I’m pleasantly relieved that the holiday season is over.  I inherited my mother’s best and worst quality which will inevitably become mine – the curse of being a perfectionist. So while the holiday season can very well be “the most wonderful time of the year” it can also be the most stressful. It is impossible to keep it all together – perfect holiday decor, perfect holiday food, perfect family dynamics, perfect relationships and a perfectly clean puppy. After attempting to do this, I started the new year off with a failed relationship and a dog that smelled of chicken grease, creole, vomit and lavender. So on January 2nd, in an effort to put the stars back in alignment, I made black eyed peas, roast chicken, okra and tomatoes, bathed the dog and drank a bottle of prosceco. I can’t say that it worked, but I can say getting back into the groove of everyday life has made me feel like a real person again. With all the fesitvities over, I’ll be cooking a little less on Mendenhall and posting more everyday meals. Hopefully they will be just as fitting for your everyday cooking too. Happy 2010!