Butter Makes It Good...

I love the Anthony Bourdin quote that the difference between your cooking and restaurant cooking is butter and shallots.

Definitely proved that one out this evening, when I made one of the best 30-minute meals ever, courtesy not of the over-perky Rachel Ray but of Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle & Simone Beck.

Let me back up a moment. 

My mind has been on food even more than ever the past week or so...putting together the menu for the annual Christmas feast with the extended familia los G's, reading this fun book that my office friend loaned me: The United States of Arugula: The Sun Dried, Cold Pressed, Dark Roasted, Extra Virgin Story of the American Food Revolution (how can you resist a title like that?!), then finally watching Julie & Julia (which I received for Christmas) on Sunday night. 

So I *had* to crack open our copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and cook from it this evening. And I made the most glorious butter-seared oven-roasted chicken breasts in mushroom-shallot-cream sauce with baby peas, followed by the over-the-top Jacques Torres hot chocolate that Santa gave me (with a shot of peppermint schnapps for good measure). Pretty simple but just over-the-top, lick-the-plate good. And I even improvised a bit (cognac instead of wine and duck stock instead of 

And duck was cheap, so I bought one of those and will try that tomorrow or Thursday night, perhaps with cherries. And carrots, or carrot & fennel soup, and little french green beans, and chocolate puff pastry, and...ooh, boy, I can see I'm going to have to make good on that whole I-must-start-exercising thing.

Christmas Dinner Update

Dinner was delicious, and we did a lot of the prep work the day before, which worked out well. There were 16 adults and 4 kids, and not TOO many leftovers.

We did the fresh ham (a 15-pounder!), not the Porchetta, although I'd still like to try that some time. The ham was really awesome.

Doubled the kale, and tripled the green beans, although probably double would have been fine. Did between 1.5x and 2x on the corn pudding; was a bit over there as well, and on the salad (full head of iceberg and two hearts of romaine with four carrots and a bunch of radishes).

Made TWO ice cream cakes (which was definitely one too many, as usual with our desserts):

• one with crumbled pecan sandies in vanilla ice cream with a cajeta drizzle and canela-brown sugar whipped cream, and 
• one with crushed peppermint candies in vanilla ice cream with a hot fudge drizzle and peppermint whipped cream. 

Shockingly, the cinnamon-caramel was the clear winner in the taste test, even for me.

Christmas Dinner

I'm posting this a bit early (still a toss-up on the entree, depending on what the butcher says is available), but I want all the recipe links at my fingertips no matter where I am:

• Cocktails & kiddie sparklers using the Lavender Lemon Drop and Mojito from modmix
• Texas Caviar (Black Eyed Peas) with tortilla chips (or as a salad with the meal)
• Fresh Ham with Citrus Rum Glaze OR Porchetta (Pork Shoulder) with Roasted Fingerlings
• Corn Pudding
• Quick Cooked Greens (probably the garlic & red pepper flakes variation)
• Green Beans with Bacon & Onions (might skip if we do the Porchetta)
• Crunchy Salad of Iceberg, Romaine, Carrots & Radishes with homemade French Dressing
• Peppermint Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

Looking forward to the final decision!

Too sweet!

So I'm talking to G-man on the phone, and I can hear the Juj playing with his cousins in the background.

You wanna talk to him?

Sure, if he wants.

A short conversation ensues, during which I tease Juj about how bored he must be in San Antonio, with nothing to do but stare at the walls.  (He's really been to a pops concert and his cousin's basketball game and had a sleep-over with the aunties and another with his cousin.) Then he says, without any tearfulness or anything, but I can tell he is serious...

Don't talk to me because it makes me want to give you a hug.

Really! Good thing I'll be there in person soon!

Si-i-lent Night

All is calm.

G-man and the Juj took off for S.A. today, and I took a nap.  A little sad not to go with them, since I need to do a couple more days of work to close out the year, but it's a lovely change of pace.  I'll have to take J off somewhere myself some weekend so that the hub can experience this.

And now the cats and I are going to enjoy a quiet evening in front of the fire...

Babies & booze

Forgot to mention that this Saturday saw the delivery of my new baby cousin twins, Joey & Nevi!  (Congrats to Carrie & John AND the proud grandparents; thought Aunt Becki & Uncle Joe might burst from joy!)

And wanted to add a recipe for my current favorite nightcap I made up, the Peppermint Pillow:

• one shot each peppermint schnapps & vanilla vodka in a coffee cup (eyeball it, as Rachel Ray sez)
• top with marshmallows (two big ones cut in half, although a little handful of small ones would probably be good, too)
• add a piece of candy cane, since you have leftovers from decorating the tree (at least I do!)
• fill the cup with milk
• microwave for 90 seconds, so it gets good & hot and the marshmallows puff up
• top with a shot of whipped cream from a can, since you bought too much at Costco (oops, am I projecting again?)

The faster I go, the behinder I get...

