Alex and Shannon Get Married!

It was a WONDERFUL weekend in the Redwoods of California when a fabulous crew of family and friends gathered to celebrate the marriage of Alex and Shannon!

The weekend was filled with delicious home-cooked meals prepared lovingly by friends and family.  The menus ranged from a potluck smorgasbord on Friday night, amazing egg casseroles and danishes for Saturday breakfast, and delectable tacos for Saturday lunch.  The culminating meal was a savory buffet at the wedding reception.  The caterer presented grilled asparagus, creamy polenta, a juicy roast beef, and tender salmon.  The meal was paired with none other than Shannon Ridge wine (which Shantastic had introduced us to during their holiday visit this year)!  So delicious! :)

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLYWEDS!  

And thank you for a wonderfully delicious and nutritious weekend for the body and soul. 

Monthiversary Date Night

To celebrate our September monthiversary on the 22nd, we headed to our favorite local spot: The Farm.  Yes, we know it's not "news" anymore if we go here, but we did try some new dishes worth sharing.

The special appetizer of the night was a thinly sliced cured beef topped with greens, pickled cherries, and green tomatoes.  We weren't sure what to expect, but the flavor combination of the sliver of beef and nicely dressed salad was fabulous.

Then DJ opted for another special of the day:  the pork chop.  Verdict?  Cooked to perfection.  Just the right amount of juicy, savory goodness.

Mel went for one of her favorites:  the summer squash with polenta cakes.  Yum!

We were going to skip dessert, but then the waitress described one of them so nicely we just couldn't resist.  lol   I mean, you have someone tell you that a chocolate cherry brownie with pannacotta is available and see if you can say no!  And we were right to follow the temptation:  delicious!  Although, interestingly enough we detected a bit of salt in each bite.  Maybe to counter the double sweetness of chocolate and cherries?  Perhaps we need to start watching Top Chef: Just Desserts! 

Casimir and Cheese Grits

This past weekend was a time to catch up with friends.

First we met up with Carole at Casimir to celebrate the fact that she received her green card!  (Although we now have to get used to not calling her Frenchie.  lol)  

Carole enjoyed the grilled chicken (delightful grilled taste along with some fries)...

DJ tried the tomato ginger soup (has some serious kick!) and tuna nicoise salad (a nice portion to go with a soup)...

and Mel tried the salmon in ginger sauce  (salmon was done well, but gravy was a bit more like broth).

Overall we enjoy the ambience of Casimir, but sometimes the food can leave a bit to be desired.  Carole said they tend to change their menu a lot, so perhaps they're trying to find a signature dish that will lure people back for more.  In the meantime, we recommend it if you want to feel like a Frenchie without leaving the city.  :)

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Then on Sunday we went to visit Liz at her new place on the Upper West Side (love it!), and meet her new puppy: Ozzy Pawsborne, Prince of Barkness - quite possibly the sweetest little King Charles pup on the planet!

Liz went to town in her fabulous new kitchen and made a delicious spinach and cheese frittata along with cheese grits for us to enjoy while watching some football.  Such a lovely brunch!

Grill Master - Indoors!

It was a nice quiet weekend, so DJ decided to christen his birthday present: an Emeril stovetop grill!  We couldn't believe how well this grill holds the heat.  DJ seared the steaks and then popped them in the oven on the grill to finish the process and give them those cool dark lines.  :)  Absolutely delicious!  

Thanks to Emeril, the end of summer won't mean the end of grilling.

Hirut and Manny's Wedding Weekend!

HIRUT AND MANNY GOT MARRIED!!  :-D

It was a non-stop weekend of family fun in honor of their big day.

Seble, Nati, and Naomi arrived at JFK on Friday morning.  Before we headed to Connecticut, we stopped by the famous Grimaldi's to pick up a pepperoni pie and brought it over to the Promenade to enjoy it by the water.  Delicious!

 

The rest of the weekend was a whirlwind of fabulous food and festivities after that.  

A Saturday afternoon luncheon after the wedding rehearsal featured an amazing mix of Ethiopian food made by DJ's mom and Aunt Abi.  Sunday we enjoyed more fantastic Ethiopian food at the wedding reception catered by NYC's Queen of Sheba restaurant.

And at the Mels (pronounced "mulls") on Monday, we feasted on American cuisine at the home of longtime family friends, Clay and Jean.

Needless to say, we got home Monday night exhausted, stuffed, and happy.  lol

Congratulations to the happy newlyweds!