Almost May

I put my air conditioner in the window of the bedroom today. I almost made it to May. Dang it.

It's the economy, doofus!

I have been disappointed lately with my box lot auction results. I was wondering if it was because I was starting them too early or too late? Wrong day? Would free shipping help? None of the above. I was hoping that people would be more likely to check out Ebay in the downturn of the economy, but now I think people just aren't buying, period. How has this been affecting you? Are you still buying whatever you want? Are you worried about your job, or are you in a comfortable place?

I thought I was, preparing for retirement in 16 months and thinking I had it under control, but now this! A quote from the linked article.

"The governor’s proposal would hit certain retirees even harder. For a retiree who is not yet old enough to qualify for Medicare, premiums would rise from $12.98 per month to an average of about $582 per month."

Now, that is a lot of moolah.

Not much changes around here. Mini Meatloaves

I made another batch of Mini Meatloaves today. Seems like I do this at least once a month. I made two batches for Mom when I was there a couple of weeks ago. It's just one of those "go to"
recipes when ground beef goes on sale. It is very handy to have them in the freezer for days you just don't want to cook. Bake a potato, toss a salad and you are good to go.

Mini Meatloaf

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick cook oats (more if too wet)
1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
(other spices of choice)
1 small onion, diced
dash Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 pound ground beef (lean)

Sauce

2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
dash Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats, onion, Worcestershire sauce and spices. Let sit for 5 minutes for oats to get soft.
Add the ground beef, mixing well, and form this mixture into eight miniature meatloaves. Place these in a lightly greased 9x13 inch dish.
In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf.
Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-45 minutes, depending on how big you shaped your loaves.

What a difference a year makes!

Two weeks ago, and today below. Last year I almost dug this azalea up because I had so few blooms on it. See last years post here. I did nothing extra, but she must have heard me talking about her. Poor girl.