A Week of Magical Celebration

You can feel it in the air - the holiday season is here. Hanukkah starts tonight, Christmas is only five days away. But this week is a very special week in my household because of two birthdays. Two years ago today, my youngest son entered the world in a whirlwind (five weeks, plus one day early and faster than one could imagine.) And on Friday, my husband will celebrate his birthday. So, yes the week before Christmas is a special one for our family. In fact, the birthdays tend to be more magical than the holidays everyone else is celebrating.

It's hard to believe my baby is two years old. He entered the world on his own terms, and has proven to us every day that he intends to keep it that way. (While he is always feisty, the last six months were incredibly spirited ... I can tell he's starting to calm down and am eternally grateful.)

During this week I reflect for all that I am so grateful to have in my life, two wonderful children, a good husband, a house over my head, food on my table. It was also special this week, that it was the day I deliver Meals on Wheels. We brought a new recruit with us on Monday (I always love bringing new people along and introducing them to the spirit.) I always have great partners helping me deliver, and this particular Monday, the folks were extra chatty - maybe it's the fact that the holidays are near (yet, the weather is deceptive, no snow, moderate temperatures). Whatever the reason, lots of small talk and great greetings. It only takes 90 minutes of my time a month, but I am so glad that I have the opportunity to give those 90 minutes.

I'm almost finished with all of our gift shopping, and we have baking to do on Friday, so here's to carrying out the rest of a magical week.

The Soothing Power of Red

Red wine that is. There is something poetic about sipping a smooth glass of red wine in the fall and winter. The way it glides down your throat and warms your belly. The delicate fruit that dances on your tongue. The very subtle calming effect it has after a rough week.

I treat my self to wine primarily on the weekends, and then it is typically at most one glass. I used to treat myself during the week ... but it actually made me tired the next day. So in my efforts to lessen my sugar intake, I also decided wine was a weekend-only treat (with exceptions for holidays and celebratory occasions.)

It actually makes the few glasses I enjoy even more special and scouring the wine list at restaurants is an adventure. I wish D enjoyed wine (I'd feel less guilty about knowing that I am only drinking half a bottle in a weekend ... and the other half usually meets the drain in the sink.) Alas, my lovely teetolling husband is who he is, and I embrace that, too.

So, as I sit here and sip a beautiful red blend from France, I hope that you are enjoying whatever pleases you most, too.

Seeking Gifts of Inspiration

The snow is falling, the air is bitterly cold (no longer the crisp chill of autumn) and we have had our inaugural fire of the season. I love this time of year (not as much as autumn,  mind you) because of the light hustle and bustle and energy. I enjoy searching for seasonal treats, baking (I made chocolate babka last weekend, it was definitely a great labor of love ... but the reward was worth it,) and spending time doing holiday activities with my boys.

Yesterday, we worked on a school project for K -- I am sort of surprised how much the school embraces "Christmas" without calling it Christmas. We decorated a "winter tree" with buttons, felt, ribbon and other odds and ends we could find. It was fun, and I could tell K enjoyed doing the creative activity.

I am also trying to find excellent Christmas gifts ... and I have to say, it's been a bit slow going. I don't know if it's because I am just finding the same ol' same ol' everywhere or what ... but I am having a hard time finding inspired gifts that make me think that people are going to love what they open and their eyes will brighten. Maybe I aspire to give perfection ... which would be an impossible task on its own anyway. I just want to put extra thought into what I select for people and surprise them.

At least D and I agreed to our edible gift creations this year ... but I fear we once again are picking things that should be left to culinary artists and pastry chefs  ... but if we didn't push ourselves, we wouldn't grow, right?

A Nod to Marital Bliss and a Fabulous Meal

It's hard to believe that eight years ago (almost) to this day, there was snow on the ground and I publicly declared my love and commitment to one person. I say almost to this day, because technically our wedding anniversary is not until Tuesday, but we decided since our anniversary falls in the middle of the week, we could kick-off celebrating it tonight and carry it through the week. (We'll see if we have the endurance to celebrate on the actual day and again next weekend.)

