Finally, I'm back

 

It’s been a busy few weeks; like many people, full of shopping, cooking, and family.

We had our usual secular Christmas, hosting our kids and 4 of the 5 Jewish grandkids. We were short one grandson – he opted to stay back with his girlfriend whose mother had just died and for whom he’d been provided emotional support.

          My Guy and I constantly point out to each other how lucky we are. A great daughter and son, no family drama, and everyone seems to actually enjoy each other’s company.

          My biggest pressure was keeping the food coming, with our two-person household suddenly expanded to 10, two of them sizeable grandsons and two more 5 year-old grandgirls who seem to exist only on pasta and fruit.

          Then, since everyone had left, and exactly one week later we were to be on the road heading to Florida for the next 4 months, I had to somehow gut the fridge of all that largesse.  A few creative meals, some items delegated to the freezer, a container of sour cream to a neighbor, and I’m proud to say very little was sent to the trash. We always travel with a cooler full of carrot sticks, hard-boiled eggs, and peanut butter sandwiches, so that’s another way to use up food.

          Side note, if you freeze cheese (as I learned from last summer’s storage in the freezer now that I’m down here in the land of palm trees), it’ll taste okay but will only be useful in the form of crumbles.