MONKEY MUSINGS DAILY OPEN DISCUSSION #61 04/22/13 - 12/03/14

[San]

Does everyone fry their meatballs plain or all mixed before they put them in the gravy or do they cook them in the gravy?  Everyone does it differently.  I add gravy to the raw meat  along with eggs, grated cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, grated onions, herbs, spices, breadcrumbs, etc. and then cook them in the gravy until they are nice and tender and cooked through, then skim the fat off the gravy, if there is any.  I like them soft and tender.  What about you?

OMG!  I just made myself so hungry!  It is hard to go out to a restaurant and get good meatballs, they have to be home made, they are just not the same.  You have to taste the raw meat with the raw eggs and all the ingredients in it to get just the right taste before you cook them. I can't believe I never got sick from all the raw meat and eggs I tasted over time, to get that perfect taste. Mmmmm!

 

Bearly I fry my meatballs and then put some in my gravy and usually half of them get eaten by dinner because everyone likes them fried.

[San]

Hi Bearly....so nice to see you.  I think I could write a book about this move, especially now that I am older and everything seems a bit harder.  However, with friends and some planning, and with two rental truck moves, I am now in the new house.

The new house is actually sort of old and was owned and maintained by an elderly gentleman.  Every room had wallpaper....now removed and painted.  There is a large living area with wood, real wood, walls.  I haven't decided yet.....paint or no paint. 

New things are happening every day, and it is nice to be so near my daughter and her husband.
I had lunch yesterday with friends from high school, and the new washer and dryer arrived, so if I can find
the laundry supplies, I am ready to start this morning.

By the way, I have all the supplies for "San's meatballs and red sauce" but I am still looking for the recipe which stayed on my bulletin board.  I think I have it in a word document if San will let me share it. 

Nice to see everyone.....hugs.....

Hi Mere, feel free to share the recipe.

[Mere]

SAN’S ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients

3 Cans of peeled tomatoes (not crushed)
1 Can Paste
4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
1 Onion Chopped or cut (medium size is good)
Salt & Pepper (use your own judgment)
Basil Leaves (Fresh or Dried – if you don’t have Basil is not a must more of a preference)
Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil (can combine both)
2 lbs of sausage

Preparation

   Put oil in pot once hot add sausage and let it brown a little (don’t fry the sausage long)
   Add Garlic and Onion when sausage is browning let cook a little (you can smell the aroma Yum)
   While sausage is browning open tomatoes or open before hand.
   Put tomatoes in blender and give them a quick zip (coupe of seconds).
   When you see garlic and onion starting to cook add the tomatoes
   Add the Salt, Pepper and Basel after you add the tomatoes and stir together

I usually use a Club Aluminum pot or my Le Creuset pot (If you use a stainless steel pot make sure you watch it and stir frequently it tends to burn on bottom faster if not watched)

I usually have the flame on medium and then I put it in simmer and let it cook for about 2 1/2-3 hours.

MEATBALLS

Ingredients

2 lbs of chop meat
Plain Bread Crumbs
Chopped Garlic
Cheese
1 Egg
Salt and Pepper


Preparation

   Combine ingredients in a large bowl chop meat being first.
   Wet breadcrumbs until moist before adding to mix
   Start mixing with hands (mix well)
   If you feel it is dry add the egg
   Once it’s mixed start rolling your meatballs to the size of a little bit bigger than a golf ball
   Put meatballs in a plate until read to fry

Fry meatballs in a frying pan using regular Vegetable oil (sort of like when you fry chicken).

Once fried you can add meatballs to sauce or you can eat them before adding.

San has suggestions for this recipe....like the brands of canned sauce and the type of sausage....I think the tomatoes and paste are in cans with yellow labels and the sausage is italian but not sure if Jimmy Dean....Help San....!!!

[Nut44x4]

Jimmy Dean's is the best...imo

[seahorse]

Hi Monkeys....spent part of the evening texting my sister who lives in St. Louis and was staying in her
basement.  Bad looking weather, but she was okay.  It did make me walk around my new home which has no basement and decided that the master bath is the new tornado shelter.    Have missed you during the move which took longer than expected.  Driving across country with furniture in a rental truck, and two cars following behind, is something you should do when you are very young.  
                                                                  

Hi Mere,

Glad your sister is safe from these storms.  I'm also glad you finished your move.  At least the hard part of your move is done.  Now you can concentrate on the unpacking and organizing your rooms the way your want them.

