The weekend had its ups and downs

Robert, the kids and I went to a Cinco de Mayo party on Friday night. We didn't know anybody at the party except for one person but it turned out to be really fun and I met a lot of really nice people. The kids enjoyed themselves which really surprised me since they're usually so anti-social. There was yummy food, a great deck, great weather and, of course, good drinks. Even though we didn't stay very late (we were there for about 3 1/2 hours) I managed to have a margarita, a little wine and 2 delicious shots of tequila. So delicious, in fact, that when we got home I talked Robert into having another shot with me. My tequila at home was not as good but clearly just as strong. Soon after we had our shots I passed out on the sofa. In the morning when I woke up in my bed I didn't have a hangover and I felt pretty good but strangely I could not find my glasses. Luckily, I have another pair.

On Saturday I took Zoe out shopping for a bit and later, Robert, Sid and I checked out "Free Comic Book Day" at Dreamstrands. In the evening Zoe and I went to a friend's house to knit (other people did other crafts), eat pizza, drink wine and gab. I had just started a new ribbed scarf with really thick yarn. It turned out to be too hefty for my liking so when I got home I finished it off as a hot pad and started a new ribbed scarf with much lighter yarn. I'm liking the new scarf a lot more. It was fun to hang out and "stitch and bitch". I didn't manage to find my glasses Saturday although I was sure they were someplace really obvious and I figured I just hadn't looked hard enough.

On Sunday I cleaned house, tried out the newly sharpened lawnmower and cooked an early dinner*. I figured if I cleaned every spot of the house I'd find my glasses. I didn't. And late in the evening after sniffling a lot I found that I was getting a gigantic, painful cold sore on my lip and a cold as well. Luckily I'd just finished all my chores so I lay down on the sofa for the evening to watch tv and relax.

This morning I woke to find that my cold sore had taken over my entire face. It's so hideous, in fact, that I refuse to be seen in public and it hurts like hell. On top of that Frasier cat (who never has a cold) is sneezing like crazy. I wonder if humans can give cats colds or vice versa. Anyway, now that he has a cold, and my other cat has already been sneezing and I'm all oogy we're all taking lysene. Blah.

And I still haven't found my glasses.

*Lemon Rosemary Chicken

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, or legs and thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red onion, cut in half and sliced from root to top

1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped rosemary

1/2 cup chicken broth

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1/3 cup dried currants

1/3 cup chopped, pitted green olives

3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the chicken pieces, spreading them in a single layer. Cook them undisturbed until the bottoms of the chunks brown lightly, about 3 minutes. Scrape the chicken pieces loose with a spatula, stir them around, and cook them another 3 minutes, stirring several more times, to lightly brown the other sides. Slide the chicken out of the pan onto a warm platter.

Adjust the heat to medium-low. Add the onion and rosemary to the skillet and cook until they become limp, about 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and stir to dissolve the browned layer on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the lemon zest, currants, olives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few grindings of black pepper, and the browned chicken. Cover tightly and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.

Uncover the pan and increase the heat to high. Stir in the lemon juice, and cook until the sauce reduces and thickens enough to coat the meat with a glaze, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve while still hot.

My variations: I used 4 bone-in thighs and left the olives whole and added a little more broth to extend the cooking time by about 5 minutes to compensate for meat on the bone.

It was incredibly delicious and it's also extremely easy to make. I highly recommend it. I served it with tuscan rice.