Mmmm.  Today I ventured out of my 'comfort cooking zone' and made Beef Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup) from scratch.  It isn't so much that it is difficult, as that it takes a very long time to make the broth.  I told josiejunk that I would cook dinner tonight, but I needed to come over early as the broth in the recipe called for 6 hours to 'simmer'. 

I went to our Asian grocery store and picked up all the necessary items to cook Pho.  The beef oxtail took a while to cook, and really, it could have simmered even longer for taste's sake.  But all in all it came out pretty good!  Even josiejunk's husband was impressed, which is a good sign - but he did help me "kick it up a notch" at the end, to make the broth better.

We topped off the good meal with some good white wine and home baked chocolate chip cookies.  I think Alex ate about 10 cookies - he kept yelling for more cookies as soon as he finished the last one.  Then it was time for his bath at Auntie Josie's house, so we gave the kids a bath and then put them to sleep - well, at least one to sleep, as Alex refused to be read a bedtime story.

Then it was time for josiejunk and I to indulge in some Appletini's - and boy does Josaphine make a mean Appletini!  It was scrum-didili-umptious!  Thanks goes out to lizardbeth for the appletini sugar for the rims and appletini mixer!  Yummy!

Needless to say I called my husband to drive us all home (he was at a basketball game that night) as I had one to many appletinis!  Hooray for my designated driver!