a foodie post

I didn't do any sewing this weekend, beyond working on a few Civil War Chronicles BOM blocks Friday night.  Instead, we hosted a family dinner Sunday night and much of our weekend was spent on getting the house ready for company.  We spend so much time between work and visiting our kids every other weekend that our down time is usually spent relaxing (for me, sewing) and not cleaning or other stuff.  But I needed to dust, and clean dog nose prints off windows, and vacuum, and move around some hanging things, and generally get the house in order (while my Honey kept up with the neighbors doing the yard work and bagging fallen leaves).  We took some time out Saturday night for date night at a restaurant in Blacksburg and then watching the movie, "The Way," which was an excellent film.  On Sunday it was back to the kitchen.

I managed to get out of hosting any of the holiday meals this year.  My Honey's older sister will be having us all for Thanksgiving, and his younger sister will be hosting Christmas.  With my Honey and me debating whether we should have put up the Christmas tree this weekend, it felt like we were hosting a holiday dinner when in fact we were just having his father and friend over, as well as sister, BIL and their 6-year-old son.   Still, I put out all the good family china, and lit the candelabras, and put out placecards in these adorable little holders I just got from socialcouture.com:

We do love our food around here, and my Honey is quite the gourmet chef.  He first clipped a soup recipe he found from the Fresh Market and that became the anchor for our autumn-themed meal:

First course (appetizer):
Black Bean Chipotle Dip and chips

Second course: 

Cranberry Spinach salad

Third course:
Winter Squash Soup with Chipotle Chili Peppers and Cream

Fourth course:
Quinoa Goat Cheese Risotto
Espresso-Bourbon steaks

Fifth course:
Pumpkin Pie tartlets (100 calorie!)
Apple Cherry Pastries with Vanilla Cream

Dinner was a hit and enjoyed by all.  I especially liked the miniature desserts - everyone could partake without feeling like they were overdoing it, they were easy to make in advance, and it was so easy to pack up leftovers to send home.  And the soup was phenomenal.  Had I to do the whole meal over, I might try the sweet potato side mentioned in the steak recipe.  I was aiming for a protein-rich meal and nothing beats quinoa on that level.  I was raised to believe that each meal includes a protein, a starch and a vegetable, and when I'm making meals with multiple courses I try to combine the starch and the vegetable into one.  The quinoa worked given the pound of spinach that went into it, and the sweet potatoes would as well.

We have lots of delicious leftovers for this week, so hopefully that means less time cooking and more time sewing!