09:35 – I told Barbara that I’d checked Sam’s Club on-line and that they carry cases of 24 boxes of Wheaties, so I’d ordered two cases for her. I apologized for getting only 48 boxes rather than the 50 boxes that she’d dreamed I’d ordered. Which just proves that even 31 years of marriage isn’t enough to fully develop a husbandly survival instinct.
I just walked Colin through a Southern blizzard, which is to say that there’s some white flaky stuff falling from the sky. Around here, that counts as a White Saturnalia.
I’m doing laundry and Barbara is working on her Christmas stuff. Later today, we’ll work on kit stuff. Amazingly, we’ve managed to keep all kits in stock, although we’re still low on several of them.
I’m gradually getting Barbara used to using some of the shelf-stable foods that we’re storing for emergencies. The other night she was about to fry hash browns when I presented her with a 3-pound can of Crisco butter-flavor shortening. The manufacturer rates the shelf life of that stuff at one year for an open can stored at room temperature. In a sealed can, it’s good for at least five to ten years. I keep a dozen cans frozen, which should extend their shelf life well into the 22nd century.
Barbara usually fries hash browns in vegetable oil, and was afraid that the Crisco would make them “taste funny”. I convinced her to try it, and afterwards she said that the hash browns actually tasted better fried in the Crisco. Next up, using the butter-flavor Crisco for making fried chicken.