Summertime Means Gazpacho!

Gazpacho, chilled and full of vegetables!
Delish! 

I am a lucky woman. I have a neighbor who gives me fresh vegetables from his garden. It seems like everything comes at once, especially tomatoes. I was the recipient of a huge bag full of tomatoes and green peppers just yesterday. I ate a big plate of sliced tomatoes with my dinner last night and today I made gazpacho. I've made gazpacho for years, it's super healthy and low calorie as well as very tasty.  I make mine like a salad -- lots of chopped veggies, a little vinegar and oil, and some salt and pepper. Try it topped with cold, cooked shrimp or sliced avocado. I like a few sliced green olives on mine, but you eat it the way you want to. Some folks like crispy croutons on top. For dinner tonite I made a little "gremolata" of diced olives, celery, green pepper and a few cherry tomatoes, and that's what's in the picture above.

As hot as it here in central VA it's great to make something that doesn't involve turning on the stove OR oven! Cold soup on a hot humid summer evening? Yes, please!

Gazpacho

Gazpacho Vegetable Mix

Makes about 6 cups

2 - 2 1/2 lb. vine ripe tomatoes, peeled
1 medium cucumber, peeled with seeds removed
1 small yellow onion, quartered
1/2 medium green pepper, cut into chunks**
2 cloves garlic, about 1 heaping tsp.
1 rib celery, sliced
1 small carrot or 3 baby carrots, scrubbed and sliced
1 1/2 cups V8 or tomato juice (I prefer V8)
1 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt
a pinch of black pepper

Peel the tomatoes by cutting an X in the bottom and dropping them in boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove to your cutting board and let cool a minute or 2. The skin will slide off easily. Core them to remove any tough parts.
Peel the cucumber and halve it lengthwise. Score the middle with a paring knife and push the seeds out with a spoon or your finger. Chop it roughly to fit into your food processor or blender.
Put all the veggies into your chopper bowl or half into your blender. Blend until the mixture starts to get smooth but still has some texture. Remove to a large bowl and add tomato juice or V8, salt, pepper, vinegar and oil. Whisk to combine. Chill at least 2 hours.

Serve cold, topped with anything you like or just plain. Keeps for about 4 days in the refrigerator.

**Cooks note: If you want your gazpacho to be spicy, add a small to medium jalapeno pepper to your vegetable mixture. If you remove the seeds and membranes, it will tone it down a little. Leave them in for more heat.

Spring Leek and Potato Soup or Vichyssoise

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup

I've had leeks on my  mind lately. I keep seeing them, looking fresh and palely green in stores and at markets but I've got a secret. I've NEVER cooked a leek! Why? I honestly don't know, except perhaps I can't remember my mother or my grandmothers or any of my aunts cooking them. Those wonderful ladies were my cooking mentors, companions and partners in happy hour crime. We cooked and laughed our way through many, many dishes, but leeks never appeared. Now that I've conquered them, I honestly don't know why.

Why was I afraid of a leek? 

I decided to start out with a Leek and Potato soup. First I researched my favorites-- a little Julia, a little Ina and a dash of Emeril. All of them have much to say on the subject of leeks -- Julia doesn't saute' them first in any fat, but simply boils the leeks and vegetables in water. Ina and Emeril both added different amounts of chicken stock and water. Emeril kicked his up with spices, but I wanted a more traditional flavor. However, they all agreed on one point -- YOU'VE GOT TO WASH THEM WELL!! This is REALLY important, as the leeks hold lots of sand and dirt between their layers. I decided to do it by removing the tough outer, dark green leaves, cutting off the top couple of inches (also tough and darker green) and then cutting off an inch at the root. I sliced them into rounds about 1/4" thick, like this:

Sliced Leeks

I put them into a big bowl filled with cold water, and let them soak for a few minutes, swishing my hand through the water. I drained them in the colander shown above, and then put them back into the big bowl with more clean cold water. I swished, I repeated the process. Finally, after several repeats, I didn't see any sand or grit in the on the bottom of the bowl. So, I drained them well and I weighed them. Why weigh them you ask? Well, that's what Julia Child said to do, so that is what I did. And after all, I've got this snazzy red food scale, so why not?

