Easter Sunday dinner, 2008, at our house in Roseville ...

Despite the fact that on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008 Sharlene and I were on diets, that Sunday turned out to be a feasting day, as we'd celebrated a fantastic breakfast at The Terrace Restaurant with the our friends, the clan MacLeod, and we'd planned a delicious dinner to celebrate the fact that Casey and Tim had moved in under our roof yesterday, and the fact that I'd just enjoyed another birthday, three days previous. Sharlene and I were on "realistic" diets that allow you to eat anything, in moderation of course, and in the course of moderation our diets allow us to enjoy one day a week of "semi-freedom." Actually, we applied that term a bit liberally, as going to an upscale restaurant and enjoying a breakfast of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding steps over the line, but on this occasion, rules were made to be broken.

Photo: Sharlene is making delicious homemade beef gravy, using pan drippings from the roast beef.

Actually, this was to be a small affair, as all of us were tired from yesterday's move, but the roast beef and the festive spirit were calling, so there were only to be seven of us, make that eight, if you count little Kayleen. Dinner was to be served about seven, and guests were to arrive around six, for drinks and appetizers. Delicious food, great company, and cold beer makes a winning combination.

Photo: Juicy, delicious, perfectly-cooked roast beef.

Sharlene and I have a birthday custom, in that we can either pick the restaurant were we want to enjoy our birthday dinner, or we can pick our favorite meal, and the other spouse will prepare the meal. Most of the time, I choose to enjoy my meal at home, as I tend to be a "home-body," I enjoy the company of family and friends, and I love Sharlene's cooking! I have two favorite entrées that she skillfully prepares: Fried chicken or roast beef. Since I was on a diet, I decided that roast beef would be the better choice, and it also provides lots of leftovers to bring to work for dinner.

Photo: Sharlene likes to make Yorkshire pudding in a cast iron frying pan, which makes for an attractive presentation. Note how the pudding rises, but when it's taken out of the hot oven, quickly lowers.

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding isn't a meal that you can whip in a half-hour, as Sharlene makes it a most-of-the-afternoon affair. She prefers to cook the beef low and slow, and the mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and homemade gravy take time to make. Both of us love to cook, so it's really a labor of love, and the proof is in the pudding, so to speak, pun intended. I like to hang around and chit-chat with her, and the guests, always with a frosty mug of beer in my hand, or nearby. That's celebrating life to the maximum!

Photo: My plate of food is in the lower center of the photo, as I'm taking the picture. It's good that I'm not particularly photogenic, as when you're behind the camera, you don't often get your photo taken.

Besides chips, dips and appetizers, tonight's menu included the following: Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, corn, peas and carrots, and Sharlene's delicious homemade beef gravy. Beverages included a wide array of soft drinks, coffee and beer. Life is good at our house in Roseville...

Photo: This delicious meal is pure joy, heaven and shear serendipity, all served together on a plate!

As I mentioned before, this is one of my favorite meals, and on this occasion, and every occasion during the last decade or so that we've been married, Sharlene prepared an outstanding meal that included delicious food, prepared with skill, love and tenderness. Add together the delicious meal and the great company and you can understand why we thumbed our noses at our diets for a day. Back on the wagon tomorrow...

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