Post-holiday Funk

Happy 2011 everyone. I don't know about you, but I've been in a post-holiday funk. It's taken me a little while to get back into the daily swing.


Truth be told, I haven't been inspired enough to post a blog. Between the kitchen, laundry room and basement reconstruction, a Christmas tree infestation (for which the store refunded our money and threw in a $25 gift card), visitors by the dozens (to see us, not the flying bugs in our tree),  chocolate and wine, and more chocolate and wine, I exhausted brain and my body.


Ever since the holidays, I lost the urge to cook. I didn't make the big Christmas turkey with all the trimmings. Instead, we called a hotel and ordered our bird. It was roasted and delicious. Best of all, the take-out turkey saved us time and stress. Plus we had loads of leftovers, which meant no cooking for days after. 


Since the beginning of the New Year, I've been preparing fresh, quick meals for the family. But it's become a chore. (I'm sure I'll get my groove back by Valentines Day.)


One thing I don't mind doing is making chocolate. I just love the smell of melting chocolate. It conjures up memories of my friend sucking back churros. And Johnny Depp in his weird androgenous look in the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  But I digress. I love the smooth, shiny texture of liquid chocolate. And I don't mind the mess I make because I get to lick it clean.


Here are some of the chocolate delights we had during the holidays.

Cognac Truffles

When I first made cognac truffles, my husband gasped at the site of me pouring good cognac into a bowl full of melted chocolate. Then he tasted the perfect marriage. The truffles above were rolled in grated coconut and cocoa powder. 

Grand Marnier Yule Log

The pièce de résistance was, hands down, the rich yule log. We ordered a medium size because we thought we could stretch it to serve 12 people. It was so rich, that a dozen eaters barely made a dent into a quarter of the cake. I brought leftovers to my sister the following day.  Next Christmas, we'll go for a small size. And maybe, just maybe, I'll consider making the turkey. Or not.