Dear Reader,
Yes, it's been MONTHS since I last wrote a blog. Alas, I have a great excuse -- Grad School. Oh, and laziness. It's December 3rd, and I'm wondering where did the time go? I should be working on end-of-semester projects, but I would certainly rather cook a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup (with handmade Amish egg noodles) and bake banana bread.
Well, the chicken soup is finished thanks to the slow cooker, and me finally going to sleep around 3:30am. It's so easy -- chicken breast, celery, carrots, green onions, and yellow onion. Don't forget the seasonings. Salt, pepper, a touch of cumin, a bit of poultry seasoning, a dash of red pepper, etc. Simmer all of that in your slow cooker, then add the noodles. Let that steep a little while and VOILA you have a homemade chicken noodle soup that any Jewish grandma would be proud of.
Next on the agenda today is baking the banana bread. I have two (2!) overripe bananas that I'm saving just for this purpose. You don't necessarily have to use nearly black bananas, but you want to make sure that they're soft. I might also add some blueberries and nuts -- YUM!!!
I must also do a bit of cleaning. **SOB** I love cooking, and I'm even a bit of a home-body (in my middle age), but cleaning? No thanks. I miss my maid. I do agree with Neil Young about something. A man (or woman, in my case) needs a maid. I had a wonderful person during my recovery who came to clean every other week (at first it was every week). Kathy was a miracle worker. She could do so much in two or three hours. I can't even get motivated in that amount of time (ugh.) I didn't think I would miss Kathy so much! But, what I miss more is having everything in place (or close to it), and coming home to a Pine-Sol infused home without my direct involvement.
Yes, that sounds elitist and a bit hoity-toity. Deal with it. I swear, when I make more money I'm looking for my next maid. It would be nice to find someone deranged enough (I hear they're out there) that actually ENJOYS cleaning house. Not me.
Now? I must deal with the mountain of dirty dishes... and the carpet that hasn't been vacuumed in a month... and the dining table that is starting to look more like a mountain of junk than a place for sittin' and eatin'. Or, maybe, I'll just bake my banana bread amidst the clutter and chaos. Either way, happy Saturday y'all!!!
