Company

Tomorrow after church, the lovely Mrs. The Chad (formerly known as Holly) and her handsome husband, The Chad, are coming over for Sunday lunch. They were flesh and blood friends long before they were blog buddies, and are both delightful people (I could easily be either of their mothers, but we're not going there tonight).

It has been a while since I've had anyone to dinner other than my best friend, who is a "dust buddy" - the friend you can have over who will pretend to not notice the accumulation of dust on level surfaces and under the kitchen island, nor comment on the stack of fabric for a quilt which has been in the same spot in the living room since the last time she visited. The kitchen and bath are spotless; the living and dining rooms still need dusting.

A good portion of the food prep work for tomorrow has been done - dry ingredients for the cake measured into a bag and mixed, coffee set up to brew, onions and celery chopped, the brine for the pork roast chilling.

That would be the pork roast I forgot to take out of the freezer until noon...

The menu? Pork loin roast brined with apple juice, maple syrup and allspice, mashed potatoes (Instant. Sue me.), pork gravy, scalloped tomatoes (new recipe) and green beans. Chocolate cake for dessert. I think Holly is bringing rolls, and/or another dessert or veggie. All fairly simple and plain, but yummy. We certainly will have enough food.

In order to eat close to noon, I'm using the delay bake feature on the oven. While I've used it before, I've been home throughout the process, checking that the oven did come on at the time for which it was set. Tomorrow, I'll be out of the house early; I need to be very, very careful when programming the timers, or lunch may end up becoming dinner.

Better get to the dusting and checking to see what I've forgotten...y'all are welcome to stop in and join us if you are in the neihborshood, though since the roast is only about three and a half pounds, it will be first come, first served.