5 Things I Hate Doing

THE SAVVY SHOPPER is more about things I love not hate, and this post is only the 2nd blog I've written about things I dislike or hate. Although the sentiments are true, it's written in fun about minor activities, not serious worldly problems. No deep discussions today. Different strokes for different folks: No judgments, only personal non-preferences follow -- 

Here are 5 Activities I Hate, Hate, Hate!:

1) Changing purses/bags - It seems like such a waste of time! I hate having to transfer ALL my practical, portable possessions out of one purse and organizing them into the slots of another handbag ... so much so I rarely do it. I wear one bag until it literally wears out, and the strap breaks off my shoulder, falling off into the middle of the street. No exaggeration! It happens. Then I grab a new crossover bag.

Photo: The Steamboat Grand

2) Spa massages - One of my woman friends always receives a spa day as a Christmas present from her husband, a gift she cherishes. I've gotten spa treatments as birthday gifts also, but I don't care for the massage. They don't hurt. The touching doesn't embarrass me. They simply take away an hour of time where I have to lie still doing nothing! I'd rather read; sit in a garden; take a leisurely walk; or have a great chat with a friend!! I don't like being oiled up either. I come in clean and after I'm all greased up, I pray I don't get it on the street clothes I leave in, or I have to take a 2nd shower in a single day to remove what feels like grimy-slimy yuck! Moreover I don't feel the worries of the world being massaged away; and I don't feel pampered!

3) Manicures/pedicures - Certainly I like them better than spa massages; and the manicurists do an excellent job of making my

nails look fabulous. But!! After having the experience of getting a few manis/pedis over the years, I think they are a big time-suck. Takes half a day to make the appointment, travel to and from, plus the time spent at the nail salon having the work done. What a rigmarole! I suppose I'm more of a do it yourself groomer and I like my nails cut short (with or without polish), which I can do while watching television or listening to music in a tenth of the time it takes to have others do it for me.

4) Debone or Cut Up a Raw Chicken - Buying a whole chicken last week gave me the idea for this blog. I have never deboned or cut up a chicken carcass in my entire life. I don't know how and I don't want to learn, therefore I always roast a whole chicken, serving it with vegetables, salad, and gravy. Good enough, no? You'll eat a whole chicken no other way in my home unless you cook it.

5) Major DIY Home Improvements - I will do tiny/minor repairs like painting a window sill or replacing one tile on a floor, but for big jobs, forget about it! I hire experts. I don't have the patience to study YouTube videos and learn by making errors. IMHO it's another time suck! I just want it done right the first time out without frustrations, hurdles, or beginners' mistakes. Hiring an experienced professional for big house improvements (from painting to installing a new floor) is worth every damn penny!

Are there activities other people do that you so dislike you won't do them? Please share! 

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Swim Solutions Are Cute Swimsuits

Swimsuit brand: Swim Solutions

Swimsuits are now on sale. I bought the one above. It fosters the illusion I'm as thin as I once was, and I'm ok with that. Nowadays I favor the flattering ole one-piece skirt swimsuit. It hides fatter thighs and any and all cellulite from the world. Trust me, it's a good thing. Some sights should remain unseen by the public! Once seen, you can't unsee!!

I also like how you don't need a coverup to leave the beach. Some of the citizen patrols along the Jersey shore are ridiculously unfriendly if one HAPPENS to step a foot over the "line" of an adjacent strip of private beach to buy frozen yogurt, and then the unwitting beach visitors are ordered off the little, tiny portion of sand which is indistinguishable from the little tiny portion of sand next to it and sooo must walk BAREfoot in the boiling hot street alongside vehicles back to their "own" beach and blanket ... which they were unaware they had left! #WhenAuthorityGoesToTheHead

Oh well, I digress. Back to the topic of picking up a swimsuit during the summer sales.

I nearly bought the suit on the left for its colors, but I prefer the way the bust is designed of the one I selected at the top of the blog. Here it is on the right in another color and pattern. Which bust design do you like best?

