My niece is having a baby in September.  I figure if I say it often enough I'll start to believe it, so far it's not working, I know she's grown, but even seeing her it's hard to believe! 

I left Friday morning to drive to Pittsburgh for the shower.  I really like driving and the car was loaded.  My husband went also and we had a nice picnic lunch in Virginia on the way up.  I like to stop, relax and enjoy a meal. 

We got to my sister's about 9:30 Friday night because we had to have dinner before I went to my sister's.  In fairness I did call her and ask if she wanted to join us at Carl's Tavern but they had already eaten.  I have to go to Carl's when I go to Monroeville to eat the fried fish, fried zucchini and onion rings.  Yes, everything is fried.  Lots and lots of fried. 

It has been ridiculously hot and even with the air conditioning in the car on the way up, I headed straight to my sister's pool when we arrived.  After eating.  So refreshing to be in the water.  We chatted and floated and all was well.  We made our Saturday plans which for me was cooking dinner Saturday night at my sister's.  Of course that meant a trip to the Strip! 

Saturday morning we picked up my nephew and headed downtown.  It's all about food in the Strip so we waited in the hot, hot sun at DeLuca's for breakfast.  Not as long a line as it was when we left.  I had to have the seafood omelet with Italian toast.  My husband had a breakfast burrito, my nephew French toast.  Once fortified with food, we shopped.

Yes, I made Scampi with Linguine again.  We needed Italian bread from Mancini's, produce, cheese from Pennsylvania Macaroni, a steak for my sister Cathy, shrimp from Wholey's.   We also needed to stop in at Penzey's Spices because we could.  We didn't do too much extra shopping, it was hot and after about 2 hours we were done.   And ready for the pool again.

Saturday afternoon my nephew made salsa for an afternoon snack.  He is growing peppers and wanted to use them.  I made a Caprese Salad, Romaine Salad, heated bread, made scampi for 12 even though we had 10 for dinner we like leftovers and my sister cooked her steak.  On the way home from the Strip we stopped for dessert at Moio's Italian Bakery and picked up a carrot cake, German Chocolate Cake and fruit tart, again planned leftovers.

Back to the pool after dinner. 

Sunday we had the baby shower.  I didn't have to do anything Sunday but attend.  I rode with  my sister Cathy and we headed back to the Strip to Lidia's restaurant for a brunch shower.  The grandmothers and my niece's best friends did a great job with the shower.  Lidia's did a great job with the food. 





We headed home bright and early Monday morning.  Just a quick visit since my gift to my niece is a personal chef service.  I'll go up in my car with all my cooking stuff early in September to stock the freezer before the baby gets here.  He's due September 17th.  My niece loves to eat and this will give her and her husband some easy to get to food when things are busy.  I have to take care of the people who are taking care of the new baby!

We left Monroeville about 6:30 am so we stopped for breakfast about 10:00 and had a real treat.  Breakfast was good but the parking lot was the best part of breakfast.  The Budweiser drivers also stopped for breakfast and gave the horses some air and let customers ask questions and take pictures.  They were headed to the Greenbrier for a golf tournament I think. 





Back to work now.  I have all my paperwork ready for my personal chef client tomorrow.  I have a first  meeting with my contact at a school in the area as part of Chefs Move to Schools and I have two library programs this week also.  Lots of fun, no boredom.

Last week was a whirlwind!  Lots of fun and very busy.  I had the third session of kid's cooking camp and it went very well.  We had the cooking competition on Thursday with wonderful judges Nancy Waldeck and Rosemary Rutland.  All three groups did a great job as usual which makes it difficult for the judges.  The scores were very close again but the winning team was The Three Foodkiteers. 



Everyone worked hard on Thursday for the judges and Friday for guests.  We cooked for 30 on Friday and all went extremely well!









I was scheduled to do cooking camp today through Friday for the 6 to 9 year olds but the registration was too small.  Not to worry, I won't be bored.  I have a call with a potential client at 8:00, a meeting with a potential client at 10:00, another phone call at 1:00,  business is looking good.

I also have little things to do like finally get to Costco.  We're actually out of things I never thought we'd run out of.  I'm also leaving on Friday to go to Pittsburgh for my niece's baby shower.  I have presents to get ready, packing, and since I'm driving to Pittsburgh my sister did some shopping while she was here and there is a small mountain of her purchases to get in the car.

