Last night, I tried my hand at chowda. I've never made chowder before and made a nice, low fat one using cod, leeks, potato, wild fish stock, and skim milk. David kept declaring his love for the chowder, something that made me extremely happy as he had spent almost the entire day cursing at the faucet he was installing. He deserved a nice warm meal for all of his efforts. We now have running water in the downstairs bathroom!

I, on the other hand, spent my day declaring my love for the new washer and dryer. It's so low on lint, takes very little detergent, the dryer is done way before the washer, and our clothes smell better. David said that it was like our old machine wasn't really cleaning anything. When I wasn't doing laundry, I was running various household errands including my umpteenth time to Lowe's in the course of three days.

We finished up our weekend by building a fire, sitting down with our espresso and the New York Times, and just being.

Dinner Snapshot - Mussels in White Wine

As this recipe only takes ten minutes, there's no reason not to make it!

Mussels steamed in white wine, minced shallots and garlic, butter, chives, and italian parsley. Served with grilled sourdough (and the remainder of the wine, of course).

Mussels in White Wine

40 mussels (20 mussels per person)

1 cup dry white wine

1 shallot, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

6 tbs butter, cut into eighths

Chives, minced, to taste

Italian parsley, minced, to taste

1. In a large covered wok, melt the butter.

2. Saute the shallot and garlic until fragrant, about two minutes.

3. Add the wine. Bring to a simmer.

4. Add the mussels, parsley, and chives. Stir and cover.

5. Cook until mussels are opened, about five minutes.

6. Divide mussels and pour remaining sauce over the top.

7 Serve with grilled sourdough for dipping.