Ringing in the New Year

Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail

1 part Grenadine (real, simulated, or 1 tsp. sugar)

2 parts Pom pomegranate juice

3 parts Champagne

We have been drinking these like mad around here. I am drinking one now. I may be drinking one at midnight if they last that long. Fondue is on the menu for tonight. I don't know which is more decadent -- eating the fondue New Year's Eve or savoring the leftover cheese and bread on New Year's Day -- flying in the face of all that is holy in the Land of Resolutions. I do like starting off the year by not breaking a resolution. 

Mrs. Halling's Spinach Balls

The Holy Trinity of hors d'oeuvres for me would have to be: my artichoke dip, Rondele or Alouette garlic herb spread with Wheat Thins, and the spinachy, toasty, tangy, cheesy goodness of Mrs. Halling's Spinach Balls with honey mustard. 

Sure, someone else probably made these once, but for me they will always be Mrs. Halling's. As a picky-eater kid, these were a delight to find on the menu because even if there was a ham or fish dish to follow it would all be okay because we were starting with these crispy goodies.

Mrs. Halling's Spinach Balls

2 10 oz packages frozen spinach, squeezed dry

2 cups herb stuffing mix crushed (I use Pepperidge Farms it's less cloying than StoveTop)

1 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup melted butter

4 small green onions (optional)

3 eggs (I made this recipe with 2 Egg Beaters today and it's fine)

dash of nutmeg

Mix all ingredients well. Form 1" balls. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown (approx 10-15 minutes). Serve with hot mustard or spicy honey mustard.

Eternal Sunshine of the Shortpump Sky

The sky in Richmond over the Shortpump Town Center. It was radiant!

Another Christmas

One of the upsides to having a heap of family is getting to attend, or in my case prepare, multiple holiday feasts. This weekend we hosted my Dad & D and I made a 10 lb. turkey breast, Nana T's Cranberry Conserve, roasted root veggies, heavenly yeast rolls, and pumpkin and pecan pies. It was delish. Mostly though I was pleased that my turkey breast emerged from the oven perfectly golden despite my slapdash method of cooking. I rinsed it and patted it dry and tossed it in a convection oven set to 325. It was done an hour early which was perfect, but it did mean that only you and I get to see the turkey in it's pre-sliced golden glory.

Dinner Table

Middle Eastern Feast

Tabbouleh with Pomegranate

Chicken with Dates

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground pepper

4 chicken breasts, 1 inch pieces

olive oil

chicken stock

carton of pitted dates

Heat bottom of tagine on burner with olive oil. Add chicken and spices. Saute chicken until coated and sides of chicken are lightly browned. Add dates and chicken stock to cover chicken. Cover with tagine lid. Place in 200 degree preheated oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours. After making this chicken my only question is how soon my family will tolerate me making it again. Yum!

Sunrise at the River

Sunrise on the Great Wicomico

Baking in December

There's a whole heck of a lot of baking going on in this house this week. It's all in preparation for the holidays and it's all going in the freezer.

Best Machine Bread

Favorite Old Fashioned Gingerbread
(I haven't vetted his recipe yet. I used 1/2 the molasses and 1/2 cup applesauce based on what reviewers said but the batter is still a bit molasses-y, so I have to wait until it's served to give it a thumbs up or down.

Jo's Rosemary Bread

Ciabatta Bread

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies (a batch with white chocolate and pecans and a batch with chocolate chips)

Still to come news on whole wheat bread and a ton more cookies, but the last loaf of the night is in the oven now. It's 74 degrees in the house and we had to turn the air conditioner on because it was a little crazy in here for December.

Things My Cat Taught Me: Holiday Edition

I couldn't fall asleep tonight so I got up to page through some cookbooks. Waiting for me though was a feline diversion. We've been having a little bit of a territorial issue with our cat and our dog's posh bed. The cat simply wants the bed. He has other beds, but they often involve hoisting his hefty hind end up onto some elevated surface -- and they don't come with color-coordinated throw pillows.

So I hoisted him out of the bed where I found him and into another of his cat beds. He went right back to the dog bed. I lifted him up again and he started to retreat into another room. 

But soon I found that what Buzz really wanted was some heavy petting -- seriously heavy petting and for a good long time. Each pet he devoured, kneading his paws into me and purring with delight. It turned out he was in need of some serious one-on-one cat lovin' action.

And that made me think of the holidays and these questions emailed to a psychiatrist on CNN today. They were sad, bleak questions about people having financial troubles and feeling lonely at the holidays. 