Actually, I'm not nearly as stressed out as I can be at this time of year.  G-man has been taking care of all the holiday shopping (reminds me that I really am thankful I married a man who likes to shop!), we've not really done much entertaining (didn't even cook Sunday dinner this week), have only been to one holiday show (Look Out! Science is Coming!)

Unfortunately, the Juj came down with something last night (basically a heavy duty cold, I think); woke me up at 3 AM to say "I think I have a fever" and he was right. Pretty droopy today, but did finally seem to get his appetite back somewhat in the evening, when I made him a scrambled egg with cheese for "lunch" around 4:30 or 5, and then he ate the delicious chicken enchiladas that G-man and Unca Ron brought us back from Cowboy Chicken a bit later.

A day spent on the couch did allow us to catch up on some  movies we'd missed in the theatres, including Up which was great although it did make me cry a lot. ;-)

What else? Well, the tree is now fully decorated, the washer has been replaced (this has not been a great year for appliances for us, although the upside is that most all have either been repaired or replaced at this point), there are Nutcrackers on the mantel and a Nativity on the china cabinet, and I even mailed out some Christmas cards.

And last Sunday, we had a yummy pre-Christmas dinner with Ron & Elsa of:

• Spinach Salad with blue cheese & leftover spicy pepitas
• Prosciutto Standing Rib Roast with Figs
• Broccoli
• Baked Pears with amaretti cookies

So really, I just need to count my blessings, which are MANY, and get on with it!

Family fun

Today we had a fairly lazy morning, although I did get up and get a yummy breakfast from the Chick-Fil-A drive-through (thank goodness it's closed Sunday and not on my way on weekdays!). In the afternoon, we got a tree, which is now up and lit and waiting for further decor, thanks to the G-man.

And we picked up a gingerbread house kit (prebaked but I did have to erect the house myself) which Julian and I decorated, and then "hid" in the oven to dry, in order to avoid having the cats eat it. I guess December can officially start now!

Snow in Dallas? On December 2nd?!

Well, it didn't snow long, and it didn't stay, but I do have photographic proof of this wacky phenomenon.

Casual Thanksgiving with Friends

This is always great - good food, good friends, and good wine to top it off. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday (all the food and family of Christmas without the presents' anxiety), and this year was a perfect example of why that is so.

The 'tribe joined us, along with Ron and Bill. Mr. W brought wine (mmm...), Ben, roses and the cutest toddler on earth, and then Mrs. W joined us with more food and Miss Sam, who had been feeling unwell but seemed to perk up a bit for most of the afternoon. The kids played outside, the grown-ups drank wine and finished the cooking, and then we all sat down for a feast consisting of:

• Nigella Lawson's Liptauer with Rye and Pumpernickel Toasts
• Carrots & Celery with Ranch
• Spicy Pecans (inspired by the linked recipe, but made with pecans, pepitas, and almonds; with 1 tblsp. each cumin, new mexico chile powder, cinnamon; and Splenda instead of sugar)
• Tur-Duc-Ken with Wild Rice & Pecan Stuffing from La Boucherie via Central Market (excellent, as always, but DH & I are already plotting about making our own next time, out of all breasts maybe, with multiple stuffings...)
• Jen's Challah-Cornbread-Cranberry-Pancetta Dressing (sweet AND spicy - yum!)
• Sweet Potatoes (Jen made 'em roasted and smashed with marshmallows on top)
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Shallots (this is always and amazing hit; don't like Brussels Sprouts? you should give 'em a chance in this preparation)
• Green Peas with Butter (my personal "gotta have it" thing for T-day)
• Iceberg Wedges with Roquefort Dressing (a nod to Gilster's dear departed Grandpa Owen)
• Cranberry-Apple Gel Mold (Guerrero tradition a la Joy of Cooking, but Splenda-ized)
• Cottage Cheese Dill Bread (another G family tradition, lifted from Beard on Bread)
• Braided Wheat Loaf (Uncle Ron was inspired after loaning us his bread pans!)
• Low-carb Marble Pumpkin Cheesecake with Praline Crust (my mash-up creation from 2008)
• Chocolate Pecan Pie (*swoon* now I know I love Jen!)
• Plenty of whipped cream (an overzealous Costco buy)

And DH cleaned up afterwards (ooh -- and he just made me oatmeal for breakfast, which soothes my Scottish soul, and my stomach...), and we had the rugs shampooed earlier in the week, and rearranged the furniture, and now all we have to is relax (mostly) for the next three days!

Recovering nicely, thank you!

I was "back at work" starting Tuesday this week. Actually, I worked from home until Friday, when I went in to see with my own eyes that the office was still there. Had a lovely birthday celebration lunch for a friend, and decided that I'll be working from home for the day and a half that I'm not taking off next week. (Can you say "ghost town"?)