Have you been to a beach lately? I can't get over how some bathers wear a piece of butt floss as a bikini bottom, a/k/a, thongs. If I know ahead of time I will have to leave the beach, walking on hot tar and concrete to return to a blanket, I wear thongs on my feet ... and only on my feet! Evidently some folks don't care if strangers see their naked derrières in public. But here in the USA (where the fashion is not as customary), total strangers are the very people I don't want glancing (or gawking) at mine. The butt cheek reveal is too much information! And for what purpose??? Butt flossing ... butt flashing? Not as pretty as a beholder sometimes thinks! But I digress again.

                

Swim Solutions is a stylish discovery! Sold on Amazon and in major department stores (Macy's is one), these swimsuits also have bust and tummy control. Minus the butt floss options, customers have a wide choice of colors, patterns and types of swimsuits for every type of body, butts and thighs.😊 Available during the summer sales at a steal of a price!

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Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale

Photo: Seattle Times of the Nordstrom flagship store on West 57th Steet in Manhattan

Every year Nordstrom holds it's big blowout anniversary sale offering deep discounts throughout the store. This year mark your calendar for Wednesday, August 19 - Sunday, August 30, 2020. You can preview the merchandise, which includes apparel, shoes and accessories, beauty exclusives, home goods and children's essentials here. The savings are substantial! Think Black Friday sales in the summer. 

Year after year the following 4 items are popular with beauty mavens and fashionistas who will try to score them again:

1) Diptyque Set of 5 Travel Size Candles - Each year the set sales out lickety-split fast. Containing 5 of the brand's most popular scents, they are not full-sized, yet bigger than sample size and $25 off of the usual price. Online the Diptyque candles will sell out within minutes, so you have to be sitting at your computer ready to click at midnight on August 19th. 

2) Designer and/or popular brands of clothing and shoes - Be sure to make a list of any articles of clothing or shoes you'll need for the fall or next summer, then check the preview link to see if your favorite brands are included in the promotion as they likely are. These classic, adorable Marc Fisher slingback pumps come in a few colors and textures and will be marked down at 41% off while supplies last. Tory Birch, Tahari, Ted Baker London, Theory (designers); as well as Madewell, Topshop, Maggy London, Vince Camuto (popular) are 8 brands to watch for discounts.

3) Activewear, underwear and spandex - This is the sale to stock up on names you desire without having to pay full-price. Noteworthy discounts on coveted lines include: Zella, Patagonia, Natori, SPANX® and Sweaty Betty.

4) NARS, Dior, Bobby Brown or Charlotte Tibury - It's also the time to consider splurging on any of the overpriced makeup brands (and skincare) that you love and hanker to try. They won't be cheap, but you can score on exclusive beauty offers or special sets created especially for Nordstrom. So you'll get more for your money if you buy them during the anniversary sale.

THE SAVVY SHOPPER'S friend, Angie Smith, said I must write a blog on Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale. Is there anything else to know ... tips or goods to add to the list of great deals, Ang?💋💄🤫👗 

Readers, what do you hope to find for less at Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale?


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Stove Top Roast Chicken With Gravy

The next step was to thicken the water and pan dripping into a gravy.

So. Have you ever decided it was too hot outside to turn on your oven? Me too! The problem is last week I decided this after impulsively buying a whole raw chicken at the supermarket. Among the things in life I have never learned how to do is cut up a chicken carcass. Don't know how and have no desire to learn, to be honest! That's why if you ever eat a chicken dinner in my home which I've cooked, it's always oven-roasted chicken. 

Can you roast a chicken on the stovetop? I was about to find out! As it turns out ... absolutely! Here's how:

Ingredients:     
                                                 
1 raw chicken (Mine was nearly 4 pounds)

2 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cups water
2 - 3 large carrots
2 - 3 medium potatoes
1 large chicken bouillon cube
Spices to taste: I used garlic, Zatarian's Creole Seasoning, rosemary, bay leaf, Herbes de Provence
1 tablespoon flour per cup of water to make the gravy.

Directions:

1) Take out a large stockpot. I use an all-purpose nonstick steel Wok pan. Toss in the bird (add a pad of butter, or a little olive oil if your stockpot is not nonstick). On medium-low heat, brown the chicken on both sides. It takes about 5 minutes.

