Sunday Kitchen/January

Note to self: don't post pre-photos unless you're absolutely certain you're going to take post-pics. I forgot to get a shot of the meatloaf. And to tell you how good it was, there's none left, and one of the people at dinner was a vegetarian. The gnocchi I managed to catch before they were gone. You can still see a little bit of the foamy butter sauce and shitakes in the shot I posted. This was a bit of an exhausting day. I overslept by about 30 minutes, and it made a big difference. I had to hustle to get the tea sandwiches done, then move on to the homemade waffles. After Mass, we spent about an hour at the reception, which was quite lovely, and then it was back in the kitchen, where I made the gnocchi for today, put the meatloaf in the oven, and then worked on getting some meals together for the rest of the week. If I'm going to prepare some meals to make it easier on the nights when I work, I prefer to do this on a Saturday instead of spending most of Sunday in the kitchen. Not exactly a day of rest when you cook all day, is it? But part of last night was spent chauffeuring teens around and the other part prepping today's dinner, so there it is.

Our oldest daughter had to work today and didn't join us for dinner, but she's on her way over now for what's left. Matthew had a friend over, a young man I might have mentioned before. I don't know what happened to his father, and his mother was tragically killed when he was still very young. He is being raised by his elderly grandparents and I don't think he's getting all the help he should. Sadly, he dropped out of school last year. I think the times when he comes here for dinner or to play his guitar are the closest he comes to a normal household. M has made a lot of progress since we first met him. Initially, he couldn't even make eye contact with us. He would stand in the doorway with his head tucked way down. Now he comes in, asks how I am, if there is anything he can do for me, etc. He never turns down an invitation to dinner anymore, although he never eats much.

Last year, I let my son host a birthday party for his friend. It wasn't much but it was probably more than he'd seen before. I think it went a long way in breaking the ice. We ordered pizza and I got a supermarket cake inscribed with the boy's name on it. Since then, he's come out of his shell quite a bit. I'm sure he's on the autistic scale of disorders and once I tried to ask his grandmother if he saw anyone, but she took offense. I watched this kid cross the street once and I was horrified. He has no sense of when it's safe. I think it's only because of the grace of God and the protection of our Lady that this fellow is still in one piece.

Anyway, enough rambling. Time to say some prayers and get myself and the kids in gear for the week.

Oh, on the way back from church, Rebecca and I saw a red-tailed hawk up close and person. He was sitting atop a light post on the corner. I'd never seen a hawk sitting so low before. He looked a bit raggedy. Maybe he's as sick of the snow as we are.