Happy Birthday randomdreams!

I came up with a few fun things to do.

We went to Hammonds Candies to tour the Candy Factory! Except it was full of more sugar high kids than a McDonalds. We were clearly never getting on and off the tour before we died of hunger. We just got a few things at the gift shop and decided to come back after Christmas. That took 45 minutes.
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I found L'Asie Fusion Bistro on Google Maps the other day and loved how the menu looked. John wanted Thai and they did not disappoint.
I told our middle-aged Asian waiter, "This is the best peanut sauce I have ever had."
"Ahhh... yes... it's like smack isn't it? I eat it on everything."
*giggles* "I think I've broken it down. Red Curry Paste, Coconut Milk, smooth peanut butter, and fish sauce.... and no soy sauce? Right?"
He nodded. "I'll send you home with some extra to compare your version to."

I hope I get it right.
They are on 6th and Pearl http://www.lasiedenver.com/

John's Birthday

John's favorite food is either sugar-packet sugar, or white rice with soy sauce and cheddar. My bad for making him something we will both enjoy for his birthday dinner.

A whole duck has been $2.29 a lb. Making it cheaper than good chicken. Duck cooked correctly is not greasy, and very tasty, it just takes a little work. A little work, not a lot, really. Martha Stewart breaks it down here: http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/roast-duck-101#slide_0

Ducks are pretty small and you don't get a leftovers worth of meat out of one, but you'll have the bones for stock, the organs and skin (if you don't like them) for stuffing the KONG ball.

I'm also doing mashed potatoes and salad.

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I made this Lemon Cheesecake a few days ago (doubled the lemon). It is wonderful! Raves all around. http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1813,148174-239202,00.html

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I made some particularly bad Thai Red Curry Goose the other day. Don't curry your goose.

And an "interesting" Indian-meets-Italian dish from 660 Curries. Out of the 80 or so of them I have made so far, it has only been the second one I have felt was not very good.

I resolved to read 200

I'm at 468 books. Go unemployment! I'm in the middle of "Machine of Death" and "Stronger than dirt : how one urban couple grew a business, a family, and a new way of life from the ground up."

There are 10 days left in this year, 500 makes a nice year. Tomorrow we are going to the library and finding 30 books that will be possible to read in 10 days.
And if the last 4 in Sweep come in, I'm going to have to take them on too.