Saturday, July 19, 2008

Sunday Dinner, July 20, 2008 ***EDITED BELOW***

Before anybody asks, NO, that is not a self portrait that I'm using for my Sunday Dinner button this week, although it does bear an uncanny resemblance to me. And I think the girl (guy??) in the button is just a little better looking than me.

I decided to use that button because Sunday Dinner this week is going to be entirely vegetarian. It's not because of my efforts to eat better, but because I don't have enough of any one meat to serve to a crowd. Not that we'll notice the lack of meat, I'm thinkin'.

Also, due to the generosity of family and friends who shared the bounty from their gardens almost everything I'm serving for Sunday Dinner was given to us.

I've got a Dutch oven full of garden green beans already cooked and in the fridge. I also have a big pot of fresh blackeyed peas cooked. I shelled the peas and strung and snapped the green beans this morning, then cooked them both so I'd have that much done in preparation for Sunday Dinner.

When we get home from church I'll peel and fry a big cast iron skillet of potatoes and make a big skillet of cornbread to add to the meal. I also have garden ripe tomatoes to slice and cucumbers and refrigerator pickles to serve with the rest of our vegetarian feast. The only things not given to us are the potatoes and the cornbread.

I just noticed how much I've used the word "big" in this post. When you're feeding a crowd it takes big amounts of food and big pots and pans to prepare it.

So, I'm serving garden fresh green beans, fresh blackeyed peas, fried potatoes, cornbread, sliced fresh garden tomatoes, cucumbers and my refrigerator pickles.

What's on the menu at your place for Sunday Dinner? If you'd like to play along this week, just share your menu/plans in the comments. I love to hear what you're cooking and where you're eating every week.***EDITED***

I was in the shower when I suddenly realized that I hadn't mentioned the CBO BLOGROLL as I'd promised BIGDADGIB that I would. I scurried back in here in my robe to edit this, hopefully before many of you find this. So you wouldn't have even known that I edited this if I hadn't told you, hmm?

BIGDADGIB is introducing CHRISTIAN BLOGGERS ONLINE, a new blogroll of Christian bloggers, strangely enough, and if you're a Christian blogger you're cordially invited to join. Read through THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS and if you decide that you'd like to join, SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION HERE.

If you're one of the first 20 members you'll be a charter member. This is a brand new blogroll and GIB is expecting great things to happen with it. There will be monthly giveaways and contests on the site and best of all, it will be a great place to find Christian bloggers with family friendly content.

We're up to 19 members now! I'm excited to see that many of my Christian blogging friends have joined the CBO.

Click on the button or any of the bold links to check out the new CHRISTIAN BLOGGERS ONLINE BLOGROLL.I haven't mentioned it here on my blog but lightning struck my outside air conditioning unit last Saturday night and killed it graveyard dead. My spare room where my computer is set up is at the back of our apartment, and only the wall is between me and the AC unit. It's a distance of only about 10 feet.

It was just an ordinary Summer thunderstorm, not anything severe, and I only noticed about a half-dozen lightning strikes, nothing spectacular at all. The only reason I noticed the strike that fried my AC unit is because it also caused a power surge that tripped the circuit breaker strip that I keep my computer plugged into. The power went off for about 5 seconds and came right back on. It was off just long enough to mess up all the digital clocks in the house and cause me to have to reset them all, and my computer had to reboot.

I was worried that the lightning might have damaged my computer but believe it or not, it seems to be fine, and nothing else in the house was harmed. I never thought about the AC unit being damaged. But about 30 minutes after the power surge I noticed that I was getting a little warm, which is unusual lately. Most of the time I've got a fleece throw over my feet and legs, as I do even now as I type this.

I checked the thermostat and noticed that it was over 80ºF in the apartment. I keep it set on 76ºF so I knew I was in trouble. It reached 98ºF last Saturday and the showers had cooled it off a little bit by evening, but the rain also made it muggy and miserable.

Just then the outside AC unit froze up and threw the circuit breaker in the utility room. It was almost 10 pm by then and I knew I was in for a miserable night. I raised all the windows (I only have 3 in the whole apartment; one wall is shared with another apartment so no windows on that wall, and the outside wall has no windows) and called my landlord. He said he'd be here first thing Sunday morning to take a look at it, but I didn't glean much comfort from that.

It was 82ºF at 2 am last Sunday morning. I know because I was still awake, and even with a fan I was so miserable I didn't think I'd ever get to sleep. I took a cold shower that morning before getting ready for church and it actually felt good!

