Monday, January 21, 2013

It's A Big Big Day In The Capitol


What a day, what a turnout, what a country we live in. A country smart enough to reelect a president who seems to have our best interests at heart. Not big interests, our interests.

We didn't go down to the Mall. We watched from home and shared in the pictures posted from our friends who braved the crowds.

We braved our trainer and a visit from the oil company representative quoting me a price for putting in a new burner.  Can you hear me scream?

We also began the painting of the back bedroom untouched for the 4 years our last "short term" renter was with us.

It was a sunny day and the cats lounged around on the drop cloths as we listened to an eclectic mix of music ranging from opera to country to go-go.


Cats lounging about aren't a great help and once again neither was I. I have never found the Zen of painting.

After painting the baseboards and attempting the windows I was sent out of the bedroom and found my way into the kitchen where I did what I do best :cook. 

I cut up about a pound of tri tips into 1/2 cubes and with a sprinkling of S&P I browned them in batches with a splash of olive oil.

Then I added a chopped onion, several cloves of garlic, a carrot, a zucchini and browned them along with cumin, chile powder, paprika, a bay leaf and a sprinkling of crushed red peppers.
 
When soft I added the beef cubes to the pan and poured a half bottle of ale and let it reduce halfway. Then I added a 28oz. can of Cento tomatoes, crushed by hand and 2 cans of black beans. I brought it to a boil, turned it down to low and let it simmer away while I watched more of the Inauguration and bugged GG to let me see how the room was coming along.
Finally I was able to bribe my way in with a bowl of dinner. 


I love this time of year. Cold brings out the slow cook in me, and lazing around in kittens.


And the room? Still under construction.

But coming soon. GG promises.




11 comments:

  1. Yes, it was a very hopeful day for all of us -

    Richard Blanco's Inaugural poem was especially moving... both hearing it spoken and seeing it written on the page.

    Just as promised, very Whitman-esque!

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  2. I'd cook any day rather than paint.

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  3. You're killing me with all of the cooking.

    I'm having painting flashbacks, as I spent two days last week with roller in hand trying desperately to be finished with the insides of our new closets. They are finished, however, and I just want to stand in there and marvel at all of the organization. Ahhhh.

    It's always a good day when we see your kitties doing what they do best.

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  4. It was an awesome day, filled with lots of new hope...I didn't move from the couch and the tv until dinner...which I did not cook myself. :)

    You're impressing me with all this time in the kitchen!

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  5. Your dinner looks so yummy on a cold day...I pretty much watched the coverage all day and then tennis all night. A perfect Monday in my opinion. Seeing your drop cloths reminds me that I want to repaint our dining room...I've mentioned this out loud a few times and I need to stop that. My husband says, "you could probably do it pretty quickly." me, "what, me...you're not helping?" I have this idea that I should just lounge like your kitties while HE paints.

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  6. Spent the day glued to the TV savoring every sight and sound. Loved every minute of it, and am filled with even more hope that some of the changes he wants might actually happen - if not in four years, at least in my lifetime.

    Hope the "political capital" will last long enough to get some of it done.

    (My dad would have been thrilled to see VMI as the last unit in the parade - full corps of cadets, marching to "The Spirit". He would not have shared my enthusiasm for the President, but would have been proud of his corps.)

    Can't wait to see GG's room.

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  7. I watched from home too. It felt good. And I liked the poem.

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  8. Yep, that's the best thing about Winter, sloooooowwwwww cooking, Another delish recipe for me to steal. Yay. Great inaugural! And the huge Latino presence made me so proud, especially Richard Blanco. It was a good day to be an American!

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  9. As much as I loathe my kitchen in the scorching days of summer, I'm loving it in winter! Last night I happily cooked for two hours, chopping and stirring, sipping on my wine and staying warm next to the stove :)

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  10. While I do recognize the zen of painting and love it, I prefer cooking, too. Since we don't eat red meat around here I wonder if I could adapt this recipe to use chicken instead? And yes, it was wonderful and inspirational to watch our president being inaugerated again. Couldn't get over those beautiful girls of his!

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  11. Jane, that last picture is definitely a kitty pin-up- Miss January ;) x

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