Fresh Tart

Silpada, Silpada - if you're a woman in my family, be on alert, you are most likely getting Silpada jewelry for Christmas. Suz is a Silpada rep, so I've hosted a couple of parties, which have led to other of my friends hosting parties, including my friend Polly last night and Baseball Mom Sonja this coming Friday (although I can't make Friday's party - I'll be attending a Commanderie de Bordeaux dinner with Debbie and Stu the Wine Genius, woo hoo! I've been to two before, both amazing nights, I'll do my best to pay attention to the food and lovely wine and not talk too damn much. Stay tuned...). Polly had a crackling fire, and delicious appetizers, and a yummy iced pumpkin cake - and oh yeah, Susie Silpada Sales with her bling! Good thing the jewelry is so pretty, and easy to wear (casual or dressy), 'cuz I sure do own a lot of it, ha.

Despite snow and freezing rain and all-day darkness - what is this, February? - I turned up the heat with quick chicken gumbo and sauteed okra before Nathan's basketball game tonight, and am ready to whip up tortilla soup tomorrow morning (I'll be busy with my nephew Cooper in the afternoon-into-evening, so have to work ahead a bit). Haven't decided yet what to bake for our neighborhood women's association meeting Thursday night. Cheesy vanilla fudge bars? Hmmm...you know, I might make almond puff pastry. It's a bit brunchy, but it's sooo decadently yummy, who cares? Yeah, I think it'll be almond puff pastry...

Moderate it: almond puff pastry, for sure one of my top ten all-time favorite foods, is definitely the kind of thing I only bake for others - lots of others.

Had to snap a pic today of one of my favorite appetizers. Crusty bread, topped with a smear of hand-dipped ricotta cheese from Whole Foods (the stuff should be illegal, it's that good) and roasted tomatoes (which I didn't make myself, although they're easy enough; these I also picked up at Whole Foods, in the produce section, and they are particularly delicious, roasted in olive oil with garlic and herbs). I might have had some for breakfast this morning. Maybe. (Or, try this gorgeous recipe from our friends Kris & Harry, they of the beautifully Foodie dinner a few weeks back - tomatoes roasted with a bit of honey, atop scrumptious home-made ricotta cheese, finished with a drizzle of honey-balsamic. Beyond good. Recipe posted in comments, below.)

I don't usually have all these goodies on hand, but had purchased a round of tasties in prep for tonight's Susie Silpada Sales party, here at the hacienda. Girls, girls, girls, with snacks and wine and jewelry to boot. I put together a big platter of said tomatoes, as well as roasted peppers, carrots, and onions; salami; cornichon pickles; black olives; and rouille. Also set out a frittata cut into small squares, as well as chips and guacamole. With Kim as my Bar Beyotch (she is the fiercest bartender I've ever seen), Kathie and her sis Lisa doing party prep, and Suz jeweling her thing, we were all good. Even in pouring sheets of rain! Thanks ladies, for turning out and making it a great night!

Moderate it: a frittata is a terrific light, simple dinner, filling and tasty to boot. Without the crust and cream of quiche, but definitely with the perks of delicious fillings, nothing makes a better short-on-time dinner. And, good party food as well.

Wow, what a gorgeous week, huh? Lurve this time of year, despite every sunny, warm day depressingly feeling like the last. Ugh. Well, there will be plenty of days to suffer actual melancholy of the chill - a day as hot, in fact sticky, as today is not one of them.

Nathan and I opened the day by cheering Stacey's kickass finish of the "Iron Girl" duathlon (run-bike-run) at Normandale Lake in Bloomington. Go Stacey go! Cooper was there too, to cheer on his mommy, as well as eat crackers, quack like an Aflac (race sponsor) duck, and run wild like the two-year old he is. Coop!

Stacey earned herself whatever the heck she wanted for dinner, and she chose...Wagner's Drive-Inn in St. Louis Park. A fine choice, in fact a classic, heartily seconded by myself and Nathan (even though we ran in exactly zero races today). She, we, and Cooper tucked into juicy homemade burgers, skin-on skinny fries, crispy onions rings, and creamy-thick chocolate malts, uff. I feel like I have lead in my stomach. I do have lead in my stomach. Tasty lead. Burger lead. Deeelicious.

This week, holy moly, party week my friends. A Susie Silpada Sales party on Tuesday night and the 7th grade parent party on Saturday. Hey, nothing like a party (or two) to kick one's butt into gear and wrap up numerous nagging house projects. It's always been my strategy (pure self-motivation runs thin in my veins). Works like a charm...

Moderate it: I watched someone else workout and then ate a burger. I got nothin', I'm sorry.

