A Conglomeration...

It's been a few days since I've posted, so this blog is a collection of things to share.

First thing to share, a restaurant review.  Hubby and I were in the mood for some Mexican, and decided to try La Patrona in Clintonville.  It had stellar reviews on Yelp, and the added advantage of being really close to another errand we needed to run.  It was indeed pretty tasty, and I liked the added touch of the Dos Equis "I don't always..." guy as a cardboard cutout with a fancy sombrero on his head.  Tasteful.  But seriously, it was pretty good food, and a fun atmosphere.  I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars, I think.

We've also done some cooking.  The first recipe was the Enchilada Skillet from A Couple of Cooks.  This was really quite good.  Although ours wasn't technically a "skillet".  We don't have an appropriate stove-top-to-oven skillet, so I did the first part on the stove top, then transferred it to a casserole dish to finish it off in the oven.  Other than ending up with an extra dish to wash, I don't think it affected the recipe in any material way.  It was super easy, and my very carnivorous friend who also prepared it declared herself shocked at how good it was with no meat in it.  She was very skeptical, but was convinced after making it.  Hubby and I loved it, but seeing as we both have a penchant for bean enchiladas, it could hardly have been any other way.

The next recipe we made was one of the easiest things we've cooked in a while, but damn it was good!  Cheater Korean Beef from The Girl Who Ate Everything.  I will admit, both Hubby and I are totally ignorant when it comes to Korean food.  We've looked for recipes on occasion, but it seemed everything we found had something in it that one or the other of us wouldn't eat {that was too important to leave out.}  So I can't vouch for how Korean this recipe is or isn't.  All I can say is that it was delicious.  I doubled the sauce ingredients to have extra to put over the noodles, and had to use powdered ginger because I forgot to buy fresh.  Otherwise I think I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter, and it was a quick, easy and TASTY dish.  Also, as a side note, I used the noodles from the Asian foods section of the grocery store {one of these days I need to write down what those noodles are!} because they are both yummy, and cook really fast.  This whole meal was done in about 25 minutes.  We couldn't even have gotten take out that fast!

.
Also, I watched a movie!  For most people that's probably not a very remarkable occurrence, but I am not a fan of watching things.  I rarely watch tv other than some MSNBC, and even more rarely watch movies.  But I watched What If with Daniel Radcliffe and Adam Driver in it, at Hubby's insistence.  He got it at the library and watched about half of it before deciding it was cute and I should watch it with him.  Since he doesn't frequently demand I watch a movie, I acquiesced without too much of a fight, and in the end was very glad I did.  It was a super super cute movie, especially for someone who loves both Daniel Radcliffe and Adam Driver. I'm normally not the romance movie type, nor romantic comedies, but this is one definite exception to the rule!

More in my normal pattern of behavior, I finished a book.  The Secret History of the Pink Carnation  by Lauren Willig.  This one was a chance discovery by Hubby at the thrift store.  He proudly brought it to me, positive he had found a book I would love, and he was not wrong.  I found out about 2/3 of the way through the book that it's the first in a series of 12.  That was a bit of a surprise!  Since I'm a sucker for a good historical fiction/historical romance, I was hooked from beginning to end.

Speaking of historical fiction/historical romance, the Westerville library is going to be hosting author Susanna Kearsley next month.  I already registered for the event.  I haven't yet read her work, but it has been on my to-read list for some time.  Now that I know she's coming, I'm gonna get on the ball with it so I can properly appreciate seeing her speak.  I'm currently reading Ruby by Cynthia Bond, which I am absolutely loving.  Once I finish it, it's on to reading Ms Kearsley in preparation for her visit.

And on that note, time to read.  Hope everyone is having a great week!

Not Usually A Sucker For Internet "Cure-Alls", But There's a First Time For Everything...

Last night, I came across this article, on Facebook, I think.  It was by no means the first time I had heard of the warm lemon honey water cure, but for some reason it caught my interest more than it had in the past.  I read her article, and it sure sounds great.  I decided to do a little more cursory research on the topic and found this article.  Reading the list of benefits is like a roll call of good health measures, in my humble opinion.  But as I said, I don't usually fall for this kind of internet story.  Still, I had read this books and magazines as well, and from further reading have discovered it's a practice that has been around for a long, long time.  Another thing differentiating it from the general internet hullabaloo is that it's A) Cheap and B) Won't have risks/side effects.

