The holidays passed like greased lightening. I was transformed into a Master Chef with an opportunity to use all my pent up cooking curiosities. The results were mostly positive but more than anything, it was fun. Cooking with children and grandchildren is a joy I can never get enough of.
In the bread baking department I have conquered my fears and produced perfect loaves, rounds and pull-apart buns. It helps to have a good sourdough starter. I have aptly named mine “The Rock Star”.
My Thanksgiving meal was mostly homemade (I bought a can of french fried onions). For the turkey, I used a garlicky, lemon, butter rub and pushed it under the breast skin and on the outside of the other parts. The result was juicy meat and a fabulous gravy (courtesy of my son, the pro chef). We had 2 whole days of chattering young adults and happy children running about. It was wonderful.
My preps for Christmas usually start after the Thanksgiving rush is over. I stay away from the malls and instead “create” gifts for my family. There have been breads, cookies, cookbooks, calendars, travel picture books and so on. This year I made baby barn quilts choosing designs that I thought would fit each person. Along with the quilt was a report of the history of barn quilts.
Our Christmas week was spent in the mountains of North Carolina with our California grandkids and their mother. We had a pizza assembly line one night, which was fun and yummy. Baked Ziti, Chicken and rice stew, chili, roasted veggies with pasta, extreme nachos and a spinach frittata – all were gobbled up. And I was, once more, in chef’s heaven. We also had a barn quilt factory going, one for each guest.
Now we’re home and the dust has settled. It’s time to get back to my 2020 resolution of getting something published. Wish me luck!
Happy New Year!
