A cooking weekend

Seems like I spent most of the weekend cooking--and I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend. Friday night, with two little boys for supper, I fixed hot dogs, canned corn, and potato chips (okay, that's not really cooking)--neither boy ate well, and it turned out that both had slight colds. By the next morning, Jacob was really sick but that's another story.
After Max went home and Jacob was settled I made peanut butter cookies, the old recipe that my mom handed down--gosh but they smell wonderful fresh out of the oven. And made myself salmon cakes for supper--have enjoyed them all weekend and am sad to say I was piggy enough to eat two for lunch today so they're all gone.
Saturday's big project was coq au vin made the old-fashioned way, so that it simmers a long time in the sauce. There's much reduction of sauces involved--something that my impatience usually makes difficult, but I did it right this time. One of the tedious things about this dish was chopping--carrots, celery, onions and eventualy mushrooms. But I got it all together, cooked it and put it in the fridge.
This morning I woke with the jitters--can't explain it, but I was just plain anxious. Cooking is often a good antidote, so after I talked to Jordan, found out Jacob had a 102 fever, and they weren't going to church, I finished off the coq au vin. Fished the chicken out, sauteed the mushrooms, reduced the sauce once again and put it all back together. And then back in the fridge. Spent the rest of the morning wrapping Christmas gifts. I'm way ahead of the game--not unusual for me.
Tonight, Jordan and Christian came with Jacob--now 102.9, though medicine took it down and he felt okay but not great. Did eat dinner with us, and Elizabeth came in from her yoga classes in time for supper. Chicken was so tender it fell off the bone--one piece (I had used thighs) literally did fall apart and got lost in the sauce, which was rich and good the way only a sauce cooked for hours can be. It was also chock full of  veggies--carrots, celery, onion and mushrooms. Christian of course wanted nothing to do with the veggies but the rest of us loved them.
My neighbors put new flickering white lights on the arbor outside my dining room window, and we lit the Christmas lights inside the house for the first time this season. I used my red-and-green plaid china, and we felt festive. Lovely evening--so nice to have family around and so nice to have Elizabeth as part of the family. Counting my blessings once again.
Tomorrow is a babysitting day, though he requires little attention. I shudder to admit I'll park him in front of the TV, but his parents will bring some movies, and maybe we'll do a puzzle or two, but, please Lord, not Spiderman again! Jacob can't go back to school until he's been fever-free for 24 hours.

Christmas a bit early

The Burtons and I had our Christmas tonight since they'll be in Coppell on Christmas Day. I fixed a casserole of chicken, sour cream and cream of mushroom soup with Ritz cracker/butter crumb topping--so good, though next time I'll add a bit of white wine and I might eventually try blue cheese in it. But hats off to Riley Adams for the recipe that appeared on the blog Mystery Lovers Kitchen some time ago. I'm sure you can still find it. Riley has the very best casserole recipes, and she uses a lot of "buttery" crackers (I always translate that to Ritz) with melted butter. I think her motto must be "Calories be damned!"
We opened presents with great excitement on Jacob's part--he got Star Wars figures and a transformer from me, and the two of us got matching aprons from his folks. Maybe he'll start cooking with me. I gave him some Star WArs pancake molds with a Darth Vader spatula. His Uncle Colin, the king of pancake makers, will have a picnic with those.
After presents we went to look at Christmas lights--Chesapeake Oil and Gas has the most amazing display of lighted trees I've ever seen. Even Jacob was impressed though when we drove through a few neighborhoods he announced he was tired of looking at houses and wanted to go home. Still it was a nice night and a good kickoff for the holiday season. I had all the indoor Christmas lights on--I'm one of those Scrooges without outdoor lights--and a fire in the fireplace.The difference that fire makes in one room is amazing--you walk into the living room and feel enveloped in warmth. I love it.

The Christmas flurry

I've been a laggard about blogging the last few days. One night I just didn't feel I had that much to say, and last night my computer did it's funny thing again where when I try to restart it, it reloads updates for hours on end. It started it at 1:30 yesterday afternoon and was still doing it when I went to sleep--most frustrating.
It's been a busy week, and I don't know why I scheduled so much for the last week before Christmas vacation. But Wed. I spoke to a book group luncheon (much fun, I think I blogged about it). Wed. night Jay and Susan came for wine and gift exchange. Thursday I spent all morning in the office, trying desperately to wrap up loose ends, and then went to a retirees luncheon--lovely music, good food, a pleasant time. Friday I was out the door at 8:30 to speak to two groups of elementary children at The Montessori Academy in Arlington. The younger ones (grades 1,2 and 3) were wildly enthusiastic, each raising their hands that they wanted to be writers, and we talked mostly about how a book goes from your computer to a published book (isn't it wonderful--even at that age they all work on computers!). They were full of questions, and the 45 minutes flew by; grades 4, 5, and 6 were more restrained--only a few who wanted to write, sporadic questions, with long silences between that left me thinking frantically about what story I could tell them. It wasn't a failure, but it wasn't my grandest moment. However, I was paid handsomely, and by 11 a.m. I was back at the office, again cleaning up last-minute details, and then for a Christmas staff lunch at a local Lebanese restaurant with a terrific buffet. Last night Jordan and Christian and Jacob came for King Ranch casserole that I had cobbled together the night before--Jacob didn't like it, but we all did. Then we went on a tour of lights around the city, which was lots of fun--I haven't done that in years. Jacob mostly enjoyed it, turned a bit whiny, but, hey, it's the holidays--even three-year-olds feel the excitement=stress.
I have decided my problem is that I like my own cooking too much. I've gained 3 lbs. in the last couple of weeks. I really really need to banish chocolate from this house. But Wed. I think I mentioned the lunch hostess cooked Doris casserole from my cookbook--and I ate two helpings, plus I ate dessert. Last night I ate two helpings of King Ranch chicken--I'd been wanting it for a while, and it tasted so good! And there were those chocolate chip bars left from the party that just stared at me until I had to eat two. A bad day for Weight Watchers points.
Today I have tried to be good--ate grilled (notice, not fried) oysters for lunch at the Flying Fish with my dear friend Charles (so glad to see him getting out) and his daughter Marsha. So far I've resisted chocolate. And tonight--ONE serving only of King Ranch, plus a bit of leftover cheese spread and the peas Jacob didn't eat last night. I'm trying to clean out the refrigerator, but that's a disaster for a diet.
Tomorrow I'll make sloppy Joe for the Frisco and Houston Alters, who will all spend the night, and we'll leave at 6:00 a.m. Monday for Colorado. The pet sitter will be at the house, the alarm service is on, and the neighborhood patrol has me on their list so I feel safe about leaving. Yet it's always a wrench for me to be away from home for more than one night. On the other hand, I know I'll enjoy the trip and being with my family. Look for sporadic blog posts.