Chef Moooom!

The other night my husband took some of the kids to a dress rehearsal for an opera. I wanted it to be special so I was zooming all day but got home with an hour to spare. While we are fasting, I wanted to make a nice meal and vegetarian is still hard for us. We couldn't pay for a restaurant meal so I threw in some tortellini, some steak, sauteed some shrimp in garlic butter and made a spinach salad with mandarin oranges. My husband and kids who were going were thrilled.

I was simultaneously making grilled tuna for the rest of us which was not a bad thing. Dmitri was sick and literally moaning on the couch (He was the only one to get sick so it must have been something he'd eaten at school.) The little ones, Starshine and Mudd were whining in the background, all while a violin concerto was playing.

I felt terrible-- I wanted to make a great meal and I did, and they were done (with no butter spills thank goodness) in time, but the fussing in the background! They were getting energy off each other and holding on to my legs! It is funny now, but then I was a little frazzled until Cloud said, "This is a family restaurant! You are Italian with a big family!" That was sweet of her.

Tonight I made a cold soup called gazpacho with tomatoes and cucumbers with salmon because it was the Feast of the Annunciation. That was delicious but we were too tired to go to church because everyone has been wired as of late.