What's for Dinner? September 9, 2021

 Good Morning!

It's already after 9 a.m., but my weekly financial reports are all complete and have been sent out.  When the library opens at 10 I'll head over there to pick up a book that came in for me.  Yesterday was a day!  First of all, my commute was more than double the usual time (so I didn't need to over-sleep...I arrived at work later than I had planned anyway - LOL).  So many roads are still closed due to the remnants of Ida last week.  Every time I tried a route that I usually take I came to a closed road.

Then, when I got to the office and took my laptop out of my backpack it was scalding HOT!  This had happened once before and our IT guy told me I probably had something still running in the background that prevented the laptop from shutting down.  Ever since then I've been careful to shut down and wait a bit before taking it off the docking station and putting it in my backpack.  Anyway, it wouldn't come on (or off as the case may be) for almost 2 hours!  I was getting frantic.  Finally around 10 I was able to get it turned on.  Tom (from IT) is going to run a more detailed scan on my laptop - he thinks there is something else going on, so next time we are both in the office he will look at it.

Work itself was fine.  Though long...I was at the office till 4 p.m.  There were more people than usual in, but everyone was masked.  Lisa, the new Division President for the West Coast, is nice.  She indicated she is very independent so won't be calling on me for a lot of things (thank goodness!!).  Even though she is nice, it will take some time getting used to working with/for her.  And from a distance since she lives in CA.

Meanwhile, let's talk food.  I'm not making dinner tonight.  Colin texted that he has a flat tire and won't be getting it fixed today (and he cannot turn the lugnuts to put the donut on himself).  So, Fletch and I are going to head to his place for dinner and we've decided just to order out from Goombas - a favorite place of Colin & Mailing for steak sandwiches and the like.  Fletch and I have had their food before and it is YUMMY.  The hard part will be deciding what to order!  But, I thought I'd share with you the recipe I had been planning to make if we were going to have dinner here.  It's a recipe from my sister-in-law and it is easy and good.  A slow cooker meal and it satisfies the craving I've been having for winter comfort food.

Ranch Style Brisket & Beans

• 1 16 oz bag dried pinto beans (rinsed & drained)
• 2 C hot water
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1.5 C ketchup
• 3 TBS Worcestershire
• 1 TBS yellow mustard
• 1/4 C red wine vinegar
• 1/4 C packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 3 lb brisket, trimmed (this time I'm just using a pot roast)

In slow cooker, combine beans, water and onion.

Mix all other ingredients in a bowl.  Stir half the mixture into the beans.  Place meat on top and spread remaining mixture over the meat.

Cover and cook on low 9-10 hours.  Stir 1-2 times

Depending on the weather, I may make this over the weekend or sometime next week...maybe next Thursday when Colin should be over.

I'm really looking forward to the weekend!  I'm thrilled that the New Jersey Sheep and Fiber Festival is still on and Dee and I are planning to get over there Saturday morning.  It has been too long!  It will be fun to see all the animals and touch all the yarn!  

Hope your Thursday is a good one!