My Kitchen Needs Some Alone Time

If I didn’t know better, I’d say it has it out for me. A kitchen can’t have it out for someone, right? And besides, what have I ever done to it besides fill it with good smells (except for that one horrible curry fish dish that we’ve sworn to never speak of again) and keep its floors clean?

We already know that I am surrounded by some sort of force field that causes food to fall on the floor, dishes to fall out of cupboards and water to spew uncontrollably from faucets and leak out of appliances whenever I walk into the room. But tonight, this abnormal activity escalated.

We had pepperoni chicken with bow-tie pasta and broccoli. The recipe dictated that the raw chicken breasts be cut in half and then pounded thin. I got out my wooden mallet and started hammering away. It gave me the usual trouble of attempting to crawl out of the plastic wrap with every thump, but other than that, it was going well. Until all of a sudden I realized that the head of said mallet was whistling past my head en route to thudding off the ceiling.

From there, the sauce bubbled over and splattered everything within 3 feet, the sink stopped up with nasty water and wouldn’t drain, and finally, the piece de resistance; I reached to take a plate out of the drain board, and before I knew it, my biggest sharpest chef’s knife hops out of the sink and lands an inch from my sock foot.

Steve walks in to a what appears to be a murder scene without a victim, a swearing wife, and, by no small miracle, a very good dinner.

I’m kind of glad that leftovers are on the menu for a few days. I think my kitchen and I need a break from one another.

Of Candy, Clothing and Crochet

Yesterday was the last day of Steve’s vacation. It was a really great one, the best I remember in awhile. He’s going back relaxed and clear-headed and about as rested as he’s been in a year.

It was a pretty full day. We were up early, and it was raining so there was no playing outside. With this cold snap bearing down on us I decided, rather than following my usual M.O. of extreme procrastination, to go ahead and bring down all the winter wear, get it sorted, see what still fits, and get it all washed and put away. With Steve’s help, we did just that. I had the summer stuff packed up and back upstairs by breakfast, and throughout the day we did 5 loads of laundry. I’m glad we don’t have more clothes than we do! But as you know, winter clothes are bulky and take up too much room in the wash.

So that’s a major fall chore done.

The high today, just by the way, is a mere 44 degrees. Brrr.

I also had a job interview for another cleaning position yesterday. It’s out near Meadows of Dan. It went very well, and I’m looking forward to the job.

Since we were so close to Meadows of Dan, we went on in and visited the local candy store. Yes, I am exactly like a kid in a candy store! It’s one of the few places where every time I go, I end up with a perfect stranger striking up a smiling conversation with me… candy makes everyone happy!

It’s always so hard to choose when you go into this store; they specialize in fudge, but the one thing I go back for every time is their peanut butter meltaways. I’ve never tasted anything quite like them. So we got a few of those, and a couple of pounds of fudge to share, and, of course, Steve got his favorite strawberry licorice whips, which we were so happy to see they’re making again. Last time they said they wouldn’t be making them anymore, opting for a really tasty, but really expensive, Australian licorice instead.

After the candy store, we stopped in and had a sandwich at the local deli, then felt our way home in the fog.

We went to Mom’s for a pot roast supper; I think that was the best beef I’ve ever tasted. It was like butter in its texture. She also had homemade multi-grain yeast rolls, a spinach and mandarin salad, and fresh apple cake… YUM.

And in between all that goodness, I spent my down time working on my new afghan. It’s coming together quickly, which I like. I’ve already done the brown accent on the first aqua strip, but I think I’m going to change the shade of brown; it seems too dark. This one is a combination of Popcorn stitches, Double Crochet, Half-double Crochet and both Front Post and Back Post Double Crochet. I’m having a lot of fun with it.

And now the grind kicks back in. I just may start off the week with a fast, chilly horseback ride this morning…

It’s Not About Horses!

 

I realize I’ve done a lot of horse/pet related posts this week, which may bore the snot out of some So today I’m doing a foodie post.

This time of year I start getting the urge to get back in the kitchen. I think it’s just because it’s getting cooler out, and I really don’t enjoy cooking, and am not very creative, when it’s 85 degrees in there. That’s about where the temperature stays throughout the summer months since we have large windows facing East and South. That room, even when there is nothing running in there, is usually 5 degrees warmer than the rest of the house on sunny days.

The Golden Delicious apples came in last week. We got four boxes of them, and turned the majority into applesauce/apple butter, kept some back for eating, and a few for Fresh Apple Cakes, which freeze really well. So I spent one afternoon just baking cakes.

Then yesterday, I was suddenly bored with my two scrambled eggs and corn tortilla that I typically make for breakfast. I wanted pancakes. Pancakes are not diet-friendly! So I flipped through the cookbooks and found the Puffy Oven pancake. It is mostly egg, and cooks up similar to a souffle. We topped it with homemade peach butter and had crisp bacon on the side. The other plus to this “pancake” is that you don’t have to stand there for half an hour cooking one flapjack at a time!

