Ham and Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Collard Greens (Page 111)

• Date: Monday, March 5, 2007 -- 7pm
• Location: Somerville, MA
• Kitchen: My Apartment
• Dining Companion: Matty
• Recipe Rating: C-

I made this soup on Thursday night because it looked simple, and I was trying to get back in to the swing of my project again after a long hiatus. It smelled so terrible though that I was tempted to just trash it. I took a single bite, decided I didn't want to eat it, and put it in the freezer. Matt came back from Banff on Sunday, and I passed it off to him, on the general principle that he will eat anything. Much to my surprise, he actually liked it! My comments first: this soup was bland, unappetizing in appearance, with tough meat and a watery, bodiless broth. Matt's comments: this soup was flavorful, appetizing, and delicious. Apparently there is no accounting for taste.

I am officially caught up on my blogging. Well, ok, that's not exactly true. I have some pickled carrots rotting in my fridge which I am scared to try, and hence haven't blogged about them yet. One of these days... Being caught up on my blogging puts me in the difficult position where I can't blog unless I cook something, and I don't really have time to cook much. I am going to have a lot of catching up to do once I defend and submit my thesis.

I had a rare day today where I stayed at home all day. I left the apartment only once, to walk to the mailbox down the street. At 4pm I started to feel a little guilty about the fact that I was still in my pajamas, so I changed out of them, only to put them back on at 10pm. The reason behind my ultra-indulgent behavior: I did something really horrible to my neck and back. I have no idea what I did, and I never have back or neck problems (well, only once, briefly, at Talbot last year...). But apparently I did something bad, and now it is incredibly painful to walk, or sit, or stand, or lay down... So I drugged myself up and worked from home today. My plan is to miraculously feel better tomorrow. If that fails, I may employ my back-up plan and see a medical professional.