FIVE IS FOR FEASTING

I love food and I love entertaining, but feeling the squeeze of work and family life, it rarely happens right now.  But I try to stoke the flame however I can, and here are a few thoughts and ideas floating through my food/family/fun hungry brain right now:

1. This article about speed cleaning before a party cracked me up, but was also so true. I definitely have employed almost all of these tips in one way or another over the years.  Dishes in the oven?  Wouldn't rule it out.

2. I've been reading MFK Fisher's The Art of Eating since last Christmas.  It's a whopper, but so lovely and I'm particularly taken with Mary Frances herself.  Here she is shopping in her fur at a market in Switzerland:

Yea, pretty much want to be her

3. I've had a strong desire to have friends over one night this holiday season to sip on a little of this while hanging by the fire.  Fingers crossed I can sit back and make the magic happen.

4.  But when there's just no energy, and a feast still feels in order, I've been totally loving this series from Netflix.

5. This wine from Trader Joe's.  We bought a case of the 2011 for my son's baptism, and I'm still enjoying it (read: RIGHT NOW!).  The blog I found it on wasn't bad either.  Someone with good taste reviewing wines under $20.  Happy early Christmas!