Cauliflower, scallops, and my neighbor

Learning to tie shoes is hard work, made better by a good friend.
I intended to  post a serious cooking blog tonight about all the good cooking I'd done today--but things didn't quite work out that way. I did begin the day with good spontaneous cooking. Early this morning, I loaded the crockpot with chicken broth, canned tomatoes, a bouillon cube, veggies out of the freezer--carrots, green beans and peas--plus some new potatoes that needed to be used and some spinach I'd bought for the soup. Added salt, pepper, and thyme. Let it simmer while I went to church, and served it for lunch to Elizabeth and Weldon. The carrots, having been frozen, were still a bit crunchy, and the potatoes really weren't soft, but the flavor was great and we each ate two bowls. It was a sendoff luncheon for Elizabeth who is going on a two-week intensive yoga trip to India--and is so excited! Weldon will stay home and experiment with recipes for their gluten-free, dairy-free lifestyle. I have pretty much decided that when I find an odd  recipe I send or save it for them. Today is was kale and macaroni and something.
Tonight's menu was scallop cakes (omigosh, do you know how much a pound of sea scallops costs? On sale, it was $20) and cauliflower. I tossed the cauliflower flowerets with olive oil, salt and thyme and roasted them while makng the soup this morning. Delicious just that way!
Well, tonight, things went awry. My neighor Jay came for a drink (at my invitation) and stayed for supper (at my invitation).  In fact, he cooked--or tried to--the scallop cakes, but something was off. We analyzed it later and decided I needed more flour and I needed to use the elecric skillet instead of the cast iron one which doesn't cook as evenly. But the flavor was great. And I made a vinaigrette dressing for the cauliflower--good stuff.
While we were eating it began to snow, and nothing would do but that Jay, a Vermont native, took Jacob outside to catch snowflakes--big,  wet,sloppy ones on his tongue. Jay kep having to tell him not to close his eyes.
I had every intention of making some chocolate mini cupcakes tonight, but the hilarity of the evening--and the snow--meant it was 9:30 before I got dinner put away. Guess that's a project for tomorrow, The cupcakes take a chocolate cake mix, a can of pumpkin, and a cup of chocolate chip morsels. A Weight Watchers recipe and so delicious!
I may not have been a great cook tonight but I sure had a good time.