Thank you, thank you Michael for sharing your dinner. It looks wonderful and I'm sorry that your plans had to change. I'm sure everyone would have loved the dinner. Five pounds of lamb stuffed with beef will certainly give you lots of leftovers. The asparagus risotto will be in my "2008 to try" file also. Thanks also for linking the video because I learned that even though I don't stir risotto constantly, I can stir it a lot less. Lee

You could substitute feta for the goat cheese in my recipe. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Spinach, Dill and Goat cheese Bread Pudding =========================================== 1 to 2 tablespoons butter 2 leeks chopped (White part) 1 garlic clove minced approximately 2 cups, of fresh baby leaf spinach (tightly Packed) 1/4 cup fresh dill chopped 5 slices of bread, buttered, crusts removed and cut into 1 inch cubes. 2 to 3 eggs 1/2 cup cream salt and pepper goat cheese (small pieces) 1/4 parmesan cheese . Heat butter and saute leeks, when tender add garlic and saute for a minute or so. Add the spinach and fry until just wilted. Remove from heat. In a large bowl beat the eggs with the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the leek mixture and add the chopped dill. Add the bread cubes. Mix well and then add the goat cheese and parmesan cheese. Pour into a buttered casserole dish, or 3 or 4 ramekins, sprinkle with a little more Parmesan cheese and bake in a Bain Marie for approximate 20 minutes or until golden.

Funny - my "original" recipe for the Green Bean & COM soup calls for Worcestershire instead of Soy Sauce LOL! I wonder which original is original! LOLOLOL! As an alternative, I had this at a friends house last year and it was really REALLY good... maybe it might work for you? Best Ever Green Bean Casserole Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007 .Prep Time:25 minInactive Prep Time:-- Cook Time:45 minLevel: EasyServes: 4 to 6 servings.Ingredients For the topping: 2 medium onions, thinly sliced 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs 1 teaspoon kosher salt Nonstick cooking spray For beans and sauce: 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 12 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup half-and-half Directions Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F. While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside. Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

picked up dinner while at Costco, platter of boiled shrimp and cocktail sauce, and a platter of mesquite chicken wings, mix and match LOL and some of the juciest sweetest nectarines I have ever eaten, for dessert.