I love my job and life and would so much rather be busy! 

It's Friday!  I have a few things to do, but a little of everything which I like.  This week overall was a variety week after having camp  every day last week.

This week I had my class at the Y on Monday night, I so enjoy my monthly class at the Y.  Tuesday I was going to clean but I managed to avoid that totally and did some relaxing.  Wednesday I had a library cooking program in Fayetteville.  The program was sold out (it was free but signup required) with about 28 kids from age 4 to 12. 

The library summer theme this year is "Make a Splash at the Library" which is not a favorite of the librarians since books and water should not mix.  My program was Water, Water Everywhere and I made fish (lives in the water), zucchini (contains water) and lemonade (made with water).  The kids helped me cook and everyone sampled.  I have no pictures because an hour long program + kids helping + tasting for all does not equal pictures. 

Thursday I had a personal chef customer.  It was a little strange because usually I see my customer and don't see the kids.  My customer started a new job recently so I just got to say goodbye to her and the kids are off school so I got to see them.  I had a good day of cooking and in addition to the meals I left them a treat of fresh fruit. 

Today is starting out well.  I like to get to my desk about 6 when I'm not working but didn't get here until 7.  I decided to pick up a row of knitting while I was rested and I also did one row.  About 7 more rows and the baby sweater is done!

I checked email at my desk, emptied the dishwasher and made a meal for my Loving Meals MInistry.  The family has three young children and the mom is on bed rest due to have twins.  They need food!  I made Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms big enough to avoid.  It's a lighter recipe from Eating Well.

Chicken Piccata with Pasta and Mushrooms from Eating Well January/February 2008
serves 4

• 6 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 chicken cutlets, (3/4-1 pound total), trimmed
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 10-ounce package mushrooms, sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• 2 teaspoons butter

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, whisk 5 teaspoons flour and broth in a small bowl until smooth. Place the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and dredge both sides in the flour. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover and keep warm.
3. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release their juices and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add garlic and wine to the pan and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved broth-flour mixture, lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in parsley, capers, butter and the reserved mushrooms. Measure out 1/2 cup of the mushroom sauce. Toss the pasta in the pan with the remaining sauce. Serve the pasta topped with the chicken and the reserved sauce.

Now I have a load of laundry in, I need to dust a little, maybe vacuum, make a menu for us for next week, get to the bank.  Next week is another session of kid's cooking camp.  So much fun but I need easy meals for that week so I can make sure I don't avoid Jazzercise. 

I have a training session with KitchenAid this morning so need to be ready to watch online at 10:00.  Going away party tonight so no need for dinner for us!

About two weeks ago I received an email from the executive director of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR).   I am a member of a couple committees in WCR and because of that, was one of the members chosen to be asked to go to the White House.  Yes, THE White House. 

I quickly filled out the required forms and mentioned to my husband that I was going to the White House.  Very exciting.  It was a pretty quick turn around with not a lot of details, but the invitation was for June 4th when the First Lady was kicking off a part of her child nutrition program (www.letsmove.gov) called Chefs Move to Schools.  I knew that it was June 4th, probably in the earlier part of the day and there would be a kickoff breakfast with Share Our Strength ( www.strength.org).

I packed up the car and headed to DC on Wednesday.  I like to drive and knew that I would stay overnight on the way up.  Stayed in Richmond, did some shopping and saw the Tiffany exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  Wonderful!

I left Richmond Thursday afternoon so I could check into my hotel and meet up with fellow WCR members at Commonwealth Gastropub (www.commonwealthgastropub.com) in DC.  Jamie Leeds is the owner and she is also president of WCR.  She invited our group to be her guests for dinner.  Yes, a bunch of chefs in a private room, eating, and talking about going to the White House the next day.  Lots of fun. 

Friday morning was sunny and no rain was expected.  Yay!  I headed out of my hotel at 7:30 to stroll to the JW Marriott for breakfast.  Oh my!  I knew there were many chefs invited, but this was pretty amazing.  There were about 600 chefs for breakfast!  Imagine the chefs in the Marriott kitchen making the breakfast. 



We listened to a panel of chefs and principals already working together.  We got some tips on how to work with schools and how to start.  At about 10:15 we all headed to the White House.  It was quite a sight, 600 chefs from 37 states leaving the hotel and walking a couple of blocks to get in line.  There was security you know.

