Recipes and Packing

Thank you to everyone for the kind comments and well wishes for our hometown. The worst of the storm has passed, and now the clean-up must begin. From what we've been able to hear, our families and friends are all ok, and no major property damage reported at this time. Pictures of the flooding and damage can be seen posted at The East Hampton Star. It could have been so much worse, but I've read that the storm, even though it had picked up strength as it approached, it also picked up speed, and as a result passed over the island faster than expected. We wish everyone back there our best, and hope for a speedy recovery, especially power!

I'm back to packing orders in Amazon. I work in the department called Crisplant, which is named for the company that designed the system.

This is a stock photo from Amazon showing the chutes that orders come in on. I work a rolling packing cart that moves along the row of chutes. As items are dropped into the chutes (double row, the chute above is an order and the chute below is a different order) the computer keeps track of them and when the order is completed the light at the end of the chute flashes on signifying to me that the order is ready to be packed. I verify that the order is correct, pack it into the correct size box, slap on the SP00 label (the white barcode label on the side of the box) and place it on the conveyor which takes the package on to the shipping department. It's not hard at all, just repetitive and hard on your feet!

Al has also started this week. He finished Safety School yesterday, and then had a meeting with his managers  at AmCare. He starts tonight, but doesn't get the "luxury" of starting half shifts for two weeks, he goes right to 10 hour shifts. I still have two more half nights, then start full shifts on Sunday night.

Gail from Gypsy Turtles requested the recipe for the Crockpot Lemon Poppyseed Cake, so here it is.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Bread

Makes: 12 to 16 servings

Prep 15 mins

Slow Cook 1 hr 30 mins to 2 hrs  (high)

Cool 10 mins

Nonstick cooking spray

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup poppy seeds

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2

cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt or sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

directions

1. Coat a 4- to 5-quart oval slow cooker or a 4-quart round slow cooker with cooking spray. In a large bowl stir together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together sugar, eggs, oil, yogurt, milk, lemon peel, lemon juice, and vanilla until sugar dissolves. Add sugar mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until combined (mixture should still be slightly lumpy). Spoon batter into prepared slow cooker.

3. Cover and cook on high-heat setting for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until top appears set. Turn off slow cooker. Carefully remove lid so condensation from lid does not drip onto bread. Cover opening of slow cooker completely with paper towels; place lid on top. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of slow cooker; remove bread from cooker. Cool completely on a wire rack.

nutrition facts (Lemon-Poppy Seed Bread)

I did cut this recipe in half as there is only two of us and my slow cooker is a small 3 quart one. It came out great, although I shortened the cooking time to 1 hour 45 minutes.

We also tried a new meatball recipe last night that we really enjoyed, and thought I would pass along. If you like Asian style food you should enjoy these. I would recommend cutting back a little on the ginger unless you REALLY like ginger...it's very strong!

Teriyaki Meatballs

For the Meatballs:

1 lb ground pork
2 inches fresh ginger, grated
1 egg
1/2 cup Panko (or plain) breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 green onions, chopped finely
1/8 teaspoon or 15 cracks of black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, grated

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. 

Add the pork, ginger, egg, bread crumbs, soy sauce, green onions, black pepper and garlic into a large bowl.  Using your hands smash until completely combined. 

Form into small balls and add to a large oven proof skillet on medium high heat.  Brown a few of the side of the meatball.  After you have done this, cover with an oven proof lid and place in the oven.  Cook for 20 minutes. 

For the Sauce:

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or regular white vinegar)
2 inches fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cold water
2 tablespoons corn starch

Star by adding the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, sesame seed oil, vinegar and ginger into a medium sauce pan on medium heat.  Bring to a simmer. 

In a small cup, add the cold water and corn starch.  Stir until combined to create a slurry. 

Slowly pour the slurry into the sauce whisking as you go.  This will thicken the sauce as it heats so go slowly.  If you want a thicker sauce add more slurry.  If you get too thick of a sauce add more water. 


To serve, remove the meatballs from the oven and carefully pour the sauce over the meatballs.  Toss in the sauce.  Serve the meatballs over rice, garnish with sesame seeds and additional green onions. 

Enjoy!

Recipe slightly modified from: Budget Bytes  

Hope everyone enjoys the recipes! See you soon!

Devastation

Many of my readers don't know where our hometown is...that is, where we lived before we set out on the road. We lived in a beautiful old historic whaling town on the eastern end of Long Island, NY, Sag Harbor.

It has been very hard watching as the huge storm Sandy has been bearing down on our lovely hometown. We've been thinking about all our family and friends back in the area, and hope that  physically they are all doing all right and that there will be a minimum of property damage done to their homes and businesses.

