wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

What have I been up to in the kitchen? Six bones from the Christmas standing rib roast had been sitting in the refrigerator and it would be a crime for them to go to waste. They became the inspiration for beef bone broth. Celery, carrots, parsley, a nub of ginger, onions, a head of garlic, turmeric, peppercorns, apple cider vinegar, the rib bones and oxtails simmered for 12 hours in the orange Le Creuset pot that belonged to my mom. After straining the broth, it went into the refrigerator to chill so the fat would rise and solidify. 

Bone Broth is a nutrient-dense and collagen-rich liquid made from simmering marrow-rich animal bones in water for an extended period of time. Once cooled, it turns into a jelly-like consistency from the collagen extracted from the low, slow cooking. It has more flavor than regular broth due to the longer cooking time, too.

After all was said and done, this yielded seven cups of bone broth. The containers are now in the freezer waiting to be used for beef and noodles or perhaps a beef and barley soup. 

We went out for a bite to eat and ended up sitting at the bar to eat our meals. The wait for a table was 30 minutes but a couple bar seats opened up and we took them. Todd asked, "Since you're doing Dry January, do you mind sitting at the bar?" "No, not at all..." until the bartender served him this filled-to-the-brim glass of wine! Boy was it tempting. I stuck to my resolution.

We had an appointment with our attorney to see if our will and trust needed any updating. No updates needed but it was good to check in with a face-to-face visit. He was my son's high school soccer coach and we laughed at the passage of time from the time Andrew was in high school to now being a father of two. During the soccer years, our attorney and his wife became first time parents and now they are doing college visits with their son. 

After the attorney's visit, we stopped at Bunny's Hasty Tasty for lunch, or breakfast if we wanted. Bunny's has been in that same spot since 1952 and it's a good ole diner. Breakfast is your typical eggs, bacon/sausage, pancakes, omelets, endless cups of coffee - no turkey bacon, no foo-foo coffee drinks, no yogurt parfaits, no avocado toast on the menu. Lunch is a hamburger of some sort and fries. It's basic good food served by waitresses who have been there a long time.

On a sunny day, we took a drive to the Dayton National Cemetery. The cemetery is keeping the wreaths on the grave markers until January 24 and I wanted to see them. Military cemeteries are so peaceful, and so beautiful in their precise placement of the gravestones. Such reverence to the men and women who are here at their final resting place.

On our way home from the cemetery, Todd took a different way home and went through parts of the city that I hadn't seen in ages. This is the Germantown hill and it's one of the highest points in the city. It gives a good view of downtown Dayton from a new perspective.

Yesterday morning, another beautiful sunrise. It was a lovely surprise to look up and see the waning crescent moon in the colorful sky. And that pink, orange, purple, yellow sky...just wow!

My yoga studio is close to Historic Woodland Cemetery, the final resting place of some of Dayton's most distinguished residents. After a slow, stretching class, I walked a couple blocks down the street to Woodland and hiked around the cemetery in the 45° weather. It was windy and the flags at the Wright Brothers' family plot flapped noisily in the the breeze. It was a peaceful walk. The only other people in the cemetery at that time were the workers buzzing around in their compact utility vehicles. Life always goes on - even in a cemetery.

Woodland Cemetery has the highest point in the city, Lookout Point, offering a bird's-eye view of Downtown Dayton. During the warm weather months, the leaf-covered trees partially block the city vista. Woodland is 185 years old. How this view has changed over the many years!