Homemade BLT

4.24.2015

I haven't done as much cooking as I would expect recently... but this week I did make a beautiful BLT. I've loved BLT sandwiches since birth and truly believe they are the best sandwich. In honor of the sun returning to Boston with some degree of consistency this week, I imagined a great afternoon sitting at my kitchen table, noshing on a BLT and sending out some emails. Unfortunately, there isn't really a great place for a BLT in the North End. There are good places, but not great places.

The only obvious answer was to make my own bread and mayo for the event. 

In the past I've made a few different types of bread, but this time I attempted ciabatta. Whenever I'm looking up (almost) any recipe idea, I always add the word "easy" to the search. I'm sure there are hard ways to make ciabatta but I'm not interested in it now. While the initial steps could appear cumbersome, it is actually super easy to make (far easier than amazing scones). The bread turned out perfect as far as I'm concerned and I will definitely make it again. And soon.

In the event making bread wasn't enough of a challenge for one day, I figured I would add mayonaise to the docket. I've witnessed people making mayo before and it felt challenging but do-able. Certainly reasonable for a sunny afternoon in my kitchen - but then I found a 30-second mayo recipe and I was convinced. I'm sure there are more sophisticated and refined ways to do this, but homemade mayo in 30 seconds? Done.

The trick to homemade mayo is having the ingredients at room temperature. I obviously hadn't planned ahead for this - so I just put the egg on my fire escape in the sun.... and then went for a quick run. Success.
Here's how each of these come together. I honestly didn't take pictures of this process because I wasn't convinced it would work - but it did. Sorry about that :)
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hot toddy time

4.15.2015

I've recently been given the gift of time. The time to do nearly anything I want... at least in the short term :). While I won't say that every day has been easy street, I am significantly enjoying myself and feeling really productive... at least until this week.

This week, I've come down with some nasty, mean, voice-stealing, throat-scratching virus. You know that episode of Friends where Phoebe has the sexy singing voice? Yeah, I don't have that. I've tried so many different remedies, pills, and potions that it is maddening. Today I walked 9 miles in part because walking is more distracting than watching tv and distractions are what make the scratching go away.

Fun note? On my second trip to the doctor's today, she asked me if I had tried their "magic mouthwash". I kid you not it felt like I was in the middle of Jack and the Beanstalk and someone tried to sell me magic beans not covered by Tufts Health Insurance. I bought the $30 magic juice... took a swig... and then read the bottle. No water for an hour after taking it. Pure torture. I gave up at 39 minutes.

Here are some other things I've done in the last two weeks:
  • organized my bookshelves by color
  • got rid of one more moving box (yes, I moved exactly 1 year ago today... I'm slow)
  • made some snack organizing boxes... and organized my pantry snacks. One box has "good snacks" the other is chex mix and gold fish.
  • worked out nearly every day
  • planted some flowers from seed. I'm hoping to grow some dahlias of all shapes and sizes. Double crossies.
  • whipped up this great asparagus salad
  • paid my library fines ($19) and got a new card
  • visited the seals nearly every day
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