Post-modernist crap, and where has all the basil gone?

Once Little Man finally fell asleep after jabbering, pacing, and whining pathetically in his crib for 45 minutes today, I did a few chores and started working on a current project.  It's the kind of rainy day outside that is perfect for napping and sketching out projects in a happy mood.  I love those days until about 4:30, when Little Man is about to jump out of his skin and really needs to be set loose to toddle and run around on his tippy-toes out in the open.  If it is still raining at this point, LM, the dogs and I are usually all on the verge of a nervous breakdown from the unreleased energy flowing through the house, and Hubby usually comes home to find me waiting for him to arrive so I can justifiably open some wine (or whine?) while cook dinner!

Well, today, as we have not yet reached the unreleased nervous energy phase of our day, I decided to have some nice music on in the background while I sketched.  I opened AOL Radio on my computer and decided that the XM 20th Century classical station would be just right.  About 20 minutes into sketching, I felt as if I was going to start twitching all up and down my neck and wrists, and had to take a break.  10 minutes into starting back, it happened again, and I found myself wondering, "Why is the neighbor's yard man just standing there clanging his tools together?  And why the hell is he doing it while it's raining outside?"  Then I realized it was the awful music I was listening to.  Do people really sit in a concert hall to listen to this crap?  I didn't look to see who the composer was, but it was absolutely post-modernism taken waaaaaaaay to far, and I was about to have a freaking seizure trying to work while listening to an obvious attempt to make a piece sound as ugly and obnoxious as possible.  I'm sure the composer has some deep explanation like, "This work represents the defragmentation of our society as it turns to dog crap for becoming obsessed with Starbucks and technology."  As one of those guilty of of becoming obsessed with both Starbucks and technological gadgets, I felt compelled to turn the junk off.

When I sat down here to write, I realized that I hadn't started my roast that Hubby has been begging for the last three days.  It's so easy to do, really, as long as a Crock Pot is involved, but if it hasn't been started by 1pm,  you are just up the damn creek with a twig for a paddle.  I thought I could make up for it with some Italian macaroni and cheese that I ripped off from my least favorite Food Network celebrity, Rachel Ray (sorry, but anyone who dismisses that skills, training, and chemistry that are necessary to create the perfect gastronomical blend is NOT on my fave list), but then I remembered that yesterday I went to three different stores looking for fresh basil, and came up empty.  Did someone in town make a run on basil?  If so, please let me know.  I need some basil very badly.

Anyway, thought I'd share the recipes for both dishes that I won't be serving tonight.

Crock Pot Roast:

Beef Pot Roast

4 Yukon Gold Potatoes

1 bag of baby carrots

1 large sweet onion

1 can tomato soup

1 package slices portobello mushrooms

2 bay leaves

1/2 bottle of beer

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and quarter potatoes, rinse carrots and mushrooms, chop onion and place in crock pot with one bay leaf.  Salt and pepper both sides of roast and lay on top of the vegetables.  Pour tomato soup and 1/2 bottle of beer beer (and feel free to drink the other half so that it does not go to waste!) over top of roast.  Place other bay leaf on top.  Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours.  When finished, beef will easily break up with a spoon as you stir the mixture.  Serve with or over biscuits fresh from the oven!

For Rachel Ray recipe, click here.