GRATITUDES:
1. My daughter Lauren, who always makes me laugh
2. NAPS!!!😄
3. Blob-fish (yes, they’re real, and according to Lauren, they make an actual noise)
4. Complex recipes that keep my brain occupied

Soooo… I nailed the aspic for the soup dumplings. It solidified into a beautiful smooth gelatin with a decidedly porky taste. Pretty good, but I think it will be better once the aspic has been steamed together with the ground pork filling. I also think that if I ever make this recipe again I’ll flavor the broth a bit more, with maybe some onion or a clove of grated garlic. I went ahead and built the filling today as well. Since this process is very labor-intensive, I want to prepare as much as I can in advance so that on the day that I actually build the dumplings, I won’t be completely exhausted. I still have the most challenging steps of all ahead of me – rolling the dumpling wrappers, filling them and then pleating them closed. There’s a very specific way to do all of this and I hope I’ve watched enough YouTube how-to videos!

I once again slept poorly last night. No disturbing dreams this time, just fractured sleep. I’ve been a bit sluggish all day as a result and this is why I’ve been dubbed a blob-fish by my kid. Thanks, kid. You’re a great help. Of course, when she began demonstrating the noise she swears they make (I’m taking this one with a bucket of salt), I was nearly on the floor laughing and then, when she insisted that I try to make the noise as well, things got weird.😆🤣

Basil is cooking dinner tonight, which is a huge relief. I was able to do dinner for the last two nights but I honestly don’t think I could manage it today. I think we’re having pasta with pesto and roasted veggies again, which was so good last time that I had a large second helping. Definitely looking forward to it!

All is quiet on the ongoing treatment front. I have to be in San Antonio tomorrow morning by 10:15, so I’ll need to leave by 9am at the latest. There’s no telling what the traffic will be like and I want to build in enough time so that if someone does something truly stupid on the highway (and this happens every day), I’ll still get there in time. I hope.