1 lb leeks and my handy food scale

Once I'd cleaned the leeks and weighed them, it was all uphill, and the kitchen began to smell like something good was on it's way. I have made potato soup many times over the years, but I must admit, this was hands down, the BEST POTATO SOUP I've ever made! Something about the leeks and the slow cooking worked absolute magic on the flavor. I cut WAY down on the amount of bacon, butter and cream used by the famous chefs, but I swear, it didn't matter! Here's the recipe and some pictures to urge you on toward your own leek adventure. I promise, I'll be cooking them again and soon. Perhaps a leek gratin or quiche or tart.....hhmmmmm.......

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup or Vichyssoise
1 lb. leeks, well washed and drained (about 3 large leeks)
1 lb peeled russet potatoes, cut into chunks for cooking

Frying Smithfield Original Bacon

3 rashers "Smithfield" original bacon
2 cloves minced garlic
2 T. butter
6 c. chicken stock
4 c, water
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 c. heavy cream + a little for garnish
chives for garnish
In a large, heavy soup pot, cook the bacon over low to medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain it well on a paper towel. Add the butter to the bacon fat in the pot and then the leeks. Cook them for 5 minutes until they begin to wilt and add the potatoes and garlic. Stir all the vegetables around in the pot until they are coated with the butter/fat mixture. 

Leeks and potatoes in the fat mixture

Add the stock, wine and water to your pot. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Turn the heat down and add the salt and pepper. Partially cover the pot and let the soup cook over low heat for 1 hour and 15 minutes. By partially cover, I mean leave the top just off center so that the soup reduces and thickens, like this:

Partially covered soup pot

Watch it, you don't want it to boil over, just to gently bubble away. Lower heat worked fine on my gas stove. At the end of  1 hour, test your potatoes by sticking them with a knife to make sure they are tender. You may need to cook the soup another 15 or 20 minutes, depending on the size you cut the potatoes during the prep. When the potatoes are done and the soup is thickened, you'll need to puree your veggies. 

There are several ways to process the vegetables. I used my immersion blender, which is super easy to do. Let the soup cool a little before you start, put the immersion blender into the pot and begin blending in short bursts. You want the soup to be smooth and creamy.  You could also use a regular blender. Simply remove the potatoes and leeks (in batches) with a slotted spoon and puree them, then return them to the broth. You could run the vegetables through a food processor or a food mill. Whichever method you use, let the soup cool slightly before pureeing, to minimize the chance of getting splashed by boiling liquid or super hot vegetables. 

After the vegetables have been processed and returned to the soup, add the cream. Turn the heat on low to gently heat the cream and soup. Crumble the bacon and add it to the soup. Be careful not to let it boil. Taste the mixture and correct the seasoning -- you might need a little more salt or pepper, depending on the chicken stock you used. I always use lower sodium chicken stock and sometimes do need to add a little more salt at the end. Be careful, it's better to under-salt a dish than to over-salt one! This will make at least 6 bowls of soup. Garnish the soup with a tablespoon of cream and some chives. To make Vichyssoise-- that American invention we think is French -- simply cool the soup and serve it cold. We ate it one night for dinner, along with spinach salad. The rest made it's way to several delicious lunches and yes, one of the lunches I ate it cold. I knew I couldn't sell it to my husband, but I liked it just fine. 

Bon Appetit! 

