A Good American Wife Hangs Out at Casa Yummy Mummy

We were so happy that Anne from A Good American Wife, her husband Fred from Art Dada and their…okay, freakishly adorable baby with his huge gorgeous eyes and his ability to be completely content in a near-strangers arms (mine) and if I may add a baby who made me seriously want to get pregnant again soon (if “the-daughter-who-shall-remain-nameless” ever stops breastfeeding) came to our house for a little Sunday lunch.

Anne with her perfectly scrumptious baby, Walter

It was great to see them and if you don't know Annie from her hilarious and insightful blog, you just need to see the picture below from their Christmas card to get a read on just what kind of down-to-earth, salt-of-the-earth, calm, average, boring, normal people they are....sorry, I was describing our other friends.

Anne and Fred were patient guests. They had to be really. Fred was patient when Lucy laid on the couch, lifted up her dress, threw her legs over her head...without underpants...and then held the position until David could distract her with chocolate, Princess toys and money. Fred handled that well (even though it's only a matter of time before his 5 month old becomes a toddler and performs impromptu renditions of "the floppy penis dance" for their dinner party guests...I'll be waiting for their call.)

They were also patient when I maimed myself in the kitchen and had to stop cooking lunch and get mouth-to-mouth from my husband...Okay, it wasn't that bad, but it was embarrassing. I forgot to wash the hot Jamaican peppers off my hand during lunch prep and rubbed my eye with the pepper-infected finger and ended up having to halt the cooking and my husband got me a chair and a wet paper towel and I was forced to stay seated for several pain-filled minutes,hunched over with a wet paper towel hanging off my face, moaning now and again and entertaining thoughts of the emergency room and everyone kept asking me if I was going to be alright and wondering if they would have to eat at Popeye’s on the way home.

And it was hit or miss there for awhile. I thought a bucket of chicken might be in their future.

But Annie and Fred were very kind and gracious and looked out the window and made salient comments about the weather and pretended not to hear me moaning and then, pretended to be interested in whatever seriously cute thing Walt was doing on the floor, like drooling or eating lint off the rug.

I love them for that. My friends are troopers. God bless them.

Kian and Warren came over just as I put the pepper in my eye (so I had more spectators for my pain) and later Rachel and Hidaya came over. And David and I felt lucky to have a house full of lovely - and eminently forgiving - friends. I eventually recovered - it occurred to me that if Mary Lou Rhetton could land the dismount with a broken ankle, I could finish preparing brunch with a peppery eye. I'm tough.

We had the Chinese egg dish from my last post, Fried Rice with Dried Shrimp, Zucchini and Asparagus and Asian Spinach Salad with Oranges and Avocado from Bon Appetitite. The dressing BA did is not tangy enough for me so I added some lemon to this recipe and I was more generous with the sesame oil and ginger, but the salad is lovely, so you should take the basic recipe and taste it until you get the right tangy, gingery balance for you.

I think this salad goes nicely with the eggs, which are covered with rich dollops of oyster sauce and a smattering of those damn peppers - kind of West meets East - Here it is:

Asian Spinach Salad with Oranges and Avocado

Prep: 15 minutes; Total: 15 minutes (maybe less)

Servings: Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon (generous) Asian sesame oil
A squeeze or two from half a lemon
1 navel orange
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach leaves
1 Pinkerton or Fuerte avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

Whisk first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside.

Cut off peel and white pith from orange. Cut orange into 1/3-inch rounds; cut rounds crosswise in half. Add spinach to dressing; toss to coat. Add avocado and orange; toss gently.

xxxooo YM