Since I've never really had surgery before, and I certainly don't remember much about the first few weeks post-partum (it was seven years ago, plus the mind protects you by forgetting, I think), I've been surprised at both the speed of recovery and also at the amount of sore exhaustion I felt yesterday evening. First time out of the house for more than a quick errand, but I figured "it's just sitting around working all day; I do that at home - how hard could it be?" I had hoped for some retail therapy this weekend (Thanksgiving groceries, Costco, Macy's...) but now I know I'll need to pace myself. Especially since I'm supposed to teach Sunday school, too.

Not that I am complaining in the least ('cuz that sounds a little whiny). I have been making GREAT recovery, I believe, and I am absolutely blessed to have a job that accommodate working from home, a husband who has picked up a LOT of slack, and a kid who is going through one of those honeymoon development periods of being really sweet and reading to himself. ;-)

Oh, and demanding that I come cuddle with him on the couch. So...off I go!

Quick weeknight dinner to try on a Sunday

We didn't make the dessert that's part of this menu from the Martha Stewart Living magazine December "Meal in about an Hour" (not yet available online but I'm sure it will be, but it looked good, and the rest was quick and delicious:

• Celery Root & Apple Slaw (with a Pink Lady instead of a Granny Smith)
• Seared Salmon with Horseradish & Scallions
• Carrot Puree
• Chocolate-Almond Pastries

Wanted to remember that we want to make it to share, since G-man and I enjoyed it so much.

Hmm...maybe I wouldn't be bored as a woman of leisure?

I am going to miss blog time (reading and writing) when I start back in with the working tomorrow. I love poking around in the lives of virtual friends and strangers. And it's something I seem to be able to do under the influence of prescription pain killers. My guess is that cost accounting and UAT are going to require more clarity of mind than that; nothing stronger than Tylenol or perhaps those mega-ibuprofens. Good thing I didn't restart my Twitter addiction. And, thankfully, I finished my big, thick novel. But I may have to find a way to continue my rekindled relationship with the Food Network.

Yummy.

Well, G-man apparently couldn't resist the 'gourmet' Salisbury steak recipe that was among those I had been tempted by in watching too many hours of the Food Network this week. So he came home from church with more groceries (had already stocked us up the day before, bless his heart), made Tia Elsa promise that she'd help him clean up (which they made good on in a wonderful way) and we had an upscale TV dinner night:

• Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Sauce (and yes, 1 CUP of balsamic vinegar was delicious)
• Peas (frozen ones, microwaved with a small clove of garlic and some butter)
• Mock Mashed Potatoes (a.k.a. a rustic puree of cauliflower with sour cream, cheese, and buttermilk)
• Lemon Pudding Cakes sans mixed fresh berries (substituted Splenda for half the sugar which seemed fine, although I did also accidently set the oven at 350 instead of 325; didn't seem too much the worse for wear, although perhaps more cake-y than we had thought it was going to be)

It was all really good, and I'm glad we (mostly G-man but I couldn't resist a little time in the kitchen myself) made it. It was also basically the first time I'd seen anyone other than G & J since the surgery, and that didn't suck either. Plus I didn't have to clean up at all, thanks to DH & Elsa!

Bed rest means... bed rest, dummy!

I think I might not have been gentle enough on myself those first few days. And I'm paying for it this weekend, albeit pretty mildly. A bit more pain than I had been experiencing originally. It's just that when you mostly feel good...mostly -- name that film -- and you have an overdeveloped Puritanical conscience that says no good can come of shilly-shallying around, it's hard to just lie (lay?) still and do nothing.

Upshot? I will NOT be cooking Sunday supper today, and neither will G-man, since he's got to look after me and the Juj plus do all the rest of the things that he normally does to contribute to our forward momentum. Me? I'll be taking another pain reliever and curling up in bed some more. And feel ever so thankful that, post-Monday, I can slowly work my way back into working, from home, and in my pajamas still, if I prefer.

Not for the squeamish (really!)

I am sitting at home, recovering from my surgery. At the risk of TMI: endometrial ablation and rectocele repair. You can look 'em up if you are brave and foolish, but suffice it to say that, once full recovered, the two should improve my quality of life once a month and once a day, respectively. And that I have not been, and do not plan to be, doing any bicycle or horseback riding any time soon. ;-)

Been away from the office since Tuesday, and finally checked my work email last night, to find that, oddly enough, time had not stopped. And now that my one main post-op side effect seems to be finally resolving itself, I am looking forward to renewed effort at pushing the boulder up the hill next week.

And, after catching up on hours of watching the Food Network on Wednesday and Thursday, I am also looking forward to making dinner on Sunday -- or at least suggesting a menu to my wonderful, long-suffering husband. I certainly could not have done this without him; he's a patient man to put up with nursing me (because I am NOT a patient patient), and he talked me through my pre-op moments of cold feet, reassuring me all the way up to the time that the nice southern gent of an anesthesiologist dumped whatever cocktail it was into my IV and wheeled me off the the OR. And he was still waiting for me in the recovery room afterwards!