2) Next toss in the diced celery and onions for a few minutes to grill them. 

3) Add the water, carrots and potatoes, as well as, bouillon and seasonings to taste.

4) Put a lid on the pot and simmer the chicken on medium-low heat for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

5) After 20 minutes, the carrots and potatoes should be tender, so remove them from the pot and let the chicken continue to cook. You should be able to smell and see when the chicken is done. When it is, gently (so it doesn't fall apart) remove it also.

6) I let the pan drippings (water, cooked celery, onions, and seasonings) cool a bit before whisking 2 tablespoons of flour dissolved into some water into them. Simmer for another 5 minutes, or so to thicken into gravy.

Presto, dinner is ready. One-pan summer meals rock!

In the fall and winter, you can use the recipe to roast a chicken INSIDE your oven ... and can eliminate browning the bird first. In the oven, remove the top off of your roasting pan to brown the chicken as the final step.  On a stovetop, brown the chicken first.

How it all began:




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Laura Bush's Texas Cowboy Cookies

Photo: New New Times

These cookies, brought to the public's attention by First Lady Laura Bush in 2000, are delicious! Brown sugar gives them a caramel taste. Here are the steps to get the texture right, crispy on the edges and soft in the middle without being underbaked and doughy.

Get out two mixing bowls and portion the following ingredients into each one:

Ingredients

Dry --
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Stir together in the 1st bowl.

Photo: stayathomechef

Wet --
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
12 tablespoons melted and cooled butter
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk (Toss the 2nd egg white into tomorrow's omelet.)
Whisk together in the 2nd bowl. 

More dry ingredients --
1 1/4 cups of Old Fashioned (or Quick) rolled Oats
1 cup chopped and toasted pecans
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Combine the dry ingredients (bowl #1) into the wet ingredients (bowl #2) until just incorporated.

2) Next add the rolled oats, chopped pecans, shredded coconut and chocolate chips to the batter.

3) Texans use a 1/4 cup scooper to portion out the batter to make huge cookies (because "everything grows big in Texas,") but you can make smaller cookies unless you long to be huge yourself.😊 I use a tablespoon. Drop the batter for each cookie onto a buttered, or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Leave spaces in between the batter for the cookies to spread regardless of the size you make.

Photo: TX Governor's Mansion

4) Bake the cookies for 17 minutes -- rotating the cookie sheet midway (after about 8 minutes). The cookies will brown on the edges, yet remain soft and seemingly not done in the centers.

5) Pull the tray out of the oven and let the cookies rest on the hot-hot-hot cookie sheet for another 5 minutes to set. After 5 minutes you can take them off the cookie sheet to cool completely.

In the presidential campaign of 2000, Laura Bush's Texas Cowboy Cookies beat Tipper Gore's Ginger Snap Cookies in the annual cookie recipe contest for Family Circle magazine. And now everyone make them.

Enjoy your cookie baking/eating weekend! See you on the other side.🍪

Post Script 9-30-20: Readers, are you wondering what happened to recipe.com? Lately googling the longtime website ends up in an error message. It has gone AWOL! Rachel Cook, editor of Slateberry.com/StayAtHomeChef sent me an article explaining its disappearance. Read it here.


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John Prine's April Passing From COVID-19 Hurt

Sometimes during our pandemic, I wake up in a funk because the world is far from being back to normal. With a new virus, herd immunity takes a long time to develop. Yesterday a friend called to chat, asking me when I thought a vaccine would be ready. She hoped by December, but listening to the news I think it will take at least another year for the distribution part of getting a vaccine out and administered to the public to occur. So I say another year, summer, 2021 at the earliest. And that is if the government at the top has it together. Perhaps it was our conversation or the fact that again I'm not going to work today, but I woke up in a funk this morning wondering how am I going to get through another day of Coronavirus? (I paid NO attention to Zoom until reluctantly I had to install it on my computer in April. Been on it a few times, and for all I know somebody in another part of the world is now watching me as I type!👀)

What I do to handle my gloomy mood is to acknowledge it -- Yep, I'm in a funk ... yes I have a good reason to be ... ok, I'll let myself be in a funk for 1/2 hour or so. Now snap out of it! It's simply a waste of time to wallow in a woe you can do little about. So next, I refocus my mind by finding something big or small to try to accomplish. 