I made some meatballs for you today  

Does everyone fry their meatballs plain or all mixed before they put them in the gravy or do they cook them in the gravy?  Everyone does it differently.  I add gravy to the raw meat  along with eggs, grated cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, grated onions, herbs, spices, breadcrumbs, etc. and then cook them in the gravy until they are nice and tender and cooked through, then skim the fat off the gravy, if there is any.  I like them soft and tender.  What about you?

OMG!  I just made myself so hungry!  It is hard to go out to a restaurant and get good meatballs, they have to be home made, they are just not the same.  You have to taste the raw meat with the raw eggs and all the ingredients in it to get just the right taste before you cook them. I can't believe I never got sick from all the raw meat and eggs I tasted over time, to get that perfect taste. Mmmmm!

 

YUM!

Did you ever make meatballs, out of an eggplant?  TIA

[Bearlyhere]

The meatballs look YUMMY, San!  

Speaking of eating (in my case overeating), I found a new exercise regime! Yep, I'm going to go through the streets in my neighborhood doing it......... until the men in white coats come to take me away!  

I just hope I can find the right athletic wear for it. I haven't seen a bead necklace like that in a while........   


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/o-50GjySwew?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/o-50GjySwew?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US</a>

I was just looking at that the other day.  She even wrote a book.  People can laugh all they want, but I think she looks great.  She's in her 60s.  I wish I had all that energy!  I wonder if she leads Santa's sleigh?  Is she the real Prancer?

 

My neighbors wouldn't even give me a second look, they are used to my antics.

 

[klaasend]

Interview

[Bearlyhere]

The meatballs look YUMMY, San!  

Speaking of eating (in my case overeating), I found a new exercise regime! Yep, I'm going to go through the streets in my neighborhood doing it......... until the men in white coats come to take me away!  

I just hope I can find the right athletic wear for it. I haven't seen a bead necklace like that in a while........   


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/o-50GjySwew?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/o-50GjySwew?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US</a>

I think this is the Klaas version, she likes to multitask.  I think Klaas would have done a much better job though.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/RgOA5fBNrek?hl=en_US&amp;amp;version=3" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/RgOA5fBNrek?hl=en_US&amp;amp;version=3</a>

[Bearlyhere]

Blue Moon........ I know what you mean about the pants. If I were to put on tight little white stretchy pants like that, I'd be the #1 draft choice for the NFL; as a fullback! Did you make it through the video to the "Gallop"? You have to get through the "Hot to Trot" phase first, but that Gallop had me in tears! I'm with Mere. Picturing a group of ladies coming down the street that way is more than my eyes could handle. They'd look like they needed wings and a fairy wand..........   

 

There is also a spoof about the tight pants.  These people are poking fun at her and she is the one who is laughing--all the way to the bank! 

Warning:  May be offensive to some

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/bp2lU-FB4tQ?hl=en_US&amp;amp;version=3" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/bp2lU-FB4tQ?hl=en_US&amp;amp;version=3</a>

[Bearlyhere]

Does anyone have to transport a family member who needs a wheelchair and how do you do it?  Thanks.

 

Hi, Miss Bear!   

I used to have to get my Grandmother around when she was in a wheelchair. She was able to pull herself up (with help) and could stand on her feet while holding on to something, so I'm not sure the way I got her in and out of the car would be helpful to you. I would open the car door first, and then wheel her up close, facing the door interior, and lock the wheelchair wheels. Then, I'd come around in front, lower the footrests, and help lift her out of the chair. She would hold onto the car door arm rest, which allowed her to help me pull herself up and out of the chair (my butt was up against the door, so it was steady). Next, I sort of pushed the wheelchair back a little and held on to her as she slightly turned and sat down on the passenger seat. Lastly, I picked up her feet/legs and guided them inside the car. She could help me with that as long as she could hold on to the door frame of the car. Getting her out was basically the same thing in reverse. Hope that helps, Bearly, but I'm not sure how extensive the limitations are you're dealing with. I will tell you this....... please protect your own back. I still struggle with injury from years of lifting her. The car was easier than lifting her from a fall, and there were many of those. That scenario is much harder, but we developed a strategy that worked, even for that. Good luck hon, and I know that your help means the world to someone!    

