Some about cooking and my big red pot.

 Some good news today (battling depression).  

First a little background.  Some years back during COVID we were in big financial trouble.  Ron was also extremely constipated being bed bound.  I managed to scrape together enough to buy myself a big red stockpot (I love red things in my kitchen), and made big pots of split peas for Ron to eat.  Good times.  And the fiber had the desired result.  

So I am fond of it 1.  It is a really good pot.  2.  It is a bright and cheerful red, which I love in my kitchen.  3.  Good memories.  It is about 4-6 quarts much bigger than my other pot.  I basically shoved it to the back of the stove after Ron died, cooked nothing for a good year, and lost the lid.  

A big stockpot isn't much good without a lid.  I recently tore the kitchen apart and could not find the lid.  I bet you can see where this is going...

Today, while cleaning out the cat cabinet, I moved a set of mixing bowls and found the lid on the floor of the cabinet, behind them.  I tried it on and it's the lid, alright.  That saves me the cost of a new stockpot, not that I could afford it anyway.  

Happy about that.  

So I have 2 cooking (I am trying not to focus on my depression) projects in the works.  One is my lentils and ham.  Pretty much what it sounds like, some lentils, some diced ham, a little black pepper.  Basically what I did for Ron except I used Split Peas for him as he always had a unreasonable bias against lentils.  I will use my small pot for it though, I'm only cooking 1/2 cup dry.  That makes 3-4 meals for me.  

Second project, and this more vague, a package of chicken thighs.  Will I fry it in the skillet?  Will I put them in the crock pot (currently leaning that way)?  That's about all I've got for them.  I have to cook them tonight, I just remembered, so I had better throw them in the crock pot.  

So, crockpot: liner, thighs, Italian seasoning, a can of tomato sauce.  Some added water because I plan to cook it a while.  I put a half teaspoon of seasoning I hope that isn't too much.  But flavors tend to cook out in a crock pot (fine spices) so I may actually need to add more.  I am sure it will be fine.  The chicken was a little fatty so I plan to chill the dish and scoop the fat off before I eat it.  And it was 3 nice pieces of meat, over a pound.  

I like having components so I can whip something up like that.  I guess I could have made curry.  But Italian sounded good and I JUST got the seasoning.  

Baby Girl has been hanging out a lot in the bathroom, seems depressed.  But she came out, I was very welcoming and praised her, she got on the couch and is next to me.  Hopefully she is getting through losing Torbie.  I was surprised as I have never really had a cat grieve another cat.  

Well it was Baby Girl actually, when Bubba died.  

Bubba is alive in this photo.  She was very bonded to him.  She was not apparently bonded to Torbie yet is missing her.  No cat really cared when Gravy died, not even his brother.  But Torbie goes and Baby Girl is drooping.  I hope she pulls through, I would hate to lose her, too.  

Torbie had a pretty big decline last year, very depressed and seemingly given up.  I told her I would like her to fight but it was OK if she wanted to go to Ron.  I basically let her go, and she rallied for months before stepping out.  I am not willing to do that with Baby Girl, she is still young (only 10).  

So we will see, but she did come out which I find encouraging.