The Depressing Wal-Mart and the Roasted Loins.
Originally published at the sweetest tongue. You can comment here or there.
I had big plans this Christmas. All of the parental units were going to be out of town for Mississippi, and scheduled to be back by Christmas Eve at night. I was to make Christmas Eve dinner for 14 people, and commandeer a house of 6 younger cousins and sisters.
On Saturday night, I decided to get started on my shopping, so my brother dropped me off at a Super Wal-Mart in Suwanee at 11 at night . It was the most depressing grocery shopping experience I had ever had in my life. Usually, shopping for groceries awakens a sense of domesticity in me. I can find items I want, and usually discover things i did not know I had needed. This time, I found myself wandering aimlessly amongst the aisles, lost as to my purpose, and going around in circles multiple times. I saw the sad produce, empty shelves, and misplaced whipping cream and somehow it all just really created quite the downer for me. I only managed to get the most basic ingredients I needed, as certain items like Arbrorio rice and loin cuts of pork with ribs attached were unavailable. I left the Wal-Mart disheartened and very, very tired.
Contrast this with Sunday Christmas Eve, after church services (that choir director is soooo cute!), and I went to Publix, and I instantly perked up when I saw the stocked aisles, white and green walls, the different cuts of meat, plus a customer service center for customized cuts. I picked up three slabs of pork loin with rib, and some butcher twine to tie the cuts up after I stuffed them with peaches. I even picked up some slabs of salmon for the second main course of bacon-wrapped salmon, and arbrorio rice for a mushroom risotto. My youngest sister, who had accompanied me on both grocery trips, got a lesson on why certain people prefer certain places for their groceries over others.
I popped in the dvds for the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender before the kids came by , so they could be distracted while I prepared dinner.
Here is a picture of two of my loins in the oven.
The prep time was surprisingly quick, as it was easy once I removed the meat from the rib bones, and cut through the meat to stuff the peaches and tied them up to roast for a good hour. I had a pan of potatoes and peaches underneath, put in around 15 minutes into the cooking time.
I wish i had taken more pictures, but in the end, the dinner came out well, with the kids all having dinner together as the parental units got delayed in their trip back by rain. I wasn’t too impressed with my own risotto. Somehow, everytime I make it, it has a certain bite I do not care for. I reminisce for the creamiest risotto i ever had when Bab’s on juniper still had their dinner specials.
After the whole family came home, we all opened a gift each in a holiday tradition. I presented each of my aunts with boxes of hand-picked Godiva chocolates, and my grandmother received a lovely white cashmere shawl I got from Ann Taylor she put on immediately.
Next weekend I shall be in North Carolina at some church retreat/skiing trip at the request of my mother. I shall be on the slopes desperately clicking on my Blackberry and listening to my iPod.