Sunday | 27 September 2020 | Paris, France La Quinta, California: Oh, Dear Reader, this was the saddest day of our "not going to Paris trip" because we had tickets to see Jimmy Buffett perform in Paris this weekend. (To be a bit positive, the show has only been postponed until September 2021, and our tickets are protected, but who can predict the future?) In other developments, the postponed Rolling Stone concert we were to attend in San Diego in May, has now been cancelled, and our money returned.
Another busy weekend at the Taylor Academy and Swim School. Classes were out Friday, just after 2p, and all students immediately began swimming. The improvement of swimming skills over the past three weeks is simply amazing. I am wondering if swim lessons are maybe a waste of money? Maybe a three-day weekend in a motel with a pool would be a better use of family funds? While I will not claim Lucy can perform a perfect Australian crawl, she can get from one end of the pool to the other (40 feet) on her own - when just days ago, she wouldn't even get in the pool without her floatie vest. Leo is a good swimmer, but now he is getting to be a great swimmer - and can do a perfect Australian crawl, and gaining confidence. Leo can swim the entire length of the pool under water as well.
We did it up for Shabbat (Friday). A nice appetizer plate, and I tried a newly discovered recipe for cod: make a paste with the ingredients for garlic bread, but spread it on fish instead. The fish was baked, and it really was nice. I pretty-much followed the recipe, but sprinkled Parmesan cheese over the fish before baking - just as I often do to garlic bread. It was good, really easy, and really doesn't need a recipe (400°, 20 minutes). The fish was served with Challah, roasted asparagus with whipped cream (just cream that was whipped... think nearly-to-butter).
Friday Night Movie Night was chosen by Bubbe this week. No one was excited by my choice: Houseboat. 1958. (I was 3.) Sofia Loren. Cary Grant. Leo complained, but laughed all night. What a great movie.
The weekend craft project? Lucy decorated a ceramic bunny for a nightlight. The Night Light Kit came with paint-pens and a battery-operated tea light. (Also available in a turtle, kitty, and mouse version.) Leo played the piano - bypassing this crafting opportunity. He doesn't need a night light. Maybe if they made a football nightlight kit?
Saturday I prepared a recipe (requested by Lisa) from the September 2020 Bon Appetit magazine - Caesar Salad Roast Chicken. There was a lot of prep work, but the results were well-worth the effort. (Next time, we decided to peel the shallots though.) The resulting stock made from the chicken carcass and remaining anchovies/shallots is something we will later enjoy. No photo was snapped of that gorgeous bird, but there is a photo of the gorgeous apple + honey tart. (It's still Rosh Hashanah.)
You cannot even imagine the amount of butter we are going through.
Sunday was declared a homework-free day. Only fun. Football watching, of course. Golfing. A lot of swimming and even early-morning bicycling.
The guys went golfing today, as our course is being scalped tomorrow and the course will be closed for at least a month. This is a normal thing in the desert: the grass is scraped down to the bare nubs (aka dust EVERYWHERE), then over-seeded and watered like-we-do-not-live-in-the-desert. Within a few days the grass grows like crazy, and within a few weeks, it will be carpet-like and we can golf in perfect perfection until September 2021... when it all begins again.
Due to Yom Kippur tomorrow, all the cooking/prep must be finished by Sunday evening. As I say every year... for an observance that requires fasting, there is certainly a lot of cooking involved. I made 8 plain bagels to break our fast Monday evening. The bagels will be served with lox, cream cheese, sliced tomatoes, sliced red onion, capers, etc.
While the boys were golfing, Lucile (Lucy has asked to be called Lucile now) played dress-up in Bubbe's closet. She modeled my handbags (epic), then dove into my hat box. Girls are so much fun.
The men/boys returned in time for appetizers and in time to light grill/pizza stones.
Another cheese pizza for the kids. The adults pizza included ricotta and fresh basil. I made the red sauce myself this week (from a bunch of needed-to-be-used tomatoes).
Until my next update, I remain, your cooking correspondent.
Have you seen the book That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life by Marissa Mullen? I gifted it to my granddaughter who with her sister have just discovered charcuterie plates. The photos are divine and the descriptions perfect.
Your Lucy is so cute and love the photos of her in your hats. Her request to be called Lucile made me smile and reminded me of the request our granddaughter, Clara, made shortly after her 6th birthday in May. “Please spell my name with a K” – she is now Klara and I do wonder how long that will last.