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My Profile
She blinded him with whiteness - 2008-07-25
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2:23 p.m. - 2008-03-22
As I type this there's 2 dozen eggs on the boil. I'm sure before this entry's finished there will be piles of other foods cooked and readied up for tomorrow. After a lot of vacillating I settled on a springtime, almost summery menu. Not only will the lighter fare be a welcome change after winter's heavy food, but it also means everything except the deviled eggs can be made today. I suppose I could do those too, but deviled eggs get a bit soggy in the fridge overnight. I know I go overboard for parties, but lurve having all sorts of delectable leftovers. My usual method is to cook like a mad thing, prepare waaaaay too much food in waaaaaaaaay too many varieties, party down with my guests, and then spend the next couple of days eating out of the fridge and enjoying my time off from the stove. When this Easter gathering first came up Mick said something about getting deli trays and pre-made salads. Horrified I forked protection from the evil eye at him and hissed no such thing would ever be done at my house. Then just to bust his chops I sniffled sadly and pouted over his doubt that I could come up with nice enough food for his kin. How could he say such a mean thing? Deli trays? "Boo hoo boo hoo… You don't trust me to do right by your family!!! Waaaaahhhh…" (Our 1 year anniversary is next Friday and I have put the time to very good use. I know damn well how to push the man's buttons.) Sure enough Mick backtracked madly and spluttered apologies, wildly assuring me he only meant to spare me the effort. No, no, no! Of course I was a wonderful cook! He just meant…but…it's just…oh God, he was soooo sorry! I blinked back tears and gave him my best brave little boo-boo face and a watery smile. Mick went to his knees, hugging me around my waist and continued to beg my forgiveness. At that neither of us could keep it going any longer and we cracked up over our faux newlywed silliness. Gads we have so much fun together! (Status report- eggs done, pasta water started, brownies in oven) Another thing I adore about Mick is his ability to grasp meaning and execute function. Right now he's cleaning off the foyer bookcases and console and transferring the gallery of framed photos from their usual home on the dining room buffet so I can use the piece as it was meant to be and serve from there tomorrow rather than trying to crowd all the bowls and platters onto the table. The utter relief of being able to point to the furniture and knick-knacks in question and ask Mick to go to it is marvelous. The ex couldn't have done it in a million years. I would have had to stand over him and walk him through the whole process. "See? Take this frame and go through the kitchen and stand it on the bookcase. No, not the living room bookcase. The one in the foyer I just showed you. Uh huh. Okay, now take another frame and do the same thing. NO! Not the bookcase on the porch! Put the frame right next to the one you just put down! Riiiight. Okay, now the next one. NO! Not the lamp! The picture frame!" I swear! Either the man got his perpetual jollies seeing how fast he could make me cry with frustration or he was just that fucking stupid, I don't know. What I do know is having Mick here to be an actual help is heaven. Sheer bliss. (To wit: Not only did Mick execute an accurate transfer, he remembered to dust everything and managed to keep the pasta stirred too. A multi-tasking mate! Holy crap.) Ahhh…thanks to my glorious man I am quite ahead of schedule. Since SIL and her hubs are rather fond of the sauce I've been dinking around looking for a good champagne punch recipe, but everything I found was either too cutesy baby shower or required the purchase of other things like brandy. Then inspiration struck and I decided to abandon champagne (of which I literally have a dozen bottles- all gifts, mostly from unimaginative booze hounds) in favor of passion fruit mojito martinis. The mojito mix was a whimsy purchase awhile back and it's been sitting around waiting for the proper 'someday' occasion. Tomorrow is it, obviously. Opting to make vodka martinis with the mojito mix is simply expedient, I have plenty of vodka on hand. So those who choose to imbibe can get nicely lubricated…yay! I, myself, plan on knocking back a few, why else do all the work today? Not that there's much left to do. The spuds for the potato salad are simmering, the ribs are marinating, the other salads and sides and the desserts are done, the public rooms are clean and the tablecloth is chugging around in the washer. Tonight I'll lay out the table and make sure all the serving pieces are spiffy. In the morning all I'll have to do are the deviled eggs and roast the meats (the ribs and a glazed ham) and give the bathroom a once over. Gosh I love it when a plan comes together! Tomorrow we will eat and make merry. Then after our guests go home and the dishes are done my men and I will have nothing more urgent to do for the next couple of days than lazing around nibbling on leftovers and polishing off the Easter candy.
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