What's for dinner?

Don't misinterpret this photo. I don't burn everything I cook and I have had people over for dinner who will vouch for the fact that I can pretend to be Julia Childs if I so desire. But desire is over-rated.

If I had the choice, I would rather pick up something on my way home that tastes good and is ready to go but it's just not quite the same as a meal that someone has put together that tastes amazing is it. I am completely appreciative and truly awed by people who can whip up great food in a few minutes and talk and chat and serve drinks all at the same time.

Whipping something yummy up in a few minutes from things I have in my pantry is not my fortay. I can follow a recipe and bake of course. That's not a problem but fly by the seat of my pants with whats in my cupboard makes me crazy. Well. Crazier. I can talk and serve martini's but the food never gets in the oven and we just get tipsy. Usually a guest takes over and starts helping or we will just have to eat bread.

It's odd because I am creative in so many other ways and I just can't figure it out. My mom was a great cook and my brother can wield a frying pan pretty good and he's not even married. So tonite I had a page from a magazine in my purse for a recipe and I stopped on the way home to get what I needed. Seriously not fancy and brilliantly easy. Just my style.

Here's what's for supper.

First: Open the bottle of Bacardi's Strawberry Daquiri and pour a tall glass with lots of ice. Drink some.

Second: Procrastinate a little and talk on the phone.
Third: Get started or I will be eating at nine.

The recipe is SHRIMP CAKES WITH AVOCADO SALSA
You combine some shrimp in a food processor with some sesame oil and then transfer to a bowl containing Breadcrumbs, shallots, cilantro, an egg white and some chopped celery and lemon juice. A little salt or "Bragg" substitute. Bragg is some salt substitute that you get in a health food store. (googled it).
So you form this mixture into patties and fry them in olive oil.
Once that is done you serve them with this avocado salsa on the side.

The salsa is avocado, red onion, garlic clove, lime juice pickled jalapeno and salt & pepper to taste. I added tomatoes to bulk up the salsa because I need some vegetables in my system.

Nice and lite.

Some say appetizer. I say dinner for one. Done. Looks pretty good. Well done Julie. Would you serve that to a friend? I might. But something in the dish is coming across as bitter? Not the patties - I tried them separately. Could be the salsa. What did I do wrong? Where are all my foodie people? Randy? Is it the cilantro? I love it usually. Or the avocado not ripe enough? Too much onion? I don't know. I don't get it. Not inspired. Should have had a cinnamon bun and a cup of tea.

Oh well. Whatever. The queen didn't come for dinner so I don't really care.

I googled "What to cook for dinner pictures and this one came up....." Next time I'll cook fish.



Still time to go for a walk with the dog and come home to a hot bath and a book. It's 8:56 and not only did I cook dinner, I blogged and am going to see if it's started snowing yet. It's suppose to. Made it before nine though! Success.

Ciao

J.

So this is Christmas......and a New Year begins...

Kids grow up and life changes but I am looking back.....and forward...... listening to old music and new...... and window shopping in a new way.
There was Kindergarten and smiling faces.
And snowmen and snowforts.
There were missing teeth and frozen mitts.
Christmas lights and christmas pageants.

There's my mom in her stylin coat out coming to see what the great snowman in the middle of the driveway. I wonder now if she was worried about backing her car out over him? She was probably in her 30's there.

And even farther back I was once a kid too. I had red hair and my brother grew into that head (of which he is pretty smart.) Somebody please stop that clock! Santa was what Christmas morning was all about. Telling him our hearts desires and our parents hunting for that special present to make everything come off like a fairy tale.
There were Grandpa and Grandpa moments that can never be re-lived. We've lost a few of our family along the way. Those are the pictures that still make me sad. But alas we are not inviscible in this life. "Enjoy it while you can... we hear that all the time don't we".

There was a lot of art. On wrapping paper, homemade cards, and some pretty fantastic decoupage jars for coins and flowers I remember being brought home from school with pride.
Here are memories of my Dad, Little Nanny, Big Nanny decorating a tree, and Auntie Jean, my Nana and my Grandpa - all who are no longer here. Tyson is 21 and my neice is in Grade 8 and Mike and I are no longer together.


Yup, times sure do change. Who would have ever known. The days that lie ahead. .

There have been lots of packages along the way, specially wrapped for special people. Just a little gesture of good will to say "I thought of you" and I hope you feel special today.

Fast forward to a "teenage Christmas" where the boys sleep in til noon and there are no Christmas movies playing because the game systems are hooked up to the television. The days of Lego have passed and there is expensive cologne and wallets with money in them. We share Christmas between 2 homes now but the baking, and cooking must feed larger bellies.



Funny enough, and with a little resistance - I still managed to get Parker to play a good old board game of Scrabble. Now he spelt words like sex and fart but we laughed and debated if certain words were allowed and Tyson sat on the side-line with computer access to Dictionary.com. I tried my best to throw in a little "joy" - even if it cost me some points. We made snowflake sugar cookies and yes, Parker cut **one**. And one is enough for me.
I put out much fewer decorations than I ever have before. Not sure why - maybe the old girl is getting tired? Whatever the reason - there were touches here and there.

A rosemary tree and a few candles, bowls of candies and chocolates, and our new dog, "Charlie" all made it seem a little like Christmas.


Well Charlie is exhausted from too much begging and Julie is exhausted from too much thinking. So today was boxing day and we both pulled a lazy and stayed in pajamas all day and ate leftover butter tarts for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Really.

Good bye Christmas 2010.