ABSILVER's World

  I sit here, lucky in East Texas, never lost heat or water, and we have had food. But, we are odd in Texas.  Much of the state is boiling water, wishing for power, dealing with pipes bursting and empty shelves in the grocery stores.  Those that have electricity and ordered from the wrong provider are receiving astronomically high bills ( https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/20/us/texas-storm-electric-bills.html ) rewarding these companies for the scarcity of electricity to heat homes in the middle of freezing temps and ice storms. How did we get here as a rich and growing state?  The Texas economy grew because of oil and natural gas, and yet it created its power grid that dis-incented generators to build and upgrade their plants.  Under the assumption, the market was a better manager of electricity cost and demand than the government.  I read an article on ERCOT, the manager for the Texas grid,( https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/18/texas-power-outages-ercot/ ) that most of Texas was m

The saying goes that chicken soup is the Jewish elixir that can cure the common cold, and who knows if it may help the new vaccines. (Just kidding on the last one.)  I get asked fairly often how I make chicken soup.  The recipe started years ago from a recipe on the Empire Kosher Chicken Website.  It has since evolved and been updated from experience and watching cooking shows/ To the left is my latest batch, and I will take you all through it step by step.   If you have access to kosher chickens, I would recommend them.  The koshering process, which is salting the chicken, actually adds flavor and helps the chicken meat hold up, so it is flavorful in the soup being served.  If you choose to use kosher chickens, you can skip the first step below.   This recipe is for two chickens. If you have less or more, adjust accordingly. Step 1: Brine the chicken.  For each chicken, select a pot big enough to hold the chicken and enough water to cover the chicken.  Pour in enough water and add en

As I sit here, it is continuing to rain outside, and my mood is focused on the inauguration tomorrow.  I look forward to a new president whose administration has a real plan to address the pandemic, including masks and a national roll-out of vaccinations. I am hopeful Biden and Harris will be able to restore the faith of the world in America. I also took a moment to watch Melania's farewell video and felt like I was watching a Netflix film where a sovereign's queen or spouse is looking at her future.  She does not come across as if she genuinely cares for the country, but she agrees with Trump's view of what we can do for them. We must not forget that the impact of Trump and his followers will last for years, nor should we forget as citizens and voters to assure these times will not be repeated by Trump or those that may desire to follow him. The rain continues as I remember other presidents and other times. I remember Nixon's downfall but realize his angst was as muc

I am a writer of a blog to share my thoughts, hopes, and dreams.  So, it seems I should write about yesterday and the riot that reached inside the Capitol.   I started to write about how the lies of the president, the words from Guliani, and the president's family helped incite this team of people they invited to a rally to become rioters with no respect for the Capitol and the legislators I am sure many voted for in recent weeks.  However, you can look to others on Facebook, Twitter, or watch the news channel of your choice to hear about this from the perspective that you want to hear.   News that is slanted to a particular party, philosophy, or belief has been around.  Teddy Roosevelt wrote about the number of papers and their spin on truth in New York and the country during his time, and it sounds quite similar.  The difference is that the printing press slowed them down.   Using untruths and lies to change the political climate and will of the people is also not new.  Looking b

 T op Recipes of 2020: These are some top recipes for us in 2020. Where I had pictures of my efforts, I included them. Barefoot Contessa hits from 2020 I love the Barefoot Contessa.  Her recipes work, and you just have to follow them and remember she put days, months, and years into perfecting the recipes so just follow them the first few times. Ina Garten’s Overnight Mac ‘n Cheese:   This may be the best Mac ‘n Cheese of all time for me.  You mix lightly cooked macaroni with cream and ½ the cheese and keep it in the fridge for 24 hours.  Then you take it out, mix in extra cheese and add bread crumbs, and it was cheesy and tasty. Smashed Sweet Potatoes:  This was easy, and the surprise of adding pepper made it a surprise.  All the flavors merge into what is a not too sweet dish that was great. Irish Soda Bread:   This was an easy entry into bread making.  We enjoyed it, and it was great, especially for breakfast.  To prove the “don’t mess with the Barefoot Contessa,” I tried to impro

  So my top ten pet peeves as we end 2020: 1) People who wear masks into a store, to take them off right after they enter.  While we are at it, those who wear the mask and show their nose, those who choose not to wear them at all, and those of all ages seem challenged by masks.  Whether you will be stricken very ill or not, the choice to wear a mask not only puts me at risk but everyone of all ages I may be in contact with, including my in-laws.  2) The curiosity of Texas, at least driving in East Texas, why is using your turn signal too stressful? This impacts me as another driver and while walking the dog. Is knowing where you are going at an intersection asking too much? 3) The barrage of tweets by the president and his minions about the rigged election.  Especially as he takes credit for getting 8 Republican senators re-elected, since all candidates were on the same ballot, it can't be rigged for the president and not rigged for everyone else. 4) It is not reasonable to blame t

So, I started again to write and came up with the idea of a COVID survival kit.   I have had some challenging days around the pandemic.  I am not the easiest person to live with during normal times and am sure a greater challenge during the pandemic.  But, overall, we have weathered the storm so far pretty well, I think.  We are in our tenth month of being somewhat locked down, and I thought I would share some of what has helped me as it might help others.  So, here it goes, we have been officially locked down since March 7th.  I know that date because it was the day I flew back from Savannah.  In the beginning, we stored up on essentials, not knowing what this meant.  Would the stores run out of toilet paper, and we even bought enough dry beans to store to be extra safe.  After trial and error, here are some of the tips that have helped me survive the pandemic. Find space in your home to be alone . It is not just for your peace of mind but for others.  I have an "office" as