Happy 2010!

Doesn’t 2010 sound like a star date? What a decade – I packed a lot into the Aughts, including starting this blog, almost exactly four years ago. Happy Birthday Moderate Epicurean! I don’t know much about blogs, but I’d bet that four years old is on the longish side, so I’m a bit proud. My bloggy resolution for this year is to really, truly transfer my recipes over from my old blog in a fabulously organized fashion. Mmmm hmmmm.

A quick rave about New Year’s Eve. I flew to Billings, MT, then hitched a ride with my stepmom’s sister Margie to Sheridan, WY, and was welcomed at my dad & Susanna’s home by the smell of…Boeuf Bourguignon. Yes! Since I didn’t pull it off for our back-up Christmas Day, I was super-stoked that my brother David made it for New Year’s Eve, hallelujah. A different recipe than I use (a modified Julia Child) – he made Ina Garten’s version, very delicious. We made both egg noodles and toasted bread (rubbed with garlic to gild the lily) and gave everyone a destination choice for ladling. By my estimation, most took both and really, why not? The end of a decade is reason enough to double-carb, IMHO. (Photos are a bit shoddy, just took them with my phone…)

New Year’s Day we all went out to Susanna’s family’s ranch, formerly the W Lazy T, now the Rafter T. Susanna’s sister-in-law Lila put on an incredible sit-down dinner for 20 – glazed ham, beef tenderloin, potatoes with cheese, sweet potatoes, green beans, and chocolate silk pie for dessert. Beyond delicious. Bonus – I’m still full.

The second day of the New Year Susanna broiled shrimps, and I made my father-in-law John’s crab cakes, and we used up a mess of egg whites and made a Schaum Torte for dessert (filled it with ice cream and hot fudge sauce vs. the traditional berries and whipped cream). Yes, another feast.

Home now and back to reality. For me that means brothy soup and salad and fresh fruit and tea and lots of hot yoga. How do you de-puff?