I contemplated it for a bit before coming to the conclusion of "Why the hell not?"  No harm in trying it, and if it has even low levels of some of the benefits it's purported to have, it would be beyond worth it.  That just left me with the task of procuring the ingredients.  It's important that it be organic, raw honey, and I feared it might be tricky to find.  I got lucky and located it easily enough at Trader Joe's, though.  Then I headed to the produce section and picked up a couple lemons.  Now I'm all set and ready to give it a try tomorrow morning.  My plan is to do it every day for the month of March and see if I notice any benefits from it.

I haven't posted a blog in a couple days, but cooking has still been taking place.  Some great food these last couple days, actually.  First of all was Cacio e Pepe from the cookbook Date Night In by Ashley Rodriguez of Not Without Salt.  I gotta say, this cookbook is a lot of fun.  In particular the stories she shares with each recipe.

So anyway, I found this recipe and decided I had to try it.  Hubby and I have been experimenting with different cheeses, and when I saw this called for Pecorino, I figured it was the perfect excuse to give it a go.  It was actually harder to find the Pecorino than I expected, but Whole Foods came through.  The recipe just calls for "pepper", but in the story accompanying the recipe, she mentions that she used European pepper from Penzeys.  That sounded like an excuse to go to Penzeys, which is always welcome.  The hardest part of the recipe was definitely sourcing the ingredients.  Once I set to making it, it was as easy as it could be, and absolutely delicious.

You probably notice in the photo that there is also chicken on the plate.  As I discussed in my last entry, I am diabetic.  And while pasta is not an "off limits" food, it's definitely a "limit it" food.  I knew I couldn't have just one big plate of pasta and call it dinner.  Initially I was just going to poach some chicken in broth and Italian spices.  Then I got this recipe for Baked Chicken With Tarragon and Dijon Mustard  in my email and it sounded both delicious and very easy to make.  It was a perfect score on both accounts.  Both these recipes are 5 out of 5 star recipes.

After the deliciousness of yesterday's food, I wasn't sure today's would measure up.  I had gotten word from some people who I consider laymen-expert-chefs {in other words, they have no actual credentials aside from really knowing tons about cooking} that the best way to fix a steak is to sear it in a cast iron skillet over very high heat, then stick it, skillet and all, in the oven to finish cooking.  It sounded too easy to be possible, but like I said... I consider these people to know their stuff, and if they say it is so, it must be so.  Therefore I tried it today.  I have to say, that was the best steak I've ever made at home.  I've had some better at restaurants, but never at home.  {And that was likely owing to the restaurant steaks having been better cuts of meat.}

This dinner was another 5 star dinner, though super simple.  I just seasoned the steak with a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper, and that was it.  Just baked a potato and poured on some salsa and a bit of sour cream, and a salad on the side.  It took about 25 minutes total to make the entire meal.  And since the only straight up carb was the baked potato, which wasn't very large, it was fairly blood sugar friendly, too.

In other news, I went to the podiatrist yesterday about my Achilles Tendon, and this was me last night...

He told me the same brace I already had for Plantar Fasciitis would also help with the Achilles Tendon pain, so now my pajamas have a sexy new accessory.  {Made even sexier by the red sock.  It keeps the velcro from scratching my leg!}  He also told me to take anti-inflammatory level doses... otherwise known as 600 mg 4 times a day... of ibuprofen for a week.  I didn't want to take so much for so long, because I know I will end up with rebound headaches when I stop.  Dr says it's necessary, though, so I shall do it.  Sleeping in the brace for a week, taking ibuprofen for a week, and also lots of stretching every day.  Hopefully I will soon be good as new!

The best news from the doctor, though, was that if I can walk without pain, I'm free to walk.  The doctor I had spoken to over the phone had told me to stay off it as much as possible, but the specialist said if it doesn't hurt, do it.  It only hurts for the first minute or two after I stand up, and then I'm okay.  So if the snow, snow, snow, cold, cold and snow ever let up, I can get back to walking.

And now it is time to relax with my current book, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig.  Have a great Saturday night, folks

Fuck Diabetes...

I don't think I've talked about it on this blog.  Not because it's some grand secret or anything, but just... I didn't feel like talking about it.  I have diabetes.  Type 2.  I've had it for about 6 years or so.  I know that for a lot of diabetics, it's one of the first things you learn about them.  And that's probably wise.  For me, I am tired of talking about it.  It's also a way to push it to the back of my mind, though... and that's not a very good place for it.

