The Vow

Gainesville

Got the sheets changed and laundered, and the towels too. I'm experimenting with moving these two Blessings to Sunday to leave more time on Monday for the rest of the weekly stuff. We'll see how that works.

Went with Bill on a forage to Lowe's. It was fun, but it left me a bit behind getting dinner started, especially since it including snapping a big bunch of beans. Had to do something other than planned with the pork tenderloin, as I could not find fresh plums (well, duh-- who would publish a recipe calling for them this time of year? Leanne, that's who. She must live in Patagonia.) Found a recipe in Low Carb Menus in Minutes (a book I never use because the recipes are much too complicated), for "Pan-Asian Pork." It looked easy, and I thought I had it under control enough to spontaneously add the suggested side of a sweet/sour cuke/radish relish thing. Actually, I did have enough time, but just blew it on the logistics, doing things in the wrong order, and forgetting all about the cauli-rice I had all ready to put in the mike until almost too late. Then the pork didn't get done enough under the broiler before it started to burn, and parts had to be finished in the mike at the same time the cauli-rice was cooking, on and on. Half hour late and a brick shy. It all turned out pretty well, all things considered. And the kitchen is completely back to fighting form.

It's so great having the Cuisinart on the drainboard. I used it for both the rice and the relish tonight. I am starting to bond with it. Maybe I'll actually learn to use it effectively this time.

And speaking of machines, what's the collective wisdom on bread machines? I find myself, after all this time, interested in one. I truly love fresh bread, but only have it once a week, and am not thrilled by the stuff Publix puts in their bakery bread. It's too long a trek across town to go to Upper Crust / Fresh Market very often. I'm thinking I could make small amounts of bread just for me more frequently. I KNOW I'll never have the patience to make it by hand-- fooled around with that in the 70's enough to know it's not for me. So far I'm just in the stalking/research phase.

It is dreadfully hot here-- first day in the 90's, and it was a blow just stepping outside. There are wildfires in the area, so the air was a bit smoky besides. The meal I fixed couldn't have been less appropriate: a pot of boiling water for the beans, the broiler on for the meat, cauli-rice steaming hot from the mike and the only "cool" dish, the cuke relish, HOT with red pepper flakes. Poor planning all around.

We looked at patio furniture at Lowes-- not for now, of course, but for fall, when it once again becomes bearable to be outside. Want to get rid of all the moldering, cheap aluminum and plastic junk we've got and get something decent and heavy enough to not be tossed about in hurricanes.

Spent some time in the disaster area today, looking for the clock radio that was replaced by the Bose that Bill gave me several years back-- the kitchen radio has given up the ghost, and it would be good to recycle one if we still have it, if only I could find it. God knows we have every other bit of electronics we ever owned. I have a strange feeling I may have given it away to a house guest, but who knows where or when. While in there I gathered up two loads of stuff I know can be tossed, at Bill's suggestion. He promises to get it into the trash pickup by morning.

One day in Zone 5 this week, then four days in... the disaster area (aka the "dining room").. As Blog is my witness, I WILL spend 15 minutes on each of those four days in that hell hole and make some progress. Thus spake the Suze.

No time to read today. Will soak up a few weeks of Walt & Skeezix before hitting the hay.