NO CHEF AWARDS .....

 It's actually pitch black outside at 4:30 am, but my camera picks up the light from the town a few miles away.  It's cool and perfectly lovely in the dark.  Sadly, it's not going to stay that way.  We are once again in the slow cooker of weather ... heating up little by little, just like my crock pot., to a lovely 95 this weekend.

Cooking when you are trying to lose a few pounds is not the least bit fun.  I never know WHAT to cook, and seem to end up with things like cheesecake in a tortilla.  Not exactly the best choice.  So on this day, as I was also trying to figure out what to feed Mr. Cooper, I decided to just overcook a couple of chicken breasts in fire roasted tomatoes that were previously bound for an enchilada casserole.  I basically did not season them so Cooper could have some.

Then I went about getting ready for this weekend.  It's MOTHERS DAY in case you haven't received the memo yet.  Time to thank Mom for all she's done over the year.  Oh yes, it's back to the 110 degree kitchen at the lodge, cooking up the usual fare ... ham, sausage, hash browns, Denver omelette casseroles, biscuits and gravy, to be followed up with waffles smothered in maple syrup, strawberries and whipped cream.  And don't forget the THREE Costco cakes.  Just the THOUGHT of it all makes me full.

It's also the perfect chance to give away quilts that are just sitting around in my closet.  Here's the plan:  we open at 8:30.  Give out red tickets and give away the first one at 9:30.  Also at 9:30, change the tickets to blue and at 10:30, give away another quilt.  And so on and so on.  

There is a method to my madness ... I will get a donation letter from the lodge and write BIG BUCKS off my taxes.  It's a win-win situation.  I get more storage space, they get nice quilts and I get to pay less taxes.  Probably won't really amount to much, but anything is better than nothing.

Somehow I fell asleep on the couch ... no surprise really ... and upon waking, forgot everything I was doing for the day.  I finally got back to work on the last quilt in the "to quilt" pile.  At this point in time, I only have ONE left to put together ... more or less.  I'm still waiting on embroidery for FIVE.

It's now the end of the day.  I walked outside with Cooper, only to remember I had not watered the tomatoes.  I frantically flooded them.  I had that drip situation all set up, to find that the line I bought kept coming apart and flooding the patio instead of the containers.  I had disconnected it completely and promptly forgot to water them.  Thankfully the vines are still covered in little green things, hopefully to some day turn red.

As I walked back in the house, it hit me.  That chicken had been cooking ON HIGH for almost TEN hours.  Big sigh ... there will be no CHEF AWARDS for me.  I raced over, turned it off and removed the cover.  Well at least the TOP wasn't black.  

I grabbed a spoon and began to stir lightly.  Hey ... it doesn't look burned at ALL.  YAY!  It was so tender, I proceeded to shred it with a SPOON!!  Gosh did I ever luck out.  There was just enough liquid left to keep it moist ... and by golly it didn't taste bad either.

How lucky can I be?  Had I been 30 minutes later, it would have been toast!!  BLACK toast!  I grabbed a very old, not so very tasty tortilla from the fridge ... not even looking at the expiration date because I KNEW .... and whipped up a little chicken and cheese quesadilla.  Not bad ..... not bad at all!!  Except ... I gave Cooper a little taste (without the tomatoes) and he promptly threw it up.  Yeah, no one ever said I was a good cook.

After dinner, I took one last look at the "binding" pile. There are actually five here, and one more king size in the other room.  Ugh ... I'm getting behind.  I know I should do them by machine, but I just don't like the results.  Hopefully I can whip these out in no time.  

On the schedule today is the dreaded ..... duh duh dummmm ... can you see the sharks swimming around? .... DMV.  Oh yay ... I get to go to my appointment at 10:20, then sit and wait behind everyone else already in the building who does NOT have an appointment ... you know, because it's racist to let someone with an appointment go before anyone else who just drove up to the building .............

Supposedly, all I need is an eye test and a picture.  A ten minute project that I'm sure will end up being at least 2 hours, if not more.  Just to be clear, I have also had this appointment for two months.  You've got to love California DMV.

Be sure and tune in tomorrow to hear the screaming from my soap box!!!  I'm hoping since I just typed that, that I will be proven wrong.  Wish me luck!!