Dinner tonight was manicotti, no recipe used.

I made it using jarred spaghetti sauce (Bertolli Organic, Olive oil, Basil and Garlic flavor tonight) because we are currently sampling all the jarred sauces to see if an acceptable one can be found or if we must make our own. I stuffed it with ricotta cheese mixed with parmesan, parsley, and an egg. I stuff it uncooked, and bake it longer so the pasta gets done. I topped it off with some of he fresh homemade mozzarella we got at the farmer’s market.

I intended to have some of our rosemary herb bread (also a farmer’s market find) with it, but I simply forgot. I also meant to have some leftover cauliflower with it, too, but I didn’t. So much for planning.

Even though Sweetie insists he hates ricotta cheese (it’s white) he liked it enough to go for another helping.

I enjoy cooking, but I’ve been in a rut. I remember when I could think of 20 or more different ways to prepare chicken without really trying. Now I can think of about 4. I need variety. I need recipes. And so I have embarked on a mission to get recipes – but not just any recipes. I want the recipes that inspired me when I was a young housewife.

Many, many moves over close to 40 years have left me sadly bereft of some of my favorite cookbooks. I never have been without my Joy of Cooking , 1975 edition, though. The newer editions just don’t measure up, so although this book is literally falling apart it is precious to me.

The next thing I decided I wanted was a set of recipe cards put out by Betty Crocker in 1971. Ebay was my friend, and I managed to acquire 2 sets rather than the 1 I needed. I am happily anticipating the arrival of this in a week or so. I once had this complete set, and I remember there are several recipes in it that were staples for me. I’m anxious to revisit those old friends, and to try the recipes I couldn’t afford back then! I’m sure the second set will find a good home, too.

Next I wanted the Farm Journal Homemade Cookies book, also from 1971. There is an oatmeal/coconut crisp cookie recipe in it that is superb. Lots of other good cookie recipes, too. It was well worth the $ it cost me for a used copy through Amazon.

That’s all I have managed to acquire so far, and that ought to keep me happily engaged in my kitchen for a few months. Nevertheless, I am on the lookout for more cookbooks that I may eventually purchase. I want the Farm Journal Country Cookbook from 1972. I may want The Good Housekeeping Cookbook from 1963. I am considering whether I want the classic Betty Crocker Cookbook from 1975 (Looseleaf binder edition, of course!) and the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook from 1968.

So I’m hanging out more in food forums, and it’s working. Supper tonight was breaded pork chops, potatoes, and parsnips in a dutch oven, and sauteed swiss chard. It was fabulous, it made me happy to cook it, and my Sweetie loved it. He even ate all his vegetables.

I have signed up to be a blogger book reviewer for Thomas Nelson publishers. I get books for free, and all I have to do is read and review them!

The Search for God and Guinness is more than a history of the brewery, although it includes that. It is more than a history of the Guinness family, too, although it also includes that. It is the story of how the brewery and the family have been guided in both business and life by their Christian faith. The Guinnesses are not people who go to church on Sunday and don’t think about God again until the next Sunday, but are those rare people who put faith into concrete, meaningful action in their lives.

I didn’t expect to be interested in the history of a brewery in a foreign country. But the history of the Guinness company is fascinating even to people not interested in brewing, and it is the Guinness family who make the company’s history so fascinating. I was amazed by the acts of helping the poor and Christian evangelism that continued from generation to generation.

The history of Guinness paints a portrait of how a company can be run in a Christian way. Management and labor work cooperatively rather than adversarially, because the corporate culture is one of genuine caring for the well-being of the employees. Then the employees in turn care deeply about the welfare of the company. This is Christianity in action, and this is how Guinness was run for 250 years.

Living in a place where the Sixties never died has real advantages. The natural foods movement that began then – the whole Mother Earth, back to the land movement –  is thriving. The food coop does 6 million dollars in sales per year. Small ethnic restaurants, hippie skirts, and cozy little bookshops abound.

One of these cozy little bookshops, CrazyWisdom, is the venue for a course in using herbs. It’s a session once a month, taught by a respected expert, Linda Diane Feldt. I enjoyed the first class, and have put what I am learning to good use already. In fact, I will be buying her book next month at the class.

I have made two infusions, one of kale and one of ginger. The kale infusion should supply us with lots of beneficial minerals, especially calcium. The ginger infusion has multiple uses. I applied a hot ginger compress to help relieve Sweetie’s chest congestion/asthma. I need to drink it to help reduce inflammation (read arthritis) and normalize my endocrine system. (read diabetes and menopause) Now, neither of these are cures. They are natural nutritional supplements that help the body do what it naturally does. But I’ll take whatever help I can get.

I took a bath yesterday. This may not sound like a big deal to you, but after 3 years of showers only it was glorious. There were no bubbles, no perfume, no powdering and pampering. It was steamy hot water until I was pruney. I loved it.

