Sunday: Soup, baking, and football-- keeping it low-key

Dark, and five degrees below zero. Hello, flannel. And wool. Not that I've been wearing much else for weeks (months?)-- 



Today, Sunday, is going to be (I so decree it) a relatively relaxing day. We'll head to church, then get some breakfast, and then I'll get the turkey soup going. I froze the remains of the Thanksgiving Bird, and so it'll be popped into a soup pot and simmered-- holiday redux. I'm kind of tired of heavy foods, so soup for dinner sounds about right. And dumplings. Of course. 

Maybe twice in 38 years have I ever made a chicken or turkey soup without dumplings. But my poor husband must have been traumatized, a strange form of food PTSD, and he asks Every.Single.Time if there will be dumplings. 

Yes, there will be dumplings. 

I'll debone the carcass once it's simmered long enough, and put in tons of veggies (hahaha--evil plan), return the meat to the soup, and let 'er cook for a while. Then, I'll put the whole shebang into the fridge. Why? Because, as we all know, second-day soup tastes better. This is my work-around to achieve that flavor. I'll bring it out at dinner time, get it to a low boil, and then plop the drop dumplings into the pot, cover it, and ten minutes later-- dinner. 

There will be leftovers, but I suspect Meg's house would love some soup. Who doesn't love soup when it's flat-out cold like this? 

I will also make some muffins. I snagged some fancy eggnog yesterday at the Coop-- normally, I buy the cheaper stuff to bake with, but lo and behold, all the nog is gone. Except the glass-bottle Hatchland. So be it. I'll make a double batch of muffins, and then G can have the rest (I only need two cups). I'm probably going to mix cranberry with blueberry-- those looked so yummy and festive when I made them last week for Holly to take to PreK. 

Football at 1pm-- hope the Pats win. There's a lot of odd playoff-scenario repercussions that all depend on which team wins what, and I don't pretend to understand it, but I do know that winning is a good thing. Next weekend's game is still TBA for the time-- that is annoying. They ought to know when the games will be played by now. How does one plan ahead? (yeah, "first world probs")

At any rate, today should be a relatively quiet day. It's a goal. 

Have a lovely day, friends. Keep warm, and keep your heart's-own close. 

C

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for stopping by!

Popular posts from this blog

I've had a bellyfull of privileged statements lately--

Image
 It's cold again. Very. And I can't help but think of those who are living rough, who are unhoused or are "couch surfing" from patient friend to patient friend. Most of us are just a paycheck or two away from making those same hard choices.  The overnight shelter in Littleton is open, and there is a giving tree at the Coop with needs tags for them. There is an ongoing collection for basic necessities to benefit those who are having a rough time. There are several "little free pantry" sites. But it's not enough, and the need is growing.  When I hear from certain pundits that prices are down all over, that gas is about 2.00 a gallon, that an extra dollar or two won't break anyone... I get steamed. Seriously angry. How dare they spout such fallacies? I've read "so what if beef is a dollar or two more a pound" too many times lately. When hamburger is a luxury item, there is something radically wrong.  Health care costs are already spiking, ...
Read more

End of the semester: has it/is it worth the time we have spent? Maybe?

Image
We have one week left of this fall semester; it's been pretty good, most of the time. A lot of work, mostly mental, some self-imposed, but good. My overwhelming sense of responsibility for whether my juniors will do well on the AP test in May is eating at me, though. I know it's just a test. I know that it's only a snapshot of what they can/cannot do in an artificial environment (online, 2.5 hours, and the beastly multiple choice part). They are good humans. They are interested and interesting. They have questions. They have the ability to search out answers and make a pretty cogent argument for why they think as they do. So wtf with this stupid test? The anxiety they feel is made even more so for me. We've practiced a ton of stuff, and it's frankly not felt like a lot of fun most of the time. I don't like this way of teaching composition. I will give it a lot of reflection and see if there's anything I can do to make this less boring/rote/miserable. Snacks ...
Read more

...the day after. The Quiet.

Image
We had a really relaxed day yesterday, which was ideal. Holly got lots of good things to read, do, and watch, and we all had a few nice surprises in the packages. Mostly, the best part-- family time. No rushing, no agenda, just hanging out.  And now, the quiet.  It's been a very busy few months, and my brain is clicking on empty. Yes, I have a to-do list for the week ahead, but none of it says, "clean this...rearrange that..."-- well, not more than the usual upkeep, and of course, removing the tree. But not today. Not for many days. Mostly, it has things like "inventory the freezer and see what you need to get at the store" and "finally write that book review." I need quiet to get things done, but mostly, it's to recharge my inner self. I am a person who needs an hour or two (minimum) of quiet time daily in order to maintain balance. I have not had that luxury for quite some time, and I'm going to revel in it.  The quiet is really wonderful, ex...
Read more