Hee hee hee! Here's the salad recipe I did not serve to you guys..... Autumn Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup cranberries 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 cup red onion, chopped 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup, Brown Sugar or Honey 1 tablespoon Dijon-style prepared mustard 1 cup vegetable oil salt and pepper to taste 10 cups mixed salad greens, rinsed and dried 2 Anjou Pears, cored and thinly sliced Toast the walnuts for 8 to 10 minutes in a 350F oven, or until lightly toasted. In a food processor, combine the cranberries, vinegar, onion, syrup, and mustard. Puree until smooth; gradually add oil, and season with salt and pepper. In a salad bowl, toss together the greens, pears, and enough of the cranberry mixture to coat. Sprinkle with walnuts, and serve. Note: Also great with crumbled Gorgonzola ********************************************************* And this is what you got...... 1 Bowlful of mixed salad greens 1 bunch of red grapes, washed and halved 1 cup toasted candied walnuts 1 hunk of crumbled gorgonzola Blue cheese dressing (can sub Marie's or other really thick type). Toss everything and add dressing. ********************************************************** When I make homemade blue cheese dressing, I use 2/3 cup mayo, 1/3 cup sour cream, crumbled blue cheese, 1 tbsp minced garlic and a tsp or so of Worcestershire. Have fun! Alexa

For crying out loud, I just created an account with Spotify and at the end it told me I have to have a Premium account to use Spotify with Alexa. Yet spotify was one of the ones to choose. I'm getting frustrated. The Alexa App has Amazon Music as it's default music source, which is why I realize Alexa can't find any music that I request, since I don't have Amazon Prime. I have to figure out how to install streaming sites via url, and I'm not sure how to do that.

Schoolhouse, it's working out surprisingly well. Rocky (large male about 6 years old) had come in for visits during the day, but Scruffy (small, long-haired female of indeterminate age) hadn't. They both came in at night but were eager to go back outside in the morning. I didn't know how Scruffy would take to such a big change. She tends to be easily spooked. Well, she took to it right away! She's always loved softness and warmth, and that we have. She was a stray when she came to us (Rocky was as well), and now that I've had a lot more interaction with her I think she must have been abused at some point in her life. They've been in the house about three weeks so far. When the weather finally warmed up this week Rocky got restless and would have slipped out the door if I hadn't been careful going in and out. Scruffy doesn't seem interested in leaving. Rocky loves to play and will chase balls as long as I'll pitch them. Scruffy occasionally attacks a catnip mouse, but mostly loves to nap. Rocky's the one with one blue eye. Scruffy got her name when she first showed up. She was such a matted mess that we thought she was seriously ill. Nope, she was just hungry.

I looked up 'Wild Alaskan Company' seafood yesterday via link from another cooking forum...the usual free something with first order....24oz free king crab legs code. I did not bite. My freezer is just where i like it this time of year. Thinning for garden harvest. It was the header ad signing into the NYTimes this morning. I get a few e-mails from past orders from beans, Zwilling, etc. Not much of a bother really. I like a heads up for deals. This post was just about how useful it has been that i was previously unaware of. Having 8-10 timers set with different names...."Alexa, set the grain timer for 20 minutes", the chick pea timer for 30 min, the oven for 3 hours braising short ribs....then later, "Alexa, how much timer left on the short ribs?". Even with three or four burners full, i can sit down at the kitchen table, check the pantry for a grocery order downstairs, start a load of laundry, check the mailbox, the garden, snip some herbs....all before it gets too hot outside. Start a half cup summer/winter wheat, 20 min head start, move to back burner, add 1/4 cup quinoa, 15 min, soaked chick peas on the front burner....20 min, turn down to simmer, 1/2 hour, move to cool, half tossed in spices to oven roast, half for humus. Black beans, then eggs on to steam. Easily all timed hands free and often off to do other things. Cold salads, slaws, and blender prep, dressings, are afternoon quickies when it is so hot. Lots of meal choices for a couple days.