Fear of Beets

Gainesville

I too did a fridge purge today, and a good one. I'd warned Bill that I would do it about lunch time, and he should claim any of the leftovers he was willing to eat today or tomorrow, else they were history. He did. At the same time, I wrote down things that needed to be used this week, about a dozen of them. I planned the weekly menus around them, and am proud to say I used six of them in tonight's meal. And it wasn't even half bad. A "Ham and Beans Dinner" was not what you'd think-- the beans were leftover string beans-- Marcella Hazan's cuke, orange and radish salad, and blanched broccoli.

I think I forgot to mention that the new Cuisinart arrived late Thursday. It came with a videotape on how to use it (!!), and it's just enough different and more complicated that I needed the video. Tonight was my first chance to test drive it-- the Hazan salad was slicer-intensive, and I had beautiful radishes from Fresh Market. It did great. The much wider feed tube worked well for them, and I even dared to try slicing the tangelos that needed using, and was amazed at how well it did with them.

I've decided that I want to keep this Cuisinart on the counter instead of in the cabinets below. I use it at least once a week with cauliflower, and it's a pain to lift it up and down. The counter space is so limited that I've had to rethink what's there and how to arrange it. Not sure I've come up with the optimal plan yet, but it makes for an interesting little mini-remodel of the kitchen.

Thanks for the info re: beets, Sandy. They are on the list of things to use this week. Lee told me I'd need to slip the skins off before using them. I did a piss-poor job of foil-wrapping them, though, and they are leaking. Good thing I have them in a plastic bag. I'm reluctant to deal with them and have whatever I'm wearing permanently beet-stained! Oh no-- I have Beet Phobia!

I know and love edamame. The sushi counter at Publix has them in nice little microwavable trays in the pod, and that's my favorite way to have them. If I see them on a menu in a restaurant, I always have them. How neat that you can grow them.

The pasta looks divine. Please do post recipe.

Tomorrow will be the shopping day. It actually hit 90 today for the first time, but tomorrow it's supposed to get cold again. I want to do a fish dish that requires the oven be on for an hour (fish only in for 15 minutes) so tomorrow night is better for that-- I always cook fish the same day I buy it.

I got a mean blister on the top of one foot yesterday, wearing the heeled platform sandals that need to go with the million dollar jeans on a hot day. Interesting to discover that I have no shoes to speak of that permit healing for such an injury. Whatever happened to all my flip flops? Must have dumped them all when they became fashionable. Just my luck.

Need to get me to B&N for a JAM (Jane Austen Mystery) or two, and to a drug store for vitamin refills. Will look for flip flops too.

Looks like you will need to experiment with sleep patterns that fit your current lifestyle as well as eating schedules, Mom. Late to bed, early to rise, frequent naps sounds reasonable, especially if the naps in La Fuma or elsewhere are pain free. Go for it. Do what works.

I've only a few more pages of Jane's letters to go, but think I'll put off the end until morning. Time to close down the bar and close the eyes too.

G'nite.