Oooooooklahoma...

The Holidays are notorious for great food and time spent with family. They are also accompanied by frequent visits to other friends and families, and not a lot of time for relaxation. However, when we go stay with the husband's fam, it's quiet and peaceful, perfect for two city dwellers to kick back for a couple of days.

I have braved one of the things I fear most and have flown to western Oklahoma with my husband for the festivities. I hate flying, though one of the airports did have an Au bon pain.

Let's back track.

We had Christmas Eve at home in Chicago. I sing at a midnight service on Christmas Eve, so it limits us to when we can get to the homesteads. Christmas Eve for us was filled with more eating out than in as we were burdened with laundry washing and packing.

For a late breakfast/brunch, a favorite in Lincoln Square: Cafe Salmarie. The husband wished for (as Wooster puts it) E&B. And I just couldn't undo the lovely cleaning that he had done in our kitchen so didn't care what I ate as long as it was good and made for me somewhere else. And these guys, creators of prime pies, cakes, tarts, and breads, didn't disappoint. Corned Beef Hash with poached eggs. They make it all in house, and I highly recommend heading over there for an indulgence. You rarely find the hash on menus done as such.

I thought the eggs, cooked perfectly, could have been salted just a tad more, but the hash was perfectly seasoned, and cured really nicely, with home style potatoes instead of the traditional shredded. The Coffee here is lovely and they have great chilaquiles as well.

Dinner was simple, a little husband sauteed manchego and breadcrumb encrusted chicken with sweet potato fries and corn; and then it was off to sing.

After waking up at 3:30am to make a 6 am flight, I have to confess...nothing sounded better at 5am than a skillet burrito form McD's. I know, I know. Who knew. I did not however have McD's coffee, which I think is crap. The X-mas blend from Seattle's most notorious instead, which actually I think is not as xmasy as it could be, kind of bland this year compared to other roasts. At the Dallas airport changing planes there were yummy pastries to be had. I really prefer the Chocolate croissant the way the french do it and not like most American bakers, with actual pieces of bittersweet chocolate in the middle, rather than a paste of sorts.

The husband's mother is a great cook, and for lunch we had chicken and egg noodles with mashed potatoes, and green beans and stuffing, and dinner was chicken fried steak with all the fixin's. Our holiday meal is today, a we are awaiting more family to arrive.

When one is tired and burdened, a mother's cooking is in a class by itself. Warm and simple and just plain good. I have no idea how she makes any of the above, but I can say that it is no fuss, wonderful food.