Ah, Christmas time. Also known as Christmas BREAK (for me, at least). I'm very much looking forward to December 23rd being my last day in the office this year. I plan to truly disconnect from work (well, as much as possible anyway) and focus on spending all of my time with Ben. I have a feeling Santa will be spoiling him a bit this year, so I'm sure our days will be spent enjoying a few new toys.
Toys, long walks in the stroller, and of course, FOOD!
But first a review from last week:
We had the Broadys over for dinner on Friday night and we had a great time catching up with them! Bronson and Ben always seem to have a great time together - Ben seriously plays better (shares better, laughs more) with him than with anyone else I have seen him with. Perhaps it's just been the timing of our visits? Or, as we joked, perhaps these two got the memo that they were destined to be friends since before they were born? But for real, these two went in for a hug with one another at least 5 times - all unprompted. <3 Oh, and the chicken parm was bomb (I really love this recipe).
Unrelated side note - but this week I was thinking about how much easier it has been for me to put together meals/meal plans than it used to be. I realized that one of the major reasons is something I learned from my mother in law while she was here visiting, and that is:
You can cook your dinner at ANY time in the day that makes sense for you. I observed Marcia as she would get everything ready, a lot of times in the early afternoon, and then warm it all up when it was time to eat. I don't even think I made a mental note of it at the time, but subconsciously I realized how efficient she was (is) at getting things done!
So, on the days I work from home, I will often spend 15 minutes in the morning doing ALL of my dinner prep. I will measure out all of the ingredients and put stuff into bowls or tupperware and then set it aside for later on. Or I will even go as far as cooking dinner (especially something that goes in the oven) and then reheat it as needed when it's time to eat. Sometimes I will do all my meal prep the night before so things are ready in the fridge when I need them (for days I'm at the office and have less time at home to cook), and sometimes I will cook dinner during nap time. Anyway, this was a total tangent to say that I owe much of my strategy and success (on meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking) to her :)
The other recipes from last week have already been reviewed here before, so I will take a moment to write about the best. meal. I. have. ever. had:
If you are anywhere near Bothell, WA, please do yourself a favor and go to Tandem Dinner & Wine Bar for your next romantic night out. It is my new favorite restaurant. It's owned by a husband and wife (he is the chef and she is the host/sommelier) and they immediately make you feel like family. Greg and I went here a few weeks back. We shared a bottle of cab franc, and I had the rack of lamb (in a minty, cream, cabernet sauce) - and it is serving as my inspiration for the New Years Eve feast I'm planning. Drool.
Warning: Please also do yourself a favor and ask for prices on everything. Not everything is listed on the menu and you will WANT to know what to expect from your final bill so that you are not surprised :)
For next week, I've decided that I'm only going to plan through Christmas and then use my time off to decide what sounds good):
Friday: Jamie and Collin are having their annual Christmas Party, and this time instead of a white elephant party, we are doing a wine exchange! I guess this is the year we all became too sophisticated to buy gag gifts, although I had already selected what I would be bringing :(
Saturday: The Mills family is going to come spend the afternoon/evening with us, and I thought I would make Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese. Seems kid friendly enough :)
Sunday: Tomato Basil soup and grilled cheese.
Monday: Pan-Seared Sausage with Lady Apples and Watercress - Found this recipe in my Bon Appetit magazine and it looked pretty simple so I wanted to try it.
Tuesday (Christmas Eve): Soup! I have a batch of Chicken Potato and Florentine Soup in our freezer - time to eat it.
Wednesday (Christmas): Brunch consisting of Costco Quiche, Bacon and a Danish Puff.
Dinner will be Prime Rib Roast with Thyme Au Jus, garlic roasted red potatoes with rosemary and garlic prosciutto green beans.
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