As we stood in line we met new people, chatted with our friends, wondered if the line would ever move and tried to cheer up the Colorado chefs who were really suffering in the heat and humidity.  We were in line about an hour before we got to the first check point.  One of the new people I met was Rochelle who is a member of WCR and owner of ChefWear (www.chefwear.com).  She brought chef jackets for the entire Obama family including the first dog.  Yes I took a picture of the cute gift bags and the chef line.



Once we reached the beginning of the line, we formed into 3 single lines where there was an official person checking our names off the list.  I was hoping I was on the list since we had received no confirmation.  I made it through, he crossed off my name.  Eight more feet and there was another official person with a list and he too was crossing off names.  Made it through that too!

Once through the name checkers we went through the little room with the xray machines.  We had been told what not to bring and that if we had any of the not approved items that we would not be going inside.  We were allowed to take cameras, purses and phones though.  I made it through again!

Once through there we headed up a driveway and there it was, the White House!  Lots of chefs taking lots of pictures.  The Marine band was also playing.



I was surprised that once inside it was very relaxed.  We were just roaming free.  I know there were boundaries and there were Secret Service police and Marines all around, but they were very unseen.  We mingled, went to the garden, chatted and had well needed water. 

The garden is beautiful and I took lots of pictures of the First Garden. 









We mingled and took pictures until about 11:45 when there was some signal and we all moved close to the White House to the rows and rows of chairs set up.  We added some people after the breakfast so I would guess there were about 1000 chairs set up for 1000 chefs. 

The White House assistant chef Sam Kass spoke first and introduced the speakers - chefs from DC with their school principals.  They spoke on what they were doing, how things started, how things had grown.  After that Chef Kass introduced The First Lady and she spoke to us.  She is very invested in helping kids and families learn to eat better and have better choices available.  I got some pictures, a little difficult but I tried.



The program ended at 1:00 and we were told to remain seated until the First Lady was away from the lawn.  She was going to the garden to harvest and cook with kids.  We left and are ready for the next step.  I got a picture of one of the boundary keepers.  I asked first and he was very nice. 



I went back to the hotel, changed out of the chef uniform.  It was 90 degrees and sunny in Washington on Friday.  I went to the Renwick Gallery and then to Restaurant Nora (www.noras.com) for a delicious dinner.  Nora Pouillon is also a member of WCR and is very much dedicated to organic eating and sustainability.  This was a very nice dinner. 



Saturday was the long drive back to Georgia, about 11 hours and then dinner of chicken soup from the freezer.  Perfect comfort food.  Today is relaxing mostly and getting ready for my first week's session of kid's cooking camp at The Cook's Warehouse tomorrow. 

This week just flew by!  I did not cook for personal chef customer this week and that was good timing.  I have had some problems with my neck and back so I got to rest those muscles and I feel good today.

The first session of kid's cooking camp starts June 7th so I needed to get all of my camp materials ready so The Cook's Warehouse can make copies and make binders for everyone.  I spent a few hours gathering the recipes, making sure they made sense when scaled up or down and finding interesting extra info to include. 

This year I have 4 weeks of over age 10 cooking, 2 different sessions and one 4 day session with the 6 to 9 year olds.  I have Regional Cooking as the Theme for two sessions and Beach,City,Country Cooking as the theme for 1 session.  I got everything done, reviewed and delivered to Cook's Warehouse.  So glad that is done!

I also had to find judges since we do a competition for the older kids and sent that email out.  I had great response from chef friends and have almost all 4 weeks filled with judges.  So glad. 

I am leaving for Washington DC on Wednesday to attend the Chefs Move to Schools event at the White House!  Very exciting and a good time for a little break before summer camps.  I hope to get pictures at the White House and be able to use Facebook while there.  Without getting removed by Secret Service. 

Since I am leaving for the rest of the week, I am cooking for clients on Monday and Tuesday.  Not sure what I'll be making for my dinner on Memorial Day but my Monday clients will be set for meals when they get home Tuesday.  My Tuesday client is having a birthday so they asked for Beef Stroganoff for one of the meals. 

I need to menu plan for us today.  I am thinking about smoked salmon tomorrow, tonight we're having steaks on the grill and some bread that looks good.  Hopefully it will be and I'll get pictures.  Sunday we're invited to a friend's for dinner.  Not much planning to do! 

