This morning it was sunny and mild--and dry--so we decided to walk along the levee and back along Old Military Highway. We often see birds or Border Patrol Agents, but today all we saw were mosquitos.
We walked by the mailboxes, but I had lost track of the key, so we continued on our way. We passed a rig being cleaned by Nick's RV Wash. We've been meaning to call and schedule a wash and wax. We stopped to talk with Nick, and he agreed to come over after lunch to do Venture.
Meanwhile, I decided that I needed to clean the rubber roof under the solar panels, which involves removing the brackets along one side and replacing them with our tilt bars. This is to lift the panels up off the roof so the area underneath can be cleaned. This is not something that Nick's crew does, and I wanted to do it before they arrived, so they would clean off any residual crud from the roof.
Ken moved everything out of the way, including the Qube, stacking it all away from the area that would get wet. While we were at it, we cleaned the awning too. Oh, but first we had to trim the tree limb hanging down over the patio.... The good news is that Venture looks clean and shiny now.
For our afternoon walk, we headed over to Retama Village again. As we walked in, we saw another New Horizons that had evidently arrived pretty recently, since the guy seemed to be working on the connections. We introduced ourselves, and soon Stuart and Lynn were happily showing us around their new Majestic (picked up in September). They have two rescued greyhounds, Robby and Abbey,who greeted us very enthusiastically.
The rig has many familiar features, but their customizations are evident too. They have the fourth slide (vanity slide in the bedroom), which provides room for two extra large dog beds at the foot of the bed. They got carpet in the living area because it works better than the hickory flooring for the dogs. Lynn wanted three extra pantry sliding shelves in addition to the standard four, so she has seven--but some of them are packed in pretty tightly. We asked about the standard TV antenna. The ceilings are so high we thought a crank would be difficult to reach. Stuart showed us where the controls for antenna rotation are located in the "communications center" above the coat closet. We learn something new with every Majestic we see, and each owner has shared valuable ideas with us. New Horizons owners are a friendly group!
We went to Darryl's dance tonight. Jan and Steve were still out, recovering from their dashing trip home. Kit and Mary showed up. More and more people will be arriving in the Valley. We started with 15 couples again, but during the first tip, another couple came in to make up the fourth square.
This evening when we got home from the dance with a load of groceries, it was late and dark, and the door lock stuck again. We were beginning to think we'd have to call a locksmith to get in, but with some silicone spray and Ken's efforts, the door finally came open. Yay! Tomorrow we'll definitely be motivated to take the lock apart and see what's going on.
The overwhelming number of negative reviews, complaints, and comments about Fisher and Paykel appliances finally convinced me that ordering the optional dishwashing drawer would be too risky, so we'll save that weight and money.
While I was waiting for Ken to recover yesterday, I picked up an HEB Christmas ideas brochure. I saw a recipe for Christmas kale salad with spiced pecans that sounded good, and we happened to have some kale in the fridge. So tonight we made that for supper. It was quite good.
Christmas Kale & Spicy Pecan Salad
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
5 minutes
Makes:
16 servings
Source
My H-E-B Texas Life Magazine, December 2011
Ingredients
1/2 c. Central Market Organics Texas Pecan Halves,
1/4 c. Central Market Organics Light Brown Sugar,
1/2 tsp. each: Central Market Organics Ground Cayenne Pepper and Ground Korintje Cinnamon,
• juice of 2 lemons,
2 Granny Smith apples,
1 bunch kale,
4 red onion, thin sliced and rings separated,
1/4 c. H-E-B Shredded Italian Parmesan,
• Vinaigrette:,
3 Tbsp. each: H-E-B Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar and water,
1 tsp. H-E-B Dijon Mustard,
Directions
1 Heat heavy-bottom skillet over high heat 3 minutes. Add pecans, heat 1 minute. Add brown sugar, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Stir constantly until sugar melts and coats pecans, about 1 minute. Quickly spread on a sheet of foil. Cool and chop.
2 Combine lemon juice and 2 cups water in 4–quart bowl. Core, peel, and cut apples into matchsticks, place in lemon water to prevent browning. Soak apples 1 minute. Drain.
3 Wash kale twice in large sink full of water to remove all dirt. Cut leaves away from stems. Stack, cut into 1/4-inch slices.
4 Layer kale, apples, red onion, and Parmesan in salad bowl or on platter, cover. Chill until ready to serve. Prepare dressing in jar, toss with salad just before serving.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 80, Sodium: 45mg, Carbohydrates: 12g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Protein: 3g
Copyright 2001-2011, H-E-B
Ken was not feeling well this morning. His throat was very sore from the endoscopy, and the right side of his head over his ear was hurting again. While he was in the bathroom at 6:15 a.m., he made a move in Words With Friends in our game. Suddenly over my head, a loud buzzing noise woke me with a start. It was my phone vibrating to notify me that it was my turn. That was the end of my night's sleep too, darn it.
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