1. As Bill, Diane, and I were chatting away on ZOOM this afternoon, we knew Colette and Bridgit would be absent today, but we didn't know Val's plans. Then, BOOM!, Val appeared on our screens. She and Mike were in the middle of soap production for their company, Soaps for Good. Val caught us up on different kinds of soap they make for Alzheimer sufferers and people with other ailments, working with the understanding that scents like lavender, citrus, and others can have stimulating effects on the brain while also giving soap users pleasure. The soaps also clean the skin!
You can read more about Val and Mike's business at www.soapsforgood.com or visit their Soaps for Good Facebook page.
While we were yakkin' away, Val asked how Debbie's job was going and I tried to give a sound answer. Debbie could hear my efforts from the living room and slipped into the Vizio room and wondered if she could join us and give more accurate information than I was giving.
It was an awesome moment.
Bill had met Debbie before, but I don't think Diane or Val had ever seen or met Debbie. That was fun. In addition, Debbie gave us a concise rundown of the challenges she faces and so Val's question got answered much better by Debbie than by me.
2. Earlier today, I thawed a package of chicken wingettes. We don't have any Frank's Hot Sauce on hand, but had a bottle of Teriyaki Sauce in the fridge and Debbie agreed that Teriyaki wings would be fun.
First, I toasted a bunch of sesame seeds in the cast iron pan and set them aside.
Next, I floured the chicken wingettes and fried them in butter. I'm convinced that butter fried chicken wings are superior to frying them in any other kind of oil.
Once I'd cooked the wingettes, I put them in a bowl. I covered them with the toasted sesame seeds and then poured a moderate amount of Teriyaki sauce over them and tossed them in the bowl. I added a light sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the wingettes.
I had leftover jasmine rice from a few nights ago and I warmed in up in the buttery and chicken fat liquid left in the cast iron pan from frying the chicken pieces.
This meal was awesome.
I have two more packages of wings and look forward to figuring out a way to cook them up that might be different than what I've done before.
I'm thinking I might try to replicate the Old Bay Seasoning wings we used to order at the Old Line Bistro in Beltsville, MD.
That sounds like a blast.
3. Christy left last Monday for a nearly week long getaway/retreat at an airbnb in northwest Spokane and returned today.
While she was gone, I fed Grayson, brought in her mail and newspapers, and watered her flowers in containers before the rain storm came.
Christy came over to our house this evening and brought me a thank you bag of great stuff from Trader Joe's. She gave me a fifth of Trader Joe's Straight Kentucky Bourbon, a container of maple walnut biscotti, a jar of Cinnamon Bun spread, and a box of Harvest Blend Herbal Tea.
WOW!
We sampled the biscotti. Christy and Debbie had a taste of the Cinnamon Bun spread. Debbie had a wee drab of the whiskey. I steeped a cup of Harvest Blend Herbal Tea and drank it just before I went to bed.
I'm saving the biscotti to have with coffee in the next few mornings. I'll try out the spread and drink some bourbon before too long.
Christy is going to start volunteering about once a week in Debbie's classroom and the two of them had a great conversation about how Christy will help Debbie and some of her students and that expanded into a more general discussion of the current state of things in public schools.
I'm glad people like Christy and Debbie are in classrooms helping children learn and providing a place to be where they are accepted and encouraged.
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