Feeling productive and festive

It is quite nice to start your day, well the third or fourth hour of my day, with a refreshing run and shower. By 9:45 this morning, I was all exercised and clean and still had about two hours at home alone. This was after getting a little snuggle in bed with Oliver and then listening to a hilarious exchange about rocket top-speeds between Jack and one of his pals on the way to school. I have, since, polished my boots, put away 50% of the crap that's littering my house (you wouldn't be able to tell, but I can), done a decent amount of laundry, bathed Percy, vacuumed, tidied up the old inbox and so forth. I've got some new baking sheets that I'm going to christen today with some cardamom cookies that look terrific and depending on the boys' nuttiness level post-school, we might make those Buckeye goodies I've been going on about for a few weeks now. I just feel terribly festive and also fairly rested thanks only to the fact that we got away this past weekend. My poor mother-in-law looked totally wiped out when we got the boys yesterday which I completely understand. She is a real champ.

For tonight's Meatless Monday main, I'm going to make a recipe I recently clipped from the Times: Lemony Couscous and Pecan Dressing with Parsley and Garlic. You cook it in a gratin dish, and it contains 4 eggs so I'm assuming it's like a stuffing-gratin blend of sorts. If I recall, it's a Melissa Clark dish, and you know the faith I have in her. Will keep you posted. I might also have to make this insanely good braised fennel and Meyer lemon dish as a side. It's so good I'll go post that one now for you...