SUNDAY SUPPER

Good for a football watching Sunday evening

OPEN FACE STEAK SANDWICHES

From an old WW cookbook - only 320 calories!

1.5 T butter and olive oil

2 slices rye bread, lightly toasted

1/4 small red onion thinly sliced

1.5 T parmesan cheese

2 cube steaks, seasoned and broiled until rare

4 slices tomato

2 t chopped parsley

Melt butter and add oil. Preheat broiler. Top each slice of toast with onion slices, brush with oil and sprinkle with 1 t cheese. Broil until lightly browned. Top with steak, 2 slices of tomato brush with remailing oil, then sprinkle with remaining cheese and parsley. Broil until lightly browned.

CHRISTMAS BREAK IS OVER

For the last few weeks we have had a full house with the 2 college kids home - much like a three ring circus.

There was some of this.





Then we had to deal with that.

Then we went out and learned about wine.

We hung around and watched some TV.

Went got a little exercise.

The youngsters did quite a bit of partying.

In the end there was a lot of laundry to do.

The kitchen was a perpetual mess.

This is the slightest exaggeration of how the rest of the house looked.

But soon everything was all packed up.

We said our goodbyes.

Cleaned the house.

Tidied the guest room.

And began to check the calendar for the next school break.

APPLAUSE FROM THE DENTAL HYGIENIST

I am ashamed to say that last February, after a year of dental scaling and such, I still had deep pockets between tooth and gum and was at risk for bone loss. Some of the pockets (you know when they go around your teeth and call out the numbers? Some of mine were at 5 and 6. A couple were as deep as 9.

I had to give in to the dire assessment of my dentist and make a appointment with the Periodontist. The news from him was bad - I needed to have my entire mouth full of gums surgically cut open in order to clean them deeply and then stitched back together. You think that sounds bad? The price tag - no insurance - was $6000.

But I had to do it. I did the whole mouth all at once, skipped the opportunity to be knocked out (more money and I'm tough.) It took and hour for the procedure, then I went to work. I didn't last long at work...But I went back the next day. The healing process was long, slow and uncomfortable.

However! I am proud to say that my check up today shows the huge improvement. My pockets are all between 2 and 4. It is so nice to get positive news from the oral hygienist. I wanted a little sticker to put on my shirt "I had a good checkup."

And I have almost paid off the periodontist.

SUNDAY SUPPER

This is a recipe from my Mom's recipe box. Maggie asked for it tonight for our last family dinner before she and Zac go back to school.


BEEF SLICES IN WINE

2# flank steak, sliced thinly on the horizontal
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t salt
1/2 t rosemary
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t basil
1 c red wine
1 c tomato sauce
2 T flour
1/2 # sliced mushrooms
2 T chopped parsley

Brown beef slices in butter, a few at a time and then remove to a plate. In remaining pan juices, brown garlic and add wine, tomato sauce herbs and meat. Bring to a simmer. cover and simmer for 1-1.5 hours.

Put 1 spoonful of sauce in a bowl and whisk in flour. Stir mixture into remaining sauce add mushrooms and parsley. Cook until mushroom are tender, about 15 more minutes. Adjust salt.

Serve over rice.

NOT SO CHIC

I asked for and received one of these ruana/shawls to wear when I don't need a coat - which with my body heat index these days, is not often. I wore it when Maggie and I were in Napa, but had not worn it at home until last night.

We went out to have dinner at one of Maggie's favorite places before she leaves for school and on the way out to the car I put my ruana on. Ally saw it and said "Mom you look so stylish." I was so pleased. I hugged her and say it was the nicest thing she has said to me in a long time. She drew away and said "I was just kidding."

Those 15 year old's really know how to hurt an old broad.

ROAD TRIP - DAY 2

After our day of wining and dining, Maggie and I needed some spa time. Calistoga is known for the mineral waters and the opportunity to take a mud bath. Dr. Wilkinson's is one of the long established bath houses in the area.

In my single days, my good friend Christina and I used to make the trip to have mud baths and lunch at Domaine Chandon. Now it has been since my honeymoon nearly 25 years ago since I was back. Maggie's reaction was that the mud smelled weird, she liked her masseuse and that there was a whole lotta naked time involved. True. Not for the shy, but extremely relaxing.

After lunch, we ventured up to Sterling Vineyards, which is reached by taking a tram up to the top of a very high hill. We lucked out - as seen in the photos - with an exceptionally beautiful day. We lounged about on the sundeck and sipped some wine and I would have stayed all afternoon except that Maggie had to have:

Pastries from the Bouchon Bakery, the rather famous bakery and restaurant run by the same folks as the famous French Laundry restaurant.
We also bought cookies for the family at home and some lovely bread for dinner.

