A quite long post...
CSA from last week had: marjoram, 3 smallish leeks, 4 baby onions (with greens), 2 small onions, garlic, ~7 oz broccoli, 1 small green cabbage, and 1 lb 12 oz red potatoes.
I made veggie quiche cups (a South Beach Diet recipe) for breakfasts and had a chicken and avocado salad with lime and cilantro (offsite recipe), in whole wheat pitas, for lunches all week. I boiled the previous week's turnips and tossed them with a bit of olive oil and minced fresh marjoram, steamed the broccoli, grilled the baby onions, and made braised cabbage. I also made French potato salad with the previous week's white potatoes, potato salad with savory with the red potatoes and last week's savory, and a sweet potato salad with apple and celery and an orange vinagrette dressing. Made Very Greek Grilled Chicken (offsite recipe), marinated more chicken breasts in a marinade with minced jalapenos and garlic and grilled those (another South Beach Diet recipe), and grilled some chicken sausages.
This week's CSA had: 2-1/4 lb red potatoes, 4 medium-small onions, garlic, 6 medium-small beets, 1 small green cabbage, and some basil.
I'm making egg casserole with spinach and sausage for breakfasts and mackerel salad for lunches (in whole wheat pitas). I've already cooked the beets, and made Many Seeds Bread and sesame-almond crisps. I'm going to make a gratin with the potatoes and last week's leeks, and serve that with grilled salmon. We'll also have chicken salad with cabbage and mint and basil, and some grilled chicken breasts with a tomato/kalamata olive salsa (yet another SBD recipe). Also a white bean salad with a mustard vinaigrette, broccoli, cantaloupe, and some blueberries as side dishes.
I think that will leave me with a couple of garlic, about half a dozen small onions, a few radishes, and a few bay leaves, of CSA veggies. Doing well! It's always a challenge to keep up and use up everything we get. Mostly I do pretty well, really, but sometimes it's tough.
Today I went to no fewer than TWELVE places on my shopping/errand excursion. Phew. The Asian grocery, the feed store (for dog kibble), the library, Target, Michaels (looking for an 8" springform pan, which they did not have), a natural foods store, Bed Bath & Beyond (again failed to find the 8" springform), three different regular grocery stores, a gas station, and - finally! - Popeye's, where I got a spicy chicken breast w/ biscuit each for me and SO. YUM. Even if I didn't get to eat my lunch until about 3 pm, it was good.
The springform pan is needed because while looking through cookbooks for new grilled chicken ideas, SO saw a SBD recipe for a lemon cake made with olive oil that he wanted to try, and which requires said pan. So, okay, why not. I'm going to make s'mores bars - probably a double batch - tomorrow too, not for us but for the monthly food meeting at work.
Our bathroom remodel is underway. I'm never home while it's happening and the area is sealed off with plastic (well, sort of sealed - quite a lot of plaster dust and dust generally has seeped into the rest of the house, especially the other bathroom, which shares a wall) so I haven't actually SEEN what is going on, but evidently it is completely gutted down to the studs in the walls, and a big hole in the floor where the shower - and I think also the rest of the bathroom - used to be. They've started if not finished pouring concrete pads down in the crawl space which will be used as supports for the new beams that are going in there to replace what was rotted out. Evidently the best guess is that this is 30+ years worth of water damage, so not just us, not even just the people right before us, but going back at least two owners. Anyhow. The concrete has to cure for a few days, maybe a week, but I gather that in the meantime there can be other work done like some rewiring and plumbing and whatnot, even with no floor. We went and picked out shower hardware and a new sink faucet last week, having already chosen tiles and a shower door.
In the interim we are sleeping in the tv/guest room, and using just the hall bath, of course, and talking about what we want to (eventually) do to that bathroom. SO really really wants to keep the original tile; I admit that the basketweave tile on the floor is a nice pattern, I just wish it weren't black and yellow, and further that the yellow tile on the walls actually, you know, matched the color on the floor better. The tub is a wonderful huge old tub, but it needs re-enameling like whoa. The sink is probably original and also needs re-enameling. All the fixtures are black, too, which I am not excited about. But, marriage being compromise, we'll probably keep the tile and the tub and the sink (re-enameling them), replace the toilet which is not original and I don't much like the shape, get the walls fixed up (there's some weird substance forming the walls above the bath for sure, possibly elsewhere, and they're not in great shape), and repaint - I strongly think that a light grey would be the best color, keeping the built-in vanity black. Also replace the light fixtures which are definitely not original and which neither of us much likes.
