Plumb exhausted...

So, it is all my fault I am plumb exhausted.  I'm the one who insisted on all this cooking and real foods stuff.

The grilled chicken tacos with bacon were a great big hit.  Three times over.  Two thumbs up!  Of course, somehow I managed to forget about the Kulp Spices' Smoked Grilled Herbs.  Becky must think I am an oaf.  I used them again.  Oh, my.

Now, I have read how we are not supposed to wash meat because then germs splatter, but I think sinks are meant to get dirty because part of cleaning up means cleaning the sink.  I rinse and pat dry my chicken.  There. I have confessed. I am a chicken breast washer.

After they were dry, I smeared olive oil all over them and then rubbed in the spice stuff.  I let them sit for about 20 minutes, the latter part of which I let the grill heat up.  Now, my grill make perfect chicken if you grill it 5 minutes a side.  However, grilling in freezing temperatures has been a bit of an adventure.  I actually grilled the breasts 11 minutes a side, first 7 minutes each, then 2, then 2 ... flipping at each interval.  The grill cooled down considerably each time I opened it.  So, perhaps part of the extended time was the flipping.  However, the chicken was perfect.  Of course, I let them rest 5 minutes before cutting into them.  That was some of the best cooking advice I ever received.

This time, I warmed up the tortillas with cheese, crumbled bacon, and sour cream.  Then I added the grilled chicken and lettuce.  Tasty.  Oh, so very tasty.

My charge has ADHD, so when his medication wears off, he gets hungry.  He loves fried rice.  So, I made him some.  Does it look good to you?

I cooked the rice yesterday.  I then sautéed the chopped-up slivered carrots and broccoli in olive oil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and teriyaki grilling sauce.  After mixing up the Kinkoman's packet of flavoring, I added it and the rice and cooked it for a while.  Finally, I shoved everything to one side and scrambled two eggs.  Yes, I forgot the water chestnuts.  SIGH.  Still, I will have another opportunity to perfect my fried rice before my charge leaves.  I really wish I could figure out what the spices are in the packet so that the whole thing could be from scratch.  [For the record, SunBird is far, far tastier as far as fried rice packets go.]

Amos very much enjoyed pre-cleaning the chicken resting plate and the fried rice bowl.  He was miffed that I did not share any of my tacos with him.

Tomorrow night, I will be using the rest of the grilled chicken on the chalupas.

Did I mention that I am exhausted?  I cannot fathom getting through tomorrow's dinner, since there will not be sleeping-from-drop-off-to-pick-up as there was today.  Instead, there will be getting-the-car-taken-care-of and cooking'-with-Marie.  Also, I'm sure there will be some cooking-a-Thanksgiving-meal angst along the way.  Of course, there will be the getting-up-at-an-ungodly-hour part, too.

You know, this morning.  There I was, struggling to stay awake as my charge ate his breakfast, cajoling him to finish so that we would not be late and he finally asks, "Miss Myrtle, is that plastic tape on your nose?" My BreatheRight strip was so disturbing he was having trouble eating because he couldn't figure out what it was or why it was there.

I drove him to school in my pajamas.  My toes were miserably cold.  When I got back in bed, I thought to check the weather.  It was -4 degrees!


I am Yours, Lord.  Save me!