Monday Night Dinner

I caught my roommate’s plague, and for my sins I’m at work because I’m leaving for Christmas through the New Year on Monday and my boss is entertainingly panicked at the idea that I might call in sick one day this week – he keeps sending me home early and telling me not to come in until 9am, which is sweet and I’ll take it, but not quite as good as being able to stay home and sleep all day. On the other hand the list of things that I need to get done between now and when I leave just keeps getting longer, and every time I cross one thing off I end up adding three more things in its place. I can’t help thinking that this is not how a list is supposed to work.

In other news, I keep getting emails in my inbox about how to survive the holidays and how to have a low fat Chanukah by baking your latkes instead of frying them. Here’s the thing, Chanukah is the festival of lights, it’s all about the oil. If you bake your latkes you’re defeating the symbolic purpose of eating latkes on Chanukah. If you’re going to eat a latke, eat a damn latke. You don’t have to eat 10 of them, but one probably won’t kill you or your diet.

I will admit that not overindulging during the holiday season is problematic. Everyone keeps bringing cookies in to work, and vendors keep delivering boxes of chocolates and pastries. The entire holiday season is basically an exercise in immoderation. I’m just saying, if you’re going to indulge, indulge in the good stuff. Carob is not a substitute for Godiva, three low fat soy cookies will never be as satisfying as one full fat gingerbread man, and baked shredded potatoes are not the same as latkes.

And on that note, Happy Holidays. See you in the new year.

Lasagna
Garlic Bread
Salad

Chocolate Pudding Cake

Lasagna with Hearty Meat Sauce

Recipe previously given: Look Ma, no Chicken

Garlic Bread
By which I mean I threw a stick of butter, leftover basil from making the lasagna, some leftover thyme I had in the fridge, an egregious amount of garlic and some salt and pepper in the blender and pureed until well mixed and then slathered it on bread and baked it. This is not rocket science, and kind of like roasting chicken I use whatever I happen to have in the fridge. So long as you use a lot of garlic it will all work out in the end no matter what herbs you use, or whether they’re dried or fresh.

Chocolate Pudding Cake

Recipe previously given: Birthday Related Baking