Plus I escaped paying the Juj five hundred bucks. He was dealing with his deep, dark inner seven-year-old fears with the same black sense of humor that his parents sometimes display, and bet me $500 that I would not live through surgery. Perhaps not the most psychologically sound to bet to take, but I lived, so too bad for him. (For some reason the bet did NOT include paying me $500 if I did not expire, but not sure he could have afforded that anyway, and I just would have had to put out a contract to have someone break his legs for being a deadbeat.)

But seriously, I am feeling truly blessed this week -- to have a wonderful loving family and supportive friends who have been keeping tabs on me, to have decent health insurance and a well-paying job so my decision to go forward could hinge on medical advisability and not on whether I could afford it, to have a competent medical staff that took good care of me (including my Ob-Gyn's nurse who has been super about answering my questions both before and after). Always good to get things in the proper perspective! So thanks, universe -- and thanks to all 'youse guys' who prayed, sent positive thoughts, and/or checked up on me afterwards.

Preview

We're taking Sunday supper on the road this week, to share with our good friends. I basically did all the cooking today, so tomorrow will just be about finishing touches and heating chez W. The bulk of the menu (those with *) is taken from Amanda Hesser's Cooking for Mr. Latte, which is a basically a wonderful food blog-love story from the days before blogs.

• Carrot Fennel Soup*
• Ginger Duck*
• Yellow and Green Beans with Thyme
• Simple Arugula Salad with Parmesan, Lemon & Olive Oil
• Fallen Almond Cake* with Port-Cherry Sauce

and, because I had egg whites leftover from making the cake

• Mexican Chocolate Meringue Kisses (well, blobs, really, but I'm sure they'll taste good)

Side note: I started reading Amanda Hesser when she was first writing for the NY Times, as we subscribed to the Times those first years in Texas. Because the Dallas Morning News, bless its little knobby head, was no match for the Los Angeles Times that we had left behind. And in the years before Julian's arrival, reading a large newspaper in a leisurely fashion was one of our great pleasures.

It's only Tuesday?

How can that be?!

Halloween Jack O' Lanterns 2009!

Perhaps I ate too much...

...or perhaps it's the end of DST, but at any rate, I'm exhausted. Sunday supper was

• Simple crisp roasted chicken halves
• Iceburg wedge with avocado & homemade Russian (or is that French?) dressing
• Herbed gratin of Delicata squash, red vinegar onions and fontina
• Steamed broccoli & cauliflower
• Roasted pears with ginger-almond marscapone

OK, and now to download a picture or two -- maybe some will appear here.

I Don't Get No Respect

Well, actually, it's that our cats don't respect the concept of Daylight Savings Time turning on and off.

Here it is, the lovely "fall back" morning, one of the best mornings of the year for sleeping in, and the cats were tromping around in the bedroom at 6:20 AM. Which was 7:20 AM yesterday, and they do usually get fed before eight o'clock, two squares a day -- but the humans in the household all purposefully went to bed late last night and several of the clocks in the house knew to turn themselves back one hour (thanks to FiOS on the TV set boxes and really I don't know how my bedside clock does it), so I was none too pleased the third time that cat misbehavior drove me out of bed. I just gave up and decided it was a sign that (a) I should get my a$$ up and do something, and (b) next year, I should remember to start adjusting the cats feeding times in advance.  Don't laugh - there have been years that I have been organized enough to do that!

Now I can take this time for blogging (read and write)...continue being overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we have in the house (a recent obsession of mine; we have too much stuff although all I do is fret about it, not actually get rid of anything)...miss out on good cuddles (DH is back from his Cleveland trip)...read the offer letter from the new company in more detail (since I need to fax back my acceptance form)...compose an interesting menu for this evening (and maybe the rest of the week's dinners)...generally anything other than feeding the cats. They are just going to have to learn to read the clocks!

I love a parade...or whirlwind!

G-man's folks have been staying with us since Thursday, heading home tomorrow. It's been a bit of a flying visit; I think the Juj was hoping for a bit more time together, but with school, and the school's Fall Festival as well as the church's annual Halloween Party on Saturday, and church on Sunday...well, it's been a whirlwind.

Actually managed to get a photo of us early in the evening at the Halloween party for a change, so I hope to post a picture of the "Fam In Black" soon. We went in MIB costumes - black suits, shades, and name tags that said "G", "D", and "J". And in the cakewalk, "J" won some mini-cupcakes that are still calling to me from their home in the microwave (safe from the cats, not so safe from me and Gram).

In other good news, I received my official offer letter from the company that is buying out my division. Nice equitable offer, including vacation & benefits, and so I guess my employment situation is as secure as any can be in this day and age. *phew & blessings counted*

On the food front, we hit Babe's Chicken en famille Friday night. Next time, gotta remember that it's BYOB, in Carrollton at least.

Saturday night, I made a quick pot of corn chowder (hooray for frozen potatoes o'brien -- that's the heart of your system, along with some nice southwest spices).

