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Just a short break before I have to jump up and play hostess... Rick made an appointment a few weeks ago for his friend Martijn to eat dinner with us tonight (typical Dutch, planning a casual dinner weeks in advance after checking the Holy Agenda to make sure it fits into our schedule...), and I completely forgot about it until this afternoon (typical Megan). Since Martijn is a rather trendy, pleasantly cynical, very discerning and witty guy (read: way cooler than Rick and I put together), I've spent the past few hours agonizing over what to make. I wanted something slightly sophisticated but casual, something that looks like I just threw it together at the last minute but with a higher "wow" factor than the usual Dutch meat-potatoes-veg dinner offering. I finally settled on beef medallions pounded really thin with a white-wine lemon sauce, roasted veggies on the side (zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, and onions in a garlicky marinade roasted in the oven), and simple buttered noodles with fresh parsley. Dessert is chocolate mousse with some espresso-flavored chocolate straws that I impulse-bought the other day when they were on sale. :) All stuff that is easy to make and pretty much fool-proof, which is good since I am easily distracted (and doubly so when there is company over).
I was a little pissed at Rick for not reminding me about this until a few hours ago, and really irritated that he is coming straight from work with Martijn in tow instead of coming home first and helping me-- I hate doing this all by myself and can't stand feeling obligated to make sure the house is sparkly-clean and full of good cooking smells when the guys walk in the door. Part of that is my own fault, since I am incapable of inviting people over without stressing out and going on a frenzied cleaning spree, and tend to make a huge damn deal out of even the simplest weekday dinner. Rick never asked me to do any of that; I do it to myself. But I'm forcing myself to sit down now, drink a glass of wine, and type this entry instead of hovering around in the kitchen cleaning and re-cleaning the stove. Learning how to relax is good for me! :)
I was a little pissed at Rick for not reminding me about this until a few hours ago, and really irritated that he is coming straight from work with Martijn in tow instead of coming home first and helping me-- I hate doing this all by myself and can't stand feeling obligated to make sure the house is sparkly-clean and full of good cooking smells when the guys walk in the door. Part of that is my own fault, since I am incapable of inviting people over without stressing out and going on a frenzied cleaning spree, and tend to make a huge damn deal out of even the simplest weekday dinner. Rick never asked me to do any of that; I do it to myself. But I'm forcing myself to sit down now, drink a glass of wine, and type this entry instead of hovering around in the kitchen cleaning and re-cleaning the stove. Learning how to relax is good for me! :)