It has been brought to the forefront these last couple days, though.  I had my quarterly appointment with my endocrinologist yesterday.  She wasn't pleased with me, but I was less concerned about incurring her ire and more concerned about the results of the tests she ordered.  I knew I already had some damage to my kidneys, and I was fearing the worst for the outcome of the test.  I got the results back this evening, and thankfully the damage has not progressed.  To say this was an immense relief would be an immense understatement.  I was having visions of being sent to a nephrologist to have bad news delivered.

I bring this up because I need to be a better patient.  First, let me say... I DO NOT want anyone leaving me comments and telling me I need to live a low carb lifestyle.  Seriously, I don't wanna hear it.  That said, I do need to be doing a lowER carb diet.  I still plan to cook lots of delicious recipes, but I'm going to have smaller portions of more carb-y stuff, with a lot more veggies.  Since I began this blog, I haven't been paying much attention to carbs, nor have I been having anything resembling a sufficient number of veggies.  Time to work on that.  I also plan to cut corners on extra fat and calories where I can, without sacrificing the quality of the dish.  {Which may be a matter of experimenting, I realize...}

In the interest of making something healthier and less carbalicious, I made Modenese Pork Chops for dinner today.  I cut the amount of butter in half, using 2 tbsp instead of 4.  It was more than enough to brown the pork chops, but obviously I ended up with less sauce in the end.  My initial plan had been to use a little broth, but we weren't really going to use the sauce, so I figured it would be okay to have less of it.  This recipe was really delicious, I gotta say.  I'm still new to cooking with wine, and I just find it amazing how much flavor wine can impart into a dish.  This recipe was so simple, mostly healthy, and had flavor for days.  If anyone reading this is unsure about cooking with wine -- COOK WITH WINE!  {Also, I've had it from knowledgeable folks... don't buy the stuff labeled "cooking wine".  It often is just as expensive as a cheap bottle of wine meant for drinking, but is apparently generally a lower quality and may have salt added to it.  I can't vouch for the veracity of this statement, but... I am told.}

Also, today was another trip to Penzeys.  I'm planning on making a recipe in which it was suggested to use European pepper, and decided to go looking for it.  I found it, along with a few other things, of course.  I don't think it's possible to go in there and buy only one thing and come out.  Not for me, anyway.  I think Hubby was one more jar of spices in my hand away from dragging me out by my ear.

Now, tonight, I'm trying to keep myself calm and relaxed.  I'm bipolar, and have a pretty severe anxiety disorder, thus, I am well medicated.  I saw my psychiatrist today, and she decided to switch me from the regular formula of a medication to the XR formula.  The regular formula relatively literally saved my life.  I was entirely dysfunctional by the time it was prescribed, and it made me somewhat normal again.  Therefore it is a terrifying prospect, to have it tinkered with.  I still deal with some issues, though, and she said there's the potential the XR formula would improve things.  I agreed to try it, but with much trepidation.  There's no sleeping for me without the medication, and I fear the XR won't have a sedating enough effect to help me sleep.  Right now I'm feeling tired, but not as drowsy as I had hoped.  So I am struggling to keep my mind occupied, my breathing deep and slow and my body relaxed until I feel I can sleep.  Hopefully that will be sooner than later.

Sleep well, folks in blog land!

Nothing Combats Bone Numbing Cold Like Stew!

Since the temperature in Columbus when I checked at 1 pm was a balmy 9 degrees, I was both sad I had to leave the apartment, and very happy about our plans for dinner.  I informed Hubby that we hadn't even made it to the double digits so he could share in the thrill about having to go outside, and indeed he did.  We sucked it up though, and got up and got dressed... and dressed some more... and maybe one more layer.  Voila!  Ready to leave the house.

Apparently everyone else in northeastern Columbus also needed to go to Meijer today.  That place was hopping.  Because I exude class... I drink generic brand Diet Mt Dew from Meijer.  I actually prefer it to real Diet Mt Dew, it has sharper carbonation.  Now real Diet Mt Dew tastes half flat to me.  Anyway, we had to go get another case of fake-Diet-Dew from Meijer, and picked up a couple other things while we were there.  Since half the population of the city was in there, we had to park a mile from the entrance.  Normally that doesn't bother me, and I rarely do any kind of patrolling to find a closer spot.  However, when it's 9 degrees with a well-below-zero windchill, being able to park a foot closer would have been a victory.  We survived, though.  Fortunately our last 2 errands only involved me pulling up to a curb while Hubby ran in and grabbed food for Ginger, then pulling up to a curb again to drop off a book at the library.