I might need to do 2 weeks of planning and check out my freezer meals since camp is fun but a little tiring.  I know I have chicken soup, stuffed pizza, chicken curry and spaghetti sauce.  Yes I do love my freezer.

Okay going to call my friend about Sunday and get my planning done.  Then maybe the pool? Or maybe knitting!

I've had a pretty relaxing week so far.  Last Saturday I had a KitchenAid demo at Whole Foods.  It was gluten free Saturday so I used the KitchenAid waffle baker to make delicious gluten free waffles.  The taste and texture were exactly like waffles.  Sometimes with food allergies and recipes that address the allergies, the texture isn't good.  With more people recognizing allergy issues, it's good to know that you can still have your favorites. 

Sunday was very relaxing, almost too relaxing.  We were going to do something fun, but my husband had to work Saturday, things didn't go well and he didn't get home until 3 am Sunday.  I remember those days when I was in the corporate world and don't miss them!

I have some mint in pots on the deck and I am in search of a great mint julep.  I made one Sunday using a recipe from Alton Brown and I was disappointed.  I have a new one to try, maybe tonight, but it depends on if I want to knit or not.  Can't mix knitting and cocktails. 

Monday night I taught my monthly class at the Y.  The class is very popular and there were 18 people signed up to attend!  We had some storms and we ended up with 15 which was about perfect.  The class was titled Springtime Brunch and I demonstrated Corn Oatmeal mini muffins, bacon cheddar pinwheels and fruit salad.  The class is a lot of fun. 

Yesterday I went out to lunch!  This is a rare thing in my life.  I don't go to lunch when I work since I'm cooking and often schedules of friends don't match mine.  It took about 2 weeks to set up, but I met my friend Cathy in Decatur yesterday.  We had lunch at Taquiera Del Sol.  I had my favorite turnip greens, an enchilada, we shared some guac.  Perfect.  We sat and talked there for about an hour then walked back to her house and talked on the porch.

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day in Atlanta and we took advantage of the screened in porch.  We hadn't really talked since December so we had lots to catch up on.  After I left her I finished my baby blanket, I finally (with the help of my wonderful knitting teacher Wendy) got the ruffle done.  I cleaned up all the strings hanging and it is ready. 



Since I was on a roll with knitting, I decided to start with a baby sweater.  I got the yarn out, found the pattern, started to do my gauge swatch and discovered that my beautiful bamboo needles had been chewed on the point by The Bad Cat (formerly known as Layla).  Not going to work! 

So today I will be going to the yarn store to buy some new size 7 needles.  Luckily I also need size 4, I thought I had every size but no.  No knitting last night.  I want to be ready for class tomorrow if I have baby sweater questions. 

I've been ignoring cleaning this week even though I have time and don't have to take time away from knitting.  I could do it all. 

I also need to get to work on getting ready for summer cooking camps.  I have 3 different sessions this year so I have lots of recipes to find and organize and I need to look for fun facts for the books.  Again, I have time, I just have to convince myself that I need to start. 

This week has been my week to make things that take a long time.  Some weeks I need quick meals, some weeks I have more time.  I had clients this week on Tuesday and Wednesday so no long meals then, but I had more time the rest of the week.

Thursday I took cream cheese out of the refrigerator before I went to knitting class.  I wanted soft cream cheese when I got home.  Once home I went to work making a cookies and cream cheesecake.  Not hard to make but this one took 2 1/2 to 3 hours to bake and had to chill for 24 hours.  Long cooking. 

I used some of my Trader Joe peppermint cookies for the cheesecake.  I had some left from the holidays.  When my husband got home he exclaimed about the size of the cake and was excited about eating it.  I explained that we couldn't touch it until Friday. 

After getting the cheesecake done I did some laundry, a few rows of knitting and it was time to start dinner.  I got an email from King Arthur flour about Stuffed Pizza and decided that was dinner Thursday.  I made the dough and put it aside to rise, I got the sauce made and simmering and did not make the sausage, I used Publix sausage and added some red pepper flakes.  The entire pizza process probably took about 3 hours.  There was time to read while things were rising and simmering. 