We started our special evening by exchanging gifts. For those who've read about previous anniversary celebrations, you know that D and I do try to follow the traditional gift list as closely as possible (with some loose interpretation when needed.) The eighth year presented us with the theme of bronze. For the last month, we've been teasing each other about bronze statues and whatnot. Of course, I was really beginning to fret, because I was at a loss. However, I found a great watch that could loosely qualify as being "bronze-like" and I was able to get it in time for tonight.

D, I must say, went the extra mile when it came to selecting my gift. (Granted, he may have more "free" time for researching gifts when O is taking a nap.) He found a jeweler that makes beautiful handcrafted pieces from vintage and antiques. And proceeds from any purchase going to fund cancer research. So, not only do you get an amazing piece of jewelry, you do some good. He did amazingly well when he select this cobalt and bronze bracelet for me:

We then continued our evening at Heartland Restaurant. We ate here for our fifth wedding anniversary, but it the restaurant had relocated to a fabulous new spot and D had been wanting to go again.

The evening started with a lovely special amuse bouche that was a wild rice pastry with marscapone cream with a strawberry preserve. It was just a hint of what was in store for us the rest of the evening ...

I followed this delight with a great first course of grass fed beef liver served on a challah toast with onions and chanterelles in a Marsala sauce. I just wanted to lick my plate the sauce was so good and the chanterelles was such a good balance with the liver. (Yes, I as an adult chose to eat liver ... and it was wonderful.)



 Next up was the main course. This plate you see of red meat (yes, I love my meat) was a lovely spiced elk roast on top of a parsnip-potato puree in a roasted apple glace. And while all of the above was excellent ... it's those beautiful baby brussel sprouts that were absolutely divine. Even D agreed when I gave him a few bites ... I could have eaten a whole bowl of just those brussel sprouts!

To finish off the meal, I had a chocolate pot de creme with three sauces: curry caramel, passion fruit curd and a cranberry compote. It was just sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth (and paired very well with my lovely French pressed coffee.



The also surprised us with complimentary flutes of Moscato to finish our meal with an anniversary toast. (I only wish they had it listed on their wine list online, because even D liked it ... and it's rare to find a wine he enjoys.) It was just the perfect amount of sweetness.

Throughout the evening we had amazing conversation and reconnected as it is always nice to do. We chatted about our beautiful boys and shared laughs and looks of affection. It was how I hope everyone's anniversary can be celebrated ... because it was just so special. And I like to think that the evening foretells how the next year of marriage will go. If that is the case, we shall have a very good year. (Of course, D has decided he's already going to start researching next year's gift -- which is pottery.)




Being Thankful

Today is the annual day where people publicly profess all that they are thankful for. Of course, you also get the philosophical waxings of those who say that wouldn't it be nice if we would act like this every day. And yes, I agree, it would be nice, if we did it every day, would this particularly day lose some of it's specialness?

Of course, as I reflect over the past year, I realize that I am unbelievable thankful for all that I have in my life (well, everything except the depreciating home values ... I will be extra thankful the year I finally see the market value of our home at least stabilize instead of decline.)

My boys have been healthy most of the year, and continue to grow like weeds (seriously, K will be taller than me any day now ...) I've embraced the idea that my oldest baby is now a school kid, and while it makes me feel incredibly older, I enjoy hearing him explain the adventures of his day and impressing me with his intellect on a regular basis. O makes me laugh, because he's such a ham and is well aware of it. It's hard to believe that two years ago he hadn't quite made his debut yet.

D has done an exception job at his ... well ... job, being the best dad in the world to my boys and a pretty darn good husband to me. (Granted, I have accepted that when it comes to dinner, I have to be happy that it's being made and that I am not married to a Top Chef contestant, so I may not get something exciting, but I get nourishment.

I am also thankful that this year allowed me to visit four new places that I hadn't experienced: Playa del Carmen, Toronto, Montreal and New York. Each trip was delightful for it's own reason, and I don't foresee that much travel in one year again in the near future, so I count myself very grateful. (And let's be honest, the hotels in New York and Montreal ...seriously felt like a very luck girl!)

And now ... it's time to dive into the holiday season. As always I am looking to be inspired ... hoping to find special gifts for those I love, something sweet and unexpected and specifically them. Sometimes I do well ... sometimes I take the easy route and just grab things off the list. I'll just have to hope that the special gift faeries are with me.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!