Sunday, Ron and Elsa joined us and we had:

• Arugula, Avocado & Fennel Salad, simply dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and perhaps a bit much salt (inspired by Verdura)
• Chicken Provencal with Orange Peel, Saffron, and Basil (thanks, Cook's Illustrated)
• Polenta with Parmesan
• Lemony Haricots Vertes with lemon-thyme & lemon zest
• Pair of Sugar Free Ricotta Cremes: Citrus and Mocha (inspired by Verdura & South Beach Diet book)

Tonight, I made a quick and yummy supper of

• Sauteed pork chops with my spicy-sweet BBQ rub
• Savory apple chutney (leftovers from the freezer, but just as delicious as the first time)
• Can o' baked beans
• Green beans & polenta reprise from Sunday

Not sure what the week will bring, other than a conference call too damn early tomorrow, then the hubster is off to Cleveland Wednesday for a UUCF board meeting, and J & I have a birthday party to attend, then Halloween weekend, then hopefully dinner with friends the next weekend, then a little surgery for me (more on that later; nothing major, except it will require some bed rest, and you can bet that will mean too much time on the intar-web for me), then before you know it, Thanksgiving, and then maybe the deal will close and the new employer will be official (God and government regulators willing), and then Christmas and New Year's...I'm tired just thinking about it!

Oh, and for all you cold-blooded sun worshippers, I have to show my true (Northerner) colors -- I LOVE our recent weather. Rainy and clouds is so much more autumnal than sun and humidity. Although it would be nice if it would get cold enough to kill off the fleas and mosquitoes! (Pet owners, can I get an "amen" on the flea infestation?! Worst summer ever; have had indoor cats for ten years here and this is the first time we've had a flea problem.)

...and there she goes!

Well, I was happy to get Sunday supper with our extended familia back up last week, but with the G-man gone this weekend (off to Minnesota to help the good folks there remember that not everyone is Anglo, straight, middle-aged and male -- although yes, I know that he actually does qualify on most of those counts), I'm thinking that I will not be cooking for more than two tonight.

Last night, after coming home from not one but two birthday parties (admittedly with pizza included at both), the best I could manage was frozen butternut squash pasta with frozen veggies, browned butter, sage & pepitas for me, and popcorn with apples & peanut butter-n-honey for the Juj. In bed, no less.

Today should be less intense -- only one birthday party this afternoon and luckily it doesn't involve ice skating or a family-based entertainment center since it's for our favorite one-year-old -- but I do have a fair amount of work (office work, yard work, AND housework) that could use to be done, so I'm thinking that State Fair will have to wait for next year. And family dinner will have to wait for next week, when the in-laws will be in town.

Gil and I did get to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary on Friday, with a nice dinner and walk around a bookstore. It's amazing how quickly time passes; I've known Gil for almost half my life now.

Sometimes it's hard to believe that we are no longer the college kids we once were -- skipping class to go to Disneyland, putting our bare hands into scary circuit boxes at rinky-dink Equity-waiver theaters, driving around in pick-ups (first all squeezed into college roommate Jefe's little truck, then chugging around L.A. in the big white rust-bucket that G bought from one of the staff at CalArts), or even the thirty-somethings who got married in a fancy hotel in Dallas with 50 of our closest family & friends in attendance, good food, and a little jazz combo ten years ago (and had to edit the judge's standard vows to make sure we could get through them without crying) -- but we've had a quite a ride growing up together and apart (thanks to touring dance companies, far flung theme parks, and all...) And now we have this giant 2nd grader who wants to be a Beatle -- or a MIB, or maybe just a spy a la James Bond -- for Halloween in the black suit his dad bought him on eBay.

Dearest husband -- I love you, and I am looking forward to many returns of the day!

Sunday Supper Club starts up again!

It must be fall! I may be busy beyond belief, but I loved making dinner for the extended family this evening (Uncle R & Tia E joined us). It was even nice and cool the past couple of days; most of my dinner companions were complaining about the overcast, but I love it!

Excellent menu from Martha, 'cept I substituted these incredible pumpkin boule rolls from Whole Foods for the brioche in the caramel croutons for dessert (and added a salad of mixed baby lettuces and grated beets):

• Boneless Pork Chops with Apple Chutney
• Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Mustard Greens and Onions
• Ice Cream with Caramel Brioche Croutons

Happy autumn...

(Oh, and I planned out quick cooking menus for the week; three nights of Rachel Ray and a nice bourride in the works. And Friday will be a nice dinner out a deux to celebrate our anniversary before G-man scoots out of town for the weekend.)

Zooommmm....

I've really been wanting to write.

I've even started a post or two -- dinner menus, Juj's birthday bash, my parents' visit, etc. -- and it would have been great to "live blog" my recent Massachusetts to Nashville road trip with my BFF from college as I even took a picture or two. But alas! time passes faster than I can believe, and many projects -- big and small, personal, familial, household, or for the office -- do not get done in a timely manner, or I try to figure how to cross them off the list altogether.

