friday ramblings

This week has been nutty, but the weekend – Monday is going to be even busier. I’ve known that for awhile, and I think I’m ready for it. Ready or not, it’s here. I’ve also had a ton of things I’ve wanted to write about here, but I’ve been choosing sleep over all non-essential tasks this week. I thought maybe a five minute type-fest might help me release a few pent up nerves.

• I’m baking a few items for the annual Foodie Feast tomorrow night. You may remember photos from past years – M and I help out with plating and serving multiple courses to 40-50 of our closest friends. I’m also usually in charge of dessert. This year the dinner includes beer pairings instead of wine pairings, and dessert is going to be a beer float with ice cream and a big, delicious oatmeal raisin cookie. I have a Friday night of cookie making ahead of me. I’m also in charge of making fifty mushroom galettes – and here’s where I’m a little nervous because I’m off-script a bit. The mushrooms will be cooked with garlic, a little onion and then deglazed with beer. I’m also hoping the dough I make works well, and everything comes together in a pretty little package that tastes delicious, especially when topped with goat cheese. And I hope they reheat well. I’m also hoping that I get a couple of hours of sleep tonight. So there’s a lot of “hopes” in there, and the nerves can set in when I imagine just one of those things flopping.
• Monday morning is the big Grandparents’ Breakfast at F’s school, and I’m in charge of that event as well. It makes for a busy Sunday night and Monday morning – plus all the family is in town for the weekend, so we’re not only juggling a hectic kitchen, but we’re also hoping our family can step in with the girls and not feel too neglected. I prefer to have leisurely weekends to visit and relax, but I feel like so often we have visitors around big events like this weekend, and it’s hard to be a good host and get stuff done.
• Sunday morning should be a bit of a relaxing break though, and we plan to go to brunch at Gringo. We went a few months ago with my sister’s family and it was really good. The following week there was a write-up on their pancakes in Sauce Magazine, and rightly so. They are incredible.
• I also want to try the new Pi Pizzeria special called “The Bookmark” – it celebrates the St. Louis Public Library’s 150th birthday celebration, and a portion of the proceeds from this pizza go back to SLPL. Here’s the description from the press release:  The Bookmark starts with Pi’s signature vegan thin crust, whole milk mozzarella and ricotta cheeses. Using root vegetables found fresh at local markets this time of year, the pizza will feature a medley of roasted carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, and kale. Once baked, The Bookmark pizza is drizzled with chili pepper-infused honey. Unexpected? Yes. Irrationally delicious? Absolutely.

• It’s interesting because we just made a pizza at home last Friday that had a chili-pepper-infused honey topping after the bake and it was delicious. So we might add a Pi visit to our weekend with family plans. And a trip to Jeni’s. And some bookstore browsing. I told you, there’s a corner in town that we just might never leave.
• We bought the chifforobe for the bathroom! It’s on backorder until November, but that’s fine. Bedroom furniture at West Elm went on sale for 20% off, but then the wardrobe disappeared from their website (???), and after a series of emails and a phone call, I managed to figure things out, order the piece, get the discount, and move on.
• We need a new mattress, but instead of shopping for one, I just keep entering contests to win them. I asked M to help me with some ad copy to win one through Mommy Shorts – he sent me four options while sitting in the airport in Dallas. To enter you had to fill in the blank in an ad with some sort of thing that you’d never in your right mind allow your children to do… unless it was some ridiculously early hour on a Saturday morning when you might just bend the rules a bit so that your children will leave you alone for ten more minutes of sleep. M’s made the first cut, but not the second. So no new mattress for us. But it was kind of fun to see his idea in the ad.
• He had an even better one that I nixed for being too political. But I shouldn’t have. I think it might have won.“You want to fill out my absentee ballot and vote for Trump?  Sure. I’m comfortable with that.”
• Other things we can chat about next week: Chore Charts, Addition Progress, Books, Book Fair!, Fall, Fall Fall. Have a great weekend, see you on the flip side.