And in turn, that made me think of my dear Auntie M who passed away three years ago, but who would have turned 50 on December 9th. She was the type of person who gave strokes (the good kind) to people whether they needed them or not. She went out of her way to make you feel special with nothing more than her open ears and reassuring words. And yet, when she passed away, I was filled with the wish that I'd remembered to return the favor more often.

And so, my holiday hope for all this year is that we'll remember to take a moment out from the chaos of it all and see that person in our peripheral vision who needs a little bit of what we've got even if it is only our open ears and reassuring words.

Moronblogging

Super loud jackass overpowering delightful meal at Busboys & Poets.

Pups in Sweaters

The pups went to the groomer this week and emerged freshly shorn. Unfortunately this coincided with plunging temps. When Kirbs started shivering on our walk we knew we'd have to resort to dressing them in stylish pup duds.

Back to Rustico

My lunch: White pizza with pesto.

Bacon wrapped veal meatloaf with mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts.

Frittata of something or other

I didn't have a great first meal at Rustico. Shortly after it opened my mom and I popped in on a recommendation from a friend and I don't remember how it displeased me, but it did enough that I doubted I'd go back. Last week I was invited to lunch there and was pleasantly surprised at everything. I know Jac would enjoy the hearty beer selection so I suspect there will be another visit planned soon.

Last Night in Vegas

Wednesday morning we got up and soon found ourselves at Pinot Brasserie again. The orange juice there is freshly squeezed and tastes like heaven after being drawn dry out in the desert, er, casinos. 

We hadn't explored the middle of the Strip yet so we went down to Paris. It was quite a bit like Busch Gardens and I was amazed at the line for the buffet (which was written up all over as a good pick). I tried to do a little shopping but the store clerk had no interest in her shoppers. It was rainy and cool, but we walked down to New York New York.

As we approached one guy turned to another and said, I kid you not, "ESPN Zone? Huh? They must have that in New York." Ah, vacationers. New York New York made the Busch Gardens Paris look like an authentic walk on the Seine but it was all fun. We found our "Hot Hot Super Jackpot" and that was all that mattered. We had lunch at Chin Chin in NYNY and it was good but pricey. 

Then we went to Planet Hollywood to gear up for the TripAdvisor Meet & Greet. We played penny slots some more and I started to get really overwhelmed by the kids all over the place. I mean "Vegas, casino, drinking, smoking, gambling - yeah, we'll take the kids!"

We met up with about 20 people from all over at the TA Meetup. It was cool to meet a bunch of new people in the midst of our anonymous vacation. We checked in with my sister and headed down to Mandalay Bay to think about dinner. Our search was typical of most of the upscale restaurants I checked out - we are just not posh enough. What I mean is, we'll take our fries hold the duck fat, eh? But we did find a civilized place that was happy to take our money and feed us somewhat less frufru fare. We went to Charlie Palmer Steak and it was on par with Ruth's Chris, maybe a little less fatigued. 

We attempted to hang afterwards for a bit of craps, but dude, people talk to you, that is WAY too social for us. Besides, we were still waking up by 6 every day. Back at the hotel we planned out our last morning and watched some crazy "hot girls do photo shoots and get massages" show on HDNet, the things you learn when you have mo' channels.

Thursday morning, we wished each other Happy Thanksgiving and decided to have the Grand Lux buffet since it'd been nice two days before. We stepped onto the elevators and realized the free world had arrived in Las Vegas overnight.

Suddenly EVERYTHING was mobbed. For the first time we stood in line for breakfast. The line for the buffet was long and that meant Jac had to skip the omlet bar (or reschedule the flight home). Oh the funniest moment from breakfast was when a pair of European vacationers asked the waiter, "So, breakfast is mostly eggs here?" and then promptly left. I mean, I'm with them, I've always wished for some practical alternatives to eggs at you know, any American restaurant, for breakfast, but I'm sure it was in their travel book "Attention: Americans can only imagine eggs and bacon or ham for breakfast. Some exotic restaurants will feature a beast known as Canadian Bacon." Anyway, I enjoyed my waffle. The casino was packed. We walked through one last time and resisted the urge to play a whole lot more slots. 

Flying on Thanksgiving was delightful. Our plane - configured for 280 or so but ours was only booked for 40 people. We were pleased to have an empty center seat and whoopee! USAir gave us a free soda because it was a holiday.

We had quick and easy spaghetti for dinner Thanksgiving Day, but I made a complete Thanksgiving Dinner for Two on Friday. Planning the trip for the days before Vegas got busy and then providing three days to rest & recover when we returned was just perfect. Jac is already wondering when we're going back.