edge of the continent

This final day of a nearly two-week break from work was quiet and good: my neighbors’ children played outside on their new skateboards under a weak sun, the washer and dryer whirred and hummed through their cycles, and over several cups of coffee I caught up with my online reading and began reassessing my goals for the year. I’m almost halfway to my next birthday — which is where anything resembling a Resolution with a capital-R gets made for me — and January feels as good as any to pause and reevaluate.

I haven’t cooked since the year began because there were plenty of leftovers to consume, but tonight I pulled out my big green dutch oven, fully intent on doing something with the dried beans waiting in the cupboard. The result was a mash-up and loose interpretation of two of Mark Bittman’s recipes: one for Tuscan-style white beans, the other for Southern-style black-eyed peas: into the pot went the black-eyed peas, followed by potatoes and sage, then garlic, salt and pepper, and some of the leftover ham. I diced a few tomatoes that needed to be used before they spoiled, along with two small onions for a last minute crunch. Swirled in some olive oil to finish, and voila: a tasty and filling meal, perfect for a chilly evening.

Now, I’ll pack a lunch for tomorrow, iron my clothes, find a box for the plant I brought home over the holidays, and clean out a work bag that I haven’t thought about since leaving the office last month; I might even go to sleep before midnight for once. Yep, it’s back to work, kiddos =)