Cooking while lying down

Thank you for all of your kind concerns regarding my back injury.

After a day off my feet it is feeling much better. And it isn't a new injury, it is just a tweaking of an old one. 

Since I needed to eat, I figured out something that takes only a little effort and more importantly could be done without spending too much time in an upright position.

Today I made vegetable stock.

I know most people think making stock is a big involved affair but it is, in reality, very easy.

I included the following veggies:

2 carrots 
1 onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves
1 yam
1 handful of green beans
2 stalks of celery
1 ear of corn, cut in half
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. of thyme
1/4 tsp. of rosemary
 Salt and black pepper to taste

All of this went into my dutch oven and I added a gallon or so of water. I brought it up to a boil, turned down the heat to let it simmer and I went back to lying on the couch for the next couple of hours.

When the water had reduced by about half, I turned off the heat and let it cool.

Then I fished out the veggies and threw away the bay leaf.

I strained the remaining liquid in the pot through some cheese cloth.

At this point many people throw out the veggies, but that seems like such a waste to me. 

Yes, the vegetables are way too mushy to enjoy straight so I puree them into a thick soup using some of the strained stock.

Pureed veggie soup with a garnish of cherry tomatoes.

An extra dash of pepper on top.

There was enough left over for three more meals. I ladled the extra soup into plastic bags and into the freezer they went.

It is back to the couch for me. Night, all!