Burned Artichokes and grey lumpy mush!

Last night was fun! Usually I am a really good cook but yesterday wasn’t my day!!

First…

I decided after work to come home and make something new for dinner along with some potato & leek soup. Now, I've eaten Artichokes before in dips and pasta and such but I've never attempted to make them before. So while I was at walmart getting the things I needed for dinner (sans leeks for the soup that walmart usually has but didn’t last night) I saw artichokes just sitting there waiting for me. I've looked at them before, even picked them up and almost put them in my cart a few times but last night I got them! I was so excited to get home and steam them and make a garlic butter to dip them in!I get home and google Artichokes and find a pretty simple (I thought) recipe. You fill the bottom of your pot with an inch or so of water, add a bay leaf, some lemon (which I didn't have) and a clove of garlic. Then you put your artichokes in a steam basket, bring the water to a boil and let it simmer for 30 to 45 min. until the leaves are easily detached. I do all of this except for the lemon because I don't have lemons lying around the house... Who am I, Julia Child or something?While I'm waiting on them to steam I decide to run to the store and get something I forgot at walmart and harps (yay me). Well, when I got back my house smelled like charred bay leaf and garlic! I took the pot outside and took the lid off (don't want the smoke alarm going off). I tested the leaves and they were indeed easily detached! I took a bite and they tasted smoky (go figure). I dipped them in the homemade garlic butter and ate about half an artichoke anyway!

I realize I still don't have everything I need (I'm going to start making lists) so I call Chris and tell him to run by the store and I start the soup.

I had gone to Harps after the walmart trip to get the leeks for the soup! So while Chris is on his way home I start chopping the leeks to sauté them with some butter and 4 (yes four) cloves of garlic. Then I cut up the mushrooms and potatoes for the soup and added them to the pot with the leeks and garlic and some water to boil. Once they were cooked I added some cream ( by this time Chris had come home) and started pouring the soup into the blender to puree it (since it’s a smooth soup) well... something went wrong with the blender and it went EVERYWHERE (I put the lid on before I started it but that didn't matter)!!! I was covered in this grayish green half lumpy soup that was boiling hot! I decided to let it cool off while I took a bubble bath.

After I cleaned up myself & the mess I decided to try my soup and it was awful! How does something with FOUR cloves of garlic have no taste???

I gave up and went to bed.