What an action packed month!  Mike's two weeks of R&R felt like a month.  God blessed the in too many ways to list, and I was even able to put some of my newly learned skills into practice cooking a last minute dinner for Mike, Amy, Joshua and I.

Highlights:

• Meeting Mike at the gate, and a spontaneous "heroe's return" clap from the other passengers.  He was surprised that we had made it past security, and everyone was charmed by Joshua's exclamation "That's my Daddy!"
• Welcome home dinner with all of our family on the night Mike came home.  Everyone got to see Mike, hug him, and love on him and enjoy time together.
• Potty Training Joshua - Mike wanted to be involved and we were crazy to try this the day after Mike returned back!  He had been delayed a few days and we wanted to get it started before our San Francisco trip.  Incredibly stressful!!! But now, incredibly rewarding!!  An important shared memory for our little family.
• Valentine's Day double date with Amy & Joshua.  Joshua was a pretty good date, even if he didn't have flowers for his Auntie.  What fun to share a day of love with those we love so much.
• SAN FRANCISCO!  Too much to list, but the bicylce ride to Sausalito and Tiburon was the highlight of our time there. Lunch in China town, Chinese ballet, wandering and walking all over town, a foggy coastal drive and the most delightful breakfast I've ever had at the Farmhouse Inn.  Thank you Mom & Dad Freeman!
• Fun with Joshua - kite flying, his first movie, hiking to 7 falls (16 creek crossings in icy cold water!)
• Fun with family - zoo, Craig's birthday celebration, pizza dinner and more

Now it's been 10 days since he's gone back to Iraq and Joshua and I are starting to get back into our normal routine.  I think it's time to COOK!

Here's the menu:
Steak with Bernaise Sauce - Ribeye steaks
Vegetable Tian - a bed of sauteed onions covered with sliced zucchini, tomoato and potato, drizzled with olive oil and baked, finished with grated cheese.
Dessert: Ile Flottante - Floating Islands of meringue, with caramel, pralines, and creme anglaise.

Our last French family dinner was a wonderfully casual event.  We had all decided on something lighter because the filet of beef au poivre was delicious, but rich!  There were only three things on the menu, and this dinner was a breeze compared to some that I have cooked. 
Croque Monsieur
Provencal Vegetable Soup
Chocolate Truffles
The vegetable soup was tasty, and was upgraded to delightful by the addition of pistou, a kind of pesto sauce that was added to the soup at the last minute and served alongside the soup as a garnish.  Some freshly grated parmesan cheese and a dollop of pistou made all the difference.  It melted right into the soup adding a great deal of richness.

The Croque Monsieur sandwiches were a huge hit!  What's not to love?  Black Forest Ham, mustard, gruyere cheese, crunchy bread covered in bubbling, melted bechamel sauce and more grated cheese?  Delicious!

I'm not so sure about the truffles.  They might be a one time dessert.  The nice thing about them is that you can customize them by adding different flavorings or liqueurs and rolling in various items (powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, crushed almonds etc).  Maybe good for a party?

Last week Connor and I cooked a delectable filet mignon meal.  What fun to have company in the kitchen, especially such fun company!  Connor and I (and Joshua) spent a few hours on Saturday shopping for our ingredients and baking the Baba au Rhum cake. 

The filet mignon was cooked superbly with a little help from my brother Craig, aka, the master of meat.  Charmaigne made the kitchen sparkle while we waited hours for the sauce to reduce, but the end result was worth the wait.  The garlic mashed potatoes were rich and lucious thanks to copious amounts of garlicky olive oil.  I can't say any of us were impressed by the French String beans, but they served their purpose.  The Baba au Rhum was a bit of a disappointment.  It did not soak up the rum syrup and so was dry, but, as my Dad said - the coarseness of the cake was a great contrast against the silkiness of the whipped cream.  And it was!  I will try the Baba au Rhum again if I can get my hands on a 5 or 6 cup bundt pan. 

Everyone agreed that the next meal should be a little lighter, so I will cook Provencal Vegetable Soup, Croque Monsieur, and Chocolate Truffles.

Filet of Beef au Poivre