One day, I will find me a griddle to replace the one I used to have.

Lunch rolled around, and I stared into the pantry hoping something good would pop out, like pizza, or a burger and fries. It didn’t. So I pulled a chicken breast out of the freezer, defrosted it in the microwave, sauteed it in olive oil with anise seed, rubbed sage and RealSalt, and boiled some eggs. With the addition of finely chopped bok choy, carrot and red onion, and a dressing of cracked pepper mayo and rice vinegar, it became an extremely tasty chicken salad. I put it on toast, topped it with some low fat mozzarella and stuck it under the broiler. So we had a hot lunch that put anything you could get at a greasy spoon to shame.

Finally, dinner was perhaps even better. Our Emeals menu called for Shrimp Scampi Skewers with Parmesan Grits and Nectarine Salad. I abandoned the skewer idea pretty quickly, because I got the cheap shrimp, which are tiny. So Steve fired up the grill and put the iron skillet on it, and we sauteed them that way. They still had a really nice, smoky flavor. The marinade was white wine, lemon juice, fresh rosemary, fresh garlic and oil. The grits were made with a combination of milk and chicken broth, and then seasoned with a mixture of parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and Cajun seasoning. Everything was so flavorful.

I’m not sure I can top yesterday’s culinary adventures today, but peanut butter sandwiches doesn’t sound half bad.

 

More Homelife

After Monday’s cleaning binge, on Tuesday I went on a cooking binge.

Steve informed me that he had been craving some good oatmeal cookies. So I picked out two recipes from my Big Red Cookbooks (I have a Betty Crocker one and a Better Homes and Gardens one), Peanut Butter Oatmeal rounds and plain old Oatmeal Cookies. I put plain M&Ms in the former, and dried cranberries in the latter. They turned out really well. I made them jumbo sized so they came out really chewy and nice.

After a couple of hours baking cookies, I got a loaf of French bread in the oven, and made a really good Chicken Lasagna for dinner. Both turned out fantastic.

We went riding yesterday, and Sully was excellent. He had more get up and go, thanks to the fact that I’m being consistent about not letting him walk as slowly as possible, ever. We maintained a forward walk or nice jog for the entire ride, and this over gravel.

I’ve taken the plunge on the Easyboots after finding a pair of Bares in their bargain bin. I got two boots for less than the normal price of just one. And the rep assured me that I’ll get better mileage out of them than I would out of the Trails with the amount and type of riding we do, as well as Sully’s overall size. I can’t wait to get them and try them out.

I’m also trying out two different operating systems, thanks to Dad. He upgraded my Ubuntu 10.04 to 12.0-something (4?), which utilizes what I think he called a Unity desktop, and also installed XUbuntu on the same machine. So far, I’m liking the XUbuntu with its leaner interface.

Not much on the roster for today, other than a bike ride or two. I did manage to pull a muscle in my neck yesterday while uncinching my saddle (this after a mile and a half ride during which I debated wearing my helmet and opted to leave it at home.) It’s pretty sore this morning.

A Slow Return to Normalcy

I don’t believe you realize how much you do in a day until you are forced to not do anything in a day! I go about each day, doing whatever presents itself to be done without giving it much thought. I rarely feel like “there aren’t enough hours in the day” unless I get behind on the day to day chores, and then feel like I can’t do them all at once even though I need to get them done all at once!

This past week of flu had me bed-bound for 3 days. On either side of that, I could do a little bit, but only a little bit, which equated to a fraction of what I would normally accomplish in a day; we’re talking simple things like cooking a meal and cleaning up the dishes, sweeping the floor, folding laundry or watering the garden. Thank goodness for Mom’s help; she spent a whole day here just cleaning up, and she took over the majority of Sully’s care for the whole week. (I was starting to get jealous about that! I will say, though, she did use a fair amount of bribery on him. )

Starting yesterday, I was back on my feet. And today, I got back on my wheels! (My bike.) Although the ride was far more difficult than it was 10 days ago, I was so glad that I accomplished it. Not only that, but after resting for an hour, I’m ready to get up and tackle the laundry, dishes, and bathroom cleaning.

Sully has gotten a little attention, too, and seemed glad of it. Yesterday I drove the truck over and gave him a bath and some peppermints. And this morning, we (Mom and I) took a time out before biking home and brushed him and scratched his bug bites. He was very cuddly. It is something to witness when 1800 pounds of horseflesh gets cuddly!

So anyway, I’m very happy to be on the mend, and easing back into my regular routine. I have no doubt that my stamina will only increase from here. I hope to go to bed this evening with the house back in order!

Rain, Rain…

…Won’t you stay? And come again another day!

