Fried Chicken and Fennel Salad

I figure it's best if I come clean about something right away. I don't cook. I mean, I must have at one time. Once upon a time I did live on my own and managed to sustain myself somehow. Oh, I can whip up some pretty good scrambled eggs. I can cook pasta. I can pop bread into the toaster, and even make oatmeal when pressed. Mostly I stick to the breakfast arena. Baking is another matter, but let's save that for another day.

Luckily, I am blessed with a husband who cooks. A husband who likes to cook. Heron comes home from a full day of teaching and almost immediately begins rifling through cookbooks and back issues of Cooks Illustrated. He is an adventurous cook and isn't afraid to attempt new and complicated dishes. But tonight? Fried chicken and biscuits!

My brother-in-law, Damon, and his longtime squeeze, Molly, (who, by the way, I refer to as my sister-in-law, just for future reference!) joined us for this feast. They are both fabulous cooks, also, and together they created a deliciously crunchy fennel-greens-citrus-walnut salad with some kind of balsamic-y dressing. All in all a real treat of a meal.

Molly, Damon, Kieran and Heron chow down on the good eats.

After the meal Kieran treated us to some singing and dress-up performances. Here he is as a "killer gnome".  (His term, not mine. Should I be worried?)

The "killer gnome" strikes a menacing pose.

This wonderful evening capped off an afternoon spent in the big city of Calais. I did a little visiting with my good buddy and sister in craftiness, Jana. Then I stopped in at the Calais Bookstore, where I spent an hour getting lost in all those books. This is the kind of shop where you stumble upon a fabulous book you didn't even realize you needed or wanted. There are stacks everywhere. The proprietor (I can't recall her name right now) keeps up on all the current titles in addition to the extensive and varied collection of second hand offerings. I had to tear myself away from the knitting books (especially New England Knits and Last Minute Knitted Gifts) and remind myself I was shopping for others! I purchased a couple of new identification guides  (mushrooms and  trees) for Kieran. Also for Kieran, I scored a used copy of The Way Things Work by David Macaulay. I had been considering this book for him for awhile. What a find!  An exciting book for a little boy interested in, well, the way things work! I have no doubt that everyone could find something in this eclectic little book shop. You locals should check it out. We are lucky to have that gem of a place so close by.

This week will be busy with last minute Christmas craftiness. Wish me luck!