Happy Birthday, Mother!

This woman is not 70. Yet. She will be on a three-week trip over her big day so we celebrated on Saturday with a barbeque, potato salad, strawberries and fruit dip, garlic bread, Chee-tos, Enid's bundt cake (made by Robin), ice cream, and a vanilla cream pie. She wore a crown.

We played bingo and pin the tail on the donkey, the washer game, and swam. Hodgie drank periodically from all the watering cans. There were injuries, bees, and handmade gifts and cards.

She wore a pink ensemble. In the morning we attended the Tuacahn outdoor market where she bought a small sack of faux gems and did a round of shopping. We lunched at The Painted Pony with the girls. Good mother. And many more.

Cheese Fondue

My mother made cheese fondue for us a lot when I was growing up. She served it in a red fondue pot and we chose our long fork based on the handle tip color. We became adept at fishing bread chunks out of the pot. A family meal at a common pot. When I grew I found people assume cheese fondue is Swiss cheese fondue, made with wine and spirits and white melting cheese. I've tasted it and it is just not the same. I know my mother has her recipe somewhere but it didn't turn up easily until I went through my old card recipe file yesterday. Cheese Fondue, Fontina. I think we used an orange Cheddar. It is delicious. We still request it for birthdays.

Cheese Fondue, Fontina

1 t caraway seeds
1/4 C hot water
2 T butter
3 T flour
2.5 C milk
1 lb shredded cheese
1 t salt
Pinch of nutmeg

Soak for first two ingredients for 15 minutes. Melt butter over low heat and add flour to make a roux. Add the milk gradually. Cook until thick and smooth. Add caraway seeds and cook until a simmer. Add the cheese one-third at a time, melt and stir constantly. Bring to a bubble. Add salt and nutmeg. Serve with bread cubes.

I took this picture of mother on Mission Bay earlier this year.

She starkly reminded me of this one of Karen Blixen. 

Surprise: Small Stocking Stuff

We are very excited. Mother's stocking preparations are complete. Since everyone loves a list and everyone loves gifts, here is what Santa decided on. There is something very covert about piling in gifts to treelight, clad in nightwear. One should do this more than once a year.

1. silicone baking liner (for the toaster)
2. Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Almond
3. Listerine Whitening Multi-Action Pre-Brush Rinse
4. Bahlsen Hit biscuits
5. Hershey's Special Dark Pieces
6. glass bead bracelet
7. Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball Extra Fine Black
8. Savina Nail Color in Charcoal Sparkle
9. Lu Petit Ecolier Extra-Dark Chocolate
10. Two Crabtree and Evelyn Citron samples of body soufflé and body scrub
11. Bare Escentuals Venus lipstick