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farmers’ markets

Wow! The weekday farmers’ market is way different from the weekend one.

There was nowhere to get eggs, but there were different produce vendors than usual, and they were all willing to haggle to get rid of their produce!

I got a quart of peach seconds – so now I need to layer them with sugar and set them to ferment.

I got 7 rolls for $2 – so now I need to eat massive quantities of bread – I did my part by eating 3 with garlic butter and pot roast – Mmmmm.

Two wee little baby melons for half price!

a bunch of bell peppers for a dollar!

and some yummy cheeses – not discounted. Often farmers’ market cheddars taste a bit bitter to me, but not these – so great find.

*rolls about in the glory of good food*

Miscellany – Pot Roast

Who recommended Garth Nix to me? Who ever you were – brilliant suggestion. I bought the first book, read it through, was excited and interested the whole way through, and am now going to buy the next book. By the time I finish the fourth book, I shall be cursing your name because the series isn’t finished.

The weather could be like this all the time, and I could be happy.

I have a pot roast on the stove waiting for me to eat it for dinner tonight.

How I made it:
I cut up 3 slices of bacon and cooked them in a soup pot.

In a bowl, I mixed black pepper, paprika, a little bit of cinnamon, and ground thyme with 2-3 tablespoons of flour. I put a small london broil in the flour, flipped it, and then jabbed it repeatedly with a fork. Then I turned it over and jabbed it some more. Repeat – until it dangled limply and was fully floured.

Then I put the floured meat into the soup pot to brown in the bacon fat.

I cut up a bunch of onions, and added them to the pot as well. Oooo, and garlic, too. And I threw in a few baby carrots.

Then it was time for some liquid. I started with three capfulls of Manischewitz wine. You know that whole thing about not cooking with wine you wouldn’t drink? Forget it – this wine is the best cooking wine ever! Food just tastes incredibly rich, if you add Manischewitz. Then I dumped in the chicken stock I had hanging out in my refrigerator.

Then I browned the rest of the flour in the bowl and made a roux – and then pulled some of the liquid from the pot until is was thin enough to pour into the pot without making lumps. I probably should have just put the flour in right after I added the meat, but I forgot.

And it should be tender and ready to eat my tonight. I’ll put it over rice and maybe cooks some greens on the side.

I joined a gym. It’s right on my way home from work. There’s a gym bag under my desk at work with shoes and socks and pants and everything – And now I have no idea how to schedule time to go. For example, tonight I need to leave right after work to get to the farmers’ market in time to get veggies. There is no excuse for it being way early september and me only having winter vegetables in the house.

Mundanity

I got so much done yesterday. Apparently, they desperately need me to work on Friday, so I got to take of early yesterday to make up the hours. Whee!!

I signed up for gym membership! So now I have to actually start going – Eep!

I stopped by the Office of Off-Campus Living and asked whether there was anything I could do to get my property manager to get rid of the poison ivy – and the woman had the brilliant idea to sent me over to the University City pseudo-police. The guy there called over and was all intimidating to my property manager without ever telling him who had placed the complaint. It sounds like something might actually get done! Well, somewhat – even if my property manager is wonderfully vigilant, there is still a main root originating on a property not owned by my guy.

Then I stopped by my grocery store – who have healthy pasta on sale. I have been refusing to switch over because regular pasta is often on very cheap sales, but hey – sale! So I bought penne for the vodka cream sauce I’ll be making this weekend (vegetarian company coming and my mom accidentally bought a quart of heavy cream in stead of half&half).

And then it rained – gloriously. I love rain.

Food listing

I don’t have much food, but I want to eat what I do have before I buy a bunch more.

produce
half a zucchini
onions
apples
plums
2 1 unimpressive tomatoes

dairy
1/3 of a half pint of cream
opened cream cheese
opened cheddar

thawed meat
bacon
1 chicken breast
ETA:
ground beef
2 1 small shoulder london broils (they’ve been on sale a lot recently)

frozen meat
chicken breasts
ground beef
ground beef in patties
pork liver
chicken backs for stock

miscellaneous
eggplant & beef mixture for taco filling
1 egg white
applesauce
tortillas

Dinner
Tuesday, August 29
eggplant and beef in tortilla (done!)

Wednesday, August 30
start making chicken stock (buy carrots, garlic, and parsley) (done!)
make ground beef into hamburger patties and freeze (done!)
freeze one london broil (done!)
organize freezer
set second london broil to marinate
make chicken and zucchini with rice (fried rice to use the egg white?)
made chicken gumbo

Thursday, August 31
go to farmers market! (not done – went to SCA meeting instead)
finish chicken stock and strain
cook london broil

Anyone want to come over to my house for dinner tomorrow?

I will be grilling:
eggplant
zucchini
corn
hamburgers
there could even be hot dogs

I also have:
tzatziki sauce
tomatoes
whole wheat pita bread
awesome pickles

There could be:
bread pudding with apples

(if you don’t come, I’ll be forced to keep the meat frozen and eat all the yummy vegetables by myself)