My Exclamation Point Eating Continues!

Sorry to keep you waiting so long. I haven't shared all my invaluable secrets with you yet, though, so I am back. 

This all started with my expertise at what I called "GATHERING." One year I hosted seven parties during the Christmas season and the next year "cut back" to six. Now there was no way I could prepare all that food and still be a jolly hostess. So I gathered. If you have ever been here for one of those parties at my home, you have likely had some variety of these gathered items! This is where it all began: 

Chicken salad from The Lunch Box and petit fours from Swiss Pastry Shop, both in Fort Worth. I did assemble the English pea salad and the black cherry Jello salad! Every time, until...

This version of Lunch Box chicken salad served in avocado halves with a lime Jello salad and David's Barbecue's potato salad over there on the right.

I varied the menu to include Costco tortilla roll up sandwiches, and a frozen salad, which I again "cooked."

The Lunch Box is at 6333 Camp Bowie, and Swiss Pastry  at 3936 W. Vickery. Now we have Chicken Salad Chick closer, but not as good IMHO! I have ordered petit fours for over 40 years from Swiss Pastry, but they don't much like to make them any more! One would have to call way in advance for sure--if then. They freeze well, so I'm going to try to order me some this Christmas! I may call in November!

Now as to my everyday gathering...Jack used to joke that the people at the local drive throughs knew him by name. With me, it is not a joke. I love "Taco" anything--Bell, Bueno, Cabana. Taco Bell is my favorite, but I am on a real kick of getting these delicious salads from Taco Bueno.

It is the beef taco salad. I used the regular salsa as dressing. Bueno!

Speaking of salads, have you tried Salad and Go? They have a cult-like following of which my Susan and Rob are part! Their containers are amazing and their prices bargains!

This is a barbecue ranch salad, which is my favorite. You just put the dressing on then shake real well to distribute.

This is their some-sort-of Greek salad--unusual dressing but good. Their drinks are bargains, too, and soooo good. This one is a frozen strawberry lemonade--almost like a dessert!

My friend Linda Gipson introduced me to Jersey Mike's subs.

I am addicted. I just wish they had a drive through! 

The #13 is my favorite--all kinds of bad-for-you
Italian meat and cheese.
The tuna is almost as good but not as bad for you! On second thought, I'm glad JM doesn't have a drive-through! I might get too many #13's.

I don't have a picture, but Colter's is my favorite drive through for barbecue. Their chopped beef is the leanest, best in town. 

I prefer David's Barbecue's potato salad and beans so I just cut a wide swath and gather both.

I discovered something that so far none of my friends have known. Chicken Express has wonderful fried catfish! I either drive through the Kennedale location and pick it up or have it Doordashed to me. Since french fries do not travel or last well, I bake one of the pre wrapped potatoes to go with it and a side of 

cole slaw! CE also has a delicious cherry pie for dessert and added fluffiness to my figure!

I have my most frequent order from Chick Fil A memorized, but I don't have a picture. "I'll have a kid's meal with 5 nuggets, fruit substituted for the fries, a small mac and cheese, diet lemonade, and a cup of ice dream substituted for the toy."

This might not be enough for most, but for someone who eats like a bird as I do, it is perfect!

"Please pass the chocolate sauce, the pecans, the whipped cream, and the cherry to go on my ice cream."

Another thing Chick Fil A has which occasionally comes in handy is a very nice side salad. If I have a meal with nothing

green, I can pick one of these up to round it out. I have also ordered a kid's meal and added the 5 nuggets to their side salad for a meal for me. With fruit for dessert!

I really, really like KFC! Their original is my favorite, but several times when I've driven there they haven't had any available. They also have a pretty good chicken pot pie. If I lived closer I would definitely frequent more!

I also like Golden Chick, especially the fried shrimp they have periodically. I've never tried the chicken!

Whew! I gotta go...I'm hungry!

 

My Exclamation Point Eating!!

So far I have talked about great $5 take home meals, etc. from Cracker Barrel and some of the ins and outs of food delivery. Today:

"These are a few of my favorite things" to have in my pantry or freezer! I know it's kind of a wacky variety, with nary a health food included. There have to be some advantages to being old!