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken 7 Ways

Taco Salad Made with Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken

OK, here's the thing about this dish: I don't really know what to call it. It's hardly a recipe, because you don't need to chop anything and all you do is to dump a bunch of stuff into your slow cooker. It's not only a soup, but can also be made into a delicious variety of dishes, which I've listed at the bottom of the post. Don't you LOVE options? If you can think of a good name for this, let me know in the comments below, please! In the meantime, don't worry too much about what it's called and just make it. You'll get a good dinner and lots of delish leftovers. AND you won't get bored with the leftovers because it's so versatile. I got the original recipe from someone at work, but of course, had to fix it up a bit! I just can't help myself...
My husband loves this and it was so easy! He's already taken it to work 2X this week, after eating it on Saturday night. It was also fairly inexpensive. I buy my chicken breasts frozen in the bags from the big box store, and they aren't too big, so I used 4. Score one for weeknight cooking! Let me also say that while this was very tasty, it was not what I would call SPICY. It has a little heat, but nothing that will burn you up or make kids reject it. Of course, if you like it spicy, add more hot sauce! I added the amount I put in the recipe.

We love Jack's Salsa! 

Keep Rotel on hand! 

Dark Red Hanover Kidney Bean

 Here are the pantry ready ingredients that you'll need to make this dish. You'll also need 1 lb. of thawed, boneless skinless chicken breasts, some cheese and some spices.

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
Makes at least 6 Servings, various ways
~1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
(3 to 4 breasts, depending on size)
2 cans Bush's Black Beans, undrained
1 can Hanover Dark Red Kidney Beans
1 cup Jack's Medium Salsa (or your fave)
1 14 oz. can Hunts Tomato Sauce
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
2 cans Original Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chilies
1.5 tsp. ground cumin
1 T. Texas Pete Hot Sauce (optional)
1 c. shredded Pepper Jack Cheese or plain Monterey Jack cheese if you want it very mild

Place the (thawed) chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. Top with the un-drained black beans, the drained kidney beans, salsa, tomato sauce, green chilies, Rotel Tomatoes, cumin and hot sauce. Give the mixture a good stir to combine the ingredients. Cook on low heat for at least 6 hours. 
Carefully remove your chicken and shred it, if it has not already fallen apart. Put it back into the slow cooker and add the shredded Jack cheese. Cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the cheese melts completely.  (PS You could totally add frozen or canned corn to this, but I was trying to keep the carbs a little on the lower side and we aren't in love with corn in chili type dishes.)

TO SERVE: 
1. Ladle into bowls and top with crushed corn chips and a dollop of sour cream. 
2. Or put the chips on the bottom for a softer texture. Very much like chicken tortilla soup. 
3. OR chop a variety of lettuces, peppers and tomatoes and top with the Tex-Mex Chicken. Add a little shredded cheese (sharp or jack), some crushed tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream for a taco salad. 
4. OR use a slotted spoon to drain off some of the liquid and roll into soft flour tortillas. Top with cheese, a little sour cream and salsa. Very kid friendly. Use whatever you like in your tacos! 
5. OR spray a corn tortilla with cooking spray on both sides and heat in oven until crispy. (You could fry it if you like) Top with the Tex-Mex chicken, shredded cheese, chopped lettuce and sour cream for a tasty tostada. Squeeze a lime over the top. 
6. OR make a Spanish Omelet: Heat a non-skillet over medium heat while you beat 3 eggs with 2 tsp. milk. Melt 1 tsp. of butter in the pan and then pour the eggs into the skillet. Sprinkle with a little salt. As the eggs begin to set, use a wooden spoon or a plastic spatula to gently pull the edges to the center, swirling the pan to fill in the gaps with the uncooked egg mixture. Be patient. Sprinkle the eggs with a scant 1/4 c. finely shredded cheddar cheese. When the omelet looks like it's almost dry and set, fold it over carefully and slide onto a plate. Top with the Tex-Mex Chicken. Could serve 2 for a lunch or a hearty dinner for 1. If the omelet doesn't work out, call it Mexican Scrambled Eggs...
7. Last but not least, make some nachos, chips, chicken, cheese, baked until bubbly. YUM! 

Lobster and Shrimp Bisque For Two

Lobster and Shrimp Bisque
Doesn't look exciting but man, it's good!

Believe it or not, I found myself with some leftover lobster meat. What? Our local Tom Leonard's Market in Richmond, had lobster tails on sale, 2 for $10, and my husband, being in a rather expansive mood, bought 6 of them. Yes, SIX. They weren't very big, as he explained it. We ate 4 on Saturday night, along with a small fillet that he also purchased on sale there, but I had 2 of them leftover. I mean, unless you live in Maine and have lobster traps, who had leftover lobster? Just sayin'...

