Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Magical Thinking

I don't believe I can fit one more tiny morsel of food into my body.

Perhaps a sliver of toast? I can try but it seems hopeless. It all began at Tini and Nirmal's house on Christmas Eve.

There was a Spanish fisherman's stew served over rice with a beautiful salad full of baby greens, toasted pecans, thin slices of apples and creamy goat cheese.

There may have been plates full of smoked salmon and a runny brie napped with a cranberry chutney and pistachios, that came before or I might be dreaming.  And perhaps a large platter of cookies and a bowl of clementines to finish.


Christmas dinner was at our house.  We served a beef tenderloin with a horseradish creme sauce with a touch of orange zest, a very big bowl of olive oil smashed potatoes with roast garlic and rosemary from our garden and snappy green beans with a shower of fresh dill.


We finished with a pear frangipani pear tart and very strong coffee.  If I say the meal was consumed in reverent silence I would not be exaggerating.


 At the end of the evening GG and I drove a friend back into the city and then took a slow ride along the National Mall, past the museums whose streetlamps were hung with boxwood kissing balls on up to the Capitol with the brightly tree lit in the  foreground..  We had the city to ourselves.  It was a magical mystery tour.


Speaking of magic does anyone have any down home recipes for bringing on labor?   A soup, a secret salad dressing, a tea blend?

Tonight I'll be serving chicken paprikash with  egg noodles. Betting on the properties of paprika.  But we have a mother to be who is 2 days overdue and getting a leetle bit impatient.

We missed welcoming a Christmas baby and the mother would prefer not to have a little auld lang syne so if you have a suggestion, send it ASAP!

10 comments:

  1. It all sounds heavenly. Belated Happy Christmas to you GG and Nika. Sorry that I don't have any suggestions for bringing on the baby but in a way it's a good thing it didn't arrive on Christmas...the competition is fierce.

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  2. Here in Fredericksburg, we swear by George's Pizza for bring on labor. It didn't work for me, with any of our three children in the 1980s, but the legend still lives on.

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  3. All sounds so lovely (and delicious!), and wow what a photo of Washington. One day I'll see it with my own eyes, one day! There is something about a capital city, when it is quiet, and especially at Christmas with all the lights - magical. Same in London and Paris.

    for bringing on baby? I was told hot food, hot bath and hot youknow! Sounded a bit of a hectic combo for me, but a long walk with a couple of fallen longs to step over did the trick before we got a chance to try. Think R was a little disappointed! Best wishes to you and to the parents-to-be, hope there is happy news very soon.

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  4. Belinda is hilarious! I walked on the beach in soft sand, I practically ran around our neighborhood every night; but Morgan was a month late... not really, I think..there was a bad calculation. Thing is, babies DO finally come when they're ready.
    Recently, a Marathoner went into labor early. I think she ran half of it.

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  5. My first one was 3+ weeks past due date and my husband and I had quite a few "last good meals" thinking it would a while before while before we got out again once the baby was born. And it was. Dr. finally used pitocin to induce labor, which I don't recommend. Baby will appear soon, I promise.

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  6. I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies.

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  7. I love DC, such a beautiful and inspiring city.

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  8. What Steve said!

    Do love the DC photo, tho. I loved living in NoVA during Christmas. It is a magical looking place then. xo

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  9. Lovely menu Jane, I'm drooling on myself...now days later and my tummy has relaxed from all I shoved in!! No idea for labour...I'm definitely not the one to ask having two 42 week pregnancies (and a 41). Hubby used to drive me over the railway tracks...but that didn't help...just made me grumpy! I think bub will come when it's ready...Robx

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  10. I did it again...sorry Jane, the comment above is from me...I was logged in on my son's laptop...Robx

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