Good Friday morning, everyone!
First things first:
This is fabulous. Make it tonight. (& the recommended wine complements the dish perfectly!) 2 items to note, however: Red cayenne pepper is not a suitable substitute for red pepper (at least, not in the same measured amount ... whoo-- sPiCy!!)... unless you are insane ... or want to drink half the bottle of said wine, and then lie on the floor with your darling kitten and a pounding headache for the rest of the night.
....Yeah....
So I know I told you I'd put up a post for you last night, but in addition to the pathetic occurrence all ready mentioned above last night I made the executive decision to unplug, relax, and just have a "date night" with my husband. It's been a stressful week for both of us, and it was really nice to just sit and enjoy each others' company in a quiet house (oh.wow. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but this may be my #1 on my "Owning a house Good List". the QUIET. Love, love LoVe it. ...Apparently I am getting old.)
I also found great joy yesterday in making our special "date night dinner" (which, as I may have mentioned before was awesome. Imho, it was totally like something I could have ordered at a restaurant...only spicier ;) One of my favorite quotes from the movie 'Julie and Julia' was this:
"Chocolate cream pie! You know what I love about cooking? I love that after a day when nothing is sure, and when I say nothing, I mean nothing. You can come home and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick. That's such a comfort."
- Julie Powell, Julie and Julia
Because it's true. I know I may not cook very often (truthfully, I don't cook half as often as I would like), but oh, when I do-- it's wonderful. And when I say that I am not so much bragging about my cooking abilities (which I consider to be adequate but not stellar or particularly innovative) as I am giving thanks for a few moments of respite.
I love chopping things up and measuring things out. I like stirring constantly and the brief, frantic moments when you need to bring everything together at once. I love the way cooking completely consumes you so that you have no capacity to think about anything but the task at hand (this means a lot coming from me. I am, indeed, the woman who always has a list going in her head-- a bona-fide multi-tasker...) It's another one of those blessed opportunities in life where it's not so much the outcome, but the journey & process of getting there.
Of course, the outcome is also (typically) one of my favorite parts as well :) Om nom nom.... (And, for the record, I did not make a chocolate cream pie. I made brownies with a healthy dose of semi-sweet chocolate chips mixed in. Equally yummy, if not as labor intensive.)
And since we've covered the "now" (I think you can probably tell that with this post we have returned to a more cheery Amy-like tone-- it's amazing what a date night can do for your spirits!) I did want to update you on how last weekends' BIG* party went! (*It's the biggest party I've ever hosted.)
The verdict: Success! I had a wonderful time playing hostess, we didn't lose any cats in the multiple openings & closings of the doors, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves! (Judging by the conversation and laughter, both of which were freely flowing for the duration of the celebration.) ...Also, I didn't have to cut cake, which is always a "win" in my book! (As I explained to J, everyone has something that they "just don't do". I don't cut cake. I think it has something to do with not wanting to be saddled with the responsibility of giving people too little or too much .... cake is serious stuff, bloggies.)
... And of course, after everyone left, J and I were completely wiped out-- which I also consider to be a measure of the party's success :)
Finally: Looking forward. I feel like I say this quite a bit, but this weekend is looking pretty relaxing. I am doing a 5k with my family tomorrow (Saturday) morning (rain, rain, stay away!!); J and I need to give grass planting another try; and I'm hoping we'll get in a "real-go-out-date-night" on Saturday evening (Iron Man 2?!) ..We shall see :) I love weekends full of promise and possibilities (even if they do make my Fridays pass extremely slowly...)
Your turn: weekend plans? Seen any good movies (in theater or at home) recently?
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