Rainy Days

We had a very rainy week.  It rained every day except for yesterday.  Rainy days mean we can keep our shades open, which is nice.

The dark clouds are in Houston.  The rain went around us.

Just another windy day here.

Mom fixed the Campbell's Marsala Chicken.  It was okay, but she will not buy it again.

It really didn't taste like Chicken Marsala to us.

She tried the Cheesy Broccoli Chicken and it was a hit!  You add frozen broccoli to it and bake it.  The folks both really liked it.

We loved this one!

Yesterday was quite the adventure with the Instant Pot. Mom had a 6.6 pound pork butt roast to cook.  She had it in the refrigerator for two days and it still wasn't completely thawed.  She decided to put in the Instant Pot with 2 cups of chicken broth for 50 minutes. She then let it sit for another 40 minutes because she forgot about it.  She tried to get it out of the Instant Pot to cut it up and that was an issue.  It was hot and heavy.  She had it almost out and it fell back in.  Grease went all over the counter, the cabinets, the freshly mopped floor and Mom.  It was a mess.  She finally got it out and she cut it up.  It wasn't completely cooked which didn't surprised her.  She planned on using the slow cooker to finish it. She added Campbell's Southern BBQ to the Instant Pot.  The slow cooker function on our Instant Pot just doesn't work right.  After five hours, she decided to use the pressure cooker again.  I think she set it for 20 or 30 minutes.  She did a natural release which means she let the pressure come down on its' own.  She took it out and shredded it.  She then took out the sauce and put it in her fat separator.  She was happy she finally bought one because it made that process so much easier.  She then put the pork and the sauce back in the Instant Pot and set it on warm until dinner time.  It turned out great!!!

Love it!

We sure do talk about food a lot.  BOL!

Mom and I talking about how many calories are in food.

 It is another hot and humid day here.  They said there is an African dust cloud that will affect our breathing and allergies today. Where the heck are we that an African dust cloud reaches us?  Mom has had a heck of a time with her allergies here.

It is a bad hair day here.  You have been warned.  BOL!

Have a nice weekend!!!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Holding Down The Couch Today

I'm Back!

There is still not much going on, but I am pestering Mom today and she said maybe we should work on the blog.  They are cutting the grass, so we can't sit outside. Grass cutting is an all day event here.  They first edge the entire place, then come back and cut the grass, then they weed eat and then they use a leave blower.  Mom put in a request for them to trim the plants that are blocking our entrance to the dog walk.  The plants are literally blocking our way.  The new manager said she would tell them. We hope they take care of it today.   We are surprised they are cutting grass because it is so wet. We have had rain every day since last Thursday.  Cindy didn't bring us much, but another system is getting us.  We have had lots of thunder.  No real storms, but lots of thunder.  Saturday, Mom opened the refrigerator door and BOOM.  It shook our entire place and Mom screamed.  We know two whippets who are staying here from California and they have been really scared.

As you may remember, Mom likes to cook. She has been trying to cook healthier meals.  She did pretty good last night.  She tried these seasoning wraps. They are supposed to go around chicken, but she put them on tilapia.  The wraps are 25 calories and you don't use any oil.

This is the inside of the wrap.

See, you just wrap it around the food and fry it.

This is how the fish turned out.

Mom loves capers with fish, so she topped the fish with them.

Mom also fixed fresh string beans and potatoes in the Instant Pot.  She has decided that she really can't tell the difference between the fresh and the canned after they are cooked and the fresh are a heck of a lot more work, so she may just go back to canned.  She cut up the beans, onions, garlic, potatoes and some bacon and put it along with some chicken broth in the Instant Pot and set it on the soup mode for 25 minutes. It came out perfect. I love green beans and Mom seems to be on a green bean kick, so I am happy.  She didn't give me any of the onions or the garlic because she said that is a no-no for pups.

Green Beans and Potatoes with a little bacon

This is the chicken broth that she used.  Have you tried it?  They also have a beef one that she loves.

The final part of the meal was zucchini.  She cooked it in olive oil and seasoned with garlic salt and pepper.  

It was a good meal.  The green beans with potatoes were probably the least healthy part, but they sure were good. Dad said the zucchini was a little limp.  He liked the wraps she used on the fish.

Tonight she is fixing chicken marsala.  She has made it from scratch several times, but tonight she is trying a Campbell's skillet sauce.  She hasn't decided the sides for sure.  She may fix a little pasta and probably a salad.  

I will let you know next time if the folks liked the chicken marsala.

Joey,

The Greyhound Who Loves His Mom's Cooking

All Is Well

Tropical Storm Cindy only brought us a few light showers.  Mom and I walked in the rain a few times, but it wasn't bad at all for us.

