Pushing myself physically (if not mentally)

Yes, I'd hoped to do some freelance copyediting work (and doubt I will get to it before bedtime), but any weekend day on which I go downtown to the gym and do a proper workout isn't a lazy day, even if I spent the morning doing not-much other than getting myself scratched while medicating Julian. (That boy is definitely an advanced cat, not suited to be anyone's first cat: in fact, I'm wondering if he's too advanced for me.)

I was partway through the workout and thinking that I'd lost ground by not doing anything except the same few exercises, and even those with a fortnight off, and then I thought again and realized that no, I was pushing myself, and it wasn't surprising that I wouldn't do as many repetitions as I'd hoped for if I left the weight alone, or increased it, on something I hadn't done in ages.

Also not entirely surprising, I seem to have stressed my left shoulder, and possibly my left knee. With luck, ibuprofen will help.

( Numbers, and some commentary )

Pushing myself physically (if not mentally)

Yes, I'd hoped to do some freelance copyediting work (and doubt I will get to it before bedtime), but any weekend day on which I go downtown to the gym and do a proper workout isn't a lazy day, even if I spent the morning doing not-much other than getting myself scratched while medicating Julian. (That boy is definitely an advanced cat, not suited to be anyone's first cat: in fact, I'm wondering if he's too advanced for me.)

I was partway through the workout and thinking that I'd lost ground by not doing anything except the same few exercises, and even those with a fortnight off, and then I thought again and realized that no, I was pushing myself, and it wasn't surprising that I wouldn't do as many repetitions as I'd hoped for if I left the weight alone, or increased it, on something I hadn't done in ages.

Also not entirely surprising, I seem to have stressed my left shoulder, and possibly my left knee. With luck, ibuprofen will help.

( Numbers, and some commentary )

Mushrooms in a creamy sauce

This started out as a fairly standard vegetable dish, and then I thought that it needed some liquid.

Mushrooms (the ordinary supermarket kind)
Scallions (=green/spring onions, depending on where you live)
Bacon (streaky, for non-US readers)

Olive oil
Plain yogurt (full-fat)
Milk (also full-fat)

I sliced two scallions (the green parts, in large pieces at the top and smaller as I got closer to the white parts) and half a dozen mushrooms. Separately, I cut 1-1/2 slices of bacon in thirds, giving me nine pieces of bacon, 3 or 4 cm long each (we tend to cut it in half right away, for easier storage, and thus work with half-slices).

I put the bacon in a cold frying pan, turn the heat on underneath (a fairly low flame). When it started to curl, turned it over and let it cook for a few minutes, moving it around occasionally to spread the grease over the pan.

Then I tossed in the scallions and mushrooms, and stirred it around for a bit. I decided it needed some liquid and looked in the refrigerator for heavy cream. No heavy cream. Considered soy sauce, very briefly, and sherry or white wine, also briefly. Poured in a little olive oil (I'd guess a teaspoon, maybe a bit more), which was helping the vegetables cook, but it still needed something.

So I grabbed a bowl, put in a bit of yogurt (and took a moment to be glad I'd decided against buying French vanilla yogurt instead of plain) and a little milk, and stirred them together until I got something that seemed thin enough to work. (Probably about twice as much yogurt as milk.) I tasted it, and it seemed possible. Okay, worst case, I throw this away and have a tomato with my meatloaf, same as last night.

I spooned some of the milk and yogurt mixture (two large spoonfuls--I used a tablespoon, but that's a utensil, not a measurement) into the pan and stirred, watching it cook down. A minute later, I turned the stove off, and transferred the vegetables into a bowl.

It needed salt and black pepper, of course, but I wouldn't have added those in cooking in any case. I'd meant to put some ginger in with the vegetables, but I forgot it until too late.

As a side note, Julian (our cat) not only happily ate the rest of the yogurt-and-milk while I was getting the meatloaf out of the oven, he licked the bowl clean of liquid after I'd eaten all the solid ingredients. But he's a fiend for yogurt.

[Also posted to off_recipe]

Mushrooms in a creamy sauce

This started out as a fairly standard vegetable dish, and then I thought that it needed some liquid.

Mushrooms (the ordinary supermarket kind)
Scallions (=green/spring onions, depending on where you live)
Bacon (streaky, for non-US readers)

Olive oil
Plain yogurt (full-fat)
Milk (also full-fat)

I sliced two scallions (the green parts, in large pieces at the top and smaller as I got closer to the white parts) and half a dozen mushrooms. Separately, I cut 1-1/2 slices of bacon in thirds, giving me nine pieces of bacon, 3 or 4 cm long each (we tend to cut it in half right away, for easier storage, and thus work with half-slices).

I put the bacon in a cold frying pan, turn the heat on underneath (a fairly low flame). When it started to curl, turned it over and let it cook for a few minutes, moving it around occasionally to spread the grease over the pan.

Then I tossed in the scallions and mushrooms, and stirred it around for a bit. I decided it needed some liquid and looked in the refrigerator for heavy cream. No heavy cream. Considered soy sauce, very briefly, and sherry or white wine, also briefly. Poured in a little olive oil (I'd guess a teaspoon, maybe a bit more), which was helping the vegetables cook, but it still needed something.

So I grabbed a bowl, put in a bit of yogurt (and took a moment to be glad I'd decided against buying French vanilla yogurt instead of plain) and a little milk, and stirred them together until I got something that seemed thin enough to work. (Probably about twice as much yogurt as milk.) I tasted it, and it seemed possible. Okay, worst case, I throw this away and have a tomato with my meatloaf, same as last night.

I spooned some of the milk and yogurt mixture (two large spoonfuls--I used a tablespoon, but that's a utensil, not a measurement) into the pan and stirred, watching it cook down. A minute later, I turned the stove off, and transferred the vegetables into a bowl.

It needed salt and black pepper, of course, but I wouldn't have added those in cooking in any case. I'd meant to put some ginger in with the vegetables, but I forgot it until too late.

As a side note, Julian (our cat) not only happily ate the rest of the yogurt-and-milk while I was getting the meatloaf out of the oven, he licked the bowl clean of liquid after I'd eaten all the solid ingredients. But he's a fiend for yogurt.

[Also posted to off_recipe]