Saturday Night

 

This week, I’m finding myself experiencing a Saturday night that is much like most of my Friday nights used to be. Since I was off work today, however, I’m less exhausted (somewhat), and have accomplished a few things (laundry, purchasing toilet paper and toothpaste), so I’m feeling a bit less like I’m stuck to the sofa while being too guilty about my domestic unproductivity to enjoy it. So. Hooray!

But have you ever plowed through a period of your life truly believing you weren’t really experiencing stress, because, well, you just aren’t the kind of person who does that, and then realized that the weight gain and the insomnia and the not severe but nagging headaches and the sore neck and teeth from jaw clenching and the near lack of meaningful human relationships had to be caused by something? Gah! And then there’s the messed-up world of current events looming just outside the door. What the actual capital H capital E double hockey sticks is going on here?!

Deep breath....Gentle thoughts...

 

I seriously need to reevaluate. I need an escape. I need a project. I need a fandom. I need to borrow from Lucy Van Pelt when she gives advice to Charlie Brown as he is struggling to grasp the meaning of Christmas. I need involvement.

By that, I think I mean that I need to sink in to the things I really enjoy. Sometimes I don’t even know what that is, but before I start self-diagnosing my psycho-social problems, here are some things I’m getting involved in lately.

Reading…

**Clearing the slate. There are so many, many books that I’ve started reading in the last four months or so that I never finished. Upon serious reflection, I realized that this was a metaphor for everything else in my life! All the unfocused dabbling, confused forgetfulness, incomplete projects, unmade decisions. I just brought back a library book that I was hanging onto that I had no interest in finishing. I didn’t care what happened to that guy in the bottom of the well. I let it go. Now, it is no longer my problem. What a relief! (Baby steps!)

**Seriously, though. I just finished The Organized Mind by Daniel J. Levitin. This is a fascinating book about managing the information overload in our modern lives. It combines neuroscience, statistics, and many kinds of other astute observations to pull together strategies for making sense of 21^st century first-world problems. It’s a really interesting book with no hocus-pocus, just solid, reasonable writing that I loved. (And techniques I plan to use!)

**Ratio by Michael Ruhlman. I read this book cover to cover a long time ago, and picked it up recently to re-read a few chapters. I got way more inspired to try some things this time, especially using the ratios for custard, pound cake, and caramel sauce.

Cooking…

**Sensible prep. I’m finally getting smarter about cooking when I have a bit of time, and using the results for meals all week. I’ve always loved the idea of cooking up batches of beans, grains, and roasted vegetables and making tacos, salads, soups, pastas, casseroles, and pilafs out of them all week long. This week I roasted some homegrown butternut squash with potatoes (in this style) for a meal and roasted extra squash alongside. I also cooked pots of wheat berries and chickpeas.

I used some wheat berries and squash in Wheat Berry and Squash Salad with Seeds and Sage, and used the chickpeas in a salad for sandwiches like this one. 

 

I have both chickpeas and wheat berries left, and may make a pilaf out of them with dried cranberries and apricots. I also could have used the leftover roasted vegetables in another wheat berry salad like this one, or in a frittata similar to this one.

I also made a batch of granola for breakfasts all week. Tomorrow, I hope to make either Pumpkin Waffles, or Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal, both of which will create some leftovers for next week’s breakfasts.

**Desserts. Here’s where I’m in trouble. I’m going to put this out there for all to read: I really need to lose some weight. You wouldn’t be able tell from the last three recipes I posted that I’m fully aware that I need to get serious about this. Oh, I’m not in danger of not being able to get out the door or anything like that. My health is fine. My waistbands are getting tight, however, and the trickiest season is upon me. I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life, and I’ve been reasonably successful for many of my adult years.

But, there are so many desserts…I could make pumpkin cookies and add cranberries to them. This sugar cookie dough can be rolled out and cut into pumpkin shapes then baked and frosted with this frosting colored orange with food coloring. These cookies can be made with fall-colored M&M’s. Pumpkin and apples and pears and cranberries all make such lovely cakes and pies. I’m not sure I know how to stop.

Maybe I should just make this celery salad instead…

Anyway, thanks for listening. I know I kind of tricked you into being my therapist for the night. I hope I didn’t freak you out too much.