 |
| Butter cookies with tiny dancing men |
I'm back from a whirlwind trip to visit family, and again I'm wishing that I had an extra stomach so I could have comfortably sampled every creation. Growing up in my family requires a fixation on food that those new to the clan, like my husband, think needs some medical attention.
 |
| Thank you Dori Greenspan |
Since we travel to get to my family, I never get to make the main meal and show off my cooking chops. This year, I signed up to make vegetables, and at first I was thinking about a kale salad with persimmons and toasted almonds. But, that's a boring thing that I'd make on a weeknight for the boy and I, and I think we'd be the only two who appreciated that dish. So, I decided to show off a little (I think most of my family still thinks all I can "cook" is Jello) and make something harder and more decadent. Nothing says Christmas like butter, bacon, and heavy whipping cream, so I changed my mind at the 11th hour and made a cauliflower gratin (recipe here). It was a hit!
 |
| Spoiled, spoiled dog |
Mingus got to soak up the love since he was the centerpiece of the gathering. I'm pretty sure he thought everyone was at the house to see him, and he was a ham (and he ate lots of ham). He wrapped the little girls around his paw, and they insisted that he was in our family photo. While the idea was sweet, all you can see is him in the photo! There were also a couple of tiny woofers who snuck in.
 |
| Homemade deodorant: this may go horribly wrong |
Onto another topic, have you ever been interested in making your own deodorant? Most sane people would say no, but I've been on a "use less chemicals" kick, so I decided to make the boy some deodorant made from coconut oil, baking soda, cornstarch, and beeswax (recipe here). Since he's on vacation, the boy will test it for a few days before subjecting any bus riders and coworkers to the homemade concoction. I have high hopes that it'll work! It took me less than 10 minutes, including clean up, and I could have made more in that time frame if I wasn't leery of it's potency. I'll be sure to report back.
Mingus looks like he is having such a lovely time!
ReplyDeleteI've made deodarant a few times. My husband really likes it which is weird since he isn't into anything else all natural-type stuff. Mine doesn't use beeswax, just coconut oil, cornstarch and essential oil. Maybe something else... I'll have to find the recipe.
ReplyDeleteGosh, I have so much to say, I'm not sure where to start. First of all, there is no place in this world for fermented fish. Trust me.
ReplyDelete2nd: My family always assigns me "bread" and tells me what kind and where to buy it. Grrr.
3rd: I shop like a crazy person at LUSH, so I am SO excited to hear how the deodorant works. It sounds good enough to eat. Seriously.
4th: My sister's in-laws do an "iron chef" theme at Christmas. They have one or two key ingredients and then each head of household is in charge of part of the meal. This year was squash. They had everything from souffles to ravioli and some sort of sweet relish on crackers. It sounded amazing. Wouldn't that be fun!?