Such downright domesticity

(Bonus points if you can tell me the song/musical where I got that title.)

It was great to be back home on break, but I also love coming back to my own apartment and getting re-settled in my own domain. My roommate doesn't cook too much, so she doesn't mind my crazy kitchen experiments. Thus I spent Monday playing at domestic goddess. Maybe I didn't get much thesis writing done, but I felt darn productive anyway.

First, I tried out my favorite Delaware Christmas present - a new washing machine! Call me an old lady, but I was seriously ecstatic when I heard the landlords were replacing our ancient leaky, shaking, violently loud machine. Check out the glorious new toy - those buttons and timer are the bees knees.

Then I roasted a chicken in the awesome roasting pan I got for Christmas. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

 Finally, I tried out a black bean soup recipe my Mom gave me that involved bacon, sherry, and lemon. It was delicious, and I bet you could adapt the 400 degree oven cooking time to a crock pot

. If you are interested, click on the link for the recipe.

Black Bean Soup with Lemon and Sherry (4-6 servings)

1 pound dried black beans, picked over for stones
1 cup peeled and sliced carrots
1 cup diced onions
1 cup chopped celery
3 minced garlic cloves
2 tsp. dried thyme
4 oz. (1/4 slab) bacon, cut crosswise in 1 in. pieces
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

lemon slices
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley (or dried)
1 1/2 oz. good quality dry sherry

1. Soak beans overnight, or at least 6 hours, in cold water.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
3. Rinse and drain soaked beans and place in a pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, then drain again. (This removes any bluish tint or bitterness.)
4. Place the beans in a 4 qt. ovenproof pot with the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, cayenne, and bacon. Cover with 2 qts. of water to cover and add the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover tightly and place the pot in the oven to cook for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. (4 hours in a crock pot on high might work too.)
5. Remove the pot from the oven, and puree the contents in a food processor or blender in batches. (I love my immersion blender which can puree right in the pot.)
6. To serve, add a 1/4 ounce shot of sherry to each bowl, if desired. Dip one side of a lemon slice in the parsley and float it in the soup parsley side up.
7.Serve with bread or tortilla chips. Squish the lemon against the bowl to release tart deliciousness.
(Adapted from The Union Square Cafe Cookbook)