Wednesday, December 23, 2009

whoa, here it is.

tomorrow is christmas eve. well, well, well. i could easily start this out with a list of things i didn't get done. didn't mail any inlaw gifts. did get most inlaw gifts. but they are sitting here in the "stuff that still needs to be wrapped" pile. not too cool. new year's gifts! yeah.
didn't make ANYTHING that i am giving this year. oh well. i have been sick on top of being really busy at work, busy here at home with short stack, who (knock wood knock wood knock wood) didn't really get too sick, but with me at about 30% energy level he has been spinning me right round baby, right round. yep, like a record baby. plus i have been spending my usual LOTS of time at my parent's house, so nothing getting done on those days.
psst, i will tell you a secret. josh is looking for a job in plano or richardson and we are going to move up that way this year. egads.

so i still have to wrap some gifts, clean up the playroom for company and get the dishes and serving stuff out for tomorrow. then i am taking a shower and going to bed.

tomorrow first thing we are heading over to geneva's with gifts, for her and the kids. what would i do without this amazing woman and her family? shudder to think.
so, i am leaving vincent there for a while, and running to get my nails done, (ONLY because i managed to break one today, nice. this gorgeous "black cherry chutney" polish does not exactly let much slip unnoticed in the big-ass crack department.) and to get my bangs cut. oh, and the liquor store for brandy for my cherries jubilee. then i will come back for vincent and head home, where my mom should be by then. we will then cook like mad for three or four hours, then i will, and i repeat will take a shower, dry my hair and put make up on like a proper hostess cupcake before everybody gets here.

alright, going to set the tables. excited. ho ho ho.

Friday, December 11, 2009

really great cold morning breakfast...

alas, there will be no pictures with this entry, since my card loader is kaput. i will be picking one of those up tomorrow when i go christmas shopping.
however, for all the cold mornings we are having right now, i wanted to share this recipe for parsi scrambled eggs, they are divine!

parsi scrambled eggs
ingredients:
2 T ghee
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cm ginger, grated
1 tsp garam masala
pinch ground chili powder
4 strands saffron, soaked in 2 T hot milk
6 eggs
cilantro, chopped, to garnish
optional:
green chilies, finely chopped

instructions:
1. heat the ghee, add onions and allow to soften
2. add the garlic, allow to soften but not brown
3. add the ginger
(alternately, as i often do, especially in the morning, add 1/2 t of ginger-garlic paste, which you can buy in a plastic jar at the indian market)
4. sprinkle garam masala, chili powder, and salt to taste over the mix
5. whisk the eggs into the hot milk/saffron mix and add to pan.

now, i am a big "DON'T COOK THE EGGS ALL TO HELL" person, preferring them to be creamy at the end, not resembling packing peanuts. but to each his own, i guess. i use a silicone spatula and stir the eggs in sort of a folding motion, taking them on and off the heat a la gordon ramsay...hey! for lack of photos, let me delight you with a video of how to really make scrambled eggs!



ahhh, that man can cook. ahem. moving on.

so you scramble the eggs then add the chopped green chilies at the end, if you are using them. take the eggs out of the pan, plate them, and put the chopped cilantro on top. i ate mine this morning with half a piece of nan, i had some left from last weekend's trip to the indian market. they hit the spot, cause remember, the garam masala is a warming spice mixture, plus, the ginger is warming too. now i am very hot natured, as any of you who have tried to coexist with me for any amount of time already know, but this is the perfect way to start a cold morning, even for me.
with iced coffee, of course.