Oh, and cooking it longer did get rid of a bunch of the onion taste.

Also, I tried roasting the vegetables first (well, the roastable ones), and it tasted much better than soup with un-roasted vegetables.

I also made the matzo balls with half regular matzo meal and half whole wheat, which worked really well, actually. (Well, worked really well for me, since I make German matzo balls, which are supposed to be firm and usually have a bit of cinnamon and/or fried onions in them, so they look kind of brownish already. People trying to make fluffy white matzo balls might not like the whole wheat so much.)

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Oh, that sounds delicious, Hil. How do you make your matzo balls?

I've had a nice ploughman's lunch and watched the Crosetti episode of Homicide and my day has gotten much better. I may be ready to take on another task, even.

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Oh, that sounds delicious, Hil. How do you make your matzo balls?

Approximately: 1/4 cup whole wheat matzo meal. 1/4 cup regular matzo meal. 2 eggs. 1-2 tablespoons oil. 1-2 tablespoons water. Big pinch of salt. Sprinkle each of ginger and cinnamon. If you're feeling fancy, chop up some onions really small and fry them in oil until they're dark brown, and stir those in. Also, if you like, some chopped parsley. (I like them better with the parsley, but my father hates it so I leave it out when he's going to be eating them, and this time I left it out because I didn't have any.) Stir together, then put in the fridge for an hour or so. (My mother insists this step is unnecessary, but I think they get a better texture this way.) Take out of the fridge, add a litte more water if you need to. Get the soup (or pot of salted water) boiling, then turn the heat down so that it's just simmering. Roll the matzo balls about the size of ping-pong balls (keeping your hands wet will help make this a lot easier) and drop them into the soup. Cover the soup, and let it cook for about 40 minutes. Don't open the cover until it's done -- just keep an eye on the steam coming out and adjust the heat so that it doesn't boil.

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So glad you all mentioned food. Otherwise I might have forgotten that I needed to eat.

I think I'm going to find a home improvement project that invovles stompint, marching and kicking. Things that use my strong muscles not my weak muscles.

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I understand where the not cooking comes from, but it is one of those things that has changed. I love cooking, esp when I can do it the right way - meaning taking time over a day to cook lots of nurturing, wholesome food. It is contemplative, not work. I'm not thinking about god, but if I was religious, it would be part of the process.

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I've eaten so much today that I might explode, and tomorrow there will be so much more food. The soup sounds good Hil.

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Thanks, Hil, that sounds extremely tasty. I'm gonna try that next time I make some, I think it will be a good variation to have under my belt.

It is contemplative, not work. I'm not thinking about god, but if I was religious, it would be part of the process.

This is the argument my Reform Rabbi used to explain why gardening is the right way for some people to observe the Sabbath.

Using your weaker muscles now means they'll be stronger later, right?

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Using your weaker muscles now means they'll be stronger later, right?

I've heard that rumor, but they forgot about the part where my arms fall off

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TCG and I just finished coloring eggs and baking peanut butter brownies. We went out today and found my favorite used bookstore is gone. It's a good thing I brought plenty of books with me. Now we're going to watch the Red Sox game and eat brownies as soon as they are cool enough to cut.

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Yeah. It's one of the surprising things about ballroom dance - my legs take it fine, but my arms get so tired just from holding the frame. Presumably, if I practice enough they'll get some tone, and that will be nice.

I don't know if that translates to sanding tubs.

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