This is a photo from AOL's home page recently featuring unusually good products. But I, Linda Jane Lynn Stovall, on my very own had discovered Blake's! This pot pie has the best crust, which is even flaky and delicious if microwaved.

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I am not very good at planning my meals ahead, so these pre wrapped potatoes are great for me. They bake WELL in less than ten minutes in the microwave.

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This is really good--either as a meal or as part of a "vegetable plate." Especially if you add some ketchup!!!

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Yes, I can't believe I bought the whole box just for me. Have you discovered Dot's Pretzels? The mustard ones are the best but will turn your fingers yellow! Definitely a better pretzel!

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My fabulous neighbor, Coral, got me started on this fab idea! Homemade tostadas for snacks or meals! Taco Bell also has good refried beans. Both are tastier than canned. I top with extra grated cheese and warm them in the oven. (In other words, this one requires cooking.)

Right, Mary $?

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Does everyone know about this pizza except me? I usually order pizza from Papa John's if I'm cravin' it, but this is dee-licious to have in my back pocket (a.k.a. freezer.) Different and amazing!

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I know I have already told you about my green beans, but just in case anyone missed it...Put a can of Del Monte French style green beans in a small sauce pan. Add one teaspoon of sugar (no more) and one teaspoon of olive oil. Let them simmer til all the liquid is gone and the beans caramelize a bit. You will be surprised at how good they taste! It's worth washing the pan! 

And repeating here!

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I had forgotten how much I like fruit and cottage cheese. I really liked canned freestone peaches that I bought, too. Very nice with a Blake's pot pie!

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Another fruity favorite of mine. This one requires 4 ounces

of Philadelphia cream cheese, softened and thinned with a little of the juice drained from fruit cocktail. 

Love the "Very Cherry."

But the "softening and creaming" elevate it to the cooking level.

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Far be it from me to fail to list dessert! I have served these to my family for YEARS, so I guess they may not be new to any of you. However, I think the peach flavor may be newer, and it is just like eating a really difficult-to-make homemade pastry! Especially with some Bluebell vanilla!

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I'm crazy about soup, but I'm going to do a special blog just devoted to that! I know--you can hardly wait!

After composing all of this, I'm going to go reheat my leftover Abuelo's which I had delivered yesterday!

My Exclamation Point Eating!!!

Today let's talk about getting food delivered. I started out very lukewarm about the idea. I didn't really know how to do it, and I thought it would be too $$$ and the food would be stone cold. Then I'd think, from the comfort of my home, "I really don't want to drive somewhere and get out of my car toting my oxygen in this heat to get food." Besides, I couldn't go in my pj's barefoot!

A big breakthrough in my thinking occurred when I discovered that anyone with Amazon Prime has free Grubhub delivery service. That "free" word caught my attention. I don't remember which restaurant I tried first, but it didn't take long for me to embrace the concept! And...drivers seem to have a way to keep the food hot in transit, a big plus for me. 

I have only used Grubhub, Door Dash, and Uber Eats delivery services. You just enter www.grubhub.com in your search bar to get a list of participating restaurants. I have gotten very good deliveries from Abuelo's, Black Eyed Pea, Chicken Express, and Jersey Mike's. I have received two orders from Prespa's on Sublett which were not complete. When I called they said I would have better service from them through Door Dash. I have the Chick Fil A ap on my phone, so I order it delivered by them--very fast, but they do charge.

HOT NEWS JUST OFF THE WIRE!

Abuelo's!!!

Blackeyed Pea!!!
 

Two of my very favorites!!! Uh-oh! I notice the Blackeyed Pea does not say "free!"

Another place that does a great delivery is Blue Mound Cafe. I had heard that they served a great Monte Cristo sandwich, one of my faves!  It surprised me that they deliver until 8:30 P.M. I doubted that a Monte Cristo long enough out of the frying pan to be delivered would be very good, but it was! They actually have a huge, mind boggling menu from which to choose. They recommended Door Dash for delivery.

I have to warn you there are often fees of assorted origin tacked on to orders, especially annoying to those of us who have bargained shopped and pinched pennies through the years. But...if we're going to have the covenience, we'll have to face the music of the cost! Often the restaurant will include a minimum tip, but I always try to be generous in increasing that to a "custom tip" for my driver. I think that's one reason I get good service, and those dollars mean a lot to people driving for a living!

