Summer Solstice

Well, well, well. I realize I have not posted in ages but it has taken me a while to get back to routine since I arrived back from South Carolina. Jane has done an excellent job of chronicling our adventure, so check out her blog (On Another Adventure). The link is in my list to the left. I'll post some of my favourite pics from the trip now and then here. The flight back was good, and with the exception of a busted jar of grape Goober in my checked baggage, I got back in one piece (note: I had packed the Goober very carefully. The idiot Travel Authority had left me a note inside the bag telling me they had searched my bag and whoever did it unwrapped the breakable jar and left it in an unprotected corner of my bag. Thank God I had put it in a zip lock!). It was an excellent trip and I was glad to be able to help good friends as they set out on their new adventure in the Sowth.

I decided before I left that I would have a dinner party to mark the Solstice and I am so glad I did it. Everyone seemed to have a great time and things went really well. My menu (tomato balsamic chicken and Mediterranean orzo pasta salad followed by rhubarb crisp and ice-cream) was a make ahead deal and let me tell you, that is the way to go. I tried something new: real vanilla bean and orange juice/zest in the crisp. Holy Moley Yumarama. New recipes that worked and were enjoyed (despite the fact that the chicken got a little crisp because I kinda got caught up in conversation until someone yelled FIRE!) by all. I really enjoyed the preparation for this event and was quite relaxed. Jenn, we dove into that bottle of Swizzle you brought from Bermuda and it started things off with a bang! This group is wonderful. I could serve them Coachman hot dogs and they would be happy. Another new trick? Bring out the wheel barrow and fill it with ice and put the beverages in it-worked like a charm!

Amazing friends, fun conversations (as always), lots of wine to review, and lots of laughs. Can't get any better than that. Happy Summer, Y'all!