Wins and Loss

 

        In the interests of fair disclosure, I have absolutely no ideas to write about today. All I have are a series of small things that alone aren't enough to write about. I hope you will enjoy this hodge podge of topics.

        Lately C has had a craving for beans. When he was growing up he ate pinto beans and cornbread. In the south, it's cooked with fatback. It think fatback is like bacon with a lot of fat and very little meat. It was salty which flavoured the beans. I've tried several times to cook beans all unsuccessful. I finally decided to try again. Since I'm never organized enough to do an overnight soak with the beans, I used a quicker method. After sorting and rinsing the beans, I put them in a pot of water to boil. I let them boil for ten minutes. Then I turned the heat off and let them set for an hour in the water. When the hour was over I drained the beans, rinsed them and rinsed out the pot. I put them back in with fresh water. I wanted the beans to have some flavor so I added some dehydrated onion and garlic. Then I simmered the beans. About 15 minutes before they were done, I added the salt. I had read that if you salt them too soon the beans won't get tender. 

        I was pleased with how they turned out.  Even better, C was pleased with how they turned out and he ate them happily with some cornbread I made. I decided to take some of the beans and make refried beans. I used some shortening as I don't have or cook with lard. I melted the shortening and then put two cups of the beans with a little liquid into the pan. After letting them fry for a little bit,I mashed them with a large spoon, then seasoned them with a little salt, garlic and onion powder. I cooked them until they got as thick as I wanted. I made a tasty quesadilla with them.

        Last week I made another pot of beans. It didn't turn out quite as well because I used too big a burner and the beans kept boiling instead of simmering. They were still edible. I used some of them to make refried beans which I seasoned with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.  I meal prepped some burritos to take to work. I had one yesterday. It was perfect. Big win.

        I like the Sofritas at Chipotle. Sofritas is a protein option made from tofu. One of the things I wanted to do is attempt to make it at home. I finally found a recipe from a website I trust and decided to try it out on a whim. I was missing three ingredients. Rather than go out and buy them, I found a substitute for one and left out the other two. It was very easy and actually fun to make. The result was the right texture, but not as spicy as I would have liked. Since one of the things I left out was a poblano pepper, I have the feeling this is why it wasn't as spicy. Next time I'll buy the pepper and make it again. One downside is that it makes a large batch as I use a pound block of tofu. Since C will not eat tofu, it means I have to eat it all myself. When I make it again, I'll have to freeze part of it. I don't mind leftovers, but I get tired of eating the same thing several days in a row. Partial win.

        After watching the Norfolk Island pine I bought for our Christmas tree slowly dry up, I decided to take it out of its decorative pot. I took it into the bathroom and put it in the tub. To my horror, I found that the poor tree had been sitting in close to five inches of water. It also smelled musty which is not a good sign. I felt really bad. I should have done this sooner. I bought a larger decorative pot for it and hoped maybe that would help. More of the branches dried up. Yesterday I took it outside, maybe the warm air and light breeze would help dry things up. I'm not hopeful though. Only the top of the tree seems ok. 

        I always feel really guilty when I kill a plant like that. I know overwatering a Norfolk Pine is bad. Why didn't I check for that then I first noticed signs of distress? I hope to get another one and when I do I'll be more careful. Loss. 

        I don't like to end on a bad note. The sun is shining, the grass is green. Lilacs are blooming and soon we can put in our garden. Big win.