You haven't lived until you've tasted a FatBoy Ice Cream Sandwich

Easily the best ice cream sandwich I have ever had. And why not? Look at all that saturated fat in there.

I found an 18-pack for $9.98 at Sam's Club.

Happiness is The Reflections singing 1964's Just Like Romeo and Juliet

Happiness is just a state of mind

Happiness is . . . loving it!

Happiness is the 102 year old woman who says "Jesus did not change water into wine so that I could look at it"

Advice from a woman who survived covid-19, the 1918 flu - and cancer:

But when she's being introspective, she credits a strong immune system, avoidance of excessive worry and even her love of red wine. She was known to say, "Jesus did not change water into wine so that I could look at it."

Happiness is good instant coffee when you're up early and need to be quiet because no one else is

Yes, happiness is being "closer, and closer, and closer, like we used to be"

Happiness is making the morning coffee and suddenly this song pops into your head for no good reason

Happiness is super easy side-dish "Southwestern Rice" made with RO-TEL

1 can "original" RO-TEL, undrained

4 oz. prepared black beans, fully rinsed

4 oz. frozen sweet corn kernels, steamed and warm

1 cup already prepared Basmati rice, warm

Mix everything together in a heat-proof covered casserole dish and pop it in the oven on "warm" 20 minutes or so before serving. The tomatoes in the recipe prepared this way remain perkier than cooking the RO-TEL together with the rice.

You don't have to make your beans from scratch, but I did. Took about 3 hours. Rinse, cover with water in a heavy pot, boil, turn off heat & cover 1 hour. Return to boil, then to low, simmer 2 hours covered. Drain and rinse well. Ba-da-bing.

Happiness is Uncle Kracker, who can't wait for this to be over

Happiness is Don Williams singing "Tulsa Time", first released in October 1978

Happiness is a refreshing glass of vodka lemonade

Vodka lemonade

1 lemon

2 t sugar

1/4 c water

1/4 c vodka

ice

1) Juice the lemon and add juice to a high ball glass

2) Add the water, vodka and sugar

3) Stir vigorously to dissolve sugar

4) Add ice and serve

Happiness is the juice of the lemon in the summertime

 

 

 

 

  The juice of the lemon is more cooling and astringent than that of oranges.

-- John Arbuthnot (1667-1735)

Happiness is Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers singing "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" in 1956

Happiness is to know how always to choose the mean and shun the excess in either direction

. . . know how always to choose in such things the life that is seated in the mean and shun the excess in either direction, both in this world so far as may be and in all the life to come; for this is the greatest happiness for man.

-- Plato, Republic, Book X, 619

Happiness is when Dudley Do-Right shows up when you can't pay the rent

Happiness is the eastern redbud tree in bloom

Happiness is crop rotation

 

 

If you sow one ground with the same kind of grain, it will produce but poorly.

-- Francis Bacon

Happiness is a tender Italian turkey meatball "shell" during the pandemic

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey

1/2 c milk

1 egg

3/4 c Panko bread crumbs

Seasoning:

1 t salt

1/2 t granulated garlic

1/2 t dried thyme leaves

1/2 t dried oregano leaves

1/2 t whole black peppercorns, or 1/4 t ground

1 t fennel seeds

1 t crushed red pepper flakes

1 T sweet Hungarian paprika

Method:

1) Whisk together the egg and the milk in a large mixing bowl

2) Grind the seasonings in a coffee grinder until fine-ish

3) Whisk the seasonings into the egg/milk mixture

4) Add the meat to the bowl and mix together using a fork or a potato masher

5) Add the bread crumbs and mix together

6) Form "meatball shells" using a fork and a nonstick ice cream scoop, which releases them easily 

7) Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat and add enough canola oil to cover the bottom

8) Fry "shells" in batches about twelve minutes in the oil, flat side first, flipping them half way through

9) Serve with pasta "Orecchiette" if you can find them, for fun, and your favorite sauce

Happiness is being one of the lucky dogs who snagged one of these at Sam's Club this week

And I paid only $1.98, which actually reflects a recent price increase. Once in a while you've got to splurge on the creamy, fatty goodness of half-n-half in your coffee. Like during a pandemic, for example.

Milk, however, was CLEANED OUT. First time that's ever happened to me at Sam's Club.

Butter also was unavailable again at Sam's.

So far, though, I'm still able to get milk and butter either at the corner gas station, or at the grocery stores. Mind you, at those places it costs more, even a lot more, than I routinely pay at Sam's.

Meanwhile, the shelves are actually appearing better-stocked at Sam's than I've seen them in the last four weeks.

And more of the shoppers are wearing masks now, as am I.