That previous day...

I made Jordan a banane flambee, which he greatly enjoyed. Simplest possible dessert. Heat a small amount of butter in a heavy skillet. Don't brown the butter. Slice a banana in half lengthwise, and cook it a minutes or to on the not-flat side. Flip carefully, and then go look for some rum. When the banana is almost cooked. carefully pour in a small amount of rum (a tablespoon should do) and ignite it with a long match. It may flame up to the ceiling. Be careful. Best done with all the lights out for dramatic effect. Slip onto plate and serve. In this case, since it was 2 days post-Thanksgiving, there was spray whipped cream for garnish.

Charlie's 50th Birthday

Charlie's 50th Birthday cake. Plastic chocolate is harder to make than it looks. But no one really complained. The Reaves family portrait appears here; Charlie and I had a nice ride home with the top down of the convertible, let the record show, on November 26, 2006.