When this might happen is up in the air, however. I'm less concerned about redoing that bathroom, I'd rather redo the kitchen first, if only for a reason to replace the ancient range, which I think I have mentioned before is ORIGINAL TO THE HOUSE and therefore something like 76 years old. It does, mostly, work, although the broiler does not function, but the oven is small enough that I can't get a pizza stone in it, and a half-sheet pan just barely fits; the oven is also lighted with a match. And there are only 3 burners on top. So yeah, there are Issues with the range. The flooring is also ancient although I'm not sure it's original, and the walls are painted dark red. WTF. Not that there is much by way of walls, since as is common in kitchens, it's mostly cupboards, fridge, stove, etc. Given how much the current bath remodel is costing, though, it'll be a while before we save up enough for the kitchen to happen. And come to that, we also need to have some major cement work done outside - bust out all the driveway and the raised concrete back porch, and then get a new driveway and sidewalk to the house poured. The porch we want to permanently eliminate, probably put in brick or stone pavers in that area instead, as it is under the big oak tree and does not get sun so not a good space to plant much, but a good place for a little patio. And again, when that will happen is questionable, since it'll be another big chunk of money. Wow, houses are expensive, aren't they? Bit by bit we do stuff though, and since - barring anything unexpected - we will probably be here for another 30 years or more - we might as well do what we want and do it right.
I sat on what will probably be my last-ever dissertation defense yesterday, by a woman who took the first graduate seminar I ever taught, too. She did very well and passed, no question; and it was a fairly interesting dissertation (IMO) considering it was on US history (she did a secondary field in English/British history, hence my presence). There's at least one more student in the department on whose committee I was supposed to be, but when I left I was told there was a three-year limit on my continuing to serve, and right now is pretty much the 3-year mark. So anyone remaining will have to find someone else to be on their committees. Ah well.
I've been stalled in the middle of a sundress for about a week; maybe I'll have time to finish that one tomorrow. I'd really like to also get another pair of trousers done before I go on vacation, a pair in tan linen. Possibly also a vest that ought to go well with the trousers. And it was our anniversary last Monday, and I promised SO a vest for himself, he just has to pick out which fabric from the various ones we have bought for him over the years. That doesn't need to be done before our departure, though.
Er... we finished our 6-week French class last week, which was overall a good experience, and maybe I will manage to remember enough to talk baby-talk tourist French on our vacation. Hard to believe it's less than 3 weeks away now. I still need to cancel the kennel reservation - keep forgetting that - and also do more to figure out how to use my little new video camera, also buy a second battery for that and probably also some extra memory in some form. I don't really want to take my laptop (so I expect to be mostly if not completely offline for the duration) so I need enough memory to hold whatever I record without clearing it off for two weeks. I am also contemplating replacing my cell phone which is 5 or 6 years old - I honestly don't remember now how long I've had it. I don't need anything fancy since I'm pay-as-you-go and don't do data anything, just phone and text. I expect to take the camera, my phone, an iPod, and a Kindle. That really seems like plenty of electronics. Oh lordy, I also need to check and make sure I/we have at least one converter/plug adaptor to take along too. I should think so given all our various Europe trips over the years, but where the heck they are is another question. At least I know where my passport is, and I renewed it last year so that is all good.
Probably this is a long enough post for the moment, no?
I made veggie quiche cups (a South Beach Diet recipe) for breakfasts and had a chicken and avocado salad with lime and cilantro (offsite recipe), in whole wheat pitas, for lunches all week. I boiled the previous week's turnips and tossed them with a bit of olive oil and minced fresh marjoram, steamed the broccoli, grilled the baby onions, and made braised cabbage. I also made French potato salad with the previous week's white potatoes, potato salad with savory with the red potatoes and last week's savory, and a sweet potato salad with apple and celery and an orange vinagrette dressing. Made Very Greek Grilled Chicken (offsite recipe), marinated more chicken breasts in a marinade with minced jalapenos and garlic and grilled those (another South Beach Diet recipe), and grilled some chicken sausages.
This week's CSA had: 2-1/4 lb red potatoes, 4 medium-small onions, garlic, 6 medium-small beets, 1 small green cabbage, and some basil.
I'm making egg casserole with spinach and sausage for breakfasts and mackerel salad for lunches (in whole wheat pitas). I've already cooked the beets, and made Many Seeds Bread and sesame-almond crisps. I'm going to make a gratin with the potatoes and last week's leeks, and serve that with grilled salmon. We'll also have chicken salad with cabbage and mint and basil, and some grilled chicken breasts with a tomato/kalamata olive salsa (yet another SBD recipe). Also a white bean salad with a mustard vinaigrette, broccoli, cantaloupe, and some blueberries as side dishes.
I think that will leave me with a couple of garlic, about half a dozen small onions, a few radishes, and a few bay leaves, of CSA veggies. Doing well! It's always a challenge to keep up and use up everything we get. Mostly I do pretty well, really, but sometimes it's tough.
Today I went to no fewer than TWELVE places on my shopping/errand excursion. Phew. The Asian grocery, the feed store (for dog kibble), the library, Target, Michaels (looking for an 8" springform pan, which they did not have), a natural foods store, Bed Bath & Beyond (again failed to find the 8" springform), three different regular grocery stores, a gas station, and - finally! - Popeye's, where I got a spicy chicken breast w/ biscuit each for me and SO. YUM. Even if I didn't get to eat my lunch until about 3 pm, it was good.
The springform pan is needed because while looking through cookbooks for new grilled chicken ideas, SO saw a SBD recipe for a lemon cake made with olive oil that he wanted to try, and which requires said pan. So, okay, why not. I'm going to make s'mores bars - probably a double batch - tomorrow too, not for us but for the monthly food meeting at work.
