It's Just Lunch

We are currently in the heart of a lone and dreary winter.  During the summer time I throw little lunch parties to cheer myself up and give us something to look forward to.  It is usually just a couple of friends and their kids.   At the beginning of summer I make a list of potential guests I'd like to invite.  I didn't even make it through half the list this year. So as there is happily very little going on this month, and my kids are getting a little wild, why not have friends over for lunch?


It is like a play date at the park only a lot more work, less exercise, and better tasting. It works better for us if I invite friends who have children so that my own children have something to look forward to as well.
One nice thing about lunch is that your expectations are low, so it is easy to impress.
Here is my [easy] winter lunch menu:


Curried Carrot Soup with Crispy Cheese Sandwiches.

Carrot Soup is super simple and tastes better than it sounds.  As a favor, here is the recipe:


2 onions chopped
a pat or two of butter
1.5 pounds of carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 to 2 TBL Bombay Sweet Curry (from Costco, see not fancy) or any mild curry


Brown onions in butter.  Add curry to onions. Add chicken stock and carrots, boil till carrots are tender.   Puree soup in blender.  You can keep keep it on warm till needed.
Garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt and cilantro, if you have it.


Cheese Sandwiches shouldn't need a recipe but as a suggestion try using sourdough or french wheat bread,  a variety of cheeses, melters like Gruyere or Gouda and sharper like Parmesan or Kerrygold dubliner.  I stuck a little fresh basil in too.  You can use a sandwich press if you want a crispy sandwich with out butter, or just "grill" it in butter. (Why is it called grilling when really it is frying in butter?)

What's a party without dessert?  My Grandma suggested something warm and cozy like a pudding or lava cake.  She lives in Arizona where there is no winter so it sounds romantic to them.  Her suggestion was golden.  I had not made a lava cake in years.  It was warm, rich, decedent and easy, without tempting leftovers.  After reacquainting myself, here is my recipe: 
Lava Cake
1 scanty cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped up
10 TBL butter
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp orange oil or almond extract or whatever flavor fancies you
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar


Butter 6 ramekin or custard cups.  In a sauce pan, melt butter and chocolate together.  Remove from heat.  Mix in all eggs and extracts.  Sprinkle in flour and powdered sugar, then mix just till smooth.  Divide batter evenly into ramekins.  
Heat oven to 425
When you are about to sit down to lunch, pop these in the oven, on a tray.  Bake for exactly 14 minutes. (Use a timer).  The cake should be firm on the edges but runny in the middle.  That's the lava part.
Remove from oven and let sit till just cool enough to handle.  Use a knife to loosen edges as far down as you can.  Invert onto a pretty plate and serve warm with a generous dollop of sweetened whipped cream.


Ready to invert..

The finished product.

Chocolate Lava Cake

Christmas Blither-Blather

Dear Alisha,

Can we move on to a new post? This vegetarian thing is really boring.


I couldn't agree with you more. You see, it's Christmas time. Tonight instead of answering questions, I'm going to bore you with what I've allowed to keep me busy. Taking my own advice, I started early on my Christmas preparations. Telling you all I've done makes me feel accomplished, so thanks for humoring me.

I've decorated the Christmas tree..

...as you can see by this completely candid photo.

Finished*. I've also put up decorations. Here is my favorite new addition, a glittery village:

The glittery houses didn't look right and weren't safe sitting out on the buffet*.

Justin attached the Command sticky hooks to the wall then drilled holes in the back of the houses to hang them from. When we are all done, the hooks come off with out leaving a mark on the wall and we feel like geniuses. It took a few attempts before we figured out this solution.

*My silver and pale blue decorations do not look as good in picture as they do in person. I can't seem to capture their sparkly, winter-wonder. I am accepting photography tips.

Here's why the houses as well as the rest of my Christmas decorations aren't safe:

It is Whitman's goal to destroy Christmas. He has broken the nativity set twice, shattered a pretty snow globe, broken more ornaments than I can count, picked the feathers off a feather tree, and took a head dive from the piano into the Christmas tree. He shows no signs of stopping.

Davy on the other hand, has loved helping out with Christmas details.

As seen in this unflattering photo of him decorating the kid Christmas tree. If it makes you love him more, he hasn't been feeling his best this winter yet he's so excitable and eager to please.

He, I mean we, I mean I, am very pleased with it.

We accomplished the most tedious and tricky Christmas task of all:

The Family Photo. Attempt No.1. A Christmas tree farm on a freezing, rainy and windy day. The results speak for themselves.

Attempt No. 2: see family decorating the tree photo above. Doesn't look like the opening to The Family Feud?
Attempt No 3:

Sitting on the piano bench on a dark day in a dark room. Whitman loved it. The rest of the boys were good sports. We did get a shot, it's not my most favorite lighting but it works. In case you get a Christmas card from us, I won't spoil the surprise by showing you the photo now. Try to live with the disappointment.

Having done all that and with most of my Christmas shopping finished, I thought I'd get a jump on Christmas baking. Last Monday we had no school and why not take the day to knock out the most time consuming but delicious of Christmas treats, the sugar cookie?


(See recipe at bottom of post)I baked and frosted all day. On my recipe I have written this, "Warning: these take 4 long hours start to finish". True. And that's for a single batch not a double with kids hanging around. Just so you know, I don't let my kids touch any of the cookies or frosting except the few I place on a plate for them to frost and eat themselves. If anyone gives you sugar cookies saying the kids helped make them, beware. The frosting is 25% slobber.

I packed up my non-slobbery cookies in my new favorite boxes of the season,


along with some nutty-spiced-chocolate squares.

Besides tired at the end of the day, I was feeling a little pleased with myself, even smug. See how much I have accomplished so early in the season? Then as I dragged myself up to bed I noticed an email from a friend that went a little like this: "Alisha, where were you tonight? We missed you at Trevor's piano concert, hope everything is okay." AHHH! In my cookie accomplishing frenzy, I completely forgot about my son's piano recital! Not that I missed seeing him perform, I forgot even to bring him there. After all his months of practicing the Star Wars Theme Song and Dashing Through the Snow. I paid for my pride.


I'd like to share a 2011 goal of mine with you. Learn about photography, specifically lighting. I can spot good lighting but don't know how to get my pictures there. Jana says to get a good shot of yourself, "just sit next to a window with the light streaming in", and just look at what I get- an over exposed face in hash light, devoid of facial bones or tone. If you have a photography book you'd like to recommend to me, please do.

Sugar Cookies1 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract or orange oil or lemon oil and zest
*mix until creamed

3 ½ cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt, unless using salted butter, then use ¼
*sift together, then add to the above

Dough can be used immediately, unless you want you shapes to be perfectly cut, in which case you should chill the dough for an hour before cutting out on to parchment paper.

Bake at 325 for approx. 11 to 14 minutes. Hint: if you wait till the edges are browned, you’ve over cooked them.
General frosting how-to:
1 stick butter or 4oz cream cheese
juice of one lemon or 1 to 2 tsp almond extract
milk as needed
2 pounds powered sugar

Blend fat, extract, and milk-starting with 1/4 cup. Add powdered sugar. Add more milk if needed to achieve desired consistency. Add a tasteful amount of food coloring.

I thank you for your time.