So this will have to do as a placeholder and a promise, in a stolen early morning moment while my internal clock is still on Eastern Time. A promise to myself of more posts, and more pictures, and a promise to forgive myself when I get sucked up instead in the whirlwind that is September through December. (And it should be even more intense this year, with the deal closing that will sell "my" division off to another company.) So wish me luck, and know that I'm thinking about public navel gazing, but I can barely manage any private naval gazing at the present time...

Porcine influenza and other musings

Well, things are getting back to normal at Casa G.

[Ed. note: That's all I managed to write, on Saturday, September 19, when J was recovering from the flu that had really jumped him the Thursday night before. A title and a sentence. And I wasn't quite right; although Juj was feeling better, we ended keeping him home a couple of days the next week, and then my parents arrived for a week-long visit, and then I took off for my road trip, and then there was an all-day conference call starting at 7 AM that made me cut my road trip short, and then G-man will be out of town twice in October himself, and...]

Random...exhaustion

I said I'd come to bed at 10:30 but I'm still up two hours later, sucked into the internet... Researching birthday party options for the Juj (since he didn't have an official party last year)... Downloading and printing all our medical records so that I can figure out what we have and have not been reimbursed for this year and what is eligible... Reading Facebook... Cleaning out my email inbox (somewhat)... Checking out blogs... Thinking about the menu and recipe updates I haven't done... And the resume I haven't polished... And the jobs I haven't looked for (just in case)... And thinking that VH-1's Tool Academy is pretty intriguing, in an "oh look (glad that's not me)" kind of way, and hilarious, in an "it's funny when someone else slips on a banana peel" kind of way... And, now, exhausted, it's off to bed I go.

Tomorrow is another day.

Adventuresome...

It's all a matter of perspective.

I sat down at the computer to blog about the gluten free 'secret ingredient' brownie recipe from Whole Foods that I am preparing this morning, and there was an email from my brother. And links to some pictures. Of HIM SKY-DIVING!

He did one of those jumps where you are strapped on to an experienced 'diver -- and managed to talk a friend into trying it too on the spur of the moment -- and so, I'll tell you about the brownies adventure after we try them for dessert tonight, but for now...

Hats off to S & J on THEIR adventure!

Insomnia...

Summer done come, and summer done went.

Juj started back to school this week; second grade, for Pete's sake! I do think that it's criminal to start the school year before September, but no one consulted me. Plus it's not like it's going to really become fall or even cool off until October, so mid-August is no more arbitrary than any other time.

We had a nice visit with the family in San Antonio at the end of June, and then J went for a visit on his own this past week. First time away from home alone for him, first time alone for me and the G-man in the past seven years. Managed to see some non-kid-friendly movies (In the Loop was especially good, and so was The Hangover), and eat out without restaurant approval from the little emperor (yes, I realize that's no one's fault but our own...)

Work perks along. I'm still with my same employer, and don't think that should change until the new year, but it's still a bit stressful. I don't know whether it will be better or worse when a final winning bidder is announced in September and our division gets sold off.

And the cooking has been a bit uneven. We're eating in more during the week, to help the adults in the family control their weight and blood chemistry a bit better, and Juj has been more interested in sous-chef-ing. So that's been fun. And we've been doing variations on slow roasted salmon for a couple of our recent Sunday suppers, and that's been good. But I have opted out of cooking on Sunday a bit more this summer; busy, tired, out of town (either us or some of the regulars).

Well, here's hoping that the "autumn" routine includes more blogging. I kind of miss it - darn Twitter!

Times passes...

In fact, over two months have passed...

There was a triple date with the adult F5's & Weintribes to see Spinal Tap Unwigged ... We had a lovely family trip to the Bay Area, where a large portion of my dad's AND mom's immediate families gathered to celebrate the life of my paternal grandmother, who passed away in January ... Gil and I went to see the Dead with my parents (great concert, not too loud) ... Julian has lost another (more than one?) tooth ... Los G's Tres made a pilgrimage to Scarborough Faire, but there are no pictures of mama G in her wench outfit ... There are quite a few new plants in our yards, which are really starting to look good ... Summer school / camp has started ... I'm still employed ... Gil preached recently ... And the Dallas summer heat is beginning to set in.

All of this activity has actually made for a downturn in the Sunday supper gatherings. And my memory is short anyway, so we'll have to make do with the past two weekends.

