Egged on by Ben, Phil had proclaimed in mid-December that we would eat in a decadent manner for a full Twelve Days of Christmas. Country Store ham! Ribeye roast! Fillet! Duck! Shrimp! The list went on. Well obviously, this was a ridiculous idea, and I’m not even sure what prompted it, but during plea bargaining,…
Cookie Cutter Christmas?
Our Christmas was great. We don’t need to describe it with qualifiers – “It was fine, considering we couldn’t do all our normal things,” or commenting on only one aspect, “The roast beast was divine,” or the old second grade stand-by, “Sure, it was an awesome Christmas! Of course, it’s opposite day.” It was just…
A Christmas Carol
Phil’s brief stage career peaked when he played Jacob Marley in “A Christmas Carol.” Sixth grade was a long time ago, but he still remembers wearing the chains he forged in life. Tonight, dear reader, you shall be visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, as we remember holidays spent with family and friends.
Winter Solstice: A little taco pizza to light up the longest night
Since our big pizza failure a couple weeks ago, I have been seeking pizza redemption. Since he could eat solid food, Ben’s been seeking tacos, so taco pizza on Monday was an inevitability. We are very grateful for Rob’s tip to use a cast iron skillet, and for Mary’s advice to use a slow-rise method…
Long December
Ben has been pushing HARD for this shrimp dish since spying it in one of his cookbooks. We changed it a bit, and I’m writing up a version of what we will do next time, based on our preferences. Citrus Shrimp Kabobs 1/2 cup orange marmalade 1/4 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1…
Ben’s Best Bite of the Week – Saffron Grill Take-Out
The tasting menu was incredible, a treat worthy of cloth napkins in the dining room. We tried to put the brakes on so that Ben would not consume the entire four course menu in one gulp. We enforced our general dessert policy for Ben, which is to bathe before having dessert. (Don’t judge us for…
When the Moon Hits Your Eye…
…Like a big pizza pie, that’s a bore, eh. Homemade pizza should be delicious, but whatever we did this week fell a little short of expectations. It wasn’t awful. We still ate it, but I can not, in good conscience, give our meal a glowing review. Making it was fun, though. Like usual, we used…
Puttin’ On the Gritz…An Unexpected Candlelight Dinner
Monday was my last day of Thanksgiving vacation, so Ben and I planned a dinner that takes a long time to make, but is really pretty easy (if you can start at 2:00 in the afternoon.) We made beef braised in red wine, cheesy grits, and Caesar salad. All afternoon, the house smelled incredible from…
There’s No Place Like Home
Dorothy was right. Sure, we’ve been holed up in this bunker we call home for 8 months, but honestly, where would I rather be? Answer: nowhere. It’s just the four of us; Phil, Sophia, Ben and me, but it is enough. Of course, we miss our normal Thanksgiving guests like crazy, but this year is…
“Pye of Several Things”
Many years ago, we found this recipe in Gourmet magazine, and have been making it every November since. According to the original write-up, it is an adaptation of a recipe found in a very early collection of colonial recipes. We can’t guarantee its authenticity, or if it was ever consumed by a Pilgrim, but we…