So, yesterday, I researched lobster bisque, lobster pot pie and lobster mac-n-cheese. Many of these recipes included fennel and I don't like fennel. Or anise. Or licorice. Period. My husband doesn't love pot pie. I mean he'll eat if but he's not crazy about it. The mac-n-cheese recipes looked SO rich, with the lobster, butter, gruyere cheese and cream, I decided against that. 

We love She Crab Soup, so I modeled on that and came up with this. It was delicious! Don't omit the Kitchen Basics Seafood Stock, which I purchased just for this dish, unless you happen to have your own homemade seafood stock. I wouldn't sub chicken stock in this dish. This soup would make a wonderful treat for your sweetie on Valentine's Day! OR just for you, two nights in one week? And it's only a little extravagant, right? It can easily be made up to a day ahead, and I am thinking it would be even better if it sat in the frig for a few hours to bring the flavors together even more harmoniously. However, we were hungry and the soup was ready. Don't rush cooking the veggies or reducing the liquid. Think low and slow for optimum flavor. It's creamy, rich and just a touch spicy from the Old Bay and cayenne pepper. PERFECT on a cold winter night, or anytime for that matter! Bet you are going to LOVE this one!

Lobster and Shrimp Bisque

2/3 c. cooked lobster meat, chopped                                  

Chopped Lobster Meat

6 - 8 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, cut in half

2 ribs celery, split in half and sliced thinly (2/3 c. total)

1/2 c. minced onion

3 baby carrots, halved and thinly sliced (about 2 T.)

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 T. Land o' Lakes salted butter

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 c. Kitchen Basics Seafood Stock

1/2 c. Pinot Grigio

1 c. light cream

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

4 grindings black pepper

1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

a pinch of cayenne pepper (or a little more to taste)

Melt butter with oil in the bottom of a smaller stock pot over low heat.

Small stock pot

Add celery, onion, carrots and garlic to the butter. Cook over LOW heat until the vegetables are very soft, about 15 min. Watch it and stir occasionally, you don't want it to brown. Add the fish stock and wine and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and let this simmer uncovered for 20 - 30 minutes, or until it's reduced by 1/3 in volume. Remove 1/2 the vegetables with a slotted spoon and puree them in your blender or get out your immersion blender and puree the soup for a minute until it's a little thickened. I like a little texture, so don't overdo the blending! Add the light cream, salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and allow this to cook together over barely simmering heat, for 10 more minutes. Next, add the Old Bay seasoning and the raw shrimp and cook this for 5 minutes. Lastly add the cayenne, then the lobster and cook for 5 more minutes until everything is heated through and the shrimp have turned pink. Turn off the heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes or refrigerate to reheat later. Sprinkle with a little Old Bay when served. Makes 2 dinner bowl sized servings or 4 c. for a luncheon sized serving. 

The Best Onion Soup



The best onion soup ever!
We like it so much, I've even bought special bowls to serve it in.

Who knew? My mom cooked like Julia too!
I never knew, until I decided to make onion soup yesterday. I've been making onion soup since I was about 12 years old. My mom made it several times a year, and since she deemed it easy to make, it was one of the first things she taught me how to cook. Yes, I know, that's a little nerdy, wanting to learn to cook at such an early age, but the truth is, I've always loved being in the kitchen with the grown up ladies.

As I've mentioned recently, I've been perusing "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by my cooking hero, Julia Child, since her 100th birthday celebration ( more here ). Since it was sitting right in front of me, I looked up Julia's onion soup recipe and GUESS WHAT? It is almost exactly the same as the one my mother taught me, many years ago, in our kitchen in Tampa, FL. Mom's ingredient portions were a little different, and she used all butter, but mostly it was the same! That actually makes sense, if you think about it: After all, we lived in Paris (yes Paris, France) when I was born, and that was at the same time Julia was there, learning to cook. I've secretly dreamed that maybe Mom might have met Julia, but that was pure fantasy on my part!  Maybe it happened?!?!! Or more likely, Mom learned this recipe from her French baby nurse, who helped her for several months after I was born. We lived in a little tiny house, outside Paris, in a suburb near the Loire valley. "Madame" as Mom always referred to her, came every day, and helped with me and general housekeeping duties, including some cooking. It's very likely that it was from Madame that mom learned this recipe.

