben Collver@1:105/500 to Ruth Haffly on Thu Jan 29 07:38:06 2026
    Re: Publishing, Crockpots
    By: Ruth Haffly to Ben Collver on Tue Jan 27 2026 12:38 pm

    She had to go to summer school (about 250 miles away) for part of it; as oldest daughter I got the brunt of cooking, cleaning, etc. Did me well
    when I left home to get married, neither of my sisters could hardly boil water when they left home. I tell Steve that I got most (not quite all) of my cooking mistakes out before we got married.

    That sounds hardcore in my book. I also helped out around the house, but to
    a lesser extent. I still had many cooking mistakes to make after moving out. It's interesting how varied the experience is for different siblings in the same family. Just out of curiosity, were you the eldest?

    Probably Army but working for OSS (precurser to CIA) or a similar agency. Sounds interesting; I wonder how much of it he could have made public in a book. It would be interesting reading.

    Now that you mention it, i think he was in the Army. I am not sure what role he was in there... He also told me stories about working in the ship yards
    in Portland, OR, building ships for the war effort. It sounded like he came from a poor family, but his parents were more loving than normal. He said
    they always gave their children choices, explaining what the consequences
    would be of each choice, and they always gave them a space of their own
    where they could go if they did not want to be disturbed.

    He was working while in his 80's. At that time he told me his health
    insurance cost $900 per month. He said that even if they paid him nothing
    it would still be worth going to work in order to have health insurance at
    his age.

    He had been married a bunch of times, and was divorced a few times and
    a widower a few times. When i knew him he lived quite alone, though i
    helped him set up video conferencing with his daughter who lived in
    another state.

    The indoor kittie is sick. She has a fever, dilated pupils, and is
    moving around very slowly. She hadn't eaten for several days and finally
    ate a little this morning. I hope that means she's on the mend.

    MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

    Title: Irish Sausage
    Categories: Sausages, Irish
    Yield: 1 Batch

    5 lb Pork butt; coarse ground
    3 ts Thyme
    5 c Bread crumbs
    3 ts Basil
    4 Eggs; lightly beaten
    3 ts Rosemary
    8 cl Garlic; pressed
    3 ts Marjoram
    1 tb Salt
    3 ts Black pepper
    2 c Water

    Combine all ingredients, mix well, and stuff into sheep casings. Fry
    in butter or oil.

    Posted by: Ed P <esp@snet.n>

    Recipe FROM: <news:10i7lgt$2eau2$1@dont-email.me>,
    <news:rec.food.cooking/1579104>

    MMMMM
    --- SBBSecho 3.23-Win32
    * Origin: The Fool's Quarter, fqbbs.synchro.net (1:105/500)
  • From Ruth Haffly@1:396/45.28 to Ben Collver on Thu Jan 29 14:17:03 2026
    Hi Ben,

    She had to go to summer school (about 250 miles away) for part of it; as oldest daughter I got the brunt of cooking, cleaning, etc. Did me well
    when I left home to get married, neither of my sisters could hardly boil water when they left home. I tell Steve that I got most (not quite all) of my cooking mistakes out before we got married.

    That sounds hardcore in my book. I also helped out around the house,
    but to a lesser extent. I still had many cooking mistakes to make
    after moving out. It's interesting how varied the experience is for different siblings in the same family. Just out of curiosity, were
    you the eldest?

    In my growing up, the guys weren't expected to do any of the cooking.
    I'm the second oldest of 5, first girl. I had (now deceased) an older brother,others still living are younger sister, younger brother and
    youngest sister. All of them did their share of criticising my cooking
    but didn't do much to help; younger sister did do some baking but as a
    small part of a few meals. Dad wasn't a creative eater which helped
    then, but after getting married, then Steve joining the Army really
    expanded my cooking horizons. Of all my siblings, I have had the most adventuresome life and it is reflected in my cooking/eating.

    Probably Army but working for OSS (precurser to CIA) or a similar
    agency. RH> Sounds interesting; I wonder how much of it he could have
    made public in a RH> book. It would be interesting reading.