We need rain so badly, and it was looking as though we might get it today. When I got up just after six this morning, it was raining very gently, and I could practically hear the ground gulping!

Something about rainy days makes me want to clean house. It’s not rained much lately, therefore I have a really dirty house. So rain or no, cleaning is on today’s agenda! On the plus side, I might have a chance to work in a walk or a bike ride.

I have a few phone calls to make this morning; there is a coating peeling off the lenses of my glasses that makes it feel like I’m trying to look through fingerprints. And I realized this morning that I am completely out of checks! Oops. I don’t use very many checks; in fact, we’ve been with the same bank for about 4 years, and I just used the last of our one and only check order. Unfortunately, the rent is due in three days… Do you suppose the landlord would allow me to skip a month?? Haha, doubtful!

I would like to tell you about my breakfast for no reason other than it was really very good. I made a summery-tasting burrito out of a 10 inch tortilla, one scrambled egg, an ounce of smoked sausage (a little goes a long way), a wedge of Laughing Cow light sun-dried tomato and basil cheese and a couple of leaves of fresh basil from the garden. Boy, I would like to do that all over again! And for those on the go, I ate it out of my hand; no plate required! I figured I have enough to clean this morning.

A quick word, too, about Sevin’s Worry Free insecticide. That stuff is awesome. I dusted my cone flowers and hibiscus with it 2 weeks ago because the Japanese beetles were stripping the leaves off the plants and the petals off the flowers. I put too much time and money into that flower garden to hand it over to those iridescent little demons. Well, they are still leaving the flowers alone! Worry Free is derived from chrysanthemum flowers. Yes, I am aware that it has other stuff in there, too, but it was easier to use than the more toxic stuff, and is working much better than I expected.

Well, I don’t suppose that any of my work is getting done while I blog, so I shall check in later. Hopefully I’ll have some progress to report…

A To-Do List (Updated)

I have so much I should tackle today. I cleaned a house yesterday, which meant I came back home to my own house and collapsed in front of the television, therefore getting NOTHING done. I have kept up the laundry and kitchen this week. But it is Friday, which means tomorrow is Saturday (well, usually, anyway) and I’m not going to want to do anything once Steve is home!

I had toyed with taking Sully out this morning, but now I’m thinking I should be disciplined and get my chores done, and then ride tomorrow. It should be a little cooler tomorrow, anyway.

So, let’s see what needs to be done:

Fold and put away laundry
Generally straighten and de-clutter
Water the gardens
Sweep front and back porches
Straighten kitchen
Clean out silverware drawer
Clean bathroom, including tub/shower
Dust
Sweep/vacuum/mop floors
Sort mail

I’ll let you know how far I get.

Well, I got done what is marked through. I added a few things, too. I fed the geranium the iron it’s been desperately needing. I also weeded the tomato garden and  tied up the couple of plants that needed it. (And just in the nick of time, too! No sooner did I come in than the bottom fell out of those threatening clouds!) I also took a nice long (hot) walk with Mom, which meant Blue got in his exercise, too!

I don’t know if I’m done yet, or not, but feeling pretty darn good about my day so far…

The Aftermath

It’s a good thing when the storm was a cleaning storm! On this holiday Monday (the best kind of Monday there is) all I have to do is sit around in a clean house with my feet up.

Yesterday we had family over for a cookout, and an out-of-town uncle also did a drop by, though he refused to eat with us! He already had dinner plans, so that was ok. Prior to our get together, I finished the last of the cleaning, and then got an organizing bug. Well, that’s just something I don’t ignore. It happens about once every three years, so it must be taken advantage of when it does roll around! I organized the clothes in my bureau; I organized my pots and pans; I organized my containers cabinet; and I organized my lids drawer! In addition, I cleaned off and threw out/put away everything that’s been gathering on the front and back porches for the last couple of years.

Saturday, too, was full of scrubbing and sweeping out corners and washing windows.

So it’s been a really productive weekend, and the house has never looked — or felt — better. There are still a few tasks to tackle, but I can do them at my leisure.

I’ve also gotten in three really good rides with Sully in the past four days. Friday we went around Worrell Memorial for the first time. It’s a mid-length sort of ride, and the views are breath-taking. It may be my new favorite route. Plus, there is nothing really scary along the way, aside from a flock of really noisy guineas.

Saturday we took a bareback ride down Ben Ridge. It was slow and lazy, and pretty warm, but he was really good and I never felt in danger of sliding off. (Sully never “throws” a person off; he just shifts enough to knock you a little off-balance and lets gravity do the rest. Throwing would require too much effort. Not as dumb as he looks, eh?)

Today, we took W.M. again, but from the opposite direction, and Mom accompanied us on her bike. That was a lot of fun, if a little on the warm side since we were out there at high noon! The breeze kept us from melting entirely. Sully was lazy and a bit heavy, but perked up around the halfway point and made the second half worth the troubles endured in the first half! When we got home, he got a bath and good grassy roll.

