Okay, folks, I just figured it out. So remember how in the State of the Union a few weeks ago the President talked about wanting to great more jobs? And then the snow came? Duh, the President ordered the snow to create more jobs in the snow removal business, from neighborhood kids with shovels to plow drivers to the companies that MAKE the plows! Okay, so it may not balance out in the end, what with it creating $100 million a day in lost production with the government closed, but, eh, most federal employees don’t work all that hard anyway. Mr. President, I am all for your plan – especially if it means I get to work from home tomorrow.

In case you don’t live in DC or the other areas already hit, or haven’t watched the news, DC is in for a big snowstorm.  Last report I saw as up to 30 inches of snow.  Now, growing up in Syracuse NY, this is a good amount of snow, but certainly manageable.  Schools may close early, or maybe a delay, but otherwise business as usual.  However, since moving out of NY I, too have fallen into the mindset of snow being frightening after seeing the reactions of people in this area.  I am more terrified driving in a light dusting here on a 4 lane highway than I was back home in a blizzard on city streets.  Well, DC, let’s all take a deep breath and try to remember:

Let's try and remember this one, people.

Other snow storms have been a mess of traffic and a loss of humanity over the bread and milk (which weren’t actually in danger of running out, by the way.  In fact, day after the last snow storm Max walked to the Giant and bought a pecan pie.)  Now heading into our second storm of the year, DC seems to have realized that snow isn’t the end of the world and a little foreplanning makes all the difference.  For example, the roads yesterday were pretty empty cause everyone was at the grocery store beating up little old ladies for day old bread.  I went to the store this morning to pick up the necessities – ricotta cheese for lasagna and two six packs of beer – and although I suspect busier than usual on a Friday morning, calm, orderly and well stocked. 

Anyway, folks, don’t worry.  You’ll survive.  The water lines won’t break.  You probably have a mess load of food in your panty or freezer you’ve forgotten about.  Gas and electricity for cooking won’t be interrupted (unless some moron who isn’t used to the weather tries driving and hits the pole outside your house).  Just sit back and enjoy being snowed in for the weekend.  Read a book.  Watch a movie.  Make your cheese dip for Superbowl.  Enjoy the fact that you can wear sweats and not shower all weekend.  I know I will!

Today’s Friday!  Yay!  I started out the week with a huge error – I said “I think this week is actually going to be a pretty easy one.”  Fool!  Never admit when you think things are going to be easy, cause that’s when allll the clients come out of the woodwork with stuff that they needed you to do for them yesterday but didn’t tell you about until today.  Yesh.  So it’s turned into a long week and I am really looking forward to some de-stressing time this weekend.  I’m really looking foward to:

Wearing sweatshirts

Reading in the study in our matching reclining chairs

Watching the snow fall outside the windows

Taking a nap

Watching more of Deadwood and hopefully figuring out if I like it or not (watched two episodes last night and really am not sure yet)

Making a new cookie recipe out of the book I got for Christmas

Did you ever have an uncomfortable day? Today feels like one of those. Not necessarily bad, mind you, just…uncomfortable. Had weird dreams this morning before getting out of bed. Feel uncomfortable in my clothes (the fact that my shirt won’t stay tucked in is contributing to this I’m sure). Even had a stink bug land on my monitor this morning causing me to ask one of the guys in my office to come in and kill it. I hope this feeling goes away soon, I’ve got a client meeting this afternoon…

As a Christmas gift, the hubby signed us up for a complimentary dance lesson at Arthur Murray, something we’ve been talking about doing for a while now.  I used to dance with my mom in the kitchen growing up (she only knew the girl’s part so I had to learn the boy’s, then reverse it!) and I always wanted to learn 1) if what I knew was right and 2) some more turns, steps and smoothness.  Well, we signed up for a series of 6 to start (6 private lessons, 6 group lessons and 6 practice classes).  2 private lessons and 1 group/practice class in, I’ve learned that 1) about 85-90% of what I learned was right, which gives me hope that the stuff we’re not scheduled to learn in these 6 classes that I know is right, too!, and 2) all the steps and turns in the world won’t make you a good dancer if you don’t know the basics.  I’m enjoying it, and so far the hubby is, too.  Of course, it probably helps that our instructor is more the hubby’s type than I am!

