And, We are Home

Greeted our first night back from the beach by a gorgeous sunset over Dufield Pond. Not a bad welcome home.

3/11, Pi Day. To celebrate we enjoy a favorite at Nick's Pizza, and make a Coconut-Banana Cream Pie (Martha's pâte brisée).

I've invited our Small Group for dessert tonight, to catch-up and to pray for CA's Mitral Valve repair surgery scheduled for tomorrow. I've been busy baking Donna Hay's Red Velvet Cheesecake, cleaning, re-hanging pictures, clocks, etc. in the two very recently painted bathrooms; just generally feathering our nest and expending excess energy.

And, we just learned that we've scored a lease on a flat at Old Town Flats in Fort Collins, beginning May 1st.

Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving table.

Oprah's. Thanksgiving for 35. Rainbow Room, NYC.

We carved our turkey Martha's way. A very good thing.

Christmas with the Fun Kids

Monday dinner:

Fresh Market chicken pot pie.

Cole slaw w/ cranberries, apples, toasted pine nuts.

Breakfasts:

Easy Banana Bread.

Family's traditional pie-crust cinnamon rolls.

Christmas morning libations.

Our celebrating began in earnest when JE's family arrived from Cincinnati on Monday afternoon. The delight and anticipation flew in our front door around 3:00pm, and the Fun Kids immediately surveyed the packages under the tree, and each opened their special drawer in our great room console to see what treasures grandma had gathered since their last visit.

We obviously ate well, and the kids both entertained themselves, drafted adults for various board games, and even took a trip to Chicago to visit cousins SG and RG. A good time was had by all.

For the Fun Kids, Wednesday was all about going to the Woodstock Movie Theater for Big Hero 6. LC talked about those characters and scenarios throughout the rest of his time with us. CA and I made an early morning grocery run--stocking up for the next few meal at Meijer's, Trader Joe's, and Caputo's. MA made a run to the Crystal Lake butcher for gorgeous NY strip steaks to be grilled for Christmas dinner.

Our Christmas Eve was ostensibly finger foods, but it really was a full-on buffet of cheeses, meats, pigs-in-blankets (kids' request), marinated mushrooms, favorite bread, Irish butter, fruit, veggies. There may have been a few bottles of specially-selected beers and wines somewhere in the mix. I forget...

Yes, our family celebrations are very much about food. Whether we cook it together, bring food in, go out, or make do we all appreciate and expect the best quality.

Cincinnati Fun Kids.

Not with us this year, but in our hearts and minds...

DM's family, minus MK (the photographer).
Fort Collins Fun Kids.

In yet another location--New Orleans--niece HW is perfecting her oyster shucking techniques to be applied on Friday in Central Illinois. She and her parents, PW and LFW, are driving non-stop through the night to ensure that our seafood arrives pristinely fresh and chilled for optimum enjoyment.

Homebody

-source-

My goal was to stay home all day today. In pajamas. Goal!


This morning: iPad, baked pumpkin bread, pjs.

-source-

This afternoon: leftovers, a nap, a shower, clean pjs.

This evening: tacos with CA, 2 episodes of Outlander, pjs.

A Week+ in Review

Yes, we are home. Finally.

 

CA post knee replacement surgery before tachycardia issues.

 

Physical Therapist noted extreme heart rate. EMTs respond.

 

Yes, they arrived in full-siren mode. Scary.

 

Home feels so good after almost 2 weeks of uncertainty.

My normal guy.

 

 

Summer Pizza

Started today at the gym, but soon visited the Woodstock Farmers' Market with best friend RvH.

 

Which transated into tonight's dinner...

 

We've been making Naan bread pizzas all summer. Quick. Easy. Delicious.

Brush Naan with either olive oil or low-fat mayo. Top with grated quesadilla cheese and favorite ingredients, i,e., heirloom cocktail tomatoes. To-die-for sweet and delicious. Each color has a unique flavor.

 

Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.

Grind a bit of pepper, drizzle on balsamic reduction sauce, sprinkle top with julienned fresh basil.

 

Absolutely delicious. Somewhere between dinner and dessert.

 

Something Happened Last Night

 

 

We have a wanky curve in front of our house. Our part of the cul-de-sac is a funky swirl. In fact, you can't really pull up tightly to the curb if you're trying to park with-traffic. I've learned to pull straight in, facing the wrong direction.

 

Still... This guy, whoever, had to know he did some damage. This and a smashed sprinkler head.

 

Life happens.

 

Fun Kids Club: Sewing Circle and S'mores

LG wants to learn to sew. LG is persistent. So just before dinner tonight we gathered our sewing circle, some felt squares, bits of ribbon, and my very basic Singer. We made 4 pillows stuffed with fiber-fil and trimmed with ribbon and bows--except no bows and man-ish ribbon for 6-year old JA. LE opted for a hot be-jeweled hot pink purse on a beaded chain. Poor little feverish LC cannot be forgotten. Luckily, I'd made a bright blue felt pillow with silky ribbon tabs for him over a year ago, and will finally deliver.

 

Grandma had a pajama day. Showering mid-afternoon and changing into yet another set.

 

Then, we enjoyed a delicious baked ziti casserole, salad with garden tomatoes, and baguettes--prepared by JE and MA. Their turn tonight.

Never promise children S'mores unless you know 100% you can deliver. Last night, prior to our bear hunt, was not pretty. It was chilly and we hadn't lit the grill for our risotto dinner. For some reaon the grandkids (8-6-5-4-3-2) did not understand the change of plans.

So, it became imperative that tonight there would be S'mores. After another non-grilled dinner, grandpa-PaPa, fired up the Weber and there were S'mores. Delicious S'mores. I had two.