Once you stop learning, you start dying. — Albert E.
What says American Independence Day in Texas more than a pan full of of choice cuts marinated all night, grilled on the back patio, served alongside Varya’s excellent side dishes and shared with Dad and Elaine last July 4th?! As my beef-loving, naturalized American Girl often says when passing a steakhouse or cattle ranch, “Mmmmmm…steaks!”
Varya topped her bewitching Hallows Eve Tea Party with two more extravagant tables for two this holiday season, on my birthday and again on Christmas Day.
The incredible spread my multi-talented wife laid out earlier in December started with pistachio & cherry scones, then descended 3 tiers with crab salad canapés, sweet potato canapés topped with chorizo, and smoked turkey & cranberry cream cheese sandwiches, and finally topped it all off with my favorite dessert, tres leches con fresas! No ketosis that week.
For Christmas dinner, Varya took it to the next level in terms of variety and artistry. Beef and radish canapés led it off, followed by crab and chive sandwiches, and roasted grape and brie tartlets with fig spread and (everything’s better with) bacon for an enticing sweet/cheesy/savory combo. Climbing the 3 tiers were orange almond scones topped with whipped cream and/or lemon curd, creamy lemon & raspberry tartlets, and cardamom butter cookies dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with pistachios. The centerpiece/masterpiece was her maple pecan cake with cream cheese frosting adorned with “holly & berries” made of rosemary & sugared cranberries. We’re still finishing leftovers, so no keto until next year.
Varya practiced her high sorcery in the kitchen, adapting British “spells” found in Tea Time magazine to concoct a wicked Halloween afternoon tea party for two.
Oh, and she made tea.
6th Course: nap (aka food coma).
Claire flew in from brisk NYC for a warm Thanksgiving week and weekends in Houston, joining us at Elaine’s & Dad’s Pearland home for Thanksgiving dinner. Elaine prepared an excellent table of some of the best turkey, corn bread stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and green beans with new potatoes that I’ve ever had. With none of the food being less than completely delicious, overeating was unavoidable…even before diving into Claire’s cheesecake plus pecan and apple pies…with ice cream. Oh my. I digested over the next few hours like a python with a gobbler-shaped lump, and fixed the usual IT issues for the senior set, while Claire showed them how to rent a streaming movie on their Roku box…a tasty, productive and entertaining T-day.
Varya put us on a mostly Keto low-carb diet over a year ago, enabling both of us to slim down from peak weights, me by 35 lbs! I certainly don’t mind Keto’s focus on steak, smoked brisket and ribs, cream, cheese, eggs and bacon, and other proteins–supplemented with salads, coleslaw and vegetables–but now and then I miss tortillas, potatoes, popcorn and deserts. So, we have cheat days every couple of weeks, when we’re allowed to chow down at Star Cinema Grill, Lupe Tortilla, El Tiempo, or another of our carbo-licious favorites, indulging in chips, fresh tortillas, tres leches and the like. At home, Varya has been experimenting with Keto sweets, which seems like an oxymoron until all doubts are erased as you enjoy one of her Keto candies, donuts, or cupcakes with coffee for breakfast…a great way to start the day!
Moonday 