laziness and more snow

There are days, many of them in fact, when finding something encouraging and positive to write about seems impossible. That is, as far as I can tell, how life goes. In my experience, there can be long periods of a culinary life that can be both frustrating and difficult to navigate. Anyone who tells you otherwise, is probably selling something.

Still sore from over-doing it on Sunday, I woke to five inches of snow in the driveway that needed to be shifted before I could take my husband to work. It took me three hours to move all the snow because in certain areas the snow banks are so high I actually have to lift it, shovel full by shovel full, and carry it 10 – 15 feet away to dump it. I am usually enthusiastic about winter and alpine scenes, but enough is enough. I am ready for spring.

The milk and water solution I put on to boil, did just that: it boiled all over onto the stove top while I had my back turned…twice…because I thought turning the flame down and putting the lid back on the pot would solve the problem. I splattered hot milk up my arm twice while I was whisking the polenta into the pot. And, while preparing to make poached eggs, I discovered two eggs with broken yokes, and two more whose albumen (white part) was so old it flowed like water: which, incidentally does not make for good poached eggs! Did I mention I’m spoiled and hate store bought eggs but have no choice until my regular egg lady’s chickens start producing again in the spring? All told, things weren't going at all smoothly this morning, but there is no use crying over bad eggs. I pitched the eggs and started again.

Lunch: soft cooked polenta loaded with parmesan cheese, topped with marinated artichokes, and soft poached eggs, was eye-rollingly comforting and delicious! I’m afraid, that has been the highlight of the day so far. By the time I was done shoveling, and cooking, and cussing, there was barely enough time to eat before I had to get myself ready to go.

I am very much looking forward to tonight’s dinner of Roasted Asparagus and Lemon Risotto. But I am most definitely NOT anticipating having to wash up the pots and dishes from lunch before I begin to make dinner.  I try, whenever possible, to work clean. It is rare these days for me to leave a mess after I’ve finished a meal, ever. This isn’t because I am particularly diligent, rather that I’m lazy. I know if I have to clean up before I start cooking, making dinner will seem more like a burden that I’m more likely to try and avoid. There are many nights that laziness is the only thing standing between me and a home cooked meal.

Then again, maybe I have become a little obsessive in my old age. As I sit here writing about the dirty dishes in the kitchen; I am actually becoming more, and more uncomfortable about the dirty dishes in the kitchen. Maybe the nice people at Starbucks will let me sneak back into their kitchen and wash something…