And So It Continued Both Day and Night

Christmas Day Snack Meal

Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwiches 

I've mentioned before how much I adored Cher's character in Mermaids, especially her snack game.  Sit down meals have always made me feel a heavy sadness, a formal discomfort.  Snacks sitting on a high surface is festive and promotes talking and a party-like atmosphere. 

Loaded Tots - cheese, bacon, green onions and tomatoes

Wedge Salad

Fried Ravioli - Tip:  don't use the small variety as the cheese can tend to leak out and then you just have a hollow crisp. 

Cheddar Crisp Fail Confession - Even though we ate them all, the cheddar crackers were a strange texture and not altogether right.  Butter, Cheddar and flour are hard to screw up but then again, when you're juggling appetizers, it was pretty easy. 

Mini Pizza'd-up Meatballs in marinara sauce, Food Wishes Everything onion dip (so good!) and chips.  Lastly, spicy and sweet toasted nuts

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We Can Make It Happen

Every time I made these fries I almost can't believe how great they are because they are baked not fried.  But you still get that outer crunch with the soft interior.  Garlicky Baked Fries from the PurpleFoodie.com website.  You almost must make them now.  As I'm looking at them I'm envisioning Baked Fri-chos, potato nachos with melted Monterey jack cheese, spicy ground beef, onions, tomatoes, pickled jalapenos.  This definitely must happen!

My sister's giant full moon in Colorado

Is This a Lasting Treasure or Just a Moment's Pleasure

P can take all the calm out of the air with his deep sighs, angst and heavy energy.  Sometimes his presence feels like a category 4 storm rolling through my calm island paradise. It's a side of him that I tolerate but have never gotten used to or fully
understood.  He's such a chill person normally but then for whatever reasons, and to be fair, usually specific, reasonable ones, he goes all whackadoodle on me.  Like he becomes electric.  And then I am hyper sensitive to any kind of force in my vicinity, I can't help it. I find it very hard to ignore a fussy being.  I pick up those bad readings like a cat.  Now I'm all wound up.  This is all opposite of serenity.

I joke about darting him, bringing him down like a giant rhino so that I can retain my quiet space.  Standing over him like he's a trophy, which is horrible and disgusting when its a real innocent animal but funny when you fantasize about doing it to your husband.  He was gone for another road trip and just got back today.  I had the apartment sparkling clean when he was away.  Everything in it's place, candles burning, no water on the counters, no weird hairs in the bathroom sink.  Mona the cat was easy and sleeping peacefully on the fluffed up bedding.  I felt like the air was flowing through in a nice jet stream.  Then he walks in and muddles up all my chi.  I love him, don't get me wrong.  I want him around and I did miss him but good Lord in heaven you have to acknowledge the funk a man can put on a place, especially when you've just enjoyed several days of pure, peaceful bliss.

In honor of my gorgeous solo girlie time I made this cool pretty wedge salad with bacon, tomatoes, red onion and a great avocado Green Goddess dressing.

Earlier that morning a stroll in the park to run the steps I ran into a bunch of fireman in uniform. 

We've Been Together Since Way Back When

BLT Wedge Salad

Gotta say, this was a winner.  At first you think, nah, that won't be enough because it's just a big chunk of lettuce.  Iceberg lettuce is near and dear to my heart.  It was the only lettuce growing up whereas now there are so many varieties I'm not even sure what I'm eating half the time.  So glad though, that we have micro greens and Arugula, Romaine, Red Leaf, Bibb and the rest.  They actually have distinct flavor and each of them can be used in different ways.  But back when it was one lettuce, one way.  We shredded it and that made it friendly, real easy to eat.  Iceberg is more of a cool, refreshing crunch to compliment bold flavors.  It's clean like a glass of ice water.  But you put chunks of bleu cheese, a little crumbled bacon, tomatoes, black olives and dress it with a good dousing of lemon vinaigrette, lots of salt and pepper and that wedge is everything!!  The dressing dribbles down through all those cracks and crevices.  Make your own so you can put garlic and just the right mix of lemon oil ratio. There is something to having to cut it like a steak, making that effort gives it more substance too.

Morning breakfast of poached eggs over vegetable hash

Smoke Joint Chicken and corn