Bureau"crap"tic Blues

Have you ever thought that people are trying to make you crazy? Or that by trying to simply a process, it becomes more difficult to complete the twists and turns created by "simplifying" the process?

I'm trying to apply for my teaching license. My paperwork in one state is completed and is being processed. The state in which I live (and contrary to popular belief, it's not "confusion") has a completely different process for licensing applications. And different tests I have to take, different paperwork, and always, always more checks to write to pay for various "fees." Honestly, who came up with this process? M.C. Escher? Up one flight of steps, down another into a white duck, no, a black duck, no, a white duck..... Good grief!!

I will get my license, I will get my license, I will get my license, come on, chant with me. I will get my license....

What to do with a cabbage?

About a week ago, I impulse bought a cabbage. Some people impulse buy shoes, clothing, or jewelry, I impulse buy vegetables. Go figure.

Anyhow, the cabbage sat in our fridge for a week or so with Matt asking every couple of days, "What are you going to do with that cabbage?" to which I answered, "I haven't decided yet."

I know that cabbage lasts a long time but I knew it wouldn't last forever. So I looked in my cookbooks for a cabbage recipe that sounded palatable. So many of them had odd ingredients or just sounded icky. Eventually I found a recipe that sounded good in a Depression era cookbook. Cabbage casserole: ground beef, onions, cabbage, tomato chucks, and rice, all baked together in the oven. The recipe said two hours but our oven is slow, so it took more like three hours. It was very yummy but there was one downfall: it makes a ton!!!! There is no way that Matt and I can eat all that cabbage and still be welcomed in public!

So what to do with the 2 1/2 quart dish full of cabbage casserole? Matt said that he thought it would make wonderful pasty filling. Pasties (pronounced pAAsties) are meat and veggie pies associated with Cornish miners who moved to this area for the lead mining. You can buy them frozen in the grocery store. I thought about it and I agree with Matt, it would make good pasty filling. However we have so much filling, it is going to make multiple pasties.

After deliberating for a bit, I'm going to make the pasties but freeze them. The filling is all cooked and pie dough freezes, so why not? We'll see how this works! This is the benefit of only working part time (I'm subbing some but not five days a week!) So I have time to make pasties. I'll let you know how it turns out!