here's a quick wrap-up of my holidays:
thanksgiving. i don't think i've ever spent so much time in the kitchen. it started the day before up and lasted through seconds before the meal (that makes it sound like i didn't sleep). clearly, my time management could use some help. the whole idea of preparing that much food was intimidating but the end result was worth it (sort of). the feast was a success (no cereal was served). we ate like kings. i even had a bite of my (organic, free range, whole foods) turkey. i somehow managed to pull together enough for food for a small army and it was delicious and i can't wait to do it again next year. wait, what? here's a summary of our thanksgiving menu:
- turkey - fresh bird pre-ordered from whole foods. i called in mumsy for help with this one because i've never cooked a turkey and also i didn't want to deal with taking out the gizzard or whatever else they stuff in the bird. no thanks.
- caramelized onion, sweet potato, and gorgonzola quiche. my turkey alternative. it was amazing.
- parmesan, red skin mashed potatoes with chives. potatoes, potatoes, potatoes, i love you so.
- mushroom gravy. vegetarian gravy, it can be done (well).
- homemade wheat stuffing with apples, walnuts, cranberries. tart, crunchy, gluten goodness.
- brussel sprouts and cranberries with balsamic vinaigrette. i could take it or leave it.
- roasted carrots and parsnips. parsnips took forever to roast. note to self, stick with carrots.
- mushroom green bean casserole. possibly my favorite side-dish (except for my potatoes).
- sweet potato casserole. i used a lighter recipe with less sugar and it was delish.
- clover rolls. thank you, martha stewart. this recipe is perfection.
- apple pie. my first homemade pie and it will not be my last! and no, i'm not giving away this recipe.
christmas. the weeks leading up to christmas involved more kitchen time, but of the cookie-making variety. needless to say, my butt is a little bigger but hopefully will return to pre-cookie-marathon size soon (i hope). we had several christmas celebrations, which was great. who doesn't love presents? however, it also required travel. holiday travel (the worst kind). holiday travel with a baby (the very worst kind). it actually went better than i anticipated, minus the delay on our return. i wish i could blame the nugget and say it was awful but really, it was me throwing the tantrum when i learned we had to sit in the airport for an extra 1.5 hours and then again on the plane for an hour. the nugget, you ask? oh, he slept on me the entire time. he did however, wake up upon landing and proceed to scream until we de-planed. on the upside, it sped things up.
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| our very first real tree (pre-ornaments) |
new years. new years was a little different this year. we hosted dinner at home. it was low key and fun. and we still stayed up to 3 am, which is a record but i must say is slightly less awesome when you have a nugget who wakes up 7. that said, i spent new years day as i usually do - a zombie.
happy 2013. i'm exhausted. when's vacation?
