Home is a good place to be for New Years Eve. We stashed all the ingredients to make our traditional fancy drink... pomegranite juice, lemon-lime soda, and pineapple juice. Max blended those with ice, and we had a toast.
Earlier in the day, Geoff was overseeing the planning, and early assembly of benches for our table. I haven't shared this yet, but we dragged home a free table, and it's awesome... large, wood, with steel pipes for legs. Our super lucky score. I thought we could look out for chairs to add, but Alex pointed out that chairs are going to overcrowd our deck. Then I thought of benches. Two long benches, that could be tucked under the table, would give us lots of seating, without taking up lots of space. It was only an idea, but these guys are running with it, and designing it to look good with our new table!
On Instagram, I shared the picture of potatoes and tortillas, and Sara was curious to know what we were up to with these ingredients, and I was happy to share! "There’s also bell peppers, chives, avocado and cilantro," I began, then continued, "Here’s what happened! I had hot coals ready in our campfire. I sliced the bell pepper, cut the potatoes into chunks, sprinkled salt, pepper, and thyme over these and drizzled a little olive oil over everything, and all of this got wrapped In foil and set in the hot coals. While those roasted, I diced the avocados, chives and cilantro. The potatoes cooked for about half an hour. We heated tortillas in a pan over the fire, and ate potato-pepper-avocado burritos with herbs and butter! Why is campfire cooking so extra yummy? I know the sea-salted butter didn’t hurt!" There were also Beyond sausages, and a couple of steaks on the grill. By the time everything was cooked, we were huddled around the heat fire and the cooking fire. It was a cold night. I'm glad we cooked out, though. I think I have a special fondness for being closer to nature when celebrating milestones, like Solstice, a New Year, Ground Hog Day.
Did you notice our Kindling Cracker? This is not an ad. I saw that this child, only 13 years old when she invented it, designed a safer way for splitting kindling. I love reading about young people following their ideas and making new things, and we actually like splitting logs. Anyway, it seemed like a well made and possibly useful gadget, and I made it my Christmas gift to the family. It is well made, and useful. We really like our Kindling Cracker, and makers, and creativity, and campfire burritos, and frosty drinks, and being together at home for New Years Eve.
2 comments:
It's interesting to me that photos of your driveway have become dear. I remember years of blog posts and photos of the backyard (especially in the years before we were local) and just pining to spend time there. Now, I look at your driveway photos in the same way. I love the photo of William with the dramatic blue skies and the warm light of the firepit... plus that handy-dandy wood splitter (how cool is that thing?)!! :)
And your New Year's Eve cooking over the fire... wonderful!! (Where did you get sea-salted butter?)
I love your Kindling Cracker gift to the family. And, I love that it was invented by a young person. It makes it all the more excellent!
Happy New Year, Natalie!!
Yes! I was even feeling guilty for not having appreciated our driveway before... I used to feel apologetic about this "wasted, paved" space that was nothing but a hard car lot. No more! It's been so generous and useful, and while we still use and appreciate the garden out back, our driveway is the hero of 2020, and full of happy memories, and comforts.
Where did I get sea-salted butter?? A grocery order. I'll see if I can find the box. I don't have the control and specific knowledge of these things, like I used to. How much has changed in the last year??
Kindling Cracker is super cool. I feel like it's something Paul would enjoy. Yeah, I've seen the glint in his eye when he adds wood to the fire, pokes the logs around. He's got that log cabin, campfire, splitting firewood thing going on. Maybe we soon we can have both fires going and together-apart enjoy cooking out.
Happy New Year, friends!
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