kitchen time

Feeling a little under the weather this morning, I decided to stay home from my bible study at my parish church. With so many of the participants in their 60’s and 70’s, I don’t like to bring in any viruses if I can help it. I used my newly available time in the kitchen.

This is my shadow. He doesn’t like to be too far from me, and he’s always interested in what I’m doing. Sometimes I call him Velcro though his actual name, Winston, does fit his very serious nature. While we’re at it, let’s take a gander at that wallpaper. It is going away at some point. The artwork is by my oldest son and was done in a homeschooling art class. I love displaying the best of my children’s artwork around our home.

First on my kitchen task list was no-knead bread. I make a loaf of this every other day; it’s the only gluten item I don’t react to. I use King Arthur Sir Lancelot high-gluten flour to make the bread.

I updated my “Use Up” list on the fridge. Even though we have leftovers several times a week, some items get lost in the back of the fridge. Case in point, one of my sons found very moldy cheese that had been pushed to the back of the cheese drawer. I’m not happy that was wasted.

The bottom list is the result of a dinner table conversation. We have an ongoing tension between my desire to make snacks from scratch and my children’s desire for potato chips and goldfish, etc. They can put requests on this board which will help me keep them happy, always a good thing.

This board is in the small hallway between the garage and the kitchen. I’m updating it today. I’m concerned about leaving food in the freezer too long. And yes, that wallpaper is going, too.

My back porch vegetable garden is doing well. Knock on wood. Sticking to lettuce and kale has been a winner so far. I have enough lettuce to reduce our purchases to every other week or so. I also have 2 very happy zucchini plants and 2 very happy basil plants. All a good thing.

Finally, I’m making pizza dough in the bread machine. I love the bread machine for the no-fuss, reduced mess aspect. I can put the ingredients in, pop the pan in the machine, and a few hours later, I have the dough and an easy-to-clean pan.