games: cleveland vs new england
detroit vs philadelphia
minnesota vs baltimore
atlanta vs green bay
escape:  maddy’s gallery wall
menu: meat + cheese + olives
gnocchi

To make up for last Sunday’s major lack of effort, Mike had an ambitious pre-game chain of events on the docket.  9am hit, he  soldiered straight to the couch and then proceeded to shake awake the body laying on it.  The body in question was Kevin; a friend from Winnipeg in town for work and passed out on our couch as a result of Saturday night festivities.

Kevin’s 1 ask while visiting was for Mike to take him back to the Cheese Boutique; a foodie’s gourmet dreamland.  Once dressed in their Sunday’s best [for Kevin…his Saturday’s best], they were out the door.  Before I set my alarm for that extra hour of sleep, with 1 eye open, I texted Mike my 1 request: meat + cheese [2 of my 3 ‘if I were stranded on an island’ essentials] – and then snoozed.

Who needs an alarm when you have a husband addicted to prompt pre Football Sunday ramen.  Mike called, woke me up and gave me a 20 minute warning.  They were en route back and I needed to be downstairs and ready to hop into the car or no ramen for Madelaine.  I couldn’t miss Kevin experiencing his first legit bowl.  Mike and I packed it back, and though Kevin enjoyed his first few bites, his Saturday night was preventing him from enjoying his Sunday ramen.

Don’t be fooled by the title; snow touched down in Sunday Football land but not here in Toronto…not yet.  Less than 3 weeks to Christmas and still no snow on the streets of downtown Toronto.  The second we got home from our ramen + grocery run, Mike powered on the TV and there, on the screen, was a blurr of white.  The Detroit-Philly game looked as though it was being played in a snow globe that was being continuously shook.  I must say, football is way more interesting to watch in a blizzard.  Watching passes and tackles are that much more exciting when a flurry of white follows and adds a little extra drama to each action.

Hands down, MVP of the game were the guys who shovelled and snow blowed (snow blew?) the lines in between plays.

I left Football Sunday and headed to Maddy’s to help her put up her, long over due, gallery wall.  Her white walls are finally going to be a little less white.  We originally planned the frame layout/map several Sundays ago and since, it has been living in Maddy’s cellphone photo album.  As we referenced the photo we hammered and hung.

Though Maddy had some empty frames and not enough of them, we were determined to hang what she did have up on her dining room wall.  *side note* as frame filler Maddy used the 2 images she had of Mike and me that originally lived on her fridge; 1 from our wedding and the other from Thanksgiving.  We made the cut along with several other magazine tears.  NBD.  The wall is a work in progress; blanks need to be filled and some frames need to be moved.  However, it’s taking shape and coming together splendidly.

After an afternoon of frame shopping and hammering, Maddy + Charlie + I headed back to my place for dinner.  As per my request Mike and Kevin put together an amazing meat and cheese board [including my fave Cerignola olives] as an appetizer.

They could have stopped at the charcuterie board but they didn’t!  For our main, Mike and Kevin (but I think mostly Kevin) whipped up a potato gnocchi in a tomato + meat sauce topped with a hit of pecorino cheese.

-Happy Almost Christmas!

football pic 1 dallasnews.com / Matt Rourke
football pic 2 timesunion.com / Matt Rourke