Ready To Call It A Day

it is 10:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.   I just finished tulip painting the outlines of the pink poodle appliques on one of the costumes.  I didn't do that great of a job.  I kind of spread the outline paint on the thick side.  I used to be able to do it thin.   I didn't have the patience nor the skill set anymore.  I hope that paint remover also removes tulip acrylic paint.  I kind of smudged the dress in places.

I have been meeting with the actors each morning this week to do fittings and decide on articles of clothing.  I have given them an hour of my time and then I have run or taxied it to work.  I have been cooking for 5-6 hours a day.  the guys haven't been eating much and some of my dishes have been virtually untouched.  I have had to throw out a lot of leftover food that didn't get put away.

today there wasn't a scrap of food left from lunch.  I found a full pot of morracocan chick pea stew in the fridge when I came in this morning.  I actually tasted it.  it was fine.  I did have to chuck out a pot of potatoes that had soured from the night before.  certain spices like turmeric can turn a potato off.  I removed most of the chickpeas from the stew and threw in the remaining rice from the night before.  I had made a mix of white and brown rice.  I reinvented the stew as a tomato soup.

I also made roasted potatoes and roasted cauliflower.  I fried up a bunch of corn fritters from the remaining canned corn and I made a small zucchini kugel.   the guys didn't touch any of the raw veggies at breakfast so I made an Italian dressing and they ate it.  yesterday I made a corn soufflé and a bread pudding from left over challah.  I didn't have any milk so I added some tahini to water. it worked.   the guys seem to like rice.  I found a package of brown rice in the pantry as well as two packs of whole wheat spaghetti.  the guys loved it.  I made turkey meatballs for supper with brown rice, roasted eggplant and a salad of chickpeas and diced tomatoes.  I felt that perhaps, it wasn't enough food; so I opened an industrial sized can of corn.

they are turning off the water tomorrow for about 7 hours.  I kind of panicked and started looking up recipes that didn't require water.  as it turns out, I will be nearly finished by the time they turn off the water.  I was going to schlepp bottles of water to the yeshiva but I won't have to now.  I just need some water for myself to drink and to wash my hands.  I think i'll have enough time to fill up some pots when I get in.  it is always a challenge to come up with meals when I don't have any eggs, or oil or gas or in this case, water.  I do like a good challenge.

the lady cook, who replaced me when I got sick, once came in on a snow storm and wore a miner's cap with a head light and cooked for the guys when there was no electricity.  she did live up the block from the yeshiva, but still, it took a lot of fortitude on her part.  I am not that devoted.  I also live quite a distance away.  it is about an hour walk.  I did a massive clean up in front of the yeshiva's kitchen yesterday.  there were loads of discarded cardboard boxes and a couple of humongous trash bags that were ripped open by the cats.  I somehow managed to fold up all the cartons and place them in another box to be thrown out.  I also put the spilled contents of one of the garbage bags into a fresh bag.

I had to use my hands as I had no scooper or even a broom.  the guys threw everything out after they had their lunch.  they even tidied up the dining room, too.  we made real progress.  I couldn't really fall asleep last night.  I was too tired.  I had too many thoughts spinning around in my head.  hopefully, I will pass out soon.