Veteran's Day

I appreciate veterans for more reasons than the day off, but I also appreciate the day off.

I still got up early to go to the gym, but then I fooled around on the computer, had an extra-strong cup of coffee, and ate homemade bread with homemade jam and feta cheese for breakfast.

We cleaned the house so we could rest more today, and then Z and Sweetie walked to Starbucks and the game store. While they were gone, I put together a freestanding shelving unit, took down some wall-mounted shelves, cleaned out my cookbooks a bit, and made myself a pantry!

I grew up with a pantry, and every place I've lived in since has felt a little inferior. This kitchen, while laid out pretty nicely, has almost no room for appliances (food processors, mixers, etc.) and not a lot of cupboard space for food storage. I put a big shelving unit in the garage, which did help with space issues in there, and I was able to put my Crock Pot, Kitchen-Aid Mixer, ice cream maker, and a few other things in there. Then I started canning, and I needed space as well for my canning pot, jars, lids, canned stuff... I took up two whole shelves of the big storage unit with stuff that really should have been in a pantry.



So here is the after! (I didn't take a before, but as of a week ago, the washer and dryer were side by side in the middle of the space, there were mismatched and broken garbage and recycling containers, and two shelves mounted with my cookbooks on them, so heavy they sagged in the middle.

I went to my mom's for a little while, but the person I was supposed to meet had screwed up the day. Still, it wasn't like I had any big plans, and I got to engage in a bit of Shadenfreude as mom's awful neighbors found their moving van blocked by a car. Then I went home, made harissa, baked some bread, threw together a batch of cookie dough, had a cup of tea, looked over my cookbooks for ideas, and made a grocery list. I also did a few little jobs in the yard, including planting carrots.


Cup of tea.


Yay cookbooks!


The bread.


Soaking the peppers for harissa.

Z and I went shopping, first at Trader Joe's and then at Save-Mart (there are a few things TJ's doesn't carry). And then it was almost dinner time, so I jumped in the shower. We all went to Shoki for ramen, and then we came home and I baked the cookies. Then it was bedtime for Z. I finished up the cookies, had a glass of wine, and did some writing.