I've called this scaled down version of the recipe "Onion Soup for 2" and by that I mean two main course servings. The recipe actually makes about 5 cups of soup, enough for 4 as a starter course.

French Onion Soup for 2

3 yellow onions, medium to large size, sliced



Onion Soup, simmering on the stove.

1 clove garlic, smashed and rough chopped

3 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 T. all purpose flour

1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)

4 1/2 cups beef stock or bouillon (canned is fine, that's what Mom always used and Julia endorses her decision)

1/2 c. dry white wine

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 - 3 thick slices day old, toasted and dried french bread, cut bite sized cubes

2 - 3 slices Swiss cheese

2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

In a heavy bottomed pot, melt butter with olive oil over low heat. Add the onions, 1 tsp. salt and sugar. Cook until onions begin to brown. This process takes rather a long time, at least 30 minutes. You must do it over low to medium heat so that the onions brown and do not burn. Stir occasionally during the process, making sure the onions don't stick and are cooking evenly.

When the onions have browned, add the sliced garlic and saute for another minute or 2 (this is my addition, and not absolutely necessary. We like a little garlic taste, but it's optional.) Sprinkle the onion mixture with flour, and stir it in completely. Continue to cook for a minute to brown the flour a little bit. Add the beef stock or bouillon and the white wine. Season the soup with a little more salt and some pepper -- taste the broth to determine how salty it is so you don't over-season. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn it down, and let it simmer, covered, for at least 1 hour. Keep the heat low so that the mixture barely simmers along, developing the rich flavor characteristic of good onion soup. Julia recommends cooking the soup for 2+ hours, but I find that one is plenty. If you leave it on low or put it in your slow cooker, you can probably simmer it for hours, filling your home with a comforting, homey smell.

This soup can be eaten as it, but we like to gussy it up a little, the way it is most often served in America, and often in France. To serve the soup, place some bread in the bottom of a bowl, like this:

Place some swiss cheese on top of the bread and carefully ladle the hot soup over the bread and cheese. Sprinkle each bowl with a little Parmesan and let the soup sit for about 5 minutes until the cheese has melted and the soup has cooled just a little bit!

Bon Appetit! 

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Is there anything better than some homemade chicken noodle soup? Especially on a chilly, rainy Sunday, what could be better than smelling stock simmering and standing by the dreary view outside the kitchen window, chopping veggies and herbs? Even if cooking is not your favorite thing, making soup is a truly therapeutic exercise, I promise!  If you can't be down in the Bahamas, soaking up the sun, you may as well make some liquid sunshine.

It's said in my family that I have a "way with a chicken", but in all fairness, I must confess that my Grandmother Rosie had a "way with a chicken" and that she passed it onto her daughter, my dear, sweet Aunt Cissy, who taught it to me. Chicken soup is best made with love, and patience, and that's the secret. Next time you need a little sunshine in your life, try this, your family will love you for it.



Chicken Noodle Soup

 First, make your stock:
1 2-3 lb.+ chicken
water
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 medium peeled onion
2 ribs of washed celery, leafy tops included
1 medium carrot, scrubbed
1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
Put your chicken into a large, deep stockpot and cover it completely with water. If your chicken has the neck and giblets inside, put those into the water also, after rinsing well. Add the garlic, onion, celery, and carrot. Bring the pot to a boil and add in the rosemary, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Turn this down to medium low and cover. Boil gently for at least one to one and a half hour, until the chicken is cooked through. The chicken is done when the legs can be wiggled easily and the juices run clear when it is pierced with a long fork at the fullest part of the breast.

