soupçon

Work is busy these days, and these day slip away quickly. God, I can't believe it's January. I've never been a big fan of January. Cold. Baited. Uncomfortably inevitable. But here we are.

January has brought a renewed obsession with food and exercise, which is a welcome compulsion. My pants fit better already! Thankfully the time I'm spending in the gym is all benefit and no cost -- literally. I love that I have a free facility!

The food side of things has been unexpectedly vegan recently, without any conscious effort to make it so. I've been cooking a lot of soups and other vegetable dishes that just end up animal-free. Often the only sin is a rind of parmesan reggiano slipped into the broth -- and if that's wrong I don't want to be right. It adds such a rich silkiness to my italian soups. Delicious! I threw together a minestrone last night that was lovely, but I just know it's going to be much better today. And this time I made a ton of it so there would be leftovers -- a rare thing in our house.

R and I have been having anxiety dreams. Nothing like a wedding registry to make you feel like a real asshole. He dreamt I left him, and he had to deal with boxes and boxes of gifts. Sometimes I think about something happening to him and panic fast and hard. I remember Day telling me she experienced that too. Today he drove me to work, and sitting there beside him in the cold car, in the severe January morning light, I loved him so much it terrified me.

rosemary's baby

My invention already exists, dammit.

Oh well, I'm still making it for NYE! With club soda instead of ice, methinks. Along with cider hot toddies, oatmeal cookie shots, and plenty of champagne, natch. And Mark Bittman just set me up with munchies ideas, so we're set! (P, I hope you will make homemade hummus for us, too!)

Yum.