A new year, a new lentil

Happy New Year Everyone! Did you all eat your black-eyed peas for good luck? I didn't, but I always aspire to and my grandmother does each year. I'm glad January is here. The holiday season for me is always mostly wonderful and very complicated. I'm still figuring out how to best enjoy and savor the holidays. This year I had so many good intentions and made many good mental notes, but had such little follow-through. I never got my daughters a new ornament in order to mark each year of their childhood. And I never did throw that super-low key and super-amazing Christmas party. I did however make an oyster stew for Christmas eve. That was pretty much the highlight of what happened in my kitchen -that, and the fact that Naomi and I survived several rounds of cookie baking together. If you ever need to work on your patience and perseverance, bake something with a two-year old. But, hurrah for January! I've given up trying to stop shopping at Whole Foods Market. And instead I just try to make tiny little trips, buying merely bananas and french lentils and superior olive oil at half price, for example. That is what I got today and I'm so excited. If there is anything that will get me back in the kitchen it is this.