Busy busy busy

Lots went on Chez Skinny this weekend, and I may even be able to remember most of it.

Guests were planned for Saturday lunch, which meant Cholent. I don't think I've ever explained it before, so here's as good a place as any. It's basically beef stew with beans, potatoes, and barley. Unless it's got chicken in it. Or rice. Or Chickpeas. Or no animal flesh at all. See, nearly anything goes with cholent (or chulent, or chunt, or Hameen, depending on A) your background, & B) how much food you have in your mouth when pronouncing it). The basics involve cooking food & water low & slow over a period of 20-25 hours. Presumably it was designed to make a little meat go a long way by adding other, cheaper foods.

The sad part is American Jews (or at least northeastern US Jews) make it very expensive by adding lots of meat, which is of course the most costly ingredient. Anyway, Cholent can be delicious and can be awful; it's almost always terrible after the first day, so leftovers routinely hit the circular file by the next friday at the latest, except for a few hardy and insane souls who freeze it to eat again later. Ew. I did once have vegetarian cholent (sacriligeous to begin with) that contained Pringles and Diet Coke. I try not to think about it much - it's too painful (though it was indirectly the cause of my meeting Mrs. Skinny; she met the friend who introduced us at a meal where the same dish was served.)

Anyway, so Mrs. puts up the cholent Friday AM, leaving me the other main dish. I spotted a recipe in my Weber book (BUY THIS. The book is fabulous) that I wanted to try - Turkey breast with a jalapeno-peach jam. I did the paste on the breast overnight, and put that sucker on the grill on Friday while I made the jam. The smoking part didn't work quite right, but the Turkey was terrific, and I finally got the jam to the consistency my chutneys have never quite hit. I think I used the right pan this time.

Anyway, we realized around 3PM we had planned for Saturday, but hadn't decided on anything for Friday night. Oops. Take out some frozen chicken cutlets, let them vaguely defrost, drop 'em in some bottled BBQ sauce, grill, add some plain white rice, & bingo, you got dinner. In the meantime, I realize through all of this that I haven't heard from youngest in a while. Mrs. had gone to the gym & off to get oldest from a playdate, and I of course left youngest in front of the TV. I head upstairs to check around 5PM and she's OUT COLD on our bed. Well, bedtime's gonna be screwed up now.

SIGH.

Well, bathe oldest, get everyone awake down for dinner, where I am first testing the turkey, which was delicious. Oldest says "I don't want that." It's OK, we have regular chicken. "I don't want that either. I want to go to bed." No song, story, etc? "No." ummm, ok? It's 6:15, so I take her up, and 15 mins later she's out cold. We normally eat before services, since I can't wait until 8:30 for dinner, then we do the kiddush and motzi after I get back. I'm getting ready to go, and youngest starts crying. Mrs. asks me to stay home, so I agree - I usually go to an early service, so instead I'll stay home and use the extra hour before actual candlelighting, likely entertaining youngest.

But....

Mrs. lies down with youngest & nurses her, and they BOTH fall asleep. So now I'm essentially home alone. All quiet, I finish up my shabbos preparations unnoodged by wife or child, and even had a moment to check some email. I peeked in periodically, and Mrs. sleepily noted that she wanted to stay in bed, so I moved youngest up to her room, brought Mrs. her lens case, and had a very quiet kiddush & motzi by myself. I'd never go back to single life, but there's something to be said for a quiet night once in a while.

Next morning, on the other hand...