Christmas Eve

We have decided to spend the day chilling in the house. I have just finished wrapping gifts and found I woefully under bought for D and Mom's stockings, but I told them it's not how full the stocking, it's how full your heart is. I'm not sure that even makes sense, but it seems an appropriate thing to say when you can't even fill a stocking full of odds and ends! I went so far as to ask the girl at Starbucks yesterday if she happened to know what my husband wanted for Christmas. She went on to rattle off several electronic gadgets - we had all of them and, in some cases, more than one.

Last night we enjoyed a nice dinner at a restaurant whose Executive Chef trained under Thomas Keller. The food was very good, though D and I think we prefer Paley's Place and Higgins to Giorgio's. I can't remember all of the dishes and they don't have a website with their menu (gasp!), but I had something like this:

• Amuse Bouche: Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Seed Oil
  
• Endive Salad with Goat Cheese and Plums
• Butternut Squash Agnolotti
  
• Lemon Meringue Tart with Raspberry Sorbet

The dessert was too sweet, but the other courses were delicious. Our waitress was excellent and the service overall was very, very good.

Tonight, I'll be making dinner:

• Roast Rack of Lamb with Mint Sauce
• Roasted Butternut Squash, Red Grapes, and Sage
• Couscous with Raisins and Pinenuts
• Roasted Potatoes (for D's starch ... he's not a couscous fan)

For lunch today, I'm planning on making Southwestern Couscous Salad. I know, two couscous dishes in one day. I love couscous much to D's disappointment.

It's mid-morning and about time for my daily cake fix.