Easy Recipe for You

I went to the cardiologist this week and he wants me on a fat free diet, low in cholesterol. The BUM! But I know it's for my own good, so yesterday I stocked up on $199 of healthy crap, I mean food at the super market. Things like fruit, whole grain stuff, fat free stuff like cheese and milk. I even bought fat free cottage cheese with pineapple. I love it that way. That's one of the dinners my mom made for us when we were living in Jacksonville Florida. The $60 a week she made didn't go very far, so that and eggs or pancakes was our dinner very often.

Last night I had a craving for fish, so picked up a piece of fresh cod at the market. I didn't know how I was going to prepare it, but knew I'd figure out something. After I put away the groceries, I had an idea. I didn't used a recipe, just made it up as I went.

1. First I made a gin & tonic, but you already knew that is always the first step when I cook.
   
2. I wanted pasta, so put on a pot of water.
3. While I waited for that to come to a boil I prepared the sauce.
4. I put a little EVOO in the pan and sauteed a lot of garlic. I love garlic!
5. Then I tossed in a handful of fresh basil from my Aero Garden. I cut it up with scissors.
   
6. Then dumped in a can of chopped tomatoes (No Salt Added).
   
7. and a small can of black olives.
8. I would have added capers, but ran out darn it, so add 'em if you got 'em, about 1/2 tablespoon should do. But chop them first.
9. Then I sprinkled it with oregano, no salt, but a little, no a lot, of fresh ground pepper.
10. Covered and lowered to medium.
    
11. By now the water was boiling, so I tossed in the pasta. Note: Put a table spoon or two of EVOO in the water, because it helps to keep the water from boiling over for some reason. It has something to do with surface tension of the water. I saw the tip on the Food Network, I think it was Alton Brown.
12. Next I placed the fresh cod in the pan with the sauce. I spooned some of the sauce over the cod and covered the pan until the fish was flaky, about ten minutes turning once after about 5 minutes and lowered it to simmer.
13. The pasta was done after ten minutes and so was the fish.
14. I plated the pasta.
15. Then gently removed the cod from the pan with a spatula and placed it on the pasta.
16. Then I spooned the sauce over top of that.
17. The finally sprinkled it with some Romano cheese. No the cheese isn't fat free, but it was only a little and just for taste.

I made a salad too, with fat free thousand island dressing.

It was really good and I highly recommend it! Let me know if you make it and how it was. I'd also like to know if you didn't like it or if you can suggest any changes. One can always use some pointers.

Have a Great Weekend!

An Icy HNT!

Lori co-hosted a sex toy party at her house last night. I was put in charge of making ice for the party. What, may you ask, is such a big deal about making ice? Let me show you.

I still have the ice cube tray. Want me to make some for you?

HAPPY ICY HNT!

Lets see, where do I start?

I know, I'll start with last Wednesday! Lori came over after work and we went out for all-you-can-eat-snow-crab-legs. Dinner was great as always and we saw our new favorite bartender, Liz. We didn't stay like we usually do, but that was fine, Lori was staying with me the rest of the week, so that made up for it.

Thursday, what happened Thursday? Oh ya, we had pizza for dinner, snuggled and then watched the Olympics. How about that Michael Phelps? Then there is the women's gymnastics, women's beach volleyball, women's team volleyball, women's diving, women's track and field and any other women's events there are. How about those women, huh?

Friday Patchogue was holding it last shut-down-main-street street fair for the season. We met up with Lori's son, his girl friend and her three kids (the one's we baby sat for), Lori's daughter Beth and our friend Anne Marie and two of her kids. We all had a lot of fun! The first stop was the Brick House Brewery for a beer and then we walked around. I bought a few things here and there and had another beer or two. We said our goodbyes and then Lori, me, Anne Marie and two of her kids went back to Popei's for a snack, which is where Lori and I were on Wednesday.

Saturday Lori and I started the day as usual and then just hung out and stayed in bed on our laptops the rest of the day. We were suppoed to run a bunch of errands, but shit happens!

Sunday we spent the day doing a lot of running around. Wednesday Lori and a friend she works with are hosting a sex toy party at Lori's place and there were things to buy for that. I cooked dinner that night. BBQ'd brats, baked beans, fresh tomato salad, fresh corn on the cob and chips. Excellent if I do say so myself.

That brings me to today, Monday. I spent a good portion of the day running errands.
*First I went to Staples and made some copies of paper work I needed for my variance.
*Then I went to the bank to get some papers notarized.
*Then I went to town hall with all the paperwork to be told they couldn't accept it, because the notary didn't sign the papers, just stamped them.
*Then it was back to bank to get notary to sign papers.
*Then it was back to town hall where everything was in order, BUT they needed a $125 fee (no one ever told me that and it wasn't on anything I read)I gave the lady last of my money (Ewwwwwwwwww, just had enough!)
*Then I drove a 1/2 hour to the guy making my vanity top for the half bath. I dropped off the sink and two more that he was kind enough to offer to sell for me. marble guy and gave them the sinks (will call tomorrow with delivery date, but will be soon).
*Then finally back home!

Oh ya! The lady in the Zoning Appeals Board office told me that I would receive a letter in the mail with the date and time for my variance hearing. The hearing would be in about SIX FUCKING WEEKS!!!!! Yes, SIX FUCKING WEEKS!!!!!

No wonder people just do things without permits! FUCKING BURACRACY!!!!!!

More Actual Physical Labor HNT

As you know, I have been doing a lot of work around my place. I switched from oil heat to gas. Two weeks ago I had the gas installation done. It took two days. Here's how that turned out.















