My eyes popped open this morning at 5:13 a.m.. Not that this should surprise me, really since during the week my alarm is set for 5:00 a.m.. In theory, I slept in today! The conundrum arose at 5:18 a.m. when my eye lids were still open. To stay in bed and “rest” with the hopes of falling asleep again for another hour or two, or get up and start the day off with a cup of coffee and a little quiet time… oh, and make soup stock….which to choose? The absolute latest I would be permitted to sleep, barring any other noise, distraction, or eyelid popping, would be 7:15 a.m.. I have a professional meeting to attend this morning that begins at 9:00 a.m. with registration beginning at 8:15 a.m. with coffee/breakfast. Sleep/’rest’ OR get out of bed?
I’m awake. Quietly as I can I tip toe out of the bedroom.
Coffee. (Italian Roast)
Premier League Football (soccer): Blackburn v. Arsenal is the early game today (6:45 a.m. TX time / 12:45 p.m. UK time)
Soup stock.
Last night I roasted a chicken with the intention of making soup for this afternoon’s mid afternoon meal thus this is a great time to put the carcass and veg refuse together and get the stock underway. If I get it started, Ken can finish it and by the time I get home this afternoon it will be ready to make into soup.
I’m pleased to say that as I type this, it’s in the oven steeping away at 185 degrees. I can’t smell it yet since a) I’m still horribly congested from allergies (or a cold?) and b) it’s not been quite an hour since the door closed.
In hopes of having not only enough stock for today’s soup, but also hoping to have some left over to freeze, I’m making stock in the rectangular, oversized roasting pan. I’ve collected the cast off cuttings of a large onion, a handful of celery whose time in the veg tray was rapid coming to a close, carrot scrapings and trimmings, a couple of bay leaves (leaves from my bay leaf wreath continues to be remarkably fragrant and flavorful even after over a year of drying…I am very pleased), a smattering of peppercorns, the trimmings from a HUGE bunch of kale (which when I brought it in, MELG was honestly and truly thrilled… Kale Chips!), the core and wilted leaves of a green cabbage and the trimmings from some green onions. The bones of the roast chicken are in there, too. I’m looking forward to a luscious stock!
