Oy...and a great soup recipe!

O.k. so lately I have been run-ing! Doing what? Who knows? But I feel like I run all day every day and get nothing accomplished.

The house is in disassemble and has been for about three weeks. We're painting. Two old people on ladders trying to paint cathedral ceilings = looooong time to paint a room. (and we are painting three rooms, plus the hall, and ceilings.) There are so many holidays (painter's term for missed spots) that we spend as much time going over a second layer as we did the first! My shoulders are reminding me they are still on my body; and forget my knees, they left me five or so years ago so when I worked in model homes. I don't ache at night any more than usual, however the strength just isn't there any more and I really feel it during the work.

Any who, the front room is in the dining room and the dining room is on top of the table, The table is shoved against the buffet, the family room is shoved as far into the fireplace as we dare shove it and there is a twelve foot ladder in my kitchen, which pretty much means my kitchen now is a twelve foot ladder. Seriously. No floor space left. I need to stand under the ladder to get to the sink or dish washer -and if I want to cook I just turn around while I am under the ladder and there you go, oven and stove...under a ladder. We move it a foot this way or that to open the fridge door or pantry.

I am ready for the painting to be done, however I think it's going to be at least another week before we get the painting done; we still have four inch base boards to repaint and put back into place (currently out on the porch) as well as the door frames. Curtain rods need to go back up (um, yeah, no naked walking around the house lately!) and switching furniture from the room it was formerly in to a different one and figuring out what to do with anything that no longer "fits".

All that after Thor gets home from work...usually about 7:30 each night and on Saturdays. Bummer.

I finally finished a shower curtain for The Hygienist, which took for-ev-er, she has been very sweet and not said a word, but seriously...forever. Cotton and silk (yes, I said silk, and yes, this is a shower curtain... but lest we forget, this is for The Hygienist, who at one time in her not so recent past dreamed of being a fashion designer and still has an "eye", if ya' know what I mean.) ahem, back to the curtain. An oversized (to accomodate the curved rod) piece with two rows of poof ruffling on top and (count 'em) twelve rows on the bottom, amazingly feminine and gorgeous. So her.

I've done a couple of tutes, one you have seen (the skeleton shirt), and one yet to publish, and hope to finish another soon.

I have projects hanging over my head that have been on hold for about two months (hang in there Kristy!) and then there is Christmas.

(Speaking of Christmas, I spent some time going through the library of links I have collected in hopes of compiling a sample of gifts to make for the upcoming season...pray for me.)

Prop 8 (obviously) has been on my mind as of late and I am back into politics as never before. The Scholar worked polling places during high school, The Hygienist has always been awesome in verbal and written communications, The FireFighter is seriously committed to community affairs; actually we all participated in politics to a point, especially Thor who is amazing; quiet unless you ask him and he feels like telling you his thoughts, but amazing. I need to admit that I really really hate politics, and yet, here I am, making enemies by the day it seems. I just feel like I can still voice an opinion on my personal blog and that should be hunky dory. I've lost bloggy friends and others now ignore me completely. It's just my opinion people, vote your own thoughts and heart.

Things in church have kept me hoppin' and it doesn't look as if the situation in that arena will change for a couple of months...so I keep going the best I can and doing my part.

And I made it grocery shopping for the first time in about four months yesterday. Fabulous. Forgot how much I like picking out a fresh veggie. I picked out some organic chickens and slow roasted them in anticipation of a rich stock to be used in a particular recipe later.

I found a recipe for a crazy good corn chowder (although I don't think the way it tastes it would be described as a corn chowder) - it turned out really flavourful and so delicious that I am wont to share it with you; so here goes:

I started by placing my washed and dried whole chickens, with their necks and gizzards etc. in my heavy enameled cast iron pot with a bit of butter, kosher salt, pepper corns, and crushed garlic -lots of garlic. I slow roasted those darling little chickens until they were tender, juicy juicy, and the joints easily tore from each other and the meat beginning to fall off the bone. From one chicken I took one full breast and thigh and chopped it into big bite sized chunks; and set it aside.

Ingredients:

1 chicken whole chicken breast -roasted and chopped into bite sized chunks
1 chicken thigh - roasted and chopped into bite sized chunks
4-5 pieces of meaty bacon, fried, diced
1/2 yellow onion - diced
1 small red pepper - diced
1 large jalapeno pepper - diced
1 russet potato - peeled and diced
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese - shredded
3 cups good stock


In another heated heavy pot I fried up four pieces of really meaty bacon. When the bacon was just about done I added the onion, red pepper, jalapeno, potato and corn. Saute the veggies with the bacon until they begin to caramelize, they don't all have to turn deep brown, but some should. Pull the bacon out and give it a good dice, return it to the pot and add the corn and stock. Bring to a low boil and simmer until the potato is fork tender.

Take about half of the soup, both veggies and stock and toss into a blender. Keep the lid on, but the cap out, cover with a small towel and pulse to puree the contents. Return this to the pot and fold into the soup.

Add the cheese, blend. Add the chicken, fold in and bring back up to a low simmer to reheat chicken. Taste to season with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Serve.

Originally I was going to add heavy cream to the soup, however in the long run (read:standing under the ladder) I forgot to! It didn't matter, it was still so flavourful! And the best part? It was even more tasty the next day for lunch...really really good for lunch!

I wish I had a photo for you, but who cares? It was good. Try it.

(I'm dying for a huge ice cold Pepsi...like a craving, which I usually don't get with soda, but yeah, I'm going to grab one, somewhere. Who sells caffeine free regular Pepsi in a drive thru???)