I spent 3 hours yesterday walking through the new house we are buying with our builder and his wife the interior designer to review features, tweak layout, agree on lighting and fixtures, and, most importantly, review the complete kitchen design. I've never built or remodeled a house, so this was the first chance I had to think about kitchen layout (like including a full counter lined with a long appliance garage for all my heavy work tools), to specify appliances (Wolf and Subzero), and to pick cabinetry (like the very cool floor to ceiling bookshelves for my 500 cookbooks that will include a library ladder to reach the upper shelves). It was a great experience and I can't wait to settle in our new digs.

I also taught a private cooking lesson yesterday where we focused on appetizers plus made a dinner. Here's what we made:

Pan Seared Lemon & Garlic Shrimp
Cannellini Bean Dip with Pita Crisps
Tuna Tartare in Wonton Cups
Mushroom Palmiers
Prosciutto and Fontina Wagon Wheels
Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks on a Bed of Couscous

I was tired and not hungry when I got home and didn't eat any dinner, but did manage to nibble a couple of my healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies before bed.