Also, I'm grateful to live in Manhattan within a state where we've taken this pandemic seriously. Manhattan is opening up uber slowly ... the very thing putting me in a funk! Most indoor activities ... jobs, restaurants, movies, theatre, gyms remain closed. There is nooo way to get around the science of a disease, and yet I worry about how all the businesses will survive. Some won't! And we wear masks everywhere we go. I hate my mask! It's hot and another to-do step before leaving my home. But as an adult I wear it!!

Moreover, it upset me tremendously when I heard in late March that a brilliant songwriter John Prine was on a ventilator in Nashville. He began his career in the late 60s-early 70s writing songs for my father's favorite singers, the Everly Brothers + others. I knew he had beaten lung cancer, and short of a miracle ... Well, the miracle didn't come, and he died on April 7, 2020. R.I.P. John Prine. You are one of 159,773 souls in the USA (700, 756 worldwide) and counting lost to COVID.🙁

After all these months at home, I understand his poignant song, Angel From Montgomery as never before. The protagonist is beaten down by life and inertia. Life on hold. Going nowhere for a prolonged period of time. The uncertainty. The waiting. It is painful.

When I return home at the end of the day, my apartment feels like a haven. If I have little reason to leave, the apartment feels more like a prison. The yin tries to swallow the yang!

What I know is this: Life is bittersweet. We can't escape the bitter but must not forget the sweet. Stay well my lovelies!🌹

__________________________________________________

Lyrics: 

ANGEL FROM MONTGOMERY

I am an old woman named after my mother

My old man is another child that's grown old

If dreams were thunder, lightning was desire

This old house would have burnt down a long time ago

Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery

Make me a poster of an old rodeo

Just give me one thing that I can hold on to

To believe in this living is just a hard way to go

When I was a young girl well, I had me a cowboy

He weren't much to look at, just free rambling man

But that was a long time and no matter how I try

The years just flow by like a broken down dam

Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery

Make me a poster of an old rodeo

Just give me one thing that I can hold on to

To believe in this living is just a hard way to go

There's flies in the kitchen, I can hear 'em there buzzing

And I ain't done nothing since I woke up today

How the hell can a person go to work in the morning

And come home in the evening and have nothing to say

Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery

Make me a poster of an old rodeo

Just give me one thing that I can hold on to

To believe in this living is just a hard way to go

_________________________________________________

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The Girl On The Balcony: Olivia Hussey Finds Life after Romeo and Juliet

Are you looking for a good book? I found one, The Girl On The Balcony: Olivia Hussey Finds Life after Romeo and Juliet. It's a fast yet fascinating read. I finished it in 3 days. Born on April 17, 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina to an ethnic Scottish mother and a Spanish father, whose marriage fell apart while she was still a toddler, Olivia and her younger brother, Andrew were placed in a boarding school for 3 years so her mother could work a full-time job to support the family. After several years they left to live permanently in London seeking better opportunities.

In London, Olivia attended a nearby acting school from ages 7-13. It was her idea. She had a 2 year run on the London stage as Jenny in The Prime of Miss Jane Brodie alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Next she gained international fame when director Franco Zeffirelli selected her to play Juliet opposite Leonard Whiting in what I think we can all agree is the definite Romeo and Juliet. These were the days of bonafide open additions when London drama schools sent their students over for tryouts of roles. During the audition, Zefirellini paired the 2 teenaged actors (Leonard played the Artful Dodger in Oliver on the London stage) together and unlike the other hopefuls never separated them throughout the addition process. Most would agree that everyone in the film is perfectly cast. Shot on location in Italy, making the film was hard work, yet the set was exciting and wonderful for the actors. After such a high profile and unique experience ends, what is next?

