Sunday Chores

I woke up just before 7:00 AM on Sunday. According to the news, it was 42 degrees F. outside (but I had no plans on going out to check, lol!) I made a cup of coffee and then posted the Blog entry and some photos (it actually took two cups of coffee before I was finished).

I warmed up more of the Sunrise squares for breakfast. I had another cup of coffee and took out the silverware drawer and set it on the bed. I started removing the old weave stuff and replacing it with the left over scraps of new shelf liner. This time, however, it was stuck on in most places (maybe I didn’t let the drawer dry enough after I painted it). So, I pulled and scraped and then sucked out the small stuff with the vacuum. I watched the news while I did it and it wasn’t until 10:30 AM when I was done (see photos).

Then I shaved and was going to shower. But, I noticed some mold on the corner inside of the shower door. So, I sprayed it with some Tilex, let it sit a while, sprayed it again and scrubbed all the places where the aluminum meets the glass, inside and out with a grout brush. Rinsing it off was a b*tch and made a mess of the bathroom floor. So, I mopped it and while waiting for it to dry, I cleaned the office instead.

I did what I call a deep-clean, rather than just sweeping up the constant cat hair. I dusted everything, using my Swiffer Extender (I bought it when I first got home after my spinal fusion because I couldn’t reach up) and by everything I mean the edges where the walls meet the ceiling, the tops of the doors, the wainscot molding, the baseboards and everything on the desk, bookshelf and the couch table. Then I vacuumed the floor and mopped it.

The bathroom floor was dry, but before I took my shower, I got inside and sprayed the shower doors with Scrubbing Bubbles. I let it set for 10 minutes or so and, then using a tile sponge, scrubbed off the soap scum. I like using the tile sponge because it has a rough side I can scrub with and a soft side I can rinse with.

Then I took my shower and dressed in my usual shorts and t-shirt. Next in line to clean is the bedroom, but I thought I’d make my soup first, so it can get happy (all the flavors melding) while I work.

I got this recipe out of one of the little cooking magazines Amy bought me a subscription for, BTW. I changed a few things, but I will note them so you can make the original recipe, if you like.

So, in a large pot, I melted two tablespoons of unsalted butter on medium-high heat. Then I added about a tablespoon of fresh thyme (the recipe calls for one teaspoon of dried thyme), a medium-sized yellow onion, diced, and two cloves of garlic, minced. I sautéed that until the onion was tender (about six minutes). Then I added 10 ounces of sliced mushrooms (the recipe calls for button mushroom, but I used baby bellas) and cooked them until the mushrooms began to soften (about eight minutes).

Sidebar: It was sprinkling when I went out to pick the thyme. Not the good, soaking rain we need, but enough to dampen the new grass out front.

Next I added four cups of chicken stock (the recipe calls for either chicken or vegetable broth), four cups of water and one ounce of dried sliced shiitake mushrooms (I also added a bay leaf, not called for in the recipe). I brought that to a boil and let it cook until all the mushrooms were tender (about 12-15 minutes).

Here’s where you are supposed to add one cup of “quick-cooking barley.” If you can find it, you cover the pot and reduce it to a simmer and cook until the barley is tender (about 12 more minutes, they say) and then season with salt and pepper.

As you know, I could not find any “quick-cooking barley” so I dumped in the barley I cooked for 45 minutes last night. I taste-tested the broth and added salt and pepper, a little at a time, until I thought it was about right. I took out the bay leaf, turned it to simmer and then covered it.

Just then, my daughter Melissa called. As always, we talked for a long time, mostly about politics.

When we finally hung up it was after 5:00 PM, so I kicked it in gear and deep-cleaned the bedroom. The rest of the house will have to wait for another day, I guess.

I meant for its deep-cleaning, BTW. I did use the vacuum to get the cat hair off the living room carpet and the two walk-off carpets downstairs. I swept the living room and the kitchen. Then, I fixed a big bowl of soup and took it, a glass of water and some crackers into the bedroom.

While the soup was cooling, I washed the kitchen floor, leaving the Wet-Jet leaning on the fridge and blocking my path to remind myself not to walk on the floor until I was sure it had dried. Then I went in to eat supper.

Wow! I’d been thinking all throughout the soup making that I wish I had some leftover roast beef or steak to add, but you honestly didn’t miss the meat. The mushrooms gave it a “meaty” flavor all on its own. It was thick and filling and absolutely delicious! I wanted more!

But, by the time the floor was dry, I knew I was already stuffed. So, I put the rest into two four-cup containers to cool, rinsed the pot and put it in the dishwasher along with the bowl and spoon. That filled the dishwasher, so I added the soap and turned it on. I hand washed the wooden spoon and the Wustof, washed the stove top and cut a lemon in half. I rubbed the half of lemon onto the cutting board (to get rid of the onion and garlic smell).

I took a pain pill (I needed it) and watched DIY TV. When the remaining soup was cool, I put on the lids. I labeled one and stuck it in the freezer. The other one went into the fridge.

Next, I watched Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket from 8:00 to 10:30 PM and then shut off the lights and went to sleep.