The problem with showers

I had the day off, and despite that, I felt rather productive today.

I got some painting done (more on that later; the project is hush-hush at the moment), got some writing done (fiction, primarily, and now this post), got a game of C&C set up for when my honey got home, and I even got the prep work done for dinner.

Tonight’s dinner was Mediterranean Couscous Cabbage Rolls. They’re a simple concept: couscous salad (couscous, olives, feta cheese, mint), wrapped in a cabbage leaf (cabbage leaf), and all of that simmered in a tomato sauce (tomatoes, EVOO, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and cinnamon).

I got the wraps ready, so that when Eric and I returned from our intervals this evening, I could whip up the tomato sauce real quick and then finish them. I figured they would be done early enough that we could eat, play a game, and unwind before I had to get to bed relatively early for work tomorrow.

Oh! Speaking of which, it is confirmed that I did not get the Goodwill job. I was, however, informed that I was their second choice. So, hooray for being the first place loser!

Moving on. When we returned from our run, I was feeling a bit sore, so I popped the tomatoes on the oven to sauce up, and I hopped in the shower. Upon stepping out of the shower and dressing, a burning smell came to me. I looked at Eric, “did you not check on that burning smell?”

“What burning smell?”

Burned sugar tomato paste all on the bottom of the pan was the only answer to that question. I was quite proud of myself for keeping calm enough to scoop out the remaining tomatoes, turn off the burner, and put my possibly ruined pan in the sink to soak.

My answer to this level of failure: I promptly opened a beer and sat on the couch to write this post.

Eric has since finished showering and gone out to procure more tomatoes, so that I might try to not burn a batch of sauce and provide him with dinner. I’m not sure if I’ll be up for eating it, to be honest. And I don’t know that I’ll be up for the game that I set out, especially with an ego that has taken more than a few hits this week.

What I will take away from this is that I should not take even quick showers while making anything, unless I give explicit directions to watch the item that is cooking.

Also, I will have to take a look at the pan again. I can’t imagine how it could have gotten so hot so quickly.