Guess what — 2020 is a Leap Year!
Sorry my blog is so late, it seems my computer managed to find a bit of a virus, but not uncommon this time of year. Thank goodness I had received a flu vaccine and I have a in house computer guru to fix it or it could have been worse.
So, a belated Happy New Year to everyone in the RMC family.
I have really enjoyed the festive nature of our halls, all the Christmas wreaths and ornaments have been a delight, nice to have something to help stave off our gray weather.
2019 is gone, it has been a great year, but not without some challenges. We lost two of our newest neighbors, Ed Shirk and Joel Remme. Betty and Judy have had major health issues. Thanks to some powerful prayers and good wishes both seem to be on the mend.
We have had some fun events here at RMC. Our summer potluck and Christmas party were both great successes.
A group of us have started to play Mahjong. Another good reason to get together and enjoy each other’s company. Andi is a great teacher.
Traveling Neighbors
The traveling has slowed down a bit around here.
- Edy and I had a great trip to NYC. I spent hours lost while Edy taught at NYU. We had a great time reconnecting with our Turkish friends. We enjoyed some nippy weather until the last day when we had some nasty rain.
- Edy is off again to the UK, another working trip.
January Birthdays
Linda Weschler will be celebrating this month
Book club will be at Carole Remme’s, Unit 304. We will get together on Jan. Monday Jan 13th We will be discussing Where the Crawdads sing by Delia Owens. Let Carole know if you plan to attend. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.
Soup Du Jour
Chili
This recipe might be cheating since it usually takes a bit of time to whip up a good chili but sometimes you just want a good bowl without spending a lot of time preparing it.
Buy a jar of Cookwell & Company chili mix.
This is a two-step mix
Step one,
Brown 1-1/2 pounds of ground beef, (you can also use turkey, or chicken, 0r pork)
I also added some sautéed onions and a can of chili beans
Step two
Add the contents of the jar to the beef mixture and simmer until hot.
This couldn’t be any easier and is very good. I found this at Central Market
Tips Du Jour
Recrisping chips
Microwaving stale potato or tortilla chips restores crispness beautifully. Spread 2 cups of chips on a Pyrex pie plate and microwave on high for 1 minute. Place the hot chips on a double layer of paper towels and allow them to come to room temperature before serving.
Recharging celery and carrots
Over time, even the crispest celery and carrots become limp, here is a simple technique for refreshing lifeless veggies.
- Trim and discard the bottom of each celery stalk and peal the carrots.
- Place the carrots or celery in a tall, narrow container with at least 2 inches of water (more for carrots). Refrigerate overnight, until they are crisp. The vegetables absorb the water, which crisps them back up.
Peeling Oranges
An easy way to peel an orange is to slice the tops and bottoms off first. Next, make a cut from the middle to the outer edge than simply unroll the orange.
Ripen Bananas quickly
If you find you need a ripe banana for a recipe you can ripen it quickly by putting the unripe banana in the oven at 350 F for about 40 minutes.
Another Banana Trick
If you want a perfectly banana do what the professionals do, imitate a monkey who peel their bananas from the bottom. This way you won’t accidentally mush the top and you’ll keep many of those little banana strings intact.
Mint Hot Chocolate
If you have any of those red stripped peppermint candies lying around, try crushing them and throw them into your hot chocolate for a peppermint hot chocolate treat.
Easy Peeled Hard-Boiled Eggs
An easy trick fill a glass container with some water and drop in your hard-boiled eggs. Place your hand or put a lid on top and shake the glass so that the eggs beat against the sides of the glass. The eggshell should slide right off when you take them out.
New Neighbor — Welcome Viv
You may notice a new face when you’re out and about the building. We have a new neighbor, her name is Vivian Steele. She is renting Midori’s condo, #309. If you see her give her a welcome.
Everyone have a Happy and Healthy 2020