Yesterday, with Ron & Elsa:

• Smoky grilled pork chops (from July 2009 Cook's Illustrated)
• Radicchio slaw with cauliflower & green beans (from July 2009 Martha Stewart Living)
• Baked beans (from the can)
• Sugar-free (Splenda) raspberry (or at least 'hot pink') jello cake, with red (raspberry), white (banana and whipped cream) & blue (berry) adornment

Last Sunday, also with Ron & Elsa:

• Lemony garbanzo salad
• Eggplant-yogurt dip
• Homemade pita chips
• Salami
• Roasted asparagus
  
• Scallops & shrimp broiled on rosemary skewers
• Watermelon with blackberries, basil & mint
  

Spring Break Redux

We had a great Spring Break, week before this most recent one.  My grandmother took the train out from Oregon, and spent ten days with us, enjoying and entertaining her only great-grandson in the way only she can.  (My grandmother went back to school later in life to get a degree in early childhood development. Although my perspective on "later in life" has changed a bit; she wasn't much older than I am now when she did it!)  I took some time off from work, but we didn't really go on any adventures -- unless you count our first visit to the celebrated Sprinkles to buy some delicious cupcakes as an adventure.  But she and Juj played lots of games, and knowing my son, many had Calvinball rules, and knowing my grammy, she went right along with them!  I remember the magic of her undivided attention, and have no doubt Juj had a fabulous week.  He even told her that he hoped she could come back soon, the night before she left.

And then yesterday, Juj and I had a mini-Spring Break. No school for him because of parent-teacher conferences, and G-man is off at the annual UUCF Revival, so I took Friday off. We got the parent-teacher conference done nice and early -- the teachers said he's a great and very smart kid, although it would be nice if he focused a bit more at times; no new news there! -- and then went to the Museum, followed by 3-D Monsters vs. Aliens in IMAX, followed by dinner with Uncle Ron, and then picked up some early Avatar at Blockbuster. A good day all around!  And tonight, I believe we will hit the spring service auction at Horizon -- although Juj insists that he needs a green (afro) wig to support the night's 70's disco theme(?!); should be interesting trying to find that.

As for food, while Gram was here, Saturday we hit First Chinese BBQ with a big crowd and had leftovers for days.  I roasted a chicken for the first Sunday she was here, and then made a meal that used these recipes for inspiration the second Sunday:

• Green Salad with Fennel & Avocado
• Pasta Verde (served this hot without the vinaigrette; would've been better with it)
• Apricot Dijon Glazed Chicken (doubled the chicken but not the sauce, used fruit only jam with no added sugar, added curry powder; sticky but good and easy)
• Cherry Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream (in addition to making this with frozen cherries instead of peaches, went the Splenda route and added sliced almonds on top; tasted pretty good but looked awful)

Blame it on the economy...and Twitter

Haven't posted for a month; gah! I never read anyone else's blog either, because I was reading blogs of folks I actually know (or at least have met a few times, except Pioneer Woman who's got a HUGE following, and A.McQ. but I feel like I've met her), and now I seem to spend my evening online time catching up on Twitter, and sometimes Facebook, or LinkedIn. And then I don't get around to any blogginess.

Work's been stressful, but the layoffs in our area are complete for the time being, so now I'm just back to working hard.

And I'm behind on menus! Rather than try to recreate the past month, I'll just go from this past Sunday, and try to stay more on top in the future. Last Sunday was one of our service auction offerings, so we had seven folks over for dinner - here's the description from the auction catalog:

Sunday dinner - Old School Guerrero-style, the way the Tias STILL do it. Start with a cocktail? Mojito? Margarita? Cuba Libre? Then get into it: Delicious rich chocolaty Chicken Mole, Arroz Mexicana, Frijoles, Guacamole, Home Made Flour Tortillas, Fresh tender Corn Tortillas from the tortilleria. Finish it off with hot coffee or "Chocolate Popular." To kick it up a notch how about Pastel Tres Leches for dessert? You've been looking a little thin, you need some hearty comida mexicana to build you up for the cold winter days. ¡Sabroso! ¡Hasta entonces!

The funny part is that this little gringa did most of the cooking (kudos to G-man for the cleaning and the homemade tortillas!), but, as the husband said I've "learned from the best!"

The most beautiful sight I've ever seen!

Having been without a fridge since last Sunday's pork fest (and let me tell you, few things are as smelly as warm 'kraut leftovers!), I almost kissed the Maytag men who brought our new, gleaming black monolith yesterday. Some people may spend their money on designer clothes, fancy electronics, or fast sports cars -- me, I want the kitchen appliances. Don't need no stainless steel finish (and was shocked at the premium $ it commands), but bring on the features, baby! It has french doors, a full width deli drawer, and a big ol' pull out freezer at the bottom. It's indescribably beautiful (name that movie) and I can hardly wait to go shopping at Costco, and Whole Foods, and Target to restock it.