A few months ago the hubby and I were making an almost homemade Italian dinner for our friends. We had some chianti, homemade meatballs and sauce, homemade Italian herb bread all planned, and I decided to add that most Italian of desserts, tiramisu.  With some help from my friend Google (Das Google!) I found a recipe that looked pretty easy and delicious.  We went to the grocery store specifically to pick up the cream cheese, whipping cream and lady fingers for what was going to be my ‘dessert de resistance’.  First up, blending the cream cheese, sugar and brandy.  Being a true chef, I of course tasted along the way to make sure nothing was poisoned (it wasn’t). Next step – whipped cream.  I started whipping the cream (I did not have a stand mixer at this point, FYI) and thought – “Gee, it sure is taking a long time to whip a quart of cream.  My hand’s getting tired.  I bet I can set up the mixer on top of some cake mix boxes and it should be okay.”  I started to get an odd feeling at this point that – “hmm, that’s a lot of the cream cheese mixture.  And that’s a lot of whipped cream.  Well, I know tiramisu has layers, I’m sure it’ll be okay.”  I moved on to the next step of the recipe – fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.  Uh oh.  “Ummm…I think something’s wrong here.  That’s an awful lot of creamy stuff for a dessert that serves…wait, how many does this recipe serve?”  Scrolling down to the bottom of the recipe I see my answer - 32.  Crap!  Not being one to waste food I folded all that creamy goodness together and used the one pack of lady fingers I had picked up to make one tiramisu.  Then the next day I went back to the grocery store to buy several packs of shortcake cups and spent a week inviting neighbors over for “made-to-order-misu”.  Finally I had to admit that the tiramisu had beaten me, and I threw the rest out.  I promised myself that I would never, ever make that much tiramisu again; half the recipe would be plenty.

Fast forward to yesterday.  The in-laws and grandparents were coming down to dinner.  After the great Stand Mixer Debacle of Christmas 2009 (see previous post) I promised my mom-in-law I would use the mixer to make something.  “What better dessert to make with a stand mixer,” I asked myself, “than whip intensive tiramisu?”  “Why, no better dessert” I answered myself, and pulled up the recipe to write the grocery list.  I even checked the serving size – serves 15.  “That’s odd, I thought it served 32.  I must have saved a different recipe after that mess the last time. Well, we’re going to have 7 over, and I’d like some left over for the week, I guess I’ll just make what the recipe calls for.”

Well, folks, you can guess what happened.  Same.  Exact.  Thing.  Massive amounts of Italian creamy goodness.  Oh, did I mention that I also lost my 9×13 cake pan?  Not realizing this fact until I had everything all mixed I had to improvise with two 9 in. rounds.  This actually worked out pretty well, cause our friend’s parents are visiting – guess what they had for dessert last night?  Oh, and I still have enough cream and lady fingers left to make at least one more 9 in. round once one of the pans is clean.  And to make all this even better, one of the grandparents got sick, so I was out two dinner guests (did I mention that I had made two roasting pans full of pot roast?).  As I said once the pot roast was in the oven and the tiramisu chilling in the fridge - “I feel like I just fought a war with my kitchen.”  And my loving husband replied -

“I think the kitchen won.”  It did win – but at least it was a tasty defeat.

Tuesday I was flipping through washingtonpost.com, and briefly saw an ad (or an article, but honestly, aren’t they kinda one and the same now?) for Restaurant Week.  Yippie!  If you’re not familiar with Restaurant Week, here in DC about twice a year a bunch of really good restaurants that you would love to eat at but save for “special occasions” because you have to pay your mortgage before your dinner bill, get together and offer a price fixe menu for $35.10 (okay, the price changes slightly year to year, but you get the idea).  Some restaurants include all their “hit” dishes.  Some design menus just for this week to show off what they can do.  But in either case, you get to choose from one of usually three or four appetizers, five to seven main courses, and three or four desserts.  Usually at most of these places that would run you about $70 a person.  Nice deals, eh?  It’s an awesome week – trouble is, we don’t get into DC very much except on weekends, and these reservations go quick!  So I was even MORE excited when I saw that a bunch of restaurants in NoVA were also  participating.  Yippie again!

So we got a reservation to a nice little French restaurant in Old Town called Bastille.  Only one left on Thursday night was at 5:45.  I figured we could make that, especially if I left a bit early, and so booked the time.  This week has been a very busy one for me at work and for the hubby, too, so we were really looking forward to this treat.  So I leave work about 15 minutes early, noting that traffic appeared to be going fine past my window so all should be well.  I get about halfway home, and STOP!  It took me from 4:15 to 5:30 to go less than 25 miles of 4 to 5 lane highway.  Long story short, I called Bastille in a panic explaining I was stuck on the Beltway, and they were able to push our time back.  Phew!  I was seriously almost in tears at thoughts of staring into this quaint little candle lit restaurant of happy eaters and a big maitre ‘d blocking the door cause we were late and they couldn’t fit us in after this crazy week.  Anyway….

