Are you almost at meltdown point yet? Is your head ready to explode from too many Christmas carols? Will you scream if you have to go to the mall again? Is your body begging you to lay off the champagne and chocolate and eat a damn vegetable?
No?
Me either. Party on, righteous dudes.
Joe and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary this week with dinner at Umami Burger and a trip to see our favorite comedian, Jake Johannsen afterwards, while dodging fans of the new Star Wars movie. Which is, coincidentally, exactly what we did on our anniversary last year. Because practice makes perfect.
Our youngest turned 10 this week, and OBVIOUSLY there was no other way to celebrate except taking his best buddies to see the new Star Wars movie because he is a giant nerd. He asked me to make him David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Lava Cakes with salted caramel sauce for his birthday dessert. To which I said, “Of course, Sweetheart, anything for the Birthday Boy!” while inside I screamed Do you have any idea how busy I am why can’t I make a box cake mix???
Anything for the babies, amiright?
Cookbooks are my favorite gifts, both to give and receive. My Paris Kitchen, (where we got the above mentioned Lava Cake recipe) is among my all-time favorites. I tend to pull it out in the winter, when I’m in the mood for more elegant meals. It’s beautiful to look at and read, and every single recipe of his I’ve ever made turns out perfectly.
Speaking of cookbooks, 7 Insider Tips for Getting More Out of Your Cookbooks is really helpful if you get overwhelmed by your cookbook collection. I am not afraid to abuse my cookbooks – I scribble substitutions and reviews in the margins, dog ear the pages, and don’t worry about splashes or splatters. To me, the more beat up they are is a sign of how much I love them.
My youngest knows A Christmas Story by heart because every Christmas morning he climbs in bed with me and hubs and we watch this on repeat on TBS, while waiting for the teenagers to drag their lazy butts out of bed. How A Christmas Story Went From Low-Budget Fluke to American Tradition is a fun read about an unlikely success.
Hang in there, friends. When in doubt, gingerbread is always the right answer.