I always have "contact free" delivery. Food is just left on the porch. I had one botched delivery, taken to someone else's home. The order was replaced, but the process took forever. Just be prepared for that possibility.

I think one must register initially to Grubhub with your Amazon password, but I think you are automatically recognized after that. There's some kind of little symbol that must appear on your restaurant's listing for the delivery to be free, which I found out through personal experience! Each restaurant lists approximate delivery times. Start early!

Be thankful if you or someone in your household looks decent enough and is willing to go pick up food! It's more economical! But keep this in your back pocket in case you get lazy like me... or is it "like I?"

P. S. While I was working on this, I stopped and drove to Taco Bueno, not very far from me, to pick up lunch for myself. The traffic was terrible. I quickly recalculated the value of delivery. 

My Exclamation Point Eating!!!

 

Now that I have committed myself to this, I have become very doubtful that anyone is going to WANT any of my ideas! They are not that unusual, unhealthy for the most part, and maybe downright weird. But here goes since I promised!

I'll start with one of my recently discovered and best ideas! It involves The Cracker Barrel! I love to eat and shop at CB. Did you know that it is one of the few places that will allow "kids of any ages" to order from the kids' menu? So I usually get kid's pancakes and bacon! This time I treated myself to a fancy latté (for absolutely no good reason!)

You can now order pre packaged to go dinners when you dine in and order any entreé. They let me count my kid's meal as an entreé, and let me order more than one meal to go. They are chilled but not frozen. And...they are only $5 each! 

Here's what Cracker Barrel offers to go:

This is a French toast bake. I only ate half of it the first morning, warmed in the microwave. The second morning I wrapped it in foil, put it in the regular oven (this counts as cooking, incidentally) and it was much better! Has syrup with it.

Their meatloaf is delicious--probably my favorite restaurant version! Mac and cheese very good, too!

The grilled chicken has very good mashed potatoes with it.

There is also a fried chicken meal, but I lean toward my old faithfuls...Chick Fil A and KFC for that!

I have not had success in ordering delivery from Cracker Barrel. They do, however, have designated parking places and will bring food to your car. I like my food hot, so I would drive there and then order!

 

One more hint! You need something green with your meal, ya hear? I've got you covered with something amazing. Put a can of Del Monte French style green beans in a small sauce pan. Add one teaspoon of sugar (no more) and one teaspoon of olive oil. Let them simmer til all the liquid is gone and the beans caramelize a bit. You will be surprised at how good they taste! It's worth washing the pan! One time when I prepared them I ate the whole can and, without details decided the next time it would be better to just eat half.

Come back tomorrow. I'll surprise you with a place that delivers!

"Which of all my important nothings shall I tell you first?"

Jane Austen wrote that to her sister, and I am writing it to you.

My chosen subject matter: "I Love To Eat And How I Do It." (Hoping that some of my ideas might tickle your fancy!) My ideas will NOT include cooking. I do NOT like to do that any more. I am a very good cook, and I really miss some of my creations, but not enough to make that mistake again. Unfortunately, there will definitely not be medical approval. You will have to believe the theory that "we need a little cushioning on our bones as we grow older." Yes, cushioning is guaranteed.

For the last few years I have called myself a masterful "gatherer." There will still be lots of "gathering," as to where to find the best...fill in the blank. New on the scene is food delivery. Through trial and error I have warmly adopted that process into my repertoire. There will be items I discover that you might have missed. There will be favorite restaurants. There will also be miscellany. (I had to look that one up!) Furthermore, there will probably be stuff that doesn't fit at all. Rabbit trails are my speciality.

Now...what do I call this new endeavor? "I Love to Eat and How I Do It" seems a little long. "Eat Like Me" seems a little presumptive. I mean, we don't know yet if anybody will even want to. "The Merry Widow's Eats" ran through my head.

Stay tuned for the decision.

To kick off my important nothings, I am going to reshare with you my most recent, and final culinary effort. It will help you understand my new plans for eating without cooking.

Here I am this week...off on a gathering mission!

Yes, I still have my oxygen. Just snapped a pic before I put it on because I was getting away from home at a record early time! Only 12:45 P.M., and I'm off like the last turtle of the herd!

Starting the Day Right

 Putting Him first. Jesus and coffee. Revelations 

from Jesus. The feeling of my morning in words:

"I am tired, I am weak, I am worn."