We are back to our normal life now.  

A few interesting things happened last week. We watched a guy move into the site next to us.  He had a fifth wheel and he got it all set up. He then looked over at our site and saw that it was slightly flooded from the recent downpour.  He moved to another site.  He got all set up and then he moved again.  After 2.5 hours of moving sites and setting up, he left.  Yep, he left at 3 p.m.  I guess he wasn't happy here.  Also last week, the general manager was let go.  Mom was upset because she was really nice.  We miss her.

This is our neighbor now.  Isn't he small?

This may be our last update for a while. There is really not much going on.  It may be time to stop blogging.  😲

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Taking A Blogging Break

Our First Tropical Storm

Should I be scared?

We are under a tropical storm warning.  The people on the news keep telling us to prepare.  Mom doesn't really know what that means since it is just supposed to be rain. They are saying now that the wind could get up to 45 mph. She did buy us some water and we have plenty of food.  We have a generator if we need it.  She asked the office if there was a chance we could flood because the news was originally saying we could get 6".  There is a guy who is staying here who happens to be an environmental engineer and he was in the office.  He told her that we will be fine.  He said the lake is a retention pond and it will keep us from flooding. He said that we may be trapped inside the park because the roads outside of the park will most likely flood, but we won't. That was a huge relief. Dad may not be that lucky since he will be at work.  It sounds like the storm is weakening, so we may not even get much rain.  I think they are saying 3" now. It will, of course, start in the middle of the night so going outside in the morning may be tough. I guess we will just get wet.

I talked Mom into taking me to Petsmart today.  How did I do that?  Well, she took the trash out and when she got back, I got all excited.  She took me outside and I kept going to the Jeep and crying.  She decided that we could go for a ride.  She didn't even realize that she was wearing her old shoes and old clothes.  We drove past a dog kennel and the dogs were outside.  I cried with excitement.  She then asked if I wanted to go to Petsmart.  What kind of question is that?  Of course!  Petsmart is the ultimate place to me.  We walked through every aisle several times.  It is hard for me to take it all in.  We then headed to the car and then I pulled my famous stunt.  I did my business.  Mom had to pick it up and take it to the trash can which is at the front of the store.  Well, since we were at the front of the store, we may as well walk through it again.  I always go back a second time.  The second time in the store, I can relax and really shop.  Mom found some treats and asked if I wanted them.  They smelled good, so I said sure.  We got in line to pay and then I gave Mom the most adoring looking that told her that I think she is the best.  She gushed at me.  Do I know how to work her or what?  I didn't want to get back in the car, but I didn't want to upset Mom, so I jumped in and we headed home.  Mom told me I was a good boy and now we are relaxing.  Actually, I think we need to take another walk because while windy out, the temperature is nice.  It is cloudy, so it is not hot.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Ready To Meet Tropical Storm Cindy

Christmas in June?

Yes, apparently, Hobby Lobby thinks it is time to start selling Christmas items.  Mom says that is the earliest that she has seen Christmas items at a store.

We were surprised this morning when we arrived at the dog walk and saw the farmer cutting the grass in his field.  Mom used to enjoy looking at all the wildflowers in it and now they are gone.

There were several birds that were upset too.

The folks drove to Kemah, TX this past weekend.  It a town on the water.  Mom had a coupon for a free appetizer at Crazy Alan's Swamp Shack.

Fried Oysters and Shrimp.  Dad said the shrimp was good.  The oysters were okay.

Fried pickles - their free appetizer.

Burger with bacon cooked in it.  Mom said it was okay.

They actually serve several alligator dishes but Mom has had alligator the past two weekends.  They will probably go back some day.

The following photos are the view they had while eating.  The boardwalk is in the background where the roller coaster is.

Yesterday, the folks took me to a local park.  We walked for a short distance.  It was pretty hot, so we made it short.  I think the only reason Mom took me was because I begged and begged to go when they left earlier in the day to do some shopping.  Mom took me to McDonald's earlier in the week. 😀

I am getting used to the robotic vacuum.  Mom figured out that if she uses my bed as a barricade, I don't freak out.  Although, I look a little scared in this photo.

Mom and I stay inside when it is hot out.  Last Friday night, the folks and I sat outside until well after our bedtime.  That was odd. The weather was nice and cool.

Here I am relaxing inside where it is nice and cool.

The instant pot has been busy making potato salad, mashed potatoes, pastas and even steamed veggies.  Mom still really likes it.  Today, it has a roast in it.  She is using it as a slow cooker.  It is not the best slow cooker though.  She may have to use it as a pressure cooker if the roast is not done.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Loves Air Conditioning