Monday, December 31, 2012

Peas on Earth

Today we bid farewell to Aunt Lauren who returned back to her home.

Elliott's Farewell to Auntie Lauren

Elliott was very sad for her to go back home. Jen and I were even more sad. Sure, we love spending time with family but the prospect of returning to a one-to-one adult-to-baby ratio was something that we did not look forward to with a great deal of relish.

Cooking Peas

After returning home from work I cooked up the next batch of vegetables for the Wombats: peas.

Cooked, Pureed Peas

I pureed them and put them on a giant plate to cool rapidly while the babies shrieked in the other room. It could have been because I was so hungry after not eating for so long but the cooked peas smelled so good that I helped myself to quite a few before pureeing them for the babies.

Martin is Okay with Peas

Martin seemed to enjoy the peas though slightly less than the sweet potato.

Elliott is NOT Okay with Peas

Elliott, on the other hand, did not seem to enjoy the peas at all. He ate every spoonful we gave him. He didn't cry or fuss. He just made a face as though he had smelled a giant turd after bite.

Two Roads Brewing Co. Road 3 Ruin Double IPA

As I put together dinner I enjoyed a glass of the fourth, and final, beer from the catalog of Two Roads Brewing Company, this Road 2 Ruin Double IPA. This was a nice close to the collection. It's probably the quickest I've ever torn through a brewery's entire repertoire and it's been a very fun trip. This is a great brewery that has only been open for less than a month but I'm really looking forward to their future offerings.

Blood Orange, Avocado, and Shallot Salad

This year Jen made the exact same salad she made last year. She actually wanted to make the entire menu again so that she could enjoy the meal a little more. Last year she was in the beginning stages of her pregnancy and really wasn't able to enjoy most of the meal.

Pink Peppercorn Crusted New York Strip Steak with Lobster Tail, Buttered Peas, Wilted Spinach, and Baked Potato with Horseradish Cream

Instead I cooked the main course, my first New Year's Eve dinner that I've prepared in at least five years. I crusted a New York Strip Steak in pink peppercorns and salt, seared it in a pan, and finished it in the oven. As an accompaniment I boiled a lobster tail, tossed it in melted butter, and topped the steak with it. I also made sauteed spinach with garlic and peas with butter, and a baked potato with horseradish sour cream. I could probably have been happy just eating a plate of the peas after developing an incredible craving for them.

Apparently Elliott and I have different tastes.

Cremant de Bourgogne Bailly Lapierre Reserve Brut

While watching Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve, usually the worst thing to happen to me in any calendar year, we celebrated the dawn of 2013 with this Cremant de Bourgogne Baillly Lapierre Reserve Brut. While that may seem like a collection of random words I'm sure it means something to somebody. At any rate it was quite tasty.

2012 was a pretty amazing year but it's looking like 2013 is shaping up to be pretty amazing already. I think it will be another year of excitement and change for us but I'm eager to see what it has to offer. I'm not a big believer in the importance of years or numerology, or the fact that any day is different from the next.

That being said 2013 is going to rock some socks off!

Happy New Year!

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