A potential work crisis and a missed flight, and Andrew is here!
I was a starvin’ marvin’ by the time we got to Karen’s at 5:45 and was so excited for a meal!
And of course a little Mark West, which she always has for us. Such a great mid-priced pinot.
No time for cocktail hour – Karen had to get to choir practice so we had to eat promptly.
She made this AWESOME beef + veggie soup (don’t have the recipe – sorry! It was pretty classic)
Plus a spinach salad with veggies and nutz
And Trader Joe’s cornbread, which is awesome!
With some tea. Delish!
Karen left for her rehearsal (she’s in a Xmas performance in a few weeks for a barbershop choir!) and we had a sip more wine and cleaned the kitchen
We will likely move in with Karen if we sell our house before July. This is one kitchen I wouldn’t mind cooking in!! It was even fun to clean.
A while later Andrew and I dipped into the ice cream Karen bought for us while Matt napped. He’s had a reallly long, hard pre-holiday baking week 
I had a taste of each flavor with an unphotographed shortbread cookie. Love shortbread! I need to bake some. Have any recipes?
Tonight was a great intuitive eating night. I was never full and enjoyed little bits of everything on the menu, and everything tasted simply delicious.
I’m debating going to bed kind of early so I can get a head start on my day tomorrow by getting up early. The brothers are brewing beer and I’ve got some setting up to do before we host our families on Thursday. My parents are coming to spend two nights and Matt‘s dad and Cheryl are coming too! It’s going to be a full house. Can’t wait!
{ 75 comments… read them below or add one }
Haha you WOULD enjoy cleaning a beautiful kitchen!
Looks like you guys have a full house! Enjoy your family!
Oh, cake batter ice cream…love of my life! I’ve never had the Ben and Jerry’s kind though– is it as good as Cold Stone’s?
Not even close to as good as Coldstone’s, but what is!?
True. That.
Coldstone has the BEST cake batter ice cream…
now i have a craving for ice cream…. dang!
goodnight!
Looks like a great light meal, perfect combo of soup and salad!
Love the ice cream:)
That kitchen is so gorgeous and spacious!! I would love to clean it too! I hate my stupid tiny NYC apartment kitchen
I love that cake batter ice cream! But coldstone’s takes the cake! haha, just realized that was kind of a pun!
seriously, just a taste of Ben and Jerry’s?? live a little, will ya?
I love Ben & Jerry’s PB Cup! Back in the day I used to take whole pints to my bedroom to consume while reading books. Now I try to put a serving size in a cup
woohoo for intuitive eating! hard sometimes but oh so worth it!
Dinner looks fabulous! Matt’s brother looks just like their mom, so cute!
Jenn
Have fun with your company!!
That’s a beautiful kitchen! Speaking of shortbread, I’ve been wanting to try this coconut shortbread from SmittenKitchen: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/02/toasted-coconut-shortbread/
Wow, those look great!
Lovely kitchen!! Way to go on the intuitive eating – I’ve been trying to be better with it lately, but it’s not always so easy…
Whoa, that kitchen IS beautiful! So much open space! I love your little glass of ice cream—so cute!
Every time you have an Intuitive Eating success it give me hope
LOL. There is hope!
I bet matt is super tired. At least you got some good food and fellowship with family.
You look so pretty in that picture!
Aw thanks
Try these vanilla shortbread cookies! (to die for)
http://www.playinghouseblog.com/2009/05/vanilla-bean-shortbread.html
as an fyi — I used 2 tsp vanilla extract instead of the bean
Glad to hear your visiter arrived safe and sound! OMG, that kitchen is SO amazing!!! I think any foodie would be in total heaven there.
Cake batter ice cream is my favorite!!!
What an AMAZING kitchen! I wouldn’t mind cleaning up in their either
The meal looks lovely! And that kitchen is beautiful! I want it! haha — If I could put something like that on a Christmas list…I would. haha
I LOVE that kitchen. Lucky Kath!
Have fun in that full house!
Looks like a yummy, balanced dinner. Gotta love soup on a cold night. I came home and made grilled cheese. It was that kinda night.
Hey Kath!
If you’re still looking for a shortbread cookie recipe, check this one out: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/icebox-shortbread.
it is SO easy and you can change up the mix-ins any way you want!
wow! that kitchen is beautiful! yummy ice cream!
jenna
i’m going to practice intuitive eating on thankgiving. i want to be able to enjoy each dish, so i’m going t to take little tastes of everything and make sure not to deprive myself, but not over stuff!
Love that you mention intuitive eating! So good to thing and remind ourselves about this time of year.
That cornbread looks delish, haven’t since it in the shops here, so may just have to make some!
Dude, what a hunk! Is it considered incestuous if you find your in-law attractive?! Haha.
LOL
To the finer things. This time of year brings out the best in food and friends and your under-indulgence is refreshing. Thanks for sharing.
I’m looking for a vegan shortbread recipe. I know, it’s hard to imagine it without butter, but Earth Balance is pretty tasty in my book.
I just picture Andy from The Office when I think of Karen’s barbershop group. Hopefully you can go to the performance!
I love Andy!!
OMG ~ that kitchen ROCKS!!!!!!!
