Has it been a week? King Cake, pasta, salad, Nutmeg

It has just occurred to me that I've not slept through the night since January 19, and even then, I was tired. Politics, the March, our kitchen, Nutmeg, various ailments racing through our house and community...I am so tired that today I watched a hilarious skit featuring Seth Meyers (SNL, The Late Show, and a former college-mate of mine) and Kelly Clarkson day-drinking and immediately wondered if I was drunk without my own knowledge.

I am that tired.

So, I have little for you except some recent kitchen wins and a kitchen update and an enormous spot of gratitude for hot tea and the fact that my in-laws have the boys tonight. Praise whomever for local grandparents being a fact of my life.

It's Mardi Gras season, y'all, and so, King Cake. This one was for Jack's family culture evening at school. Although we will have no kitchen starting Tuesday, I have promised cakes for both boys' classes on Mardi Gras Day. Hmm. As usual, I use Southern Living's Traditional King Cake recipe but I do NOT add the lemon juice to the icing. 

Last night: pasta with Brussels sprouts, speck, and parm. Amen for good carbs on cold nights. Also, it has a distinctly Mardi Gras feel, which I love. 

Lastly, a gorgeous winter salad of shaved fennel, avocado, pomelo, roasted and salted pistachios, shaved manchego, salt, pepper, basil olive oil, and blackberry balsamic. Is this not just glorious? It tasted as good!

The Nut acts as if he were never injured, and mercifully, our kitchen renovation finally commences on Tuesday with demolition day 1. If I could take the first swipe at it all, I would. Maybe I'll ask. I mean, this stupid Nunes memo nonsense has made my blood boil, so perhaps the crew wants a lady eager to crank through some cortisol via sledge hammer?!

Our new range -a stunning charcoal gray beauty from Lacanche via France- arrived last Monday. I have nicknamed her Gal Gadot because she is not only stunning but also strong and charismatic. She will anchor our new kitchen, but many other beautiful treasures will complete the room. I'll keep you posted, but here's a sneak peek of Gal. 

As an aside, why is not all language written in the beautiful scripts of Europe? Just look at those handwritten letters and numbers on the crate. Mon dieu. 

Diary of a move, 2

You will never guess what I found yesterday while packing!

Him: 

Oh my flipping god  

Sweet baby Jesus in the heavens, this man is on fire. He is impossibly sexy, elegant, rugged, intelligent, gentle and handsome. I could die.

The boys had yesterday and today off of school. I am going to be honest in telling you that I am quite keen on their returning tomorrow.

For starters, they have demanded a roaring fire in the hearth for pretty much the entirety of this homestay. I like a nice fire, and it's exceedingly cold here in DC, but I am A) nearly out of kindling and not terribly interested in foraging for more in single-digit temps when most everything is frozen to the ground, and B) rather sick of their burning small effigies, Sith plane replicas, and all other "but it's just paper and wood, Mom!" creations in my living room. It's morbid and not relaxing.

Today, for example, Oliver freaked out and rescinded an offer to the fire. "Mom, I want that one back. PLEASE!" Which meant fishing a nearly-aflame masterpiece from atop its pyre and dousing it with ash before any ruin commenced. Not relaxing, people.

Secondly, we have played approximately 712 games of Spot it! which is a delightful game (that I frequently win, heh!) but one whose art director seems to have taken one seriously wrong turn.

When you look at this disk, what do you see?

I see a clock, moon, man, eye, balloon, taxi, tree, and black-eyed tampon with a ball and chain.

Why is the tampon a prisoner? Why has she been fighting and yet continues to smile? Why is she on a children's game? 

I have been asking myself these vexing questions all day instead of packing. I do not yet have an answer. I have only packed one box.

Until this move is a wrap, I have let T know that we will be having extremely simplistic dinners. Fortunately, as long as whatever I put in front of him is flavorful, not mustard or turnip greens, and includes meat at least five days out of seven, he does not care.

Tonight? Bucatini with spicy tomato sauce and speck. Bellissima!

Good night, peeps!

Slow Sunday, haircuts, deliciousness all around

Although I was delighted to be up until 2am and then sleep with J in the basement for some inexplicable reason, I paid for it today y'all. Just call me space cadet Em. I fell asleep in the middle of Oliver telling me a story and later, at the market, forgot one of my bags at the checkout counter. It is with immense relief that bedtime is nigh. How cute is Mr. O at the barber? Usually Tom cuts the boys' hair, but it just wasn't happening, so... Doesn't he look like a blanket mountain with a head?!

J had a stomach ache all day, and was asleep by 6:20 tonight; he turned down the jelly doughnut I brought him -unprecedented- and we only read one chapter of 20,000 Leagues before he said, "That's good for today, Mom." It is such a great book so far! I hope J's not sick but simply in need of a great night of sleep. Poor kid has been calling out, loudly!, from bed for the past two hours. He's out like a light but dreaming? hurting? Fingers crossed for a healthful Monday.

This evening I made the Brussels sprouts, shallot and speck pasta again because I wanted to write up a recipe for it. It was delicious again and the recipe is posted now, in Pastas.

You're welcome! ;)

Other fab food from the past week...