Ripping the Fright Fantastique

My husband is in DC right now, but he'll be home tonight... and he'll be HUNGRY! So I'm making Pot Roast, one of his favorites. Which recipe do you think sounds better: this one or this one? I can't decide, please advise. In other news I R TIRED and have little energy. I feel like napping after soup & crackers, lol. I need to start painting the kitchen and decorating for Halloween. And the house is a mess. Send cleaning elves please, thanks. Here, have some random-ass pics:

Glowie-eyed Zen strikes a pose of handsomeness and cute.( see more )

Sometimes it's hard to get super smooth hummus if you're using garbanzo beans. I read that if you remove their skins, you get an amazing texture so I tried it. Turns out it was amazing, so that's how I'll be making it from now on. Also, I really want to see Milla's new scary movie. 

 I'm having a small get together tonight. I've been cleaning all damn day, ugh, wtf how does stuff get so dirty? I'm making Baba Ghanoush and White Bean Hummus (Nancy is allergic to Garbanzo Beans =[ ) for starters. Then I'm serving the Frug's Spinach and Artichoke Casserole (I added spinach/fontina/chicken sausage) and Asparagus & Chanterelle Risotto (without that truffle business) for dinner. I tried to make a Butternut Squash/Buttered Rum/Pecan custard but it didn't turn out very well. It was delish, but the texture was more like a quiche as opposed to a custard GODDAMNIT. Now I have to pull a cheap, quick dessert out of my butt. (possible pics later... OF THE FOOD NOT MY BUTT)

Dinner was really, really fun. My neighbor brought another couple with her who live a little further down the street.
The wife is a retired coorporate partner and the husband is some kind of real estate mogul. They were wonderful!
My other friend brought her husband who is a prominent contractor in the area, he was a lot of fun too. And then
the Husband invited his Russian friend and his wife over... they had a long drive because they live on the other side
of Seattle but it was worth it, we haven't seen him since the Spring and his wife was just lovely. Lots of people, lol!

Dinner started with caprizi salad and crostini (special requests from husbandman), then we had salmon crusted with
lemon and artichoke on a bed of sauteed asparagus & spinach, and roasted red pepper and chanterelle risotto. Oh YUM.
I made a maple peach bread pudding with pecans and bourbon cream sauce for dessert. Lots of wine (and
beer) and fun was had by all! Tired now. Nappy time. Later, picking veggies in the garden and planting my Fall bulbs...

This is my husbandman speaking at NATO (held in Estonia this year). Right now he's in DC giving a presentation to the DOD. 

I'm very proud of him. Also, I bought him that sweater.

In other news my new Aquarius friend Nancy came over for dinner last night. I made Caprizi Salad and Crostini for starters, roasted a chicken with herbs/bacon/dijon/cognac, made creamy herbed mashed potatos, sauteed veggies (asparagus, green beans from the garden, almonds and yellow & orange peppers), and chicken/bacon/mushroom gravy. For dessert... CARROT CAKE with cream cheese frosting and coconut. Oh damn, it was seriously nomness. She stayed for 5 hours and we killed 2 bottles of wine, lol. She brought me watermelon, apples from her tree, watermelon and gorgeous cut roses. I read her cards, which she liked very much. Tired now. 

Dinner last night. OH NOMMIE NOMMINESS McNOMNOM!


Inna pan. Of course, I have no pic pronz of it on the plate as it was decimated to quickly. He's quick when he wants to be, that hubs of mine.

( neighbor stuff and pics )

So last night caelum_rainieri and I watched the Inauguration (which I'd tivo'd earlier) and I made one of his favorite meals. My famous pasta sauce and meatballs. Now these aren't just ANY meatballs, mind you. They're a little ball of heaven on a plate. Here's pics and how I made 'em:
( delish ahead )
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I made my favorite pasta last night. Here's pics and directions how to make it:
( Yum )

My husband took a picture of a Blue Heron Sunday morning. S/he was fishing on our beach. We see them around here a lot and they're incredibly loud honkers. Egads, I hate the 4th of July... we always have a bunch of yahoos who fire their guns not to mention the loudest fireworks they can find. They never fail to rattle our windows and spazz out our dogs.

( other stuff )