We finished out day (and Tom's charge card) at the amazing Darioush Winery. The site is very Persian inspired, the wines were wonderful, the most gorgeous purple red color and they place a nice dish of pistachio nuts in front of you at the tasting bar. Very nice.

After a long drive home, our excellent adventure was done.

MOTHER DAUGHTER ROAD TRIP!

Our excellent adventure to the Napa Valley started out on a rainy day.

By the time we got to the Valley, the rain stopped but it was gray and cold.

We went straight to our fancy lunch in Yountville.

For those who know the French Laundry - no, we did not eat there. But we did have a very elegant lunch at a place called Redd down the road. Maggie has become a "foodie" and was very choosy about our dining destinations.

We proceeded down the road to the Opus One winery. We had a reservation for their tour and tasting. Maggie wants to learn more about wine - so why not start at the top end of the line?

Toward the end of the tour, we came out to find - the sun!

We also visited Cakebread Cellers and Mondavi and bought a few bottles to take home.

We drove further up the road to Calistoga, and checked in to the famous Dr. Wilkinson's Hotel to sober up rest up before our dinner reservation.

We dined and drank wine at Market in St. Helena. We sat at our table for about 3 hours and had a wonderful evening.

Tomorrow - we try the mud!

SUNDAY SUPPER

Zac is having his wisdom teeth removed tomorrow morning. He asked for a hearty last meal which required chewing skills which would not be available for the next week....



ASIAN BEEF SKEWERS

Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 T rice wine
2 T veg oil
2 T Hoisin sauce
2 cloves garlic mashed
1 1/2 t minced fresh ginger

1 1/2 pounds cubed chicken or beef sirloin


Combine the marinade in a cup, whisk. Pour into a baggie and add meat . Marinate at least 2 hours, up to 6 hours.

When ready to cook the meat, remove from the marinade and thread onto skewers. You may pour excess marinade into a saucepan and bring to a boil on the stove, simmer for 10 minutes. Use to baste the meat during cooking.

Grill or broil (to desired degree of doneness for beef) about 15 minutes.

I serve with sticky rice. And tonight a Sesame Spinach Salad.


STICKY RICE

1 1/2 cups short grain rice (like Calrose)
3 Cups water
1 t salt

Place rice, water and salt in 21/2-quart saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 16-18 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 3 minutes before serving.


SESAME SPINACH SALAD

1 1/2 pounds spinach, washed and trimmed
1 T honey
2 t Tamari or soy sauce
3 T toasted sesame seeds, ground or crushed

Wilt spinach in steamer basket, rinse in cold water and drain well. Combine other ingredients and dress salad. Serve cold or at room temperature.

THE PLAN FOR THE NEW YEAR

I have been thinking about the new year coming. I have made decisions - not resolutions, but decisions about how I will make changes. Change is the operative word in the country and for me.

I have started a new blog which can be reached from the sidebar - under the title Feeling Fine in 2009. I am currently laying out my plan and will post follow up entries of my progress - and, if necessary, failures.

If you want to join in - we will make it a group effort!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND AN OUTING

I note that a few fellow bloggers have been posting each day during the Christmas and Hanukkah festivities. (Congrats Jenn!!) I have barely had the energy to to read a few posts, much less to write one. But I have tried to pay enough attention to record a few highlights. The girls are snuggled on the couch watching the Yule Log channel.




Tom came down with a bug on the evening of the 23rd and did not accompany the rest of us to my sister's home for Christmas Eve dinner. When we can home at about 9, he was entranced by the televised Yule Log. We had a good laugh at him, but then, slowly, we were all drawn in. Particularly because he swore it was live and there was someone tending the fire. He said the fire tender occasionally poked the fire or put new logs on to burn. One by one we snuggled down to watch and after about an hour - the fire tender placed a new log on the fire. We cheered and clapped and got ready for bed.



The next morning Tom and I were up before 6 and hung out listening to holiday music and watching a real fire (the Yule Log broadcast did not resume until 8am.) The kids finally rolled out of bed at about 8:30 and the aftermath may be seen in the photo above. I made a big breakfast and then went "off duty" for the remainder of the day.

Friday morning we popped out of our beds and made a trip to San Francisco to visit the newly remodeled California Academy of Sciences, I had purchased tickets Santa put tickets in our stockings. Along with approximately half the population of the Bay Area, we toured this wonderful new facility, watched the show in the planetarium and toured the aquarium. I found the sea dragons enchanting, but the kids dragged me off to visit the living roof, an acre of native California plants covering the roof of the building. You can see above that it was a lovely day.

We ended our outing at a fun Cuban restaurant called ChaChaCha in the Haight neighborhood. It was colorful, hip and the food was good.

A nice day with my children - and now no plans. Sigh. I hope I can finally relax and get some quality sleep!