What to do when it's raining outside...

Because of our rainy weather here(174% in SF, 498% in LA rainfall since July last year!), we couldn't do much this weekend. Just rested pretty much and stayed home. Our heater doesn't seem to keep our lower floor warm, so I've resorted to wearing thick socks, double pants and fleece sweater on top of my shirts, a very homey look, I should say.

I spent a number of hours slaving in the kitchen today, the gusto probably triggered by my need to keep warm. I cooked a lot, am tired from it especially since I had to clean up after myself as well. So here's what I made:

• Seafood Paella (substituted the sausage with riblets made from soy),
• roasted kabocha (squash) with a mixture of honey, butter and thyme
• a stab at substituting orange chicken with scallops
• banana bread pudding, changed a little from Toni's recipe
• baked yam with onion, parmesan topping

Not really a regular cook. It still feels like a chore to me but this year, I am determined to opt for home-cooked food than ordering out.

It was also a choice of either cooking today or sit and watch the plight of the tsunami's youngest victims on CNN--it is very heartbreaking. I cannot imagine how these kids will cope with the loss and pain they've gone through. Rain, cold and the news are not the best combination these days.

Copyright 2004 Wandertrekker