Week in Review: We had a great holiday week of church, family, friends, presents, and food, of course - lots of food. Here we are getting ready to leave for Drew's wedding on Friday night. It was an elegant wedding and we had a very nice evening.

Lindsey and Brent came for the wedding and we celebrated our Christmas together with them on Saturday.

They had spent Christmas Eve and Day in Knoxville with Brent's family, so we had not exchanged gifts with them. I made a snowman with a spinach dip-filled tummy, as pictured here. We about made ourselves sick on that.

For dinner we had a beef tenderloin roast with bearnaise sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, dried cherry/apple/walnut salad with maple dressing and for dessert, creme brulee. Here's a picture
of Lindsey caramelizing the top.

New Year's Eve Plans: Well, they've been cancelled. We had dinner reservations at Opus 24, but Stormy flew out to Philadelphia to be with Nick because he needed to stay out there and work. So, I think we'll make beef stroganoff with the leftover tenderloin and then we'll watch two of our favorite movies that we didn't get a chance to watch on Christmas Eve.

Th 1951 version of A Christmas Carol starring Alistair Sim. You know, it's the one with the huge Tiny Tim. When the ghost of Christmas future is showing Ebeneezer Scrooge the Cratchet house after Tiny Tim has died, a despondent Bob Cratchet is remembering how he used to carry Tim on his shoulders and he was as light as a feather. And I always think "right. He was as big as Mrs. Cratchet, for Pete's sake." It's a great movie and Alistair Sim is the definitive Scrooge. (It also bothers me that Bob Cratchet doesn't have a coat....just a scarf)

The other movie is Holiday Inn. Bing Crosby sang White Christmas for the first time here, and Fred Astaire does his famous firecracker dance.

We haven't stayed home on New Year's Eve since 2000, so it'll be kinda weird. Maybe we'll discuss some serious issues like: Who are we going to vote for in 2008? or What can we do to improve ourselves, or (most importantly) How do we get the Doobie Brothers into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Seriously. What does it take? One 2008 inductee is The Dave Clark Five! Are you kidding me right now, The Dave Clark Five??? Who is voting on this, anyway?

Recipe of the Week:

There are so many choices here. I think I'll share the recipe for Bearnaise Sauce. This sauce is worth the effort. Enjoy.

Bernaise Sauce

3/4 cup butter

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons chopped green onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves

3 egg yolks

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

To clarify the butter, in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, melt 3/4 cup butter until white solids separate from fat (10 -13 minutes) Remove from heat; skim off foam. Cool to lukewarm; set aside. In heavy 1 quart saucepan combine vinegar, wine, green onions and tarragon. Cook over medium heat until reduced to 3 tablespoons liquid and solids. ( 15 to 20 minutes) cool. Whisk eggs, salt, and pepper into vinegar/onion mixture until frothy. Place pan over low heat, whisking constantly until mixture thickens slightly. The pan should not be hot to the touch. Remove from heat; very slowly, whisk in the clarified butter leaving behind the milk solids residue in the bottom of the pan. Stir in parsley. Serve with tenderloin.

Really, the Dave Clark Five?