So we get there at 6:15 (!) after I’ve been in the car two solid hours.  And have a fabulous dinner.  Starting off with a cocktail (a Moulin Rouge – too bad it wasn’t served with a side of Ewan McGregor), I had frisee salad with smoked duck sausage (heavy on the smoke) with cheese and apples, pan seared sea scallops with lobster roe emulsion on a bed of black truffle risotto, and some sort of amazing chocolate concoction somewhere between mousse and cake topped with a cranberry sauce and creme freshce.  Add in a glass of chardonnay recommended by the waiter, and it was a delight.  Service – slow to start but very attentive there after (and they call you Monsieur and Madam).  Food – amazing.  Atmosphere – charming, though a little dark for after a long day at work (danger of falling asleep in the post-food and wine glow, you know).  All together, a solid 4.5.  I would recommend – though you may want to wait for the next Restaurant Week to roll around!

This weekend I went to a baby shower for a friend who lives in our condo building.  Part of being at a baby shower when you are not pregnant or a parent, is making jokes about all the fun things you’re going to be doing baby-free that the (soon-to-be) parent can never do again.  Well, maybe I’m naive (not being a parent or anything), but I really can’t think of much that I do now in my life that I will not be able to do with children with judicious use of family, friends and baby-sitters.  It may just involve more advanced planning, that’s all.  However, I can think of several things that I will not be able to do while gestating.  So, here is my Before-the-Belly (BTB) list.

1. Drink.  Obvious number 1, I know.  But I truly enjoy a nice drink.  On occasion, I even enjoy several.  However, between medical research and our puritanical culture (seriously, Europeans don’t seem to have an issue with a pregnant lady having a glass of wine with dinner!), drinking is a big ole no-no when it comes to pregnancy.  That’s not to say I won’t have a sip of wine or a shotglass full of beer occasionally, but that’s about it. 

2. Go to the Doubletree in Arlington for dinner.  It’s a revolving restaurant.  Not that pregnant ladies can’t go there (it’s not a rollercoaster ride or anything) but it’s a nice restaurant and when eating at a nice restaurant I want a nice drink (see number 1). 

3. Sushi.  I know there are some cooked sushis, but the good stuff is fresh from the water and just about wriggling before you.  Raw, I understand, is another “Not” on the list (Thanks “Knocked-Up!”  Don’t worry, I also don’t smoke crack or jump on trampolines.)

4. Steak Tartare at a French restaurant.  If you haven’t had steak tartare before, and like steak, you should try this.  At a real French restaurant.  Not to knock Outback or any of its bretheren, but I just don’t get the feeling they’d do it quite right. And it’s one of those dishes you should only have done right.  But, again, raw (not splitting hairs, I know the acids from the lemon juice cooks it a little) so a no-go.

5. Eat mussels.  A few years ago on vacation to Cape Cod I discovered I’m mildly allergic to the little guys (think a watered down version of Will Smith in “Hitch”).  Really a shame, cause they’re really good.  And the allergic reaction nothing that a side chaser of benedryl doesn’t take care of.  But, probably not a good idea to knowingly ingest something you’re allergic to when pregnant.  Your body’s going through enough as it is!

6……

Yay, it’s Friday!  This has been a really long week.  The first full work week in three weeks.  Busy at work.  Starting back in an exercise routine.  I am really looking forward to this weekend, where I plan to:

1. Sleep in.  Both days.  It’s gonna be awesome

2. Read one of the new books I got for Christmas (I’ve already gone through 2)

3. Hang out with friends

4. Open a nice bottle of wine

5. Cook something new (or at least try something new at a restaurant!)

Yesterday there was a headline on the washingtonpost.com website that honestly annoyed me – “Alledged Holocaust Museum Shooter Dies.”  “Alledged”???  I realize that we live in a country where, legally, one is innocent until proven guilty.  I realize that there are a lot of crimes and suspects where thank goodness that is the way our country works.  I’m really glad our country works that way, honestly.  I guess it just bothers me that in cases where there is clearly no question of guilt (as supported by evidence from the dozen or so eye witnesses, the video surveillance tapes, his gun containing the bullets that killed the security guard, and the guy’s own writing) the word “alledged” is still granted to him.  I guess it bothered a lot of other people, too – today the headline reads “White Supremicist Holocaust Museum Shooter Dies.”