Montag.

[badseed1980]

This was a good weekend. Friday night was a nice, low-key date night with pierceheart (we were both tired and in a lot of pain from excessive working out). Saturday, I spent the afternoon with lindalee. She showed me how to make a self-watering planter, and gave me the materials to make one while I was there. We did a little gardening work too, and I got a little dill seedling to bring home. Mmm, dill! We got Bertucci's for lunch, and then went back to her place for a little knitting. All in all, a productive afternoon for both of us!

That evening I went to DSW Shoe Warehouse to see if I could get some new hiking boots, putting to use both my gift card and my 20% off coupon. Unfortunately, the one pair of hiking boots in the store didn't come in my size. Balls. I ended up getting nothing there, but I'm going to try again this weekend if I can. I did go to TJ Maxx, where I got a nice marble mortar and pestle for a good deal cheaper than I'd have found one elsewhere. Yay! I've needed a new one in the kitchen for ages now.

Sunday, I started the day by making a loaf of Irish soda bread. This was not real Irish soda bread, but the fancified kind made with mostly white flour (some whole wheat), raisins (soaked in water and whiskey to rehydrate them), and caraway seeds. It was tasty as heck. Hmm. Still have lots leftover... Then, when the boy came home, we went to the MIT chanty sing. That was fun, though there were a couple people there whose singing was such that, well, it was hard to pick up the tune of a new song because I couldn't tell what it was. Afterwards, we ran some errands and then returned home, where I made an awesome new off-the-top-of-my-head dish for dinner. Here's the details .

1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
about 1 lb of lamb leg meat (I had a .89 pound center cut leg steak), cubed
3 small potatoes, cubed
1/2 lb green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1" lengths
1 15-oz. can of diced tomatoes
Ras el hanout spice mix to taste
1 15-oz tomato can full of water and a beef stock cube (I used less than a whole one), or a can of beef broth
about 1 c. frozen spinach
Olive oil

First, in a heavy-bottomed stock pot, brown the lamb cubes in some olive oil. Remove from the pot, and throw in the carrot and onion. Cook until slightly tender. Add the green beans and potatoes, and cook a while longer, until they are starting to tenderize a bit. Add the tomatoes and water + stock cube or broth, as well as the ras el hanout and the spinach. Put the lamb back in the pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook for about half an hour. This produces a nice, spicy, savory stew which is very nice on a cool evening.

Tonight, I need to run some errands in Davis Square, so I think I will stop at McKinnon's while I'm there for Cheap Meat and veggies. I love that place. Maybe I'll get me some filet mignon, and some pork tenderloin. Or pork chops. And maybe I'll get all adventurous and get some goat, or something. :) We'll see. It's always an adventure. But I also need to check out Mayflower Poultry (that's the "Live Poultry Fresh Killed" place, for all you locals), and get some of their chicken someday.

Oooh--there's cake in the kitchen. I'm outta here, y'all.

Comments

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I refuse to pay full price for most kitchen goods. :)