We got home after that, and I think I fell into a black hole.  I'm trying to figure out how I spent my afternoon and I honestly don't know.  I guess I just sat and wasted time on the internet for an extended period.  I know I certainly didn't do anything productive, like clean the kitchen.  At some point I suppose I emerged from the black hole and discovered I was hungry.  Which was fine, because dinner tonight was Chicken Marsala Stew, and I couldn't wait to make it and eat it.  I left the onions out of the recipe because I don't care for onions and Hubby can't stand them.  I decided it needed something more, though, so I cut some baby carrots into small pieces, nuked them in the microwave to partly cook them, then finished cooking them with the mushrooms for the stew.  I know it seems like I say this nearly every time I make a recipe, and maybe Hubby and I are just easy to please, but this was REALLY good!

On top of being really good, it was really easy to make and didn't require anything expensive or complicated.  {Unless you live somewhere you can't find Marsala.  A good friend had planned to make this recipe with me, but was unable to find Marsala.}  The only thing I would change about this recipe is the quantity.  Next time I'm making a double batch, cause this would be some killer leftovers!

Also, along the lines of recipes, I came up with a tasty drink last night.  I basically made a smoothie with vodka in it.  I processed up some frozen berries, nonfat milk, Splenda and vodka and called it a frozen drink.  It was delicious.  I was craving a frozen drink because it was Margarita Day, but had zero interest in going somewhere to get a margarita, or get the things to make it.  So I made a frozen berry something-or-other with vodka, and it was delicious!  {Just in case anyone is feeling they need a frozen drink and, like me, have pretty much nothing in the house with which to make one!}

Now it is time to cram like a college student.  Tomorrow morning is the book club meeting at the Westerville library, and though I haven't decided for sure if I'm going, I am at least going to finish the book.  Got about 30% of it left to read, so time to get my nose in my tablet and get to it.  Hope everyone is keeping warm!

The Biggest Liar In Los Angeles... Also, Beans.

Back on 2/11/15 I mentioned that I had gotten another "Blind Date" book from the Westerville Library.  I had a couple other book-fish already frying, and didn't get started on it until a few days ago.  It was The Biggest Liar In Los Angeles by Ken Kuhlken.  It was kind of a noir mystery, set in Los Angeles in the 1920s.  I will admit, when I saw what I had chosen, I was not overwhelmed with excitement.  I was determined to read it anyway, if for no other reason than to shame Hubby into reading his Blind Date book.  Happily, though, it turned out to be surprisingly better than I had dared hope.  While I understand that the theory behind mysteries is that you have to keep reading to find out who dun it... I sometimes lose interest, getting lost in the weeds of all the possibilities, and the drive to get to the ending just isn't strong enough.  I realize that probably sounds bizarre, and probably is bizarre, but I've abandoned more than one mystery halfway through.  This one, though, kept me hanging in til the end.  I felt like it had a manageable amount of characters/suspects and possible theories, yet kept the suspense going until the proper time to reveal.  My only complaint is that I discovered 2/3 of the way through the book that it's part of a series, and the last one in the series at that.  I think it probably says something good about the book, though, that it was complete enough to stand on it's own and not need to have read the other books to understand it.  I give this one 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I have now moved on to The Supreme's At Earl's All-You-Can-Eat  by Edward Kelsey Moore.  It's the book club selection for the Morning Book Club at the Westerville Library.  The meeting to discuss it is this coming Tuesday, so I think I've sufficiently waited until the last minute.  I'm a little nervous about the Book Club meeting though.  I've never actually been to one and my only experience discussing books is in a classroom or with close friends.  Basically, I'm reading this one while simultaneously trying to build up the nerve to go to the meeting and discuss it.  Sometimes I wish you could buy courage in pill form.

Other than going out for a 15 minute walk in the pouring snow, I've been stuck inside all day.  We have somewhere around 5-6" of snow, and my little Kia would not appreciate my trying to drive in it. Fortunately we were prepared to be snowed in, and that I'm kind of anal about grocery shopping for a full week at a time, so we had our food ready to cook.  Today's recipe was Bean Casserole.  The original plan had been to cook some of the bags and bags of dried beans we have, but I forgot to soak them and get them started.  So canned beans it was, which is what the recipe called for anyway.  Also, I forgot to buy a pepper and carrots, and we don't like onion.  But we had the mushrooms!  We basically doubled the whole recipe, the beans and tomato paste and so forth.  Not the spices of course.  This recipe turned out to be really tasty, super easy... and cheap!  Gotta love it when you find a recipe so cheap, but so delicious.  Here's the finished product...