Thanks so much for that extensive answer and the minute I wrote it, I knew I should have explained better, but the spit is always hitting the fan around here and I got distracted.  I meant does anyone have the front seat that swivels around and goes down to transport the person from the chair to the car or have a van where you can secure the wheelchair with the person in it inside the van.  Who do you call?  How did getting the person from the wheelchair to the swivel seat work out?

Thanks, CBB, for your answer!

 

[Bearlyhere]

So, this was my week:

I finally got rid of the squirrels in my attic and no, that was not a diagnosis.  There were 5 of them.  They got in through the fan that goes on when the attic is too hot.  It apparently stopped working and the handyman just happened to see one peek his head in there when he was up there trying to find out where these buggers were coming from.  

He went up and put metal screening in there and replaced the fan.  The only problem was, now they had no way to get out.  So he set a trap and forgot to put the piece on that keeps them in there.  So they would get in the trap and then they could get out after they had their snack.  Then, he realized the piece was missing--luckily the 2 he caught when it was that way did not figure out how to get out while he was carrying them through my house or I would have had to move.

Finally he caught 3 more, once he even caught 2 at once, we could not imagine what the heck the noise was.  I was afraid to open the attic door.  One of the 5 squirrels we caught was regular size, but 4 of them were like little kid squirrels, so she may have had babies in my attic.  It is always something.  

I called the tree people to cut back my trees and accidentally ripped the owner off 50 dollars.  That's what I thought the price was, neither one of us had the slip with the estimate, so I gave him the money, he counted it and that was the end of it, or so I thought.  His daughter called me when he got home and told me what happened (I had given him cash and he counted it in front of me, so neither one of us knew the cost or one of us would have said something).  How embarrassing!

She said her father said I was such a nice lady and was so good to them, providing them with water, snacks, and offering to get them lunch to tell me not to worry about the $50.  So, it does pay to be nice.  I keep trying to tell my Mom, but she disagrees, she says I am too nice to people who are in the service industry, and it really makes her angry.  I have to sneak the tip to the waitress (believe me, I am no big tipper, just a normal tipper and I give more when the service warrants it, but still not a hundred dollars or anything).  I do this automatically and not because I am looking for anything, but for some reason, it burns her up. It was her parents I learned that from, it must have skipped a generation.  She thinks you shouldn't tip at all unless you are rich.  Can you believe it?  I say if you can't tip, you don't go out, you are stealing money from the server.  We go round and round about this.

So, I finally have my handicapped spot in front of my house.  It is under a tree where the birds poop all day long and it is so hot there, it bakes on the car.  I went to the power wash place thinking that would get it off, and the hose got away from me and made a huge cut in my other hand.  It was a big gash and it hurt like heck, the end of the hose was so full of rust and had a jagged edge.  

Off I went to the doctor.  I came home and fell asleep at my neighbor's table while talking to her, at least I thought that's what happened.  She wanted me to stay and lay down, but I went home and went to bed thinking I just did too much that day.  The next morning, I drove my son part way to school where he could catch the second bus he takes to school.  He yelled at me to wake up while I was waiting for a red light, I didn't even know I was asleep.  I dropped him off and I went right around the corner to eat breakfast thinking I needed some caffeine.  I ordered breakfast and was on my way to a face plant at least 5 times when the waiter grabbed me each time.  I never felt myself go to sleep--apparently you can just keep passing out from the tetanus shot, and it can last for 5 days, extreme fatigue is also a side effect of a tetanus shot.  Who knew?

The waiter wouldn't let me drive home.  Fortunately he knew me and knew this was not normal behavior for me.  Apparently this is a side affect from a tetanus shot.  I also had the sweats, muscle aches in my legs, pain in my stomach, a sore throat, a headache, a neck ache, and a back ache, and my feet hurt.  This was different from the pain I usually have there.  

I got home, sat on the couch, and the kids were banging on the door for me to watch my Grandson and also were ringing the phone, they forgot their key, I never heard them, even though I was right on the other side of the door!  I am not sure how I got upstairs to bed.  When my son came home, he told me I was not making sense when I was talking.  During the day his teacher called me, I think he did anyway, and I am not sure what I said to him and he said to me.  I am embarrassed to tell him I have no recollection of our conversation at all.  

The sad part was, it was my Dad's birthday, this is the first time I didn't see him on his birthday.  