    Now that you mention it, i think he was in the Army. I am not sure
    what role he was in there... He also told me stories about working in
    the ship yards in Portland, OR, building ships for the war effort. It sounded like he came from a poor family, but his parents were more
    loving than normal. He said they always gave their children choices, explaining what the consequences would be of each choice, and they
    always gave them a space of their own where they could go if they did
    not want to be disturbed.

    Sounds like his parents were definatly taking a different path to child rearing--makes me wonder (my sociology/psychology studies coming
    out--G--) what their childhood was like. They were too old to be of the
    hippie generation where that sort of child raising was more common.

    He was working while in his 80's. At that time he told me his
    health BC> insurance cost $900 per month. He said that even if they
    paid him BC> nothing it would still be worth going to work in order to
    have health BC> insurance at his age.

    It does sound like he had his priorities straight. We've always had good
    health insurance--at both places where Steve worked prior to joining the
    Army and then the military care. We're both on Medicare and Tricare for
    Life now, the latter is a benefit of 26 years of military service.


    He had been married a bunch of times, and was divorced a few times and
    a widower a few times. When i knew him he lived quite alone, though i helped him set up video conferencing with his daughter who lived in another state.

    Steve set my parents up with Skype for a couple of years. They enjoyed
    talking with their granddaughters that way. Mom and Dad both passed away
    before Zoom but we've used it to talk to our girls and their families.

    The indoor kittie is sick. She has a fever, dilated pupils, and is
    moving around very slowly. She hadn't eaten for several days and
    finally ate a little this morning. I hope that means she's on the
    mend.

    Poor kitty, hope she gets better quickly. We can't have any dogs or cats
    but sometimes take care of our neighbor's cocker spaniel. His vet
    reccommended that he have 2 or 3 spoonsful of green beans (canned) with
    his kibble--never heard of that before. Our cocker spaniel would eat
    most anything but I don't remember him eating green beans. His favorite
    human food was popcorn. (G)

    ---
    Catch you later,
    Ruth
    rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28


    ... Our necessities are few but our wants are endless...

    --- PPoint 3.01
    * Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)
  • From Ben Collver@1:105/500 to Ruth Haffly on Tue Feb 3 06:39:12 2026
    Re: Publishing, Crockpots
    By: Ruth Haffly to Ben Collver on Thu Jan 29 2026 02:17 pm

    Hi Ruth,

    Sounds like his parents were definatly taking a different path to child rearing--makes me wonder (my sociology/psychology studies coming out--G--) what their childhood was like. They were too old to be of the hippie generation where that sort of child raising was more common.

    He didn't say anything about his parents' childhood, though he did say that they were descended from fairly recent immigrants from an eastern European country, i forgot which. He was too old to be a hippie, let alone his
    parents. He did tell me that his mother became a widow and she moved in
    with him when she couldn't take care of herself any more. He remembered
    her kindness and made sure she had her own place to retreat to where she wouldn't be disturbed.

    Poor kitty, hope she gets better quickly. We can't have any dogs or cats but sometimes take care of our neighbor's cocker spaniel. His vet reccommended that he have 2 or 3 spoonsful of green beans (canned) with
    his kibble--never heard of that before. Our cocker spaniel would eat most anything but I don't remember him eating green beans. His favorite human food was popcorn. (G)

    Sunday the indoor kitty recovered to the point where she could walk again
    and she spent the afternoon napping in the sun outside. I have hope!

    A friend of mine had two dogs with arthritis. He gave them a combination
    of 4 ingredients, CBD, Kelp, and i forgot the other two. Said it helped
    a lot.

    MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

    Title: Broccoli Fridge Clean Out Soup
    Categories: Soups
    Yield: 4 Servings

    4 Celery ribs; diced
    2 md Carrots; diced
    1/2 lg Red onion; diced
    1 lg Broccoli head
    1 lg Zucchini
    8 oz Shiitake mushrooms (225 g)
    1 Garlic head;
    - roasted, use half if
    - you're not a big garlic
    - fan
    3 c Vegetable broth; up to 4 c
    3 c Hearty greens; your choice
    2 ts Oregano (2 g)
    Salt & pepper; to taste
    1 tb Vegan butter (14 g)
    1/2 tb Oil (7 ml)
    1/2 c Vegan coconut cream or
    - plant-based milk;
    - up to 1 c,
    - for extra creaminess
    - (optional)
    Grilled cheese croutons;
    - for topping (optional)

    Preparation time: 15 minutes
    Cooking time: 45 minutes

    Eliminate waste and make a delicious dinner with this Broccoli Fridge
    Clean-Out Soup! Rich and creamy, with optional grilled cheese
    croutons.

