1. The Deke and I buzzed out to the Shoshone Medical Center Health and Fitness Center and joined up and, under the guidance of Johnny, got warmed up and then Johnny helped us get started with the upper body weight machines. She is a very good instructor -- encouraging, patient, of good humor, and clear in her directions -- and the Deke and I got off to a good start in our first effort to exercise and get in better shape. I hope I spelled Johnny's name right.
2. Early in the afternoon, the Deke and I hopped up to Radio Brewing for a light lunch. The Deke had been hankering for Radio's Simple Salad with chicken and I greeted the good news that the soup of the day was chili by ordering a bowl. It came with large slices of garlic bread. On a cold, iron gray December day, the chili was perfect and paired splendidly with the Coke and a slice of lemon I ordered.
3. After my struggles -- was it a fiasco? (Naw...) -- in the basement yesterday cooking up some spaghetti, I decided to give hot plate cookery another try late this afternoon. We bought a couple of bags of these frozen pasta chicken dinners. The idea is simple: pop open the bag, pour the contents in a skillet, cover the skillet, let it cook, uncover the skillet, stir the contents, put the lid back on, and cook the contents until they are done.
My pressing question today was whether the hot plate would generate enough heat to use our cast iron skillet that has a lid. I decided it wouldn't. But, I knew small pots worked. So, I divided the contents of the bag between two Revere Ware pots, added a little water, and Hallelujah! I was right. The contents warmed up and cooked up just fine in the pots. Once they were close to ready to eat, I dumped the contents of one pot into the other and augmented the dish by heating up a can of black beans. It gave the chicken and penne contents in the packet more substance and flavor. So did the addition of parmesan cheese.
I declared our Tuesday evening hot plate dinner a success.
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