Loaded Granny Cart

Contents:

8 large potatoes
3 huge carrots
2 small heads of lettuce
2 good sized heads of broccoli
1 bunch of bananas
8 medium apples
1 pineapple, already peeled
several green onions
2 large onions
3 packages of fresh green beans, tightly together about 5 cups
fresh ginger root
1 honey dew melon
1 full bunch of celery
2 cartons of mushrooms
several red peppers of unknown variety

We came home via back alleys because I realized that I don’t have to deal with curbs and the constant variations in the height of the sidewalk that way.  The asphalt through the alleys is fairly uniform.  The scooters have plenty of room to zoom around us.  The few cars in the alleys are involved in finding home and parking.  It doesn’t seem to work well to try to walk quickly when pulling the cart.  Even with it empty, it catches on my heels and flips or twists.  So I limit myself to shorter, slower strides when pulling it full.  I only spilled some of the produce off the top once, when I was just getting up the ramp from crossing the necessary street just before home.  No distinct curb to blame.  I just picked up my pace a smidge to cross and it was counter-productive.  Nothing suffered.  Carlie was carrying the 2 dozen or so eggs, as well as 2 bouquets of flowers, a little bag of sesame seeds, and a pair of bargain slippers that ended up fitting Natalie.  I was just able to lift it up the steps at the entry of the apartment, about 7 of those.

(vegetable photo art by Natalie)

We already ate the broccoli and mushrooms since I just fixed our main meal this afternoon.  Here’s what I made.  All measurements are approximate.

mix together:

6 cups cooked rice
15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary

cook 2 1/2 pounds ground beef in stainless steel wok, drain fat as needed

move meat to outer sections of wok and add one onion, diced, and sauté
add about 3 cups of sliced mushrooms to the middle
cook with lid on until mushrooms have softened

mince and add 2 very large cloves of garlic

add:
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup butter
and finish cooking vegetables until suitably tender

add 16 ounces cream cheese to meat mixture, stirring  on low heat until melted and blended

butter  a 9 x 13 baking dish
layer half of rice in the bottom
follow with half of meat mixture
do that again
grate 1 cup of gruyere cheese and spread evenly on top

bake at 375 F for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.

Goes well with broccoli on the side.

Carlie photographed the fruit:

Natalie was commissioned to draw the face per Carlie’s specs

My version of expanded cart capacity:

Now its time to get off of my feet for a while.