The grazing muzzle is working out, I think. He’s finally figured out that he can, in fact, eat while wearing it. I’m switching it today so he’ll be wearing it at night when it’s cool and be free of it during the day. I think it will really aid in managing his weight this summer, without having to keep him confined. I can’t stand seeing a horse confined. It’s not natural. It’s like keeping a bird in a cage. I always wanted a bird, but at the same time, I was never sure I could enjoy a bird that was not permitted to fly.

But I digress.

Sully is at optimum condition right now. I aim to try to keep it that way!

The rest of my long weekend will probably consist of sitting in my cool, clean living room and crocheting. How perfect is that?

When Ange Attacks

I’m not sure what got into me today.

Mom and Blue and I biked the four miles to Jenny’s and back (well, Mom did the first half. I got home intending to clean the house. I got a good start, organizing the yarn mentioned in today’s earlier post, and beginning to put things away, especially in the master bedroom. There were clothes all over! The twin bed in the spare room had fallen through the frame and gotten wedged, so I managed to fix that and get the slats in it. Then I sat down for a breather.

I’d been listening to my mp3 player on the stereo while I worked, and I thought of several songs I wanted to put into my Favorites playlist. So I got up to get Steve’s little Dell, the only computer compatible with our GoGear Vibe players, and suddenly it hit me; if I moved the oblong table in the corner behind that chair, the couch would slide down far enough to get the front door open! And if I turned the coffee table against the wall, and switched my big chair with the other smaller one, that would open up the middle of the room! And if I tore down and removed the huge desk in the dining room, I could put the big chair there!

Before you know it, I’ve got furniture willy nilly all over the place and am chasing dust bunnies  all over the house that were formerly residing happily undisturbed out of sight.

Then it was time for lunch. Then it was time to bike another four miles to go put Sully’s Torture Device on him. By the time I got home, it was almost 3 pm.

I finally got all the furniture into a livable arrangement. I managed to get half the desk up the stairs and shove the bottom half into the spare room to await some help with it. I found new homes for almost everything that was on the desk, but there are still some odds and ends sitting around.

And I took a shower in an attempt to find some more energy beneath the sweat and grime! I still have to get supper going for company, and before I can do that, I need to straighten up in the kitchen. I did get the floors swept and vacuumed.The bathroom remains untouched, and I have at least two loads of laundry awaiting.

But that’s what Saturdays are for!

I’d better get to that supper so I’m not too late getting Sully his…

Biking vs. Baking

Biking makes you skinny and fit.

Baking makes you fat. Okay, baking doesn’t make you fat, but the need to constantly test what you have made does.

Biking takes you out of the kitchen.

Baking brings you into the kitchen.

Biking requires balance.

Baking requires literacy.

Biking dictates you honor the laws of physics.

Baking dictates you honor the laws of chemistry.

What do they have in common? Well, me, for one. But they may allow for the peaceful co-existence of one another. For instance, yesterday, I baked granola bars and a Kentucky butter cake, but I also biked almost 6 miles in total. So the granola bar and slice of butter cake surely were counteracted by all that biking.

I like my new bike. But I think I’ve decided to exchange it for a speeded one. I really thought a standard issue was all I would require, but I’m finding it extremely hard on my knees, which aren’t in such great shape anyway. Jenny was able to get our old 18 speed working for me this morning, being the mechanical whiz that she is, and I was able to ride it all the way up our steep driveway. She rode it up first, and fell off at the top. Then she leapt into the air, and all I could see was her popping over the crest of the hill, looking like Mary Lou Rettin sticking a tough landing.  It was pretty funny. But I digress.

My being able to ride that bike up the drive with no more huffing and puffing than when I WALK up the drive convinced me. So next weekend, it goes back. I might spring for a helmet, too. I’m just not as steady anymore as when I was a kid. Steve said he might even get into riding with me some, too.

Granola bars are expensive. (I’m so adept at mental gear changes, perhaps that will translate into my bike riding.) They are so expensive, that I found a recipe for breakfast cookies on line, and decided to try it out. So I made a pan of them, only instead of making cookies (a chore I avoid at all costs) I turned them into a 9X13 and then cut them into bars. They turned out really well, and have cranberries and almonds, oatmeal and a few chocolate chips in them, as well as being mostly whole wheat flour and having only 1/4 cup of brown sugar in the entire recipe. I’m going to see if they hold me between meals as well as the Fiber Plus bars I usually buy. If they do, they will be a much more cost effective option. And healthier.

As for the Kentucky butter cake, that turned out to be the prettiest cake I’ve baked in awhile. It didn’t look anything like poo. But I was too lazy to photo op it, so you’ll just have to take me at my word.