Dessert First

Didn't I tell you? This is a madcap devil-may-care sort of dinner party where dessert will be served before the entree.

Now enjoy your Honey Roasted Pears in Ginger Caramel Sauce, & then we'll see if we still have room for the main course.

We'll be sweetening up our vino too, how about an Inniskillin Vidal 2007 Icewine?

Palm Springs Dreamin

Let's take a break from our dinner party to dream about Palm Springs! What if we jumped on a plane & rented a gorgeous mid-century modern abode for a few days? The perfect mix of modern amenities & vintage lines would be just the place for a pre-holiday rest.

In the mornings we could pop over to Kings Highway at the Ace Hotel for a good old fashioned diner breakfast & a piping hot french press of Stumptown. After breakfast we can even take silly pictures in the photo booth!

Then we could go back to the house & hang out in the pool until our fingertips turn amazingly pruney.

What do you say? Shall I book it?

The Salad: Super Fresh!

Since those dates with chevre can be pretty rich, I thought you might be ready for a brisk palate cleanser. This is a frequent flyer for us on hot Summer days, the lemon & mint are wonderfully bright & refreshing. Did you finish your glass of Viognier? R's pairing suggestion is a Lemelson Pinot Gris.

First Course

Deceptively Easy Appetizers



Here are my first shots & recipes for the Food & Foto Challenge. Shooting food is a whole different ball game but, I'm pleasantly surprised at my results. Give these sweet & savory morsels a try - they are quite decadent. For the winos out there ( I kid) R's wine pairing recommendation is a Viognier like this one from Alexandria Nicole.

Shooting My Food

Lunch was tardy today, since I felt it had to be photographed before being eaten.

I'm getting in a little practice for the new Souvenir Foto Food & Foto Challenge. I'm not the Chef of the house, but hopefully with good light & flattering angles, I can make the very simple dishes I plan to shoot look dinner-guest worthy. I'll be posting my food shot & recipe here every week for the next 6 weeks if you'd like to follow along!

Wrestling Peacocks

After a ton of trial & error, I am so happy with this beautiful peacock color for a brand spankin' new Way to the Show print!


You may be wondering how difficult it can be to choose the right shade of peacock blue, right?

let's just say this is a small sample of possibilities.