Along with that, I had a swimming pool heater installed. I live in New York, so the swimming season is shorter than I'd like it to be, so a heater it is.

The building code required the pool heater be installed away from five feet from the property line, so I had it installed next to my house. I also had to have the electrician move the electric for the filter and heater next to the house too.















That all being done, I needed to get the pool pump and filter moved over next to the house too. The filter was moved from the lower left location in the picture, to the new location next to the heater.








Here is the new set up. It may not seem like much to you, but to me it looks GREAT!













Now that I was finally ready to open the pool, that meant I had to get the pool opened and the area around the pool ready for habitation. That burden fell on me. So every day since last Thursday, I have been outside doing actual physical labor.

No, really, actual physical labor.

That labor also included getting the pool water balanced. Here's just a few of the chemicals that was needed to do that.










Today was Brian's day off, so he helped by picking up the clippings and spraying the weed and grass killer.










I also got the pool heater started. After just 3 hours, the water temp had reached an acceptable temp of 80 degrees.

No, not warm enough for me. I think I may have to raise the temperature a few more degrees.











FINALLY! After all those days of actual physical labor, I was done and it was time to celebrate.

HAPPY PHYSICAL LABOR
POOL OPENING
HNT!

BUMMER DUDE! Now I just have to clean up. As you all well know, I hate cleaning.


PS
My baby has posted her own HNT this week. Please stop by for a snack that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Yes Ann Marie........

........I'm actually doing physical labor. Today was another day of actual work. It started at noon with moving the last bit of soil from the trench dug for the new pool filter location. Then I got the weed whacker and cut down massive amounts of weeds in the front planters, old garden planter and all around the pool. At one point the weed whacker ran out of cord, so I had to run my errands.

Then it was a stop at the hardware store for grass seed and weed killer. Next was a stop at the plumbing supply house to exchange a few parts for the pressure relief valve on the pool heater. The last stop was the pool store for a new brush and a vacuum head.

More weed whacking and then found out Brian had thrown out the leaf blower attachments. There has just been too much cleaning to my liking. I knew there was a reason I was lazy and never threw out anything. Then it was off to the hardware store to buy a new leaf blower.

By now I'm back home again blowing the weed debris. SOB! That blew tons of crap into the pool. Looks like tomorrow I vacuum the pool again. Oh well, looks like I have to do more actual physical labor again.

PS
Sorry Sam. I just don't have time to take pics.

BETTER LATER THAN NEVER

I finally got my swimming pool open on Saturday. I was waiting for the pool heater to be installed and the pool filter to be moved to the new location. I had to get the filter moved, because the heater had to be at least 5 feet from the property line according to code. The filter in right next to the fence. So I had the heater and filter moved over next to the house between the bedroom windows. I like them better over there because they don't show from the deck in the back yard.

Saturday afternoon, after the glue on the plumbing had cured overnight, I got to work on setting up the filter. That took about an hour and then I was ready to plug in the filter pump motor into the new timer and test the new installation. WTF? The electrician installed the wrong outlet. WTF! I told him I needed a 220v outlet and he installed a 115v one. The frigging pump was right there too. I tried to get a hold of someone to get the plug changed, but by then it was too late in the day and no one was checking their voice mails. I decided not to wait until Monday for someone to call me back and change it myself.

Don't worry, I'm qualified. I've been doing my own electrical work, plumbing and general home repairs since I was a teenager. My father turned our two-car garage into and apartment for his in laws and made us four boys help him. I am very grateful now for that too. I wasn't grateful then so much, but over the years the skills he taught me, have proven many times to be very useful.

So Saturday, after our usual Saturday and Sunday morning routine (i.e., snuggling, coffee, breakfast and laptops in bed) I went up to the hardware store and bought the correct outlet. I changed it, plugged in the pump motor and turned on the timer. SUCCESS! I left the filter running for a few hours and then we went up to the pool supply store to have the water tested and get the chemical I needed to get the water ready. That's pretty much where it stands now.

Tomorrow I'll clean and vacuum the pool and get the water tested again. It usually takes two tests when I open the pool to get the water just right. I also have to buy a couple of more of the chemicals I ran out of and more DE power for the filter. Once the water is all ready for swimming, I'll start the pool heater and see how that works. I also have to fold up the winter cover and take it out for the trash. It's shot and needs to be replaced. Then empty the water bags that hold down the cover and weed around the pool.

You know something, this pool stuff is a lot like actual work. Anyone want to help with the rest? I'll let you come swimming and even cook for you, give you beer or make you a bunch of my infamous gin & tonics. You even be my BFF!

Grandpa HNT

Last night Lori and I baby sat for Lori's son's girl friend's kids so they could go out to dinner. Things are VERY serious with all of us. I guess you could say we are family. Being family there comes certain responsibilities like baby sitting one's kids and grand kids. Last night was baby sitting the grand kids. The one boy just turned 4 and the other two are two year old twins; one boy and one girl.

I was told that the twins go to sleep at 6:30, so I figured baby sitting would be a piece of cake. LMAO!!!!!!! Sleep? Not a chance.







































We are plum tuckered out by this point. Even the 4 YO brother.



Finally the twins were put in bed. I said "night, night", but that was far from night night. Two year olds do not want to go to sleep when the grand parents are baby sitting.

That was followed by crying and crying, screaming and screaming and crying and screaming. Obviously the babies didn't want to go to sleep.

Finally they did quiet down and go to sleep and I took a well deserved nap.


I napped for 30 minutes. That nap was interupted by the mom and her boy friend; THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally they were home. They owe me BIG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All said, I love these grand kids like they are my own.

Happy Grandpa HNT!