Next time I make it... and there will most certainly be a next time... I will be sure to have the peppers and carrots to go in it as well.  I'm a big fan of sneaking veggies in wherever I can. I also give this recipe 4.5 out of 5 stars.  It's a 4.5 out of 5 stars kind of day.

My goal for the rest of the evening is to be a big girl and not cry when Hubby has to go to work tonight.  It's ridiculous how much I get used to having him home, and how much I miss him when he goes back.  The plan of action is to keep my nose in my book til I am good and ready for bed, and the very important addition of crossing my fingers and hoping it works.

Have a great night, all!

Has It Really Been A Week?

Hubby has been on vacation this week, and tonight is his last night.  He has to go back to work tomorrow night at midnight.  How has the week gone by already?  Time always flies when I have him home with me.  I get right spoiled having company and getting so much attention.

One of the best parts of having him home is that we can go out for lunch together.  Usually Hubby is in bed until time for dinner, so sharing lunch is rare.  Yesterday we went to The Blue Danube, or The Dube.

Would have included a link to their webpage, but they don't really have one.  Just some reviews on Yelp and other sites.  Seems nigh impossible, but we had never been to The Dube before.  We've known of it for as long as we've lived here, since people that like it tend to LOVE it and talk about it a lot, but we'd never gone ourselves.  Yesterday was the day.  It was a neat little place, I felt like it had real character.  Which is, I suppose, because it has been there forever and had time to build character.  The salad I ordered was a little sad looking, but I figure that maybe salad isn't one of their more popular dishes.  The souvlaki I got was delicious, though.

The next thing on our list was grocery shopping.  There was once a time where I went to the market so infrequently that going was sort of a novelty... but that ship has sailed.  It's just a chore now, something to be done on Thursday afternoons to prevent starving every other day of the week.  The only interesting thing we bought was Prosecco, which was to make these...

We'll call it a faux-Bellini.  It was mostly real, except that white peaches are not to be found at this time of year, so it was necessary to sub regular peaches.  I got the inspiration to make them off a show on Cooking TV, and felt I had to try them.  My verdict was:  Yum!  Hubby's verdict was:  Has the texture of pulpy orange juice and is gross!  So we had differing opinions.  The bright side to this was that I drank 3 of them, since he wanted none.  The only thing I will do differently when I make them again is to process the peaches into liquid and then store them in the fridge for a few hours so it can be good and cold, along with the cold Prosecco.  Of course, if you are one of those lucky folks that has ice in your freezer, tossing in a cube would solve the problem.  We, unfortunately, have the tiniest fridge ever and no room to store ice in the freezer.  {I'm also wondering if using frozen peaches would be an option.  Anyone have an opinion?}

In between the grocery shopping and Bellinis, there was a coffee date with a good friend.  Hubby and I are going to a prom-themed party at the end of March, and my dear friend was bringing her collection of shawls for me to peruse and choose one to wear with my dress.  She walked into the coffee shop with both arms loaded with shawls, and holy moly did she have some gorgeous ones!  We narrowed it down to about 6 possibles, then narrowed it from there down to 2.  I brought those 2 home to try with my dress on, and narrowed it down to one.  This is the one I chose...

Isn't it lovely?  Here's the dress I will be wearing it with...

They match perfectly, and the shawl is just gorgeous.  She's just the sweetest friend, and I'm confident I'll have the prettiest shawl at the prom-party!

Today I drug Hubby out to some thrift stores.  I was on a mission to find some shoes for the prom party.  Because it is anathema to me to pay full price for nearly anything, I was determined to find a pair at a thrift store.  It's perhaps a little odd... though I prefer "quirky"... but I really enjoy the hunt for the perfect item at Goodwill.  Fortunately it only took 2 thrift stores to find treasure.  I found these...

They were basically exactly what I was looking for.  Just enough heel on them, without having so much that my tootsies would be aching 5 minutes after arriving at the party.  Also, for anyone that has some kind of fetish hearing about other people's thrift shopping... I found a cast iron skillet that will be the perfect size for searing steaks before cooking them in the oven.  It was a very successful day.