Annual Pork Fest - with improv

Mmm, mmm, good! It seems like around this time every year -- even when it's over 70 outside; Texas weather is just too weird -- I get a craving for pork and sauerkraut. And last Sunday, we finally had the whole little Sunday supper gang together (Elsa, Ron and Bill) and I made:

• Choucroute Garnie (love Anthony Bourdain - in his Les Halles Cookbook, he gives this recipe with encouragement to substitute other meats at will, even duck confit, not that I have a source for that)
• Cucumber Salad (not the best part of the meal, to me; non-fat Greek yogurt was not much of a substitute for sour cream)
  
• Apple-Raisin Strudel with chopped toasted hazelnuts added (again, recipe provided the bones, then I changed up a bit)
  

A Delicious, Delightful Dinner

To finish up January, we had a nice dinner with another family from our church, whose little girl is the same age as Juj. Nothing too fancy, just good food, good friends, and good conversation. I do have to say the chicken (from Saveur) was a great find by Gilster. Basically, a round up of favorites:

• Shrimp Bisque (from Ina Garten)
• Guido's Garlic Bread (from Mario Batali)
• Butter Lettuce, Fennel & Avocado Salad
  
• Roasted Herbed Chicken & Vegetables (from Saveur)
  
• Aztec Chocolate Cake (from Nigella Lawson) with Vanilla Ice Cream (from our guests)
  

A fitting tribute to George Bush

While the Juj is already showing signs of cabin fever, after schools closed early yesterday and remain closed today due to our "ice storm" (which isn't stopping my office from opening, albeit a couple of hours late), G-man was out surfing the web and found me this:

I think there's another ObamaMama out there who will probably enjoy this...

Never a dull moment...

I find my two mantras these days are This too shall pass and Never a dull moment (or the alternative "blessing/curse" version - May you live in interesting times).

It's been quite a start to the new year.  My employer filed for creditor protection; yes, that's Chapter 11 bankruptcy here in the U.S.  They are trying to reorganize, and it will mean layoffs with no severance, but for now, we still have jobs and benefits, so I just take it day by day. And I did get my Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification, so that'll help me get my foot in the door for interviews, should worse come to worst.  (Funny how the euphemism for layoffs changes over time; I remember "right sizing" and "downsizing"; around 2001, it was "optimizing"; now it's "restructuring.")

I also began the year heavier than I have ever been, even when pregnant, so a couple of weeks ago, I started giving the South Beach diet another try (which should be good for my cholesterol anyway), and 'discovered' 'hot' yoga, which is great exercise, even if I don't really consider it yoga.  Luckily, I had also signed up for 6 weeks of classes with someone who teaches yoga in the tradition of Vanda Scaravelli, which has been a welcome yin to all the hot yoga yang.

The family has been suffering with cedar fever, an annual affliction for those with allergies in the West, especially Texas.  Not much fun, but we take our meds and grin and bear it.

And then my grandmother passed away this week.  My dad's mom had not been well for a long time, but she was strong and loving and kind, and passed gently, as she lived.  Much of the immediate family had been up to see her and take outside for a picnic at her nursing facility last Saturday, and my mom said although she couldn't really converse (her most recent affliction having been a stroke), she was smiling and communicative nonetheless. I'm glad she had the time surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; family gatherings are part of her legacy to me, part of the reason G and I have our Sunday suppers.

Anyway, I'm pleased she is no longer confused or in pain, and her love lives on in our extended family. Right now, my thoughts are with my dad and his sister, my beloved goofy aunt (I mean that in the most loving way!) and we all carry on.

In fact, my other grandmother's birthday is this week -- happy 84th, Grammy Mernie!  Looking forward to your visit to us in the spring...

And so, life goes on.  Of the most difficult things, I think, This too shall pass, and for the rest -- well, it's Never a dull moment!

(Oops -- and one little detail I forgot -- got in an accident taking the Juj to school Friday. No one was hurt, except my poor little car, but it means next week will include adjustors, rental cars, and body shops. )

Time flies...

(Time 'em doing what?)

Meals I've missed posting include a nice chicken mole, yellow rice, and boracho beans that we took to a New Year's Eve potluck, and last Sunday's 50's tribute: mini-meatloaves, pureed cauliflower, and french-cut green beans (which is a repeat meal).

I've also missed posting some cute (or perhaps annoying) things that Juj has said at school...

• Teacher (talking to a small group about world history): The Romans are probably the second most influential civilization on our own.
  
• J: What was the most influential?
  
• Teacher: The Greeks.
  
• J: Then how come our language is mostly based on Latin?
  

(The teacher who overheard and conveyed this conversation did not tell us what the answer to that; she was laughing too hard!)

At another time, he asked a teacher how to spell "lycanthrope" (which I hopefully spelled correctly), and the teacher was amused as apparently that's not a question he gets from most of his first-graders.

So on to this evening's low-carb supper with Ron & Elsa:

• Chickpea "Salad" with onion, red bell pepper, celery, parsley, lemon & olive oil
• Raw Shaved Fennel & Mushrooms with lemon, olive oil & Parmesan curls
• Prosciutto Wrapped Cod (pan "grilled" - simple and delicious!)
• Roasted Cauliflower & Capers
• Green Beans & Broccoli
• Almond, Mexican Chocolate and Lemon-Lime Ricotta Cream "shots" (mini-desserts, basically ricotta & Splenda with extracts, nuts, cocoa, juice and/or zest for flavors)