February 15, 2009
Valentine’s Day Table Setting
Yesterday my parents arrived to spend a week, half with us and half with my sister down in Charlotte. Since they were going to be here for Valentine’s Day, we decided to invite Matt’s parents as well and have a dinner party. Hey, an excuse to use some of the wedding presents we’d received a year and a half ago for the first time ever! Nothing more exciting than taking the tags off new napkin rings, right? My parents were bringing down a beef tenderloin, so to go along with it I decided to do roasted potatos, asparagus, a spinach salad and then chocolated covered strawberries and Moravian cookies for dessert. For my first schmancy dinner party, I had to call upon two of my favorite hostessing experts. Nope – not Martha and Paula D, but my Aunt Jennifer and Aunt-in-law Paige. Both of these ladies are from North Carolina – Jennifer from Gastonia and Paige from Lincolnton – and these Southern ladies know how to throw a par-tay. My Aunt Jennifer is famous for her theme parties, including a Tequila-themed wedding shower she hosted for me in DC, where everything matched down to the cactus-shaped napkin rings and the invitations that arrived snuggled around an airplane bottle of Jose. Paige hosts Christmas dinners where each dish is literally something straight off the Food Network. The meat might be Emeril, the potatos Giada, the vegetables Bobby Flay… and everything is smack-yo-momma delish.
The Menu from my Tequila Dinner Party Shower. Yum!
So, I called up Jennifer and got her tips on how to cook the asapargus while the tenderloin would be monopolizing my oven and got a spinach salad recipe that Paige had used last Christmas, that featured pomegrante vinagrette and little pieces of granny smith apples and toasted walnuts. With these two ladies reinforcing my game plan, I felt good to go. The hardest part of throwing a food-related party for me has always been the timing – the meat will take longer than you expect, or the potatos are done too soon, or something unexpected always seens to happen. This was almost the case, as my dad took out the beef declaring it done while my potatos were still a little too al dente to get by as edible.
In the kitchen with daddy
However, I took a look at his determination of “done” and realized that with the exception of he and I, the carnivores extreme, no one else would appreciate the still moo-ing meat. So back in it went to my melt-your-mascara hot oven, and the taters and cow finished at exactly the same time. Whew. Timing is everything.
Moo…
Dinner was delicious, the conversation lively, and the evening relaxed and enjoyed by all. Matt and I are both thankful that not only do we genuinely enjoy time spent with both of our respective parents, but they seem to enjoy each other’s company as well. If Valentine’s Day is meant to be shared with your loved one, it was even better shared with five of my loved ones. Especially because that means ten extra hands to wash and dry dishes. (What, they’re family. I can put them to work after a dinner party, right?) Matt’s family headed home after dessert, and my parents left this morning for Charlotte to spend the day with my sister, capping off our short but lovely holiday weekend.
Ready to eat!
January 18, 2009
Why does it feel so decadent to have a morning to myself with coffee and a bowl of dried cherries and a working internet connection and a whole stack of post-it notes/envelopes/index cards/business cards I’ve jotted weight loss coaching ideas on? Sundays are usually my to do list days, the day on which I tackle the weekly tasks of laundry, meal planning, grocery shopping, errands… always with the high hopes that somewhere I’ll sneak in a project or some downtime reading or one of my five saved episodes of Oprah/Dr. Phil I have yet to watch…. then inevitably, it’s 5:43 pm, dinner needs readying, and not long after that there’s dishes to do, then lunches to pack, gym bags to ready, and how did it get to be 9 pm already? This is real life isn’t it? And it’s not a complaint – the Daryl Worley song “Awful Beautiful Life” tumbles through my head often on these days and I’ll be in the middle of wiping out the gunk on the microwave thinking to myself, “I am so lucky to have this life.”
Oh, but to wake up on Sunday and know that there is ONE MORE DAY to procrastinate the Have To Do’s and revel in the Want To Do’s… now that is my very own favorite suburban delight.
November 3, 2008
My hubby is home! My hubby is home! What a good weekend.
Friday, I worked from home, starting at 6a and was at the grocery store by 2p getting all his favorites. (NTS: More evidence I am becoming my mom. Food purchases = love.) He got home shortly before I returned from the store and all felt right at Wynbrk again. Within 10 minutes, Sportscenter was on, the nap blanket was out and the big brown couch had it’s favorite occupant in place. Guiltily, I slunk off for my own nap. Nothing like having your wife greet you at the door and then check out for 3 hours. (I am still adjusting to a new work schedule that invovles a 6a start 4 days a week… ouch.) He seemed perfectly content to get caught up with Tony Reali, Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon instead of me though. I made a great steak dinner and we caught up with each other while taking turns passing out Swedish Fish and Sour Patch Kids to Dora the Explorer, ballerinas, pirates, frogs and Go-Go Dancers. (Happy Birthday, Sis!)
Saturday we tailgated with Monica & company. It was surprisingly warm and a perfect day for some beer & football. The game was way too close. The rowdy Duke fan in front of me had way too many oppurtunities to vocally express himself. Fortunately we won, but it was a nailbiter. Afterwards, we walked down the street to Zac and Jamie’s for some burgers and brews and hanging out. Sunday was a typical cleaning/errands day, and I was surprised to find how comforted I was to have the background of NFL Sunday on while I coupon clipped and Lysol’ed my way through the day. There is something about our everyday, domestic, routine life that just makes me oh so content. May I always be so blessed to have such a calm and happy home life.
Valentine’s Day Table Setting
The Menu from my Tequila Dinner Party Shower. Yum!
In the kitchen with daddy
Moo…