Tonight was the last dinner Hubby and I were going to get to enjoy together before his vacation ends, and I'm happy to say it turned out extra good.  Fully worthy of a last-vacation-dinner.  We made this Creamy Chicken Enchilada recipe, and it was delicious.  The recipe just called for cooked chicken, but I decided to flavor up my chicken when I cooked it.  I sprinkled some bbq seasoning on the breasts and let them set in the fridge for a couple hours, then poached them in some chicken broth.  Hubby shredded those up for me while I got the other stuff ready, and we got it in the oven.

Before we cooked anything, though, I took some leftover cilantro and chopped it up {working hard to master proper technique!} and mixed it into some jarred salsa.  Popped that in the fridge to set while we got everything else ready.  Then, Mexican restaurant style, we munched on chips and salsa while the enchiladas baked.  All in all, it was a delicious dinner and only needed some margaritas.  Unfortunately I like my margaritas frozen, and this brings us back to my earlier problem -- No ice.

Now I am off to enjoy my last full night of having Hubby home with me.  Have a good night, all!

Countdown to the Year of the Sheep...

Happy Chinese New Year's Eve!  I am neither Chinese, nor particularly superstitious, but I do love a reason to celebrate.  Even a minor celebration, as today has been.  I admit, I was not aware today is Chinese New Year's Eve until I read this post from "i am a food blog".  I just stumbled across this blog last night, and what timing!  It was some unholy, wee hour of the morning and I was battling insomnia when I came across it, and found myself totally intrigued.  I mean, seriously... look at that recipe and tell me you're not salivating!

I decided Hubby and I were going to make the beef wontons and sauce today.  We had to run out to the store and get a few things to make it, then hurried home to get to work.  This was my first time trying to make wontons/dumplings, or anything using a wonton wrapper.  I set to work, and at first things were coming along nicely.

It is somewhat a time consuming process, but it was working better than I expected.  I often don't have luck with things that involve artistry, even if the artistry was only folding up the wontons.  Things seemed to be going just as they should, and I got all of them made and ready to boil.  In the water they went.

Initially, things were looking okay... but I think this is where I went astray.  I read the directions for how long to boil the wontons, but I suppose I took it as a suggestion, and that was my mistake I believe.  I was also trying to boil noodles {noodles and dumplings are good luck foods on Chinese New Years}, and figured I'd just let the wontons continue to boil until the noodles were closer to ready.  I probably let them boil an extra 3 minutes, and when I went to drain them... they were totally mush and completely fell apart.  Now, as I said, *I* did not properly follow the directions, and if I had, this probably would not have happened.  {Unless anyone else has any suggestions about why it may have gone wrong?}

They were completely inedible, though the bites of meat I sampled were good.  The wontons were a total loss, and we ended up just pitching the whole thing.  However, the Spicy Chili Oil {part of the larger recipe}  was amazing.  I imagine I may have bastardized it a bit, because I didn't use the ground szechuan peppercorns.  I didn't have any, and also, I am a wuss about spicy things.  I did put the red pepper in it, which gave it as much spice as I could handle.  So I tossed the noodles with the sauce.

I was disappointed that the wontons didn't work, but I'm pretty sure I know where I went wrong, and I'll be sure to try again.  But even if I never master making wontons, just getting the recipe for that sauce was worth all the effort.  A million and one thanks to Steph at "i am a food blog" for sharing this recipe.

I also learned that it is apparently good luck to clean just before Chinese New Years.  So I did a little cleaning and rearranging in the kitchen earlier, and the fridge is gonna be getting a good cleaning later.  Hubby is napping now, but promised to help me when he wakes up.  All chores automatically suck less when someone helps you with them, or at least keeps you company while you do them.  I'm not looking forward to the actual act of cleaning the fridge, but I AM looking forward to having a clean and organized fridge.  And if some Chinese New Years Eve cleaning can bring a little luck for the coming year, so much the better!

Today is not only Chinese New Years Eve, though.  It is also National Drink Wine Day.  I really only pay attention to "National _______ Day" when it gives me the excuse to do something I'd want to do anyway.  And drinking wine is one of those things.  So after the fridge is clean and the chores are done, Hubby and I will settle down with some wine and relax until we're ready for bed.  Which will hopefully be sometime before sunrise.

Wishing everyone a great start to the Year of the Sheep!