I have 3 more days to go.  I am now speaking English, but I am still very tired and fall asleep easily, but at least I have a warning that I am going to fall asleep, not like the first day where I kept passing out.  The doctor told me I would have pain in the injection site--that is what usually happens to me, so I was prepared for that.  That never happened.  I think they should warn you about the fatigue and the passing out.  It was frightening because it was unpredictable, there was no warning.  I am so darn tired!  Did that ever happen to anyone?

So, how was your week?

[Bearlyhere]

Hi Bearly....so nice to see you.  I think I could write a book about this move, especially now that I am older and everything seems a bit harder.  However, with friends and some planning, and with two rental truck moves, I am now in the new house.

The new house is actually sort of old and was owned and maintained by an elderly gentleman.  Every room had wallpaper....now removed and painted.  There is a large living area with wood, real wood, walls.  I haven't decided yet.....paint or no paint. 

New things are happening every day, and it is nice to be so near my daughter and her husband.
I had lunch yesterday with friends from high school, and the new washer and dryer arrived, so if I can find
the laundry supplies, I am ready to start this morning.

By the way, I have all the supplies for "San's meatballs and red sauce" but I am still looking for the recipe which stayed on my bulletin board.  I think I have it in a word document if San will let me share it. 

Nice to see everyone.....hugs.....

You are amazing.  I still haven't finished unpacking from my move in 1999.  I hit the floor running and never looked back!

 

[Bearlyhere]

Does anyone have to transport a family member who needs a wheelchair and how do you do it?  Thanks.

 

My Mom used a simple manual wheel chair carrier that mounted on the back of her car while when my late father was wheel chair bound.  He was able to swing his legs out of the car and she helped him into the wheel chair.  Later on, he grew too weak to do this and the family chipped in and we found a good used van adapted for wheel chair use.  I'm not too sure which model she had or what brand, but here are some links. There are very simple tote models (which are great back savers & not so expensive) on up to fancier versions.

Hitch Mounted Carriers:

http://www.a1-medical-supplies.net/lifts-for-outside-of-car/

http://www.wheelchaircarrier.com/  She used a low cost tote carrier like Tilt N Tote Model 001.  You can see photos of it without the chair.


http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/hstrial-HOMEMEDICALSUPPL/-strse-895/Wheelchair-Carrier,-Caddy-Model,/Detail.bok

Perfect.  Thanks, Muffy.  People are so quick to rip off the disabled, it is much better to find someone who has had some experience.

 

[Blue Moon]

Bearly, are you o.k. this morning?  Wow, this really worried me as I read it.  It sounds so much like a stroke--are you sure you are not having mini-strokes here?

You have really had one heck of a week!  Squirrels are a nuisance.  We have acquired a set of squirrels in the last couple of years.  I finally convinced my hubby to go all around the house and make sure they cannot crawl into the attic anywhere.  Also, did you know they can chew the electrical wiring from underneath your car?  I didn't, now we have to worry about that.  We live in the "semi" country (it is in the county but big subdivisions are all over the place) and critters seem to be everywhere in the last couple of years.  We have lived here 23 years and have had rabbits under our storage building in the back of the yard.  They have multiplied over the years.  Now everyday as I am washing dishes I get to watch all these rabbits running around my yard. They also eat the tops off tomato plants and it keeps my hubby busy replanting tomato plants.  Now I have a mole that I cannot get rid of.  I keep a sharp hoe close by and when I see it digging a path I run with the hoe in hand and try to kill it which I should know I am not fast enough to do that.  My hubby laughs at me out there digging up the moes tunnel.  I read that if you do that eventually it will move on to another location.  I am hoping to move it across the road into that big open field.  I guess we have a lot of grub worms this year because of all the rain we have had. So I HATE little critters now except my beautiful humming birds.

Take care of yourself Bearly.  As I said this really worried me after reading this this morning.  Go see your doctor if you are not feeling better.

     

[MuffyBee]

Bearly, is the what you're looking for?  I googled around and found this:


http://www.autoadapt.com/produkter/inurbil/produkter/turnout.htm
Turnout seat swivel



By swivelling the seat out over the sill you can simplify getting in and out of your vehicle, whether you are using a wheelchair or otherwise have impaired mobility.

The Turnout is a swivel base that is installed in the floor attachments of the vehicle's original seat.



To preserve a suitable seat height inside the vehicle the Turnout shall be combined with a low profile seat, such as the BEV-seat or the Recaro Specialist L seat. It is not recommendable to use the original seat with the Turnout.


