I know it's been a while since I've popped up here, so I'm just wondering how everyone was going.
It's been difficult finding the time to chat between setting up a reasonably complicated machine that came with Ikea level instructions (well, maybe that will teach DH to insist on doing it himself next time, rather than letting me call the technician), trying to make said machine work (which I'm still working on), and the general array of life dramas.
Unfortunately my MIL is ill, and it's looking like the end is very near. DH is up in Michigan with his family. We couldn't both afford to go, and I figured that seeing as I've met his family once, maybe it would be better to let them be alone together. One of my SIL did a lot of stupid things recently and is in legal trouble. Again, something I'll let the family sort out, but it seems that people they don't have a lot of sympathy for her anymore, which is not surprising if you've read any of my other posts about her.
I tried to go to a trade conference a couple of weeks ago, and managed to get all the way to Boston before I found out that my bank had cancelled my card because of a data breach, so, I pretty much had to turn around and come straight back, because no hotel would let DH pay with his card if he wasn't staying there (this is very strange, as it's not an issue I've come across in other countries). That was such a disappointment. I spent several days being depressed about it, until a friend told me that there's a similar conference next month in Salt Lake and still a lot of classes open, so I'm just deciding how deep I want to get in to this at the moment. Unfortunately not all of the same instructors will be there, but I'll get to take some of the classes I missed, and a bunch of new ones with someone whose books I love. So, I'm feeling better now. It would help if I could get the machine working and do some practice before then though.
And somehow I've rediscovered the kitchen. I'm having a ton of fun preserving vegetables and making my own butter. Seriously, I recommend everyone try making butter. It's very quick in the food processor, a little bit messy in the next step, and results in something so much nicer than what you get from the store. You can do it with regular cream, but I bought some piima starter culture, and I've been using soured cream I've made at home.
Enough about me. How are you guys? What have you all been up to?
x
Re: How are you all?
Lady, it sounds like you have been in a whirlwind! I'm very sorry to hear about your MIL. *hugs*
I've been good. H and I bought a house, so we have been really preoccupied with getting it all set up. Work is insane but that is a very good thing.
Tell me more about this butter...
I freaking LOVE homemade butter. It's more expensive, at least at grocery store prices for cream, but it is SO much better. Bake a loaf of bread and put it on there! It is positively beautiful. It's too expensive for day-to-day cooking use, though.
I'm really hoping someone buys the food processor on our registry and then I will have to try making butter. What's this machine you speak of? I am intrigued. I'm sure you've posted about it before but I can't recall.
I have been swamped with wedding stuff lately, had three complete meltdowns in a week. FI was being super sweet and trying to pick up the slack because his workload at the office was lighter than usual, but now he has to redo a month's worth of work in the two weeks before the wedding.