When I was in the Philippines the ladies were advised that if the water was unsafe for drinking, it was also unsafe for bathing. Something about bacteria, fungi, and parasites. I applied this bit of wisdom to my life in Thailand. We had a positively gorgeous blue tub, over 5 feet long with armrests molded in the sides. I took showers in it for three years, because the water was unsafe for drinking.

There are benefits to living in the USA.

We’ve been back in the USA for over three weeks now. The plan to try living without a car? It lasted two days after arrival. We got caught in a nasty cold pouring rain the second day, with a bit of a walk from the bus stop to our destination, and then back, using a bus stop with no shelter. Jim was afraid I would get sick out in that cold rain, and he says he didn’t want his stubbornness about not having a car to be the cause of me getting ill. We got a car on day 3.

So we have a shiny new red 2009 Chevy Aveo, and we love it. Jim says it is nicer than our Honda Jazz/Fit we had in Thailand. It’s not a hatchback, but has a spacious 2-body trunk. We have a free year of OnStar, too, and 0% financing. Woot! Being out of the country for three years left Jim with a wholly clean license, so the car insurance was less expensive than I feared. And we got a discount by getting renter’s insurance from the same company. Jim is keeping that license clean by not speeding.

Our apartment is almost fully furnished, thanks to Ikea. All our furniture is from there, except Jim’s desk. If you are curious, just ask and can link you to what we bought.

Our bedroom is white and blue, a calm retreat. It has warm fluffy down alternative pillows and comforter. The living room is white and birch, with a red sofa. It really needs that splash of color. We are using the far end of the living room as a dining nook, and using the dining nook as my office. It’s really working well for me, to be open to the kitchen. My desk and bookcase are white, as is my chair. The dining room table and chairs are birch. No real decorating has been done yet. Plenty of time for that.

We are both happy to be back. Jim is following the Detroit Lions, seeing how long they can extend their record-setting losing streak. I am shopping at the local food coop and farmer’s market for fresh food. I still shop at Meijer’s, but I’m spending far less there than I would otherwise. I can’t wait for the kitchen appliances I ordered to arrive! Having only a toaster and coffeemaker is a bit limiting.

Monday:

We moved from the house into a hotel in Korat.

We cancelled the Internet service.

We mailed the lamps we had forgotten to ship with the household goods.

We sold our car.

Tuesday:

We found out our shipment was only 6 cubic meters instead of the estimated 9.5 cubic meters. Hurrah for something being less expensive than estimated!

We agreed on the payment of the final utility bills with the new owners of our house.

Wednesday:

We received the invoice for our household goods and made an interbank transfer to pay it.

Thursday:

We received confirmation of payment late in the day.

Friday:

We closed our bank account.

Saturday:

We relaxed and repacked our suitcases.

Sunday:

We took a van from Korat to Bangkok to our hotel here.

We made an unsuccessful attempt to find an iPhone to purchase for Sweetie. They are sold out until September 11.

Today:

We are repacking our suitcases in a manner that will successfully go through a security checkpoint.

I plan to get a facial, a pedicure, or both.

We will head to bed early for our 2AM wakeup call, our 3AM ride to the airport, for our 5:30AM flight.

All systems are Go for the move.

I made the necessary hotel reservations here in town and in Bangkok for our last week here and departure.

Yesterday I emailed all the documents the movers need for the packout this Saturday. This included not only the Customs paperwork, but the inventory for the insurance. So that is all over but the actual packout and the money transfer to pay the movers.

The only thing left to do is to arrange the transportation to Bangkok on the 23rd. We have too much luggage to take a bus or taxi; we need a van. We could fit into a taxi, but not for a 3½ to 4 hour trip. Too crowded in the back seat. So a van it is.

I found the website for the local power company where we are moving and have actually arranged to start electrical service on the day we get our apartment. That was going to be the greatest inconvenience, not having electricity when we moved in. We can order pizza for dinner, and boil water to make coffee, but having lights is nicer than sitting around in the dark. Not to mention being unable to charge our Kindle, Sony E-reader, iPhone, and iPod Touch with no electricity. The very prospect is unacceptable!

I lose easy computer access the night of the 15th, when we will pack my precious Mac for the move. Updates may be very sporadic after that. Okay, even more sporadic than usual.

It’s only rattan and bamboo chaises. It’s not all that top-heavy. Really.

I was melting some baking chocolate for brownies in my microwave last night, keeping a sharp eye on it as I didn’t want to scorch the chocolate. Suddenly, there was an intense white glow and sizzling sound on the right hand side, followed a few seconds after by smoking and what appeared to be an actual hole in the metal side of the oven interior. I stopped the microwave. I unplugged the microwave. I melted the chocolate in a saucepan.

Farewell, beloved Sharp microwave-convection oven. Farewell, totally awesome “reheat” button. Farewell, defrost setting that actually defrosts instead of cooking. I’ll miss you. I had to boil potatoes for dinner instead of baking them in you.

I suppose that this was a good time for my microwave to die if it had to die. I can live without one until we head back to the US. Coincidentally, my son’s microwave almost bit the dust recently.