I am having guests for dinner tonight.
I was supposed to have guests for dinner last night — but the weatherman was just a tad off in his prediction of “a day of rain followed by some snow at night.”
Instead, we got a morning of snow, followed by an afternoon of snow … and then we got hit with a night of snow.
I talk a lot about comfort foods in these posts — but seriously, can you blame me?
We seem to be getting snowed in at least once a week and I will save my screaming for my friends, but let’s just say: I am really tired of it.
So comfort food is called for tonight.
The day already got off to a great start because I was determined not to let this winter beat me. I coated my dog’s paws with Musher’s Secret (definitely a nominee for the top 5 great inventions of all time) and we trudged off for more than 1 1/2 hours.
Dog-walking on a snowy, slushy day observation: Why do the majority of truck drivers not give a damn about racing past a pedestrian (and her dog) and splashing wet slop all over them?
The beauty of this quiet, snowy morning was I could curse them out loud and no one was around to hear (least of all the truck drivers, tearing past me).
The good news is that every car slowed down to spare Maddie and me the indignity and discomfort of being covered with road slush.
But back to tonight’s dinner:
Fortunately, these friends are kindred spirits — vegetarians who also eat fish. (I am considering offering them membership in the Hypocritical Vegetarians Club.)
But let’s cut to the chase here because I have food on the brain. (My house smells of cocoa brownies I just baked for my next-door neighbor who was nice enough to shovel out my car.)
The culinary world is wide open to me tonight because these people eat exactly the way I eat.
So here’s the menu I created — tell me if this won’t cure even the worst case of the I-Hate-Cold-And-Snow Syndrome:
- Homemade Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
- Whipped Potatoes with Cheddar
- Cornbread with Orange Glaze
- Dark Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts
This is a menu heavy on warmth, comfort and yes, calories. But the secret — remember Hara Hachi Bu — is to keep your portions small and eat only until you’ve hit that 80% mark.
Since starting Hara Hachi Bu a couple of months ago, I’ve lost 6 pounds — and as you can see from the above menu, I’m not suffering!
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