Five O’Clock: 3

La Quinta, California: Slowly feeling a bit better, but I have been taking it easy in the kitchen most nights. Finally feeling like having a martini, and I do like nibbles with my gin:

I roasted a few nuts and added a teeny bit of brown sugar to "candy" them. Something different. There was a homemade baguette in the freezer, so it was used to hold duck rillettes (purchased) and a bit of leftover chicken salad (homemade).

Not sure you keep up with college football, but the Oregon Ducks are playing in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day v Ohio State. We will attend with the 4L's. I said I would go over to Los Angeles with Dave, so I could stay with Lucile and watch the game on television. But... the little thing wants to GO TO THE GAME. The game is at 2p, so it shouldn't be toooo cold, but the stadium is down in a ravine and it gets so cold after dark. I've found my puffy jacket and Duck stocking cap for this event. The Ducks have already played Ohio State this season (Ducks won), so let's see if the Flock can take down the Buckeyes again.

Nachos are always a great (easy) dinner to eat in front of the television.

It is tiring to have pizza every Sunday, so I am throwing-in a "Pasta Sunday" often. Another easy meal is to boil some orecchiette (little ears) pasta and top it with warmed cherry tomatoes (from a can!). Topped with a little parmesan cheese and fresh basil, it was delicious, vegetarian, and pretty.

Then I made something that was not so easy, but something we really enjoy - tofu triangles served with nuoc cham (I used this recipe, but nearly doubled the sesame-panko portions.) I use Red Boat fish sauce as the company only use anchovies - no shellfish - in their sauce.

It's the sauce, baby! Nuoc Cham is so delicious.

One day I made a Greek-style meatloaf mixture with one pound of ground lamb, about 1/4 cup each minced red onion, crumbled feta, and slivered Kalamata olives, along with black pepper and 2 teaspoons dried oregano. Due to the salty cheese and olives, this mixture didn't need much additional salt. I roasted one acorn squash - halved, seeds scraped out, brushed with olive oil, salt and pepper - upside down 25 minutes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in a 350° oven. After the squash had cooled, I grabbed chunks of the meatloaf mixture and plopped them into the cavity until it formed a mound in each half. The lamb mixture was garnished with a little more crumbled feta before baking. It took about 35 minutes (at 375°) for the lamb to reach an internal temperature of 145°. Served with a Greek Salad, it was a very nice meal and there was enough meatloaf mixture for 8 meatballs (in the freezer for another day).

We finally had Debbie and Mark over for the long-postponed "turkey" dinner. This time I was smart enough to NOT get a brined turkey breast from Trader Joes, but splurged on a five pound Mary's chicken. We served the roasted chicken with dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans and roasted delicata squash. Apple pie for dessert. Very good, and now we feel that we have eaten a proper Thanksgiving meal.

Funny story: Lisa was texting with me early the other morning. (I was still in bed.) She said she had the oddest dream. Seems she had driven out to our house to pick up the kids (who had been staying with us), and we had really changed. She said we had taken up painting, and our "art work" was hanging all over the house - covering every wall - our bathrooms were filthy, and her dad wanted to be a bodybuilder. (Is anyone out there a dream analyst?) I knew she was a fibbing, because she had woken me from my dream where Lisa, Dave and I were in San Francisco, and Lisa was taking us on a tour of dingy taverns. We had to wait in long lines to get into each beer hall. Many of the bars had "clown" themes with saloon-style doors - and talk about dirty bathrooms!

Hopefully Lenny was at our house with the kids while the rest of us were boozing it up in San Francisco?

Blame it on the cold medicine.

Until my next update, I remain, your dreamy correspondent.

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