Oh ye of little faith! My landlord drove up a little after 8 am Sunday morning and apparently he believed my diagnosis of the situation, because he came prepared with a brand new AC unit still packed in the crate.

After he inspected the old unit he said that it was completely fried. What's amazing about the whole thing is that nothing else was harmed by the lightning strike and power surge. Nobody else reported any damage and nothing else here in my apartment seems to have suffered from the surge.

The new unit was installed and working when we got home from church on Sunday afternoon but it took it a while to cool off the apartment. It's working like a charm now, praise the Lord!

I am so spoiled to my AC. We never had air conditioning when I was growing up and I never did until Lamar and I married and I moved into the apartment here with him. I am so thankful for my AC and I have the deepest sympathy for those who don't have it or can't afford to use it.

So anyway, if you asked by comment or email about my AC problems that should bring you up to date, and thanks for your concern. :o)I just updated MY AWARDS PAGE. I hope I didn't fail to acknowledge any awards or fail to recognize anybody who gave me an award. If I did it was purely unintentional and I ask your forgiveness.

I want to pass on one award that I've been given lately.

I appreciate everybody who leaves comments for me here, and if you're a regular reader and comment on my blog, I'd be honored if you'd like to take this award and pass it on, with my blessing.

Or not; your choice, no pressure.Well, this is long enough, or rather more than long enough for one post, so I'll close by wishing everyone a wonderful Sunday.

May God meet all your needs, and may you have enough to share is my prayer for each of you.

21 comments:

zztop357 said...

Your dinner sounds great Sister.
Its every man for himself for dinner.For supper, bbq chicken, mashed taters and butterpeas. I think I'll make bread tomorrow. I have a hankering for some.
Love you Sister, God bless.
Donna

Our Home Schooler and Jen said...

bless the family members whom shared their veges

only 3 windows in your apartment - wow

bless your landlord

pleased its all fixed

have a nice week my friend

Jen

Linds said...

Thank heavens you have a great landlord! I am really glad your A/C is fixed, Diane.
I love vegetables, so your dinner sounds great to me! We will probably be having mixed roasted veg (butternut, peppers, sweet potato, red onions and parsnips chopped small, drizzled with olive oil, and roasted) with chicken I am thinking. And a sald from the garden.
Have a lovely Sunday!

Lib said...

Hi,
I have something waiting for you at my blog, please come by and pick it up.
Dinner sounds wonderful! I'm more a veggie person, I just don't care much for meat.Ours will be Mexican today.
Glad your a/c is fixed!
Have agreat day!
Blessins',Lib

Lisa Sherrill Roach said...

Thanks for the sweet comment. When we walked in last night, it was just so "right" you know? I'm so thankful! There is plenty of shade around the side so I'll unload small stuff today and then we'll wait till it cools down this evening to move the bigger stuff. This texas heat is no joke! But, we have a swimmin pool in the back so we could always jump in there to cool off. haha

Have a wonderful Sunday with the Lord.

Toia said...

Your dinner sounds great!! I have to admit, when eating my vegetables I always like to have a piece of baked or grilled chicken or steak (preferably T-bone). :)

Have a bless Sunday!!!

Unknown said...

What do you mean "If I would like to share My menu?" I am packed and on my way to your house.....All of those veggies sounds like just the ticket for a hot summer day. And it's all good for you too.

Have a wonderful Sunday Dinner and enjoy your day and family.

Great Big Hugs,

Betty said...

Hi Diane,

Your Sunday dinner is my kind of meal. I am mostly vegetarian and could do without meat the rest of my life. Fix me a plate. I'll be right over.

I'm glad you got your air conditioning fixed. Whew!!! Talking about hot - now that would be hot with this weather and no air conditioning.

Hope your Sunday is going well.

Linda said...

Dinner sounds delicious Diane - meat or no meat!
I join you in your gratitude for a.c. I often wonder how they managed without it years ago. My heart always goes out to people driving down our hot Texas roads with all the car windows wide open. Obviously the a.c. is not working and they must feel like they are in a huge windy oven. Houses and cars, and everything else I can think of would be unbearable here without our wonderful a.c. I'm glad your landlord was so prompt.
Have a blessed, cool sunday dear friend.

Dawn said...

We don't have a.c. at home, but thankfully, both cars do. I can get along with just fans in the house, but the car is a different story.

