'Twas the night before...

[ksmith]

Low 40s. Lots of snowmelt. Grey and rainy. Not the cheeriest of days, weatherwise.

Besides vacuuming *both* dogs, I assembled what I think is a very nice holiday centerpiece. Got a green/cream/red pitcher from Calyx & Corolla and filled it with silk flowers--wine-red poinsettias, holly branches, and one branch with some white flowers. Added a few thin twisty branch accents, and we had a centerpiece. I really like--tried to photograph it, but the flash washed out the wine-red tones.

Tomorrow the menu includes leg of lamb marinated in white wine/olive oil/garlic/onion/dijon mustard and served with a tart cherry sauce. Mashed redskin potatoes and asparagus. Dessert will involve cherries in syrup and pastry shells in some combination. I will build a fire in the fireplace if it isn't too windy.

Happy holidays to all! Safe trips to all who are traveling, and lots of good food.

Comments

[planetalyx.livejournal.com]

Happy holidays back at you, Kaygo, and a good 2006.

Hoping for a wonderful and productive New Year

[technomage.livejournal.com]

Have a wonderful holiday, rest well, be happy!

[naomikritzer]

My husband made your cherry sauce this evening to go with a ham. It was a phenomenal accomaniment for ham. Yum. Have a good holiday!

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Yum. I want to come to your house!

I hope the holiday can be a good time for you this year. W & I are taking it easy--I'm not even sure the gifts will be wrapped, because Maisie has taken an unholy interest in ribbons. Too much like string snakes, apparently....

The crimson cranberries have had their brandy added, the spiced walnuts are cooling, and ditto the wild rice for tomorrow's dressing (I don't plan to stuff the chicken, so let's call it a dressing.)

I owe mondo posts, but must catch breath, first. Make tomorrow's McCann's oatmeal, another batch of spiced nuts...then LJ.

Dinner out tonight with friends. After hearing several of us try to explain the appeal of David Drake's maniac librarian in his Lt. Leary series, a friend at dinner was trying to explain about this cool SF book with essentially an auditor who had to determine whether documents were genuine. I said "Had a neat alien race who were also paper oriented? The heroine had been declared anathema by the aliens for desecrating a shrine to protect the remaining humans still alive? Was nearly killed in a crash, and was rebuilt with some alien parts that are changing her?" He said "Yes! Good politics, good characters, I want more."

(Isn't it strange to hear others describe one of your books?)

I chuckled evilly and said: "If you can find them, you can borrow them, but we're not alphabetized yet."

Knowing him, he went home tonight and ordered them off Amazon. ;^)

Merry Christmas!

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

You know, of all the meats and poultry I considered serving with this sauce, I completely forgot about ham. Yum is right.

I'm glad it worked well--thanks for letting me know.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

(Isn't it strange to hear others describe one of your books?)

Yup. But they can describe it any way that they like as long as they like it.

Yum. I want to come to your house!

The aroma of garlic is currently wafting through the house. I think it's a little early for such an emphatic aroma, but garlic usually doesn't taste as strong as it smells. She said. Fingers crossed.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

The aroma of garlic is currently wafting through the house. I think it's a little early for such an emphatic aroma, but garlic usually doesn't taste as strong as it smells. She said. Fingers crossed.

I put some fragments of garlic under the skin of the chicken, and poured fresh lemon juice over it for basting. The guys pronounced it a smashing meal. We decided a little less fresh thyme in the wild rice, but otherwise, the meal batted .1000.

Hope it was a good Christmas--ours was....