Turnout is available in a manual version, or in a powered version, operated by a hand held control. By choosing a powered Turnout you can better focus on getting the feet over the sill while swivelling

More...

Or perhaps this "turny" would be more suitable, since it looks like it can bring the person down out of the vehicle and closer to help make the transfer from vehicle to chair:

http://www.autoadapt.com/produkter/inurbil/produkter/turny.htm
Turny seat lift

Easy access to your high seated vehicle. Turny lowers the seat to a comfortable ground level.
The Turny swivels the car seat out through the door opening and lowers it to a suitable position for transfer to or from a wheelchair.



The Turny is available in three lifting heights; 300 mm, 395 mm and 480 mm, suitable for high seated vehicles such as MPVs, SUVs, mini-buses and vans.

A wireless remote control is available as an optional extra and the maximum lowering stop is programmable.

The Turny Orbit has electrically operated swivelling, lifting and lowering. Turny HD has electrically operated lifting and lowering, while inward and outward swivelling is done manually by lifting the release lever by the side of the car seat.

The installation

The Turny can be installed in the front passenger seat or in the mid row and provides safe means of transport for the mobility-impaired, as the original three-point car belt is retained.

The product is installed in the original car seat mounts in the floor, which in the majority of cases causes no damage to the vehicle, and it can also be transferred when necessary to another vehicle.

The Turny is CE- and E-marked and approved for a lifting capacity of 150 kg. It has also been subjected to crash, tensile and load tests.

Turny in combination with the Carony system

Carony Fixed eliminates lifting by the attendant and simplifi es transfer to and from the vehicle. A couple of simple hand movements allow a single person to transfer the chair and passenger from the wheelchair base to the passenger seat. This is done without any lifting and so avoids arm and back strain. The compact wheelchair base is stored in the trunk when not in use. Carony Fixed is CE-marked.

Carony Fixed is a specially designed Carony model that is used in combination with the Turny car seat lift. Its continuously adjustable lifting and lowering function allows it to dock with the Carony Fixed base, which has a set standard height. The set of pictures below illustrates passenger transfer from a Carony Fixed to a Turny Orbit in a mini-bus.


1. Swivel Turny outwards and lower to a suitable height.


2. Dock the wheelchair to Turny and slide the seat onto the rails.


3. Store the wheel unit in the vehicle.


4. Use the manual control for lifting and inward swivelling.


5. Swivel Turny inwards to the passenger seat in the vehicle.


6. Total time of inward swivelling is about 38 seconds.

Looks like there's a "Turny Evo":
http://www.autoadapt.com/produkter/inurbil/produkter/turny-evo.asp
Turny Evo seat lift

You may have difficulties moving and walking or you might be seated in a wheelchair. This should not make you worry about how to get in or out of a vehicle. Turny Evo will lower the seat down to a comfortable level above the ground.
More... (Has Video at Link)

[Green Eyes]

Wow Muffy It's good to know they are such devices out there. Hope they it helps Miss Bearly.

[Green Eyes]

Miss Bearly  I am so sorry to hear what has been happening in your life. You need to take care of you.  Prayers you get to feeling better soon

[Bearlyhere]

Does everyone fry their meatballs plain or all mixed before they put them in the gravy or do they cook them in the gravy?  Everyone does it differently.  I add gravy to the raw meat  along with eggs, grated cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, grated onions, herbs, spices, breadcrumbs, etc. and then cook them in the gravy until they are nice and tender and cooked through, then skim the fat off the gravy, if there is any.  I like them soft and tender.  What about you?

OMG!  I just made myself so hungry!  It is hard to go out to a restaurant and get good meatballs, they have to be home made, they are just not the same.  You have to taste the raw meat with the raw eggs and all the ingredients in it to get just the right taste before you cook them. I can't believe I never got sick from all the raw meat and eggs I tasted over time, to get that perfect taste. Mmmmm!

 

Bearly I fry my meatballs and then put some in my gravy and usually half of them get eaten by dinner because everyone likes them fried.

Wow!  Sort of like hamburger balls.  Is the recipe in the making or is it a family secret?

