Major Meal

Gainesville

Eeek! A whole day of baby football. Just finished watching the Fiesta Bowl (well, it's not over yet, but I'M finished). Way too much adrenalin and angst.

[Break while I watched the truly indredulous-making finish to that game. Holy smokes!]

Feel like I've been in the kitchen for days. Wait a minute-- I have been. Yesterday, trying to figure out what to have for NYD, and getting ready to shop, it occurred to me to ask Bill what HE would like to have for the meal. I'd been considering a prime rib, wondering about spuds vs wild rice. He asked for a main dish salad-- "something you do really well." (Who knew?) It's unseasonably warm here, so it seemed like a good idea. Of course, salad implies soup too, to make a major meal, so I settled on "THAT Salad" (asparagus, red potatoes, papaya slices and kalamatas on a bed of greens, topped with an amazing green onion dressing) and White Gazpacho. These are things I usually make for summer celebrations (though not usually together), and had to start the prep immediately after dinner last night.

Last night's dinner came up a winner too, one of Leanne's salmon treatments, baked, then topped with a dill, mushroom and tomato combo. Good stuff. The downside is, the fridge is bulging with leftovers. The salad feeds four, plus I had a four pound papaya when the recipe called for one pound. The soup feeds eight. You get the idea.

Champagne at midnight, sleep at four. Not a good way to start a new year.