Today has been my first day with gluten back in my life since Jan 2nd. I got to eat Cheerios this morning. It was a nice change from the Price Chopper rice chex, as those got really boring. Other than that I didn't really get to indulge on anything I've been missing. The bakery was closed because of the snow. I went snowshoeing on my own today (I was only behind my house, people knew where I was, and oh yeah I left a trail a mile wide) and it was a fun-filled and wonderfully exhausting experience. The snow was really too deep, but I blazed a trail for the next time. I fell about five times trying to hop over the small creeks--it's really hard to get up in snowshoes.

That was the highlight of my day, as most of it was spent getting to and from Glastonbury for an appointment. I made a nice chicken dinner with Grandma's butternut squash we've been saving for a few months, but I screwed up and should have cut the other vegetable up smaller, the squash was done but they weren't. I'll have to attempt to remember that squash cooks quick. But I like to cut up potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, celery, garlic, etc and chicken--arrange it all in a large and deep baking dish that has a glass lid. Then you make a salad dressing/marinade, preferably one with wine, vinegar, citrus juice and lots of olive oil. Add all your fav spices, shake it up and pour it all over everything. Or just dump a bottle--but beware the sodium and crappy oils.

Note on baking dishes: I think we have Corell here. The thick ceramic and glass makes for even heating, kinda acts as a pressure cooker, and is less wasteful than tinfoil. We tried this recipe with a metal pan and tinfoil, but it did not come out nearly as good. I think this is due to even heating and a tighter lid.

My tomato seed catalog came in the mail, and it's frustrating because I don't think I am going to start many seeds this year...I don't know what my garden situ will be like...and I have no cash to start the hydroponic vegetable garden of my dreams. My plan so far is to let the early re-seeded crop do what it can...which should be interesting, then when it comes time to plant I will hopefully get my father to spring for a new roll of the weed-blocker to cover the whole thing and he can buy whatever seedlings he wants. This summer Anna showed me how to make the teepees for squashes and cukes. Constructing them will be so much fun, I am psyched to do some functional sapling sculptures.