Ohhhhh that kitchen is AWESOME! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have a kitchen like that! I don’t think I would ever stop cooking
I’m amazed at your willpower… I could never eat such tiny scoops of ice cream and be satisfied, but it’s something I strive to do one day haha…
PS…. what a PHENOMENAL kitchen!!
wow that is a beautiful kitchen!!! i love being super duper hungry for dinner….makes for a lovely intuitive eating experience, i find…
Kath,
This is unrelated to this post but relevant to your recent cleaning posts. Would you consider at some point posting a video or instructions on just how much “stuff” you do keep and what your methods of storing them are? I am a “keeper” trying to become more of a “purger” and it helps to see what anti-clutter people in the real world (versus in pretty organizing magazines) do with their things.
Thanks.
Sam
Sam, I’m hoping to do a cleaning + organizing video over the holidays.
K
That really is a beautiful kitchen, I love that style.
Brothers really look alike
TJ’s cornbread is my absolute fav! Peanut butter cup Ice cream was my brother and my go to choice when we were younger. It just never gets old!
Sounds fun! I love all the chaos of family around the holidays
That is a cute sweater/turtleneck ?? too!!
Wow, that kitchen is so pretty!!
I had Mark West Pinot and thought it was OK. I think I actually prefer Oregon Pinot.
Le sigh. That kitchen is so beautiful! My mom used to be in a barbershop quartet and my siblings and I thought it was the best thing ever (mainly for our amusement) but it was really cool!
here is an awesome shortbread recipe from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) she is amazing!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/shortbread-hearts-recipe/index.html
have a happy thanksgiving and enjoy your company
I LOVE that kitchen!! Absolutely gorgeous :O). You will be a very lucky girl if you get to cook in it for a few weeks!!
Happy Thanksgiving :O)
I *just* read your thoughts on sweetened vs. unsweetened coconut and I COULD NOT AGREE MORE!
I’ve been eating the unsweetened kind after buying a big container from whole foods, and I can’t wait to get back to the sweetened kind. You’re totally right, that the taste is so much better.
Oh, and a big thanks for the help when I emailed you about the Canon Rebel…I ended up going with the XS and could not be happier. It’s such a fun camera and I’ve only touched the surface of what it’s capable of.
Thanks for the help!
Glad you like the camera!!
I’m sure the Coconut Shortbread that Heather suggested would be delicious!!!
But I know that Smitten Kitchen’s Espresso Chocolate Shortbread is just AMAZING!!! I’ve made it twice and it is wonderful tied up in cute little packages for gifts too!!
Hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving, can’t wait to read about it!
http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/12/espresso-chocolate-shortbread-cookies/
Looks like a great dinner! Good work with the intuitive eating, always hard around the holidays I find…
karens kitchen looks soooo cozy!! I love love love kitchens!!
There’s a great, classic shortbread recipe in Joy of Cooking… and my Scots heritage loves a good shortbread cookie!
Oh my gosh I LOVE Karen’s kitchen! I could do some serious cooking in there if I do say so myself
And she made a nice choice on those B&J pints. I’ve never had Cake Batter but I’m always curious – was it good?
It was good, but nothing compared to Coldstones. Or even Breyers Vanilla Bean in my opinion.
K
Ben and Jerry’s is the bestttt. How can you stop at just two bites?! haha
Major willpower right there.
OHMIGOD – Peanut butter cup and cake batter – are you joking??!!! Why, oh, WHY don’t we get these flavours in the UK??????? Actually – probably a good thing we don’t, otherwise I would be the size of a house.
I always use this recipe
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Butter-Shortbread-Cookies-236612 for classic shortbread cookies. The best part about it is that it makes a lot so and makes it easy to bring as a holiday/hostess gift.
I love Clotilde Dusoulier’s recipe for sablés with roasted flour. Not quite shortbread, but very close and wonderfully delicious. I made a whole batch for a friend for Christmas last year, and she almost cried with joy.
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2008/04/squeeze_cookies_a_roasted_flour_experiment.php
Karen’s kitchen is gorgeous! Have fun playing host and hostess tomorrow!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mark West Pinot Noir! Happy Thanksgiving!
That is a beautiful kitchen. I think it would work in my house … if I blew up our current kitchen, LOL.
That’s a nice pre-Thanksgiving meal. I’m always trying to convert my husband to the idea that soup and salad is a real dinner … he’s a meat maniac and can get a little pouty if I try to just do light meals.
Thanks for the shortbread recipes!!
Hey someone at Self.com recommended your blog recently and I’m loving it! Definitely bookmarked to check back daily. Here is my rosemary shortbread recipe: http://syrupandhoney.typepad.com/blog/2009/09/shortbread-cookies.html
That’s cool that you have the option to move in with fam if your house sells fast. That is what we did after we sold our house in MI and it worked out really well.
Have a great Thanksgiving Kath!
my favorite shortbread is from the back of the argo box. http://www.argostarch.com/recipe_details.asp?id=1220
wishing you a great thanksgiving!
This is a really great espresso chocolate chip shortbread recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/12/espresso-chocolate-shortbread-cookies/
So, I have missed several posts because I got really busy- when, where and why are you moving? I assume its for an internship????
Moving to Charlottesville, VA this summer after my internship is over to open a Great Harvest Bread Co franchise!
K
I just went on a shortbread kick and made some delicious shortbread cookies with toffee bits and pecans and/or also mini chocolate chips. These are so good!
http://www.bakingandboys.com/2009/11/toffee-pecan-shortbread-cookies-recipe.html
Have a great holiday!