When I got up yesterday, I gathered everything to get started on the pumpkin when I remembered…I had all the ingredients in the fridge for some pre-beach food prep. Our spring trip to the beach was cancelled because of the lockdown and we chose our wedding anniversary as the substitute week. We’ve been watching the extended weather predictions as well as the Covid counts and it looks like we are likely to have smooth sailing on both counts in the middle of October. The cat is booked at the Kitty Hilton. We’ve cleared out the drain at the bottom of the stairwell out back so we aren’t likely to have problems with backed up water. Now it’s down to meal prep and packing.
Sam’s carries these black plastic trays with clear lids that are about the size of a frozen entree. I used them a lot last fall when I was touring around in the raffle camper. They are the perfect size for two small portions or one large one so I bought a big pack of them the last time I shopped. These are the same containers I used in my Hot Logic Mini portable cooker. On my travel days, I put a frozen entree in the container, zipped it closed, and plugged it into the 12v “cigarette lighter” outlet (using an adapter) in my truck. By the time I arrived, I had a hot meal ready to eat with easy cleanup after.
Yesterday, I mixed up a triple batch of Bobby Flay’s Salisbury Steak and placed two portions with sauce in each container. I also made a batch of Italian Meatballs and froze them as well. I’ll make four pre-baked pizza crusts and freeze those a few days before we leave. And a good sized batch of homemade macaroni and cheese. I’ll also pack along a jar or two of the smoked pulled pork I canned for sandwiches. We have some family members meeting us there to stay in the “B” side of our condo. We will share meals out on the big deck as a safe way to visit without entering each other’s living space.
Once I finished with all that, I didn’t have it in me to start canning the pumpkin. There isn’t a real hurry because the pumpkin won’t spoil. I thought we might get to go camping before we head to the beach, but last night convinced me otherwise. I had decided after such a busy week, I would treat myself to a night out in the camper. But the cool nights are bringing the stink bugs inside in a hurry. After jumping up and down a dozen times to snatch them up in a wad of tissue, I gave up and came back inside. I guess that’s it for camping in Big TOW-Wanda.
Today is the Lord’s Day…and time for a much needed rest. We are almost to the tail end of mowing season. That’s a reason to celebrate right there!
❤️
“You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week is holy because it belongs to me. No matter where you live, you must rest on the Sabbath and come together for worship. This law will never change.”
Leviticus 23:3 CEV