Well, it has been a few days since we started our new life plan here at Maison Brinkley. I have to say it is going well. I am a morning person (i.e. if it isn't done before noon, it isn't going to happen) so this new scheme just plays into my sensibilities.
I have discovered that cooking a main meal to be eaten about 11:30 a.m. isn't a problem at all in the morning. In the evening it is damn near impossible because of our schedule. So, since Saturday we have been eating "dinner" (a large, noon meal) and I am proud to say that the meal was eaten and my kitchen was spotless before my soap opera came on. That makes me feel good and accomplished.
I had hoped that this change would make changes in our health. The results? I am losing weight -- slowing but I am losing it. My husband's blood sugar was very low yesterday -- not too low, it never gets too low -- but low enough to see the difference. Mission Accomplished.
So, for today's meal I am doing something different. I am not a fan of crock pots even though I have two. One I never use and the other I use when I have no choice since we are gone from the house everyday. No, I am not afraid to go away and leave it on "low". Anyway, I didn't want to use the crock pot this morning so I decided to research slow cooking in the oven. Seems it can be done since millions of homemakers before me did exactly that before there was such a thing as crock pots. My grandmother had an stove that had four burners and a "well" that could be used for things such as stew and chicken and dumplings. It cooked slowly and yes, those were the best chicken and dumplings I ever tasted. Think Aga. Slow cooking in a regular oven can be done -- or so I have read.
So, I dug down deep in the cabinet and I found this --
This isn't mine, mine is a lovely dusty aqua hue. But, it is the same thing. The idea is to put your food in it, put ice in the depression of the lid which will allow condensation from the inside to drip off little bumps in the lid into your food to keep it moist and succulent. I have used mine once but I decided that I would give it a go today.
So, I browned some seasoned, floured stew meat, added some mushrooms and a cup of water, put the lid on, added the ice and placed it in a pre-heated 300 degree oven. This was at 7:20 a.m. Hopefully it will be done by 11:30. I will let you know how it turns out --if it turns out.
I may be a morning person but I have never been a breakfast person so this new eating plan is a bit challenging in that regard. In order for a person to eat the majority of his/her calories by mid-day, breakfast has to happen. So, I decided to go the whole 90 yards and actually eat at the table, a proper meal and see how it goes.
This was breakfast --
an English muffin with a bit of butter (just a bit) and a bit of cherry jelly, six prunes and a half a container of yogurt -- only half though because the first ingredient is sugar. A cup of green ginger tea and my meds with a glass of water. Hopefully that is going to get me through until lunch. I actually sat at the table and did my Bible study at the same time. I am trying to get on a regular routine of Bible study and this seemed like a perfect time to do that.
So, my day is started, my laundry is caught up, lunch is in the oven (did you know you can cook rice in the oven as well?) and the house is reasonably picked up. So, what to do?
Oh yes, I am having a telephone coffee break with my cousin Elaine at 9 a.m.! That should be fun! Doing a bit of genealogy together. Isn't technology wonderful? A telephone. Not facetime or skype, not email --- just a regular old telephone call.
Telephone calls, slow cooking in an oven -- just call me progressive.
