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I am officially 13 days decaffeinated. Headaches are gone, and I don't feel any different otherwise than I did while drinking caffeine. So that's a win, I guess.

On Friday I got my knee aligned first thing, so then, of course, I headed straight to the gym to do lots and lots of squats while it was tracking properly. My best set was 24 ass to grass goblet squats with a 15lb. kettlebell. Yay me!

I am extremely sore and stiff still today, but the knees seem good. No swelling, no clicking. I'm going to lift again tomorrow, then go to Ukrainian dancing in the evening with Katrina.

Bruce forgot to take his BP meds and coumadin yesterday morning and made himself pretty sick. He really drives me crazy with this shit. I managed to never forget a pill in 12 years of hormonal birth control, and he can't manage to remember to take medicines which are KEEPING HIM ALIVE. He has an alarm on his phone and everything, and a nifty little waterproof pill container on his key chain. Plus, and this is the sticking point, he is not five.

I told him if he dies because he forgot to take his meds, I will kill him myself. Illogical, but heartfelt.

In less ragey news, I have decided life is too short to eat food that is not fabulous. And I have been cooking glorious meals the past few days. Thursday night we had roasted pork tenderloin crusted with herbes de Provence, roasted butternut squash, and creamy roasted Brussels sprouts. The Brussels sprouts recipe was from Pinterest, and it's amazing. I ended up using fat free evaporated milk instead of cream, because I didn't have time to run to the store, and it was so damn good I didn't miss the cream at all. Let me know if anyone wants the recipe. This might be my new favorite way to eat sprouts.

Everyone requested tenderloin again tonight, so we're having it with spaghetti squash ricotta casserole, cucumber salad with dill and vinegar, and roasted asparagus. I'm very excited.

Then tomorrow is a fast day, so I'm making Hake in red pepper sauce, with riced cauliflower, and I don't know what else. Suggestions welcome.

What would you all recommend for a glorious dinner? I'm all excited about menu planning now.
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Yesterday after church the kids and I hit the kids' resale store. They both got dress shoes, Robs got some Christmas jammies, a fleece sweatsuit, snow boots, and a snowman onsie and red sweatpants. Katrina got a wool plaid jumper and a white blouse, a printed velour dress for school, and some leggings and fleece pants.

We didn't get home until three for poor Robs' nap. Then I cooked up a storm. I made Chinese lettuce wraps, taco casserole, a crustless quiche, started a pot of chicken soup, and put beef in to marinate for beef stroganoff.

Then after baby bedtime I cleaned up the kitchen and glued the spikes to Katrina's Astrid skirt. Her halloween costume is going to be epic. Robs is going to have to make do with a furry vest, Katrina's old boots, and some stuffed horns sewn to a fleece hat.

colliemommie: (Default)

I just canned a half-batch of pickled watermelon rind to see how I liked this particular recipe. I've had it before at the King's Arms in Williamsburg, and loved it. So excited to find a recipe that actually does get the spices right. (The secret is adding thin slices of lemon when you marinate.)

Need to be more picky about having all the pieces as close to the same size as possible...mine didn't all reach the translucent point at once when I was boiling. Also, it ended up very yellow instead of that pretty pale green color. Not that that's wrong or bad, but I like the green better.

The vinegar syrup is just perfect for pregnant tastebuds though!

I'm heading to Pittsburgh tomorrow, and will probably take one jar for Ma and one for Dad. She probably won't eat it, but at least I'll have made the effort.

Gods it's hot. Fricking southern Virginia.

colliemommie: (Default)
Does anyone have any experience canning with a pressure cooker? I've canned jams and spaghetti sauce (separately, of course) in a hot water bath, but now I want to try canning some homemade soup and other sauces. I have a nice old pressure cooker (it's autumn gold, which should date it pretty accurately, but it works and cost $3), but am not quite sure how one goes about it.

I have the old Readers' Digest Back to Basics book, which has some information on pressure canning, but it tends to assume that you have at least a bowing acquaintance with a pressure cooker. If anyone can share some basic procedures, or helpful hints, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Also, where in hell can you buy canning tongs?!? Mine are held together with a piece of wire and aren't as stable as I would like. But I can't find new ones anywhere (supermarkets, BJs, Kmart), and the garage sale gods haven't listened on this one yet. Maybe a mom and pop hardware store?

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colliemommie

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