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September 09, 2007
caliente
i'm going with open windows and doors today. the trees around my house keep things cool enough until early evening.
and i'm cooking today. lots of food that i can put up in the freezer. the kitchen stayed cool enough to work in for the duration. now i can escape while the meats roast.
i made a lasagne first-- most complicated dish first, and that worked out well. used half sauce from a jar, half sauce of a sort made from J's canned tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and herbs from the garden. the cat, true to form, appeared while the beef was browning.
second came mac and cheese, which would pair well with a pork loin i found i had forgotten in the freezer. at last minute inspiration lead me to season the cheese sauce with chili powder, cayenne, and a bit of paprika. wish i'd thought to add hot sauce. ah well.
the pork loin is roasting in similar (i hope) flavors: bone suckin' sauce mixed with "smoky campfire" marinade (both leftover in the fridge), with a little of the chili powder and cayenne. i'm also trying out my new meat thermometer-- the digital kind where the probe is on a metal lead, and the gauge sticks to the outside of the oven.
finally, i'm trying to make chicken stock, very bland chicken stock that i could feed to the cat (e.g., no onion or salt). if he likes it, it could be a good way to get some calories and protein in him if he loses his appetite; or he might just enjoy it. if he doesn't like it, i can season it up and use it in my own cooking.
lots of using things i already had in the fridge and freezer-- all of the meat was already there, and that's the expensive part.
Posted by lisa at September 09, 2007 02:56 PM
ok, so a) your comment won't post right away because i have to approve it first and b) you might get a server error but your comment probably posted anyway and c) previewing doesn't work so i've removed the preview button.