7:30 It’s go time!
7:35 HBear get away from the TV it’s breakfast time!
8:00 SBean walks up to me buck naked and holds out her diaper. “Mommy I peed.” Someone is ready for potty training… I will think about that lol.
8:15 Both girls are finally dressed, lunch is made and backpack packed we are ready to go.
8:30 We picked a big bag of plums and we are off to see the striking teachers to give them some nourishment 🙂
8:40 Drop off the plums and explain if there are any soft ones they can be used to throw at Mr. Fassbender at his next press conference LOL
9:00 Drop HBear off at daycamp at the Community Center. That is the first time we have been there for camp. There were 50 kids, 3 leaders and only like 7 girls. The majority of the kids were probably in grade 3-5. HBear looked at me with terrified little eyes, OMG it was horrible leaving her there 🙁 PLUS I leaned over to give her a kiss and she totally pulled away! WTF? Her eyes were darting around and she looked all scared and I couldn’t comfort her because she PULLED AWAY! I pulled her closer and crouched right down. “I love you. You’re going to be great. Show them your beautiful smile and introduce yourself clearly. Everyone will love you!” She nodded unsurely and finally gave me a kiss.
9:15 Pull into the Starbucks Drive thru. It is windy and chilly today… +12!!! I have a coupon (yes more coupons lol) for a pumpkin spice latte, I have never tried one so I thought this was the perfect fall day to do so.
9:20 Mmmmmmm sit and think “how have I never tried one of these until now?” DELISH!
9:30 Pull up to the Hyundai dealership to get new tires put on and get an oil change. Dad pulls up too for our ride home 🙂
9:45 Home to read books to SBean and down for a nap.
11:30 Officially pooped thank goodness SBean would like to color!
So first I get all of my ingredients out and then I start chopping.
5 thick cut slices bacon
2 tablespoons flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 lbs stew beef meat, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 medium onion, chopped
6 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups dry red wine
8 cups beef stock
4 thyme sprigs
2 large bay leaf
1/4 cup tablespoons pesto
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 stalks celery, diced into ½-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
2 medium potatoes, diced into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1:45 I start to fry my bacon and then brown my beef but I need 2 hands so I let my sister go LOL
Cook bacon over medium low heat until golden brown and crisp, but not hard. Do not overcook. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Remove half of the bacon drippings and set aside.
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add beef and toss with your hands to coat.
Once second batch of beef is browned, return first half of beef to pan. Add onion and garlic, tomato paste and 1 of cup wine. Bring to a boil then lower heat to maintain a low simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally to loosen brown bits from bottom of pan.
2:00 I have all my vegetables prepped and I have my beef simmering in wine and tomato paste so I fold the laundry that is now dry.
Simmer until most of the wine is absorbed, about 20 minutes then add the remainder of the wine and simmer until almost completely absorbed.
Add the beef stock, thyme, bay leaf, pesto and brown sugar and return to a boil. Reduce to a low constant simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour or until beef is tender. Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
2:30 Start my bread 🙂
Place flour in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a bread hook. Add salt and pepper. Pour in activated yeast mixture, and butter mixture. Stir on low speed, with the dough hook, for about 10 to 12 minutes. The dough ball should clean the sides of the bowl and not stick to the bottom of the mixing bowl. The dough will be relatively smooth and supple, with some firmness from the bread flour.
2:45 My dough is ready to be rested and I’m about ready for a sandwich 🙂
3:00 make tea for Dad and Ninja, both of them are still sick 🙁 Also get dishes done. It is really important to clean as you go. It makes life so much easier and I always think a dinner is most impressive when the dishes are done too. “Dinner tastes THIS good AND the dishes are all done??!?!?!” WOW” lol
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| The “dead” wooden bird lol |
3:30 Add ingredients and turn off the soup and set aside.
Add celery, carrots, peas and potatoes.
3:45 Ninja and Dad leave to go pick up the van and HBear. I turn out the dough.
Cover with tight fitting lid and bake for 30 minutes.
4:25 Take off the lid and put the bread back in.
4:30 Argue with HBear because she’s hungry for a snack and she’s threatening me and trying to hold me hostage to the fact that she’s going to eat all of the bacon unless she gets a snack so I put the bacon on top of the fridge… And she chose a yogurt tube 🙂
Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. When butter is bubbly, add mushrooms and salt. I have a ton of mushrooms because when we’re at the grocery store I got HBear to practice her counting by twos and then her counting by 3… so I end up getting a ton of mushroom lol so I’m gonna add a few more this is going to be really mushroomy LOL. Cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
4:50 Add bacon and mushrooms to the soup.
Cover soup loosely and cook carrots and potatoes until tender, about 25 more minutes. Add mushrooms to soup and stir. If soup is too thick add a bit more stock or water.
Take bread out of the oven and Hahaha I made too deep of cuts at the top and my whole loaf looks like something out of a new Star Wars movie LOL.
5:15 DINNER
This soup was AWESOME! I loved it! The bread was good. Everyone raved about the bread and I was all like MEH.
5:45 Dinner is done, what is left of the dishes are being done, and HBear is STILL eating! It is ridiculous how slow she is!
6:00 Done. Ninja and SBean go into the bath and HBear and I have a buttertart 🙂
6:25 Our turn! HBear and I get our butts into the bath… the dance party begins!
6:45 Bathed, brushed. creamed, teeth brushed, earrings changed and we hop up onto the bed.
7:00 G’Night SBean!! Kiss and hug!
7:10 Time to do HBear’s Gr 1 workbook 🙂
7:40 20 minutes of HBear’s pick… she picks Big Brother lol but it isn’t on until 8 so she decides on MasterChef 🙂
8:00 G’Night HBear!
8:10 OK so now I have to read up on my fantasy hockey draft lol… and watch Big Brother!
G’Night 🙂
