chix fried steak, garlic mashed taters & toasted almonds 12.18.09

Christmas was soon approaching this night...Scott had the idea for chix fried steak, so he went for it and I stayed out of the kitchen.  The menu, chix fried steak, white gravy(which I think I helped with, so i guess i was in the kitchen for a little bit), and Scott's famous (at least in this house) garlic creamy mashed taters...it was great in flavor although the steak coating wasn't as crispy as it's been in the past.  Still a delightful winter meal.

yummy cream gravy, lots of fresh black pepper

steaks a fryin'

creamy garlic mashed taters

I also was preparing to make toffee this weekend...didn't happen...but did get the almonds toasted and ground...yummy

just realized I'd already blogged this the day of...just cut and pasted it onto what I wrote today
12.18.09:went to see avatar together today...pretty good, beautiful to look at.  still coughing incessantly, or at least it feels like it...can't sleep, can't think straight to get any work done...but i can eat:)  scott made chix fried steaks and his famous (at least in this house, which is all that counts) garlic creamy mashed taters...he boiled peeled russets, puts them through a potato ricer then adds butter and sour cream and roasted garlic, s&p...like garlic clouds of potato.  he breaded the steaks, which he bought already tenderized, with a little cornmeal/flour...seasoned with s,p and cayenne, maybe a little garlic powder...i made the cream gravy...started with bacon drippings, 2 tbs and tbs flour...1% milk, which is what we had in the fridge...nutmeg and salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper...just ground tonite by yours truely.  I love the smell of freshly ground black pepper...its sweet smelling and so delicious. 
we also went to costco today to get candy ingredients...toffee season is almost passed so i gotta get on it before i miss it.  i roasted the almonds tonight and ground about 1/3 of them to be ready for making toffee tomorrow.  it helps to have the tedious prep done, so that i can do the tedious, yet calming toffee making unincumbered.  i look forward to smelling the nutty sweet aroma of carmelizing sugar and browning butter that fills the whole place...i can smell it already...and while i would have loved to have toffee orders to fill this holiday, i was relieved to not have to make hundreds of lbs of it...just enough for our own personal gifts and enjoyment...and that will still be a bit of work.  my own personal "naughty or nice" list of who's going to get toffee this year :) which in reality is just how much candy i can muster the energy to make...and this year the cash...since its not paying for itself this year with a little bit of profit...a pure gift this year...well, it always is really, since we make every bit of it.