eating and stuff

A few food related updates:

#45 - I made a Turkey Pumpkin Chili recipe in late October, but was still eating it in November so whatever, I'm counting it! Then on Monday I actually made macaroni and cheese (RR recipe - #46) from scratch! Well I didn't hand make the noodles or anything, but I fulfilled my #48 task of doing the roux/béchamel sauce, adding cheese, etc. I used gruyère and smoked gouda...and the recipe is even better when you add the following: bacon, green onions, and Baby Ray's BBQ! It wasn't half bad for my first stab at macncheese! I'd love to try again sometime...maybe some different cheese combinations!

Meanwhile, I've been able to avoid eating out except for this past weekend. John's family reconvened at this German restaurant in Kenosha after his grandma's funeral service. It was sort of like a wedding or shower meal situation because they offered you the choice of pot roast or stuffed chicken...so no baked fish or salad with dressing on the side for me!! What was funny was that, prior to finding this out, everyone was ordering alcoholic beverages and eating these delicious-looking pumpkin mini muffins...but I refrained thinking that I was going to stick to my salad/fish rule and eat that ONLY! Well as soon as I discovered that I was going to have to go balls to the wall, I gave up! I ordered my stuffed chicken (with AMAZING red cabbage), bowl of chicken and spätzle soup, a glass of wine, had 2-3 muffins, AND a slice of Mindy Segal cake: chocolate/vanilla frosting with fresh strawberries! Yeah I went a little overboard :) But I'll count it towards my "guilty pleasure" meal! (#68) I'm going at it again when Monica has her rehearsal dinner at Maggiano's next Friday...and then of course the actual wedding meal on Saturday at the reception! But in that case, I'm actually having salmon :)

Anyway, speaking of eating, I've got six more recipes to go for November, but hopefully I'll be able to fulfill several of them at Thanksgiving...only two weeks away!!! Which means the wedding is only TEN days away, count 'em TEN! I'm totally crazy nervous already and I'm not even the bride!!!

And speaking of, um, projects...my TBA project is making me SUPER nervous. PLEEEEEEEASE be on time!!!!!!!!