The pizza was very tasty and I have leftovers and a whole one that is in the freezer.  Next time we have pizza it will be a quick meal, not long cooking. I even got it out of the pan which I thought was impossible, but followed the directions. The recipe is on the King Arthur Flour website and is named Stuffed Pizza.  Yes, I still have to fix the ability to link in the blog. 

And here are some pictures of my finished product:



Yesterday I stayed with the long cooking theme.  The menu plan was ribs.  I started the process about noon.  Once I had things going, I could forget about the ribs, I just spent some time prepping.  I rubbed the ribs with a dry rub, soaked the wood chips, started the Big Green Egg, got the temperature to about 230, added the ribs and then let them cook. 

About 4:30 I wrapped some potatoes in foil and tossed them on the grill.  I thought I needed about 2 hours for them at the lower temperature.  At 7 we were ready to eat.  I added a salad to get some green in the meal.  The ribs were delicious, the potatoes perfectly cooked.  And yes, we could have cheesecake for dessert. 

Today I have planned no cooking.  We have great leftovers waiting - cilantro chicken, pizza, ribs, potatoes and if we need some green I can saute (quickly) some fresh spinach.  And cheesecake for dessert.  Or breakfast, we'll see.

I had a very busy first 2 weeks of April, but this week much less busy with work.  I'd like work to be a little more balanced, but I really can't complain at all. 

This week I could get caught up on some things at my own home.  I think I spent Monday cleaning some, returning library books and I went to Jazzercise in the morning.  Tuesday I had designated as Chicken Soup Day, so I got some chickens, onions, carrots and celery simmering about 8 am and by about 4:30 had lots of soup for the freezer.  I also had some for dinner myself.

Yesterday I needed to go to Costco.  I've needed to go for a while but have been reluctant to venture there on weekends.  I filled the cart yesterday and then was very appreciative of the Element to get it all home.

I tried a new recipe last night to use up some Italian sausage I had left from a client cook day.  I threw it in the freezer when I got home and I didn't want to leave it there until it got freezer burn.  I don't like to waste food.  This was great with a couple changes that I made. 

The sausage I had was pork so I used that. Also, this might be strange, but I prefer crumbled sausage to sliced, so I crumbled mine to cook it.

I had Marsala, but also had some red wine open and I decided I felt more like red wine with this recipe.  It was delicious.  I did use the red pepper flakes and used a heaping 1/4 teaspoon, I like spicy.  This had a zing, but not too hot.  I also had penne pasta so used that. 

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers and Onions from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentiis

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausages
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1 pound rigatoni pasta
freshly ground Parmesan cheese, for garnish

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausages and cook until brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes.  Remove the sausages from the pan.
   
2. Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the bell peppers, onions, salt and pepper and cook until golden, 5 minutes.
   
3. Add the garlic, oregano, and basil and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated, then add the Marsala, tomatoes with their juice and red pepper flakes if using.
   
4. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits.  Bring to a simmer.
   
5. Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each.  Return the sausage to the pan.  Simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened about 20 minutes.
6. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain the pasta, add to the sauce, toss to combine.  Spoon into individual bowls and sprinkle each with Parmesan.  

Now I need to fold laundry and will probably be meeting my friend Rosemary to chat over tea.  I am all ready for my Saturday classes. 

I love Spring and in Atlanta it just doesn't seem to last very long.  This year the weather is great.  I did have the pollen issue, but last week I chatted with a pharmacist at Target and she told me to get the Target Non Drowsy Allergy pills.  So far so good.  No more dripping, itchy eyes and generally feeling bad.  I take one in the morning and even my crying with onions is less intense.  Shallots are still bad though.

Friday was so gorgeous that I spent most of the day on the deck reading a book.  I donated blood first thing in the morning and then could relax.  I knew I was having pork tenderloin for dinner but didn't have any recipe in mind.  As I sat on the porch I decided we needed to eat outside for dinner so we may as well cook outside too.

I heated the trusty Big Green Egg to 350 degrees and threw on some red potatoes coated in olive oil, salt and pepper.  Once they were soft, I added strips of zucchini tossed in olive oil and Greek seasoning.  When the zucchini was soft, I added the pork tenderloin that I had butterflied, pounded, brushed with olive oil and Greek seasoning.  Delicious!  Little clean up which isn't my job after dinner, but my husband has been working a lot so that was nice for him. 



