January 25, 2025 Breakfast - Granola, Chocolate Croissant Lunch - Lamb Kebabs with black beans and rice. Snack - Chocolate cup cake Dinner - Grilled Rib Eye Steak roasted Potatoes and Brussels sprouts with piñon nuts and Pecorino Romano cheese.

January 25, 2025 Breakfast - Granola, Chocolate Croissant Lunch - Lamb Kebabs with black beans and rice. Snack - Chocolate cup cake Dinner - Grilled Rib Eye Steak roasted Potatoes and Brussels sprouts with piñon nuts and Pecorino Romano cheese.

I woke up at 6:00 and took the two of the three Prime rib eye steaks Billy and Elaine gave us for Christmas to thaw for our dinner with Charlie and Susan.

I ate granola with milk, yogurt, and blueberries at 8:00 while I watched Bournemouth crush Nottingham Forest 5 to 0, then at 8:45 I was still hungry so I ate a chocolate croissant with a cup of green tea.

I rode the bike 1.52 miles toward the final time of Man city v. Chelsea that Man City won 3 to 1.

Then at noon Suzette was hungry and heated up the PPI Lamb Kebabs with leftover black beans and rice. I squeezed a small amount of Harissa onto my plated and Suzette fetched the last bottle of her amazing Apricot Chutney we made this year with the apricots from our tree in the back yard and the container of yogurt. We drank the last two glasses of the Kirkland Côtes du Rhône for a truly delicious lunch. I toasted three slices of baguette and spread them with a mixture of yogurt and Harissa to make small open faced sandwiches.

At 3:00 we walked around the block that helped me get to 3900 steps today.

When we returned we spoke to Billy and Elaine about the Argentina trip. I mentioned that I had discovered a non-stop flight from San Miguel del Valle to Mendoza this morning that avoids driving back to Salta and flying back to Buenos Aires before flying to Mendoza that is cheaper and faster.

Dinner - At 4:00 I started prepping dinner. I cut the stalk end off each Brussels sprout and cut each in half and put them into a 9 x 9 inch Pyrex baking dish.

I quartered each honey potato and put them into a 9 x 13 inch Pyrex dish with several cloves of garlic.

And I made guacamole with five small avocados, a dash of salt, a few drops of Cholula hot sauce, juice of one lime, two cloves of garlic pressed, and 2 oz. of sweet onion plus a small handful of minced fresh cilantro.

We also toasted the remaining Mexican corn chips from El Super for twenty minutes in the oven to crisp them up.

At 5:00 Suzette tossed the Brussels sprouts and the potatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper and roasted them in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Susan called at 6:00 and said they were running late and could she bake the apple crisp she was making for dessert in our oven.

Suzette reduced the heat in the oven and I started mincing 1/2 shallot, 2 small cloves of garlic, and slicing four medium Portobello mushrooms.

Suzette fetched a skillet and I melted two T. of butter and a T. of olive oil in the skillet and added the shallot, and then the garlic, and finally the mushrooms with a pinch of dried oregano and after a minute or two turned off the gas.

I opened a bottle of Trader Joe’s over produced Grand Cru St. Emillion and we sipped that and read until Susan and Charlie arrived at 6:40.

It was wonderful to see them and compare notes on their daughter, Lisa, and our sons, Luke and Willy, who all grew up together. We then talked about the radical changes in government initiated by Trump and the changes in Albuquerque. Charlie is retired and stays well informed of the news.

I put the guacamole into two bowls and on the table with the corn chips and Suzette fetched three bottles of Pellegrino from the garage. Susan drinks only water and Charlie drinks wine sparingly.

After a few minutes Suzette then salted and peppered the two steaks and put them on the outdoor propane grill and I turned on the gas under the mushrooms. After about five minutes Suzette flipped the steaks and I added a T. of Amontillado sherry to make a light sautéed mushroom sauce and reduced the heat and put Susan’s apple crisp into the oven to bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes covered with aluminum foil and another ten minutes uncovered to brown the brown sugar and pecan crust.

When Suzette brought in the grilled steaks I turned off the heat on the mushrooms, sliced the steak and poured more wine.

Suzette filled each plate with potatoes and Brussels sprouts and I served the steak and each of us took some mushrooms for our steak.

After dinner we cleared the plates and Suzette served small plates of the delicious apple crisp with a spoonful of whipped cream Susan had brought. The freshly cooked cubes of apple with the crisp brown sugar and pecan and a dash of cinnamon crust was fabulous.

Susan is an amazingly great dessert cook. Some of her desserts are among the best I have ever eaten and this apple crisp admirably displayed her considerable skill. 

At 8:45 Suzette filled a plastic container with apple crisp and we said goodnight.

We then watched Death in Paradise at 9:00 and the opening skit of SNL at 9:30 and went to bed at 10:00.

Bon Appetit