Cooking and Looking (for Bargains)

I am tech support for our house. Granted, I am also the major user of technology, so I guess I'm just being self-sufficient. My Wi-Fi connection is often frustrating when using my kitchen desktop. It's probably because the all-in-one I use is set up in a corner between cabinets.  That section of the kitchen was designed specifically for my computer, and I wasn't thinking about the Wi-Fi antenna being built into the back of the unit.  Our router is also kind of slow anyway. My attempts a year or so at installing a Wi-Fi extender ended up with some frustration, so I thought I'd try a cheaper solution based on a work-around I used for a portable speaker. The USB adapter shown above was only ten bucks through Walmart's website.

This is the adapter I used for my speaker, which I found after I placed the order.  This one plugs into the audio jack, and I gave it a quick test on my desktop; it did seem to help.  Once the USB gadget arrived, I spent some time installing the drivers and also updated some of the advanced Windows drivers that I hoped would improve my performance. While I was at it, I disabled videos from automatically playing in my browser.

I am initially considering myself optimistic, as I think my Internet performance has improved.  The first mistake I made, was upgrading a Windows 10 computer to 11.  It's probably not the best fit for the configuration I have.  Running it over WiFi is an added problem. However, I think our house has better bandwidth now that we no longer use cable TV.  In any event, I thought it was worth it to try a cheap solution first.  If you have connection problems through your WiFi, a cheap piece like this might help you. The adapter can also be used with devices that were made without Bluetooth.

Frankie did pretty well yesterday and today.  Yesterday was chicken stock day, which meant the discards (before onions) went into oats for her.  When you boil meat for stock, it only loses a small amount of protein.  This could technically be food for a regular meal. I added calcium too.  But for us, it's a small lunch she can enjoy every day.  We were out of her regular food, so I made a batch using a 3-pound chub of ground turkey from FlashFood, and a cheap pork roast from Save-a-Lot. It simmered in the crockpot overnight, which drove my chow-hound crazy.  She was glad to help me "rinse" the crock!

This was my FlashFood haul from yesterday. I really need to bake bread but have not had the time. When I saw this loaf was $1.92, I did not feel guilty for buying instead of baking. We also needed milk. That's not something I often FF, but this container is good until June 24th. Tops puts dairy on to FF really close to expiration, so unless it's half and half or cream I am going to use for ice cream, I usually pass. Lactose-free milk lasts longer too because the enzyme that leads to spoilage is removed.  It will be long gone by the 24th!

I used a little bit of stock in a batch of chicken chili for dinner last night. The fat on the top of the jar of drippings from roasting was perfect for sautéing the pepper, onion, and celery.  We had plenty of FF tortilla chips to eat alongside meal.

Tomorrow is Tommy's final day of work. We're going to go out for a Fish Fry for dinner -- a splurge for us because we very rarely eat out. I wanted to give him a gift to celebrate his retirement but can't think of anything he really needs. I do know he wants to shoot hoops, play golf, and spend a lot of time walking/hiking. I shopped at Sierra, a big-box discount outdoors store.  Oddly enough, they had appropriate mark-downs that fit the bill to symbolize his planned pursuits.  The waist bag (or as some call it, a bum-bag, which I love), will be a way for him to carry his wallet and phone. He has a golf access card for our local municipal course, so he's got a place to use the golf balls. I am doing recon to find public basketball courts and think there's one he can use five blocks away.

As for the scrubbers, they are for my sister's Christmas Stocking.  I never really trust what the price tags list as Comparable Value, but these were still good prices for little things that accomplish my gifting goals.

All of the Rite Aid drugstores in Western New York are closing. We have plenty of pharmacies around, so we will be fine. But folks in rural areas are going to suffer.  The stores are at least half empty and nothing is marked down. I checked the store a block from our house and all I saw was the normal clearance endcap, which was pretty well picked over.  I did find mouse traps, four packs, for $1.79, which I decided were worth the price. I am keeping pasta on my tariff shelves in the basement, and if I find any sign of critters, I am putting them out! Everything should be sealed up, but... you never know!

Are you finding any good mark-downs?