DAY ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-TWO OF COOKING COURSE

 Christmas Apple Pie!  I did call it 4th of July Weekend Apple Pie.  But the course called it Christmas.  It was SO good.  It had a pie crust that was just like I like it.  Super thin crust with no ends.  I don't like thick pie crust ends.  It was also not dry as some pie crusts can be.  It was mostly insides.  It was made with a tart ring so there were no "crusts".  It was basically just the structure and then fillings.  Inside was a cream made from vanilla pastry cream and marzipan so it was sweet.  Then on top were apples that had been steeped in a syrup made from cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, rum, cloves, and raisins.  The apples tasted so delicious.  I can't wait to eat more of it.  I have some leftover dough, cream and apples so I may make some tarts.

It was a busy day and an overcast one so I decided to stay inside and walk my mile on the treadmill.  I got some unexpected phone calls today.

I am still learning how to use my electricity to my advantage with the solar.  I know I need to use my big appliances before 4pm to get the best rate.  This has so far been a challenge for me since in the past I have been used to doing things later in the day.  Running the dishwasher is easy because I can do that really late.  But laundry is the biggest challenge for me.  Laundry needs a good 2.5 - 3 hours to clean sheets and towels.  That means I have to start them early in the day and remember to move them from the washer to the dryer at the appropriate time.  This may sound easy but my washer and dryer are in the garage and I can't hear the buzzer when the washer is done.  I have taken to setting my alarm on my phone.  Because if I don't move the wash to the dryer in time, I run out of time to do the next load of laundry before it is 4pm and I am into the "high cost" zone.  I never thought about this before.  Now I have to.  It reminds me of the olden days of cellphone usage before unlimited plans when you had to be careful not to go over your minutes.  You only went over your minutes once when you saw how much it cost you!  I had a family member get charges from a foreign country and I am sure that person will not do that again!  Anyway, I am re-learning how to use electricity.  It is a very good exercise.  

Until tomorrow...

DAY 133 WALKED ANOTHER MILE

Day 133 since I left the house.

I walked a mile on the treadmill again.  I spoke to a family member and found out it was okay to plug the treadmill into an extension cord or a power strip. In fact he said it was best to plug into a power strip.  So I moved some things around and plugged it into a power strip and moved it into the place I originally wanted it.  Now I am much happier.  It is not in the walkway anymore and I can put things back the way they were.  I am going to move things around once my foster son's boxes are moved out.  They are taking up a lot of space in my garage.  I have so much stuff to deal with in my garage but until the rodent issue is taken care of and until the foster son's boxes are gone I am having a hard time.

Rodent update: I went down and one of the traps was sprung.  I didn't get close but I saw a tail.  I called the guy and he came over and (without coming close to me) he called me from the garage to tell me that the tail I saw was a nail.  There was no rodent.  The trap just sprung.  He did find another hole though.  Those rodents are relentless.  He filled it and reset the trap.

Lucky update: She is breathing better already. The bacon flavored medicine seems to be working.  She was not to keen on it the first day but she is lapping it up now.  She is barely leaving the silver in the bottom of her bowl.  She is a bacon convert. 

Until tomorrow...