Despite wanting to sleep in, we did get up early this morning, as it was the final Farmer's Market of 2012 and nothing starts up again until January 19. We had to bundle up, because it had gone down to the 30s during the night, and a sharp, keen wind was blowing in from the northwest. I do mean keen! I put on my heavier jacket (I don't pull out my coat unless it gets really cold), a scarf, and my hat plus an earband over it, plus my new gloves with the capacative fingertips, and we were still freezing. The breeze went through the top of my hat as if it wasn't there. The market was held on Mill Street, and the wind funneled right down the street, from one end to the other. The vendors were red-nosed and buried in scarves and either fumbling with gloves or struggling with stiffening fingers. The owner of Big Daddy Dog Biscuits had brought the eponymous Big Daddy [a laid-back, gentle pit bull] with her, complete with dog coat; nevertheless the poor guy was cold and she had to cover him with her coat as well. We had to laugh when the guy from Capra Gia ("goat cheese guy") came by with a two-week old female kid (a miniature Nubian goat.) tucked in his jacket; he said they were keeping each other warm. He said she was ready to go to her new home and he was keeping an eye on her till then. Did you know you can housetrain a goat? He said she has already been housebroken and will be a pet. Too cute.

So we got dog biscuits (including some Christmas cookies), goat cheese, some Christmas bread to take to the folks' house next weekend, some cake, chicken salad for James, and a baked rigatoni  for Christmas Eve.

From there we went to the Whitlock Avenue Kroger. I wanted some bread for the week, even if I wasn't going to work, and theirs doesn't have cornmeal all over it like the Smyrna Kroger. The store was still a happy tangle of baking supplies, poinsettia plants, fruits for Christmas, and other holiday color. We bought some boneless pork ribs for a future supper, got yogurt, and also the baking powder we need for this afternoon's baking orgy.

So we were home, and things put up, and we had changed into clothing for baking, and James started his prep—he was planning to bake some low-sugar chocolate chip cookies to start with—and I started mine, going downstairs to fetch the wine bottle. There was one in the closet downstairs.

Well. No, there wasn't. I was remembering the year before; we were completely out of wine. James discovered at the same time that, while we had baking powder, he needed baking soda for his cookies. Two different animals. So...we had to get dressed again. It was already past lunchtime and neither of us had eaten, and we were pretty grim going out to Mink's for hearty burgundy wine (but I did find it immediately...and I bought two bottles as well). On the way back we stopped at Publix for the baking soda and picked up supplies for corn casserole, too.

By the time we got back it was 2:30, so it was a long afternoon baking. James turned out a batch of chocolate chip cookie drops (they were supposed to be cookies but they didn't flatten) and then he adapted the recipe to make cinnamon-chip cookies...uh, drops. These are both very light and tasty! I mixed out my first batch of wine biscuits while he was baking. Wow! I haven't seen hearty burgundy this dark since my Papà made his own wine; it was purple, a deep amethyst color. And boy, did it turn the dough purple. I baked two batches (about 70 cookies) and it was hard to tell they were done because the dough was so dark, with the result that they are slightly overcooked. They take a while to bake, too, so James' last batch, his butterscotch drops (he's been jonesing for butterscotch), went in the oven late. We didn't get out to supper until way after six, but we left the house smelling heavenly!

James had stuffed a couple of flatbreads with meat and cheese sometime during the afternoon; I'd just nibbled on cookie dough, so I was starving by the time we got to Hibachi Grill. Afterwards we went to Barnes & Noble to use up my second coupon and James' first. I found a linguistics book and he got a card game.

Got home to find Rodney already on chat and had a nice conversation for over an hour. By the time Emma got on, though, we were both pretty well tired out from the cookie orgy. So I made my regrets early and we went off to bed, as we wanted to go to BJs early tomorrow. We need batteries, mandarin oranges, and paper towels. There's an odd combination!

Labels: animals, books, Christmas, food, shopping, weather

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 11:50:00 PM

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