Sunday, December 28, 2003
The case of the missing vegetables
I was driving home early on the day after Christmas so decided to stop at the Dixon fruit stand. But I must have left one of my carry bags at the store because I just went looking for the bag of lovely green beans I bought ... but they aren't in my fridge, and aren't in the car either. No sweet potatoes and no snow peas either (it was an excellent price on the peas and beans). Wasn't the only thing I spaced on that morning (left my raincoat - eep). Will have to decide if I still want to make minestrone for my lunches next week (adding lentils for New Year's good luck) or will go for curried lentil soup instead. I think I can eat the mushrooms with something else.
I did manage to pick up the bag with the avocadoes, which was good since I have been living on turkey-roasted tomato-avocado sandwiches lately. Yum.
I was driving home early on the day after Christmas so decided to stop at the Dixon fruit stand. But I must have left one of my carry bags at the store because I just went looking for the bag of lovely green beans I bought ... but they aren't in my fridge, and aren't in the car either. No sweet potatoes and no snow peas either (it was an excellent price on the peas and beans). Wasn't the only thing I spaced on that morning (left my raincoat - eep). Will have to decide if I still want to make minestrone for my lunches next week (adding lentils for New Year's good luck) or will go for curried lentil soup instead. I think I can eat the mushrooms with something else.
I did manage to pick up the bag with the avocadoes, which was good since I have been living on turkey-roasted tomato-avocado sandwiches lately. Yum.
Christmas haul
A chafing dish, which I wasn't particularly interested in (will store it And See), and a baking stone, which I was. And silicone muffin pans, which I will try out today.
Half a turkey breast as leftovers, and some peanut butter cup cookies. Yum. Lemon curd in the freezer.
Off to chop some chocolate for New Year's truffles - feel like making Pad Thai for Brian's party on Wednesday, but the Kahlua truffle supply is getting low.
A chafing dish, which I wasn't particularly interested in (will store it And See), and a baking stone, which I was. And silicone muffin pans, which I will try out today.
Half a turkey breast as leftovers, and some peanut butter cup cookies. Yum. Lemon curd in the freezer.
Off to chop some chocolate for New Year's truffles - feel like making Pad Thai for Brian's party on Wednesday, but the Kahlua truffle supply is getting low.
Sunday, December 21, 2003
Signs of improvement
I'm still not cooking much for myself - have had some medical adventures that were not related to the fibroid. But occasionally I show sparks of life.
Two weeks ago I got an invite for a surprise 40th birthday party for a pal. I immediately thought ... "What will I bring?". I talked myself out of making the chocolate-sour cream bundt cake in the latest Cook's Illustrated, for which I had all the ingredients (inc. sour cream, rare at my house) and the recommended pan. I didn't want to push it and the birthday boy is a diabetic. The pantry and the Cheese Board came through; picked up some mock Boursin and flatbread at CB, made tapenade with the pitted olives in the pantry, and also made some garlic peanuts since I had several bags of peanuts in my fridge and wanted to use at least one up. Took me about half an hour total of work time (I suspect the cake would have taken me more effort and I am still into SIMPLIFYING).
I told my best friend this story and she said "We have our Charlotte back!".
I am making white bean-winter vegetable soup at the moment - which really is a return to normalcy. I am thinking of what to bring to the new year's party I am attending - am actually thinking Pad Thai (which is a major production, but do-ahead and portable) to use up some more of those peanuts!
I may or may not have the energy to make latkes and applesauce tonight (it's Hanukkah!) after making sure the house is clean and the rest of the cards get finished. We'll see.
Odd note - as I was standing stirring veggies in my sunny, warm kitchen (I was wearing a tank top because it was so warm), I started singing "Waltzing in a Winter Wonderland". Odd because I don't much like secular Christmas carols and I especially dislike those with snow themes since they are so not my experience of Christmas. But I think I'm in the spirit!
Will pick lemons today and see if I can get some preserved lemons done for New Year's gifts. Just hope the energy returns for good. Quite a bit of slug time this month.
I'm still not cooking much for myself - have had some medical adventures that were not related to the fibroid. But occasionally I show sparks of life.
Two weeks ago I got an invite for a surprise 40th birthday party for a pal. I immediately thought ... "What will I bring?". I talked myself out of making the chocolate-sour cream bundt cake in the latest Cook's Illustrated, for which I had all the ingredients (inc. sour cream, rare at my house) and the recommended pan. I didn't want to push it and the birthday boy is a diabetic. The pantry and the Cheese Board came through; picked up some mock Boursin and flatbread at CB, made tapenade with the pitted olives in the pantry, and also made some garlic peanuts since I had several bags of peanuts in my fridge and wanted to use at least one up. Took me about half an hour total of work time (I suspect the cake would have taken me more effort and I am still into SIMPLIFYING).
I told my best friend this story and she said "We have our Charlotte back!".
I am making white bean-winter vegetable soup at the moment - which really is a return to normalcy. I am thinking of what to bring to the new year's party I am attending - am actually thinking Pad Thai (which is a major production, but do-ahead and portable) to use up some more of those peanuts!
I may or may not have the energy to make latkes and applesauce tonight (it's Hanukkah!) after making sure the house is clean and the rest of the cards get finished. We'll see.
Odd note - as I was standing stirring veggies in my sunny, warm kitchen (I was wearing a tank top because it was so warm), I started singing "Waltzing in a Winter Wonderland". Odd because I don't much like secular Christmas carols and I especially dislike those with snow themes since they are so not my experience of Christmas. But I think I'm in the spirit!
Will pick lemons today and see if I can get some preserved lemons done for New Year's gifts. Just hope the energy returns for good. Quite a bit of slug time this month.