For lunch today, I took the hwhole family to Applebee's to celebrate DC's birthday - which is on Wednesday, but it was easier to get everyone together today. It was somewhat chaotic, but fun. Not cheap, though!

Brenda said...

Hi Diane, I've already 'picked on' Jessica for showing all the yummy fresh-grown veggies she makes. My only consolation is that when we move back to CO next summer we'll be surrounded by great farms! We do have a farmer's market here, but it's just not the same as the homegrown veggies from 'home'!
Wow! thank God the the lightening strike didn't do anymore damage. We had one strike so close the other day that the lightening and thunder were at the exact same time. Since we're surrounded by forest, I started looking for smoke. Nothing, thank the Lord!
Thanks for the nice award, Diane. I accept with honor! Hope this wasn't too long of a comment :)
Have a great week.
Brenda

Nancy said...

Glad your AC has been replaced. I would literally die without mine!

I was told that once lightning hits your surge protector that you have your computer plugged into that you should replace it. Better check on it so you don't lose your computer if it should happen again. I always unplug everything when a storm is brewing. Scares me to even think of losing my computer or TV!

Your Sunday dinner sounds great, even without meat. Meat is bad for the heart, anyhow, so it doesn't hurt any of us to do without sometimes.

Thank you for the award. I have received that from 2 others already so will add your name under it, too. Thank you, Diane!

(((((( HUGS ))))))

Girl Raised in the South said...

July - not a great time for an AC to go out, especially down there in Arkanasas! Even up in here in PA it's been over 90. Your Sunday dinner sounds great, and nothing better than a dinner that comes fresh from the garden. We grilled out because that means DH cooked!

Aunt Jenny said...

Oh your dinner sounds like it was wonderful!!! My kind of meal!
We had homemade sausage egg mcmuffins...with sharp cheddar cheese..the kids love that sometimes for supper..and watermelon. Yep..thats it. It was good..but yours sure sounds better!
It is raining a little tonight..yay!!
Have a great week!!

Granny said...

Now that the girls are in town on most weekends, I've been feeding them a Saturday dinner. This Saturday it was baked chicken, mashed taters with gravy, corn on cob, and a caesar salad.

Sherbert for dessert.

So, of course, our Sunday dinner was the leftovers.

MightyMom said...

glad all's well that was a close one!

fyi, my comp and assorted stuff is on a powerstrip that has battery backup. It can run on battery for 30min so I have time to properly shut down everything if we do lose power.....it's worth the investment as I've had to "test" that battery backup more than once this year.

Barb said...

Due to current budgetary restraints (LOL) I keep my a/c set at 76 too. If I get to running around too much, I do start to glisten, but all I have to do is step outside (102 degrees last Saturday) for five minutes, and when I come back in, it feels downright frigid inside this house.

I can take it during the day, but boy, like you, I'm miserable at night if it's too hot - even with a/c, I have a huge fan blowing right on my bed.

Sunday dinner was a Mexican buffet which was served at the baby shower I spent all afternoon at. Rob had smoked sausage sandwiches, baked beans and chips. I didn't stop feel bloated until about midnight, so he was on his own!

Happy new week, and congratulations on that award. I completely agree, you're a super commenter.

xoxo
Barb

kansasrose said...

Glad your ac is all better hon. That is miserable not having ac. Two years ago our ac quit...during a heat wave. We lived for the first 6 years in this house without any ac. I was alot younger though..I don't think I'd survive now. Our last power bill was a whopper, so I'm keeping it cranked up to 78-80.

Your Sunday dinner sounds delicious! The veggies sound yummy, especially those beans. The award is well deserved, you've been the best commenter I know in blogland. Have a blessed week.

Love, Jen

kansasrose said...

ps. Those dad gum mid-life hot flashes don't help the ac bill either! wheeeew xxxooo

BigDadGib said...

I am a vegitarian...

well, not a strict vegitarian...

I eat chicken, beef, pork and fish.

LOL... Love your meals...

BigDadGib

nancy said...

That fresh vegetable dinner sounds wonderful to me. I remember how my mother and I would make a whole meal out of fresh-cooked green beans and sliceds tomatoes. Nita's little garden is giving us tomatoes and wonderful cucumbers, along with a steady supply of lettuce. She pulls an occasional carrot, because she just can't wait. It is so good to have these. I hope you continue to get blessed with everyone's extras. Aren't they sneaking over at night yet to stack zucchini on your doorstep?
Nancy