There was a time when my family thoroughly enjoyed my feasts made from recipes of famous chefs. My feasts (aka DesignerDinners) are made from recipes of some of the best including none other than the likes of Eric Ripert, Jean Georges Vongerichten, Gordon Ramsey, Rick Tramonto, and my all-time favorite: the famed Thomas Keller.

Back in the day, when Tom would walk through the door after a long, hard day’s work, and asked me what was for dinner, his eyes would light up with delight when I would tell him what I was making. I guess I don’t blame him because “back in the day,” not only would I do all the cooking, but I would also do all the cleaning. Well, folks, the tides have changed. Yes, indeed. The tides have changed.

Now, our general unspoken rule of thumb is I cook, Tom cleans. I’m not sure how and why the tides changed, but I’m sure not going to argue it. I’m no dummy. You’re probably wondering “what’s the big deal about cleaning up?” Let me put it to you this way. There is a clear, stated difference between cleaning up after dinner and cleaning up after a DesignerDinner. With a DesignerDinner, there are usually five times as many ingredients + five times as many pots/pans = 10 times the mess.

My recent DesignerDinner was a work of art. No lie. I decided to make a classic recipe from the Escoffier era. Let me introduce you to Escoffier, if you’re already not familiar. Georges Auguste Escoffier was a French chef, restaurateur, and noted culinary author. He is a legendary figure among chefs and gourmands and one of the most important leaders in the development of modern French cuisine.

Well, my Escoffier-era dish was Filet of beef en croute with mushroom duxelle. In translation, this is beef tenderloin wrapped in sautéed mushrooms with cream, wrapped in spinach, wrapped in homemade crepes, wrapped in puff pastry and baked to a perfect golden brown.

I was completely in my element as I clarified my butter, made my duxelle, and danced around the kitchen like a mad woman throwing flour around with abandon. I was having a fantastic time until…

Tom walked through the door.

I heard the garage door open then followed by a weary “Hi, what’s for dinner?” I made one comment “DesignerDinner” and heard a soft, but noticeable groan coming from the mud room. I can only imagine what Tom thought when he walked around the corner to see what he saw. His eyes grew huge as he surveyed the kitchen, the mountain of pots and pans on the stove and the shrieks of laughter coming from the kids as they ran around like wild animals waiting to be hunted down.

Yes, the kitchen was a mess. There was flour everywhere – on the counter, on the floor, and even on the dog. (I’ll take responsibility for the counter and floor, but that’s about it. Have no idea what happened to the dog).

I methodically continued to slave over my dish, ignoring the cries of impatience and hunger coming from the two wild animals running around the room. As time ticked on and the impatience and cries grew (this time coming not only from the wild animals, but also from Tom), I sighed an exasperated sigh while muttering “No one appreciates art!” under my breath. Finally, my masterpiece was done and ready to go into the oven.

Let me tell you, the project was worth the wait. It was a gorgeous piece of modern art. I was so proud of it and we wolfed it down like the carnivores we truly are. I could tell by the look on Tom’s face that he was pretty satisfied with the dish and maybe the three hours I spent on it as well as the two hours of his impending cleanup is worth it.

Would I make this dish again? Absolutely! Maybe just not on a week night and maybe with just a little less flour next time.

Now that the holidays are over, I might actually think about doing some shopping for myself. They say the best time to shop is after the season is over, or in this case, after the holidays. After all, everything is on sale and usually you can get coupons for an extra discount.

One thing I’ve noticed since I left the corporate world is that my wardrobe and fashion sense has taken a backseat. Quite a backseat, in fact. There was a time when I may have been in the running for best dressed, but those days are long gone. I’m not much of a shopper, you see, and since my current work attire consists solely of a white chef coat, white apron and black chef pants, there’s no reason for me to look too deep in the aisles at Saks Fifth Avenue or Neiman Marcus.

Don’t get me wrong. Although you won’t see me shopping too much for myself, I still know what looks good. I’m not THAT much of a cave woman. I still like to rock it in my 7 Jeans and black fur-lined boots. (Okay, the jeans were a present from Tom because I just won’t spend that kind of money on myself).

I have to admit I’m not an easy person to shop for. I literally don’t want anything. Gift cards are great, but that’s the extent of it. If I want something, I would have already bought it myself. So when you ask me what I want for Christmas or my birthday, you will always get the same response – “nothing.” And I’m serious about that. I’m not trying to be difficult. I’m not trying to be coy. I’m not trying to be anything. It’s just that I’m at a place in life where I just don’t need “stuff.” I don’t need another widget. Do you know where my widgets end up? In the box going to Goodwill.

But…every now and again, I do admit I yearn for something trendy. Something that says “Hey, you still got it going on. You still know how to work it.” I recently had one of those moments.

Tom and I were recently at the Mall of America during one of the post-holiday-sales trips. At one point, I decided to go look for boots. I love the cosmopolitan look that a nice pair of boots can give you. I like the style it creates. The look of couture. The look of sophistication. This time, I thought to myself. THIS time, I will buy me a pair of THOSE boots. You know of which I speak. Those boots that you would see a celebrity wear while meeting a girlfriend for coffee, all the while pretending not to be annoyed by the paparazzi. Ah, yes. This time I will buy those boots, not the mom boots like I usually do.

As we got near the department, I quickly eyed all the selections available. I saw boots of various colors, with heels, without heels, with buckles, with no buckles, you name it. I spent all of 15 minutes looking. Remember, I’m not a shopper. By the time we left the department store, I had found a pair of boots I liked and looked forward to spending the rest of the winter in them. With my mom boots in tow, we headed home.

Okay, you read right. Mom boots. I know, I know. I’m all talk. At the end of the day, that’s what I feel most comfortable in – and they really were cute. But NEXT time, however. Next time, I swear I’ll get me a pair of those boots.