Scary Spice

This is my spice cupboard. As you can guess, I have trouble remembering what spices I have on hand for any given recipe. You see, I mostly buy the small Tones spice containers. They're typically just $1.00 and the containers stack really well, but then I have no idea which spices are on the bottom without rummaging through them all.

I found a really interesting recipe on Food Network called Quinoa-All Bran Pilaf with Raisins, and it called for curry powder. I had no idea if I had any, but I highly doubted it because I don't cook Indian food so I really wouldn't have had a need for it in the past. I bought some curry powder without looking through my existing supply, but I was right that I didn't already have it. But now, I have yet another spice adding to the confusion.

I decided that I needed to take stock of my spice collection. The simplest solution I thought would be to make a list of what I have and tape it to the inside of the cupboard door. At least now I know what I have, even if I still have to dig for something.

(BTW - I didn't make the pilaf yet. I had so many other dishes to make or ready in the fridge that I thought something would go to waste if I added yet another dish. I'll make it later in the week once I use up some leftovers.)

(Also, you see correctly - that is Worchestershire sauce in the cupboard. Not for me, but for Husband. He loves the stuff - and so did I before I went veg. I'd like to try some Bragg's Liquid Aminos and see if it's a good substitute.)

Mothers' Day

Happy Mothers' Day to all you moms out there! Today, Husband had to work so I'm home with Kids. I got some lovely flowers, cute cards, and a potted tomato plant. I'd mentioned to Husband how I'd like to try my hand at growing tomatoes this year. (I have a black thumb when it comes to gardening and normally just rely on everyone else's overabundant harvest for my fresh tomatoes, potatoes and zucchini. Especially my dad - he grows the BEST tomatoes and potatoes!) But I'm a lazy gardener - which might explain my lack of success. I don't really trust our soil for growing anything but dandelions, so I wanted to put some potting soil in a container on the back deck. But I hadn't gotten around to buying any tomato plants, or a container, or the potting soil, or the cage that you need over the plant. Sigh...too much work for me!

Husband found a pre-potted tomato plant with the cage built onto the pot. How perfect! And even more perfect, because last night we had frost (yikes!) and we were easily able to bring in the tomato for the night.

Later today, I need to call my grandmothers and wish them a happy Mothers' Day. I'm very fortunate that they are around - two beautiful women in their mid-80s, still living alone in their homes and doing quite well, thank you. (Both of my grandfathers died before I was born, so I was unable to get to know them at all.)

My own mother passed away in December 2006 from brain cancer. I miss her more than I can say. She was only 54 years old. I feel her absence the most when I think about how little time Son had with her, and how Daughter didn't really get to know her at all (Daughter was almost a year old when Mom died). Mothers' Day is rather bittersweet for me, but I try to focus on what a great job my mom did in raising Brother and me, and I try to do as good a job with Kids. If I'm half the mother that she was, I'll be a-okay.

Out of Commission

Sunday morning, I bent over to pick up a laundry basket. When I tried to stand up with it...I couldn't. I threw out my back. I've never been in so much pain, and I've given birth to two children. I've also never thrown out my back, so I didn't know what had happened. Luckily, Husband was home (he's thrown out his back a few times) and was able to watch the kids for the rest of the day while I lay in the bedroom dreading having to get up and go potty. When I needed to get up, I either pulled myself along the furniture and walls with my upper body at almost 90 degrees to my legs because I couldn't straighten up, or I crawled on my hands and knees.

I called in sick yesterday, because while the pain was much improved, I stilled walked around like Groucho Marx. The doctor prescribed a muscle relaxant and an anti-inflammatory. Today, I woke up and could actually stand up straight, so I got ready for work. But as the morning wore on, my back started hurting more, so after debating with myself for about an hour and on Husband's advice, I took another day off. I hated to do it, because I'm going to be really far behind at work, but I think I would've had to leave early if I'd gone. Tomorrow, I plan to go to work and see how long I last, even if I have to move slowly.