The old hymn,  Lead Me Home.

He showed me this morning that I've had it all wrong.

I have wanted everyone to know how strong I am, how

unflappable. Always smiling, always full of faith and optimism.

I pictured you gathered around my (closed!) coffin saying

things like, "She was so brave--she never got down or 

discouraged." I was wishing to portray a false image to you.

But Jesus says, 

"My grace is sufficient for you, FOR MY POWER IS

MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS."

2 Corinthians 12:9

The very first song some of us learned as children was,

Jesus loves me, this I know,

for the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong,

THEY ARE WEAK, BUT HE IS STRONG.

Well, big ones are weak, too, but He is still strong for me.

He covers me with His grace--favor I do not deserve.

He is patient with my discouragements. 

He blesses me in spite of myself!

And...I have the assurance of eternal life with Him in

my heavenly mansion!

I hope to see every one of you there!

A Chapter In My Life Is Through

It is my Grubbs Infiniti chapter.  When I was widowed in 2010, my children and I decided that leasing a car might be a good idea so that I could always be in a newer vehicle. I had already owned two Infinitis, as I remember.  Rob spotted a great lease deal on a sign at Grubbs, and I leased my first. Three years later, my second, and so on until July of 2021. 

My leases go back to well before my cell phone camera. I'm sure there were at least five, maybe six. I loved leasing from Grubbs, because they had a lovely customer lounge with fancy coffee machine and really good snacks.  It was an outing for me. I did many a Bible Study Fellowship lesson there! I loved the Christian music which played in their waiting rooms. I prepaid for maintenance services through my lease, and none of my Infinitis were serviced anywhere else ever! I thought it was kind of a bougie place!

Here I am with my 2018 model. It was the prettiest blue.

And here I am with my 2021 sleek black model.

When I went in in 2021, I said that I needed my lease to stay about the same (as everyone says, I've since realized!) So it did go up, but but maybe (only!) $50/month. So last year, 2024, I began to wonder why I wasn't getting calls about re-upping my lease. I checked and found out that it was because I had a four year, not a three year lease. Now don't even think of telling me I should have read what I signed. I have already beaten myself to a pulp.

But...

No one ever mentioned 48 months to me. Or 4 years. No salesman or finance person. Those words did NOT fall on these ears. 

But I have no legal standing. I signed the lease. I watch

 Judge Judy.

I wonder if they all gathered around and high fived each other after I left? 

For better or worse, I have now decided to buy out my lease rather than shop for a new but less expensive car. Mine only has 27,000 miles, and I put $$$ new run flat tires on it to drive to Galveston for our cruise. (Another reason for a 3 year lease--no new tires)

Incidentally, Infiniti stopped making a sedan in 2024. Now nothing but SUVs.

So today I had to make the trek to Grubbs in Grapevine in order to hand them a check for my car. Valet service and the good snacks have fallen by the wayside. You're lucky to get a bottle of water now. But the salesman who was helping me said I must bring it in and sign papers in person. 

I said, "Please tell me this is not so you can attempt to sell me the extended warranty again. I have already decided I am not going to take it and told you ten times."

"No, no, the State of Texas requires that we examine your car before you can buy your car." I'm still puzzling over that, which  took forever. 

Then the salesman told me I had to go to the Finance Department and that it would be 15 minutes wait.  I was watching the clock trying to get away before the heavy traffic.

Finally the finance person came and got me, and guess what?

Yes, her #1 goal was to sell me the extended warranty. She acted like I was an imbecile for refusing. 

She had a really slick way of presenting it which made it sound like the warranty was only $1000, while never telling me it was $2880--or $3880 with maintenance.) When I realized what was happening she got abrupt and surly, rudely asking for her pen back before I had a chance to give it to her, and letting me leave without a goodbye or thank you.

But, you know what? I'll just bet there was no high fiving!

They knew I was up-set.

I'm sad tonight. I've loved my Infinitis (oh, she also curtly informed me as I wrote my check that Infiniti ended in an "i") Surprise! In at least 20 years of owning them I actually know that! 

I'm really feeling confident about my decision though. 

I think I have my forever car.

Except that, as I've shown you before, it is crooked.

No matter how well I park, it ends up like this.