Hi, it's me. (Who else?) Not feeling quite as glum as last night. That's the problem with doing blog entries last thing before bed – sometimes I'm jazzed about all the things I got done, and sometimes I'm depressed because I'm tired and feeling defeated. It's easy to feel like nothing is getting done when you go to bed with a bunch of unfinished projects. More than once in the past week I've gone to sleep feeling like another day had slipped away from me.
But tonight is different; I'm reconciled with my unfinished projects (a review that didn't go up, but it's almost ready) and I feel better because I took time out to exercise (trying to do that every night) and play with my cats. I got the fishing pole down for Suzie because it's her favorite, but Otis started to hog it after a while. He does that, the stinker.
I have been blessed with gifts for my kitchen lately; one is a new Kitchen-Aid food processor, given to me by my brother Geoffrey and transported here by Nicholas, who was here last week. Apparently Geoffrey and Jen got a newer, better food processor for their wedding and were passing this one on to me. Later in the week Geoffrey called to make sure I was actually going to keep it, because it was "a nice one." He needn't have worried. I could tell from the weight of the base (like a freakin' brick!) that it had a heavy duty motor. The Black and Decker processor we have is a comparative lightweight, and it's a heck of a lot noisier than the Kitchen-Aid. Frankly, the Kitchen-Aid processor is the stealth bomber of food processors. You'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead fingers.
Hey, Geoffrey: what's with the bowl attachment and the second steel blade attachment? I haven't figured those out yet.
Now I have two extra food processors. (We accepted one from Tim and Teresa, thinking that their castoff might be better than our cheapo Black-and-Decker. I haven't tested that theory yet, and likely never will now that the Kitchen-Aid is in my possession.) I need to find some needy aspiring cooks.
The other gift that came recently is a copy of Square Meals by Jane and Michael Stern. Christina's once-upon-a-time stepmom, June, sent her Christmas gifts out late this year, and it was nice to finally have a copy of my own. I remember reading the entry on milk toast in my parents' copy and thinking ugh! but now it seems kind of appealing. The Sterns are almost lyrical when they describe their favorite culinary hedonistic pleasures, which are usually the simplest of things. For example:
Milk and Honey
A sugar teat in a cup, the most soporific of drinks, milk and honey should be reserved for episodes of profoundly regressive behavior . . . .
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon honey
Scald milk. Stir in honey. Pour into cup. Assume fetal position. Drink.
Jane Stern was apparently raised in a Southern home, if one can judge by her memories of a wiry black housekeeper who spun yarns of biscuits "so light they floated off the plate" and the accompanying recipe for Coca-Cola-basted ham. This is not a cookbook for those looking to shed pounds, but it is a fascinating history of American "popular" cooking.
Particularly of interest is the Victory Dinner section, with recipes designed to meet the ration needs of the (don't say housewife don't say housewife don't say housewife) "home economist" of World War II. I think I need to make some Kitchen Patrol Carrots with dinner tomorrow night.
Random image for today
But tonight is different; I'm reconciled with my unfinished projects (a review that didn't go up, but it's almost ready) and I feel better because I took time out to exercise (trying to do that every night) and play with my cats. I got the fishing pole down for Suzie because it's her favorite, but Otis started to hog it after a while. He does that, the stinker.
I have been blessed with gifts for my kitchen lately; one is a new Kitchen-Aid food processor, given to me by my brother Geoffrey and transported here by Nicholas, who was here last week. Apparently Geoffrey and Jen got a newer, better food processor for their wedding and were passing this one on to me. Later in the week Geoffrey called to make sure I was actually going to keep it, because it was "a nice one." He needn't have worried. I could tell from the weight of the base (like a freakin' brick!) that it had a heavy duty motor. The Black and Decker processor we have is a comparative lightweight, and it's a heck of a lot noisier than the Kitchen-Aid. Frankly, the Kitchen-Aid processor is the stealth bomber of food processors. You'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead fingers.
Hey, Geoffrey: what's with the bowl attachment and the second steel blade attachment? I haven't figured those out yet.
Now I have two extra food processors. (We accepted one from Tim and Teresa, thinking that their castoff might be better than our cheapo Black-and-Decker. I haven't tested that theory yet, and likely never will now that the Kitchen-Aid is in my possession.) I need to find some needy aspiring cooks.
The other gift that came recently is a copy of Square Meals by Jane and Michael Stern. Christina's once-upon-a-time stepmom, June, sent her Christmas gifts out late this year, and it was nice to finally have a copy of my own. I remember reading the entry on milk toast in my parents' copy and thinking ugh! but now it seems kind of appealing. The Sterns are almost lyrical when they describe their favorite culinary hedonistic pleasures, which are usually the simplest of things. For example:
Milk and Honey
A sugar teat in a cup, the most soporific of drinks, milk and honey should be reserved for episodes of profoundly regressive behavior . . . .
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon honey
Scald milk. Stir in honey. Pour into cup. Assume fetal position. Drink.
Jane Stern was apparently raised in a Southern home, if one can judge by her memories of a wiry black housekeeper who spun yarns of biscuits "so light they floated off the plate" and the accompanying recipe for Coca-Cola-basted ham. This is not a cookbook for those looking to shed pounds, but it is a fascinating history of American "popular" cooking.
Particularly of interest is the Victory Dinner section, with recipes designed to meet the ration needs of the (don't say housewife don't say housewife don't say housewife) "home economist" of World War II. I think I need to make some Kitchen Patrol Carrots with dinner tomorrow night.
Random image for today
Yup, it's the beanbag. Mere seconds before hell broke loose. A full report with more pix and maybe even video this weekend.
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