A new year is here, that means new recipes to try alongside the family favorites.
I spent a leisurely morning copying and printing off my favorite Christmas cookie and candy recipes for a new holiday notebook. Hopefully it will make me ultra-efficient next December when it's time to start the holiday baking. I'll have my tried-and-true recipes all in one spot, instead of having to remember which notebook or recipe box to peek in. (I didn't limit this to just sweets, but also our brunch and supper favorites, plus my Christmas card list, and even some holiday decorating ideas I snagged from here and there. My goal is to make this notebook function as my constant companion during the holidays, with everything I need at my fingertips.)
After the recipe books and clippings were all tucked away, I managed to finally clean off my desk. That meant a reward: my 2010 desk blotter is out and quickly filling up. And for now, it's still visible. Give me a few days of junk mail deluge, and it might be buried again. Such is life...
Tonight's menu includes this slimmed-down baby back rib recipe from Men's Health magazine's "Cook This Not That" column, plus our traditional blackeyed pea/avocado salad (recipe courtesy of my dear friend Pam), plus cheese biscuits like Jim & Nick's BBQ, and a pineapple upside-down cake. Confession time: I haven't made a P-U-D cake in....well, decades I guess. But I've got fresh pineapple left over from the holidays, and it would be a shame to waste it, especially when there are some really yummy recipes out there.
It's a good thing today's itinerary includes an afternoon run, then some prep time before tomorrow's Bible class where I hope my Powerpoint-backed lesson will impress the third-graders with a glimpse into first century life in Corinth and amaze them with details like the weight of Roman soldier tents (half a ton - who knew?)
