Author Archives: alslaff

With Summer

from the get-go today
there were no clouds

a slight wind and the
sun was strong all day

if it weren’t for the
heater kicking on you

would think it was
still summer well it

looks like it but I had
to wear a coat to go

out to check the mail
I told myself I was

warm enough but they
say tonight will be the

first freeze of winter

I pray all the pestilence
on our planet will perish

with summer

Just the Weather

with the hurricane season
drawing to an end well at
least I pray so I was thinking

night is coming as is the cold
and more rain that cannot be
controlled or stopped

all creation or nature or the
weather are daily reminders
of God’s power and promises

the wind whips and the trees
sway in a chorus of prayer to
turn humanity back to God

before the Holy Spirit is told
to no longer hold back what
is to come

all that remains will have
exceedingly more to worry
about than just the weather

Odds and Ends 4.20

I made dinner and cleaned up the kitchen.
Then I stepped out back to take a break.
I made rainy day red beans and rice and

Cajun baked chicken thighs that my love
loves and a few breasts. The late afternoon
nap was not for me.

The rain falls slowly but continuously on
the metal patio roof behind me playing a
disjointed tempo all of its own drowning

out any other chords of rain. No wind
really and it is getting dark. I can hardly
see my steno pad. I am not sure what I

expected the Saturday after Thanksgiving
to be like, but this wasn’t it. The light over
the kitchen sink is on. Nap must be over.

Someone just closed the kitchen blinds.
I am sitting here in the dark, but I give
thanks to God for another day of life.

A moment of joy on this dreary dark day
comes to mind as I give thanks that it may
be too dark to see but I walk in God’s light.

Odds and Ends 3.20

Until now it was a lazy day.
The wind has doubled or more
and the sun is in full retreat.

I better hurry if I want to make
my window for a late afternoon
cup of coffee.

I made a 10 oz cup instead of a
12 oz cup to have enough room
for cream as I decided to try

a cup with cream only. Funny, I
like a double espresso with
sugar. But regular old coffee

black kills my taste for coffee.
I took a sip and put it down.
When I picked it up again, there

was a tiny bug floating in the
cup who didn’t like the coffee
either.

So much for my Plan A. No time
for a Plan B if I had one today.
I guess it is time for me to start

cooking dinner. I am baking
chicken legs. Why chicken legs?
It is the only fresh meat in the

fridge that was dropped from
our scaled down Thanksgiving
menu. We already cut back

on the variety of food and
will cook less of everything.
Instead of for twenty, it will

be for ten, but in reality five.
We just went to back to Phase 2
this afternoon. So the few who

might have come will now get
curbside delivery service. All
wearing masks of course.

At any rate, there will still be
more leftovers than usual.
Turkey and ham will abound

for a good week or so. You have
heard it before, “Be safe, not
sorry.” It is hard to plan with

COVID. Things change quickly.
But we can plan to pray.
Happy Thanksgiving.

Give thanks and pray.

Potatoes and Sausage

This is a wonderful comfort dish for the first cool nights of fall, winter, or anytime really. I always make more than enough—it is a family favorite for breakfast the next morning with eggs.

Serves
4-6

Cookware
A 3 qt pan with high sides and a cover. Or, large pan of your choice.

Ingredients
2 medium yellow onions. For this recipe, I like to cut the onions in half, then cut each half 3 or 4 times to make large long chunks. When I cook onion, I don’t like to separate the onion in the pan; I prefer to separate the onion into individual pieces in a pile before putting them in the pan.

Olive oil. I prefer extra virgin olive oil. A vegetable oil works okay too.

Summer sausage. You know, one whole sausage in a shrink pack that looks like a fat horseshoe. I cut it in about half inch pieces, then cut all the pieces in half. If you cut them too small, they will be overdone.

2 spoons of minced garlic. I keep a long ice tea spoon next to the sink near the coffee stuff. This is my go-to utility spoon for almost everything no matter what I cook or to add sugar to my tea (or coffee). This way I use one spoon a day instead of ten. So, two heaping spoons of minced garlic from the big jar in the fridge. More, less, or none. Your choice.

1.5 lb. bag of Melissa’s Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes. Or, small potatoes of your choice. I cut most of them in half. The real small ones I leave whole. The bigger ones, I cut in half, then cut the halves in half.

Spices. I use dry spices more often than not. Fresh spices are not cost effective for me. They will go bad before I get to use them a second time. Add spices during the last 10 or 15 minutes of cooking. To taste, Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, a few shakes of oregano, less than a shake of basil, a pinch plus of parsley.

Instructions
1. Prepare the onion for cooking. Add enough oil to cover bottom of the pan and put on MED heat to start. Add onion to pan.

2. Prepare the sausage. Onion will be close to done. Add the sausage to the pan. Mix the onion and sausage a bit in the uncovered pan.

3. Prepare the potatoes. Add them to the pan. Cover. Let cook one notch below MED for about 20 minutes. With a spatula or large spoon, turn all the contents around the pan. Cover.

4. Test potatoes for doneness in about 10 minutes or so. Add spices. Let cook covered on MED-LOW heat for about 10 more minutes then turn all the contents again to spread out the spices throughout the dish.

5. The dish could be done earlier in step 4. If not, check for doneness again. When done, use a large slotted utensil and spoon into a large bowl and serve.