Monday Moanin'

When I got up with the alarm, it was freezing in the house. At first I thought the furnace had gone out. Then I realized I didn't change the clock in the thermostat! I think I forgot to do it last year, too.

So, I reset it and went back to bed and covered up for a while, waiting for the house to warm up. Finally, I got up and got ready for work. I did drink two cups of coffee before leaving. I was really dragging! Did I ever mention I hate Daylight Savings Time?

I went home at lunch, after stopping at CVS for some things. I had another piece of the strata for lunch.

At home after work, the sun had finally come out, so I spent some time picking up branches in the front yard. Then I switched out the kitty litter and got the garbage ready for tomorrow morning.

Because of the silly time change, I didn't even start to get hungry until after 7:30 PM. I thought I'd like something light, so I made a Macaroni Salad.

I put water in my pasta pot. When it was boiling, I added a tablespoon of salt and a pound of elbow macaroni. I let that cook for about five minutes (or al dente). I drained it and then ran cold water over it until it was cool. I drained it briefly (so the macaroni stays moist; a little moisture will keep the salad from drying out) and put it in a bowl.

I stirred in 1/2 of a small red onion (minced), one rib of celery (fine diced), some of the celery leaves (chopped), 1/4 cup of fresh flat leaf parsley (chopped), two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (about half a large lemon, squeezed), one tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper. I stirred that and let the flavors get absorbed by the pasta (about two minutes).

Then I folded in 1 1/2 cups of good mayonnaise. I seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, covered it and put it in the fridge to chill. Then I fixed myself a big bowl and went to eat, watching TV. Hmmm, not bad... Using the Dijon instead of yellow mustard gave it a bit different kick.

Also, note: the salad can be covered and kept in the fridge for up to two days. Check the consistency and seasoning before serving, though. If it's dried out, just stir in a little warm water to loosen the texture.

I tried everything, but couldn't get to sleep before 12:30 AM (groan).