Well, that didn't take long.

I have the W-2s in hand of son 1. I just got around to looking at the mail and it is 10:38 pm.

Don't get me wrong...I wasn"t too busy running after kids or anything to look at it. I just...forgot. Yes...that's why?

Today I left work early as we had all of our shipments done for the month. The sky was bright blue, no clouds to be seen, BEAUTIFUL...GRILLING weather, and on a Friday even!!!

I walk ouside and it was....FREEZING!

What the HELL? Just yesterday it was 70 degrees out...cloudy and a stiff 30mph wind...but still 70!!! I had been dreaming of T-bones on the grill. Crash Hot Potatoes (thnk you pioneer woman) http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/ and Spinach salad with walnut/mandarin orange dressing for dinner.

But, as homage to the FRIGID ass weather, we had Beef, mushroom, lentil and barley soup in stead. I made it from scratch. So it wasn't a cop-out.

I often shop at a local grocer and much of what I cook comes from inspiration (whatever looks good that day). I am kicking myself because they DID have beautiful T-bone steaks (thick cut) for only $4.99 pound and I didn't buy any. Oh well...I'll go back tomorrow and get them...but it is supposed to snow tomorrow and I like my steaks "un-pre-frozen" bfore slapping them on the grill. Live In Love isn't too fond of grilling when it is freezing out. So maybe I'll wait until the steak are on sale agin.

Anyway, back to the soup. Besides the T-Bone they had chuck roast for $2.29 a pound so I picked up a 1.5 pound roast, 2 packages of fresh musrooms (1.79 a pkg) & 1 box of beef "stock in a box"($1.99). I already had lentils, barley and spices at home. I make a lot of soup so I always have frozen diced onoin, carrot celery (heretofore known as soup veggies) mix in the freezer.

I put about a cup of the soup veggies in a pot with 1/4 stick of butter and browned them up. I like to cook this until the onions are almost carmelized. (Carmelized onions rock!) Salt - pepper-

Diced up the roast and then threw that in the pot to brown. Stirring frequently because this was cooking at med/high heat to carmelize the beef. -Threw in dried itallian seasoning (2 tsp?)-a few dashes of worchestershire and a capfull of liquid smoke. 3 minced cloves of garlic.

Sliced up the mushrooms. Threw them in and stirred it around. Let it cook stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Poured in a box of stock. Cooked just above simmer for 10 minutes. Threw in a coupe of handfull of rinsed lentils. Then it simmered for about 30 minutes. Added a cup or so of water. Threw in a couple of handfuls of quick cook barley. Rose heat to just below a boil and cooked for 10 minutes or so....SOUPS Done.

Live in Love was "tortured" having to smell it cooking for a while. We had it with crusty bread and a good book and all was well with world.

Oh, I totally forgtot about te Son 1 and his W-2s.