It is going faster and faster, the time. Didn't we just do this?? It seems we did, but here it is again, First Advent. Four Sundays before Chirstmas. Get out the wreath, start counting down.
First Advent means lighting the first candle. (The miniature pointsettia is sitting in the window this time; we'll see how long it lasts.) And - of course - it means going to René and Rima's for the annual family First Advent Feast.
The day before was a frenzy of baking: cranberry bread for Monika and Amoun (mothers of René and Rima who really really like it); banana bread for Mutti to serve to her card-playing cronies next week because it's her favorite; carrot nut bread because we just like it; and fresh ginger cake with lemon curd as part of the dessert offering. Thank goodness, Werner likes to clean up!!
You may have to try this ginger cake - everyone LOVED it and it is so easy to make! Well, it takes a bit of prep (grating and chopping ginger is a bear -maybe it works as well in a processor), but putting it together is a snap. I don't know if I had beginner's luck with the lemon curd or not; it seems to have a reputation of hard-to-do-right since prepared curd is so expensive! But it was easy too and yummy.
Sunday morning we lit our first Advent candle and had our breakfast of eggs Benedict, though Werner kept saying egg Benedict since there was only one ... with a garnish of chives and not much else. There was lots more food to come.
We stopped to pick up Mutti though she was hesitant about attending this year; she's had a bit of a hard time recently and getting around is becoming a challenge. She thought - silly her - that she'd be a burden. On the contrary, she cheers everyone with her optimism and sunny outlook!
Menu this year: Oxtail Soup, Pasta stuffed with minced lamb, and Grilled Rabbit with Braised Vegetables.
Well. Not bad! (That means it was wonderful.) René made the consommé himself, of course, so clear. The pasta is a thicker sort that the Germans like. Called Maultaschen (little pockets of goodies for your mouth), they're intended to fill up your mouth (Maul, though that's not exactly kosher German), and they do! Be we had reasonable portions and a touch of sauce. Here's Lex considering the main course before cleaning his plate!
Sigh. Bring out the coffee and the schnapps and the cake. Roll me home.
No comments:
Post a Comment