Friday night chores

Big storms in the area but so far here just thunder and rain. I hope it stays that way. (The only tornadoes I've heard about have been in rural areas, so hopefully the most they did was rip up someone's pasture a little).

I'm doing my laundry - was too tired last night after the yardwork. Towels are done, medium-colored clothes are done, whites are drying along with darks (both of those were small loads), sheets are in the wash right now. (I figured since I had pulled the pillows and the quilt and, ahem, some of the stuffed animals off the bed in case I had to hunker down in the tub during a tornado, I might as well pull everything off and put on new sheets - it's time to change anyway.

I also got the new filter for my air filter installed - the old one was filthy so hopefully this will help my allergies (I sleep with it running; it also contributes white noise)

I fixed a steak tonight - my last trip to Sherman I bought a (v. expensive, but I don't eat it often) grass-fed-beef ribeye steak. It was very thick, and even though I like my steak just this side of rare, I didn't know if it would cook well being panfried like I do with thinner steaks.

I had read about the reverse-sear method (you cook the steak very nearly to desired doneness in a 275 F oven, then do a quick sear in a v. hot pan to get the outside done just right).

It works very well for thick steaks. It's time-consuming - 45 minutes to an hour to just cook the thing in the oven (my steak was just about an inch, so 45 minutes was just right for medium rare), but you get a MUCH better finish - no hard crusty outsides, the juices seem better distributed. Or maybe I just got a good steak this time (I should have - I paid for it, almost $20, but I can probably get three meals out of it, so). It came out tender and just done enough.

I am guessing if you are devotee of overcooked well-done steak, it might not work so very well, but if you like it still nice and red (or even pink) on the inside, you can play around with the method. You do need a good, reliable, and preferably instant-read thermometer to test the steak to your desired degree of doneness, but those are fairly cheap and I think most people who cook a lot have them anyway.

Teeth have been brushed, hair combed and put up for the night.... (I braid my hair so it does not tangle)

And I'm using a mud masque:

"Silly! This is called a mud mask. It's to refresh and rejuvenate your complexion."

That is "charcoal and black sugar" - supposedly detoxifying. I'm doing it because (sing-songy) someTHING might happen MONday that will result in my getting my PICture taken. (Those of you who follow me on Twitter, I alluded to it. Not sure I want to risk jinxing it now, though it seems the decision has already been made, but since I don't know the outcome, it's kind of a Schroedinger's Box feeling...anyway, if the thing happens the way my Chair thinks it will, it will be a Good Thing)

So anyway, I want my complexion to be as good as it can be and I know the summer oil-production has already ramped up. (I usually do these things once a week in the summer - and ooh, with the Ulta now, I will have a bigger choice of masques than the "Queen Helene" stuff the Walgreen's carries). (I think this one is Freeman brand?)

Tomorrow is going to be just a quick run to Mart of Wal - I still have leftover lamb loaf to eat up, and the leftover steak, and I have canned salmon on the shelf so if I feel like I need to fix some kind of meaty meal midweek I could make a salmon loaf; I just need milk and maybe some kind of fruit and more of the little cans of smoked trout I like so much....and then I am taking the weekend OFF as this is the last weekend before I have to Grade All The Things.