Holding Fast

Everything is still in roughly the same spot that it was last time I popped on to do an update.  I'm working on the Hana Scarf one row at a time when I have a few minutes to spare, and I really focus on it so I (hopefully) won't make any more fatal errors -- there is now about an inch and a half on the needles.  I'm feeling much better now, although I still have a cough and get tired if I try to do too much.  I've got a new pile of things to grade today, but the new piles will diminish after this week as my students take a research hiatus.  The Emperor and I are still watching The West Wing and our appreciation for how well this program is put together has not dimmed.

We're always on the lookout for new things to try for supper.  Tasty is good, but if a meal is quick to prepare, we're interested in it.  My sister suggested we try Street Kitchen "meal kits."  They put together some spices, some sauce, and then tell you what to buy to assemble a meal.  For example, to make "Mexican Barbacoa" they give you a packet of marinade, a packet of sauce, and a packet of pickle juice.  You're supposed to marinate thinly sliced onions in the pickle juice, and marinate your choice of meat in the meat marinade.  Once you do that for a pretty short period of time, you put your meat in a hot pan, cook it for a few minutes, then add the sauce and cook until it's done, then serve it the way you want to.  Last night I made this barbacoa but skipped a few steps, notably making the pickled onions.  I marinated some ground beef then cooked it in the sauce.  When it was finished to my satisfaction, I put it in whole wheat tortillas with lettuce and tomato, and the Emperor added a touch of sour cream.  It was fantastic.  We have also tried the kit for "Red Curry" and for "Butter Chicken," and Sis really likes the "Korean BBQ."  These kits are pretty low in sodium and calories, so unless you add something that is loaded to begin with, they're not bad for you.  My only frustration with them is that I can't get the oil hot enough to flash fry spices when they call for that; I am wondering if my stove burner is starting to slow down -- the stove is a vintage 1970 Frigidaire model.  Anyway, we're having fun with an occasional convenience meal.  I've even departed from my usual short-grain brown rice and made jasmine rice; that really does make a difference in taste.

Speaking of cooking, it's time for me to get going on breakfast -- I mean, brunch.