Our bathroom remodel is underway. I'm never home while it's happening and the area is sealed off with plastic (well, sort of sealed - quite a lot of plaster dust and dust generally has seeped into the rest of the house, especially the other bathroom, which shares a wall) so I haven't actually SEEN what is going on, but evidently it is completely gutted down to the studs in the walls, and a big hole in the floor where the shower - and I think also the rest of the bathroom - used to be. They've started if not finished pouring concrete pads down in the crawl space which will be used as supports for the new beams that are going in there to replace what was rotted out. Evidently the best guess is that this is 30+ years worth of water damage, so not just us, not even just the people right before us, but going back at least two owners. Anyhow. The concrete has to cure for a few days, maybe a week, but I gather that in the meantime there can be other work done like some rewiring and plumbing and whatnot, even with no floor. We went and picked out shower hardware and a new sink faucet last week, having already chosen tiles and a shower door.
In the interim we are sleeping in the tv/guest room, and using just the hall bath, of course, and talking about what we want to (eventually) do to that bathroom. SO really really wants to keep the original tile; I admit that the basketweave tile on the floor is a nice pattern, I just wish it weren't black and yellow, and further that the yellow tile on the walls actually, you know, matched the color on the floor better. The tub is a wonderful huge old tub, but it needs re-enameling like whoa. The sink is probably original and also needs re-enameling. All the fixtures are black, too, which I am not excited about. But, marriage being compromise, we'll probably keep the tile and the tub and the sink (re-enameling them), replace the toilet which is not original and I don't much like the shape, get the walls fixed up (there's some weird substance forming the walls above the bath for sure, possibly elsewhere, and they're not in great shape), and repaint - I strongly think that a light grey would be the best color, keeping the built-in vanity black. Also replace the light fixtures which are definitely not original and which neither of us much likes.
When this might happen is up in the air, however. I'm less concerned about redoing that bathroom, I'd rather redo the kitchen first, if only for a reason to replace the ancient range, which I think I have mentioned before is ORIGINAL TO THE HOUSE and therefore something like 76 years old. It does, mostly, work, although the broiler does not function, but the oven is small enough that I can't get a pizza stone in it, and a half-sheet pan just barely fits; the oven is also lighted with a match. And there are only 3 burners on top. So yeah, there are Issues with the range. The flooring is also ancient although I'm not sure it's original, and the walls are painted dark red. WTF. Not that there is much by way of walls, since as is common in kitchens, it's mostly cupboards, fridge, stove, etc. Given how much the current bath remodel is costing, though, it'll be a while before we save up enough for the kitchen to happen. And come to that, we also need to have some major cement work done outside - bust out all the driveway and the raised concrete back porch, and then get a new driveway and sidewalk to the house poured. The porch we want to permanently eliminate, probably put in brick or stone pavers in that area instead, as it is under the big oak tree and does not get sun so not a good space to plant much, but a good place for a little patio. And again, when that will happen is questionable, since it'll be another big chunk of money. Wow, houses are expensive, aren't they? Bit by bit we do stuff though, and since - barring anything unexpected - we will probably be here for another 30 years or more - we might as well do what we want and do it right.
I sat on what will probably be my last-ever dissertation defense yesterday, by a woman who took the first graduate seminar I ever taught, too. She did very well and passed, no question; and it was a fairly interesting dissertation (IMO) considering it was on US history (she did a secondary field in English/British history, hence my presence). There's at least one more student in the department on whose committee I was supposed to be, but when I left I was told there was a three-year limit on my continuing to serve, and right now is pretty much the 3-year mark. So anyone remaining will have to find someone else to be on their committees. Ah well.
I've been stalled in the middle of a sundress for about a week; maybe I'll have time to finish that one tomorrow. I'd really like to also get another pair of trousers done before I go on vacation, a pair in tan linen. Possibly also a vest that ought to go well with the trousers. And it was our anniversary last Monday, and I promised SO a vest for himself, he just has to pick out which fabric from the various ones we have bought for him over the years. That doesn't need to be done before our departure, though.
Er... we finished our 6-week French class last week, which was overall a good experience, and maybe I will manage to remember enough to talk baby-talk tourist French on our vacation. Hard to believe it's less than 3 weeks away now. I still need to cancel the kennel reservation - keep forgetting that - and also do more to figure out how to use my little new video camera, also buy a second battery for that and probably also some extra memory in some form. I don't really want to take my laptop (so I expect to be mostly if not completely offline for the duration) so I need enough memory to hold whatever I record without clearing it off for two weeks. I am also contemplating replacing my cell phone which is 5 or 6 years old - I honestly don't remember now how long I've had it. I don't need anything fancy since I'm pay-as-you-go and don't do data anything, just phone and text. I expect to take the camera, my phone, an iPod, and a Kindle. That really seems like plenty of electronics. Oh lordy, I also need to check and make sure I/we have at least one converter/plug adaptor to take along too. I should think so given all our various Europe trips over the years, but where the heck they are is another question. At least I know where my passport is, and I renewed it last year so that is all good.
Probably this is a long enough post for the moment, no?