A little food, a little wine...

Since I am supposed to be talking about food and wine too, I figured I would post something on the subject. I realize I started out with good intentions. Putting whatever the nights meal was and recipes on the site, so possibly, one day, the kiddos could look back and say oh that's how she made that! Alas, I quickly discovered how often I make the same stuff and therefore posting the same meal over and over seemed rather redundant for obvious reasons. The other reason I haven't posted a lot of recipes is because to me they are pretty simplistic and don't merit the mention. Tonight was angel hair pasta with shrimp, garlic and tomatoes de-glazed with some Pernod. No biggie, takes 5 min, kids loved it. Last night chicken, rice, broccoli casserole, not exactly rocket science. While Ethan was in school I made some basic white sandwich bread, again throw ingredients in mixer, turn on, let raise. No biggie. Tomorrow brats, steeped in beer then grilled with onions, mash some potatoes and a veggie tbd and voila again. I started planning out my menu every two weeks so I wasn't having chicken every night or pasta three nights in a row, it seems to be working and I don't have to literally think as much. That's the goal really, by dinner time I honestly just want to be on auto-pilot. The winter dull-drums have kicked in. I cringe buying Argentinian asparagus and so end up getting nothing. The chickens raided the garden a week ago and my cauliflower that was ever so close to forming heads was decimated. I raised my fence and am slowly coxing everything back to life but my dreams of garden fresh produce in winter have been dashed. My rampini seems to be pulling itself up by its boot-straps and I'm holding on to a glimmer of hope that it will still produce but for now I'm forced to buy veggies that have seen more of America than I have. Vino of choice lately has been pretty tame and pretty much sticking to the house variety, maybe I'll venture to open something more inspiring tonight, truth be told I'm feeling like some bubbly but I think I'll settle for a good chard which I have about twice a year... Bottle now securely placed in freezer, hopefully I won't forget it there, as much as I like finding frozen wine, I think I'll pass. This post has taken on that ever present tone of simplify, simplify, simplify. If I can beat anything into my cherub's heads, it's to not over complicate things. Don't over think, don't over do, don't over schedule, etc... moderation my dear ones. It's all over the news right now how Americans are all simplifying because of the economy, I do it for my sanity.