In the garden

These are a welcome sight: the hyacinths are blooming!

Tasty Tuesday on Wednesday

We did a special celebration (not to call it Valentine's day) on Friday the 15th - Tom had a lab meeting that day so having it on Thursday would not have worked. We had a coq au vin style fondue, with steak, shrimp, lobster, sun-dried tomato and four cheese ravioli, mushrooms, and asparagus. And of course, some red wine :)

Then this past Friday, we had grilled pork chops with fried okra, cheesy biscuits, and cauliflower and broccoli au gratin. The gratin is a recipe from Jacques Pepin but is also a Mauritian favorite. Fried okra is also a Mauritian favorite, except that here we bread the okra, while back home we don't. Notice the grill marks on the chops? I did that using a cast iron grill pan that my parents got us. I'm loving it. We are also using our new Corelle plates.

Happy Valentine's Day

We do not celebrate the Hallmark holiday. However, I pointed out to Tom earlier this week that we hadn't had fresh flowers in the house in a very long time (>1 year). So we had a team effort, Tom picked out the flowers, I made the arrangement, and he found a spot for it. It has been a welcome sight since it has been raining pretty much all week.

 

Mardi Gras

Before we get to Mardi Gras:
One of my co-workers had a birthday in January but she was on a fast where she wasn't eating white flour or sugar or eggs etc... We wanted to celebrate with a treat, so we came up with this fruit "cake".

Pineapple, kiwis, and grapes

Fast forward to this week.

For Mardi Gras yesterday, we tried to be a bit festive. I didn't feel like making a wreath so instead we just hung beads around the house. Tom suggested the centerpiece, and last night I made andouille and seafood gumbo. It was my best gumbo yet. Let the good times roll!

Oh what a week!

Last Friday, I was at the hospital - not because I was sick but because my friend Stacy was having a baby. I have seen pictures and Laine Louise is such a cutie.
Saturday, I went on a multiple errand run and caught up with Kelly for lunch. Yummy Panera Bread broccoli soup. I started to cough and had the sniffles. We decided to get a space heater
Sunday, the cough and sniffles got worse. I stayed home and watched the Superbowl by myself. This is the fourth Superbowl since Tom and I started dating, and we have only watched one together (the Packers one of course). I am also 4-0 on picking the winners, Saints (my second favorite team), Packers (my favorite team), Giants (don't like the Patriots), and Ravens (absolutely don't like the 49ers and I was supporting our friend Colm, who is a Ravens fan).
Monday, my flu-like symptoms got much worse and that night I started throwing up pretty consistently every 30 mins until 7 am, at which point I dragged myself to the doctor, got a shot, and went to bed. Turns out I had two viral infections: a cold virus and a stomach bug. The next few days were a blur. I started eating yesterday but don't have an appetite this morning.
During my home stay, I really enjoyed The Chew, Ellen, Rachael Ray, and Jeopardy that I can remember.
It sucked to be home but not be able to take care of chores and projects.
Haven't been able to start on the Pepin project, although Tom did make some pretty good (and spicy) crockpot chilli last week. 
Tom avoided me and consistently sanitized door knobs, light switches, bathroom fixtures, and the remote control. I don't blame him, I wouldn't want anyone catching what I had.
Let's hope for a better, more productive weekend.