    In a large pot, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add the diced
    celery, carrots, and onion with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Saute
    for 8 to 10 minutes.

    Stir in the oregano and 1 cup of hearty greens around the 5 minute
    mark. Cook until the greens are wilted.

    Add the roasted vegetables, vegetable broth (start with 3 cups), and
    roasted garlic. Bring to a simmer and cook for at least 5 minutes, or
    up to 20 minutes for deeper flavor.

    Transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender). Add the
    remaining 2 cups of hearty greens and blend until smooth. Add more
    broth if needed to adjust thickness.

    Stir in vegan coconut cream or plant milk for an even silkier texture.

    Top with grilled cheese croutons and enjoy!

    Preheat your oven to 400?F (200?C). Spread the broccoli, zucchini,
    and mushrooms on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes. Roasting
    brings out a rich, deep flavor.

    Recipe by Jessica Hylton

    Recipe FROM:
    <https://jessicainthekitchen.com/broccoli-fridge-clean-out-soup/>

    MMMMM
    --- SBBSecho 3.23-Win32
    * Origin: The Fool's Quarter, fqbbs.synchro.net (1:105/500)
  • From Ruth Haffly@1:396/45.28 to Ben Collver on Tue Feb 3 14:44:03 2026
    Hi Ben,

    Sounds like his parents were definatly taking a different path to child rearing--makes me wonder (my sociology/psychology studies coming out--G--) what their childhood was like. They were too old to be of the hippie generation where that sort of child raising was more common.

    He didn't say anything about his parents' childhood, though he did say that they were descended from fairly recent immigrants from an eastern European country, i forgot which. He was too old to be a hippie, let alone his

    Sort of wish you could have talked with him some more? Every so often
    I'll read something about somebody I never knew or knew for part of my
    past life and realise I never knew that. Especially with people I knew;
    it would have added a new dimension to our friendship.

    parents. He did tell me that his mother became a widow and she moved
    in with him when she couldn't take care of herself any more. He remembered her kindness and made sure she had her own place to retreat
    to where she wouldn't be disturbed.

    Sweet! At one point we thought my dad would pre-decease my mom (He was 7
    years older and had several health issues.) and we would be the ones to
    take mom in. As things worked out, she developed Alzheimer's ane we had
    to put her into care for that. She predeceased Dad by 3 years; he went
    into a nursing home a couple of months after her death. As things are
    turning out, we're not caring for Steve's parents either--Dad passed
    away 4 years ago, Mom is in assisted living.

    Poor kitty, hope she gets better quickly. We can't have any dogs or
    cats RH> but sometimes take care of our neighbor's cocker spaniel. His
    vet RH> reccommended that he have 2 or 3 spoonsful of green beans
    (canned) with RH> his kibble--never heard of that before. Our cocker
    spaniel would eat most RH> anything but I don't remember him eating
    green beans. His favorite human RH> food was popcorn. (G)

    Sunday the indoor kitty recovered to the point where she could walk
    again and she spent the afternoon napping in the sun outside. I have hope!

    Sounds like she's getting her motor recharged.

    A friend of mine had two dogs with arthritis. He gave them a
    combination of 4 ingredients, CBD, Kelp, and i forgot the other two.
    Said it helped a lot.

    Whatever works. We had to rehome our last cat when she developed some
    health issues. It got to the point where we told the vet to either find
    someone willing to take on a cat with health issues or put her down. The
    vet was thinking surgery (which we couldn't afford would be the next
    option and we were moving (military) in a short time. The vet found an
    older couple, willing to take on a cat with health challenges; they fell
    in love with Jenny-cat when we brought her to meet them. Hopefully she
    lived a long, happy life.


