So what did you do today to celebrate... oh wait let me guess you spent the day with family and friends, right? Like normal folks do, true? Not us! But we are anything but normal... So we took a car ride down to Matlacha Florida that is 27. 6 miles south of here, Port Charlotte. Now that gas prices have gone up... why not, hmm? Our mini van gets nearly thirty miles to the gallon even in slow traffic, no highways from here to there! Matlacha is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matlacha,_Florida a quaint little waterfront village of less than seven hundred people in Lee County, that is also home to Fort Myers, Cape Coral etc. https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=matlacha+island+florida&fr=yfp-t-s&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F63%2F8a%2Fb4%2F638ab478d48b9c06d13ded7b3b609ce5.jpg#id=0&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F63%2F8a%2Fb4%2F638ab478d48b9c06d13ded7b3b609ce5.jpg&action=click and this long hot key is of much better pictures of that area than I could ever take, since we could not find anywhere to park, or any place that had sidewalks or wide enough areas for my ride and Aussie to disembark as well to see the sights up close and personal! Sorry Matlacha we had been there years ago, but things changed for us.
Any-who, as you might also be wondering is why these two disconnected oblique odd PICS below are included in tonight's blog, hmm?
So I will tell you...That very large majestic alligator was sunning his/herself right in one of the many retention ponds on the grounds of Florida Southwestern State College in Punta Gorda close to home and all ponds have warning signs about the creatures, it is 7.6 miles from our home. We drove through first to see the observatory that we eventually would enjoy going into in the Fall. The fact is that you can also take classes for free after you turn sixty-five, if a full-time resident, in this state, and I keep checking for continuing education classes in journalism and creative writing, but no credits just audit the class. Just to learn more. I had taken both elsewhere. I periodically check online. https://www.fsw.edu
So I will tell you...That very large majestic alligator was sunning his/herself right in one of the many retention ponds on the grounds of Florida Southwestern State College in Punta Gorda close to home and all ponds have warning signs about the creatures, it is 7.6 miles from our home. We drove through first to see the observatory that we eventually would enjoy going into in the Fall. The fact is that you can also take classes for free after you turn sixty-five, if a full-time resident, in this state, and I keep checking for continuing education classes in journalism and creative writing, but no credits just audit the class. Just to learn more. I had taken both elsewhere. I periodically check online. https://www.fsw.edu
After we had made our jaunts without getting out of the car, except when Hubby took the PIC of the gator, I couldn't watch him, he thinks I'm ridiculous! Sorry, I would have taken the PIC out the window if the reptile was on my side of our car.
So after we both agreed that we had no choices on this different kind of day trip we ended up at Fishville AKA Fisherman's Village, home, sort of, and had our lunch there at Scotty's fairly late. We ate light remembering that we had the brisket I was going to make tonight that suffices appropriately for both Passover and Easter. It is humming/gently jiggling right now in my pressure cooker! Hubby had some chicken dish at the restaurant and I had a cup of chicken gumbo soup and a small Caesar salad, nearly finished so there was very little that was left for the server to dispose of appropriately!
Aussie was Awesome again with everyone there trying to pet him, he gave them back love, and behaved quite politely lying under our table after he finished his lunch of his usual, Nutro Essentials chicken, rice and sweet potatoes for puppies, with his spring water.
From there we came home, just after three and truly relaxed, until dinner prep began close to four.
We just ate that delish and tender brisket with potatoes two large quartered, half of a cup of carrots, same for the peas, a quarter of a medium onion sliced, four cloves of garlic, sliced/frozen mushrooms half cup, and sauce made from one packet of a sodium free beef bullion, quarter cup of flour, Hunts ketchup another quarter cup and about an eighth of a cup of light brown sugar and a heaping tablespoon of sugar free orange marmalade, also a dash of Thyme, 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste after. Two to two and half cups of water too!
One hour plus according to your own pots requirements, it is good for about a three pound brisket on an even jiggle, that should make it come out fork tender.
Ours was fine, but the machine is back on for the remainder of the meat to make it even more tender. The brisket wasn't even two and half pounds, so they are all a bit different. I used to use ours much more often with the children home. This stainless one has got to be at least thirty years old. I had mentioned that at the time aluminum was thought to be the cause/contribute to/of Alzheimer's to my mother in-law and that stainless was healthier. She had given us our original aluminum one, and next occasion she gave us this one, the stainless! Ironically, the woman just passed away this past November from Alzheimer's. I do not think she replaced her own. Although, these days I have not heard anymore about the aluminum pot connection, so who knows?
Have a wonderful Easter and Passover night to all!
And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!
