What I've been up to

So I've been a little silent on the blogosphere lately, due to the fact that my mom and Harry were home for awhile. I spend my time playing board games and not writing. Also not cooking for one! It was great to share some meals with my family. Here's a little peek at what I was up to:

Meal #1: The Lobster Dinner

This was my birthday present to Harry. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he said "How about a lobster dinner?" Well, that sounded just great to me! So I bought three live lobsters and threw them in a pot of boiling water! This was my first time making lobster, so I wasn't feeling super ambitious. I also had just spent 8 hours that day cooking soup for 80. Next time I make lobster, I hope to try something new. My goal is to kill the lobster myself by stabbing its head with a knife, then cutting it in half to grill. But the boiling method worked just fine for a first go, and the lobster went very well with the rest of the meal--sauteed broccoli and polenta with red pepper sauce. And we even drank some Prosecco, Italy's answer to Champagne. Yum.

Meal #2: Feast for TWO!

You may remember my feast for one post, and this meal grew in a similar fashion, and it was for two this time--my mom and me. Italian inspiration this time around. Front and center is fettuccine carbonara, the classic "eggs and bacon" pasta dish, which is just ridiculously delicious. Also super fast to make. It's done in the time it takes to fry bacon and cook pasta. Look up a recipe if you're ever wondering what to make for dinner. And you can totally throw some asparagus in if you want to get veggies in you. Then an artichoke. Normally we just steam them, and that's what I did, but I stuffed the leaves with lemon peel and garlic ahead of time, which added that little something extra. And sticking out of those blue glasses in the back are kale chips, which sound weird, but are the most. delcious. thing. ever. If you ever happen to stumble across some lacinato kale (also called Tuscan or dino kale), buy it up, and make these chips. They are fool-proof, and you won't regret it. Here's what to do:

Preheat oven to 250.

Spread kale leaves on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Put kale in preheated oven and bake 20-30 minutes until leaves are crisp.

That's it. You'll love them.

And that's it for me for now. But don't worry, I'll be back--because now I'm back to cooking for one!