"Children raised with traditions, especially those who have watched their parents invent new rituals as occasions and milestones occur, learn that their own response to life can be active and creative and extremely personal. They're going to be resilient children, confident they are loved and that they know how to express that love to others."
There are a lot of things I love about my husband, and a few weekends ago, he reminded me of a big favorite. We were planning to do a big seafood boil to celebrate his birthday like last year, but our plans fell through due to lots of scheduling conflicts with friends. So we found ourselves with a free weekend night and the rain threatened any plans for outdoor fun. I offered to call a sitter and call some friends, but Beau had a different idea. He said he wanted to do a family cook-off similar to the tradition we started at Christmastime two years ago. At this point, a sitter and a night out to eat was sounding better to me all the time, especially when I thought about the groceries and mess a family cook-off would likely entail, but before I knew it, Beau was thumbing through cookbooks with the kids and talking smack about taking the title this time. I put my agenda aside and decided to join in on the fun, thankful for a husband who chooses us over and over again.
And I tell you what, Beau knew just the way to our family's heart that night. If these are the building block years, I just hope a brick titled "Jorgensen Top Chef" gets forever etched in our little family's foundation. And we're getting so much better at this! We each pick a recipe to make, working together to create a spread that includes a variety of courses and flavors that will sort-of pair with each other. Then we turn on some fun music and team up to prepare our dishes. We make a point to let the kids take the lead, hopefully teaching them a thing or two in the kitchen. And most of all, we hope to instill in them so many of the things we love about being in the kitchen - the togetherness that food invites, an appreciation for the flavors and techniques that go into a really great dish, and the joy and energy that come from a night around the kitchen island. After our first Top Chef night, I told Beau I want this tradition to be a forever one. I want the kids to come home from college and look forward to a night like this.
This was our best "Top Chef" yet. I started things off with a delicious "cookie dough dip" served with Vanilla Wafers and apple slices. Beau was next with hashbrown potato cakes with a slice of ham. Cruz chose an absolutely delicious one pot cheese pasta with his favorite meat of choice, smoked sausage, and Mila topped things off with vanilla parfaits with strawberries and whipped cream. Everything was delicious and we had leftovers for all four courses the next day! But unfortunately, not everyone can take the gold. I am pleased to announce that my appetizer currently holds the Jorgensen Top Chef Title for best taste, and Mila's parfaits won for best presentation. Team Ballerina was pretty excited!
I was sure to record some footage this time around, in case someday we want to be reminded of our amateur years. ;)
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