This past weekend was full of friends, family, and food; it went by too quickly, as weekends always do, but I am well-rested and ready for another work week.

I’ve recently discovered the blog Healthy Diva Eats and thought I’d participate in MIMM this week.

Friday night’s meal was certainly marvelous. Can’t wait to go back to RBS Chicken Shack in the near future!

Saturday began pretty early (7:30 to be exact), but we had a peaceful drive to New Orleans. Despite some construction work and difficulty finding parking, we enjoyed a marvelous lunch at Stanley with our friends, Jeffrey and Shannon. We haven’t seen them since their wedding in early October, so it was nice to catch up. My cup of gumbo and half of a fried oyster po-boy were delicious!

(Side note: Stanley’s owners also have a restaurant called Stella. Any fans of A Streetcar Named Desire out there?)

After lunch, we wandered through the French Quarter and bought a few Christmas presents for our parents. We also stopped at the grocery for some “essentials” (and a king cake) and at Angelo Brocato’s for a dozen mini cannoli and some fig biscotti. Yum!

(Yes, coffee and beer are essentials in our household. We stock up because they’re slightly cheaper in NOLA.)

I quickly got past the “weird factor” of having king cake in December. I know I’ve said before that fall (Halloween + Thanksgiving) is my favorite part of the year, but December through March might be my absolute favorite. Christmas gives way to New Year’s Eve, but along the Gulf Coast, the New Year also means King’s Day (Epiphany or Twelfth Night) and Mardi Gras! In other words: King Cake and Carnival season!

Sunday we slept in. Mark worked his magic in the kitchen making spaghetti and meatballs for my dad’s (belated) birthday dinner. It was delicious as usual, and I got to break out the fancy dishes and decorate the table all Christmas-like. 🙂

The only thing NOT marvelous was running the AIR CONDITIONER!! The oven heated up the house quite a bit, but relying on the AC during December is just unacceptable. Even for Alabama!

I can remember a Christmas or two during my childhood where I donned a t-shirt and shorts on Christmas Day. Sorry, Mother Nature, but I’m supposed to wear boots…and a scarf…and a coat. Maybe it will cool down after this week. ::crosses fingers::

Here’s a photo of tonight’s dinner: spinach, beets, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, walnuts (and Vidalia onion dressing). Marvelously simple.

What’s marvelous in your Monday?

Have you begun decorating for Christmas (or Hanukkah)?