My Love Affair
As you all know, we are busy preparing to hit the road south
in our RV. I only learned today we are leaving Sunday. I thought we were
leaving Monday. No one (i.e. DT) tells me anything. Now I am super-crushed
for time and am worried how I will fit-in my Lunch With Pam and a pedicure
into my busy schedule this week. (Oh! The Pressure!) My Driver has now taken on the additional
role of My Running Coach and allowed me an "easy" day, after my 4.25 miler
yesterday - only two miles today. Seriously, at this point, it is hardly
worth getting dressed and lacing up the NIKEs to run only two miles... but I
am following his program. Dutiful Wife. My Coach is giving me the Day Off
tomorrow and I am so excited. This is especially convenient because tomorrow
I have Lunch With Pam!
In other news around Taylor Manor - our beautiful early Spring is gone. We
had a freeze overnight. Skunks (it is critter mating season) were busy behind our
house last night stinking up the joint. It rained all day. Ordinary February
has returned. The Lovely Lisa spent her weekend in Merced with our
California family and is now back in El Lay. My Dad has driven his motorhome
to Yuma. Dad is beginning his adjustment to traveling solo after nearly 60
years with a co-pilot. Send your good thoughts to My Dear Dad, Sweet
Readers.
Now on to my Love Affair. I have not run off with George Clooney. Jimmy
Buffett and I are not crusing the Caribbean on his sailboat. I have not
jetted-off to Jamaica with
Usain Bolt.
I am in love with my vacuum
sealer.
George, Jimmy and Usain pale in comparison to my
vacuum sealer. Mere mortals.
We went to our local
New Seasons Market today to load-up for our
upcoming RV road trip. As you know all too well, I am particularly
picky about the meat we consume, so this afternoon
we chose natural, free-range, organic, whatever...
beef, lamb and chicken for our little trip. New York
steaks, beef stew meat, lamb chops, Mediterranean Lamb
Loaf, Chicken breasts, Whole Chicken Legs (with
thigh), turkey-sage breakfast sausage... just a few
choice items to enjoy while we are on the road. Our
butcher asked where we were off to this time.
We answered: South.
He sighed.
But how does a Modern Girl take all of this animal
flesh conveniently in a small RV freezer? Well, she
compresses it in her Foodsaver
vacuum sealer, of course!
Here are two grass-fed, organic,
hormone-free, antibiotic-free, massaged by virgins,
New York steaks - before vacuum sealing. I use the
label from the butcher and stick it on the plastic
bag. Easy.
And here we have the same steaks,
compressed, air-tight, vacuum-sealed and ready for
the RV freezer. Greatest thing about preparing foods
in the vacuum-sealer? They thaw in virtually moments
in a sink filled with water. Minutes instead of hours! You
can also add a marinade or fresh herbs to the meat
before vacuum-sealing for even more convenient
future cooking.
This is one pound of Turkey-Sage
Breakfast Sausage. Flattened to nearly nothing - it
travels well in the RV freezer.
That chore finished, it was time for
dinner. I needed to caramelize red onions. Luckily I
am good at multi-tasking, as it apparently is
suddenly National Martini Day! (Just kidding.)
GO DUCKS!
I wish.
Today, I really cheated at dinner and purchased a
package of prepared Wild Mushroom Agnolotti from
Buitoni. This product totally breaks all my rules of
dining - but the listed ingredients only contain
a few that are usually off-limit. (The
Buitoni Mushroom Agnolotti have been heavily
advertised in every food magazine this month.) The
mushroom-stuffed pockets were surprisingly delicious
too.
I caramelized red onions and garlic and then added
sliced crimini mushrooms, fresh thyme, kosher salt
and freshly-cracked black pepper. After everything
was browned and savory, I deglazed the pan with a
little white wine. The mushroom combination was
added to a plate with the boiled pasta packets and
garnished with a bit of fresh thyme and grated
parmesan. Pretty and delicious.
I hope you are not all shocked at my admitted cheater dinner
and professed lust over a vacuum sealer... but this small appliance makes
(cooking) life on the road so easy.
Until my next update, I remain, your vacuum-sealed correspondent.