It Feels Like the Bottom of the Barrel

I'm down to 2 packages of beef short ribs from our beef deliveries. I had nothing thawed for tonight's dinner. 

Rummaging through the meat freezer, I came across an old package of hamburger patties that no one knows when they were purchased. One daughter thought she might have bought them a couple of years ago. She said she would be thrilled if we used them up. 

There was about 1/2 cup of loose frost in the bag, and the patties themselves were covered with frost. I could just imagine the burgers would be freezer tasting, and the texture might not be great. 

I wasn't sure how to use them, but thought perhaps I could turn them into a meatloaf or meatballs.

After thawing 3 of the patties in the microwave, I ran them through the food processor along with bread, onions, celery leaves, and lots and lots of seasonings. Hiding any off flavors was my mission.

I baked the seasoned meat as a loaf, topped with ketchup. After baking, I added pickle and tomato slices and drizzled 1000 Island dressing over all. Surprise, surprise -- this tasted good!

I have 2 remaining long-in-the-tooth beef patties from this bag that I will turn into meatballs next week, using this same technique of running the patties through the food processor with bread and lots of seasonings.

The rest of our meal tonight also had that bottom of the barrel feeling. I used the last 2 potatoes (1 wrinkly, the other okay) as oven fries, mixed the last of the applesauce with some home-canned spiced figs in the blender for fig-applesauce, and stirred a small container of mayonnaise (from a picnic a few weeks ago) with the last of the sweet relish and some ketchup to make 1000 Island dressing. Man, I need to go grocery shopping soon!

Have you used preformed burger patties not cooked as patties before? What type of dish did you use them in?

If It Doesn't Bring Me Joy, I Won't Do It on a Sunday

This is how I view working on Sundays. 

I do enjoy baking cookies. So although baking is part of my work, it also is something that brings me joy. So I do bake cookies or pies or make dinner on Sundays.

I don't particularly enjoy painting the deck railing. So in this project I have never spent a Sunday afternoon painting. 

the completely finished part of the deck railing

I do, however, enjoy looking at a finished painting project or a partially finished one.

I'm a bit behind where I thought I'd be in this project. I "lost" 3 days to painting this last week. Last Wednesday it rained. (I was secretly gleeful over not being able to paint that day.) Sunday I didn't paint. And then Monday (yesterday) I was too busy to paint.

The next section needs top coats on 4x4 posts, and their finials need sanding and painting.
The section beyond that needs paint on all 4x4s, top coats on balusters in between 4x4s, and finials sanded and painted.

But I'm making slow but steady progress. Fortunately, we have about a week until the next rain is in the forecast. I'll be working as hard as I can these next few days. I hope to get everything done that is on the deck level and not worry about the stairs this year.

The far, far end hasn't been touched,
neither have either of the railings down the stairs.

I still haven't done a major grocery shopping. This will be 4 weeks without a stock-up shop. I've made a couple of runs to the neighborhood Walmart for milk, cheese, coffee, and bananas, and one quick run to Grocery Outlet for sausage and bacon for yesterday. But no other grocery shopping. I'm surprised we've made it this far. I will have to work a WinCo run in later this week. We need a few items that I only buy at WinCo (freshly ground peanut butter and bulk bin items).

If I found painting deck railings to be a source of joy, I might be further along in this project. As it is, having a break day and doing more enriching things gives me a peace that's more valuable than finishing the painting.