Aphids

I purchased sterile potting soil. I planted seeds. I am now overrun with a plethora of aphids. Where did they come from? Unless the aphids spent the Winter hiding under the bed, I have no idea where they came from.
The army of ladybugs that I have been dealing with for two months have all deserted. They must have all joined the volunteer fire department in their home towns and are now busy saving their children. Their beloved little children, who have an enormous appetite for aphids, would be more than welcome here while their home is being rebuilt.
I have been taking each plant outside and brushing off the aphids as I have a reverance for living things that precludes crushing or poisoning them. This reverance does not always include spiders. HMMMM, do spiders eat aphids? I find it hard to kill anything but to allow Nature to handle the situation seems acceptable. Morals are determined by the society that we live in but ethics are a personal choice.
"Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home. With an aphid under each arm!".

Corned

Yesterday I made a corned beef. The local market had point cut so cheap that I got one that weighed over two pounds for less than two dollars. Big Mistake! It was good, it was great, and I made several sandwiches. It simmered it water for one hour for each pound and was then finished in the oven at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes with a glaze of brown sugar, ginger, water, and soy sauce. I got up during the night three times for a glass of water. Corned beef is definitely off of the menu. I think back fondly of a Rachael sandwhich. A Rachael is a Reuben with coleslaw instead of sauerkraut.

Spring?

What a day yesterday was. The Sun was shining, the river was roaring, and the birds are back in the cedar tree. I took a long walk and, lo and behold, I ended up at the grocery store. I picked up a few things, mostly canned tomatoes, and walked home. I got the makings for pizza and baked macaroni. I also used the blood pressure machine that the store has. I may have to get in touch with the Guinness Book.
When I got home I considered what to make. Canned tomatoes over elbow macaroni with Asiago easily won out. Unfortunately my old nemesis was once more victorious.
A daily walk to and from the grocery store may be in the future if the weather continues to be so nice. The exercise will help, if I can only stay away from salty things. I don't use salt in cooking but pepperoni and cheese are neccessary for decent pizza. I can remember when I used to salt steak until the salt stopped getting wet and then put soy sauce on top of it. Those days are gone but the bottle of soy sauce in the refrigerator still poses its sirene-like allure each time the door is opened.
So it will go. A daily walk, time spent perusing the vegetable aisle, and walking home listing to the right because of the tomato overload. Are sausages a vegetable? I hope so.

Cleaning

Yesterday I cleaned the refrigerator. I was embarrased. I found some really disgusting things way in the back. The freezer was not a problem as it keeps things at minus ten degrees but the other side was. I found a dozen eggs with a use/by date of September 2009. I know that eggs can go weeks beyond their date but those went into the trash.
The apples, cabbage, potatoes, and turnip were fine. They have been in there a long time but thirty-one degrees seems to prolong their life. I found yoghurt, chicken broth, pizza sauce, and ricotta cheese that I didn't even know that I had. Each of them displayed a wonderfully colorful flora inside. Most of them went to the trash but I will try to save the ricotta as it had no flora and the plastic on top was still intact. I pay extra for aged parmesan and asiago and may have discovered a new taste sensation, aged ricotta.
I have got to get out of the habit of chops and stir-fry and pasta. I need to get back to serious cooking. It sometimes seems to be a waste though. Cooking for one is not as easy as it sounds. It is complicated to cook a good meal without having so many leftovers that I feel guilty. I find it almost impossible to throw food out. I can remember times when there was no food. I can remember mayonnaise sandwiches and mustard sandwiches. That is probably the reason I stock so much pasta and canned plum tomatoes, onions, and garlic. My favorite dish is plum tomatoes over elbow macaroni. That is where the aged asiago reigns. It was a dish that my Mother used to serve when times were difficult and it has always been a treat for me. She also made American Chop Suey that the neighborhood would flock to. No matter how sparse the larder was, there was always room for at least one more at her table. I have tried to duplicate that dish and have never been successful.
My Brother would give me a kidney. He has her recipe for American Chop and her meatballs. I have tried to get them from him. His eyes glaze over then he starts nervously looking around for an escape from the room. The only way that I will ever get them from him is if he slips them into my casket.
So I will venture back into the world of butter and cream and broths and gravy. I will have leftovers bulging out of the door of the refrigerator but it will be worth it. Food is presently my smallest expense and it deserves to be treated with more respect. The last time that I was at the grocery store I noticed that they had flap meat and shortribs. MMMMM, homemade hamburgers and baked beans. The beans will be B&M as I cannot even come close to duplicating their taste and convenience. They are the best alternative as Esther Friend's beans are no longer on the market.
I should eat more fish but the fish out here seems tired and elderly. I once lived near New Bedford and got accustomed to fish that was still trying to spit out the hook. I miss living near the ocean. Perhaps some day.

Stock

Yesterday was wonderful. It was a pleasant day and a good day for a walk. I ended the day by making stock. I now have six quarts of very mixed stock. I took all of the scraps of meat and bones that have been crowding the freezer for months, I hope that it was months, and simmered them for four hours along with the requisite 60/20/20 ratio of onions, carrots, and celery. The meats were a mixture of chicken, pork, and beef. I started with eight quarts of water and reduced them down to six over four hours. As I type, I realize that I forgot to add the sachet d'epice and it is still sitting on the counter. The stock is in the refrigerator and a thin layer of fat has accumulated on the top. Today I will skim off the fat and reduce the stock even further, also adding the spices. I may even add salt if the stock needs it.
Today will also be a day to transplant the seedlings. The basil is six inches high and the peppers and eggplant and herbs need more footroom. I hope to also start the tomatoes. I am going to have an awful lot of tomato plants as I went overboard ordering seeds. I always do.
I have started Spring cleaning. I hope to be done by the fourth of July. I am really just moving things around as I find it almost impossible to throw anything out. This failing has recently been amplified by reading that used coffee grounds are good for potting plants. I do proudly dispose of the used filters. A person has to start somewhere.