lots and lots (or not)

I have lots and lots to write about. Or it seems like a lot floating around in my brain and once I get going it won't end up being that much.

Yesterday, I ran to the post office and while I was there I ran into our neighbors, Glenn and Nancy. They asked if we wanted to play euchre later in the evening and since they hosted last time, I invited them over for dinner then euchre. I had already planned on making a new dish (surprise!): homemade rollatini. I had this dish when Heather, Sami and I went out for dinner to an Italian restaurant for Heather's birthday back in February. Basically it is a pasta roll (some people call them pinwheels) with spinach, prosciutto and ricotta cheese. When I found this recipe I was elated, it was so good. The recipe I found called for marinara, but the one I had was covered in alfredo. Why not do both? Let me explain.

You roll out the pasta dough in two separate circles (8" dia.), then you spread (glop or plop) the spinach filling on the pasta and roll it up, like a jelly roll. Then you wrap up each pasta log in cheese cloth and tie it with kitchen twine. You gently place it in a large pot of boiling (sorry, it should be turned down to a simmer before dropping in the pasta) water, letting it cook for 15 minutes. After removing it and letting it cool for ten minutes on an oiled baking sheet; you slice it in half inch thick pieces, brush it with melted butter, sprinkle it with Parmesan cheese and put it under the broiler for just a couple of minutes. Then you serve it with the marinara and in this case alfredo. Since you made two logs, I put them in two separate dishes under the broiler. Then I poured the heated marinara over one and the heated alfredo over the other. Divine.

I am thrilled that I can make homemade pasta. More to come on that.

Dinner was amazing and the company was enjoyable. We played euchre; boys vs. girls. They boys won two of the three rounds. That's okay, we still had fun!

This morning I asked Bill if he would make me breakfast, he agreed. He made egg whites (left over from the egg yolks the pasta used yesterday) and topped it with goat cheese. He fried up some ham too. Two things about this: the ham is for the strata that I'm making for breakfast tomorrow and I'm making breakfast tomorrow. Thank you, honey.

Then I did the dishes. While I did dishes yesterday while making the pasta, there were still two sink fulls and the overflow on the counter. I didn't mind doing them, and after sloshing water over the counter and onto the floor (in which case I always declare, "the kitchen is clean!!) I am taking a break.

I'm going to head out in a little while to watch a regatta. One of our youth, possibly two, will be rowing. I've never seen a live regatta before, so I'm looking forward to it. And since we got the house cleaned yesterday, I can enjoy this today!

I also have to bake some chocolate chip cookies (I'll get back to that) and the strata has to be assembled and refrigerated today. I'm also going to make a penne shrimp pasta for dinner tonight.

Back to the cookies. For this year's youth auction I donated a year of a dessert of the month. I gave a list of suggestions that I would be willing to bake. It came down to our pastor and the Director of Facilities. Pastor Gary was determined to win (because at the last auction he lost the pies for a year and regretted that loss), but he should have paid attention. Sami started counting down the closing of that table (it was part of the silent auction) and Emil, the Director of Facilities, sneaked over and made the last bid while Pastor Gary was busy chatting. Thus, Emil won. While I was chatting with Mrs. Emil (her name is Vicky) and Pastor Gary was kicking himself, Mrs. Emil suggested that I offer Gary the desserts too, if he paid what Emil bid. I can make two desserts a month for a year. It was for a good cause, all the money raised goes to the youth, sure! Why not? I called over to Pastor Gary and suggested the offer. He thought about it for half a second and agreed. In all, my desserts brought in $300!!

This brings me to the chocolate chip cookies I am baking today; they are for Pastor Gary. His first of twelve desserts for the next year. Next month I'll be making his birthday cake, a triple layer chocolate raspberry cake. You'll probably hear about some of these desserts over the next year, so I thought I should warn you/explain.

Bill is also being very industrious today. He has caulked the tub (again and for the last time), he is going to try to fix the hose (because it burst Thursday night, if you recall), he will probably do something to the lawn and he may even fix the rototiller.

That was a lot. I hope you enjoyed a cup of coffee or something while you read about our day.