Weekend Snapshots

Friday night’s dinner while watching American Horror Story (we just finished Season 1 and are seriously obsessed, which is kind of a problem because I’m extremely freaked out when doing laundry in the basement these days): Baked chicken, roasted asparagus, and Mushroom, Bacon & White Bean Stew.

1. Rinse legs and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Rub with olive oil and add seasonings (I used garlic powder and season salt).

3. Add a little olive oil to your roasting pan or casserole dish, and put in the chicken pieces.

4. Add about 1/2 cup chicken stock or white wine (I use a half-and-half combo) to the pan.

5. Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake for another 25 minutes or so.

6. After the chicken is done, remove it to a plate. To make the gravy, just whisk a little flour into 1/2 cup cool water, then add the water/flour mixture to the pan and whisk it over low heat until the gravy thickens.

Saturday started out at the Cheesecake Factory with a very (very) large slice of banana cheesecake that was quite a hit (as you can see).

I used to go to the Cheesecake Factory all the time when I lived in L.A. (my ex had a daughter who loved the place), and for the life of me I can’t remember why I stopped going…because that place is delicious. I mean, hello: Mount Everest-sized portions = excellent leftover opportunities, so everyone wins.

On Saturday night, we headed over to a Movie Night party at our friends’ place. They have a new wireless streaming projector (this one), so we watched Christmas-y Mickey movies and ate popcorn all night. I’ve never seen such a rapt group of very small people in my life.

Quick trip down memory lane: here’s the video from Indy’s first-ever Christmas.