Thanksgiving stream of consciousness

Wednesday

3:30pm Grate 2 sticks of butter and put in the freezer for later.

4pm Head to sushi happy hour to charge up for a long evening of cooking.

5pm Raid friend's Meyer lemon tree.

6pm Intrigued by Dave Leibowitz's recipe for whole lemons bars.

6:15pm Learn that when browning butter and it starts to foam, have a large container on hand to pour it into immediately, not all over the stove and counter like I did.

6:30pm Lemon bars in the oven, remove butter from the freezer and work in flour for the all-butter pie crust.

7pm Resist urge to mess with lemon bars before they have cooled. Make a cocktail with dry rhubarb soda and gin.

8pm Hmm, not sure this grated butter in my pie crust thing is going to work. In the oven it goes, we'll see!

8:01pm Damn, these lemon bars are freaking awesome. Make another batch.

8:32pm I still have 20 eight ounce lemons. Research recipes for preserved lemons online.

9pm Sterilizing jars, cutting lemons, sprinkling salt.

10pm Sushi was a long time ago. Hungry. Not another lemon bar. Popcorn.

10:30pm Foolishly suggest watching a movie to husband.

10:31pm Asleep.

Thursday

6am Goddamnit, why am I awake at 6 on my day off?

6:15am Coffee, catching up on the internets.

7:45am Off to City Park for a run, it's a beautiful day!

8:30am Wait for the husband to wake up so I can get in the kitchen and make some noise.

8:31am Family phone calls. Missing people.

8:45am Food prep begins. Wash every dish, utensil and pot in the house.

9:15am Jesus, that's a lot of butter.

10am Peel, chop, slice, saute. Butter. Dishes.

10:30 Make stock with turkey neck.

10:45am Butter.

11am Dishes.

11:30 Dishes. Butter.

12pm People on the internets posting pictures of their mimosas. Does that mean I can open the champagne? Will do as soon as I'm done with these dishes.

12:30pm How did it get to be 12:30 already? Should probably consider putting some of this stuff in the oven. Top with butter first.

12:45 Set table. Wash wine glasses. Wash decanter. Wash champagne flutes. Where is the gravy boat? Why don't I have a cocktail yet?

1pm Ravenous. Devour the turkey neck standing over the kitchen sink.

1:15pm Change into clothes not covered in butter and flour. Comb hair and generally make self presentable.

1:20 Sweep kitchen floor. Front room too. OK, every room. Don't forget the front porch! Finish up those last dishes.

1:30 My appetizer! Not even started yet! Chop herbs! Chop garlic! Sauté with more butter!

1:55pm Cinnamon-infused cognac. Brandied cherries. Bubbly. Ahhh. Guests in 5 minutes. Let the day begin!