Ms. Hussey's memoir is candid and thoughtful. It goes through decades of a well-lived, often challenging life -- including an enduring if long-distance friendship with her co-star, Leonard; the ups and downs of a Hollywood career; 3 roller-coaster marriages with benevolent men who despite turbulent times, Olivia calls the 3 loves of her life. Her first husband was Dean Martin's son, Dino, who died in a plane

crash at 35. Her 2nd husband was a popular Japanese singer. Long-distance drove them apart; and her last (and Olivia says final marriage) is to her spouse of 29 years, David Eisley, another musician and the son of an American television actor. Olivia lives right outside of Hollywood, where she raises animals and is an animal activist. She has 3 adult children, Alexander, who co-wrote the book, Maximillian, and India.

Olivia's story includes overcoming a lifetime of shyness and agoraphobia; being raped by a deranged ex-boyfriend and 70s actor; stage 4 breast cancer; and corrupt Hollywood business managers who stole her money putting her into bankruptcy.

Still she remains a positive person who has lived a full and interesting life. It's a journey of self-discovery for a strong; serious; and introspective actress, one you will like a lot and empathize with every step of the way. 

She's kind and sensitive and copes with the temporary things of life by seeking out and trying to understand the eternal.

Together for the 50th Anniversary of Romeo and Juliet. 

Just 15 and 16 years old when cast in 1966 (the film came out in 1968), Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting would like to publish a coffee table book with photos and their respective memories of making Romeo and Juliet. Um, guys and publishing houses ... we're waiting! "It's not too late" as Leonard likes to say. Perhaps one day when life returns to normal, it can happen.

BTW: Before seeing Leonard Whiting in R & J, I watched him in a good television drama, Frankenstein, The True Story, which is uploaded on YouTube. He played Dr. Victor Frankenstein. Michael Sarrazin was the misunderstood creature -- it's a touching rendition that hasn't aged. Ms. Olivia Hussey, I saw in Ivanhole after R & J, and her performance as Rebecca is also up on YouTube. Fun then and now interviews of the two discussing their film can also be watched as companions to an absorbing book↑. Later acting work includes Jesus of Nazareth, Death on the Nile and Mother Teresa.

Lovely to know that after the film and with some stays and bumps on the road, Romeo and Juliet are on real-life paths giving them a happy ending. We love and wish them well!📚💌


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Hearty Potato Soup

I used skim milk for this. Tasty, but next time I'll have cream on hand. Even better!

So, you are looking at my 1st attempt at potato soup. My mother made beef vegetable, chicken noodle, pea, lentil, and bean soup. Never potato soup. We only used potatoes as a side dish, not as the main ingredient of a soup. But recently, I tossed diced potatoes and ingredients into a pot and voilà! It got so many likes on Facebook, I decided to post it here on the blog, so I remember how to make it again. The next time, I will make it even creamier:

Potato Soup

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes, diced
1 small onion, diced
About 6 strips of bacon, fried in a pan
2 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 large chicken bouillon cube (or you can use chicken stock and salt to taste)
Dried spices to taste - black pepper, garlic, rosemary, cilantro, Herbs de Provence, nutmeg, whatever you like. (If you use a chicken bouillon cube, remember to omit the salt.)
2 cups milk (or 1 cup milk and 1 cup cream)

Optional: Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1) Toss several strips of bacon into a chef skillet (so you won't have to clean 2 pans). One-pan cooking rocks!🙂 Set the bacon aside.

2) Sautè the diced potatoes and onion in the bacon grease for 5 minutes or so, then drain the grease. (If too much grease to began with, pour some of it out first. You don't need much to grill the potatoes and onion.)

3) Next add the celery, carrots, milk (plus cream if you decide

to use it), chicken bouillon (or stock) and spices. 

You do need a fat (either bacon grease, or a couple of tablespoons of butter) to prevent the milk from cruddling while cooking. Therefore if you use skim milk and no bacon grease, 1st make a simple roux with butter and all-purpose flour in the pan, then add your soup ingredients.

4) Bring the soup to a simmer. Cook on medium-low until the potatoes, carrots and celery are tender. It's all you have to do.

But, if the soup is not thick enough for you, thicken it by taking 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour dissolved into a little water and carefully add it to the soup. (To prevent lumps add a little hot soup to the mixture before dropping it into the pot.) Cook the soup for 5 minutes longer to thicken. (I didn't need to do this -- but it's an extra step I take if a soup, stew or gravy needs more thickening.)

