can't make a living as a bayman anymore

I had a pretty productive Saturday, although I probably should have gone to bed a couple of hours ago. I spent the morning doing a variety of house-related tasks, which was great. I got groceries delivered, thus crossing a major errand off my to-do list. And I had coffee and showered, which are v. necessary for making me feel human in the morning.

Then, Katie came over - it was only forty degrees and very much not the kind of day that we would choose for outdoor dining, but the need for friendship outweighed the need to feel my fingers, so we sat outside for a couple of hours. We also ordered thai food, which warmed me up substantially, and my outdoor blankets (and uggs, and a coat) helped. Katie was in fine form and we had much to catch up on, so that was a delight (albeit a frigid one).

After she left, I ran to the paint store to buy a few paint samples for the bedroom project I'm embarking on. Then I came home and began to cook a baked fish chowder - it's from the latest Barefoot Contessa cookbook, and it's been on my list of recipes to try. It involves onions, celery, potatoes, bacon, cod, butter, cream, wine, saffron, and pernod (an anise-flavored liqueur) - so, pretty decadent, but also similar in flavor profile to a chicken bouillabaise from one of the earlier Barefoot Contessa cookbooks (which used to be a mainstay of my dinner parties). I was slightly disappointed in how it turned out, I must admit - the potatoes needed more salt, I thought the celery dice was too big (she called for 1/2" dice, but I didn't like the texture of the cooked celery at that size), and I didn't have the usual bacon I use and wasn't impressed with the alternative bacon that I'd found. That said, it was still tasty, and it was certainly a different meal than what I'm used to making.

While that was cooking, I talked to Terry for awhile - we also had much to catch up on, and it was also a delight (warmer than catching up with Katie, since I was inside and also cooking, but also virtual rather than in person, so there are trade-offs). After we got off our call, I ate my fish stew, messed around on the internet, and did some personal productivity stuff to close out the night.

And now I must sleep - goodnight!