Also, your modern day and mine are clearly not the same. 8-6 daylight is SO MUCH WORSE than 7-5

I guess not. I have to be at my desk by 7:30, so usable morning daylight isn't really an option for me either way. I get off at 3:30 which usually means home by 4:30, so an extra hour of daylight at the end of the day is far more usable for me than an extra hour in the morning.

Not sure what your schedule is, but something more 9 to 5ish might be better on the other schedule, since it is basically my reverse in that either option will have a dark evening...

I am home. I'm unpacked, doing laundry, and I've made a grocery run. I guess this means it's hockey time.

Hydrate, shrift, hydrate. That is the key.

I definitely did not do enough of that.

She didn't talk to me after that.

I adore you, Jilli.

Hee, Jilli!

I am tired and my feet hurt. So much still to do. And some of it definitely has to be done today.

Figured out what to do with the cabbage and celery, at least. Stir fry with chicken, currently marinating. The celeriac I'll fry up tomorrow morning and pretend it's hash browns. Ended up with 2.5 qt. of vegetable stock, which is a very reasonable amount. It is ready to go into the freezer if it doesn't get eaten up by Thursday. So the kitchen is in pretty good shape.

Laundry is kicking my ass and I can't really pack until more laundry is done.

I should be more concerned with leaving my front yard in good shape. Meh. Maybe after work Tuesday. Maybe not.

Gris, my work schedule is 7-3:30. I hate getting up in the dark with a white hot fiery passion.

I love chicken noodle soup. I'm coming to the conclusion that I'm going to have to make my own. Take it as given that I'll be using boxed, low-sodium stock and probably canned chicken, because as much as I love chicken noodle soup, I'm not going to be starting from a whole bird or bird parts (unless I chop up some chicken breast). Given those foodie-depressing parameters, what should I do to get chicken soup that tastes of more than salty water with meat, noodles, and veggies?

Given those foodie-depressing parameters, what should I do to get chicken soup that tastes of more than salty water with meat, noodles, and veggies?

Yo, I don't make my own stock, either.

Add olive oil, some black pepper and thyme, a bay leaf (remove before eating!), and whatever form of garlic you have.

Extra light in the morning is wasted on me.

After a slow start to the day, I picked up steam. Did laundry while baking 3 batches of snickerdoodles, swam, made another batch of dough and then cleaned the stove and fridge door. I swear, I'm going to paint the handles. They get so dingy so fast.

I had NO idea snickerdoodles were so popular. Every time I mention them, people's faces light up. They are such a simple comfort cookie, but I was unaware the appeal was so universal. Today's guard had missed out on the Friday cookiefest but was giddy when I promised to bring him some next Sunday (it's the only shift of his I overlap.)

Also, for chicken soup, I find celery, parsley and carrots add certain necessary flavor notes.

If you want to go more from scratch, but without too much more effort, go crock pot.

If I start with raw chicken, I'm guessing I cook that before putting it in the soup? This is why I had Hubby, he was the cook! I did his spelling and bizarre information retrieval.

Maybe something like poultry seasoning, Connie?

Cook's Illustrated has suggestions [link]