5) After you put the potato soup into bowls, top with crumbled crispy bacon (and shredded cheddar cheese) if you wish. I tend not to put the cheese and bacon into the soup during the cooking stage because they dissolve and you can't taste them as well. (Plus you then need more of these calorie-rich treats for your dish. A garnish gives you the taste without the higher calories.) Better to enjoy cheese and bacon (so easy to do!😍) in moderation. 

The soup is on. Bon Appètit!


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7 Tricks For Saving Money

We need enough money and the right material things to run our lives efficiently. However many people live on a budget, so it helps to stay mindful of how and why we buy things ... and to use our earnings wisely.

7 Tricks to Save Money on Things You Need include:

1) Make a list of things that are wearing out: Aim to replace them when they go on sale. Buy your new winter coat at the end of the winter season and a bathing suit at the end of the summer season. Mattresses usually go on sale in May and November, and cars often in December. When you know it's about time to buy a big-ticket item (yes, bathing suits have become a big-ticket item!) start studying prices so that you can snatch it up at its end of season lowest price.

2) Price shop for electronic accessories: If you own a computer, iPad, or smartphone and see their chargers reduced, buy a standby at a few bucks for when the original charger coughs and dies. I have 3 backup batteries for my

landline phone headsets for when they need replacing. And printer ink, I buy in bulk of 3 (or sometimes 4) sets at a time for about $15 bucks total. There are times we may end up wasting our money if the unit, itself, dies; but it's still a good money-saving practice as you will pay 3 or 4 times more if you must buy the accessories on the spot at full price. When your charger, or batteries die, you have to replace them instantly to function. At that time, you can't wait for a sale price to roll around.

3) Shop on holiday weekends - Department and big box stores usually offer sales to draw customers in on holiday weekends. It's when you can take advantage of 20% - 40% reductions off regular prices.

4) Keep your clothes and other things organized - Although I tend to be an under buyer, whenever I organize my closets, I realize I still have too many clothes and don't wear most of them. Taking stock of what I have lessens my urge to buy more t-shirts; leggings; hair conditioners; and bars of soap when I step into Uniqlo, Old Navy or T.J. Maxx to find fantastic low prices. Enough is enough and too many are too many regardless of tempting prices! (I have one exception: If T.J. Maxx restocks SheaMoisture hair conditioner in Peace Rose🌹, I can buy it!😍)

5) For your wardrobe, buy good quality basics and know your color palette - It keeps you from buying mistakes. I tend to wear navy blue, black and some gray as my neutrals -- then jazz them up with colorful tops in red, blue, pink, or purple, as well as, stripes, polka dots and floras in those colors. Most of my clothes can be mixed and matched. I also buy sweaters to go with the tops and pants I already own. I try to rotate and wear most everything, yet like many people in 1st world countries, I have more than necessary. 

6) Buy for your lifestyle - Not for a single-use, or just because something is beautiful. Once I tried on a gorgeous gown in Bloomingdales that made a friend gasp and encourage me to buy it. It was surprisingly affordable ($125) yet I didn't take it home since I had NOWHERE to wear it. Sometimes for fun, I also try on expensive jewelry ... but short of being invited to New York's Met Gala, the pieces will stay in their showcases. Why? Because I don't have the lifestyle to wear them. Luckily I live in a city with luxury shops where I can visit and admire luxury goods whenever I want. 

7) Know yourself and be honest: Although I love both retailers, I'm safer at Tiffany & Co. and more tempted to open my wallet at T.J. Maxx. So if I shouldn't spend money, I head to Tiffany for a browse. Don't lie to yourself and go where true temptation lurks. Too many inexpensive things add up also! I think it helps to put purchases on one credit card so you get slapped in the face with the total of all your buys -- big and small -- at the end of the month.

In short, always be mindful. Try to buy everything you need on sale whenever possible, but not everything you want regardless of sales. As we get older, we realize we simply don't need as much stuff! As it turns out, we're happy when we have enough. It doesn't take more than enough to be happy. Do you agree?

This is my 1,000th post here on THE SAVVY SHOPPER.

🎈🎊🎉

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