This week 10-20-15
Vise Grips
I
use to have a 65 VW bus/camper. It didn't have the pop-up top, but it
did have the bed in the back and all the crank side windows. I loved
it, it was fun, BUT!!!! .. it was hard to keep running. I thought it
would be a great thing for weekend camping trips. I put a big stereo in
it and painted most of the outside. It looked good and
sounded good. Problems: It was a VW so it was air cooled, no water.
When you turned on the heat, engine fumes came in through the vents. So
to stay warm and to keep from passing out you had to open all the
windows and turn the heat up all the way. I also learned all kinds of
auto mechanics that I didn't really want to know. There are 3 things
that you have to have if you're going to own a VW bus. Duct tape, heavy
wire, and most important, Vise Grips. One night we drove out to some
friend's house for dinner. They lived kinda out in the sticks so there
were several 2 lane roads with no street lights on the way. Got there,
had dinner, left around 10:30p. We were going along fine when I shifted
gears and heard a "Pop" and the clutch pedal went to the floor. It was
in neutral, so we coasted to the side of the road, in the dark, cars
rushing by, two lanes. The good thing was that I always carried all my
tools with me, I had done this kind of thing before. I crawled under
the bus with my flash light and there was the clutch cable dragging on
the road. I pulled it up to the leaver on the pedal, and I was about an
inch short.. What to do? I got a crowbar and pulled the clutch open and
clamped the bar to the bus with one pair of vise grips. Now the cable
would reach but the little end piece that held the cable to the pedal
lever was broken. So I got my biggest pair of vise grips and turned it
as tight as I could and with all my strength, clamped the cable to the
clutch pedal. Then I wired the vise grips tight around the cable so
they wouldn't drag on the road. I let the crowbar go and it held.. some
days you just get lucky. We drove home. It turned out that I drove it
that way for about a month. I actually had to cut the cable to get the
vise grips off. I've still got those vise grips ... good tools
God's
like that: He gives us lots of tools to fix our life. The Bible,
friends, church, prayer.. lots of stuff. We just need to be sure to
keep them close..
I
sure wish they made a VW bus that worked. I think I'll keep my Triumph,
I'm pretty sure it's going to start tomorrow.. but those Vise Grips are
in my tool box ...
==
Cooking
220 - 2 pans,
2 burners, 20 minutes:
You guys know
I love great food that only takes 1 iron skillet to make. Pot pie is
one of my favorite things ever, but the thing that everybody hates is
that they have to make a pie crust. That's really easy, but this is
even better, you use bread on top instead. As in all of these recipes
use you imagination, if you don't like something leave it out. Want to
add something, do it. I noticed there a no pearl onions in this. So
boil some pearl onions and add them. This is a pot pie.. i.e. add
anything to the pot that you want. Got some leftovers in the fridge?
Add them. As long as it makes more flavor, you are good. TASTE! TASTE!
TASTE! .. remember Hot, sour, Salty, sweet. Keep those 4 in balance and
it will be great.. I promise..
Skillet Chicken-and-Mushroom Potpie
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 tablespoons Madeira (optional)
2 cups whole milk (any milk/cream works. Even sour cream)
3 cups shredded chicken (from a rotisserie chicken)
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
Eight 1-inch-thick slices of bakery white country bread (about 1
pound), crusts removed
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet, melt 2
tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion, mushrooms and carrots and
season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over high heat,
stirring once, until the vegetables are just softened, about 1 minute.
Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 5
minutes. Stir in the flour and paprika and cook, stirring, for 1
minute. Add the stock and Madeira and cook, stirring, until blended.
Add the milk and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the chicken and peas
and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Arrange the bread over the chicken mixture, trimming it to fit snugly
in a single layer. Brush the bread with the remaining 2 tablespoons of
butter. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and
the bread is golden. Serve right away.
Mack