    Title: Broccoli Fridge Clean Out Soup
    Categories: Soups
    Yield: 4 Servings

    Sounds like what I've done different times. I've made "Monday (or
    whatever night of the week it's made) Night Surprise" as a clean out
    odds and ends from the fridge meal. Last night tho, I made rouladen,
    flank steak pounded thin or round steak cuts, spread with mustard,
    topped with a dill pickle spear and slice of bacon, then browned, and
    braised, chopped onion in the braise broth. The broth is made into
    gravy. Served with red cabbage and mische brot (German sourdough, found
    at Wegman's. I may cook some noodles to go with the left overs later
    this week.

    ---
    Catch you later,
    Ruth
    rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28


    ... It works! Now, if only I could remember what I did.

    --- PPoint 3.01
    * Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)
  • From Ruth Haffly@1:396/45.28 to Ben Collver on Fri Feb 6 22:07:20 2026
    Hi Ben,

    Sort of wish you could have talked with him some more? Every so often I'll read something about somebody I never knew or knew for part of my past
    life and realise I never knew that. Especially with people I knew; it
    would have added a new dimension to our friendship.

    Well, i wish i could still talk with him. An odd bit of trivia: like
    my grandmother he was left handed and was punished in school if he
    wrote or drew with his left hand.

    I'm also left handed, somewhat ambidexterous as for some years my
    parents tried making me right handed. I don't recall what prompted the
    switch but I do some things right handed still, some left handed only
    and some I'll use either or hand. Comes in handy (no pun intended) when stirring a pot that needs continuous stirring; I can change hands when
    one gets tired.


    Sounds like she's getting her motor recharged.

    Yes, she is bouncing back nicely now. She is much more mobile, though
    i see her making false starts with her jumps. Something is going on
    with her hind legs, and i suspect it is neurological. A friend tells
    me to make
    sure she is getting enough taurine, but i doubt that's the problem
    because she eats grocery store pet food and i've read that's not
    generally a
    problem.

    I wouldn't know, never researched cat food that extensivly. At one point
    the vet wanted us to try a lamb and rice diet with Jenny-cat. Ever see a
    cat go on a hunger strike and push the bowl away? She did; that stuff
    was nasty so the vet said to put her back on her usual Purina One cat
    chow.

    The vet found an
    older couple, willing to take on a cat with health challenges; they fell
    in love with Jenny-cat when we brought her to meet them. Hopefully she lived a long, happy life.

    What a wonderful story!

    The indoor cat i mentioned here is a rescue cat, though she didn't
    have any health problems when she moved in.

    I miss her at times. She had been abused as a kitten and put in a
    (German) animal shelter, adopted, with another cat, from there and then
    both cats given to friends of ours. When they went back to the States,
    they only wanted to take one cat so offered us the (extremely) shyer of
    the two. We decided "yes", one night while Steve and I were visiting
    (before the family moved), Jenny-cat came out of hiding and parked
    herself on my lap. The wife gasped "she's never done that before"; we
    took it as a sign that the cat wanted us for her new family. She was
    very shy, even when we had her, but opened up more in a quiet household.
    She was a grey tabbly with beautiful green eyes.

    Sounds like what I've done different times. I've made "Monday (or whatever night of the week it's made) Night Surprise" as a clean out odds and ends from the fridge meal. Last night tho, I made rouladen, flank steak pounded thin or round steak cuts, spread with mustard, topped with a dill pickle spear and slice of bacon, then browned, and braised, chopped onion in the braise broth. The broth is made into gravy. Served with red cabbage and mische brot (German sourdough, found at Wegman's. I may cook some noodles to go with the left overs later this week.

    Wow, your leftover fridge cooking turned out to be full-fledged German restaurant food. I'd invite myself to your table.

    Some nights are better than others; tonight was a meal out at the Angus
    Barn in Raleigh (Google it) for a wedding reception. Not sure what
    tomorrow will bring.


    Recently i made cole slaw and put in too much mayo. I could have
    added more cabbage to balance it out, but i found another remedy. I
    used it as a
    sandwich topping along with radish and cheese slices. The cole slaw
    also has beets and vinegar in it, and the sandwiches are vaguely reminiscent of reuben sandwiches.

    I make my cole slaw with cabbage, carrots and pineapple; my MIL gave me
    the recipe decades ago and it's still our all time favorite. Haven't
    found a cole slaw that measures up to it yet. (G)

    ---
    Catch you later,
    Ruth
    rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28


    ... ... Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans-J. Lennon

    --- PPoint 3.01
    * Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)