It's never a good sign when a major news station comes to town: CBS. I guess a saving grace is that Jim Cantori from The Weather Channel wasn't in the vicinity!

Even all the way here in Campbellsville KY we have some effects from this massive storm. The wind last night was the worst we've seen here, and it's going to be lasting all day. Some rain is moving in this afternoon, but thankfully its not cold enough here to get the blizzard. I just can't believe the scope of this storm. The economic effects will be felt for a very long time, I'm sure.

Otherwise, things are going fine here. I'm breaking into my shift, and Al is starting today at Safety School, and begins his shift tomorrow. I will have a more complete description of my work in the packing plant soon. Be safe out there!

Ready, Set....

GO!

Monday was the "Meet and Greet" day here at Campbellsville. There's a meeting room at Heartland RV Park, the gravel parking lot campground across the street from Amazon's fulfillment center here in Campbellsville. Many folks choose to stay here for the convenience of having full hook-ups and the ability to walk to work. We prefer staying here at Green River Lake State Park and having the spacious sites, grass and beautiful lake view :-). To each their own. Monday's meeting was all about meeting other workampers who are starting at the same time, the Camperforce staff, receiving your shift and department assignment, and answering any questions that anyone may have. They also lay down some of the ground rules, pertaining to dress and conduct codes,and what you can and cannot bring into the facility. There's a pizza buffet provided for lunch, clear plastic fanny packs given out for carrying any personal (approved) items to work with you, water bottle clips (cold bottled water is provided to all workers any time they want it on the workplace floor)  and Bingo was played for a couple of prizes to round out the afternoon (I didn't win). Al attended with me as well, and had a chance to speak to two of the Camperforce reps, Jenifer and Kelly, about his status. Jenifer assured him that she was hounding the Seattle staff about the background check, and would let him know as soon as it came through. We did meet three more folks that are staying here at Green River Lake, two single ladies that will be working in Stow, and a single gentleman who is working with the IT staff.

Tuesday was Orientation and Safety School. I arrived at the Amazon facility just after 8AM, and waited outside with everyone else for Kelly to come and collect us. There's 50 workampers starting this week. Kelly came out with our ID badges, and promptly had us "badge in" to the breakroom. From there he explained the clocking in procedures, and we proceeded to the Camperforce meeting room for orientation. Here we handed in our payroll tax paperwork, filled in the I9 paperwork that proves you are a bona-fide citizen, watched the two "award-winning" videos on workplace harassment/violence, and generally learned about the various departments throughout the facility. Rules and regulations were discussed, and the "point system" for attendance was provided. This is Amazon's system for tracking attendance, and points are put on your record for various infractions such as returning late from lunch or not showing up for a shift. If you receive a total of 6 infraction points you are let go.

After the meal break we headed off to Safety School. The first part of this was a walking tour of the facility, with a trainer pointing out the various departments, how areas were marked off with different colored tape on the floor, vending machines that provide your water, gloves and boxcutters, and the all important restrooms! We were taken through the stretching routine (stretches are mandatory at the start-up meeting the beginning of your shift and after your meal break). Then we went through the five safety stations that demonstrated things such as lifting and moving pallets in a safe manner, proper conduct around conveyors, proper lifting of totes and boxes, and maneuvering your carts safely throughout the facility. A short quiz was given, and that was the end of the day!

Al picked me up from the warehouse, and we went grocery shopping for the week. Upon arrival back at the campground, we were delighted to see an email from Jenifer that he had been cleared to work, and would start with the group next Monday, and go straight into AmCare on Wednesday. That's a good thing! For the rest of the week I work tonight, Thursday and Friday, 5:30-10:30. Here in Campbellsville they start you on half-shifts, to help you build up a tolerance to spending all those hours walking on concrete. This is supposed to reduce the amount of injuries. It eases you into the long workdays, at any rate :-). This weekend, Al is going to Lexington to take a two day refresher course for his Kentucky EMT license, which will keep him certified for another three years after his license expires next year. Another good thing! So long as Amazon keeps wanting him in AmCare, its definitely worth keeping his license here in Kentucky valid.

So we are keeping ourselves busy. The patch on the galley water tank worked very well, so he closed up the belly of the trailer again. We have been getting swarmed by ladybugs the past couple of days, and whereas I really like them and they are supposed to be good luck, I can't deal with having a couple hundred walking around in my trailer! So we've been sucking them up in a clean vacuum bag, and then releasing them back outside. Sure hope they migrate away soon!

Does anyone like Lemon Poppyseed Muffins? I tried an unusual recipe last night, for a Lemon Poppyseed Cake that you make in the crockpot! It came out very good. I'll post the recipe if there's any interest in that.

Stay tuned for the further packing adventures to come :-).