The Megastore kitchen is closed.

Yesterday was the now-traditional Boxing Day Supper, in which all members of the historian's family and my own children are invited for an extravaganza. I shopped for this meal on December 23rd, stored the vegetables in the garage (which is plenty cold, let me tell you) because there was no room at the inn, as it were, what with the onslaught of baked goods produced both within and without my kitchen. Christmas Eve--more baking. Christmas Day was rather low-key, cooking-wise, as we dined at my folks', and I only had to bring a vegetable dish (rosemary roasted carrots).

Yesterday, though, I got up, and here was my plan:

a.m.
cheese straws
bake cupcakes
make ice cream
skewer and marinate chicken
salad dressing
shrimp cake mixture
shell pistachios

noon
remoulade sauce

2 p.m.
Pear apple crumble
Prepare vegetables for roasting
Form cakes

4 p.m.
Make orange pomegranate salad
Frost cupcakes
Set table

5 p.m.
Roast vegetables

5:30 p.m.
cook cakes
grill chicken skewers

It was a delicious dinner, but I was cooking all sorts of things throughout the evening. Perhaps not my best plan? I cook for the love, you know, and I got lots of it during the evening--but I was definitely still sloshing olive oil into the pan and sauteing shrimp cakes all night.

Big hits included pear-apple ginger crumble with ginger ice cream, a concept I shamelessly filched from the Trio dessert menu; tiny cupcakes with sprinkles on them; the shrimp cakes with homemade remoulade sauce (which always makes me feel like a genius); roasted brussels sprouts; and cheese straws as part of the pre-dinner nibble assortment. Everyone had a great time; the Jazz won; small children loved their toys. At the end of it all, the historian and I collapsed.

Actually, the collapse extended till today. I arose to schlep college daughter to her sandwich artistry job, then walked around Dillards like a ghost, bought a magazine at Target, and came home, made myself a little lunch, then slept for three hours. Historian did much the same, minus the post-holiday shopping. We woke up to recognize that there were still more dishes. So, actually, the Megastore kitchen is not closed. The dishwasher is going, and I'm making us a little dinner. Actually, the Megastore kitchen never closes.