flashcards

well, i've created exactly two flashcards this go round. i suspect one is infinitely more useful than the other, but i'll leave that to you.

oh, i also made a shopping list on a third. ha!

so much better than the squash soup

my cousin has promised to send her recipe for pretzel rolls soon, but i found a similar recipe on the internet and gave it a try today. i think my dough needed more flour. that aside, i loved the boiling baking soda bath process - part chem lab, part witch's cauldron, all giant mess. in fact, my entire kitchen is a bit of a mess now, but that's entirely the cook's fault.

 

white bean and broccoli slaw soup

saute 1 medium to large yellow onion, diced, gently in a bit of olive oil or butter to soften. add in 2 cloves garlic, minced. then add 1 c dried navy beans, rinsed and soaked, plus 4 c vegetable broth. cook for a while, depending on your beans. mine were ancient, so it took some time (~2 hours) to soften them up. at some point during the cooking, add 1/2 t herbes de provence, 1/2 t dill, 1 t kosher salt and 1/2 t white pepper. once the beans are softer, add in 1 12 oz package broccoli slaw, more salt (to taste) and some water, if your liquid level has reduced like mine did. i added about 1/2 t salt and 2 c water to cover all the ingredients. simmer another 30 minutes or so, then add 2 big handfuls of baby spinach, chopped, about 10 minutes from when you think it will all be done. i pureed mine because the broccoli slaw had some long strands, but the beans were so small; it just felt lopsided. topped with a little shredded cheese (butterkase) and pumpkin seed oil, it was pretty good. i could see using the broccoli slaw with some noodles (ramen?) to make a clear soup, but i was happy with the chunky puree here.

i've been fairly quiet lately, trying to cram and keep just enough information inside my head to get through the barzam next week. meanwhile, i have this sneaky suspicion that this year may be emotional. not necessarily bad or good, but emotional, and i'm not sure what to do with that. so i'll leave it there for now. meanwhile, ancient blind cat has been exploring more than she did when she could see. i found her on top of the shelf between the stove and the washer this morning, somewhat stuck and completely annoyed that i was not there to rescue her quickly enough. 

anyhow, i found some lemon plums at the grocery and had to get one because it reminded me of a kewpie doll.

Really, Winter?

Saturday morning

Sunday morning

i know, i know - i'm getting ready to travel in just under two weeks, i don't get paid if i don't go to work, i should be studying, i can keep the thermostat a little lower, i like running outside with my normal fear of falling, but without ice - there's a million and one reasons why the lack of snowfall this winter is not a bad thing, but i miss it. well, i reasonably miss it. i don't necessarily miss this.

all over the place

buddy and i made a quick road trip last week, 1100 miles or so round trip, to be home for my grandma's funeral. i may have more to say, after the bar, but chris shared some really good memories here. 

the weather was mostly cooperative on the driving days - a little fog and light snow in the mountains. we'll pretend like i listened to bar lectures, not 80s music, in the car. the dog would like to point out that i cannot sing. lucky for him, his hearing is fading. he was also very cooperative on the drive and at the aunt & uncle's house (thanks for taking us both in). it was good to be with most of the family, sharing memories and making a few new ones.

i think they're skiing.

"stop taking my picture, mom."

bananagrams!

there's a few more things going on around here, but i'll save those for another day as well. i'm pretty sure it's past my bedtime by now.