A post in which it is a great day in the kitchen

I was determined to be more productive today, but it didn't look like it was going to happen at first. I wanted to go to the flea market for fruit this morning, but it was overcast. By the time I had heated up the left-over pizza for breakfast I had decided not to go.

Not that there weren't other things I could do. I changed the sheets and washed them. I pan-seared off my brussels sprouts (beautifully, I might add - if they taste as good as they look, they will be great). I put my haricots verts in to cook with Ponzu and fresh garlic (I am really close to perfecting that technique). While they were cooking I put a pan of brownies in the oven. I also cleaned out the fridge (which desperately needed doing), and did some organization of the tupperware cabinet (ditto). About the time I got my veggies all portioned out for lunches and took the brownies out of the oven, I heard from Russ.

One of the reasons I wanted to get chores done early today was that I was hoping to go play with the boys in the afternoon. That worked out beautifully. Russ invited me over so I would get to see Rob and Jo Ann. Jo Ann is having a rough time after her last surgery. She's had a couple of skin grafts, which are very painful. I had intended to take the brownies over to the cancer center tomorrow, but I thought Jo Ann might need them more. I packed them up and put them in the car.

They were all very laid back today. Jo Ann wasn't feeling good. I found out that they didn't go to the event last night because she wasn't up to it. She didn't want to go to game night either. We picked at the brownies and visited for a while before they left for home.

Russ, Billy, Logan, and I went to Genghis Grill for lunch. Yummy! Billy helped me with my sauce today and it turned out even better than last time. He also gave me half of his. I was ravenous. And relaxed.

After lunch they headed on to the movies (they were going to see Cabin in the Woods - no thanks), and I went on to the grocery store to get the stuff I hadn't picked up already. I've been making a lot of brownies lately, and I was low on ingredients. I also got some stuff for a pasta salad I was thinking about for lunches next week. The hard part was done (veggies) but I needed something for them to go with.

By the time I got home, I didn't think the pasta salad was going to happen. I did talk to a really nice new guy online yesterday named Brandon. I tried to work out for us to go to dinner, but it didn't happen. I got my groceries put away, then had a light supper with some dip I had picked up (I am having a dip thing lately), and rested for a bit. Then I felt restless. I put another load of wash in. I ended up making the pasta salad. I've been thinking about a hoisin vinaigrette, and did that, adding a touch of this and a dash of that. I ended up finishing it off with a little peanut butter (very common in quasi-Thai cooking) and it was tasty. I was very pleased with the results. Pasta salad is such a great way to use up odds and ends. I ended up with chopped sugar snap peas, scallions, a few left-over Kalamata olives, and some celery in this; and cut up some tomato and salad cucumber to mix in right before I eat lunch.

I turned in on fresh clean sheets to the sounds of Iron Chef. I was asleep before I even heard what the secret ingredient was.