Viva la Diva

There is one thing that I really look forward to at the holidays and that is the food. I am a domestic diva and I need complete control of the food that is served. Obviously this is easiest to do when people come to my house but I have been known to 'suggest' menus and dinner ideas at other people's homes as well. As obnoxious as that sounds I sincerely can't help myself. I have many food related issues but first and foremost is my craving to eat good food when ever possible. And by 'good food' I don't necessarily mean healthy all the time. I have savored a large juice hamburger with a plate full of steaming fries - the kind that are salty and crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside - many a time. I am also a connoisseur of greasy, sloppy Mexican food. So, don't ever accuse me of being a food snob who doesn't venture into the heart of our fast food nation.
Bare with me while I touch on the topic of Mexican food though. We do often go for Mexican at this sort of odd place near our summer home. It is decorated in a style I like to call 'mish-mash.' Vinyl booths, garish paint, Tijuana artwork and chili pepper lights hanging here and there. Honestly, the decor is not important to me. We go there because the food comes out so fast you barely have time to scarf down a few chips with watery salsa. And when you have a 2 year old, fast is key. Typically BFF burns his wrist on the plate only seconds after the waitress shouts out her requisite warning "watch out the plates are very hot!" The quality of the food though is not really at a level that deserves the repeat visits it garners.
Since I am such a DD (domestic diva) I can point out - with no shame- that my guacamole is better than any Mexican could only dream of making. Same goes with my salsa and I make a mean marguarita too. I have made a dish of enchiladas verdes that would make Tito Ortiz weep. But the point is that even a diva needs a break once in a while so that is why we head out occasionally even though we know mediocrity awaits.
So when the family arrives for Christmas they will have little knowledge of the hours and hours I have spent planning and preparing for the several different meals we will share. I have already mentally prepared the Christmas morning Cinnamon buns, Mimosas and Cowboy Strata that I plan on serving. Dinner is sort of traditional so not much deviation there, but I do plan on making it a bit healthier than normal. So no cheese laden broccoli casserole, creamed onions or Waldorf salad that I grew up feasting on. There will be the usual turkey, gravy, stuffing and mashed potatoes but the rest will be steamed veggies and a big salad.
I know that there will be plenty of treats to go around though so don't worry about us coming home without a little more girth.

Time for bed, I guess BFF will come home a grump because first place is going to have to wait until the New Year. Have faith though, I see a stretch coming up which actually causes the message board to come to a grinding halt. Our resident experts will actually have start criticizing things that they actually have some knowledge about. Let's see a raging debate about what brand of toilet paper we should buy with the '3 million.'

Ciao! R