Happy New Year 2022

Seems like I took time off the last two weeks of the year. I like an occasional blog. I like to cook and share recipes that work and are good. And a break before the new year was great.

I cooked of course and didn't always take pictures.

• Porcini Pot Roast was excellent. I served it with mashed potatoes.

• I made Philadelphia Pork Roast for Christmas Eve. Delicious on my first try baguettes.

• I baked some Christmas treats - peanut butter fudge, peanut butter filled cookies, stollen bars from Molly Yeh, checkerboard cookies from Smitten Kitchen. All were very good, I need more patience for the checkerboard cookies but the taste was perfect.

• We had steak oscar for Christmas Day - beef tenderloin with asparagus, crab and hollandaise sauce. Excellent.

• Also excellent and letting me continue to look at one pot recipes, Creamy Lemon Herb Butter Ravioli. Wow!

I cooked in between these meals, but used some things already made from the freezer or some made up pasta recipes. My freezer is in much better shape now. Also the last baguette made the best home made croutons!

Husband went to Greenville after Christmas and I sent cookies with him to share. The cookies all lasted very well. I did not send stollen, I loved the stollen. Yes, hoarded it.

I had almost three days alone in my house! He left Tuesday morning and returned Thursday afternoon. I had scallops with fettuccine on Tuesday since he does not love scallops.

Wednesday I seriously cleaned the dining room and kitchen. Moving furniture, mopping, dusting, organizing. And threw in the main bath for good measure. For dinner I had cheese dip, guacamole and chips. With a margarita from Costco. Perfection.

New Year's Eve was really pretty much the same for us as it would have been in a non-pandemic year. I spent the day making lasagna bolognese and very highly recommend this recipe. Yes, it takes a while, yes it is worth it. Also heats well and freezes well.

If you go to the website and look at reviews, I reviewed it last year and submitted a picture. No did not take any this year.

Plant updates:

• Deck pansies are doing well. A mint plant from the summer that did not do well now looks very perky.

• My amaryllis are gorgeous! I will order from Costco again and as per friends will be trying to plant these outdoors when they're done blooming.

I had to cut the flowers on the first two since they fell over one night. Still gorgeous though!

New Years Day meal was slow cooker turkey breast, mashed potatoes, asparagus and stuffing from the freezer. Not traditional but good. Growing up the tradition in our house was sauerkraut and pork. In the south it's black eyed peas, collard greens (love greens).

Still doing yoga trying for three times a week. We're doing pretty well. Leftover lasagna, fish tostados and leftover turkey tonight. Continuing menu planning, enjoying my plants, knitting, reading and taking a meditation challenge through Ten Percent Happier.

No idea what will happen this year with work, seeing friends, eating out occasionally but still enjoying my house, my husband (most of the time), cats (again most of the time), cooking, baking, women's group, having my alone time in my craft room.