Procrastination Postage.

[same_sky]

I am home from work, of course, because doesn't that just figure? I'll try to go in for at least half a day tomorrow unless I'm dying, because I have something I need to do. I have a bit of a rule set for today, though, and that is that if I am sleepy, I must go to bed. I slept nine hours (ha! if you could call it sleeping for nine hours when you're awake half the time to go to the bathroom or because your hip hurts or because you're hot or uncomfortable. Carrie warned me that the sleep thing was awful, and I love her dearly and all but geez, couldn't she have been right about something ELSE?) and then I slept for over an hour this morning. I am hoping that all the sleep will hasten getting well.

But, since I'm home, I'm planning on making the best of it with those little things on my to-do list that require nothing much more strenuous than sitting at my desk. Updating the budget, working on a website that really has to be done by Saturday-I've only had a whole year *blush*--and paperwork and lists. Of course, by now I have fiddled away most of the day, which is also okay. I had good intentions, after all. :) Right now I also have my first load of baby laundry in, and I have to admit that I giggled the entire time I was moving ridiculously small items from the washer to the dryer. Have I ever mentioned that I love doing laundry? I mean, I don't love it in the way that I want to do it above all else, but it's by far my favorite household chore. I think that might be why the concept of cloth diapers doesn't terrify me. There's just something satisfying about the whole process.

I am also a very bad girl because I had a caffeine overdose at lunch. I gave it up last week again because of the swelling. Didn't seem to do anything and I was Weak. Very weak. You know what the worst part of the swollen feet is? I can feel it jiggle on top of my foot when I walk. It's creepy. I may not be that slender of a person but I've always had relatively nice looking feet, as far as feet go (as long as I keep my toenails painted. Speaking of which, totte, love, I have a job for you... Remind me!)

Remember I talked about nesting? My desk sits under a window, and just on the window sill, there is a robin's nest with three perfect eggs in it. We have the blinds closed so I can barely see her at this angle--we would have opened them for our watching pleasure but we were afraid of scaring her off. She's sitting on her birdlings right now, looking a bit bored. I am enjoying the notion of nesting three feet away from a literal nest. It's spring! There are babies here!

For no particular reason, I will leave you with a recipe. I've amended the original recipe I have, which is supposedly the Hard Rock baked potato soup, and two of M's coworkers asked for the recipe because it smells so darned good when he takes it to work. I had it for lunch--it freezes extraordinarily well, which surprises me because it shouldn't (too much dairy). This is probably the best baked potato soup that I've ever had, and it's less work than the old recipe I had. Having said that, I hope I remembered everything I changed about it. I usually cook it through to the end and then we stand around tasting it and throwing in more spices and cheese (the original recipe called for one cup. Hardly.) until it tastes right. You should try it.


Kisha's Version of Hard Rock Cafe Baked Potato Soup
6 to 8 slices bacon
1 C. yellow onions, diced
2/3 C. flour
6 C. hot chicken stock
4 C. baked potatoes, peeled and chopped (leftovers are excellent)
2 C. heavy cream*
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 tsp. dried basil
Italian herb seasoning to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
3 C. cheddar cheese, grated (again, to taste)
1/4 C. diced green onions (white part only) – optional
Additional chopped bacon, grated cheese and chopped parsley for garnish - optional

Fry bacon until crisp. Chop bacon and reserve drippings. Heat up the chicken stock while you’re working on the bacon. If you fry the bacon in advance and put it in the fridge, that’s okay, too. I think it’s better that way.

Cook onions in about a tablespoon** of the remaining bacon fat—add vegetable oil as needed to adequately cook the onions--over medium-high heat until transparent, about three minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add flour, stirring to prevent lumps. Cook 3 - 5 minutes until mix just begins to run golden. Add hot chicken stock gradually, whisking to prevent lumps, until liquid thickens. Reduce heat to simmer and add potatoes, cream, chopped bacon, basil, salt, cayenne, Italian herb seasoning and black pepper. Simmer 10 minutes; DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL. Add grated cheese and green onions (if desired). Heat until cheese melts smoothly. Taste, and add more spices as desired.

Garnish each serving as desired with chopped bacon, grated cheese and chopped parsley***.

*I use a mixture of cream, skim milk and possibly half-and-half. It depends on what I have on hand, but all cream isn’t necessary. I think it’s better without all the fat, honestly.
**The original recipe called for cooking the onions in all of the remaining fat. It’s much too rich if you do that, though.
***I’ve never added green onions or any garnish to this, but only because I never have green onions and am too lazy for garnishing.

Comments

[courtesy.livejournal.com]

Oh no, you poor thing!! *hugs* for being sick.

But you did make me chuckle too with the thought of washing ridiculously tiny things, that would crack me up.