Too. Much. Food.

Ow. I hurt. And I mean, hurt. Two days (and nights!) of cooking. Two nights of not sleeping (well, not nearly enough).

But, I'm happy to report that dinner was a success...Matt's parents and grandmom liked everything (although we made so much, they barely made a dent in the food), and best of all?

What I'm Thankful For

My mother-in-law stayed late to wash the dishes!!!

All of them. Sink-full after sink-full. What more could a girl ask for?

The evening's menu:


Salmon and Cucumber Rolls


Fontina Risotto Cakes


Cognac Roasted Cauliflower with a Gruyere Sauce


Potatoes with Sage and Asiago


Carrots Glazed with Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, and Cayenne


Hazelnut Mousse Crunch Cake



No turkey?

No; I've been turkey-free for almost nine years, and Matt doesn't really care for it, so we decided to go with roast beef.
A roast, with a parsley stuffing, wrapped in bacon, crisped in a frying pan, then roasted about 45 minutes.

I'm going into detail because, apparently, Matt forgot to take a picture of it!

Oh! And don't forget the two dozen popovers. Quite lovely. No picture (grrr).

---Updated 11/27

I am so mentally challenged sometimes: in addition to all the other yummy dishes, I also made the most amazing soup I've tasted since the cream of vegetable soup I had at Dromoland Castle, Co. Clare, Ireland; Cream of Cashew Soup.
Cashews and shallots cooked in butter and peanut oil, add broth, cram and half and half, cook, puree, thicken with just a bit of cornstarch, and yum. So good, I plan to make more this week!
---end update

I also had lovely pear-cranberry jellie bites, which my father-in-law said reminded him of a rich wine.
Again, there doesn't seem to be a picture, but they were lovely to look at (and good enough that the in-laws took some with them).

And what did I eat, you may ask?


The Now & Zen Complete Unturkey Feast

Crispy yuba 'skin', flavorful gluten-based 'turkey'. Decent gravy, though I prefer my stuffing.

So...good meal. Even better, clean kitchen. And now? Sleep. Lots and lots and lots of sleep.