So...whats for dinner?

Guess what I'm having-----Salsa chicken and brown rice.  Like an idiot, I picked up a bag of Mozerella  cheese instead of Cheddar.... Contemplated putting spaghetti sauce over the chicken instead, but i'd already opened my black beans and a can of diced chilies....  OH WELL,  good thing I"m not a picky eater.....

Friday night was a total blast! We started with a choice of raspberry, peach or mango bellinis, and then moved to the garden to enjoy the antipasto speed. Bumjoo wrote "The appetizers included: charcuterie, cheeses, homemade marinated mushrooms, house marinated mozzarella, first homegrown tomatoes of the season with basil, olives and peperoncini and peppers" I had also made some gluten free bread for her. Then we fired up the grill to cook some Prime NY Strips, 3 lobsters, and a bunch of planked vegetables. There was also some sautéed corn. Dessert was some almond florentines, chocolate sorbet, dairy free ice cream, and dairy ice cream. 

Someone took a blurry picture of the main course, lined up on the table.

I can't believe that they will be leaving for the UK soon. I will miss knowing that they are a quick plane ride away.

Tonight husband and I went to Oleana for our 32nd wedding anniversary celebration. I am totally stuffed! It was a delicious dinner of meze. Seven in all, plus a dessert to share. We could have passed on the dessert. We rolled home.

Tonight's super moon has been gorgeous. We were seated on the patio of the restaurant and could watch it rise up above the patio twinkly light.

*susan*

hmm... I didn't make sense....chillies mixed with the spaghetti sauce....is what I meant to type.

Carole, I'm impressed with your attention to the weight mgmt. It is so hard to do that while traveling....especially where all those sausages are popular! I have yet to make it to  the scale this morning now that we are home.

Susan, it would be really tempting to crash your special dinners! WOW....amazing!  We have never been to Oleana....must try.

For DGD's birthday pool party on Saturday, DDIL ordered catered Italian food.....lots of big tasty sandwiches (eggplant, cold cuts, caprese, chicken parm, etc., etc,), two pastas,  a beautiful garden salad with colorful toppings, and, of course, a decorated Peppa Pig cake with layers of custard with strawberries and banana slices. The Peppa Pig family was new to me! It was a fun party for the 30+ kids and adults. Lots of eating, swimming, being amused by kid antics, and ending with a great view of the super moon. 

Sunday, DS1 spent most of the day operating on two broken hip patients, and DDIL was on call for a delivering  mom, and we relaxed at home with the resident grandparents, playing with the grands. That evening we all went to a local  Thai restaurant and I had my first experience with 'drunken noodles'..... tasty!

Yesterday we drove our tired selves home, but first picked up some Jersey corn and tomatoes, then brought lunch (delicious club sandwiches and cookies from a new cafe and bakery in Stratford, CT) to my stepmother who is housebound with a fractured back. She seems to be healing in her brace and it is always great to visit with her. On Thursday, DS2 is bringing Chi girl to meet her, then to meet DS1 and family. 

So once home last night, we enjoyed the Jersey corn (OMG so yum!) and tomatoes along with the leftover halves of our club sandwiches...and some Frascati! I rarely drink alcohol anymore, but there are just some times it is necessary!!

Happy to be home.....wish I was doing nothing.....but DH had tickets to "The Moth" for tonight, so we are having a quick dinner in Cambridge with friends before heading to the performance. The stories are about "deception". 

Moon, hope that knee is coming along.

Have a good Tuesday, everyone!

Special, I LOVE your plan for today! You need a rest! And how wonderful to anticipate having both chicks home! Enjoy!

DH just came home with an invite to go sailing on Friday with a colleague of his. NoNoNo!!! I was really worried about how I could say "no" w/o seeming like the stick in the mud I am feeling like. Well, good news....he was feeling the same way. Yay for same page 'stick in the mudness'! Instead we will head to NH Thursday where we will plan to follow Special's itinerary of today.

Debbie, I totally agree with you about diets which is why I deprive myself of nothing....and get to be a happy foodie with a "mostly" healthful eating style, and my weight is just fine. I do notice when I eat at other's houses, that I eat way less empty carbs at home than I used to....e.g., not eat white pasta and white bread, white rice, bagels etc., but don't miss them at all, and certainly have some if that is all that's offered somewhere else. No deprivation here.

