Did you see the Magic game? DID YOU SEE THE MAGIC GAME??? It was incredible. There's still hope we will beat the Atlanta Hawks and move on to the next level of playoffs. Boo-yah!
And I recently found a veritable treasure trove of old old recipes I had forgotten I had, sitting in a plastic file box in the bottom of a closet I technically share with Rob, but rarely use. Very rarely. That's where I found Bubbe's recipe for charoses, my Aunt Ceil's recipes for popovers, Kathy's recipe for Kahlua, countless recipes I had clipped from the newspaper and old magazines back in the day when we did that sort of thing, recipes I had scribbled down on the fly when I could pin my mother down long enough to record them, one recipe my mother actually wrote down for me herself, and recipes my mother-in-law had written down for Robert before we were married. Sweet!
All will be revealed in the fullness of time.
Carnival Cruise Line sent me a reminder stating "Days to Cruise - 32" which would make me dance for joy except my back hurts. I just completed a six hour cooking frenzy, all of which was on my feet, in preparation for Administrative Assistants' Day tomorrow. Well, really today, it's already Wednesday.
Muffuletta Salad
I enjoyed every minute of it, because cooking for people you care about is my idea of fun. And I really care about the six women we are honoring tomorrow. They are the best of the best of the best.
Shrimp and Macaroni Salad
Additionally, I got to work out two new recipes, set a new record for knocking out devilled eggs, and got to play with a piping bag. A long, long time ago in a galaxy far away ... I used to do quite a bit of cake decorating, candy making, that sort of thing. All self-taught. Ah, youth! Occasionally I dredge up old memories by piping the filling for the eggs. Looks pretty. One of these days I will try to scan some photos of a three-dimensional panda bear cake I decorated for my Number One Nephew's third birthday. It was extraordinary, if I say so myself, especially before we cut off the panda's head. Yes, it was traumatic but how else were we going to eat the cake?
It took me two full days to complete the baking, piping and other decorating, and my hands still haven't recovered ...
Devilled Eggs
I have made it through the first two days of a very heavy week by keeping my eye on the prize - this Friday we are going on a road trip to Savannah. Rob has a tournament, not that we've ever needed an excuse to head to Savannah, but it's as good a reason as any, and I am so looking forward to the break. Plus, Saturday night will be our 33rd anniversary, which is always a good excuse for a celebration and a Cosmopolitan, shaken not stirred.
I also got excellent news from up North - a text message from Number One Niece, telling me that she had passed the New York bar exam. Way to go!
I'm so proud of her, following in her auntie's footsteps ... after all, I graduated from a New York law school, never took the New York bar exam, but moved to Florida and took the Florida bar exam. She graduated from a Florida law school, skipped the bar here, but moved to New York where both she and her husband passed the New York bar. Why yes, we do tend to make things harder on ourselves. Go figure.
Update: the lunch was wonderful. Donna and Charles bought enough pizza to feed a Third World country, Dianne brought in a big, beautiful, cool fruit salad, Tony brought outrageous homemade cookies, and we all pigged out.
But even before our fine lunch, I enjoyed my morning in court, perhaps more than I should have, because my enjoyment was at the expense of another attorney, and in that person's case, I use the term loosely. Watching this person in action was better entertainment than Dancing with the Stars. Everytime this attorney is in court, "it" manages to, in the words of my mother, "make an ass out of it's mouth." Fortunately, the next hearing is not for another three months. I'm not sure I could stand the hilarity if it was any sooner.
Tonight I am preparing stuffed pork chops braised in apricot nectar, pictures and recipe to follow. I feel good, maybe because I am thankful for the good things in my life. My husband, my son, my in-laws and all my family, the people I work with, my friends, my pets, my President who really was born in the United States (take that you silly birthers), my knitting ... and the ability, even in this sorry economy, to stroll through Publix, purchase food, and cook. Cooking is better than eating ... truth is, I can eat very little of what I cook, and it has been that way for almost eight years. When I was making the decision to have gastric bypass surgery, I worried that I would end up being upset about having to give up eating all the good stuff. As it turned out, I can still taste just about everything, which comes in handy with all the cooking I do, but I can't eat much of anything. Very small portions. I'm a riot in a restaurant; I can't tell you how many waiters have freaked out when they saw my plate, worried that I did not like the food or I was sick. I just tell them I'm a very small eater, and my son loves leftovers. I always try to order something that Cory will like; after all, he's going to eat most of it.
I just wanted to mention that the shrimp and macaroni salad was inspired by my online friends from Delphi, who had done some pretty fine cooking for Easter Sunday. Lisa posted a picture of her shrimp and macaroni salad, which was part of a buffet table the size of Wrigley Field - and I was hooked. Found a couple of recipes, tinkered with the ingredients, and was pleased with the results. And so was everyone else.
Ceiling Cat is watching you cook ... judging your performance.
Sorry, you've been chopped.
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