Ok. Today looks much more exciting that yesterday. Thank god. Sunday was a snore fest, which I am sure you can relate to. Days tend to run into each other with no one thing making them stand apart from the last. I do like the boredom for the most part, but I live with a woman who wants some excitement in her day. Why, I don’t know.
She has decided today we will go to REI in Roseville to exchange her new spin shoes. She claims they are “wrong” and the clips don’t fit. Hence need for exchange.
I recommended skipping this task, it being 3rd day of a holiday weekend and there would be lots o’ traffic. My suggestion was voted down, 1 – 0.
She also thought while there we could hit the grocers for today’s festivity’s. Btw, Bobby and Renee are coming for dinner with a late add on of his son Chris. I am making Osso Buco and had 4 shanks. Need one more for added guest. With this, I did need to hit grocers. I did mention Auburn has several fine markets, but again, 1 – 0.
Traffic to Roseville, horrendous. Took forever. REI, line at cashier had an easy 100 people in it. Big sale, last day. Could find 0 help on shoes. We stood around for 15 mins until Emily realized we needed to leave. About time.
To Winco, my favorite grocery store. Got everything we needed. And today they had a pile of shanks in the meat dept. so we got all we wanted. At Winco prices. Which are far better than any store in Auburn.
Heading back to house, got a call from Bob. They were already there. Great. We were an easy twenty out, traffic uphill not so bad, but still had to leave guests on the porch the whole time.
I was driving and I pushed the pedal down to get there. Unfortunately, my lovely bride can not handle it when I drive fast. She doesn’t mind when she does it, just not me. Annoying.
We did finally get home. They were standing in the driveway. Greetings all around. These are our first official guests in the new house. Took 3 months to be ready enough. But it’s good enough.
It was after 2 and I had not started the dinner. Osso Buco is actually a very easy meal. Pan sear the shanks for 5 mins a side. Place a layer of carriers, celery and onion in the Dutch oven. Head a sauce of wine, broth and spices. Shanks in veg. Sauce in Dutch oven. Dutch to real oven, cook 3 or 4 hours. No need to look in on them. Easy peasy. And they come out fabulous. But it’s after two and I want to eat at a reasonable hour so I had to get all in oven. So I pushed it.
Once that was in the oven, I had nothing but time. So, cocktails and rich snacks and wine and sitting around. For a few hours while we waited. Like I said, it’s easy peasy.
Nice to finally enjoy a social hour sitting around my new house. There has been nothing for quite some time. I am looking forward to summer like this. And summer is upon us if it would just stop raining.
Well, I must pay myself on the back, again. My Osso Buco was fabulous. And I did not need to say so myself. I prepare a creamy polenta, feta cheese does it, to place in the bottom of each dish. Put some sauce on that. Place large cut, well cooked veg on that with the shank on top. Stacked tall. I read once that people like tall food. Who knows? The meal was a hit. We pulled a couple bottles of cab from our rather extensive collection and it was dinner. Made it to the table by 630. Still had enough sunlight for the view. A nice day had by all.
We finished up, sat around drinking wine, ate a little dessert, and that was the day. Work tomorrow so no staying to late. For them, time to roll home half drunk and way full. We just had to make it to bed. A much shorter and easier walk. I think I would rather be retired so I could skip the next day work thing.