Saturday morning was very nice so we headed to the nursery for our summer herbs and tomato plants.  We may have purchased too much.  My husband spent the rest of the day getting the beds ready for planting, I got ready for the dinner party I was doing that evening.  I left about 3:15 to shop on the way to the client's house and was there about 4:30 to start prepping.

It was a nice dinner party for 6 people.  They chose a steakhouse menu, had appetizers outside, dinner in the dining room and dessert in the great room probably.  I left about 9:15, they were relaxing a bit before having dessert. 

No, I did not have a big meal Saturday, I had some cheese and pita chips when I got home.  My husband was not home when I arrived about 9:45 pm but left a note saying he had to go to work.  Not a good sleeping night Saturday.  I fell asleep about midnight, he came home about 4:30 am, I woke up at 7:15, he got up about 8:30 and had to go back to work at 11.

It was our anniversary Sunday, we usually both forget, but we remembered and I decided to make a good hearty breakfast before he left again for work.  I had seen the recipe for Breakfast Pizzas in Cuisine at Home and had everything I needed. 

They are not difficult, there are just many steps.  I started them and I think the smell of bacon woke him up.  They are a biscuit base topped with sausage, bacon, gravy, spinach, onions, tomatoes and egg.  I partially baked the biscuit on parchment paper, made an indentation, filled it with the ingredients, made a nest, added the egg and back to the oven they went. 

They were delicious and very, very hearty.  Many more dishes to clean up than cooking on the Egg.  Here are the before and after cooking pictures.



My husband left for work saying they had a finish time of 2:00 pm.  That came and went and then the hard finish time was 5:00 pm.  No sign of him then and I was glad I had decided on a dinner of salad, smoked mojo chicken from the freezer and applesauce from the freezer.  No timing to consider.  He got home about 6:30, we ate and he stayed awake long enough to eat dessert. 

It was our anniversary after all so I made Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle - fresh strawberries, pound cake, whipped cream, cream cheese, orange juice and shaved chocolate. 

Yes, I went to 7:15 Jazzercise this morning and feel great!  Now some office work, laundry and planting.  Beef Pot Pies for dinner. 

I have not been at my desk to spend quality time and it looks like it!  I typically try and keep Monday as my office day but that hasn't worked the last two weeks.  I'm not complaining, I had fun the 2 Mondays that I worked outside the office, I just have felt slightly out of control.

Much better now.  Even though desk day coincided with tax day.  My taxes are done.  They were finished a couple weeks ago, filed online and we even have some refund back.  Of course it went to Steve yesterday for the deck staining, but at least we could get the deck stained! 

Tax day is writing those checks quarterly to the state and federal governments.  It's probably my least favorite part of being self-employed.  I know that I've always paid taxes, I just didn't have to actually write the check!

I need to follow up with some customers and see how they are doing.  I'm sure they'd call if they had questions or were confused but I like to make sure all is well especially with new customers until we are more comfortable with each other.

This week had lots of new things to celebrate.  Monday I cooked for a new client for the first time.  They needed me because they just had a new baby the Friday before.  We were set up to cook before the baby came so they'd have food.  I got to see new baby Ben and new big brother Sam on Monday.  A very happy day.

Tuesday I had long term clients but they have a new puppy!  She is 6 months old and very, very cute.  I got to cuddle with her in the morning.  No pictures yet, she's the sister of Beckie Sue and Charlie Brown the Shih-Tzus.  Apparently they are not convinced they needed a new sister dog in the family.  I'm sure they'll work it out.  I also gave the older dogs a little chicken from the chicken enchiladas.  Chicken never hurts.

Wednesday was a second time client and that's always a good thing.  They need to eat healthy food, they are dealing with health issues but weren't sure they would enjoy food from the freezer.  They are very happy with the meals they had so that means I could have another long term client!  They have Rosie the Rottweiler who gave me a nice big morning kiss on the cheek! 

That brings us to today.  I'm disappointed that the 7:15 Jazzercise class was canceled this morning.  I like to go early and have not been this week yet.  I'm going to try and remember to go at 4:45, but have doubts. 

I did get my banking done this morning, wrote the checks for taxes, got organized for a dinner party on Saturday and now  I think I need some breakfast.  I need to leave the house to go to the bank, post office and library to complete my organizing.

After all the organizing, I may still have time in the day and may have to start cleaning.  We'll see how that goes.