Sunday, but no rest for the weary

I got up at 6:30 AM, shaved and took a shower. Then I reheated a cup of coffee and went out on the front porch. Much nicer today than yesterday, as the cold front that brought the rain also lowered both the humidity and the temperature. So, it's about 64 degree F with a nice breeze blowing.

Today, the plan is more cleaning and, hopefully more weeding. First I attempt to put the office back together. You may remember I spent nearly a week sleeping in there. So, I put the freshly washed sheets, pillow cases and comforter back on the bed. Next, I topped that all with one of the drop cloths I used in the bedroom painting. Why? Because there was WAY too much cat hair on this bed when I went to use it! I did put a blanket on top the drop cloth so the cats will have something soft to lie on, but, hopefully, an overnight guest will not have to wake up with cat hair in his or her mouth.

Next, I swept out the office and straightened up the desk. Then I move into the bedroom, and sweep that. But, before I start using the Goof Off (to remove the few drips of paint from the wood floors) I want to start my chicken stock.

I have a four pound whole free-range chicken I thawed out yesterday. That goes into my medium stock pot, along with what chicken bones I have saved in the freezer, 1 1/2 gallons of cold water and a bouquet garni of fresh parsley, fresh thyme sprigs and a dried bay leaf, tied with kitchen string for easy retrieval, later. Some salt and some whole black peppercorns also get into the pool. I light the burner to bring it to a boil.

Here's the different part. Like every other cook since the beginning of time, I have always made chicken stock with the aromatics rough-chopped and added at the beginning. But, Michael Ruhlman (whom I admire) believes the aromatics should only go in about 1 hour before you are finished. So, I am trying that, today. Also, instead of keeping it simmering on the stovetop for 4-5 hours, he puts it into a preheated 190 degrees F. oven. So, I am also trying that, too.

So, now its 10:30 AM. The stock pot has been brought to a boil and then stuffed in the oven, (uncovered, BTW). I have hardboiled the last five eggs and I am about to use the Goof Off on the bedroom floor. No way to do it other than to kneel and I know I will pay for this, later (sigh).

I am amazed that the Goof Off (which smells suspiciously like the old-style lighter fluid) is not only taking off the blue paint I dripped, but also the while paint droplets from whoever painted this room last. Not wanting to leave this stuff on my wood floor, I washed the bedroom, office and hall floors with my Swifter Wet-Jet and let it dry.

BTW, the Webmaster has informed me he posted those two recipes from the Fourth of July 9 (Roasted Potato salad and the Radish and Cucumber salad) in case you are interested.

Now I'm getting dressed and heading out to Meijer's. I need to pick up a few grocery items, but mostly, I need a new in-tank filter for Newt. Unfortunately, they were out of the small 10-gallon one I had before, so I was forced to buy the 20-gallon filter! Seems like overkill for a 10-gallon aquarium that I only have maybe 1/3 filled with water, but I can't let him stay in a swamp, can I?

Back home, I unpack the groceries, put the filter together and install it. He seems as bewildered as I am with this new, big "waterfall" at one end of his tank, but the water is clearing rapidly and I suppose it's all for the best.

Now, to restore the shine to my wood floors, I get out my Mop & Glo, a damp mop and a bucket of water (for rinsing out the mop). I have used this stuff with great results before and am hoping (against hope) it will cover up the scratch from me moving the book case. We'll see.

Once I am done, and the floors are drying, I mix up Miracle-Gro (what's with all these companies leaving the "W" off the end of a word, anyway? Inquiring minds want to know!!!) in my watering can and water all the container gardens. I come back inside and its 1:45 PM.

The stock still has another hour to go before adding the aromatics, but it is starting to smell fantastic! I start the last load of laundry for the weekend and check out the wood floors. They look nice, but that damn scratch is still visible (although a lot less noticeable, I must admit).

I start boiling water to make some rotini pasta for tonight's dinner (my tuna salad). After I dump in the pasta and stir it, it's time to add the aromatics to the stock. So, I rough chop two carrots, two stalks of celery, peel and quarter an onion and smash up about half a head of garlic. Into the stock pot they go and I reset the timer for another hour. I drained the pasta, shocked it in ice water and put it in the fridge. I move all the chairs, the butcher-block rolling cart and the trash container into the living room. Now, I sweep the kitchen floor and then mop it with Pine-Sol and hot water. Finally, the damn house is starting to look clean, again!

At 3:15 PM, I feel I can legitimately take a break. So, I flop down on the bed and pick up Jake's book. I reluctantly give up when the stove alarm goes off at 4:30. I dug out the big chunks from the broth (careful to save the chicken meat) and then used my finest-screen strainer. Next came four different pours through four separate wet kitchen cotton handkerchiefs lining that same strainer. I put three 4-cup containers of the strained broth into the freezer and that still left me more than enough to make some chicken noodle soup (sometime this week).

But, right now, I need to separate the meat from the carcass of the chicken. I get that all done, the meat in the remaining stock, and the stock into the fridge. I clean all this up and then get onto making this week's tuna salad. I'll spare you all the details (but if you are interested, just go to the recipes section of this website), and by 6:30 PM, the salad was done and in the fridge, cooling. I put it in my one Tupperware bowl, with Saran Wrap pressed down right on top the salad (keeps it fresher) and then the regular lid pressed on.

BTW, probably everyone of you already knows this (but I didn't - I just recently learned it on the Internet) but I was showing my sister Jean out at Lake Orion how every box of Saran Wrap (she was helping me cover up some leftovers), aluminum foil and even wax paper has little tabs on each end you can press in to "lock" the roll in place! Damn, I spent near 60 years screwing with this stuff. Who woulda thunk it?

So, my dinner is cooling and I am looking out at a bird, splashing about, taking a bath in Jake and Carla's bird bath. I have two regrets for the weekend: one, I didn't get to apply the herbicide to the driveway (rain yesterday and too windy today) and, two, I didn't have the time to weed the herb gardens. Oh well, there is always tomorrow...

I grab that book again (Invisible Prey by John Sandford. BTW) and, by 7:30 PN, I have finished it. Good Read! Thanks for the loan!

At 8:00 PM, I start to watch my usual Sunday night shows and get a bowl of the tuna salad out of the fridge. I shut everything off at 11:00 and hit the sack.