Friday bliss: smoked Gouda with bacon

The brie isn't bad either but whomever thought up bacon flavored cheese deserves a Nobel prize.

P.S. Hi there! Long time no see.

P52: Macro

Well, kind of. Sort of. Not really, actually. I don't have a true macro lens (yet . . .), so I just use the long end of my Tamron. I had hoped to catch some of the blooms popping up on the Mall (Silly flowers! It's February!), but ran out of time and daylight, so I scrounged around my backyard for something, anything.



Meh. This was actually my favorite shot from outside, not macro by any means, but much cuter.

White Bean and Artichoke Dip

Yeah, so joining Weight Watchers right before the Super Bowl is a bad, bad idea. Not that I actually enjoy football, by any means, but I do enjoy wings. And pizza. And beer. Anyway, I did manage to whip this up as a relatively healthy option. It would have been great with the addition of fresh basil or sun-dried tomatoes for some extra flavor and color. White beans are really just blank canvas for a super simple and light dip.





White Bean and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 can white beans, like canelini
• 1 cup marinated (not frozen) artichoke hearts, drained but reserving 1 tbs of liquid
• salt and pepper to tast

Directions:

1. Whip it all up in a food processor. Presto, you're done.

Friday bliss: perfect grilled pizza

And the 50 degree February day that made it possible.

P52: Lust

At least, the type of thing that I will be lusting after for awhile, unless I want to ask "How many points is that?". I just joined the big WW. I don't really want to talk about it because reading about other people's weight and diets is so intensely boring (and even less interesting when they quickly fall off the wagon, which I am apt to do) but I feel like I would be hiding something if I didn't at least mention it.

I hate depriving myself. I hate counting what I eat and measuring it and writing it down. However, I also hate that may pants don't fit. I want my cake and I want to eat it too. And not some crappy fake cake made with Cool Whip and Diet Coke. Or angel food cake because that tastes like styrofoam and don't try to tell me that fresh fruit is just as good as chocolate. I want real cake, three layers, with frosting DAMMIT. And ice cream on the side, while I'm at it. But I spent the last year not worrying about what I ate and it gained me 20 damn pounds. So here we go. There is a good chance that this is as short-lived as last year's 30 Day Shred episode. We'll see. Feel free to post WW sucess stories or tell me I'm not a foodie sell-out.

Weekend Wrap-Up: Family Gluttony Edition

Because the family that drinks wine and eats oysters together stays together. Or something like that.

We started the weekend with Chris's parents, taking them to the Comus Inn and Sugarloaf Mountain Winery. Comus Inn was okay. It has a fantastic view of Sugarloaf Mountain but it sounds like their Sunday brunch menu is where the real action is. And we always love an afternoon at the Winery. This time of year they offer a really tasty mulled wine.

The Peanut isn't so much interested in Butternut Squash and Ginger soup or Cabernet Franc as he is quality time with doting grandparents:



And orange lollipops:



But we enjoyed the scenery:



On Sunday we enjoyed a mountain of a very different kind. A mountain of food.



My dad and Tessa had us over for a full-blown oyster feast, featuring local Chesapeake Bay oysters and Tessa's signature drink for the day -- Orange Crush:



No lollipops here. Just oysters.



Including the Peanut's very first raw oyster. Promptly followed by his second and third. I kid you not.



If I accomplish nothing else in my life, I raised a toddler that will eat a raw oyster. There are probably a million reasons why small children should not ingest raw seafood. Please don't tell me. For now let's bask in my glory.

Anyway, that was our weekend. So much fun with family, wine and food that I literally popped a filling out of my tooth when flossing last night. Wild times!

Friday bliss: Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese

The perfect lunch on a gloomy day. Just Trader Joe's Creamy Tomato Soup doctored up with herbes de provence and chevre. So rich I almost didn't miss the grilled cheese. Almost.