I'm Cooking

 

Today I went to the grocery for all the Investment Cooking ingredients on last week's list, came home, and started cooking.  Today's recipe was Honey-Ginger Chicken Tenders, the new one in the rotation.  The hardest part of that recipe was the three hour marinate time.  I used the time to open up the house on this fine, sunny day and read a magazine.  Oh, and cook up some brown rice.  Brown because LC informed me that it's healthier than white rice.  I believe her.

The sedum flowers are getting fuller and pinker.  There were no bees in residence and I didn't find any on the mint flowers either.  It's gotta be too early for them to hibernate, if they hibernate.  They don't migrate so they must settle down in a hive or nest to overwinter.

While the chicken tenders were marinating I finished September Cast Sock 1.  When I put it on the stack of other cast socks I noticed that none of them are the same size.  I use the same needles and the same size yarn and the same pattern but they're ever so slightly different from each other.  It's a good thing that feet come in all different sizes.

15 September--Barbara Malcolm, Better Than Mom's. 

She looked around the room as if checking for bugs. 

Fay was intrigued.  “What?” 

Naomi twisted her hands as if she was opening a jar.  “Well, you remember the other night after we cleaned up the diner?” 

Fay nodded. 

“And you left but I stayed to help Brady finish up?” 

Fay nodded again. 

“Well, he, um, I, um…” 

“What? Do not keep beating around the bush.  I am imagining all sorts of awful stuff.  Is what you have to tell me awful?” 

“Oh, no.  No, it is good.  I think.”  She paused. 

“Well?  What is it?  I am dying of curiosity here?” 

Naomi drew a deep breath and sat up straighter.  “Brady asked me out to dinner tomorrow night and I accepted.”  

Fay whooped.  “I knew it.  I knew it.  I knew you two were eyeing each other up.  Oh, I wish I had made a betting book on this.  I was sure the two of you would end up dating.”  She jumped out of her chair to dance around the kitchen for a minute, then she sat back down and leaned across toward her friend.  “So?  Where is he taking you?  What are you going to wear?  Tell, tell.” 

Naomi had watched Fay’s gyrations with amazement.  Now she found it hard to know what to say.  “Well, he wants to go to the Prime Quarter…” 

“That is not a very fancy place,” Fay interrupted. 

“We do not want to go to a fancy place for a first date.  We decided, well, he decided that Prime Quarter is more a place to go and get acquainted, you know, like friends.  If we decide to go on more dates, we can find someplace fancier.  This way we can wear jeans and a nice shirt and be comfortable while we grill our steaks and have a drink or two.  Plus, it is not very expensive; we can afford it.” 

It did not escape Fay’s attention that Naomi had just said “we can afford it,” that little “we” stood out a mile, as if Naomi were already thinking of Brady and herself as a couple.  She could not help but chortle at the deliciousness of a new romance growing right under her nose.  “This will be fun to watch,” she said, rubbing her hands together. 

Looking at her friend, Naomi thought she might have made a mistake telling Fay about her date before it happened.

“I do not want you spreading around the news that Brady and I are going on this date, Fay.  I do not want to listen to lip from Raymond and the rest of the coffee codgers every time I poke my head out of the kitchen, okay?” 

Fay was too excited to really hear what Naomi said, she was already planning how she could let everyone know without Naomi finding out.  “Yeah, yeah, I will not tell.” 

“Promise?”

Fay stopped rubbing her hands together and looked, really looked at Naomi.  “Uh, yes, I promise.”  Fay wracked her brain for a way to phrase what she wanted to know most of all.  “Um, do you plan to make a night of it?” 

Naomi looked at her as if she were nuts.  “Well, I am not going to schedule another date for after ten o’clock.  What are you thinking?” 

“Oh, no, no, I do not mean are you going to have another date.” 

“Well, what do you mean then?” 

Now it was Fay’s turn to nervously wring her hands.  “I, well, I, uh, was just wondering if you and Brady were going to, well, you know…” 

Today's toss was another bag of aged health & beauty aids--dandruff shampoo and hairspray.  I don't use those things.  I was surprised at how heavy a couple bags of full bottles made the trash bin but I got it rolled down to the curb for pickup tomorrow.

It was a gorgeous day today, sunny and warm and windy.  I should have taken a walk while the meat was marinating but I didn't think of it.  Maybe I'll manage a walk tomorrow.

--Barbara