Here, there, and everywhere, blowing around with the wild November winds! Of note:

A Persian-style Saturday lunch with Mary Pappas and Kathie Radcliffe, at Shiraz Fire Roasted Cuisine. Always fabulous to giggle and gossip with Mary and Kathie, especially while sipping hot tea from tall cups and eating fluffy saffron rice with beef/lamb skewers and fragrant stews. No belly dancer (she only shakes it on Friday and Saturday nights), but a belly full o' tasties, with a side of belly-shakin' laughs (and I'll quit with that now, belly-up).

A wild-n-crazy trip to JoAnn Fabrics, of all places, to buy supplies for Nathan's FACS class. Who knew that a fabric store could be so, so, so, PACKED?! (Uh, obviously not me.) Look out for aggressive ladies who sew, sheesh! I had to come home and make spaghetti to recover...

Date Night dinner with John at 112 Eatery. Good, but not great, which is noteworthy given that it's, you know, 112 Eatery.Nothing horrible, just not...fabulous. Except for the boned, pressed chicken, served with lots of fresh lemon and parsley. That is one delicious dish, and it was its usual crispy, juicy, flavorful self.

Tuesday Morning Coffee with Suz and...Cooper! The Maven couldn't make it, but The Coopster could (shown here in various snuggle-bunnies with his cat, Co, aka the snuggliest cat EVAR; I've been itching for a reason to post these insanely cute pics), and he acquired a new word in the process: "Susie!" Yay for Susie!

And speaking of Susie...a hootin' Holiday Open House, hosted by my neighbor (and co-Badger) Lindsay Polyak and her sister-in-law Kristi Hykes! At Kristi's gorgeous home, at which Silpada Susie was a vendor, along with a few other lovely ladies and their wares, including my neighbor Jen Baxter. Lindsay baked piles of decadent goodies (she's an amazing baker), including her dipped ginger snaps, as well as lemon bars and several versions of chocolate-caramel-deadly-little-mothers.Goooood stuff.

Nathan's first basketball game, which his team won in over-time, very exciting! We celebrated by doing... nothing, it was a school night and everyone was wiped (and I was at above-said party). Nathan did homework, and I think had cereal for dinner, poor soul. (Although it was his choice - John offered his specialty, nuked hot dogs, but Nathan took a pass...) We'll get back on track tonight with a traditional pot roast I actually made yesterday (cooking ahead a bit). I think I'll serve Nathan his as a sandwich, he's had a hankering for a roast beef sandwich lately.

Or not. We'll see where the wind blows us...

Oops, I Did it Again! Somehow I accidentally slow-roasted another pork shoulder, this time an Italian version (think fennel seeds, tons of garlic, oregano, and thyme). Same technique as carnitas, same silky, porky result. Rarrrr, LOVE it. Nice to have sitting in the fridge over the weekend, ready to eat as is, or toss with a bit of rigatoni, or enjoy alongside creamy polentaaaaah, or stuff into a warm, soft roll, with thinly sliced onions and pickles, for a killer sandwich. None of those options suck and I'm glad to have them all. Yeah.

I met Susie Silpada Sales for a last-minute Friday Morning Coffee with Suz today (both Kim and I were busy on Tuesday, so Tuesday Morning Coffee with Kim & Suz had to wait for next week, boo). So fun! So necessary! Nothing like the elixir of girly chat (and Almond Joy candy bars - Suz brought Almond Joy candy bars! My very, very favorite, yay!) to wrap up a craaaaz-ow week. What to tell first? About Nathan's new school? Driving through a hailstorm? Eating delicious, strange animal parts, barefoot, in front of a television crew? Cooper's vomiting all over Stacey's car? My parents' new home? My accidental flashing of the Metal sign at a religious event?

And then, what to listen to first? About Suz's impending move? Her kids' new schools? Her new Susie Sales job? Her new kickass fur vest and totally Metal boots? It was too much, there's just too much going on. Life is wild right now, in a good way, guess we'll just have to get together again (hee, hee) - like on Monday to celebrate The Maven's 40th! Yes, that nauseatingly young beyotch is about to join the ranks of us cougars. Hope she can handle it... I'm cooking and haven't quite decided yet what I'm making. Stay tuned...

Fun! That's what Cocktail Jewelry Parties are - just plain FUN! Here it is, after 1:00 a.m., so this will be a quick post, one of those I'm-Too-Jazzed-To-Fall-Asleep-So-I'll-Write posts. I do need some sleep, since Cooper Cuteness will be here at 9:00 tomorrow (this) morning. So I'll post recipes later - I think the tres leches cake, shrimp salad, and carnitas went over best tonight. Stay tuned...

The Susie Silpada Bling Shopping was great fun, almost everyone found something to rock their boat(s). Rings and necklaces and bracelets and earrings, woo hooo! Thank you to Kathie, Chris, Mary, Lindsay, Kristi, Beth, Kim, Bev, Bobbi, Stacey, and Kasey for such a fun night!

So, tomorrow, recipes. And tonight (or morning)? Must. Go. To. Bed. Sleep well (hopefully you already are, and have been for a couple of hours)!