Friday, August 15, 2008

Random Stuffity Stuff, a Mini Market Report, and My Famous Salsa Recipe

1. A door, we have a door! The sliding glass door to the bedroom went in yesterday, yayyy! Now all we have is...more doors, windows, siding, floors, toilets, sinks, tubs, showers... Ok. Check back in 2010.



2. Took Mom for her first test this morning: an open MRI. She's claustrophobic, and even though it's open, they lock a cage over your head for this scan. They offered to drug her, but I didn't see the point of that, just so she could lie still for 40 minutes. I asked if they'd just let me stay with her and hold her hand. They did, and it did the trick. She did fine, after they put a towel over her eyes, so she couldn't open them to see that cage.


3. I picked up new glasses and contact lenses yesterday, and had intended to carry on about how great the service was at the doctor I went to. I really was pleased.

HOWEVER, when I put in my shiny new contacts this morning, I couldn't see out of my right eye. I discovered that they'd sold me a weaker lens that that I'd tested for the last 2 weeks.

When I called to tell them of their mistake, I was told that the doctor decided, at the follow-up exam, that the trial lens was too strong, so he changed the Rx, and ordered the weaker lens. And SOLD them to me, without my trying them out! Why? Wtf! WHY?

I'm getting very good at arguing with doctors these days. Still, I'm blind in my right eye for the weekend. Rat bastards.
Oh well, I guess I can camp with just one eye.

MARKET REPORT

Yeah, we're going camping, bright & early tomorrow morning. I'll still hit up the Farmer's Market before we leave. We've been arriving around 10 a.m., and it's so packed that photos on the run have been impossible. So, we'll see what it looks like at 6:45 a.m.

So, no photos, but here's my report:





(A tomato photo I took in L.A.)




Can I just say this? It's tomato season and this part of the country is
drowning in vine-ripe tomatoes. The $3/lb, across-the-board price of tomatoes at the market is outrageous. It really shouldn't cost $17 to make a bowl of salsa. Field fresh tomatoes are HALF that at the grocery store, and they're $1 cheaper at the fruit stands around town, and just outside of town. The emperor has no clothes, people.


There. That's a quote. From me. Maybe the price will drop tonight, since we really are heavy in tomato harvest season. I'll be interested to see. In the meantime, I'll get my 'maters elsewhere.


That said, I'm in charge of salsa at the campgrounds this weekend, because I make a rockin' good salsa. Here's my recipe, which consists of...salsa ingredients. I don't know why it's so good, it just is.

Gnightgirl's Salsa (Cha-Cha-Cha!)

5 tomatoes, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch of cilantro, minced (yes, an entire bunch)

juice of 2-3 limes

1 t. salt

1 small chipotle pepper, diced, with 1 T. sauce from the can

Mix 'em all together. Decrease or increase ingredients to adjust to your taste.


The chipotle pepper is the secret ingredient; it has a smoky flavor that sets the salsa apart from all other salsas. It is canned, from the ethnic aisle at the grocery store. The stuff is HOT; start out slowly and build up. I used a very TINY piece of that pepper, and just a tablespoon or so of the sauce out of the can, to give it a smoky flavor. You can buy just the canned sauce too, and add a tablespoon or so to smoke it up.

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:36 PM

    MP got replacement contacts this week. She can see better into the distance but now she gets headaches and can't read!

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  2. Anonymous3:43 PM

    I would gladly give you a disposable contact so you can see, but mine are really, really strong. What's your prescription? -- Jody

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  3. Rat bastards? Ah ha ha ha!! I thought FrugalMom liked me just for me, but clearly I just remind her of you. I keep warning her that I have a mouth on me like a truck driver (no offense to truck drivers, of course), but clearly she's already comfortable with this. :-) :-) :-)

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  4. Anonymous5:45 PM

    have fun. I hope you can see well enough!

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  5. Anonymous12:48 AM

    Hey girl, I just stumbled on your blog (glad I did) and I've got to say living in CA they jack us in the produce section! My man nearly had a FIT when (a few years back) tomatoes were like $4+ pound! We were visiting friends in WA & he bitched the whole time! lol

    So speaking of homemade salsa (from a Mexican woman) have you tried Serrano peppers? We make it with tomato, serrano, onion, cilantro and fresh lime juice. Of course salt to taste.

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  6. Did I forget to mention that I have to die for, juicy, ripe tomatoes? Just waiting to be picked. And...I will only charge you $1....

    Camping with one eye, huh? May make for an interesting trip....just make sure that your good eye does double duty to watch out for all the spiders. I would hate for you to realize that you had one on you the whole time, but just couldnt see it!

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  7. Dogbait: That doesn't sound like a reasonable trade off.

    Jody: My Rx is strong too. -7 for left eye, -6.5 for the right (they sold me -6.0)

    Farmgirl: I do NOT talk like a truckdriver! I talk like a sailor, thank you very much. (But not around FrugalMom's kids!)

    Wendy: I can see well enough. Out of my left eye.

    Cece: Serrano...hotter than jalepeno...ok, I'll try it!

    FrugalMom: Trade you for some bubble wrap... and the worst thing about camping with one eye turned out to be not being able to see through the viewfinder in my camera.

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  8. The sliding glass door looks great, but that first step down is going to be rough...

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  9. Yeah, and me afraid of heights. They joked about leaving that scaffolding there, and calling them "bleachers." I veto'd that idea.

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  10. I am going to try the Salsa recipe. I need new glasses too. I keep putting it off though but I think I need to go ahead and get it done.

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  11. What an interesting assortment of items in one post!

    I'm proud of your mom. I KNOW you'll keep us posted, right?

    And SHAME on them for messing around with your eyes...

    Meanwhile, I can't wait to make your salsa. And I'll get ALL of it, too, as John doesn't like anything made with fresh tomato. (That's spoken as "toe-MAAAAAH-toe" in our house, too!)

    Janet

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