Challah Daz

If I ran a Jewish bakery that is what I would call the period that just passed. Since I don't I'll just have to put it into plain English-"Holidays"
The last entry was Christmas eve and so this tardy Blogger has to catch up.
Our two Cincinnati Granddaughters were home, together, from Dec 25 to Jan 3. The eldest is with AmeriCorps and works in a small regional hospital in Sidney MT, 8 miles from the ND border. The youngest is a Sophomore at Bates College in Lewiston ME. Having them both here is a treat for us and especially for their parents.
Trisha, the eldest, had requested Chinese food for Christmas night, which she seems to believe is a Jewish tradition, or at least she is willing to start one. our friends at the "Oriental Wok" at the Regency, packed a full meal, with reheating instructions, which we picked up Christmas eve. Unfortunately the plane from Sidney was delayed 9 hours so Trisha got hers the day after Christmas while the rest of the family ate and celebrated Dec. 25.
The next night we and another couple went to "Brio Tuscan Grille" at Newport on the Levee for an early dinner before seeing "Blindside" at the theatre also at "the levee". I am not going to turn into a movie reviewer but "Blindside" is a true feel good movie and very appropriate for the holidays. My dinner that evening was the usual libation and and excellent tossed salad. lightly dressed, with a grilled salmon fillet spread over the top.
Sunday night Dec 27 was an evening at home, with a young friend, her 6 year old twins featuring carry in Pizza from "Dewey's", a local chain. Some UDF Peppermint Stick Ice cream and Graeters Chocolate sauce finished the "Sunday night supper". The next night we hit the best Italian deal in town. As described before, "Nicola's" 1420 Sycamore-513-721-6200 serves a Monday night special for $13 a person. It's high on taste, value and Carbs. The Bolognese, a mixture of veal and beef, enhances the pasta, over which it is served, and the salad and hugh warm breadbasket are wonderful additions. One can hardly get out with just the "special" as it almost demands a glass of wine for this excellent presentation. The special is supposed to only be served in the bar but being the good restaurateurs they are we were seated, as were others, in the main dining area.
A fairly light lunch, with another couple, at the "Oriental Wok"(mentioned above) and a diner, with a clergy friend, at "J.Alexander's" in Rookwood Commons-513-531-7495 once again insured that I over indulged( 4 extra pounds over the 2 week period). At dinner I tried, not too hard, to go "lite" with a grilled salmon sandwich but the wonderful, thin, extra crispy French Fries wouldn't let me escape. Marilyn had a sensible Prime Rib Sandwich which she ordered w/o roll.
To work off some of the excesses, and to slightly balance the budget we ate at home the next night and on New Year's eve had a low key "pot luck" with 3 other couples, which got us home before the "ball dropped". Our dinner was an hors-dourves, salad, grilled chicken fahetes with all the fixings and of course desert, carrot cake.
Our big New Years home cooked meal was the night of Jan 1, with baked beef tenderloin( my Mothers recipe) twice stuffed baked potatoes and steamed asparagus. For desert Kathryn made a fruit Pizza with cookie dough crust, good job. All seven of us gathered at our daughters and we plus the granddaughters performed as caterers. The next night, all seven, still together, shared items at "Prima Vista" with a beautiful view of lighted Cincinnati. Some of the things passed were, Fried Calmari, Mozzarella Rolls, with pesto, Salmon two different presentations, Veal Piccatta, Green beans, Bread pudding, with Carmel sauce and rum soaked raisins and a flowerless chocolate cake with hazelnuts that melted in our mouths.
Because we were sending Trisha back to Sidney MT we kicked off Sunday morning with brunch at "Otto's" on Main St in Covington, always friendly and good. That was enough so this week has been spent, so far, in exercise (2 pounds gone), repentance and food at home