 

[Bearlyhere]

SAN’S ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients

3 Cans of peeled tomatoes (not crushed)
1 Can Paste
4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
1 Onion Chopped or cut (medium size is good)
Salt & Pepper (use your own judgment)
Basil Leaves (Fresh or Dried – if you don’t have Basil is not a must more of a preference)
Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil (can combine both)
2 lbs of sausage

Preparation

   Put oil in pot once hot add sausage and let it brown a little (don’t fry the sausage long)
   Add Garlic and Onion when sausage is browning let cook a little (you can smell the aroma Yum)
   While sausage is browning open tomatoes or open before hand.
   Put tomatoes in blender and give them a quick zip (coupe of seconds).
   When you see garlic and onion starting to cook add the tomatoes
   Add the Salt, Pepper and Basel after you add the tomatoes and stir together

I usually use a Club Aluminum pot or my Le Creuset pot (If you use a stainless steel pot make sure you watch it and stir frequently it tends to burn on bottom faster if not watched)

I usually have the flame on medium and then I put it in simmer and let it cook for about 2 1/2-3 hours.

MEATBALLS

Ingredients

2 lbs of chop meat
Plain Bread Crumbs
Chopped Garlic
Cheese
1 Egg
Salt and Pepper


Preparation

   Combine ingredients in a large bowl chop meat being first.
   Wet breadcrumbs until moist before adding to mix
   Start mixing with hands (mix well)
   If you feel it is dry add the egg
   Once it’s mixed start rolling your meatballs to the size of a little bit bigger than a golf ball
   Put meatballs in a plate until read to fry

Fry meatballs in a frying pan using regular Vegetable oil (sort of like when you fry chicken).

Once fried you can add meatballs to sauce or you can eat them before adding.

San has suggestions for this recipe....like the brands of canned sauce and the type of sausage....I think the tomatoes and paste are in cans with yellow labels and the sausage is italian but not sure if Jimmy Dean....Help San....!!!

Thanks for the recipe, Mere and San.  It looks wonderful and New York is not that far away so I can see how it is really done.

Is it just me?  When I try to Google something, I don't get exactly what I am looking for, like when Google first started. I tried to Google those 2 kinds of cookware and I got eBay, ask.com, Bizrate and any number of other places, but did not come up with either pot or pan.  

So to try to find out what you meant, did you mean just fry it in an iron or aluminum pan or should I use those specific pans?  I can't find them.  What has happened to Google?  It comes up with EBay, Bizrate which directs you to Ask, then Ask comes up with a bunch of choices and it still doesn't come up with exactly what you typed in.  Is this some advertising maze I am getting stuck in?  

Also is chop meat the same as ground meat?  

I am assuming paste means tomato paste, not Elmer's paste.       It must still be the tetanus shot draining my brain.

Okay, once I hit IMAGES it gave me a better idea, except it started with disposable aluminum pans even though I put in "Club Aluminum Pot."  That is what I originally thought you meant, because many of my Italian friends make things in disposable aluminum pans.  My Mom made gravy and fried meatballs in a heavier pot or she made them in a pressure cooker. 

Mine are Farberware.  One of my bridesmaids liked Farberware so she told everyone to buy them for me.  I haven't had any problems with them, but I grew up with Revere Ware and they seem very much alike.

[Bearlyhere]

Hi Monkeys....spent part of the evening texting my sister who lives in St. Louis and was staying in her
basement.  Bad looking weather, but she was okay.  It did make me walk around my new home which has no basement and decided that the master bath is the new tornado shelter.    Have missed you during the move which took longer than expected.  Driving across country with furniture in a rental truck, and two cars following behind, is something you should do when you are very young.  
                                                                  

Hi Mere,

Glad your sister is safe from these storms.  I'm also glad you finished your move.  At least the hard part of your move is done.  Now you can concentrate on the unpacking and organizing your rooms the way your want them.

I made some meatballs for you today  

Does everyone fry their meatballs plain or all mixed before they put them in the gravy or do they cook them in the gravy?  Everyone does it differently.  I add gravy to the raw meat  along with eggs, grated cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, grated onions, herbs, spices, breadcrumbs, etc. and then cook them in the gravy until they are nice and tender and cooked through, then skim the fat off the gravy, if there is any.  I like them soft and tender.  What about you?

OMG!  I just made myself so hungry!  It is hard to go out to a restaurant and get good meatballs, they have to be home made, they are just not the same.  You have to taste the raw meat with the raw eggs and all the ingredients in it to get just the right taste before you cook them. I can't believe I never got sick from all the raw meat and eggs I tasted over time, to get that perfect taste. Mmmmm!

 

YUM!

Did you ever make meatballs, out of an eggplant?  TIA

No, but I made a meatloaf out of salmon.