Sunday, December 30, 2012

30 December 2012


It's been a few weeks since my last Sunday Supper post. The holidays have been very hectic but nice. Most of the time was taken by the preparations for the Cherokee Historical Society's Holiday Tour of Homes. One Britt was on the tour, and it took a few weeks to decorate, clean, and prep. The tour was successful in raising much needed funds, and we had around 350 people on the tour. All in all, we had seven trees and other decorations throughout the house. I've included a video virtual tour that I compiled below. After the tour was over, we only had about a week to prepare for our holidays.

Our holidays began with the annual Grant Holiday Hoedown at One Britt! My brother, brother in law, nieces and nephews came down the Saturday night before Christmas, and the others joined us for brunch on Sunday. We had a lot of fun cooking together on Sunday morning, and it was great to see everyone. Unfortunately, my niece, Kacey, was sick, so she and her boys could not join us. We missed her but look forward to a date night soon.

We spent Christmas Eve with Jeff's family, and I cooked a beef tenderloin, cream biscuits and a Red Velvet Cake to take to dinner. We had a great time, and Jeff's parents gave me a food mill and canning set for Christmas! His brother and sister in law continued the kitchen themed gifts with a beautiful, handmade cutting board. It was a very nice gathering, and we joined Jeff's parents and grand parents for breakfast on Christmas morning.

With all of the family gatherings behind us, we cooked dinner on Christmas night for six of our friends: Cory, John, Sandy, Gary, Beth and David. I made a standing rib roast from Mountain Valley Farm. I also cooked Yorkshire Pudding, Horseradish and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, Salt and Pepper Cream Biscuits and a Carrot Cake for dessert. We had a great time!

The day after Christmas, Cory and I went to see Les Miserables. It was very well done, all except for the miscasting of Russell Crowe who can not sing. Tonight's French inspired Sunday Supper is a tribute to the movie and a segway into lighter cuisine for the new year. Tomorrow,
I will cook my standard baked macaroni and cheese for New Year's Eve. This tradition started in 2000 when I cooked the best mac and cheese for Y2K in case it was our last meal! I guess it is time to cook it again in observance of the Mayan Apocalypse that never materialized.

Last night, I cooked one last cake for the holidays to take to our dear friends, Steve and Amado in Blue Ridge, Georgia. I made a Chocolate Velvet Cake with Coconut and Pecan Icing. We had a great time celebrating the holidays with them. They cooked an amazing dinner, and we even had a little snow to enjoy.

So tonight is the last Sunday Supper of 2012! It's been a great year, and I am looking forward to an exciting new year. Jeff bought me a great new camera for Christmas, so hopefully the food photos will improve in 2013! I just have to learn how to use it first. Tonight I prepared Bouillon de Poulet Avec des Quenelles de Volailles or a Chicken Dumpling Soup. It is a lighter version of the Southern Chicken and Dumplings, and it was a good choice for a cold night. The dumplings are light and airy, and the chicken is actually incorporated into the dumpling mixture. I added a few ingredients, but the basic recipe came from Rachel Khoo's series, "Little Paris Kitchen." She is great! She went to Cordon Bleu and cooks classic French food in a small flat. Her show is on BBC and now airs on the Cooking Channel as well. Check her out.

So until next year, I wish you all a prosperous, healthy and joyful 2013! Here's to all of the great meals and opportunities that lie ahead.

Cheers!

The Menu:

- Bouillon de Poulet Avec des Quenelles de Volailles
(Chicken Dumpling Soup)

- Chocolate Velvet Cake with Pecan and Coconut Icing