I love making lists.
(Making canned pumpkin since 1880 something? That's comitment.) I think that is why me and banking had such a harmonious relationship for so many years. Banking is all about lists. (ya, ya its also about keeping your money safe and all that but you know what I mean) Whether you are verifying cash in a vault or lending someone money to buy a house, there is one or two or seventeenchecklists you need to complete. Since arriving in mommyville, it’s one thing I have missed. My son did not come with a checklist.
(Yes, that is a list next to the batter...and a storm trooper cookie cutter. A sentence I never thought I would type) My life is not totally void ANY lists. I make my husband myself small to do lists, and grocery lists but they are temporary, thrown out at the end of the day. I deliberately started making daily lists - just things I would LOVE to accomplish before the day was through. Confession: I have put things on the list I have already done, just to cross it off (thank you for still marrying me Mr. sitxyone45) As I mentioned before here I need to be busy... and maybe that's not quite it....I need to see progress. I like lists.
(I think Mr sixtyone45 is still smiling that I know the difference between a storm trooper and a Yoda) So baby..I'm making lists now. Pretty, permanent, long term lists. I don't want to call it a Bucket List as that phrase feels a bit overused (and morbid)...I will find better descriptive prose but I am starting here with a Kitchen List. I would like a Fitness List because I really want to be able to do a chin up one day. And a Crafty/Creative list so I can cross off kintting a scarf (longer than 13 inches) too. But one
day
list at a time...
(a little dollop of cream cheese, seemed like a GREAT idea...not so much. apprently cream cheese? not so melty) Maybe it will evolve into a Lisa Life List. I dunno yet, but I want to stop randomly muttering goals throughout the day. (If only because people are staring) I want to live with more intention. I want to stop saying.... I want to learn how to
and then in an instant the thought passes and I am elbow deep in a diaper change.
(the dirtier my oven gets, the more zoom I use. Now I gotta put Clean the Oven on a list) So in no particular order, and in no particular time frame, here are the first ten I want to master, really master. So they become my own, my staples, my go to's....so Little sixtyone45 can tell his kids, my mom made the best....
1.
Animal Crackers (I want the cute cut outs, healthy and an always a partially full jar in the pantry)
2.
Soup Broth (the kind my ma in law makes...chicken and beef but clear like chardonnay)
3.
Apple Pie (the crust and everything)
4.
Bread sans Machine (I am thinking sourdough)
5.
Preserves (canning, whatever...full on preserved stuff I could put in my bunker if I had one)
6.
Cake with Fondant (I want to make a girlfriend a really pretty cake one day)
7.
Borcht/Perogi/Cabbage Rolls (the Ukrainian trifecta, my mama cooks all three brilliantly)
8.
Pasta (I have made it before, I just want to be really good at it, not just spaghetti or fettuccini, little ones and stuffed ones)
9.
Cured Meats (salami, pepperoni - is that even cured? - prosciutto, stuff like that)
10.
Marshmallows (and just generally the ability to use a candy thermometer)
One day I will figure out how to put this list in a separate link on this page, but for right now here they are. I look forward to crossing things off and adding to them and creating new lists.
(cream cheese that doesn't melt and cardboard that doesn't start on fire when you put it in a 400 degree oven...I missed that day in chemistry) So its probably some form of irony that as I try to find my creativness, I want it all tied up in neat little lists but oh well...
...my little sous chef doesn't mind.
Pumpkin Loaf/Muffins (source: World's Greatest Gramma)
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 3/4 cups pumpkin (small can)
3 cups flour
1 T. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
Optional - 2 cups raisins and/or 1/2 cup bran and/or 1/4 ground flax
Beat the eggs till fluffy.
Add the oil, sugar and pumpkin.
Beat thouroughly.
Sift together dry ingrediants in separate bowl.
Add a little at of time to the wet ingrediants. Stirrin gently.
Pour into muffin tins (greased) or a loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes for muffins or 35 to 40 for a loaf.