Remove the chicken and all the vegetables and set them aside to cool. At this point, you can strain your liquid, which my aunt always did. I don't, it's ok with me if the broth is a little cloudy, but she liked hers nice and clear. It is simply a matter of preference!

Next, make your soup.
1/2 c. dry white wine
3 cups water
2 tsp. kosher salt
a little fresh ground black pepper
1 minced clove garlic
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced up (you may omit this or substitute fresh thyme)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
3 ribs celery, sliced thinly
2 large yellow squash, quartered and sliced into small pieces (don't cut them too thin)
Into your broth, add all your ingredients and bring this to a boil. Turn it down, and let it cook another hour, until the vegetables are tender. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. The noodles will soak up a lot of salt so I always add at least 1 more tsp. I like the taste of kosher salt in this recipe, it's a little "softer".
While the veggies are cooking, skin the chicken and cut off all of the meat. Chop it up into bite sized pieces. You'll need at least 3 cups of cooked chicken. (If you have more, save it and make some chicken salad the next day -- that's what I am doing!)
To the soups add:
8 oz. wide egg noodles
Bring the soup back to a boil and boil at least another 20 minutes.
(NOTE: If you want that super clear broth, cook your noodles separately, and then add them into the soup fully cooked. This is what my aunt did to ensure that perfectly clear broth. She often made her own egg noodles, which are delicious, but one heck of a lot more work!)
LASTLY, add the cooked chicken back into the soup and cook very gently for about 10 minutes. At  this point, you can remove the soup from the heat and refrigerate it to serve when you want, but the noodles will continue to soak up more broth. If you want to make ahead and serve later, you will need to add another 2 - 3 cups of water before serving.
Serve with some warm bread and have a wonderful dinner. This soup will serve at least 6, and you'll have a big bowl or 2 leftover for lunches or another dinner!
It's a little trouble, but well worth effort!

Liquid Bowl of Sunshiney Love

Italian Vegetable Soup Recipe

When I am actively trying to loose weight, it helps me to fill up on things that taste good and are not bad for me. A no brainer, right? Oftentimes, though, that is easier said than done. Here is my version of a soup that I got from Weight Watchers. Their version was a little bland. My version is tasty and good enough to serve your family and friends. It is non fat, high fiber and has no added starches or carbs.

As we used to say, "Try it, you'll like it!"



Italian Vegetable Soup



32 oz. Low Sodium, Low Fat Chicken Broth (that's a big box)

1 c. V8

1/3 c. shredded carrot

1 small can (app. 15 oz.) diced tomatoes

1/2 small onion, chopped

1/4 c. minced celery

2 lg. cloves garlic, minced (about 1 T.)

1/4 c. minced green pepper

1 med. zucchini squash, halved and thinly sliced

1 med. yellow squash, halved and thinly sliced

1 c. frozen baby broccoli florets

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil, or 2 T. fresh basil "chiffonade"

Put all of the ingredients into a medium to large, heavy soup pot. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let cook 30 - 60 minutes on low. The veg. should be cooked through. Turn it off, Take your potato masher and "mash" the soup to thicken it. (You may use an immersion blender if you have one, or cool soup and blend it in the blender, but don't puree completely.)

Then, add:

1 big handful of chopped fresh baby spinach

1/2 c. chopped roasted red pepper (buy it in a jar either on the international isle or near the pickles)

1 tsp. of salt, or to taste

a few grindings of fresh black pepper

Bring the soup back up to boil, turn it down and let simmer 15 more minutes. Garnish with a little fresh basil if you have it. Sprinkle your bowl with a T. of parmesan cheese if you can afford the extra calories!

Let me say that I KNOW this is a lot of ingredients for one recipe, but here is how I look at it: You can eat on this all week, and it will keep you from overeating at meal times. Eat a cup before lunch and or dinner. It's very healthy and full of natural fiber.

If you want to use this for a main course, add a can of drained and rinsed kidney or cannelini beans or a cup of cooked, small pasta, like seashells or elbows. Just be sure to add that to your totals for the day.