Monday, Monday (try to hear the music)

I made coffee yesterday, and a smoothie. We baked a delicious Heggie's (the best frozen) pizza in a 500 degree oven on the unglazed clay tiles that live on the bottom rack, and it was perfect. Mixed some Manhattans for me and Bill to sip during the Colbert Christmas Special. They were too big.

Today, shockingly, I made a smoothie. The recipe for that does not vary. Ben's lunch-in-the-car today was an omelete with two slices of thick-cut smoked bacon from Stasny's, and shredded cheddar.

I read and remembered too many pasta ideas this afternoon, and ended up with quite the mutant, but a happy one. At 4pm I realized we'd probably like some garlic bread with the pasta, so I added a little extra yeast to my day-to-day french bread routine (4.5 t Safe-T yeast, 2 t salt, 2 c water, 5-6 c flour, let the Kitchen Aide do most of the work), andwe set it in a 100 or so degree oven to rise. Then sliced up half a pound of Shitake mushrooms from the Asian market on the egg slicer, and trimmed and quartered an equal sized pile of brussels sprouts (use 'em or lose 'em). Put a half cup or so of red lentils to soak. Then I zipped off to the Mississippi Market on my way to pick up Ben, and grabbed three chicken breasts, some more baby spinach, and a tube of pesto.

Back home a bit after 5pm, I shaped two small and one larger french loaves, then broiled the chicken smothered in lemon juice, olive oil and chili powder. Set the water for pasta, some weird shape like cut up lasagne noodles. I sauteed garlic (also chopped in the egg slicer) and the sprouts in olive oil, adding white wine for moisture as needed. Added a few pine nuts to brown, then the Shitakes, then the lentils. Had Ben get the pasta in the pot. Pulled the chicken, and set the oven to heat the rest of the way to 425. Added cream to heat in the center of the sautee mixture, then mixed in with salt, pepper and parmesean. Ben added the pasta to the pan while I threw in big handfulls of spinach, and then we did a lot of tasting and adding of cream, cheese, salt, etc., until it was ok. Quickly through the bread onto the tiles, and had one of the smaller ones ready by the time the table was set. Quickly buttered and garlic-ed, and there we were! Chicken ened up on the side instead of in the pasta.

Almost bedtime, after a lovely brass/wind recital jury evening with Ben (he played like a hero), and I thought best to make Brian's lunch for tomorrow before crawling in so I could lie around a few minutes longer in the morning. A third of the larger loaf of French bread, with mustard, Miracle Whip, braunschweiger, the last sweet red pepper from the Farmers' Market, lovely speckled red and green lettuce from same Market, a decent tomato from Target, and pepper jack cheese. Tightly wrapped, weighing about a pound, ready for it's turn amongst the Shin Cups in Programmer land tomorrow.

A little leftover Manhattan now, and bed.