Where did the time go on Wednesday?

I woke up to the first significant snowfall of the winter. It was also the first so-called Alberta clipper of the season (thanks, Cathy!) so it will be short-lived. But, none of the surface streets around here were plowed or salted, so I headed for the expressway. It was salted, if a bit soupy and the top speed was under 50 MPH (80 KPH), but I got to work only about 10 minutes late.

The snow slowed and then stopped altogether around noon. That made the trip home easy, which was important, as tonight is an intense cooking night.

Why?

First, tomorrow is the potluck Holiday event for my department. It will be held at Spacely Sprockets's building 12, which contains Mr. Spacely's museum and hosts public events. There will be a supplied party sub, so I thought the perfect accompaniment (in this cold weather) would be Mac and Cheese. I signed up for it, assuming I would make it like a caterer, cooking it in my oven to "almost done" and then reheating it in the museum's oven before serving.

However, there's a problem! (Isn't there always?) They are having another event in the front and so the stove and oven is unavailable. I was bemoaning this fact when Jake suggested I make it in my oven, and then transfer it to my slow cooker to finish it off and then serve hot. That seemed a bit excessive, but it did give me an idea.

So, I researched recipes making Mac & Cheese in a slow cooker. None of them used the same ingredients I would use in the oven recipe, but I didn't see any reason mine wouldn't work. So, I need to get this ready tonight.

Also, I need to make soup for my Mom to deliver this weekend. So, that's also on the To Do list for tonight. (My God, I'm tired already!)

When I got home, my new license plate and tab were in the mail box, so replacing it was added to the damn list as well.

Before changing clothes, I filled the squirrel feeder and the bird feeder. Then I went out in the garage and began to remove the old plate. The nuts and studs were all rusted. Three of the four came off with varying degrees of difficulty, but the fourth one wouldn't budge. I ended up cutting it off with a hacksaw. So, my new plate is held on by only three nuts, but I'm pretty sure it won't fall off.

Next, since I was out there and cold anyway, I fired up the air compressor and filled all the tires up (the cold affects the tire pressure and I thought it might be pulling to the right this morning, although it could have been all the crap I was driving in).

I went inside, washed my hands and changed clothes. Then, I washed my hands again (I had used some oil on the frozen nut and stank of it, to me) and then put a big pot of salted water on to boil for the elbow macaroni. While that was heating up, I started on the soup.

Now, I am making split pea soup with ham for my Mom. Sure, most people think that therapy and her personal will to live will get my Mom back home, but I know better. It's homemade soup, dammit!

You would think you could go to "Recipes" on this Blog and see just how I make it. But, if you know me, you know I never make anything just the same (except for the CaptainK Clam Chowder Secret Recipe, which I have never been able to improve upon). So, here's how tonight's soup was made:

I used two tablespoons of bacon fat from the coffee cup in the fridge. If you are like Jyl and do not save bacon fat, I would tell you to cut four slices of bacon up into small chunks, cook them until the fat is rendered, remove the bacon bits and save them for something else (maybe a stuffed baked potato?) and use that fat. Anyway, that went into my stock pot on Medium heat.

I added the mirepoix thusly: 1 cup fine-diced yellow onion, cooked for two minutes, then 1/2 cup fine-diced carrots and 1/2 cup fine-diced celery, cooked (stirring) until soft (another three minutes or so). Finally, I added two teaspoons of fresh garlic I minced and let that cook for 30 seconds.

Next came the ham bone from last weekend and about a cup of diced ham. Once that was warm, I added the pound of split peas I had soaked overnight and then drained and three large-diced peeled russet potatoes. I also added 3/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (just to kick it up a notch! Mom is always complaining her food is too bland). Since this is for my Mom, I didn't add any salt, hoping the ham bone would be sufficient. Stirring often, I let everything warm up.

Next, I added 8 cups of my homemade chicken stock, two bay leaves and one tablespoon of dried thyme (too damn cold outside to go and get two tablespoons of fresh thyme). Stirring occasionally, I let that cook for an hour.

Meanwhile, back at the crock pot! I buttered the sides (so it won't stick). Lol, I know better, but hopefully, it won't stick so bad. I undercooked the two pounds of elbow macaroni (5 minutes instead of the usual 8 or 9), then rinsed it in cold water and added it to the slow cooker.

Next I worked in two pounds of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (reserving enough to cover the top when I'm done). Then I added four cups of heavy cream and four cups of whole milk. I stirred it all together and then covered it with the remaining shredded cheese. That went into the refrigerator until tomorrow morning. Once at work, I'll cook it in the slow cooker on Low for 3 1/2 hours.

Note: Just so you know, if you were cooking this in a conventional oven, you would bake it in a 350 degree F. oven. You would cover the pan with tin foil and bake it for 1 hour and 15 minutes. You would then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the macaroni is brown and bubbling on top. This I can swear works! But...

Warning!!! This is an experimental slow cooker dish! Before you try this at home, wait for my review of how it looks and tastes tomorrow!

Back at the stock pot... After the hour was up, I removed the ham bone and the bay leaves. Using a slotted spoon I took out about a half of a soup bowl of mostly potatoes, but some peas and mirepoix and set that aside. Then I got my immersion blender and blended the shit out of the remaining soup. Once it was thickened, I put the reserved soup bowl back in (I like to see a few chunks in my split pea soup, you see) and another cup of medium-diced ham. I tested for seasoning, and decided it was just about perfect and didn't need a damn thing! I let that simmer another hour to get happy and then took it off.

So, now it's after 11:00 PM and I am writing this. I forgot to mention dinner, which was just some of the ham, sliced and made into a sandwich with yellow mustard on potato bread (not much, I know, but I was kinda busy). I am posting this and then going to bed (without ever turning the TV on!)