indulgence

I'm in Atlanta for a conference this week and just returned from one of the most indulgent meals I've had in a long time. Don't get me wrong, it was excellent. The restaurant was Bacchanalia, a name which should have clued us in to the excess to come. My colleagues and I all ordered the four course menu so we were in it for the long haul. This is the run down of what I ate:

1. 
   

   Cheese Gougers - a small bite/amuse bouche fried bite-sized ball filled with a mixture of cheeses

   
   
2. 
   

   Chilled Asparagus Soup - just a little bit served in a small cup, another amuse bouche

   
   
3. 
   
   
   

   Sweetbreads with Beets, Fava Beans, Morel Mushrooms, and a Fennel sauce

   
   
4. 
   

   Seared Grouper with Giant Asparagus and Pancetta

   
   
5. 
   

   Strawberry and House-made Ricotta salad with Balsamic Reduction

   
   
6. 
   

   Strawberry Panna Cotta topped with Granola - this one was another teaser/small bite

   
   
7. 
   

   Rhubarb Tart with Pistachios

   
   
8. 
   

   A sampler plate of bites of the following: Chocolate/Chili Truffles, Handmade Strawberry Marshmallows, and Lime Shortbread

   
   
9. 
   

   This was all finished with some Coffee Madeleine cookies- as if we needed more!

All in all it was a very nice dining experience and worth the 2+ hour time investment and bedtime indigestion. Wish I had thought to snap some pics to share. Maybe next time... I have two more dinners out before leaving Atlanta.

chicken ala beer can

Besides reminding me of Andrea at the tanning salon, this picture makes me drool. A chicken sitting on a can of beer roasted on the grill is one of my favorite summertime meals.

I recently picked up a metal stand specifically designed to help stabilize your little guy while he cooks. It was well worth the $8 because it is a bit tricky (but not impossible) to stand him up without one.

I like to coat the chicken in a brown sugar based spice rub and roast over indirect heat for 90-120 minutes until very tender and almost falling off the bones. You can get indirect heat on your grill by turning off a couple burners after the grill heats up and putting the bird over the cold burners to roast. I also like to use a little smoke, which you do by wrapping some water-soaked wood chips in a foil packet poked with a couple small holes. Put the foil packet right on the burner before heating your grill and when you see smoke, it's time to turn off all but one burner and put the chicken on.

The weather this weekend is going to be phenomenal, so what a perfect time to break out some beer can chicken. Plus, then you get to drink all the other cans you didn't use. Here's a link to a recipe. Serve it up with some coleslaw and cornbread and you're in business. Mm, yum.

first day of peepergarten

Peeps Show time! We decided to build our show around peeps going to kindergarten. Mira did all the set design and coloring. She also said the first peep getting on the bus with the pink backpack is her. Hopefully our actual first day of kindergarten will go just as smoothly.

 Unfortunately, one of the little would-be-peepergarteners got snagged at the bus stop by this hungry scary-toothed monster.

 Needless to say, this guy met his ultimate demise and did not make it to school today.

full house

This past weekend we had a full house. The girls got to see their grandparents, cousins and aunt and uncle for a couple days. Friday's weather was great so we grilled some ribs and enjoyed the sunshine on the deck. Saturday was busy. With help from my dad, we managed to get all my strawberry, blueberry, and rhubarb plants in the ground. The rest of the gang went bowling (sorry about your back, Mom) and then we enjoyed Easter dinner a day early. We even managed to color some eggs and then on Sunday morning we had an egg hunt and the search for Easter baskets.

We haven't forgotten about our Peeps Show - we're still working on the concept. A couple top contenders are "Peeps Go to Kindergarten" and "Wow, Wow, Peepsy". Good news is now that Easter has passed, our little project will put all those extra Peeps to use. There are WAY more Peeps in this house than should be consumed! Oh- here's a link to this year's Washington Post Peeps Show finalists (announced on Sunday).

Here are a couple pics of the girls with their Easter baskets.

role reversal

We had a bit of a role reversal here the last couple days. I was on the road for work and Tim was home with the girls. While packing before my flight out on Sunday morning, Mira said to me, "Mommy, you're not allowed to leave. You are always here. It's not fair." I found her comment pretty funny because I think what's not fair is that I am always here, not the rare occasion when I leave for a couple days. My trip for work was a welcome change of pace. But of course Mira didn't see it that way.

The trip was great it was nice seeing my colleagues in spite of the miserably cold and windy weather. I also enjoyed being completely selfish for a couple days since I did not have to plan around or take care of anyone but myself. Now I'm home and happy to be back. Despite being completely exhausted from a long day of work and travel (not to mention having to sit next to a strangely disheveled and socially inept man who smelled like he dipped himself in a vat of garlic before he boarded the plane), I can't help think about our agenda for tomorrow and the next few days. The strawberry plants, rhubarb, and blueberry bushes arrived today so we've got a lot of work to do to prepare the garden. I see a trip to Agway in our immediate future. We've also got Easter eggs to color and a Peep Show to build! No rest for the weary, but I did enjoy my brief respite in Indianapolis.

love me some peeps

I just love Peeps. You know, those squishy seasonal marshmallow treats that deliver a monster sugar rush? The girls are quickly developing a taste for them too. Last year, Mira wouldn't touch 'em but now she's a solid aficionado. She prefers them fresh and soft. I like mine stale, but usually end up eating them before they are properly 'aged'. This time of year I have to wrestle with myself during every grocery store trip so that I don't bring home more and more Peeps.

I stumbled on the Washington Post's "Peeps Show" contest where competitors create funny little scenes using peeps. You really should check it out. Who knew there was so much Peep sculpting talent out there? The slide show inspired me to initiate our own amateur Peeps Show here. We missed the deadline for the Post contest, but we are not in that league anyway. Stay tuned for pics of our Peeps Show masterpiece!