Treating ourselves to something delicious...

It isn't Steve—it's actually Matt

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😁

A rash under the armpit? 🤔

Charles Bailey2 said:A little bit under the radar? 🤔

He certainly throws everything at the wall to see what sticks. 😁

The potatoes and mushrooms were easily the highlights for me. 😁

Potatoes are thieves! 🧐
The trash just scoops up all the good stuff. 😠

That’s the truth. Honestly, I barely even touch meat anymore—I find myself eating far more potatoes than anything else these days.

Have you ever tried tossing some apples into an oven? But I mean wild ones... not those store-bought varieties you find at Safeway.

It is pure bliss.

That’s exactly where the issue lies; too many carbs and suddenly the whole thing goes haywire. 🤣
I haven't, though you'd probably need organic stuff for that to work. Which is a little tricky to track down.

Don't even get me started on the stomach situation. I have plenty to keep me busy until summer rolls around. 😁

As for apples... they absolutely have to be wild. None of that store-bought stuff, and certainly nothing from some middleman. We used to head out toward the hills near Austin—my husband's nephew owns a stretch of forest out there where those wild apples grow thick. They turn them into juices and all sorts of artisanal concoctions; one time, they actually roasted them right inside a wood-fired oven. Honestly, I couldn't tell you if I preferred the potatoes, the apples, or the carrots... every single flavor just melds together perfectly. It was sublime.

Might be worth a shot. My mom always says people used to head out to the orchards to pick this exact kind of apple for making strudels.

Charles Bailey2 said:It’s definitely worth a shot—my mother always used to say that folks would head out to pick those specific kinds of apples just to make their homemade strudels.

They certainly do. These growers produce everything from fruit compotes and juices to various types of strudel—all without any of those unnecessary preservatives or junk. You can easily use those apples or plums in all sorts of baked goods; even a classic American apple pie would turn out great with them. 🙂

If you get the chance to get your hands on those apples, you really should give them a try.

And here is my pot of stuffed cabbage rolls. Matt /imgur.com/eSEzhq5> keeps making jokes about that sausage of mine—he won't let it go. But honestly, there is plenty more where that came from. 😁

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Nothing left. I used to have an apricot tree right by the house, and every single year it would produce enough to feed the whole neighborhood. My mother would make endless batches of jam from them; we practically lived on it.
Then some pest comes along, bores right into the trunk, hollows out the core, and the whole thing just shrivels up and dies. 😢
No more apricots, no more homemade jam... nothing. We actually had to bring a skid steer out the other day just to rip the stump out of the ground.

Charles Bailey2 said:I don't have any left. We used to have an apricot tree right in front of the house—it produced enough every single year to keep us busy. My mother would make jam out of them; we practically lived on that stuff.
Then some pest comes along and wrecks the tree—drills straight into it, hollows out the core—and the apricots just dry up and crack. 😢
There are no more apricots, no more homemade jam... nothing at all. We actually had to pull the stump out with a tractor the other day.

That’s such a shame.

I haven't made it out to the orchard in a few days, but my husband mentioned that we've lost several of our cherry trees. We used to have about 19 or 20 of them. This is now, I believe, the fifth year of this decline.

Charles Bailey2 said:I don't have any left. I used to have an apricot tree right by the house, and every single year it would produce enough fruit to feed the whole neighborhood. My mother would make jam out of them until we were practically choking on it.
Then some pest comes along and wrecks the tree, bores its way deep inside, and hollows out the core until the whole thing just dries up and snaps. 😢
Now there are no more apricots, no more homemade jam... nothing at all. We actually had to dig the stump out with a tractor the other day.

Around here, people call them apricot plums.
But if you ask me, they’re much better than standard apricots—sweeter, more fragrant, and just superior.
I had two trees that finally started producing fruit, and then a third one joined in too.😁

Sal, what's actually worth cooking? 🍿

A little bit of everything
Tingulet, we've got breaded cutlets in gravy, garlic shrimp, some hearty stews...

Everything sounds delicious right now. 🙂
Drop a recipe or something, help us poor folks out. 🧐

Does anyone happen to recognize what this is?

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Tupac Shakur?

Sandra James88 As I have previously noted—and I do believe this point bears repeating for those who may have missed the nuance earlier—the situation remains quite clear.
Tupac Shakur?

Precisely. 🙂

They were truly exceptional. 🙂 Just cold, juicy... mmm.

Shrimp are just... everything. My old hustle was hitting the docks at 6 AM, grabbing a few crates $50 then flipping them for $300 a pop. I’d move five crates by 9 AM and head straight back to bed, sleeping like a baby with a hundred bucks in my pocket... greed is a killer, honestly. Anyone want more recipes? 😁