The Winter Feast

I've been planning this meal for months. I poured over my special cookbook (a Christmas present from Mama and Daddy), trying to decide which mouth-watering dishes to prepare for my Early-, then Mid-, then Late-Winter Feast. Each weekend pushed the event further out and I was beginning to wonder if spring would arrive before I ever got around to it. But then today came, and it was perfect. I decided to make 

 L'AMI JEAN'S Parmesan Soup, and

 Oxtail-Macaroni Gratin (minus the oxtail, because, for those of us who don't live in small French towns with butchers for neighbours, fancy meat is hard to come by),

 and for dessert, little Sarah Bernhardt Cakes.

Thank you for the fabulous Christmas gift, Mamo and Daddo :-)

Monday night cocoas for Mama and me.

The Good Days of February

Rain is slip-sliding in torrents down the windows. Lightning colors the air violet and for just a moment the silver drops can be seen racing toward the ground. A few seconds later, great rumblings pour past us. Gavin says: "Dong Dong not like thunder. Aguess, thunder loud and skiki. Aguess, Dong Dong stay way by thunder." Then he wraps his arms around my neck and adds "Mana make Dong Dong happy." Ahhh, moments like this! The best of a winter evening.
Daddy is popping pop corn, drizzling butter over the kernels, scooping and shaking the crackling whiteness and salting it. Ahhh, moments like this! The best of a winter evening.
Mama is putting Gavin to bed. Then she will join us down here. Books, popcorn, the black rainy night making the kitchen-living room a place of warm goldenness. Ahhh, moments like this! The best of a winter evening.