I am waiting for 8 loaves of my signature Pumpkin bread to cool enough to wrap.
It is nearly 3 a.m. but as I napped earlier I am ok.
I have made as many as 27 loaves in the past–it is the only gift we give friends–but I have put this off this year.
My family does not even care much about it --but others adore it.
However, I digress.
Dinner was a great new recipe:
A big container of Costco butternut squash with a few chopped scallions (or onions–I was out) drizzled with olive oil and roasted
Penne cooked and then tossed with 8 oz of Goat Cheese and a cup or more of pasta water to melt it
A cup of Parmesan
Pepper and salt
A cup ( I had less) of chopped Basil.
I confess…I only made cookies and orange glazed blonde brownies last night. I bake every Saturday for a group that meets at our business , but also since it is Holiday time, I bake for customers too. I made three different baked goods which kept me busy until 10pm…still have to glaze / decorate the sugar cookies…decorating consists of dusting them with various sugars and crushed candy canes I am NOT one of those amazingly talented people who make gorgeous sugar cookies
Last night I combined a Sixty Minute Gourmet “Sole au bonne femme” with a Mark Bittman recipe for salmon roasted in the oven with lots of butter. It was delicious. I should probably write down what I did. But with salmon, shallots, white wine, butter, mushrooms (I used oyster mushrooms) and cream - you can hardly go wrong.
Two roast ducks with a cherry reduction sauce.
Two large antipasti salads.
Lime jello.
A three-layer german chocolate cake.
Slow, indulgent and left a ton of dishes to wash. Wife’s parents came over. It was our youngest’s birthday and he got to pick the menu. I had to leave work early yesterday so now I am sitting at my desk catching up.
Homemade beef ravioli (I didn’t roll the pasta flat enough, a little chewy) with brown butter sage the night before. We cook a lot.
I needed to take a dessert to a party. I’ve been avoiding desserts (mostly) for a few years now. I made chocolate chip meringues, small ones. I’d forgotten how easy meringues are! And I used chunks of bittersweet chocolate instead of semi-sweet chips to cut the sweetness. They came out quite tasty, quite light, and MyFitnessPal had them at about 100 calories per cookie.
I rarely cook. I work full time + and my husband is retired so he does nearly all the cooking. I am trying to lose weight as my blood sugar is too high, and he has been cooking lots of soups out of cooking light. I love soup and get to take it for lunch the next day so it is great. Royally broke the diet yesterday (2 donuts and a bar of chocolate - it was a stressful day), but he cooked a nice soup that is a copycat of one a small local Mexican restaurant does. Yummy (though he is getting a bit too much with the program and added lots more veggies and lots less chicken :().
You are all putting me to shame. I have not done any Christmas cooking. I did make a cranberry liqueur I’ve been wanting to try every year and keep forgetting. Should be ready about Christmas. Does that count?
Yesterday was a long day which ended up in the late afternoon at Costco. Tired I let H talk me into a roast chicken. I find the chicken salty and it isn’t my favorite. I prefer to roast my own where I know what goes on it. But it was fast and inexpensive. Heated a can of retired beans and corn tortillas. Served it with fresh salsa so we did get something fresh in the meal.
Tonight I’m making brisket, latkes, applesauce for Chanukah. I’ll make a kale salad to break up the richness of the rest of the meal. I picked up a cherry pie at Whole Foods as it is a birthday for 1 of our guests and cherry pie is her fav. I also made rugelah and macaroons earlier in the week.
I cook quite a bit, but not fancy - but mostly pretty healthy!
Today’s cooking (early) consisted of some appetizers for a surprise b-day party S was giving tonight for his fiance and some kale and eggs for breakfast. Got to be spoiled by my mom cooking for me tonight - we visited her and she had oven short ribs and sweet and sour cabbage!
On the way home in the car we made our Christmas cookie “wish” list. Tentatively planning to take Wednesday off from work and do one big bake day! We’ll see if that actually flies.
Just making four round loaves of homemade bread tonight. By hand, never machine. Makes me feel connected to the long line of people in my family that also enjoyed making bread as a form of relaxation and stress relief. (Of course our earlier ones had to do it.) I taught my son how to make bread too. The house always smells so good on bread making day.
Made another 8 loaves of pumpkin bread so 16 in all. Done!
Went to a gourmet deli for dinner, then Powell’s bookstore and found a few small things for the “kids”.
Deliberately made H feel afraid (as he no doubt has no good gift thought of --he does not listen [-( )(but he does do dishes ).
Bought some frozen filler for when S and DIL and G’Son are here for 5 days this week.
They eat! And H finally gets that if I am not to be wiped out then lots of food in the fridge and so on.
Made a coffee dry rub for a small pork roast, seared then roasted it, mashed sweet potato and a nice salad. Tomatoes are in season where I live in Asia.
One large fruitcake to sit and age (I know I’m behind, it won’t age for the full month). Cheese fondue with Swiss gruyere and emmentaler along with a carrot, fennel and pistachio salad for dinner.
And, I want to confess that I couldn’t post on the first day this thread came up - I grilled hamburgers (which I did adorn with avocado) and roasted potatoes. That didn’t seem in range with all the other postings!
And, thanks @NorthernMom61. I’m serving a pork roast tonight - the coffee dry rub is just what DH will like - great idea! Butternut squash with cranberries in lieu of sweet potatoes!
I am definitely not a gourmet cook. Tonight was roast chicken with an orange/honey glaze, steamed broccoli and quinoa. I’m fixing a big pot of chili for tomorrow night since I have to work late. I’ll serve it with tortillas and an avocado salad.
I am NOT one of those amazingly talented people who make gorgeous sugar cookies