So I have not updated in months. I think the sheer amount of pictures, and things happening just started becoming overwhelming. I still want to retroactively add posts, but maybe in a different fashion. I think I’m getting too caught up with adding text, stories, and the elaborate weaving and recounting the tales of our adventures that I forgot that the main reason was to share the pictures with some accompanying text in order to help explain pictures when necessary. I guess that’s what captions are for too though.  In any case, hopefully this is a more permanent proclamation that I have returned for, at least, the rest of the year. I know some of my friends actually rely on this blog to see what I’ve been up to, which then promotes more conversation the next time I see them!

Olivia came to Michigan for some weekend events, but instead of flying/driving here twice in a week she made the sane decision to stay for the week and take a, probably much needed, vacation. I was happy to finally get to see her after so many years, and threw a dinner party.

It was originally intended that Jill and I would concoct a menu for this occasion, but given her busy schedule I ended up creating a semblance of a menu the night before. By the morning I fleshed out the wisps of ideas in my brain.

The final menu consisted of:

Butternut Squash soup
Pork and Beef Medallions served with Mashed Potatoes, Rapini, and a wine reduction.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Fennel & Garlic
Sauteéed Corn, Scallion, and Cherry Tomato
Creme Brulée

These are the results.

Brussel Sprouts ready for roasting

Tuna being prepped

Butternut Squash out of the oven

My cooking partner! She fixes things I screw up.

Final Plating of Entree. Medallions on Mashed Potatoes with Rapini

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Fennel and Garlic

Sauteed corn with scallions and cherry tomatoes

Pat is a vegetarian that eats fish, so in lieu of meat medallions, I made him a seared tuna.

The presentation on his plate turned out much better than I anticipated

Olivia’s plate looked so good, so I took a picture of all the food

Friends

Enjoying dinner. Pat is about to burst from all the food.

While cooking was slightly rushed and I overcooked the creme brulée (of which I’m rather upset about since that’s now probably my most cooked dessert), we had a fantastic night which ended in a few games of J.S. Joust. What an excellent party game.

-Evilmanta