Garden report.....when we left town, I had a nice little tomato (yes one!) looking like it would be getting close to ripening when we returned. Well, not so fast! It totally disappeared while we were gone. This is a totally non-productive summer for food! Madness! And since I will not be canning ANYTHING, I purchased a few cans of Jersey tomatoes at DS1's local farm stand to bring home. Did so last year and really liked them. I agree with Carole about Nance sitting on a produce goldmine!

Forgot to say that tonight's dinner is a chicken breast, sautéed corn with colored peppers, and garden salad.  The chicken will be cut into two thin filets and pan-seared. 

susan - awesome!  And Oct. 9th is my birthday - hope it brings you all more luck!  I like the full circle thing with you getting married at your parent's home and all of us seeing those pics so recently, and now she is getting married at your home - just great!

Susan, that is awsome. Sounds like it will be a special day. 

Specialk you too! Family is special.

Carole Heartland table is great show. A lot of the food is similar to Wisconsin. Well maybe NOT lutefisk! LOL And I grew up eating ring bologna. It was a cheap sausage for my family of 10. We also fried regular bologna with onions for sandwiches.  Again filling and cheap. And actually probably better for us as a lot of the fat rendered out in cooking. LOL

Supper tonight was a burgandy beef kabob from Sendiks. Yum. 

Wonderful news, Susan!  I'm happy for you.

Eric, is that the Southwest version of "wicked cool"?

Just finished having an interview with some administrators at a local elementary school to figure out if and how they can use me as a counseling volunteer. I am hoping that I can implement some of the social and emotional skill building programs I developed over the past twenty years with the elementary students in my own community. We'll see how this works out. I can use a little structure in my life during the winter! They were receptive....free service afterall.

Off to the gym on a torrentially rainy day.....

OH Susan---I LOVE Weddings-----cake, cream cheese mints, spiced nuts in little cups, and Punch------WOOHOO.   I even like getting the registry and seeing what they pick out.  And wrapping the present, and the quirky games you play at showers....

 the only wedding I was ever in was on Oct 4th.  What a great time of the year. 

Here's a toast to a long happy lifetime together.

Hi Viv

I hope you feel better. Here is a song to sing at your dinner. We were marched out as children and forced to perform this for the adult's entertainment  at parties as children.  I'm sure you can make up some movements to go along like swimming and sea Have fun!

THE HUKILAU SONG © 1948
Lyrics & Music: Jack Owens

Sheet Music:

Recordings:
CD: Hukilau Hulas (GNP Crescendo GNPD 35)

Oh, we're going to a hukilau
A huki, huki, huki, huki, hukilau
Ev'rybody loves a hukilau
Where the laulau is the kau kau at the big luau

We'll throw our nets out into the sea And all the ama ama come-a swimming to me Oh, we're going to a hukilau
A huki, huki, huki, huki, hukilau
Ev'rybody loves a hukilau
Where the laulau is the kau kau at the hukilau

What a beautiful day for fishing
In the old Hawaiian way
All the hukilau nets are swishing
Down in old Laie Bay
Oh, we're going to a hukilau
A huki, huki, huki, huki, hukilau
Ev'rybody loves a hukilau
Where the laulau is the kau kau at the big luau

 Dinner was black bean burgers. Mash up beans mix with bread crumbs, an egg and sautéed onion. put in pan with olive oil Put on a roll with ketchup and eat. I will never catch up. Hello to all I work-sleep-work-sleep

Grrrrrrr.......lost post while DH was doing something to our router.....so you get spared my long post!

Viv, happy to hear you are doing well. Too bad your little chefs have to return to school!!

Bedo, interesting black bean burger.

At lake,.....need to make nectar to fill hummingbird feeders....doing little else. .  Very, very cool....good walking weather. Dinner tonight with friends from home at Pasquaney Inn across the lake.  Planning to have Sunday brunch at Church Landing, a newer inn on Lake Winnipesaukee, popular wedding spot....they do a great brunch buffet.

Used our tasty Jersey tomatoes in caprese salads over arugula the last two nights. Had that with skillet chicken with veggies and balsamic. Better leftovers of the chicken last night....

Specialk

In Orlando til Sunday, where in east coast are you driving to? 

V

Bedo & Luv - I learned the Hukilau with appropriate dance steps when I was a kid in Northern CA.  I think I can even remember a few of the hand movements.  Plastic leis!!

Olathe sweet corn hit the stores two weeks ago and was gone in 2 days.  I was luck to snag 4.  A new shipment came in this morning.  I'll be eating nothing but corn & watermelon for the next week.  Oh and maybe some Hatch chili stuff since it's the festival month.  Central Market makes the most delicious Hatch chili scones.